Spiritual Abuse Insights, Pt. 1
In the mid-90's our Watchman Fellowship Profile on Spiritual Abuse was published. After that I began to get calls for help from many people and places. As time went by, I met with or advised a number of individuals or groups whom I call dissidents, to educate them on abuse dynamics and put them on a path toward spiritual recovery.
I’d been dealing with high control groups in other ways for many years, but seeing believers turn from confusion and fear to hope and excitement in situations like this has become the most fulfilling aspect of my ministry.
Consciousness Is Evidence for God
Human consciousness is a problem for the naturalist/atheist worldview. Consciousness seems to be distinct from the physical brain. It ponders things non-material like eternity, information, emotions, logic, mathematics, etc. Naturalism lacks a good explanation for this immaterial reality that is so fundamental to human experience.
Theists contend the material world reflects the intelligence of an immaterial Creator. Atheists contend that only material exists. This materialist worldview has a problem with the immateriality mentioned above.
Bible Passages to Ponder: Rev. 4:9-11 & 5:12-13
The Watchtower teaches that since Jesus is a creature in their theology, he cannot receive worship. Only Jehovah (the Father) can be worshipped.
Here is the question:
Is it true worship that is being rendered to Jehovah in Revelation 4:9-11?
Isn’t it the same kind of worship that is being rendered to Jehovah AND Jesus in Revelation 5:11-14?
Why I Can’t Be a Mormon #3: False Virgin Birth
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus and she was still a virgin when she gave birth. In Matthew 1:18 it is stated that Mary was with child “of the Holy Spirit.” This was a supernatural conception.
In Mormon teaching Mary was a virgin before God the Father, a glorified and deified physical man, had sexual relations with Mary to conceive Jesus. Therefore, she could not have been a virgin at Jesus’ birth.
Why I Cannot Be a Mormon #2: Wrong Jesus
“For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”
—2 Corinthians 11:4
The identity of our Savior is of supreme importance. Because of its importance Jesus said to the Jews,
“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
—John 8:24
Why I Can't Be a Mormon #1: A False Scripture
The Mormons also have as scripture the Book of Mormon, which contains thousands of changes from the originally published text of 1830. And regardless of LDS claims, this book is not substantiated by archaeological discoveries. The Book of Mormon, published in 1830, is very different from today’s Book of Mormon. The LDS Church re-published the 1830 Book of Mormon as part of their celebration of 150 years since the first publication. This Sesquicentennial Edition is an exact reprint of the 1830 edition so making comparisons easily shows the tampering with the text.
Fear Is Not Our Master
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
—2 Timothy 2:7
We as humans are susceptible to fear of many things. Fear can take possession of our minds, creating bondage, capturing our minds to the point of declaring black to be white or causing problems to seem to disappear though they are right in front of us.
Christ came that through him we might overcome the enemy of fear. Religion takes advantage of fear for its own ends.
Did Jesus Have a “Beginning”?
“And unto the angel of the church of Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, …”
—Revelation 3:14
Jehovah’s Witnesses use this text to ‘prove’ that Jesus had a beginning. This is a gross misreading of the text. Other verses the Witnesses will resort to include Proverbs 8:22, John 14:28 and Colossians 1:15-16.
There are two ways the Witnesses should be answered on this text.
NWT* Bible Passages to Ponder: Rom. 8:26-27
Romans 8:26-27
What are the two activities of the “holy spirit” in this passage? Does this strike you as the activity of an impersonal force much like electricity?
NWT* Bible Passages to Ponder: 2 Cor. 12:1b-4
2 Corinthians 12:1b-4 (NWT)
If a person cannot exist outside of the body, why did Paul not know whether he was transported to paradise in his body or out of it?
We welcome comments.
NWT* Bible Passages to Ponder: 2 Cor. 3:12-18
2 Corinthians 3:12-18
How does holy spirit, a force like electricity, without personhood, relate to this passage?
We welcome comments.
