An Experience with Being Born Again

Have been very hesitant about this subject as it is of a private nature. And why would I even broach the subject on a website where there are so many of different beliefs; some who don't believe, some who believe differently. Obviously it is not my aim to make converts, but to share a personal experience that may enlighten some.

The quandary is how to approach a subject that is diverse in its understanding among the Churches of Christendom, and one that may be foreign to many who have never heard of what it is. And then explain in a way that one can really understand what it means, and how it happens.

To do all of this may take some time, and as I've got insomnia tonight thought I'd take the time to write my thoughts down here.

I am reminded of a certain letter written to Charles Taze Russell that I read many years ago. After reading his 6th book in his Studies in the Scriptures I believe he was of a Methodist Church. But he wrote in and thanked Pastor Russell as he was known for the enlightenment on what being called to heavenly life and being born again is. This man was taught he was going to go to heaven his entire life, but he never felt the desire to live in heaven, and never felt a calling. He thought something was wrong with himself.

Many who read the Bible and become Christians never receive the heavenly calling. So what is being born again? I could explain what it is not, and go into false understandings of what it is and refute them with scripture. But instead would it not be better just to explain what it is? To understand where the term "bon again" or "born from above" from the Greek anothen (ἄνωθεν) originates one must look into the gospel account.

In the gospel or good news of John early on we read of a religious leader, of the sect of the Pharisees, and a member of the Jewish high court, the Sanhedrin who believe in Jesus but in secret. And he approaches Jesus in the cover of night to converse with the Christ. This conversation is recorded in John chapter 3. He starts out by revealing something very startling. For outwardly the Pharisees continue to oppose Jesus and try to kill him, but Nicodemus reveals to us that they KNOW that Jesus is from God:

(John 3:1, 2) . . .There was a man of the Pharisees named Nic·o·deʹmus, a ruler of the Jews. This one came to him in the night and said to him: “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, for no one can perform these signs that you perform unless God is with him.”

Jesus responds quite cryptically:

(John 3:3) . . .In response Jesus said to him: “Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus was not saying that everyone had to be born again. He was saying that to go to heaven where Jesus will rule as king you must be born again.

No human before Jesus came to earth was born again. Being born again is being baptized with the holy spirit. Jesus speaks of this. For there are two baptisims, one of water, and the other of spirit:

(John 3:4-6) 4 Nic·o·deʹmus said to him: “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter into the womb of his mother a second time and be born, can he?”  Jesus answered: “Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.  What has been born from the flesh is flesh, and what has been born from the spirit is spirit.

That not all are born from spirit is seen when Jesus was speaking of John the Baptist. You see Jesus said that no man lived greater than John the Baptist, but that the least in the kingdom of God would be greater than John the Baptist:

(Matthew 11:11) . . .Truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not been raised up anyone greater than John the Baptist, but a lesser person in the Kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is.

John the Baptist died before the new covenant was put into place and therefore did not enter into it. No one not entering the new covenant enters into the heavenly kingdom of God.

Basically being born again is being adopted as a spirit son of God in the flesh. And the first one of course was Jesus Christ. He went to John the Baptist and was baptized in water in order to do God's will. And then the holy spirit in the form of the dove descended upon Jesus and baptized him. So Jesus was baptized both with water, and with holy spirit. And then God spoke from the heaven saying that Jesus was his son, the beloved, the one whom he had approved.

Jesus entered into a covenant with his God, Jehovah for a kingdom. He was to give his life as a ransom sacrifice for all humankind exercising faith in him. But at the last night Jesus was on earth he entered into a covenant with his apostles for a kingdom. He said that he made a covenant with them for a kingdom, just as his Father had made a covenant with him, to sit on thrones and judge. They were to enter into the new covenant. They were to be adopted as spirit sons of God, and thus brothers of Jesus Christ, with the heavenly hope and heavenly calling.

(Psalm 2:7, 8)  Let me proclaim the decree of Jehovah; He said to me: “You are my son; Today I have become your father.   Ask of me, and I will give nations as your inheritance And the ends of the earth as your possession."

(Luke 22:28-30)  “However, you are the ones who have stuck with me in my trials;  and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the 12 tribes of Israel.

After Jesus died and ascended to heaven on Pentecost (50 days after his resurrection, 10 days after his ascension to heaven) Jesus poured out God's holy spirit and it baptized 120 disciples meeting together, and tongues as if fire appeared above their heads. The anointed Christian congregation was formed.

