A WARNING MESSAGE

THAT MOST PEOPLE WILL IGNORE

Just Like in Jeremiah's Day

Jeremiah was given a commission by Jehovah God,

to warn the people of a coming destruction.  But
Jeremiah was also told in advance that no one
would listen to him! 

"When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you."
(Jeremiah 7:27) (New International Version)

So then - why did Jeremiah have to preach a warning message? 
Why did Jeremiah persist in preaching for fifty years knowing
in advance - that no one would listen to him?

Why ?

Because Jehovah God is just - and will not destroy
anyone without a prior warning.

Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing, except
he reveal his secret unto his servants the prophets. 
(Amos 3:7) (American Standard Version)

And Jehovah's servants spread the important message

"Son of man, I have made you a watchman... so hear
the word I speak and give them warning from me."
(Ezekiel 3:17) (NIV)

So too, today - Jehovah has sent his messengers
to warn mankind of an impending destruction. 
They too were told by means of the Bible - that
the vast majority of mankind will not listen.

But they did it anyway!

"...so with God and Christ as witnesses, I command
you to preach God's message. Do it willingly, even
if it isn't the popular thing to do."
(2Timothy 4:1,2) (Contemporary English Version)

"But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not."
(Ezekiel 2:7) (New American Standard Bible)

So what was the message that most
of the people of the world ignored?

"And this Gospel - good news of the Kingdom Reign
shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto
all nations, and then shall  'the end' come."
(Matthew 24:14) (21^st Century King James)

This message was NOT popular in Christ's Day
and it is NOT popular now.

"If you think people are so hardened in sin that they will
hate you for preaching the Word, then read JEREMIAH."
-- R. L. Whiteside.

God's faithful messengers have never been popular. People
did not appreciate them or their message. They detested and
persecuted the messenger. Instead of becoming angry with
God who composed the message, they poured out their
wrath upon the faithful servant who delivered it. It has
always been so. Therefore, it should be no surprise today.

¹⁴ I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them,
because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
(John 17:14) (King James Version)

THE MAJORITY WILL NOT LISTEN

Our Messiah, himself foretold that the vast majority
of mankind would be destroyed when he returns:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and
broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many
enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road
that leads to life, and only a few find it."
(Matthew 7:13,14) (NIV)

What will happen to the ones who do not find it?

A GLOBAL DESTRUCTION

"This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from
heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish
those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut
out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
on the day he comes to be glorified."
(2Thessalonians 1:7-10) (NIV)

"A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right
hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe
with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked."
(Psalms 91:7,8) (NIV) 

"Those slain by Jehovah will certainly come to
be in that day from one end of the earth clear to the
other end of the earth. They will not be bewailed, neither
will they be gathered up or be buried. As manure on
the surface of the ground they will become."
(Jeremiah 25:33) (ASV)

"For, behold, Jehovah cometh forth out of his place to punish
the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity."
(Isaiah 26:21) (ASV)

"For, behold, Jehovah will come with fire, and his chariots
shall be like the whirlwind; to render his anger with fierceness,
and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will Jehovah
execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and the
slain of Jehovah shall be many... And they shall go forth,
and look upon the dead bodies of the men that have
transgressed against me."
(Isaiah 66:15,16,24) (ASV)

"...Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver
them in the day of Jehovah's wrath; but the whole earth
shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy."
(Zephaniah 1:14-17 (ASV) 

"For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the
whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you
may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and
that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
(Luke 21:25-27,35,36) (NIV)

INSTEAD OF HEEDING THE WARNING
THEY MOSTLY RIDICULED AND LAUGHED

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers
will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
(2Peter 3:3) (NIV)

"In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you."
(Micah 2:4) (NIV)

"But remember... that the apostles of our Master, Jesus Christ,
told us this would happen: ‘In the last days there will be people
who don't take these things seriously anymore. They'll treat
them like a joke. These are the ones who are thinking only of
themselves. There's nothing to them, no sign of the Spirit!’"
(Jude 1:17-19) (Message Bible) 

