The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - Why It is Wise to Examine Your Religion - Continue

 We need to examine, not only what we personally believe, but also what is taught by any religious organization with which we may be associated. Are its teachings in harmony with God's Word, or are they based on the traditions of men? If we are lovers of the truth, there is nothing to fear from an examination. It should be the sincere desire of every one of us to learn what God's will is for us, and hen do it. -JOHN 8:32. 

The mere fact that church members may have the Bible or that it is occasionally read to them from the pulpit does not of itself prove that all the things that are taught are in the Bible; each and every person should. But we must also know what it says and believe it. If a really accepts the Bible as God's Word, it is going to use certain parts of it and reject other parts. "All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight." (2 Timothy 3:16) Since this is so, the religion that is approved by God must agree in all its details with the Bible. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - Why It is Wise to Examine Your Religion - Continue

 Probably you find yourself readily agreeing with the fact that much religion is not approved by God. No doubt there are many things done in the name of religion that you do not approve. For example, if you look around in the churches and observe persons who live immoral lives but who make a pretense at being righteous, you know that something is wrong. (2 Timothy 3:4, 5) And when you read in the newspaper that some clergymen are publicly approving of sex relations between unmarried persons and that they are saying that homosexuality is all right under certain conditions, you are well aware that this is not what God says. You may remember that God destroyed the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And why? Because they practiced such things! So you know that God is going to approve of a religion that tells people it is alright to act like that. -JUDE 7.

However, you have no doubt heard people say: "
It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you lead a clean moral life and deal kindly with your neighbors."  But is that all there is to worshiping God in an acceptable way? These things are necessary, but God requires more. Doctrines are also involved. The Bible informs us that "the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth." (John 4:23) If our worship is to be acceptable to God, it must be firmly rooted in God's Word of truth. Jesus reproved those persons who claimed to serve God but who relied heavily on the tradition of men in preference to God's Word. He applied to them God's own Words from Isaiah 29:13, saying: "It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines. (Matthew15:9) Since we do not want our worship to be in vain, it is important for each one of us to examine his religion. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - Why It Is Wise to Examine You Religion

 We have good reason to think seriously about our standing with God. Why? Because the evidence proves that God will soon destroy the wicked and establish his righteous new system. So we need to ask: "Am I worshiping in the way that he approves?" It is not any man but God, who is the judge of what pleases him. To get God's viewpoint, we need to go to the Bible. There he plainly tells us the course to follow if we want to gain eternal life. (Proverbs 3:1. 2) If we take to heart what he says and apply it in our lives, it will result in marvelous blessings for us, both now and in the ages to come. 

When we examine what the Bible says on this matter, what do we find? Does it teach that the hundreds of millions of persons who practice religion in so many different ways are all pleasing to God? Does it show that all religion is good? To enable us to know how he views the matter, God had this plain statement recorded in his Word: "Broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it." (Matthew 7:13, 14) How clearly those words answer our questions! They show that many people are not worshiping the true God (not the traditional god) in a way that pleases him. Only a few are on the road leading to life. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - THE TRUTH THAT LEADS TO ETERNAL LIFE

 The coming world change will affect every person on the face of the earth, including you. If you love life and want to live, you should hasten to take in accurate knowledge of God, his purposes and his requirements. That is what God wants you to do, for it is his will that "all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth." (1 Timothy 2:4) Accurate knowledge from God's Word of truth will enable honest-hearted persons to survive the end of the present wicked system. (Zephaniah 2:3) It will also reveal the way to eternal life in God's grand new system: "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one you sent forth, Jesus Christ." - JOHN 17:3; see also JOHN 4:14. 