The hope for the majority of mankind is to live on earth in peace with Armageddon does away with all wickedness. Jesus as king of God's kingdom government will wage war against all evil and establish a world-wide government of peace over mankind.

I would read these words and take hope in them:

(Psalm 37:10, 11) Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there.  But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.

I knew my hope was to live on a paradise earth along with millions of others alive today who have the same gleaming hope from the Bible. Those who trust in God and exercise faith in his son.

Then it happened. I was baptized in the name of the Jehovah God, the Father, of the son, Jesus Christ, and the holy spirit on January 18, 1992. Of my own freewill I publicly made my declaration that I dedicated my life to God in prayer.

This is how came about. I was raised in a God-fearing home. But not everyone in my home were righteous. My grandfather was a Freemason and a practicing sorcerer, he dabbled into the occult, used the Ouija board, skull and bones, and Tarot cards. I also had brothers who were involved with different forms of demonism, including yoga, meditation, certain eastern practices of martial arts to get into contact with wicked spirits, and Satanism.


cont...

Thus from a tender age I was harassed by wicked spirits, althought not understanding who or what they were. My first memory of a dream was a nightmare, I was 4-years-old. I remember a demon coming into the room grabbing me pulling me out of my bed and pulling me up above the rooftops and I was looking down on the houses and the streets where I lived, and then I woke up in a sweat.

At the edge of the bed a dark hooded figure stood with a darker than the dark where his face should be, next to it a ball of many indiviudla dim lights sparkling. It came to me and laid a hand upon my back. I could not stir, I could not move. It then walked out of my room and into the room of my little brother who was sleeping in a crib, and then I was able to speak up and I screamed for my mom. And it disappeaered. This was not a halucnation. Afterward my twin brother who slept in the full size bed with me told me he was awake and we shared what we had seen it was all the same. I was 4 years old and so was he. He were not inventing things.

Years past, and my dad studied the Bible. And he taught me about the wicked spirits and Jehovah God, and many other things. But these wicked spirits contineud to bother me and the family. It is a long story my childhood and that dark era of abuse, and trauma, sexual, physical, emotiional, spiritual. I had older brothers that abused me sexually but I didn't understand what it was until later. I would have nightmares. I would see appritions and dark forces every night. Sometimes they would whisper the most nasty things imaginable in my ears, sometimes they would tickle me, or make me itch so I could not sleep. Sometimes they would hit me under my blankets. Sometimes they would bang on the windows, on the walls. Sometimes they would just outright appear as demonic apperiations. Etc. This went on for years, and yet I stuided the Bible as I grew older. And I knew the wicked spirit world existed so I knew God must exist.

Then one afternoon at about dusk I came home from school. I lay in my bed crying and depressed at life. At all of the abuse I was going through. Teachers made fun of me for beliving in Jehovah in front of the class, classmates were bullying me for standing up for God's name that day. I got home my older brothers picked on me, I got beat on. Then my parents were yelling at my brothers and then at me.

I just laid down and wanted to fall asleep and not wake up. And I said a prayer to Jehovah God. And asked him why...why was he allowing all of the abuse...what was I doing wrong? And as I poured my heart out in prayer to him a spirit of peace fell upon the house. The bickering and yelling ceased. The great depression in my heart was lifted and I felt a calm. God's spirit was with me and had rested upon the house because of my prayer. the demons had left.

I took a long walk on the railroad tracks by the house that night, praying for hours. And came to the conclusion that Jehovah was the God whom I was going to serve. And thus I was baptized. Years past, almost two decades. I served as a Christian servant for Jehovah God and witnessed to my neighbors about him. I got married and had children.

Then one night after a meeting and all had fallen to sleep. My wife was in bed at my side sleeping. I began to pray as I am accustomed to do at the end of the day. Speaking of many things. And then I felt the holy spirit descend in a unique way. It felt as if the entire room was filled with holy spirit. A feeling of peace, of light, of love. I felt a calling, I felt the rebirth happening. I knew what it was the instant it happened. But I did not understand it, or believe it.

I awoke my wife I said, do you feel that? She said, feel what? I said, the holy spirit, it is filling up the entire room, can't you feel it? She said, I don't know what you're talkign about, why did you wake me up. Let me sleep.