JUST LIKE NOAH'S DAY - MOST  
IGNORED THE WARNING 

"For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the
Son of man will be. For as they were in those days before
the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women
being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into
the ark; and they took no note until the flood came and swept
them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be."
(Matthew 24:37-39) (New World Translation) (WWW.Watchtower.org)

THE TIME OF IGNORANCE IS OVER

The Wide and Narrow Road

Most people do not understand why there are so many
different religions in the world. Many people honestly
believe either that religions are a hoax or that “all roads
lead to the same place”. In a sense, they are correct
on both points! Many people practice some form of
religious beliefs to some degree thinking that they are
free to do so. They are free to do so, but it is not a
good idea since all of the false religion’s “roads” do
indeed lead to the same place: destruction!

Christ said it:

¹³ "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad
is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life,
and only a few find it.”
(Matthew 7:13-14) (New International version)

Because Our Heavenly Creator, Jehovah, gave us free will,
we do pretty much what we please to do. Just like the
people who perished in the Great Flood that only
Noah and his family survived.

³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;

(Matthew 24:38) (NIV)

Those people were on the wrong road, Noah tried to warn
them, but they did not care and they were destroyed.
Most people are on the wrong “road” now! If today’s people
do not find the right road in time and get right on it, they
will all be destroyed too!

Why is it that we sometimes find ourselves on the wrong road?

Jeremiah prophesied about this well over 2,000 years ago:

²³ “I know, Jehovah, that the way of man is not his own;
it is not in a man that walketh to direct his steps.”

(Jeremiah 10:23) (Darby)

So it is very unlikely that we will find the right road on our
own. Most people do not. The vast majority of mankind is
“traveling on the broad road through the wide gate” and do
not even realize it - just as Jesus prophesied. The priests and
ministers of the false religions will tell us with a straight face
that we are on the right road with them.

How can we know which road we are on?

Our Savior said the small road “leads to life”.

What does that mean?

Most people tend to believe that death is the end of life
forever. Christendom specifically teaches that at the end of
life comes “Heaven or Hell”. So do many other false religions.
How can a road lead to “Life”?

God's Son came to us almost 2,000 years ago to teach us:

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

(Matthew 5:5) (King James Version)

Yes, Our God who made us and the entire universe originally
made us to live forever! If we believe that the Bible is the
word of God and that He cannot lie, then it would be wise
indeed to heed these words.

² This truth gives them the confidence of eternal life, which God
promised them before the world began--and he cannot lie.

(Titus 1:2) (New Living Translation)

After all, how can the “meek inherit the earth” if they all
go to Heaven when they die?

They Can’t! But here is what the Apostle John said about resurrection:

²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,
even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

(John 5:21) (New International Version)

²⁸ "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all
who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out--
those who have done good will rise to live, and those who
have done evil will rise to be condemned. 

(John 5:28-29) (NIV)

Notice here that neither Heaven nor Hell is mentioned. Christ
and his apostles resurrected many people and they came back
to life here on earth every time. The dead are merely “asleep”;
they are not snatched back from paradise Heaven or fiery Hell!
There are numerous other scriptures in the Bible that say plainly
that we have a promise from Jehovah, Himself, of “eternal life”.
Yet, we do not live forever and the priests and ministers of
Christendom do not explain about “eternal life”. They teach that
eternal life is in Heaven and eternal destruction is in Hell. Many
other faiths have a similar belief. Many teach reincarnation.
These popular beliefs are false and widespread.

What really happens then, when people die?

⁵ For the living know that they will die, but the dead
know nothing; they have no further reward, and even
the memory of them is forgotten.

(Ecclesiastes 9:5) (NIV)

¹⁰ Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there
will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

(Ecclesiastes 9:10) (New Living Translation)

Jehovah gave us this knowledge thousands of years ago
but people today believe what they want to believe.