How encouraging it is to know that soon will see the end of the world's troubles! How thrilling it is to know that we have the hope of shortly entering a new system where we can forever enjoy life to the full! This should give every one of us strong reasons for wanting to learn the truth from the Bible. By seeking this truth we begin to lay a find foundation for the future, in order [to] get a firm hold on the real life," "eternal life" in God's new system of things. - 1 TIMOTHY 6:19; AV. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - WORLDWIDE CHANGE NEAR

 God's Word of truth tells us very clearly that we are fast nearing a worldwide change. It shows us that our time is the one Jesus Christ had in mind when he foretold the end of this wicked system. Jesus foretold many things that his future followers should watch for so they would know when the end was near. He said that the last days of this wicked system would be marked by things as world wars, food shortages, increasing lawlessness and a growing loss of faith in God. (Matthew24:3-12) He said there would be "anguish of nations, not knowing the way out." (Luke 21:25) We have seen the fulfillment of these prophecies in our lifetime. 

Many men who study world events are convinced that a great change is definitely in the making. The famous writer Walter Lippmann said: "For us all in the world is disorderly and dangerous, ungoverned and apparently ungovernable. Everywhere there is great anxiety and bewilderment." He added that all this "marks, I believe, the historic fact that we are living through the closing chapter of the established and tradition way of life." Also, as reported back in 1960, a former United States Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, declared that our time is a period of unequaled instability, unequaled violence." And he warned: "I know enough of what is going on to assure you that, in fifteen years from today, this world is going to be too dangerous to live in." 

All the many things foretold in God's Word of truth indicate that the time for world change is upon us right now! What we see going on throughout the world today in fulfillment of Bible prophecy shows that our time is the one that will see the destruction of this entire wicked system. Present-day governments will be removed to make way for the rule of all the earth by God's government. (Daniel 2:44; Luke 21:31, 32) Nothing can stop this change. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR MANKIND - Conclusion

 How can you be sure that this new system will come? How can you be sure it is just a dream? You can be confident because the Almighty God has promised it. The One who created and sustains the universe has given his guarantee that it will come. "God . . . cannot lie." (Titus 1:2) His word never goes unfulfilled. - JOSHUA 23:14. 

Note: Remember, all the prophecies that Jehovah has made has come true and is happening today, so it is obvious our Father in heaven is not lying and never has. 

These thrilling truths are found in God's Word, the Bible, the Holy Scriptures. There is no other source of information available to man that explains in a truly satisfying way the reason for what happened on earth and God's purpose for mankind. While were used to write the Bible, they did so under the direction of God's powerful active force or holy spirit, so that 'all Scripture is inspired of God." (2 Timothy 3:16) Just as an invisible radio beam can carry information to you, so God's invisible active force directed the writers of the Bible to put down what wanted mankind to know. That is why one of those writers, the apostle Paul could say: "When  you received God's Word, which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but just as it truthfully is, as the word of God." - 1 THESSALONIANS 2:13; see also 2 PETER 1:20, 21. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR YOU

 Among the many blessings that people will enjoy in the new system of God's making is good health. Even death, which brings much sorrow to all of us will be no more. The Creator's promise is: "And [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more nor outcry nor pain be any more. . . . Look! I am making all things new." (Revelation 21:4, 5) That is something no human ruler, no scientist, no doctor can do; but it is something that God will do. It is reasonable that God's only purpose for man is that he spend twenty years growing up, perhaps another twenty or thirty years gaining knowledge and experience, and shortly thereafter begin to grow old, suffer from sickness and die? Why should a man's life be so short when even a turtle may live to the of two hundred years and a tree may live far longer? God made man to live, not die. The Creator promises that soon it will be possible to enjoy life everlasting right here on earth.  (Isaiah 25:8) With peace loving neighbors, good health and satisfying activity to fill our lives, what a pleasure that will be! 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life -WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR MANKIND

What a change this earth will experience! There will be no more war, nor will there be any of the suffering that war brings. Hatred, selfishness, crime and violence will be things of the past. Instead, there will be perfect peace and security on earth. God's own Word declares: "Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; . . .  the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." (Psalm 37:10, 11 [36:10, 11, Dy] Such peace will exist, not only between nations, but among neighbors and in every household. Thin what a grand blessing that could be to you! And how reassuring to know that the fulfillment of this heartwarming promise does not depend on men! It is God who will bring it about. How? By destroying the wicked and by educating his pe0ple in the ways of peace. - PROVERBS 2:21, 22; ISAIAH 54:13. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life -Grand Blessings From God Near at Hand!