Then I realized this was a personal experience it wasn't something she could discern. I got up and went to my study. I pulled a Bible from one of my bookshelves and started to pray, I asked, what is happening....and the spirit lead me to a scripture, the same one I quoted a little earlier:

(Luke 22:28-30) 28 “However, you are the ones who have stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the tribes of Israel."

I felt the holy spirit opening my minds eyes to see that Jesus had poured out God's holy spirit, decades after I had been baptized in water, I was being baptized with holy spirit. I was being drawn into the new covenant. But this was a process that was going to take time for me to accept. It took me weeks. Every waking moment my minds eye could think of the calling. It was a quickening. The seed was planted and I was being transformed. My entire thought process, my thinking, my hope, it was changing. And I was challenging it.

I knew I was unworthy and I kept praying to God, why chose me, I am not worthy to reign in heaven with Christ, my Lord. Who am I? Then finally I think I got on God's nerves and he showed me a scripture after praying this and he showed me this:

(Romans 9:20-24) . . .But who are you, O man, to be answering back to God? Does the thing molded say to its molder: “Why did you make me this way?” 21 What? Does not the potter have authority over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for an honorable use, another for a dishonorable use? 22 What, then, if God had the will to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known, and he tolerated with much patience vessels of wrath made fit for destruction? 23 And if this was done to make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, 24 namely, us, whom he called not only from among Jews but also from among nations, what of it?"

God had basically told me, I am God. I can do what I want. If I want to show mercy to you and mold you into a new creation "what of it?" Who are you to answer me back questioning me? He also lead me to this:

(Romans 9:15, 16) . . .“I will show mercy to whomever I will show mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I will show compassion.”  So, then, it depends, not on a person’s desire or on his effort, but on God, who has mercy.


And as I mediated on this baptism of the spirit, being born from above God's spirit opened my mind's eye to discern the scripture pertaining to us who have been called quite clearly when we are told:

(Ephesians 1:18, 19) He has enlightened the eyes of your heart, so that you may know to what hope he called you, what glorious riches he holds as an inheritance for the holy ones,  and how surpassing the greatness of his power is toward us believers. It is according to the operation of the mightiness of his strength.

This is but a very brief explanation of a humble servants experience with being adopted as a spirit son of God.

And we have this promise:

(Romans 8:32-34) . . .Since he did not even spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, will he not also, along with him, kindly give us all other things? 33 Who will file accusation against God’s chosen ones? God is the One who declares them righteous. Who will condemn them? Christ Jesus is the one who died, yes, more than that, the one who was raised up, who is at the right hand of God and who also pleads for us.

Just in case.

a reply to: SimpleIdea

The famous 33rd degree mason Charles Taze Russel, must be pretty disgusted by what JW,org has become
A snake pit of child molesters

The Jehovah Witnesses are a Satanic organization, based upon the occult of Freemasonry. Charles Taze Russell was a 33rd Degree Freemason; as was Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon cult. Carefully notice the Masonic cross at the upper left corner of the photo below...

www.jesus-is-savior.com...
www.jesus-is-savior.com...

THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESS A DAUGHTER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

This Satanic society used Catholic Church Sources in order to produce its New World Translation. Westcott and Hort were two Satanists, founders of the Hermes Club and members of famed Russian witch Madam Blavatsky's

Jehovah Witness doctrine was founded by Charles Taze Russell. He was only 18-year-old when he began a Bible study that focused on the second coming of Jesus, as well as the chronology of the Bible. As a result of his study, which took place around 1870, he published numerous books.
www.allaboutcults.org...


But a JW member is not allowed to research their own church, it’s against the churches rules so the links won’t be used will they


The members, the people the individuals, just blind people lead by evil organisations, it’s not generally the individual, it’s the collective

The object of the thread was not to discuss Chalres Taze Russell who was just a man. A good man, a god-fearing man. And you should be ashamed of yourself for spreading lies about him.

There are things that God detests. Among them are liars and slanderers. He was never a Freemason. Even the Freemasons say he was not a Freemason.

