POPULARITY! 

Most people want to be liked.  Yes, they enjoy being popular. 

So why does the Bible warn us about being popular with
the world?

Why does the Bible condemn friendship with the world?

Why did our Savior say that his true followers would
be unpopular and even hated by the world?

"If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love
you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on
God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world
is going to hate you."
(John 15:19) (Message Bible)

Popularity and Friendship with the World is likened in the
Bible to someone who is married and cheating on the spouse.

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with
the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be
a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."
(James 4:4) (New International Version)

"They are not part of this world any more than I am."
(John 17:16) (New Living Translation)

²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless
is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and
to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
(James 1:27) (NIV)

DID GOD'S SON SEEK POPULARITY?

No!

CHRIST IS POPULAR TODAY BUT HE
DID NOT SEEK TO BE POPULAR!

Our Messiah did NOT strive to be popular with people. Very often,
the things he said to them made them very angry with him. Indeed 
he used harsh words against the religious leaders of his day. He
certainly wasn't seeking to gain their approval - or any type of
popularity. He told them exactly what he thought of them:

¹³ "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees,
you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven
in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor
will you let those enter who are trying to.”
(Matthew 23:13) (NIV)

¹⁶ "Woe to you, blind guides!”
(Matthew 23:16) (NIV)

¹⁷ You blind fools!
(Matthew 23:17) (NIV)

²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to
people as righteous but on the inside you are full
of hypocrisy and wickedness.
(Matthew 23:28) (NIV)

Christ did not candy-coat his message.  He spoke the truth regardless
of what anyone felt or thought about it. When talking to liars - he
called them liars. He certainly wasn't seeking popularity with them.

"My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one
who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I
know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like
you, but I do know him and keep his word."
(John 8:54,55) (NIV)

How did the Jews and the religious leaders react to his message?

Did God's Son gain popularity with them?

"Then the disciples came to him and asked, 'Do you know
that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?' "
(Matthew 15:12) (NIV)

"The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this
and began looking for a way to kill him."
(Mark 11:18) (NIV)

"So from that day on they plotted to take his life."
(John 11:53) (NIV)

"Yet, despite all this - Jesus did not tone down his message. He
was not afraid of the people.  The princes didn't like it, the
politicians didn't care for it, the priests were offended by it, the
teachers were dubious about it, the philosophers thought they
had a better way, and so they all in one accord rejected it.
It is, in fact, the MOST HATED doctrine in all of the world."
-Paige Patterson, president of  Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary
 in Fort Worth, Texas

Christ did not try to please the people, nor did he please himself. 
The only one that he sought to please was his father, Jehovah.

"...for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. "
(John 5:30) (NIV)

"For even Christ did not please himself..."
(Romans 15:3) (NIV)

"...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)

Wise people follow his example.

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?
Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to
please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
(Galatians 1:10) (NIV)

As servants of Jehovah God, and servants of his Son,
God's messengers will continue to preach the good
news of the coming Kingdom without letup - despite
the fact that they are hated by the world.

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

What words are the true Christians constantly speaking?

"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) (KJ21)

What is this group of Christians who are the most hated?

The Authority of the Bible

Most modern Christians tend to rely on the New Testament
of the Bible and ignore the Old Testament because Christ is
the modern Christian's savior. When Christ came to us almost
2,000 years ago he brought us true teachings which later became
known as Christianity. Not long after he and his followers died
his pure teachings became corrupted by many non-Biblical beliefs.
Today, the majority of modern Christians unwittingly follow these
man-made beliefs that did not originate from them.

What kind of man-made beliefs?

The widest man-made belief is that God's Son took the place of
his Father, Jehovah. In order to believe that the Son is now GOD,
it is necessary to ignore the entire content of the Old Testament
and that is just what Christendom's ministers do.

How do we know that Christ is not God?

Because the words of JEHOVAH God, as recorded by His
prophets in the Old Testament of the Bible, were constantly
quoted by Christ. At the time that Christ was on the earth -
only the Old Testament had been written. These were the
words inspired by his Father, the "Jewish God," Jehovah.

"...a New Testament did not begin to exist until late in the second century."
- River of God, Gregory J. Riley, pp. 66-67

"The first Christians relied on the Old Testament as their chief
religious book. To them it was of divine origin and authority."
-Dr. Samuel Davidson; The "Canon"
The Encyclopedia Britannica

Thus God's Son, himself considered the Hebrew Scriptures
as words of authority on all things. All questions that were
asked of Christ he answered by quoting Jehovah God's words
in the Old Testament. Therefore - Christ, himself, considered
the Old Testament Bible to be inspired by God. Our Saviour
lived by the words of his Father, Jehovah, as recorded in the
Hebrew Scriptures and instructed us to do so. 

