God brought JW's to my door today

I stayed home from the office to work in my garage today. Getting it ready for home fellowship meetings. Lots of work to go.... But the Lord brought to my door a nice looking woman in her late 30s and her 9 year old daughter. My 10 year old daughter, just returmed from youth camp last night, is home with me today. (Babysitter also in another youth camp, hence she is with me.)

My daughter heard the knock and came to the garage where I was on a ladder. "Some woman and a little girl are at the door, Dad." I didnt know who it could be.

I opened the door and a van was curbside snd cruising slowly. I knew then. I was sweaty and all, and smiled at them and extended my hand. She introduced herself and handed me a tract. Told me she was visiting the neighborhood and asked me if I had questions about why things in the world were so bad with wars, famines, disease, etc. I told her, "I know why because I am a born again believer in Jesus Christ." She said, "So am I. Do you ever wonder why these things happen? Do you wonder if God makes them happen or just allows them to happen?" she quickly opened the "bible" in her hand and turned to James 1 and read her NWT that God is not tempted....and I cut her off, with a gentle smile, and said, "God is not tempted nor does He tempt any man. But God does bring direct trials to our lives to reveal to us the nature, kind and quality of the faith that we have in Him." I had already started praying for the Holy Spirit to tell me what He wanted to say.

I said, "Paul says in Romans 8 that he endured all kinds of hardships, but that in those we are made to be more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. He said of those difficulties that God works all things togethrr for the good of those who love Him." For some reason, I blabbed on about Elijah and Jezebel for 15 seconds, then I stopped myself.

"Let me ask you. Who is Jesus?," I continued.

"He is the only begotten Son of God," she said.

"That is true," I said. And she quickly said, "We believe that too."

"But, is He God?," I asked.

"He is the only begotten Son of God."

I pressed, "Is He God?"

"Well, he is a god."

"No," I said, "there is only one God."

She replied, "Actually there are many gods. Satan is a god."

I said, "I can see that in the sense that a person has command or control, he is a little - g - god. The bible says, 'ye are gods' in that sense, but there is only one sovereign God over all. And no other of the little g gods are like him in any way. Certainly Satan is not. The angels are not made in His image, but we are, according to the bible. So, yes, in a sense there are many gods. But, is Jesus THE God?"

"Well," she said, "God is His father. When you think of equals, you dont usually think of father and son. Do you? You would think maybe brothers or even twins."

I was nodding to let her know I understood where she was going. Then I said, "But, in Philippians 2, the scripture says that Jesus did not think His equality with God was something for Him to hold onto, that He humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant in human flesh, and that He became obedient then unto death on a cross, and that at His name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Clearly, God is His Father, and Jesus is His equal. Because Jesus is God. And He died on a cross to satisfy God's wrath on sin, paying my penalty and yours, and He rose on the third day."

She said, "But God caused him to arise." I said, "Well. It is true, but it is also true that He arose from the dead by the Holy Spirit, according to the Scripture. And, Jesus Himself said, 'I have the authority to lay down my life and to take it back up.' That is what happened. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit resurrected Jesus the Son. You would agree with me, wouldnt you, that only God can bring a dead man back to life?"

She said, "Your daughter is beautiful. What is your name, sweetie?"

My daughter looked at me, I nodded. She told her.

I said, "Look, I know what you believe."

"Has someone else talked to you?"

"No, actually. But, my brother grew up as a Jehovah's Witness."

She grinned. "Really? Who is he?" I told her his name.

Then she said his mother (my former stepmother) was a close friend of hers. I grinned, feeling sorry for her for sure if that is her friend. :).

We talked a moment more politely and they left and got back into the waiting van.

Then, I got to come inside and explain all that to my daughter, who listened intently. We had a nice discussion that lead to talking about the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

I am thankful I have been home this morning.

Awesome, brother!

Thanks for sharing!

Good job, Dolfan.