Some may be interested to know that Charles Russell wrote out against Freemasonry. And while he was kind and gentle toward all, he made it cleaer that their secrative nature, and quasi-religous praticies, and beliefs were contrary to Biblical teaching. For one, to be a Freemason one has to believe in the immorality of the soul. Something the Bible quite clearly teaches against very clearly when it states:

(Ezekiel 18:4) Look! All the souls—to me they belong. As the soul of the father so also the soul of the son—to me they belong. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

Immorality is a gift given to the chosen faithful. It is not something inherint:

(1 Corinthians 15:51-54) . . .: We will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, during the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised up incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this which is corruptible must put on incorruption, and this which is mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this which is corruptible puts on incorruption and this which is mortal puts on immortality. . .

a reply to: SimpleIdea

If you continue to rely so heavily in totality on scripture, written/authored by man as you clearly are and believe you can refute with said scripture then you are no more born again in spirit as a theif or murderer is.
Scripture is part fact - majority crap and the sooner you learn to differentiate those two the sooner you will start to find the path to the narrow gate.

You are deceiving yourself and trying to take other souls along for the ride.
The bible is a very dangerous tool indeed and if you where really born again you would know this - Few will be able.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions so beware oh supposed enlightened one.

Ask not what the Bible can do for you but rather what is it doing to the seekers of god, find answers to this and spiritual baptism may just be considered bestowed apon thee.

Until then, keep following the crowd to the wide gate.

This is a lazy way to fill your time card. Almost as lazy as sitting next to a magazine rack selling your propaganda at the Post Office.

No one here cares about the Jehovah BS.

originally posted by: CthruU
a reply to: SimpleIdea

If you continue to rely so heavily in totality on scripture, written/authored by man as you clearly are and believe you can refute with said scripture then you are no more born again in spirit as a theif or murderer is.
Scripture is part fact - majority crap and the sooner you learn to differentiate those two the sooner you will start to find the path to the narrow gate.

You are deceiving yourself and trying to take other souls along for the ride.
The bible is a very dangerous tool indeed and if you where really born again you would know this - Few will be able.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions so beware oh supposed enlightened one.

Ask not what the Bible can do for you but rather what is it doing to the seekers of god, find answers to this and spiritual baptism may just be considered bestowed apon thee.

Until then, keep following the crowd to the wide gate.

I am neither theif nor murderer. But there are those who have been called who were. Even scripture states as much:

(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) . . . Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality,  thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 11 And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.

I respect your right to not believe in scripture. Nor in its power. On the other hand it is the finger of God. It is more powerful than you know. For it can pierce to the very marrow and discern the intentions of your heart. It shows you who you really are.

(Hebrews 4:12) For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And by means of it all thought is being brought into subjection that is against the Christ:

(2 Corinthians 10:5) 5 For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ;

originally posted by: misskat1
This is a lazy way to fill your time card. Almost as lazy as sitting next to a magazine rack selling your propaganda at the Post Office.

No one here cares about the Jehovah BS.

You do realize that every statement you made here is false. I am not going to impute motives and you may not realize it. Firstly I was not lazy in writing this. Secondly there is no propaganda, just personal experiences being shared, thirdly there is no time being reported, and fourthly, there are people that care. Albeit few.

But you know how many tons of dirt gold miners move to get to the gold nuggets, or sift through to get to the flakes of gold? Just because most of it is dirt with no value, doesn't mean there are not jewels of high value among it.

If someone said something entirely true, and then someone came along and ignored it all and said something entirely false, what type of person would you think that second one is? What heart does he hold?

a reply to: SimpleIdea

So?
Like you, you don’t think Taze Russell would be disgusted by the snake pit of child molesters the JW organisation has become
Good man indeed? Guess Russell would not mind at all your organisation harbours molesters from civil justice, like you?

I would hate to sit quietly and allow people to be brainwashed into believing you represent a good organisation
Clean up your room and I will leave you and your organisation in peace

Threaten me with your religious psychobabble, as if?


Finally but not the end of posting in this thread
If I was a member of your cult, I would leave and not support an organisation that harbours molesters, I wouldn’t stay, at least the Catholics cleaned up their room. JW,org, hide and lie and support their own filth

Don’t threaten me with your occultist babble, it holds nothing of value to me

originally posted by: SimpleIdea

originally posted by: CthruU
a reply to: SimpleIdea

If you continue to rely so heavily in totality on scripture, written/authored by man as you clearly are and believe you can refute with said scripture then you are no more born again in spirit as a theif or murderer is.
Scripture is part fact - majority crap and the sooner you learn to differentiate those two the sooner you will start to find the path to the narrow gate.