Do any people die and go to Heaven at all?

⁴ Then I heard the number of those who were sealed:
144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

(Revelation 7:4) (NIV)

Jehovah designated 144,000 people only to serve in Heaven
– 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Jacob, to honor the
descendants of his 12 sons. 

Is it true that only 12,000 from each of the
twelve tribes of Jacob are serving in Heaven?

No. So many Jews fell away from the teachings of Christ that
it was necessary to acquire many people for this privilege from
outside of the Jewish nation.  But that is another story.

What happens to people who are not chosen for service in Heaven?

When they die, they are just asleep. As long as they can be
resurrected again, to our Saviour, they are just “asleep”.

¹¹ Then he said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep,
but now I will go and wake him up."

(John 11:11) (NLT)

The disciples didn’t understand what he meant at first:

¹² The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, that means he is
getting better!" ¹³ They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was having
a good night's rest, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

(John 11:12) (NLT)

So Christ had to clarify himself.

¹⁴ Then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.”

(John 11:14) (NLT)

Notice here that Christ did not say, “Lazarus is in Heaven.”
Before he came to us to teach us the truth, many people
already knew the basics about life and death. The sister of
Lazarus, Martha, knew the truth:

²³ Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." ²⁴ Martha said to
him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."

(John 11:23-24) (English Standard Version)

False religious beliefs were widespread at the time Christ lived
and are still widespread today. In order to demonstrate that
resurrection was truly possible, Jehovah and His Son performed
many resurrections:

⁴³ When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, Lazarus,
come out! ⁴⁴ And out walked the man who had been dead, his hands
and feet wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial]
napkin bound around his face. Jesus said to them, Free him of the
burial wrappings and let him go.

(John 11:43-44) (Amplified Bible)

People heard about his remarkable powers and came looking for him.

¹⁸ While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came
in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but
come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." ¹⁹ And Jesus
rose and followed him, with his disciples.

(Matthew 9:18-19) (ESV)

When Christ arrived at the home, the mourners laughed at him
when he told them that she was just “asleep”.

²⁴ he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And
they laughed at him. ²⁵ But when the crowd had been put outside,
he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
(Matthew 9:24-25) (ESV)

When our Messiah died, many dead and buried
people arose on the spot as a grand finale:

⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his
spirit. ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from
top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. ⁵² The tombs broke
open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised
to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they
went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

(Matthew 27:52-53) (NIV)

Last of all, he was resurrected from death. An Angel explained:

⁶ He is not here; He has risen, as He said [He would do]. Come, see
the place where He lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell His disciples, He
has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.

(Matthew 28:6-7) (AMP)

So, the truth is that the dead are asleep in the grave and
awaiting resurrection. We do not likely have an eternity in
Heaven or Hell to look forward to. We have the promise of
everlasting life on a paradise earth in the near future!

The living have a choice to make.

Do we stay on the wide road to destruction
or exit now to the narrow road to life?

It is up to us.

Preparing the Way for
the Return of Christ

Many people believe that Christ will return.
He is now present as prophecy foretold. Before
he returned to us it was necessary to prepare
the way for him.

Who first prepared the way for our Savior?

John the baptist prepared the way for the
first appearance of the Messiah.

¹ In those days John the Baptist came, preaching
in the Desert of Judea ² and saying, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is near." ³ This is he who was
spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of
one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the
Lord, make straight paths for him.' "
(Matthew 3:1-3) (NIV)

² In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God said,
"Look, I am sending my messenger before you,
and he will prepare your way."
(Mark 1:2) (NLT)

⁶ There came a man who was sent from God;
his name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness
to testify concerning that light, so that through
him all men might believe.
(John 1: 6,7) (NIV)

WHO PREPARED THE WAY FOR THE 
SECOND APPEARANCE OF CHRIST?

