The elder, unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not I only,
but also all they that have known the truth, for the truth's sake, which dwelleth in
us and shall be with us for ever. Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received
a commandment from the Father.
But now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we
had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after
his commandments. This is the commandment, that as ye have heard from the beginning,
ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought,
but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father
and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into
your house, neither bid him Godspeed. For he that bideth him Godspeed is partaker of his
evil deeds. Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink,
but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
So we're here in American heresy again tonight, and tonight we're going to talk about another
cult in the United States, and it's one that I'm sure you were all waiting for us to get to.
It's definitely fits the definition of a cult, you know, it follows or is formed by a man,
and there's definite a lot, a lot, a lot of extra biblical revelation in this cult. Of course,
tonight we're gonna talk about the Jehovah's Witnesses. Okay, so the Jehovah's Witnesses,
let's go through a little bit of history. I'm gonna be brief with the history because I really
want to get to the false prophecies, because that's the best part of these sermons to me
anyway. So the history of the Jehovah's Witnesses is it really came out of the Adventist movement.
So we talked about the Seventh-day Adventists a few weeks ago. I don't want to go straight
into the Jehovah's Witnesses because they're tied together a little bit, but basically you
had the Millerites that were predicting the end of the world in the late 1840s, and when
that didn't happen, of course, they were predicting the end times in 1848, I think it was,
and when that didn't happen, there was a number of things that branched off from the Millerite
movement. One of those things was the Adventist movement, and we talked about that in the sermon
on the Seventh-day Adventists. So there was a man in 1852. He was born in 1852. He
lived from 1852 to 1916. His name was Charles, his name was Charles Taze Russell,
and Charles Taze Russell is the modern-day founder of what the Jehovah's Witnesses would call
their religion. So he was an Adventist, and he started a branch out of the Adventist movement
called the Bible Student movement in the late 1800s, and he basically formed what is now known
as the Watchtower Magazine, which I'm sure you have seen many of these tracks on doors.
Watchtower in the 1950s. Watchtower Magazine, Watchtower publication has created just enormous
amounts of material and extra biblical material out there, and that's what you'll see in a lot
of these tracks, and they created actually their own version of the Bible in 1950, and we'll
read some passages of that Bible called the New World Translation. We'll read some of those
passages tonight to explain to you how they cover up their doctrine. Of course, they create their
false doctrine, and then it's convenient that they would write a Bible to back up
their false doctrine. You'll see the power of single words in the Bible once again tonight.
You have to have a King James Bible. If you change certain single words, you'll see how
just even the word the is very important in the King James Bible. The Watchtower Society says,
of course, that if you do not translate the Bible, read the Bible without the Watchtower,
you will fall into apostasy. Only the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses
can properly interpret the Bible, by the way. So, you know, it's convenient, right?
Charles Taze Russell had many failed prophecies before his death. He had a bitter divorce in 1897.
If you looked at his life from a secular viewpoint, you would see many of the same
things that you saw with Joseph Smith. When I was studying Charles Taze Russell,
it reminded me of a lot of Joseph Smith. He was a con man. He was involved in many
money-making schemes that got him brought in in front of judges a lot. People sued him.
He was involved. One of the most famous ones was he was involved in selling a strain of wheat
called Miracle Wheat that was supposedly a better form of wheat, and they were selling it for
several times the price of a wheat seed at that time. And of course, he was sued for that.
The U.S. government did tests on this strain of wheat, and it was no different
than normal wheat. It was a scam. He was a scammer. He was in it for the money,
okay? Charles Taze Russell, he died in 1916. Then a man named Joseph Rutherford took over
and eventually formed what we now call the Jehovah's Witnesses, but he continued the
Watchtower Society. There was a bitter fight in the late teens about who was going to take over
the Watchtower Society, which is the publishing house of the Jehovah's Witnesses today.
And Joseph Rutherford forcefully took over, and then he expanded his powers as president
of the organization. And of course, he did, right? Why wouldn't he?
You know, there was many schisms or schisms, I guess you should say, in the Bible Student
Movement. I'm not even going to get into it. But basically, there was basically big splits in 1909,
big splits in 1916, 1917, 1919. And the third one that actually formed what we call the
Jehovah's Witnesses today was in 1928 to 1931, was the final split where Joseph Rutherford took
the Jehovah's Witnesses there. But the Watchtower Society is really what I follow
through the whole thing, and that was basically Charles Taze Russell to Joseph Rutherford. So what
are they teaching? What were their prophecies? And I believe, you know, obviously their prophecies
were a big part of the story. Jehovah's Witness spokesman Eugene Mortensen.
The increase that Jehovah's Witnesses are experiencing right now is phenomenal.