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. 
And 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 peopleof 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 Days of Terror

On September 11, 2009 America observed a
holiday that is only eight years old. The holiday
– Patriot Day - did not exist prior to September 11,
2001. It is a subtle reminder of the terrible event in
New York City that made the word “terrorists” a
household word people all over the world now use
daily. The destruction of the World Trade Center
was not the first act of terrorism at all, but it now
serves as a symbol for all acts of terrorism that
continue to plague the world daily.

Why is terrorism so prevalent now?

Christ, himself prophesied about the time of
The End almost 2,000 years ago:

For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning
of the world until now--and never to be equaled again.
(Matthew 24:21) (New International Version)

Does this prophecy from almost 2,000 years
ago sound like it applies to the present?

Evil is rampant in the world now. There will be no need
to supply examples from news sources here. Every day,
every hour, there is another shocking story about senseless
violence from all parts of the world. While reading this article,
consider the recent world news events.

Does the world have a great deal of violence and injustice in it?

The Bible prophesied many times that this would happen:

¹ But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

(2Timothy 3:1) (NIV)

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. There will be famines and earthquakes in
various places. ⁸All these are the beginning of birth pains.

(Matthew 24:6-8) (NIV)

Will things get worse?

Yes! This was also prophesied in the Bible:

¹² Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted, ¹³ while evil people and impostors will

go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
(2Timothy 3:12-13) (English Standard Version)

Is this happening now?

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous,

without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God-- ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its

power. Have nothing to do with them.
(2Timothy 3:2-5) (NIV)

What will be the fate of these people?

"For yet a little while, and the evildoers will be no more;
though you look with care where they used to be, they will
not be found. But the meek in the end shall inherit the
earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
(Psalm 37:10,11) (Amplified Bible)

The meek shall inherit the earth?

Yes! Christ, himself, confirmed the prophecy of Psalm 37:11.

⁵ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

(Matthew 5:5) (King James Version)

Do the meek want to inherit the earth? The pollution,
the crime, the terrorism, the destruction?

What can we do? There is no place to run, no safe place
free from danger any place in the world.

Who will protect us from harm?

Who can save the world?

Frightened people all over the world are busy praying to
a wide assortment of deities for protection. Many are
depending on Jesus, Mary, St. Brigid, St. Patrick, St. Peter,
Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, The nameless Lord, Buddha,
rosary beads, prayer wheels, crucifixes, etc. People have
been looking to their chosen personal gods and idols for
protection and favors for thousands of years.

What good is that doing?

Soon, the false worship will be over, a thing of the past.
The Bible tells of a sudden transformation that will occur:

5 Jehovah himself examines the righteous one as well as the
wicked one, and anyone loving violence His soul certainly
hates. 6 He will rain down upon the wicked ones traps, fire
and sulphur and a scorching wind, as the portion of their cup.
(Psalm 11:5-6) (New World Translation) Watchtower.org

¹² I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a

great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and
the moon became as red as blood. ¹³ Then the stars of the sky

fell to the earth like green figs falling from trees shaken by
mighty winds.
(Revelation 6:12-13) (NIV)

³² Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth

from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised
up from the uttermost parts of the earth. ³³ And the slain

of Jehovah shall be at that day from one end of the earth
even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be
lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be
dung upon the face of the ground.
(Jeremiah 25:32-33) (American Standard Version)

⁴ And he will judge between the nations, and will decide

concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more.
(Isaiah 2:4) (ASV)

¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the

throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened,
which is the book of life. The dead were judged according
to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea

gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave
up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged
according to what he had done.
(Revelation 20:12-13) (NIV)

Will a time of Terror lead to paradise?

Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming
on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. ²⁷At that
time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to take place, stand
up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing
near."

(Luke 21:26-28) (NIV)

The vast majority of mankind is living in constant fear now.
Only a very small group of people is fearless in the face of
oppression from governments and death at the hands of
criminals, terrorists and the forces of nature.

Who can we rely on to protect us? Policemen?
Soldiers? Militia? Vigilantes? Government?

Not ONE of these entities have been effective in
protecting the public from harm, but the servants of
Jehovah are protected by Him no matter where they
are in the world.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent

of the upright will flourish.
(Proverbs 14:11) (NIV)

They are protected because they made a wise decision:

…but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
(Joshua 24:15) (ASV)

What will be the final outcome? What
kind of earth will the meek inherit?

¹⁷ For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the

former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
²¹ And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they

shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. ²² They shall

not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another
eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
²³ They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity;

for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their
offspring with them. ²⁴ And it shall come to pass that, before

they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I
will hear. ²⁵ The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and

the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the
serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my
holy mountain, saith Jehovah.
(Isaiah 65:17, 21-25) (ASV)

Is God's Son Really God?