You are deceiving yourself and trying to take other souls along for the ride.
The bible is a very dangerous tool indeed and if you where really born again you would know this - Few will be able.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions so beware oh supposed enlightened one.

Ask not what the Bible can do for you but rather what is it doing to the seekers of god, find answers to this and spiritual baptism may just be considered bestowed apon thee.

Until then, keep following the crowd to the wide gate.

I am neither theif nor murderer. But there are those who have been called who were. Even scripture states as much:

(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) . . . Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality,  thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 11 And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.

I respect your right to not believe in scripture. Nor in its power. On the other hand it is the finger of God. It is more powerful than you know. For it can pierce to the very marrow and discern the intentions of your heart. It shows you who you really are.

(Hebrews 4:12) For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And by means of it all thought is being brought into subjection that is against the Christ:

(2 Corinthians 10:5) 5 For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ;

What else can I say, refer my first post and apply.

It's your soul.

a reply to: Raggedyman

No threats were made. Are you perhaps typing while drunk? Nothing of what you wrote has anything to do with the OP, or makes sense for that matter.

I did not come to fight. You are here to fight. So I will ignore you from now on. I don't want to say you are stoned if you are not. But something isn't ticking right up there.

originally posted by: CthruU

originally posted by: SimpleIdea

originally posted by: CthruU
a reply to: SimpleIdea

If you continue to rely so heavily in totality on scripture, written/authored by man as you clearly are and believe you can refute with said scripture then you are no more born again in spirit as a theif or murderer is.
Scripture is part fact - majority crap and the sooner you learn to differentiate those two the sooner you will start to find the path to the narrow gate.

You are deceiving yourself and trying to take other souls along for the ride.
The bible is a very dangerous tool indeed and if you where really born again you would know this - Few will be able.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions so beware oh supposed enlightened one.

Ask not what the Bible can do for you but rather what is it doing to the seekers of god, find answers to this and spiritual baptism may just be considered bestowed apon thee.

Until then, keep following the crowd to the wide gate.

I am neither theif nor murderer. But there are those who have been called who were. Even scripture states as much:

(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) . . . Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality,  thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 11 And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.

I respect your right to not believe in scripture. Nor in its power. On the other hand it is the finger of God. It is more powerful than you know. For it can pierce to the very marrow and discern the intentions of your heart. It shows you who you really are.

(Hebrews 4:12) For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And by means of it all thought is being brought into subjection that is against the Christ:

(2 Corinthians 10:5) 5 For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ;

What else can I say, refer my first post and apply.

It's your soul.

I totally respect your right not to believe in scripture. Again I state that so you know I don't disrespect your viewpoint. What you have said comes from your heart.

But please remember this:

(1 John 2:22, 23) . . .Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. But whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

If one denies scripture and that it does not originate with God but man, and denies gospel then he is antichrist. And those who are against Christ are liars. According to scripture of course.

originally posted by: SimpleIdea

originally posted by: CthruU

originally posted by: SimpleIdea

originally posted by: CthruU
a reply to: SimpleIdea

If you continue to rely so heavily in totality on scripture, written/authored by man as you clearly are and believe you can refute with said scripture then you are no more born again in spirit as a theif or murderer is.
Scripture is part fact - majority crap and the sooner you learn to differentiate those two the sooner you will start to find the path to the narrow gate.

You are deceiving yourself and trying to take other souls along for the ride.
The bible is a very dangerous tool indeed and if you where really born again you would know this - Few will be able.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions so beware oh supposed enlightened one.

Ask not what the Bible can do for you but rather what is it doing to the seekers of god, find answers to this and spiritual baptism may just be considered bestowed apon thee.

Until then, keep following the crowd to the wide gate.

I am neither theif nor murderer. But there are those who have been called who were. Even scripture states as much:

(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) . . . Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality,  thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 11 And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.

I respect your right to not believe in scripture. Nor in its power. On the other hand it is the finger of God. It is more powerful than you know. For it can pierce to the very marrow and discern the intentions of your heart. It shows you who you really are.

(Hebrews 4:12) For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And by means of it all thought is being brought into subjection that is against the Christ:

(2 Corinthians 10:5) 5 For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ;

What else can I say, refer my first post and apply.

It's your soul.

I totally respect your right not to believe in scripture. Again I state that so you know I don't disrespect your viewpoint. What you have said comes from your heart.