Last year, for example, worldwide, we had a 6.8% increase.
It all began in Pennsylvania in the late 1800s, when Charles Taze Russell came under the
influence of a second Adventist preacher. Russell initiated his own Bible study class,
a small group that would ultimately grow to become the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Borrowing directly from the prophetic speculations of Nelson Barber, a New York
second Adventist, Russell claimed that in 1799, the world had entered the time of the end,
that in 1874, Jesus Christ had returned invisibly,
and that the world would come to an end in the year 1914.
In 1879, Russell, then 27 years of age, was so passionately convinced these prophetic dates
were given by God that he sold his prosperous clothing business and struck out in a new direction.
With very little education or theological background,
he began printing the magazine Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence.
Known today as the Watchtower, this publication, which has grown from an initial printing of
6,000 to well over 288 million copies annually, dictates all major doctrines to Jehovah's Witnesses.
During his lifetime, Russell authored a vast amount of literature,
including a series of volumes entitled Studies in the Scriptures.
According to Russell, no one could understand the Bible without these books,
and reading the Bible alone would lead only to spiritual darkness.
One of Russell's teachings was that Egypt's Great Pyramid was designed and placed there by God
as his second witness, next to the Bible. It would be an instrument to reveal his
great plan of the ages for mankind. This measurement indicates the length of the year,
the weight of the earth, the distance to the sun, etc.
Russell believed his dates and chronology were confirmed by the measurements of the
interior passageways of the Great Pyramid. According to Russell,
the passageways verified 1914 as the year the world would end. Finally, 1914 came
and went.
Russell and his followers were not raptured from the earth, and the end had not come.
John Knight, who was 15 years old at the time, remembers what came next.
When 1914 came, of course, we had to change our views, just like we had to change
some views later. The date was pushed forward to 1915. Then, 1918.
Certainly Armageddon was just around the corner. But in 1916, Charles Taze Russell died
sick, weary, and disappointed. A massive stone pyramid stands today at his grave site
as an embarrassing reminder of his false prophecies.
Through hard-fisted inside political manipulation, Joseph Franklin Rutherford,
a Missouri lawyer who had given himself the title of judge, became the second president of
the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in 1917. In 1918, Judge Rutherford's lecture entitled
Millions Now Living Will Never Die was the beginning of a worldwide recruiting effort
called the Millions Campaign. Not too surprisingly, it proclaimed the coming destruction of the
existing world. It would happen soon, in 1925. Based upon the promises set forth
in the divine word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that
Millions Now Living will never die. In 1920, the Millions book was published.
In it, Rutherford claimed the Bible proved that in 1925, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and other
faithful men of old were to be resurrected to rule henceforth as princes on the new paradise
earth. Fully convinced that Rutherford's prophecy was true, many witnesses sold their homes and
businesses and took to the road. Living in cars and trucks like itinerant peddlers,
they spread the warning. As 1925 drew closer, some farmers even refused to plant crops
because they believed the end was at hand. Finally, 1925 came and as in 1914, nothing happened.
Once again, the Watchtower Society's prophecy had proven false.
As Russell had done, Rutherford doggedly held to the story that the end was just around the
corner. In 1929, the judge had this palatial mansion constructed. It was deeded to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, so they and other ancient worthies would have a place to live when they
were resurrected. Located in an exclusive district of San Diego, it was given the name
Beth Sarim, Hebrew for House of the Princes.
The world entered the Great Depression, but Rutherford lived like a millionaire,
spending the winter months at Beth Sarim, summering in Europe.
As Americans suffered through poverty and deprivation,
Rutherford enjoyed the use of two 16-cylinder Cadillacs.
Under Rutherford, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society became a well-oiled corporation.
New books, literature, and tracts poured forth in a flood to be sold door to door by faithful
witnesses. He drove his followers to labor hard for the Lord. He advised young couples not to
marry, but to put all their energies into proclaiming the kingdom.
Even portable phonographs were utilized at the doorstep.
Around the world, zealous witnesses paraded in front of churches on Sunday mornings,
bearing placards with the slogan, religion is a snare and a racket.
Keeping up with the times, the Society constructed its own radio station,
and by 1933 there were 403 stations nationwide broadcasting Rutherford's abusive railings
against the clergy, politicians, and what he referred to as the greedy commercialists.
On the radio and in print, he continually stressed that the end of the world
was just months away. The end finally came, but only for Rutherford.
In 1942, he died of Beth Sarim, the house he had built as a luxurious testimony to God's name.
