Posts by Sea Breeze

24

Question for JW's: Is Jesus the Mediator of Your Prayers ?

by Sea Breeze in

praying to god “through the son jesus” has nothing to do with christ as mediator.. do jw's even know what a mediator does?.

i am in the insurance restoration construction business and have been in mediation many times when a policy holder sues an insurance company for not paying everything they believe is due them under the terms of their policy for property damage.. i am brought in as a technical expert.. in mediation, the plaintiff (policy holder) and the defendant (insurance company) are placed in separate rooms, they do not talk to each other.

they are separated because the dispute has alienated the one from the other.

Sea Breeze

What if you don't pray?

My advice is to learn how to. Otherwise: "ye have not because ye ask not" - James: 4: 2

24

The Good News Is: The Great-Crowd-Of-Other-Sheep Do Not Exist

by Sea Breeze in

the watchtower conflates two different groups into one fictional church-age group that according to the watchtower, are saved by works and faith/membership in the jehovah witness organization.

according to watchtower, only the now mostly dead 144k receive the promises of god regarding justification .

everbody else missed the boat and must work for their justification for a thousand years.

Sea Breeze

The temple vision of Ezekiel I view as symbolic, mainly because of the animal sacrifices. Jesus sacrificed himself once and for all. Animal sacrifices would have no purpose in the future dispensation.

And, this has been going on for a long time. It is tempting "spiritualize" things that don't seem to fit.

That's what Augustine did when after hundreds of years Jerusalem had not been rebuilt and Jews had not returned to their homeland. The reasoning was that the literal return of the Jews must be symbolic.

Then, one day in 1948 the nation of Israel was born. All the sudden, it looks very literal and not symbolic.

A literal interpretation of the bible requires believing that the text means what it says and says what it means, unless the spiritual interpretation is suggested. Ex. "The kingdom of heaven is like..."

24

Question for JW's: Is Jesus the Mediator of Your Prayers ?

by Sea Breeze in

praying to god “through the son jesus” has nothing to do with christ as mediator.. do jw's even know what a mediator does?.

i am in the insurance restoration construction business and have been in mediation many times when a policy holder sues an insurance company for not paying everything they believe is due them under the terms of their policy for property damage.. i am brought in as a technical expert.. in mediation, the plaintiff (policy holder) and the defendant (insurance company) are placed in separate rooms, they do not talk to each other.

they are separated because the dispute has alienated the one from the other.

Sea Breeze

I'm assuming this is when JWs refrain from consuming the bread and wine?

Yes. There are just two ordinances: believers baptism and the Lord's Supper. These serve as visible signs of spiritual realties.

Then He took the cup, and after He gave thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. - Mt. 26: 27-28

24

Question for JW's: Is Jesus the Mediator of Your Prayers ?

by Sea Breeze in

praying to god “through the son jesus” has nothing to do with christ as mediator.. do jw's even know what a mediator does?.

i am in the insurance restoration construction business and have been in mediation many times when a policy holder sues an insurance company for not paying everything they believe is due them under the terms of their policy for property damage.. i am brought in as a technical expert.. in mediation, the plaintiff (policy holder) and the defendant (insurance company) are placed in separate rooms, they do not talk to each other.

they are separated because the dispute has alienated the one from the other.

Sea Breeze

Praying to God “through the Son Jesus” has NOTHING to do with Christ as Mediator.

Do JW's even know what a mediator does?

I am in the insurance restoration construction business and have been in mediation many times when a policy holder sues an insurance company for not paying everything they believe is due them under the terms of their policy for property damage.

I am brought in as a technical expert.

In mediation, the plaintiff (policy holder) and the defendant (insurance company) are placed in separate rooms, they do not talk to each other. They are separated because the dispute has alienated the one from the other. This is what sin has done to us and God.

The Mediator then goes back and forth explaining the points each side is making and offers a financial compromise, one that both parties can walk away with and feel justified (made whole).

The process can go on for hours, even most of the day. If they are still too far apart, both parties forsake the mediation process and the dispute will proceed to trial.