But please remember this:

(1 John 2:22, 23) . . .Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. But whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

If one denies scripture and that it does not originate with God but man, and denies gospel then he is antichrist. And those who are against Christ are liars. According to scripture of course.

You are hearing but you are not listening.

I believe in some of scripture - not all in blind totality.

I believe in god, jesus and jesus resurrection. So I'll agree with your reference there - so, how does that fit in with your last paragraph??????? Scripture originated from gods will to guide mankind but man corrupted scripture by interpretation,fear of the times and agenda. Your job as a seeker of god is to establish what is the relevant passages and what is the great deception.

If you read anything at (non scriptural) or watch anything at all (news,documentaries) you have the mental capacity to decipher what resonates with you and what is nonsense, so, why does this skill evade you when it comes to scripture??????

What i have said does not come from the heart at all - it is commandments from spirit entities that say i must refute at every turn best intentioned individual seekers of god such as yourself who have heard the call but are being led astray by dark shephards.

I will not respond any further, I've been down this road many many times on this site to know a stubborn brainwashed cult figure when i see one no matter how polite they portray themselves to be.
However as your new to me i had no choice but to excersise my covenant.

If you want to be born again to any degree, learn to see past your nose and stand on your own two feet, stop following the same old beaten track to the wide gate.

"But please remember this:" Listen do not just hear and more importantly - "refer my first post and apply."

Over and out.

Goodluck SimpleIdea - I really hope you are that transformer.

a reply to: SimpleIdea

Thank you for your beautiful post, SimpleIdea. As you have mentioned, being filled with the Holy Spirit is an understanding like no other and truly helps us to see, feel, and understand how the glory of God works as individuals.

While I may not agree with every belief of JW's or other denominations within the Christian faith, don't let anyone get you down on your faith and salvation in/through Jesus Christ. Salvation is an individual undertaking, not a denominational one. No one is perfect (except Jesus) and even the disciples had their faults and lacked understanding multiple times. Below is an example...

Luke 9:46-50

46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

I have highlighted two important verses above. In verse 46, we see the disciples reasoning among themselves who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God and I'll touch more on that later, but in verse 50, we see that regardless of which disciples we follow, those who are not against Jesus and His teachings, should be working together to help others come to the important understanding of who Jesus was and how His Holy Spirit works.

While Jesus also told us in Matthew 7:22 that not everyone who performed miracles or cast out demons in/through His name would be saved, we understand from the verses above that salvation is not obtained by trying to make ourselves great in the eyes of others or God by the acts we perform, but through using our gifts to glorify God, not ourselves.

Below, we see again where the disciples were thinking about themselves instead of the work they were doing and why they were doing it...

Mark 10:35-38

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

So, keep your humble attitude, spread the gospel, and know that your baptism in the Holy Spirit is complete through Jesus, regardless of which imperfect humans and denominations have led you there. Salvation is individually based and doesn't rely on anything else.

May God continue to bless you through this remarkable experience and understanding of His Holy Spirit!

originally posted by: SimpleIdea
There are things that God detests.

How do you know what God thinks? How do you know the men who wrote the words down in the Bible were genuinely speaking for God and not just interpreting divine spirit the same way you and I would?

Maybe you are not as humble as you say.

originally posted by: Deetermined
a reply to: SimpleIdea

Thank you for your beautiful post, SimpleIdea. As you have mentioned, being filled with the Holy Spirit is an understanding like no other and truly helps us to see, feel, and understand how the glory of God works as individuals.

Sometimes I wonder if it's not for the glory of God but for the glory of people who sell Bibles or for the glory of the people who make money or a living off of the Church.

I am not going to be born again till I get in my eighties I hope. I don't want to be wearing depends/diapers again till I have to.

There is nothing in the bible that states you have to be serious and can't make puns when talking about religion.

a reply to: dfnj2015

That's why salvation is an individual thing. There are always going to people who are doing, preaching, selling something in an effort to fulfill their own desires regardless of the cause or real meaning behind it. This is typical of human behavior in all things. Those who do for the right reasons, and those who don't.

originally posted by: Raggedyman
Charles Taze Russell was a 33rd Degree Freemason; as was Joseph Smith...

There is zero evidence that Smith joined the Scottish Rite and he was also declared, along with all other Mormon Masons in Illinois, clandestine in 1844. There is also no evidence that the Scottish Rite was operating in Illinois until the 1850's/60's.