In retrospect, perhaps the only testimony this lovely mansion ever gave was to the cash value
of false prophecy. In 1948, the Society quietly sold the property, covering up an embarrassing
chapter in its history. Today, most modern Jehovah's Witnesses are unaware that Beth Sarim
ever existed. With Rutherford's passing, the flamboyant era of charismatic personalities
passed as well. Today, fueled by the anxieties of a nuclear age,
the Watchtower Society is a multinational corporate giant.
To lend credence to this translation, the Watchtower Society has deliberately misquoted
a number of well-known Greek scholars. Dr. J. R. Manti, an eminent Greek scholar,
was one of the authorities quoted out of context. The Watchtower Society has implied
that he supports their New World translation. Dr. Manti disagrees.
I have never found any so-called translation that goes so far away from what the scripture
actually teaches as these books published by Jehovah's Witnesses. They are so far away from
what there is in the original Hebrew and the original Greek. Dr. Manti called the
Jehovah's Witness Bible a shocking mistranslation, obsolete and incorrect.
You can't follow theirs because it's biased and it's deceptive
because they deliberately changed words in a passage of scripture to make it fit into
their doctrine. They distorted the scripture in many passages, scores and scores of passages
in the New Testament, dealing with the deity of Christ especially.
To find additional support for their altered scriptures, the Watchtower has even turned to
the occult. The New Testament, a Bible translation by Johannes Greber, has been used
as an authority in many of their publications. Johannes Greber was a spiritualist, heavily
involved with the occult. His translation was completed under the direction of spirit messengers
with the aid of his wife who was a self-professed spirit medium. The willingness of the Watchtower
to accept any authority is reflected in the words of Charles Taze Russell in the July
1879 issue of Zion's Watchtower where he stated,
A truth presented by Satan himself is just as true as a truth stated by God.
Accept truth wherever you find it, no matter what it contradicts.
This philosophy is reflected in the New World translation.
That you need to give your whole soul an offering for Christ and you gotta keep his
commandments and endure unto the end and all this stuff. And they go into more detail about
this and they give us so-called quotes and all this other stuff. But really what it comes
down to is that when you deal with these people, they're dealing with a really corrupt
Bible version. It's called the New World Translation. So New World Translation is a Bible
that was published by the Watchtower Society. So the New Testament was done in 1950 and then
the Old Testament was completed in 1961. So the complete thing was like in 1961.
Okay. And this thing, it's funny, if you go to Bible Gateway, it won't even be on there
because no one regards this thing as a Bible besides the Jehovah Witnesses. Okay. Because it's
that, that's that corrupt. Okay. Meaning that, I mean, the liberties they take in here,
they are just literally putting what they wanted to say in there. It's not like, well,
the Greeks should have said this or that. No, they are literally just putting what they
wanted to say in there to cover up for their false doctrines. Okay. So the Watchtower,
I'm sorry, the New World Translation, it's famous for this. They're all about Jehovah,
the name Jehovah and all that. Obviously, Jehovah Witnesses, right. But that New World
Translation is very famous for putting Jehovah in the New Testament. Every time it says the Lord,
it'll put Jehovah except for when it's talking about Jesus because they do not believe that
Jesus is Jehovah. Okay. Now, I want to go to, you know, you know these verses, but go to John
1-1. I'm going to read to you what it says in the New World Translation because the
big thing about Jehovah Witnesses is they do not believe Jesus is God, but they believe that
he was the only direct creation of God and that he's Michael the Archangel. Okay. And that then
Jesus as Michael the Archangel created everything. Okay. So basically God created Jesus
and then Jesus created everything. That's what they believe. Okay. So strike three with me. I
mean, you say that Jesus is a created being, then you're a cult and you're a false religion.
But you say, well, what do they do with these verses like John 1-1? Well, let's see what the New
World Translation says here. So you're in John 1-1, very famous verse. In the beginning was
the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Well, the New World Translation
says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was a God.
Yep. I don't like that it says the Word was God. By the way, that a is not in the original
Greek. Okay. So they just add this stuff in there. Like I said, even the critical text
people would not put this there. Okay. So this isn't a text issue. This is a translation
issue, meaning that they are purposely putting a God because they cannot say that Jesus is God.
Okay. Go to Hebrews chapter 1. Because if there was two verses that I would go to to prove Jesus'
deity, it'd be John 1-1, Hebrews 1-8. Okay. If you just want it straight up, this is where it
says He's God. Now there's many verses you can go to and trust me, they tamper with them all.
You know, they're going to tamper with these things and explain away stuff with these
verses. But Hebrews 1-8, you're there in your King James Bible, it says, but unto the
Son, He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the
scepter of Thy kingdom. So clear as the noses on your face, it says, the Father is actually
saying here, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. This is what the New World Translation says.
But about the Son, He says, God is your throne forever and ever, and the scepter of your
kingdom is the scepter of uprightness. God is your throne. What does that even mean?