JWs are very slithery when it comes to their use of the Word of God. If they come back, you may want to have this handy (you can even print it and give it to them):

----------------------------------------------------
True Witnesses of Jehovah

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.”
(2 Peter 2:1)

The Bible has warned us that false teachers would come to turn people away from the true Christian faith. In fact, they will secretly introduce these false teachings, perhaps claiming to be restoring the true worship of Jehovah. The most important aspect of their false teachings is the fact that they will deny the Master who bought them.

How is that possible? How can they deny their Master while claiming to honor him and to be restoring the true worship of Jehovah?

First, they will deny that their Master has fully and exclusively purchased their salvation by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

"You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.”
(1 Corinthians 7:23)

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
(Romans 3:23-26)

These false teachers will deny that their redemption is fully purchased by Jesus’s death on the cross, by denying that God justifies the sinner solely by FAITH in Jesus. They will claim that you need to add your own works to obtain salvation, thereby putting the cart before the horse. The truth is that the good works of believers flow from the salvation that has already been purchased, which is acquired by faith.

If you have to pay anything, however small the price, it is no longer a gift. You are trying to purchase salvation, thereby denying your Master who bought you.

Second, they will deny the identity of their Master.

"Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.”
(John 14:8-10)

"For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
(Colossians 1:19-20)

Jesus was not just a man; in him, the fullness of the Deity dwelt bodily. The early Church had to fight against Gnostics on this point. These false teachers could not accept that God had truly come and taken the form of a man.

There are some passages in the Bible that emphasize the humanity of Jesus. There are some passages that reveal his Deity. There are some passages that emphasize the distinction between the Father and the Son. There are some passages that show how Jesus had the same essence as God the Father.

False teachers will deny at least some of these truths about the identity of their Master. They cannot accept that God truly came in the form of a man.

But, the Bible clearly says that the Son of God was equal to God from the beginning:

[speaking of Jesus…] "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
(Philippians 2:6-7)

But, how could he be equal to God? The Bible says that no one is equal to God, and no one can even be compared to God.

"To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.” […] "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” (Isaiah 40:25, 46:9)

So, that means that Jesus was truly God, that he shared the same essence as God the Father in a way that no creature can! False teachers will deny that.

Third, they will turn people away from the hope of the resurrection from the dead, claiming that Christ has already come back (spiritually, of course) and that a spiritual resurrection has already taken place.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
(1 Peter 1:3)

[in reference to false teachers…] "who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.”
(2 Timothy 2:18)

False teachers will turn people away from their Master by shaking their hope of a true resurrection from the dead, not just a spiritual resurrection. Though our bodies will be changed (heavenly bodies), they will nonetheless truly be BODIES! False teachers deny that the resurrection will be both bodily and spiritual at the same time.

Fourth, they will turn people’s eyes away from their Master.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
False teachers will instead want you to set your eyes on your performance. They will turn your eyes away from Christ, who is both the author and the perfecter of our faith.

They will downplay his importance and role in the Church. They will downplay his role in salvation. They will claim to restore the true worship of Jehovah, while turning your eyes away from the One whose essence was truly that of Jehovah, the only way you could truly know Jehovah.

The irony is that they are not really restoring the worship of Jehovah; rather, they are restoring old heresies that have plagued the early Church, which turned people away from the Master who bought them. If you want to know Jehovah, look at Jesus Christ, because there is no other way to know Jehovah.

"Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”
(2 John 1:9)

"No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”
(1 John 2:23)

May God save you from false witnesses of Jehovah.
----------------------------------------------

Blessings,
Pierre

Interesting, very interesting.

We used to have so many come to our door, but we rarely see them anymore. When they see me with a head covering they get in a hurry to leave - reckon they have learned it is futile to talk to one of us, or maybe we have asked them too many questions that will confuse them.

In any case, this website has a lot of useful info about JW's and other cults.
http://www.watchman.org/fast-facts/fast-facts-on-jehovahs-witnesses/

James Walker was in our community years ago and gave an excellent presentation on the JWs, the Mormans and what they believe. Very educational.

Hey! I had to chuckle when the lady changed the subject by complimenting on your daughter's beauty! That was funny...

Thanks for sharing..