¹Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall
prepare the way before me; and the Lord whom
ye seek will suddenly come to his temple, and
the Angel of the covenant, whom ye delight in:
behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts.
² But who shall endure the day of his coming?
and who shall stand when he appeareth? For
he will be like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' lye.
(Malachi 3:1,2) (Darby)

¹⁸ But what about the Jews? Have they actually
heard the message? Yes, they have: "The message
of God's creation has gone out to everyone, and its
words to all the world."
(Romans 10:18) (NLT)

⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and
to testify that he is the one whom God appointed
as judge of the living and the dead.
(Acts 10:42) (NIV)

¹⁵ The glorious God is the only Ruler, the King of kings
and Lord of lords. At the time that God has already
decided, he will send Jesus Christ back again.
(1Timothy 6:15) (CEV)

What was done before he came back to us?

¹ And so I solemnly urge you before God and before
Christ Jesus--who will someday judge the living and
the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom:
²Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether
the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke,
and encourage your people with good teaching.
(2Timothy 4:1,2) (NLT)

¹⁴ And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached
throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it;
and then, finally, the end will come.
(Matthew 24:14) NLT)

Was the Good News about the Kingdom preached
throughout the whole world so that all nations heard it?

⁷ "But always, first of all, I warn you through
my servants the prophets. I, the Sovereign
LORD, have now done this."
(Amos 3:7) (NLT)

Is our King really here?

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives,
the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us,"
they said, "when will this happen, and what
will be the sign of your coming and of the
end of the age?" 6 You will hear of wars and
rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not
alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end
is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom.
(Matthew 24:3-7) (NIV)

Scores killed in multiple Iraq bombings

9/10/2009 From Jomana Karadsheh  CNN

Jehovah Is the Only God

Are there really people in the world who believe that Christ is God?

That is not what God's Son, himself said.

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them
debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good
answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments,
which is the most important?” ²⁹ “The most important
one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the
Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind and with all your strength.’
(Mark 12:28-30) (New International Version)

Christ was quoting from Deuteronomy:

⁴ Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah:
⁵ and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
(Deuteronomy 6:4, 5) (American Standard Version)

Notice that both Christ and the Bible agree that God’s name is
Jehovah, not Jesus or Allah or Buddha. The Bible says that God's  
Son will rule the world with his chosen for a thousand years:

Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them
had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the
souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony
about Jesus, for proclaiming the word of God. And I
saw the souls of those who had not worshiped the beast
or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or
their hands. They came to life again, and they reigned
with Christ for a thousand years.
(Revelation 20:4) (NIV)

When the millennium is over, Satan will be turned loose again:

⁷ When the thousand years end, Satan will be let out
of his prison. ⁸ He will go out to deceive the nations from
every corner of the earth, which are called Gog and Magog.
He will gather them together for battle--a mighty host, as
numberless as sand along the shore.
(Revelation 20:7-8) (New Living Translation)

When Christ and his army crush and destroy Satan and his horde
of followers, he will turn the kingdom back over to his Father:

"...the grand consummation when, after crushing
the opposition, he hands over his kingdom to
God the Father. He won't let up until the last
enemy is down-- and the very last enemy is death!
When everything and everyone is finally under God's
rule, the Son will step down, taking his place with
everyone else, showing that God's rule is absolutely
comprehensive--a perfect ending!
(1Corinthians 15:24-26,28) (Message Bible) 

Is the Bible positively sure that Christ is not Jehovah?

⁹ And Jehovah shall be King over all the earth: in
that day shall Jehovah be one, and his name one.
(Zechariah 14:9) (ASV)

⁵ I am Jehovah, and there is none else;
besides me there is no God.
(Isaiah 45:5) (ASV)

The Lords of Christmas

Most Christians believe that Christmas is a holy day for all
Christians. Not only is Christmas revered by the mainstream
Christians but they think that their God and Jesus appreciates
their celebration efforts. Yet Christmas is not a Christian custom!

Where did Christmas come from?