God is your throne. And I actually look back in Psalm 45, they actually change that because,
you know, Psalm 45 in your King James Bible will say, Thy throne, O God, is forever and
ever. It doesn't say unto the Son, He saith, but it says, Thy throne, O God, is forever
and ever in Psalm 45. But they'll say, God is your throne. God is your throne.
What in the world are you talking about? That doesn't make any sense at all. But they're
just covering up for the fact that this says, Thy throne, O God, to the Son. Okay.
And the New World Translation, I mean, you could spend days going, it's so blasphemous,
but they just had a revision out in 2013. But before that, in Job 6-6, you know where it
says there's no taste in the white of an egg? It says there's no taste in the juicy slime
of a marshmallow. The slimy juice, I'm sorry, I misquoted them. The slimy juice of a marshmallow.
And their new revision, they took care of that because they got made fun of so much apparently.
So now it says like the juice of a mallow, you know. So, but I'm just like, really?
Yeah. But all I have to say is that that version is a joke. It's a joke. And those that publish
that are burning in hell right now, if they're not still alive. Okay. Because I guess it was
finished in 61. I guess it's possible that they're still alive, right? Because this was
not in the 1800s. Charles Taze Russell was in hell right now. But all I have to say is that
that's a garbage translation. No one regards that thing as an actual Bible besides the Jehovah
Witnesses. And it's basically just tailoring a Bible to their beliefs. Okay. Now, just some
doctrine on this. Obviously, the most wicked is the fact that Jesus is Michael the Archangel
and Abaddon. Okay. So they're not even, they're linking Abaddon and Apollyon, right?
The angel.
Save like this word, save with fear with people. What do they believe about Jesus?
What do they believe about Jesus? They believe that Jesus is not divine and he's not equal
with God. And once again, you're in Jude, they believe that he is also Michael the Archangel.
All right. Go to Jude 9. Jude 9. And I want to talk, I know I already talked about this,
but I want to just, I can't believe I keep seeing this. This Jesus is Michael the Archangel
thing. So I want to just do a real quick little study on this. I just thought of this
like 10 minutes before the sermon, but go to Jude 9. Let's still look at Michael the Archangel,
because this is what they'll use. Jude 9. Jude 9. Yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with
the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing
accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke thee. Okay. So you have Michael the Archangel when
contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, but he didn't want to bring
a railing accusation against the devil. Okay. You notice that? Now this is important.
Michael the Archangel, there's two people mentioned, and I already went through this,
but I want to point out another aspect of this. There's two people mentioned. He said,
I don't want to rebuke thee, the Lord will rebuke thee. This, number one, you must
fundamentally understand who Jesus is. That Jesus is God. And if you don't believe that,
you will fall into stupid stuff like this. But let's look at the angels real quick,
just real quickly. Turn over to 2 Peter chapter 2. And I want to just show you something
about the angels and the Lord that's important to understand so you can explain this kind of
stuff to people. Look at 2 Peter chapter 2. I'll give you a minute. I want you to go there.
2 Peter chapter 2, and I think we'll start reading in verse number 9. Let's look at verse number 9.
Look what the Bible says in 2 Peter chapter 2 in verse number 9. The Bible says,
the Lord knoweth, the Lord knoweth, how to deliver the godly out of temptations,
and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. So whose job is it
to reserve the ungodly to be punished? Whose job? The Lord's job. Okay? That's the Lord's job.
But chiefly, he's saying people like this is what he's saying. Them that walk after the flesh
in the lust of uncleanness and despise government, presumptuous are they, self-willed,
they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. These are evil people. Now, look at verse 11.
Whereas the angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing
accusation against them before the Lord. You see that? You see how the angels,
look, the angels are there to do a job that God wants them to do. They're there to state facts,
but when something goes wrong and there's evil, they are not there to judge.
Because they're, you know what, they have complete faith in their boss.
Because that's what, that's what, even the devil, think of it,
even the devil, it said, nope, the person that's going to rebuke you is the Lord.
So the angels are there to state facts, to do a job for the Lord. But they're not to speak
evil and pass judgment. They're just to do what they're told. That's what they're doing.
Now, is there a difference there? Because Jesus is the Lord.
That's right. Jesus is the Lord. But if you don't think Jesus is the Lord,
well, whatever, all bets are off. He's the angel. He's, He's a prophet. Might as well be Muslim.
I mean, Jesus is the Lord. So you got this, you got this, you got God, you got God who
will pass judgment and will rebuke the devil and the evil people and will judge these ungodly
people, right? And to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment and He will pass punishment.
But not the angels. They're just to do what they're told. And they know that.