Bible and the Book of Mormon
There are two ways you can approach the refutation of the Mormon interpretation of Ezekiel 37. One is to say “Let’s look at the Book of Mormon to see if it qualifies as Scripture. If it doesn’t then why consider it a fulfillment of Ezekiel 37?”
This is a valid approach because the Book of Mormon is riddled with internal inconsistencies, inconsistencies with the Bible, fictional history, absurdities, plagiarism, and post publication changes in the original text of the book Joseph Smith said was “inspired.” However, this approach takes time and requires documentation to be on hand.
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Two Gods?
According to Genesis 1:1 God created the Universe out of nothing. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus (aka Michael the Archangel according to the Watchtower) was the first “thing” God created and then used Jesus/Michael to create everything else. However, that raises some questions, such as …
Is creation of the Universe out of nothing an example of God’s Almighty power in action? Doesn’t the apostle John say Jesus did this?
All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
—John 1:3
Questions for Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jesus
Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jehovah directly created ONLY ONE THING, Michael the Archangel (aka Jesus), and that Michael/Jesus then created all OTHER things (United in Worship, p. 29)?
Does this not conflict with Daniel 10:13 where Michael is called “one of” the chief princes?
Does it not conflict with John 1:3 where it says “… without him (Jesus) was not ANYTHING made that was made?”
Question for Jehovah’s Witnesses: Worship
The Watchtower teaches that since Jesus is a creature in their theology, then he cannot receive worship. Only Jehovah (the Father) can be worshipped.
Here is the question:
Is it true worship that is being rendered to Jehovah in Revelation 4:9-11?
Isn’t it the same kind of worship that is being rendered to Jehovah AND Jesus in Revelation 5:11-14?
A “Certificate” for Heaven
Brigham Young said that “no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, page 289).
During December of 2005 Mormons celebrated the 200th birthday of their savior-prophet, who was born in Sharon, Vermont. Joseph Smith was one of eleven children. In 1816 the Smith family moved to Palmyra, NY, where Joseph later had his alleged vision.
Mormons have historically viewed Smith as an untouchable saint and would become defensive about the many criticisms of his character.
Fulfilled Prophecy: A Strong Apologetic, Pt. 4
Israel’s punishment of seventy years captivity began with Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Israel. There were two phases of this captivity. The first was the captivity of the nation, or “servitude of the nation,” when they came under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar in 607-606 BC. As a nation they lost their national sovereignty.
The second phase was when Jerusalem was destroyed in 587-586 BC. This was almost twenty years after the first phase, loss of national sovereignty.
Fulfilled Prophecy: A Strong Apologetic, Pt. 3
One of the most dramatic prophecies in the Old Testament is found in Daniel 9:24-27. It is known as Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” and is another sweeping view of history before it happens.
Though this prophecy is focused on Israel, it is foundational to our understanding of where we, the Church, are in the prophetic timeline. It begins with a prophecy about 70 “weeks” being determined upon Israel to bring Israel to repentance and the fulfillment of God’s desire for His people and to “bring in everlasting righteousness.”
Fulfilled Prophecy: A Strong Apologetic, Pt. 2
There are two items of great interest to me when it comes to God’s Chosen People. One is God preserving His people for the last two-thousand years while they are scattered to many nations in the world. During their exile they were killed and deprived of basic liberty almost everywhere. Anti-Semitism has a much deeper motivation of evil. It started when God identified His people and thus Satan knew that is where he would attack.
Second, when God chose the land of promise for Abraham and his descendants, He chose the center of the earth.
Fulfilled Prophecy: A Strong Apologetic, Pt. 1
In many ways and in many Old Testament passages God told Israel how He would deal with them and what His ultimate plan for them would be. God spelled it all out in Leviticus 26. They should have known but they still stumbled repeatedly as a blind man would.
For God to fulfill His promises to Israel He must preserve Israel throughout their dispersion, and through two millennia.
As ethnic populations go in today’s world the Jews are a small number. Their number is just about equal to the margin of error in the estimated population of China, about 14 million people.