Many people don’t want Jesus as their Mediator, and so they must proceed to trial, ALONE; after they die. (See Hebrews 9: 15)

There is ONLY ONE New Covenant in the Greek Scriptures and ONLY ONE Mediator - Jesus.

Jesus mediates our upcoming court case (See Hebrews 9: 15) not our prayers., with the blood value of his sinless life.

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant [not your prayers] - Hebrews 9: 15

The deal that Christ has brokered on our behalf is called the New Covenant, and it is “for the forgiveness of sins” not earthly or heavenly destinies. That is a Watchtower lie, similar to all their other lies that have been proven to be false regarding several false return dates. (That alone should make a person skeptical of Watchtower teachings).

Mt. 26: 27-28 - “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many [not few as in only 144] for forgiveness of sins”.

This agreement “for the forgiveness of sins” is rejected by 20 million people each year during the Watchtower Satanic version of the Lord’s supper.

And, yes. It is Satanic. The devil is our mutual enemy (believer and non-believer) and he does not want anyone to have their sins forgiven. This offer is not made to Satan and his demon forces. They are damned forever and they know it. So, they want to take as many gullible people with them as possible.

The entire book of Hebrews goes into great detail on how the NEW COVENANT works and why it is so much better than the one God brokered through Moses in the Old Testament.

24

The Good News Is: The Great-Crowd-Of-Other-Sheep Do Not Exist

by Sea Breeze in

the watchtower conflates two different groups into one fictional church-age group that according to the watchtower, are saved by works and faith/membership in the jehovah witness organization.

according to watchtower, only the now mostly dead 144k receive the promises of god regarding justification .

everbody else missed the boat and must work for their justification for a thousand years.

Sea Breeze

@Vidqun,

Perhaps you meant: (there will be) "no temple in heaven" ? I could agree with that in the eternal state, after the 1k rule.

But, it is clearly there now:

Is. 6: 1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train[a] of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”[b]

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the [temple] house was filled with smoke.

Second point, there is not going to be a literal third (stone and mortar) temple on earth either.

Here is a fair handed discussion of the Temple Ezekiel saw during the 1K reign. It gives fair treatment to both the literal and figurative views Christians have.

Third point, there is no Pre-tribulation rapture:

I believe it is more likely than not. Believers will be "saved from wrath".

Romans 5: 9 being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

This is a fair handed discussion on this topic as well.

24

The Good News Is: The Great-Crowd-Of-Other-Sheep Do Not Exist

by Sea Breeze in

the watchtower conflates two different groups into one fictional church-age group that according to the watchtower, are saved by works and faith/membership in the jehovah witness organization.

according to watchtower, only the now mostly dead 144k receive the promises of god regarding justification .

everbody else missed the boat and must work for their justification for a thousand years.

Sea Breeze

Vidquin,

The Kingdom of God exists in its mystery form during the church age. (Do a good study on the Kingdom parables.) In other words, God dwells inside of believers (in the temple of their hearts) and is not readily discernable. Here he writes his laws on believer's hearts instead of tablets of stone. This is a great relief to believers NOW, since both Sin and the Law are burdens to everyone, believers and unbelievers alike.

This happens when the old spirit of man is sliced off and replaced with a new spirit, one that is sinless. (The circumcision of the heart/spirit) This is how God then resides and fellowships directly with the believer, in this life.

"The hour is coming when we must worship God in spirit and truth" - Jesus

So, believers have a dual nature to contend with. Even with the internal conflicts this presents, the POWER of sin is broken (not eliminated) and is a huge improvement over when we were "dead in our trespasses".

When the believer is glorified with a sinless body, then the transformation will be complete and the sin nature is 100% eliminated from our being. Only then can the believer enter into the presence of God, body, soul, and spirit.

Both premillennialist and amillennialist agree on this. Where they disagree is whether or not the 1K yr. reign is literal or figurative. This is not a salvation issue.

However, until Augustine the early church leaders nearly all believed in a literal 1k rule of Jesus on earth for 1000 years in a literal rebuilt earthly temple in Jerusalem. Many bible prophecies require this to be in place before the coming of the Lord.