And it's not because they don't have power. It says they're mighty and powerful.
But they're there to do a job. They're not there to pass judgment or to punish.
That's why they're just like, remember when we talked about Romans 1? And I'm just like,
hey, you know, when God says vengeance is mine, just leave it to Him. Leave it to Him.
That's what the angels are doing here. Vengeance is, vengeance is the Lord's. Look,
He's better at it than you. Why? Because He's going to punish them eternally.
You see how it all goes together? It all fits together. So if you miss one of these things,
these people, it just, all bets are off. You can just get caught up in anything.
So there's Michael the Archangel. I don't ever want to talk about that one again. No,
I'm just kidding. But I mean, you can, it's just, when Jesus isn't God,
I mean, forget about it. Let's just, let's just start writing our own Bibles.
It's like, it's crazy. Now, Jesus is not equal with God. All right, let's look at this.
John 1, 1. Go there. John 1, 1. I have a flow chart in the back. After you leave tonight,
take it. I wrote a flow chart on how to witness to a Jehovah's Witness. Okay? And how to give
the Gospel to a Jehovah's Witness. And the one thing that you'll see when it's talking about
how to prove to a Jehovah's Witness that Jesus is God, don't go to John 1, 1. Because they've
changed their Bible on John 1, 1. John 1, 1 in your King James Bible says,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1, 1 in the New World Translation Fake Bible says,
In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a God.
One word. One letter.
Turn to Hebrews chapter 1.
Verses to use for the Jehovah's Witness to prove that Jesus is God. Go to Hebrews 1 and
verse number 8. There's plenty of verses in the Bible to prove that Jesus is God. Here's some
good ones. I'll give you a few. Hebrews 1 and verse number 8. Because guess what? You only
need to give them two. And if they don't listen, you know, have fun in hell. Hebrews 1, 8.
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of
righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Go to Isaiah. No, turn to 1 Timothy 3, 16. I'll read
to you Isaiah 9, 6. I've already read this one, but I love this verse. For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. His name
shall be called what? Wonderful. Counselor. The mighty God. The everlasting Father. The Prince
of Peace. The New World Translation calls it mighty God. Not the mighty God. Just mighty God.
So he's a lesser God or whatever you want to call that. 1 Timothy 3, 16. And without
controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the
spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into
glory. They believe in a different Jesus, folks. It's that simple. The Holy Spirit.
They also don't believe in the Trinity. Of course, they've already missed one leg of the
stool. They missed the second. They missed the third leg, I guess you would call it, of the
stool as well. They don't believe in the Holy Spirit. They reject the Trinity, particularly
the person of the Holy Spirit. It simply turned to Micah 3, 8. It's the force.
You know? It's the force. I'm serious. It's a force. You know?
I mean, that's what they think. It's the force.
Micah 3, 8. The Bible reads, but truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord,
and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgressions, and to Israel his sin.
Their version says, as for me, I am filled with power by the Spirit of Jehovah,
and with justice and might, to tell Jacob his revolt, and to Israel his sin. See? The Trinity
doesn't exist. I mean, I don't even—what? This is one of those ones where you see
it's a long dissertation, 10 pages long, about the Holy Spirit, and then they just throw one
verse in there, Micah 3, 8, which doesn't even really make any sense.
For example, in the Hebrew Scriptures, he is referred to as Michael. Michael, literally
translated into English, means who is like God. Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ is a Spirit
creature, a super angel, the first creation of Jehovah God, who prior to coming to earth as a
man, existed in heaven as Michael the Archangel. Jesus started out originally as the Logos.
Or Michael the Archangel,
who then came to earth as the virgin-born son of Mary.
He was a perfect, sinless man, but he was only a man, devoid of all divinity. Jesus
walked the earth as a man, becoming the Christ only when he was baptized.
Jehovah's Witnesses hold the cross in contempt, feeling that it is nothing more than a pagan
symbol used by apostate Christendom. Instead, they teach that at the completion of his
ministry, Jesus died, not on the cross, but on an upright stake.
Christ's body was then laid in a tomb, where it was disintegrated by God, totally destroyed forever.
Jesus was then recreated by the Father. Before going to heaven, he materialized in different
bodies on different occasions to convince his disciples and others that he had really
been resurrected. Jesus returned to his Father in heaven, where once again he became
Michael the Archangel. He will never again be seen on the earth in visible form, but instead
rules invisibly from the heavens. When he executes judgment over the world at
Armageddon, he will destroy all but the faithful Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jesus, alias Michael, will always remain invisible to those on earth and can be seen
only by the 144,000 select Jehovah's Witnesses who rule with him from heaven.