There is a widespread belief by most Christians,
known as Trinitarians, that God's Son is God.

Why? What evidence is there that Christ is God, Himself?

The lame evidence is shaky at best. Trinitarians rely
on only a few scriptures in the Bible to determine that Christ
is God and ignore many scriptures that contradict this belief.
For example, people have observed that “God said: ‘I am’
numerous times in the Old Testament.”

In particular:

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:
and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children
of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
(Exodus 3:14) (King James Version)

And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them:
I am the LORD which sanctify you.
(Leviticus 20:8) (KJV)

Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called;
I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
(Isaiah 48:12) (KJV)

Therefore, senseless people reasoned, if Christ says “I am”,
he must also be God too!

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Before Abraham was, I am.
(John 8:58) (King James Version)

Question: Who else said, “I am”?

Answer: Everybody!

The phrase “I am” occurs hundreds of times
in the Bible. Here are some notable examples:

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham,
and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
(Genesis 22:1) (KJV)

And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
(Genesis 27:24) (KJV)

And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are
six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will
give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.
(Numbers 11:21) (KJV)

And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee:
have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word
that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
(Numbers 22:38) (KJV)

And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came
to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that
spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.
(Judges 13:11) (KJV)

And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub.
And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
(1Samuel 22:12) (KJV)

Then Abner looked behind him, and said,
Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.
(2Samuel 2:20) (KJV)

And when he was come near unto her, the woman
said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he.
(2Samuel 20:17) (KJV)

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his
grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain;
(1Corinthians 15:10) (New International Version)

So, are all of these people God too?

But wait! he also said:

I and my Father are one.
(John 10:30) (KJV)

Does this mean that Christ and his Father are one God together?

What does Christ say?

²⁰Then you will know that I am one with the Father. You will
know that you are one with me, and I am one with you.
(John 14:20) (Contemporary English Version)

My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you
and I are one, Father--that just as you are in me and I am in
you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.
(John 17:21) (New Living Translation)

Maybe not. He just meant that Jehovah, His Son and the
followers are one in purpose, not one big group of gods.

Did God's Son ever once say: “I am God! Worship me!”

No such statement exists in the entire Bible.

What does he actually say about his Father?

"...but the world must learn that I love the Father and that
I do exactly what my Father has commanded me."
(John 14:31)(NIV)

"…I have obeyed my Father's commands…"
(John 15:10)(NIV)

So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  
No one is good but One, that is, God…"
Matthew 19:17 (NIV)

"This is because I have NEVER spoken on My own
authority or of My own accord or as self-appointed,
but the Father Who sent me has Himself given me
'orders' concerning what to say and what to tell."
(John 12:49) (Amplified Bible)

What did the Apostles have to say about Christ?
Did they think he was God?

It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray,
and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. "
(Luke 6:12) (New American Standard Bible)

"God had the power to save Jesus from death. And while Jesus
was on earth, he begged God with loud crying and tears to
save him. He truly worshiped God, and God listened to his
prayers. Jesus is God's own Son, but still he had to suffer
before he could learn what it really means to obey God."
(Hebrews 5:7,8) (CEV)

Does this mean that God has to learn how to obey Himself?

That is stupid!

People who want to believe that Christ is God have to
ignore a lot of scripture that clearly says otherwise.

⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but
emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and
being made in the likeness of men.

(Philippians 2:6,7) (NASB)

"Christ was humble. He obeyed God..."
(Philippians 2:8) (CEV)

According to the scriptures, God spoke many times,
or was His Son a ventriloquist?

¹⁶As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the
water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on
him. ¹⁷And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son,
whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
(Matthew 3:16,17) (NIV)

"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one
I love,  in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations."
(Matthew 12:18) (NIV)

⁵While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped
them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my
Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen
to him!"  ⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell face
down to the ground, terrified.
(Matthew 17:5-6) (NIV)

So if Christ is the Son of God, Who exactly is God?

⁸ I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not
give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.
(Isaiah 42:8) (American Standard Version)

¹¹ I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour.
(Isaiah 43:11) (ASV)

⁶ Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer,
Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; and
besides me there is no God.
(Isaiah 44:6) (ASV)

⁵ I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there
is no God. I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me;
⁶ that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from
the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah,
and there is none else.
(Isaiah 45:5,6) (ASV)

¹⁸ For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens,
the God that formed the earth and made it, that
established it and created it not a waste, that formed
it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.
(Isaiah 45:18) (ASV)

Here we see that Jehovah clearly did not designate anybody
else, not even his son, to be God or equal to Him in any way.
But then, Jehovah has always been that way:

¹ And God spake all these words, saying, ² I am Jehovah thy
God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage.³ Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
(Exodus 20:1-4) (ASV)