So, to recap: The temple of God is:

1. The hearts of born-again believers (Now)

2. In heaven (Now) - Isiah 6: 1-4

3. In Jerusalem (in a future rebuilt temple ) debatable among Christians today but supported by early church leaders.

@Rattigan

"There are millions of Christians who have not been anointed with holy spirit. Anointed, not born of and indwelt by the holy spirit."

I agree with VH7. If a person is not born again with Jesus himself living in their heart, they do not belong to Christ and are a self-deluded "weed" growing alongside the tares.

Romans 8:9 - "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him"

Col. 1:27 - "to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory".
.

62

Probability of Earth and life being how it is

by ballistic in

jw
friends

there are some things we don't know about existence and whether the earth is a simulation or even a creation.

but we can do some statistical analysis on it.. the probability of a planet like earth existing in the goldilocks zone and having a moon that perfectly eclipses the sun is extremely low, but it's not impossible.

the habitable zone (or goldilocks zone) around a star is the region where a planet could potentially support liquid water on its surface.

Sea Breeze

@TonusOH

This is why I don't see the minimal facts approach as a useful argument for the legitimacy of the Bible.

Why would you routinely make present life choices based on probability; yet make choices about your eternal welfare based on another standard?

@peacefulpete

my father was a good man

Regarding the 1975 false prophecy you said on another post:

I recall my father the PO at the time telling others that they had read too much into it.

Good men don't victim shame. Your father (and many, many others) chose to ignore 100% proof of something false yet to still characterize it as the "truth".

My question to you is: Do you think it is possible that you might have inherited a similar illogical approach to life?

62

Probability of Earth and life being how it is

by ballistic in

jw
friends

there are some things we don't know about existence and whether the earth is a simulation or even a creation.

but we can do some statistical analysis on it.. the probability of a planet like earth existing in the goldilocks zone and having a moon that perfectly eclipses the sun is extremely low, but it's not impossible.

the habitable zone (or goldilocks zone) around a star is the region where a planet could potentially support liquid water on its surface.

Sea Breeze

I've been reading a lot of Eastern Religion and existentialism

@ballistic

All these religious authors you study about the nature of LIFE are dead or soon will be, right? How much sense does that make?

@Duran

Any mention of Jesus that you claim shows he is alive, also comes from all those who are dead

Jesus claimed to be God and predicted that he would raise himself from the dead to prove it. Why would a person who raised himself from the dead lie about being the actual author of the bible although admittedly others did the penning?

If he told the truth about something as mind-boggling as a self-resurrection, why is it hard to believe that other things he said are also true?

62

Probability of Earth and life being how it is

by ballistic in

jw
friends

there are some things we don't know about existence and whether the earth is a simulation or even a creation.

but we can do some statistical analysis on it.. the probability of a planet like earth existing in the goldilocks zone and having a moon that perfectly eclipses the sun is extremely low, but it's not impossible.

the habitable zone (or goldilocks zone) around a star is the region where a planet could potentially support liquid water on its surface.

Sea Breeze

TonusOH,

At best, it is inconclusive.

Can't disagree with that. But so what? Humans rarely make choices based on conclusivity. We spin through life making choices based upon probability. That is our reality.

@TD

Jeffro carefully explained the distinction

No he did not. His statement was contradictory. He uses the word "probability" which is rooted by definition in the future to describe an artifact rooted in the past.

62

Probability of Earth and life being how it is

by ballistic in

jw
friends

there are some things we don't know about existence and whether the earth is a simulation or even a creation.

but we can do some statistical analysis on it.. the probability of a planet like earth existing in the goldilocks zone and having a moon that perfectly eclipses the sun is extremely low, but it's not impossible.

the habitable zone (or goldilocks zone) around a star is the region where a planet could potentially support liquid water on its surface.

Sea Breeze

@Blondie,

How did this topic go so far off from the original post?

The OP presupposes the following miracles:

1. Existence Comes from Non-existence

2. Order Comes from Chaos

3. Life Comes from Non-Life

4. The Personal Comes from the Non-Personal

5. Reason Comes from Non-Reason

6. Morality Comes from Matter

I am challenging these presuppositions the OP is founded upon while offering a reasonable alternative, one grounded in history, facts, and probability.