This website
meant to protect against the Satan-led outside world. Witnesses are required to spend hours
spreading Jehovah's Word door-to-door and at street corner carts like these.
They don't celebrate holidays, no Christmases, no birthdays,
and those who don't obey the rules risk being shunned by friends and family.
This started around 1881 with the Watchtower Society with Charles Tabor's Russell,
and this stuff kind of branched out. They had a bunch of schisms and it branched out and all
that. So I got this from their website, JehovahWitnesses.org or JW.org. So this is
straight from the horse's mouth. I looked at a bunch of different articles about salvation and
stuff like that, and they are hardcore against eternal security. I mean, hardcore. Every
article is just like, no, it's not once they'd always saved. That's wrong. They're against the
sinner's prayer. They're against all this stuff and just staunchly against eternal security.
Big surprise. This is what they believe you need to do to go to heaven. I'm just kind of
putting it in a simplification because they kind of explain stuff in there. They believe,
one, you have to believe that Jesus sacrificed his life for your sins. Okay. Two, you have
to learn what the Bible really teaches. They literally believe that you're not ready for
salvation unless you understand the Bible and understand the ins and outs of certain doctrines.
You have to repent. Repent. You knew that would be in there, right? Feel deep sorrow. Stop
practices that offend God, and if you didn't, then you didn't really repent. Get baptized.
Obey Jesus' instructions. I mean, they just straight up say you got to do the commandments,
okay, and endure to the end. So it's pretty similar to the Mormons, right, that you need
to give your whole soul an offering for Christ, and you got to keep his commandments and endure
until the end and all this stuff. And they go into more detail about this, and they give
us so-called quotes and all this other stuff. But really what it comes down to is that when
you deal with these people, they're all male virgins, clearly, even in the New World translation.
So anyway, enough of the 144,000. I mean, how do I get to heaven? I mean, I'm so confused right now.
Can you just tell me how, okay, I don't get to go to heaven. How can I live a decent upper
middle class life, Hunter? That's what I need to know. Can you tell me that, all right?
Here's where we need to go. From jw.org. There's some fact and misconception when you
Google like how to get to heaven or how to get saved from, you'll notice in the flow chart in
the back, you don't start out soloing with the Jehovah's Witnesses by saying, hey, do you know
if you're going to heaven? Because they're going to say nothing. I'm not. Right? So you say, hey,
you know what you're saying? So here's what they say about being saved by a Baptist church.
Misconception. All matter, there's one simple step back from you and Jesus,
believing that Jesus died for you and everything is settled. But, you know, don't take that
answer at face value. According to the Bible, everything that is necessary to be
saved is not just simply believing in Jesus and getting saved once and for all time. Blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah. They go on forever. And then it finally ends up saying a person
must know of and have faith in Jehovah, accept his word, recognize the operation of his spirit,
the force, the force, repent and be baptized. When once a person has met these conditions,
salvation is possible. So if you've done those things, you've got a chance.
You're saying there's a chance. Then to the question, are you saved? He can give the truthful
reply. Yes, thus far I am saved. Thus, once you are in the way of salvation, the way of
salvation, exert yourself to stay in it. You cannot earn salvation by works. What? I mean,
aren't you glad God gave you a brain that like works logically? I mean, what have I just been
reading you? Works, works, works, works. You cannot earn salvation by works. Faith is what
is needed, but you do need to exercise your faith by practical works that give proof of it.
Did you see that? No, I want to read it again. It's so stupid. It's from their website.
I mean, a person that doesn't even understand English wrote this.
You cannot earn your salvation by works, but you do need to exercise your faith by practical
works. It's works. I mean, you all knew this. It's works. It's works. Turn to John 3 36.
John 3 36. We're just talking about John 3 36 today and what a great verse it is.
What he that believeth on the sun hath everlasting life. It's not a process.
When you believe on the sun, look, you have to believe on the sun, believe on the sun. You have
to trust totally in the sun. But then you have it. You have it. You possess it now.
It's yours at that present time. And it's everlasting. It's just works, folks. I mean,
let me close with this. I'm starting to feel unoriginal at the end of these sermons. It's
works. It's works. It's works. It always comes back to works because there's only two religions
in the whole world. Works and the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's it. Tell people that.
Because they're confused out there. There's like, there's 80 different Christian churches.
How would I know which one is which? Well, do they teach works or not? There's only two
religions in the whole world. That's it. It's works and that. So, you know, ask yourself this
question though. Why isn't there a cult? Think about this. Why isn't there a cult that pops up
that teaches salvation by grace through faith? Why isn't there one?