 DO YOU want to live in peace and happiness? Do you desire good health and long life for yourself and your loved ones? Do you long to see wickedness and suffering end! Every honest-hearted person wants these things. But today, in all parts of the earth, violence, crime, hunger and sickness are increasing. Why is the world so filled with trouble? What does it all mean? Is there any sound reason to believe that conditions will really get better in our lifetime? 

Yes, there is a reason for such hope, and it is clearly set out in a book that is published in more languages than any other book in the world. That book is the Bible. It tells us of God's purpose to set up and entirely new system of things for mankind. If you had the power to do so, would you not bring to an end the conditions that cause so much sorrow? Of course you would! Should we think that the Creator of mankind will do any less? The Bible tells us that God is love. (1 John 4:8) Surely this heavenly Father knows what mankind needs. He has the power to fill those needs, and will most certainly do so, for Psalm 145:16 says of God: "You are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing." -  See also DEUTERONOMY 32:4. 

When will God satisfy man's desire for true peace and happiness along with lasting health and life? Must mankind wait for thousands of years more? No! The time is near at hand! But how can this be? Conditions in the world are getting worse, not better. True, but the Bible clearly showed, long in advance, that these very conditions would be proof that we are living in the "last days" of the present system. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Soon the loving Creator will bring to their end both wickedness and those who cause it. But God will richly bless honest-hearted ones who want to do what is right, for he promises: "The world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever." - 1 JOHN 2:17. 

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Are We Nearing Armageddon? - MORE EVIDENCE - Conclusion

Add this to the well-documented disintegration of family life and marriage in recent years, the vast increase of crime and violence of sorts, the enormous growth of drug abuse and alcoholism, and the upsurged of juvenile lawlessness. Is it not obvious that the very fiber of human society is breaking down, as Jesus said it would just prior to the "great tribulation"? (Matthew 24:12) In addition, consider this development, as noted in the World Press Review: "The world of the Eighties is in many ways frightening, not just because of poverty and injustice from which so many suffer . . . , but because of the machinery of the global destruction which men play." It called that machinery "horrifying," and no wonder, for Britain's New Scientists reports: "There are about 60,000 nuclear warheads in today's arsenals, with an explosive power equivalent to more than 16,000 tons of TNT (equal to 1, 250m 000 Hiroshima bombs)." Some of those weapons are so deadly that one bomb alone can wipe out a small country, or an entire section of a large country. Yes, for the first time in history, man is capable of annihilating most life on earth. 

Note: They will not get a chance to use them.  Jesus Christ, all his angels etc., will be coming down to war with all the countries and nations and this United States etc. And He  has the power to win. He has more power than human in this whole wide world.  I am convinced and have the faith of this happening because that is a prophecy and the past ones and the present ones have too. So have faith, because it will happen!

Are we to think that somehow, though, world leaders, because they may be sincere, intelligent, well-informed and powerful, will solve these problems? (Note: Have they yet?  No, they are incapable, they are not as intelligent as they believe they are. Note: Jehovah and Jesus Christ have more intelligence than all the people in this whole wide world).  Note what former United States Secretary of the Treasury Michael Blumenthal says:  "No one fully understands the present situation. That includes all government officials making policy. They are as puzzled as you are when open the paper in the morning. The fact is that no one . . . really has been able to predict with any degree of accuracy the problems we got into." But the Bible did and adds this wise counsel: "Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs." Instead, "Happy is the one . . . whose hope is Jehovah God, . . . the One keeping trueness to time indefinite, " AMEN! to that. - PSALM146:3-6. 

For a certainty, all the conditions foretold in Bible prophecy are here. We are indeed very deep into the "last days" of this system of things and nearing the final part, the "great tribulation" with its Armageddon finish. And just what will mark the outbreak of that "great tribulation"? An event that already is well along in development. 

Next time: To be determined

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