But I mean, think of it. If I wanted to be closer to the Bible and I'm some wicked
reprobate and I wanted to be closer to the Bible and come up with a better counterfeit,
why wouldn't I create a false god? I mean, just stay with me. Create a false god but then teach
salvation in that false god that's not of works and is only grace through faith.
Why wouldn't I do that? I mean, it'd be a better counterfeit, right?
I mean, remember that quote? You do need to exercise your faith by practical works.
Here's the answer why you'll never see that.
You got it. I just heard it. Because we will tell you what those works are. You see? Because
guess what? You will not find a list of works that you need to do to get to heaven in this
book. So if you can convince people that it is of works, you get to make the rules.
You have to come to us to get your kids to heaven, infant baptism, control. That's it. You
got to walk through the doors of that building to get your kids to heaven and to get yourself
to heaven. That's why you'll never see a cult that pops up that just teaches salvation by
grace through faith. You'll never see it because it's about controlling people.
And we're going out and we're telling people that, hey, you know what? We'd love for you to
come to church, but if you're never going to come to church, let me at least show you how
to get to heaven. Because getting to heaven has nothing to do with coming to my church.
And if I wanted to make money and I wanted to have...
Noah, I have never gotten a Jehovah's Witness on the street safe. Maybe somebody here has,
or there's somebody that has, not even close. But let me tell you something,
I've gotten many people and I know many people that have gotten many people that are studying
with the Jehovah's Witness. We got them saved. We got them saved and we got them to the
point where the next time Jehovah's Witnesses come to their door, they're gonna be like,
now they have the Holy Spirit in them. So go to 2 John 1 and verse 10.
So we got that flow chart in the back. We got that flow chart in the back that'll tell you,
and you know what? You'll see all these different arrows on that flow chart.
Whereas if they accept what you're telling them, that Jesus is God and it's not of works,
then you can continue. But there's always one arrow that goes off. They don't accept it.
You're done. You're done. You're done. You're done. Right?
2 John 1, 10. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine,
receive him not into your house, either bid him Godspeed. So we will see these people
on the street and don't you bid them Godspeed. Just like the Mormons. Don't you say,
bye or best of luck or thank you or no. Don't you bid them Godspeed because then
you're partaker. I mean, they're murderers as a whole, just like the Mormons.
They're actively out there doing it. You know what? I think more people are talking to these
people than talking to the Mormons. So, and we can get those people. We can get those people.
I got it. I've actually seen Jehovah's Witnesses talking to somebody in the door.
I've left my partner that I'm with and I'm like, you know, there was three of us.
I ran over there when they left and I knocked that guy's door cause I didn't think he was home
and I talked to him 15 minutes just on the Jehovah's Witnesses before I even opened the
Bible to the gospel. I told him how wicked they are and what they're teaching is wrong.
And then I'm like, let me show you the truth. And that man came to church several times.
I heard a lie from Satan about the blessed salvation, how we must give our lives to Christ
in order to be saved. I heard about repentance, how his blood was not sufficient,
how we must repent of our sins if we are to be saved. Salvation is freed by faith in Jesus.
To forgive, to eat, he purchased by his blood. He gave himself for you and me. Now we must be
saved. Then I heard the truth of Jesus. God was manifest in the flesh. How he was
mocked and smote and scourged and shed his blood for me. He rose again in three days,
conquered death and hell and the grave. Now we must believe on his name and then we shall be
saved. Salvation is freed by faith in Jesus. To forgive, to eat, he purchased by his blood.
He gave himself for you and me. Now we must be saved. By full faith on him alone.
And then we shall be saved. Now I know the true salvation that is by grace through our faith
and not of works nor by ourselves lest any man should boast. For if by his grace then it's
not of works otherwise his grace is not grace. So if you have your works with faith then
Christ is dead in vain. Salvation is freed by faith in Jesus. To forgive, to eat, he purchased by his blood.
You probably learned a lot about the Bible lands through this film but we'd like you to know
the main message of the Bible which is salvation through Jesus Christ. The Bible says that you can
know for sure that you are on your way to heaven and we'd like to just explain to you
some things in order for you to be able to know that you are on your way to heaven. The first
thing you need to understand is that you are a sinner. The Bible says in Romans chapter number
three and verse 10 as it is written there is none righteous no not one. The Bible here is
telling us that nobody is without fault. None of us are perfect. In Romans chapter 3 and verse 23
the Bible goes on to say this for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
The Bible defines sin as the transgression of the law. When we break God's law we've sinned
and the Bible says here for all have sinned. There's not one human on this earth that is not
a sinner. Now the reason you need to understand that that there is none righteous and that we are
all sinners is because of this. In Romans 6 23 the Bible says for the wages of sin is death
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The first part of that
verse tells us that there are wages for our sin which is death. The word wages means payment
it's what you earn. When I go to work I earn money but when I sin what I earn is death.
Now when the Bible talks about death it's talking about more than just a physical death.
In Revelation chapter number 20 and verse number 14 the Bible says this and death and hell were
cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and whosoever was not found written in
the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Here we learn about a second death. See
when the Bible says that the wages of sin is death it's not just talking about a physical
death. The physical death is just the first death or the initial death but then when an
individual gets cast into the lake of fire that is the second death. In Revelation 21
8 God actually gives us a list of who's going to hell. He says but the fearful and unbelieving
and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters
and then he goes on to say this and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone which is the second death. Now the reason that God gives us this
list of really bad sins murderers whoremongers sorcerers idolaters and then at the end he
adds a sin that we've all committed when he says and all liars. He's trying to explain to
us that there is none righteous no matter how good you are you're not good enough. In fact
James chapter number 2 and verse 10 kind of puts it all together it says for whosoever shall
keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all. The first thing you
need to understand and what I'm trying to explain to you is that we're all sinners and because
we're sinners our sin has condemned us to hell. Now you don't have to go to hell and God
doesn't want you to go to hell but you need to understand that you are condemned to hell
and you need to be saved from hell. Romans 6 23 the first part of the verse said for
the wages of sin is death. The second part says this but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Bible explains that God has a gift he wants to give you
and that gift is eternal life and it's through Jesus Christ. Now there are some things you
need to understand about this gift. In Ephesians chapter number 2 and verse 8 the Bible says this
for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God.
It says not of works lest any man should boast. The Bible tells us the gift of salvation
is from God and it's not of works meaning you don't have to earn it. Today many people believe
that they have to live a good life in order to go to heaven or they have to repent of their
sins in order to go to heaven or maybe they believe they have to get baptized or go to church
but the Bible tells us that the gift is not of works you don't have to earn it you don't
have to pay for it. Now because it is a gift someone did have to pay for it and that
person was Jesus Christ. In Romans chapter 5 and verse 8 the Bible says this but God
commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. The message
of the gospel is that Jesus came to this earth he lived a sinless life he never sinned
he died on the cross and was buried and he resurrected from the grave three days later
as a payment for our sin. Now there are a couple things you need to believe about Jesus.
You can't just believe that he was a good man or a prophet you have to believe what the
Bible says about him which is that he was God in the flesh. John 1 says this in the beginning
was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Later on in the chapter in verse
14 he says this and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as
of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. Now that only begotten of the
father is of course Jesus Christ. John 3 16 the most famous verse in the Bible says this
for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish but have everlasting life. The message of salvation is that Jesus who was
God in the flesh paid for our sins and he offers us the free gift of eternal life. Now
there's one more thing you need to understand about salvation and that is that it is eternal
life. In John 3 16 it's called everlasting life. In John 3 15 it says that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish but have eternal life. The first part of John 3 36 says he that
believeth on the son hath everlasting life. Now what that means is that when God gives you
salvation it will last forever. It doesn't mean that you're going to live on earth like some
sort of immortal but what it means is that when you die physically you will not die the
second death of being cast into the lake of fire but you'll go live with God for eternity
and it will last forever. Titus 1 2 says this in hope of eternal life which God that cannot
lie promised before the world began. See the Bible says that our hope for eternal life is
that God cannot lie. Once he gives it to you he'll never take it away. Now that doesn't mean
that you can live on this earth you know without any consequences. Of course we know that on
this earth there are consequences for sin we reap what we sow and God chastises his children
but there's nothing you can ever do that would cause God to take away your eternal life. God
wants you to be saved and he tells you how to do that. In Romans 10 9 he says this that if
now he says if because you get a choice he says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus but it's more than just saying words he says this and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved. See the gift of salvation has to be
accepted and the Bible tells us that in verse 10 for what the heart man believeth into
righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Verse 13 says for whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you believe what I've showed you from
the word of God if you believe that you're a sinner and your sin has condemned you to hell
but Jesus came to this earth was born of a virgin lived a sinless life died on the cross was buried
and resurrected as a payment for your sin that you don't have to earn it you don't have to
work for all you have to do is receive it and once you have it he'll never take it away
then God simply asks you to by faith call upon him to save you if you believe that I would
like to help you word a prayer. Now this prayer does not this prayer in and of itself does
not save you it's the faith in your heart that saves you but if you believe it just pray with
me and repeat after me Jesus I know that I'm a sinner and I deserve to go to hell I'm
confessing my sin to you and receiving your gift of eternal life I'm not trusting in myself
I'm only trusting in you amen. If you've prayed that prayer I'd like to congratulate you on
receiving the gift of eternal life thanks for listening