Showing posts with label bible students. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible students. Show all posts

Monday 7 October 2013

Xanga Toe Stepper made silent

'Stepping toes' was originally a Xanga website opened on the 28th of September 2011, but in the Summer 2013 Xanga changed its policy and the Christadelphians had to find a solution for recovering their texts on October 6 of 2013.
Image representing Xanga as depicted in CrunchBase
Image via CrunchBase
The reason why the Christadelphians started a Xanga site was because they were confronted with a lot of wrong sayings on several Xanga sites about serious Bible Students, Jehovah Witnesses and Christadelphians or Brothers in Christ. Because they could not react to certain writings on Xanga, because  to reply the person had to be a member and some writings on the Xanga sites could use some reactions from outside the Christadelphians decided to put on their boots and join the community.

I and and the Christadelphians knew it would not be a place where many writings from our site would be placed on the net. We had our hands full already with other websites and other real life stuff, printing work and distribution of hard copy magazines.

Image representing Skype as depicted in CrunchBase
Image via CrunchBase
In the recent previous years we saw many changes in the bloggers world. Also in the system of communicating with each other many changes came very quickly. I still remember to be one of the earlier messengusers having a @messengeruser.com account which later became the better know @hotmail.com account, which still many use today but also has been changed to @outlook.com accounts, and the messenger gave way to the more succesfull Skype.

The "Stepping toes" site got his name from the Dutch saying “Op de tenen stappen” or “Stepping on the toes” being the figuratively  “to thread on a person’s toes” or making that somebody carries a chip on the shoulder.

At the time we did hope that the visitors on that site would not be to quickly to take offence, but would be brought to think about serious and debatable matters. We knew that the matters which we brought forward on that site were texts which could cause commotion, hence the name.

It is our awareness that people like to hold fast on tradition and want to keep to certainties which are given from one generation onto the other. We know that certain ideas we share, are not favoured by so many. First of all do we love and honour only One God, who we want to address to with His Name. And that Name is one which frightens a lot of people. Once people do hear the Name of that Creator they also often of only one denomination in christianity, forgetting that there are (luckilly) more denominations which use that Sacred Name of God.

People are easily put out when they hear whom we adhere.
But we are also sure that the die is been cast and that we have come in a special time where it is more important to share our love to the whole world, like our Masterteacher Jesus/Jeshua, the Messiah did.

The man we do like to follow on this earth not only wanted that everybody knew his Father, he also proclaimed the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God and wanted that all his followers went out into the world to bring that Evangelion of good Tidings.
You could say that nobody can quarrel with such good news that Jesus of Nazareth brought, but as the world went against him so they were not pleased either with his followers.

At the time of going on the Xanga platform the Christadelphians wrote:
Now we pitch our own tents here also on this Xanga Group we do hope we shall find enough spirits eager to share their ideas and to welk along on the long road to … Tipperary and beyond. happy
Today they have to tell the readers:

From Monday 7 October we shall try to place the previous publicised articles from Xanga on some of our other websites.
Most of the Christadelphian writings you can find at our other web pages, to which we would like to invite you:

Our main site: Belgian Christadelphians
Christadelphian Ecclesia
Brethren in Christ – Broeders in Christus
Christadelphia
Hoop tot Leven | Redding door Christus Jezus
Hope to find you there also.heart

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Monday 4 March 2013

Surprising figures about Jehovah Witnesses


English: George Storrs, former preacher, write...
English: George Storrs, former preacher, writer, editor, publisher (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Many Jehovah Witnesses may think the modern-day organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses began in the 1870’s.  In a way they are not totally wrong, but also not totally right, because the organisation of today has nothing to do with the root of that Bible Student Group from the early days.

From the years 1870 through 1875 Charles Taze Russell, his father Joseph, his sister Margaret, along with several other interested friends and associates, such as the well studied Millerite pastors George Storrs, and George Stetson, were actively engaged in careful, analytical Bible Study.
Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916).
Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Russell started his own periodical entitled "Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence" with the issue July, 1879.
In 1881 "Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society" was founded with the purpose of disseminating tracts, papers, doctrinal treatises and Bibles, and was officially chartered in 1884.

The different small groups in the 19th century who were looking for the Biblical truth brought forth many sorts of Bible students groups and organisations. Several of those seriously interested Bible Students began rediscovering long-lost Bible truths.

After  the death of Ch.T. Russell in1916  an immense and messy struggle for control of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society began at the Brooklyn "headquarters". Joseph Rutherford, the Society's lawyer, on a technicality that would have equally applied to him, summarily dismissed four influential members of the Board of Directors, and then literally tossed their belongings out onto the street. Pastor Russell's "Last Will and Testament" was both ignored and violated. Through legal and personal manipulations, Rutherford essentially appointed himself the second president of the Society, and within a period of only ten years turned the course of the Society around in a completely different direction, having discarded many of Russell's views, to the chagrin of tens of thousands of members. 
English: Picture of Joseph F. Rutherford from ...
English: Picture of Joseph F. Rutherford from the 1911 Bible Students Convention Souvenir Booklet. At the time this picture was taken, Rutherford was serving as chief legal counsel for Pastor Charles Taze Russell. Rutherford became President of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in 1917 and later renamed the movement Jehovah's Witnesses. Rutherford died in 1942. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1931 the Bible Students got some schisms because there where some disputes about the way Rutherford was going. The name Jehovah’s Witnesses was adopted by one of the split groups with the most of money. With their publications they managed to get even more income and financial grounds to build a whole empire.
Through the years those who did not want to agree with change in the teachings or new ideas of the Governing Body where cast out and had to find other ways to keep active in their faith. Shamefully lots of ex-Jehovah Witnesses where so disgusted by the Brooklyn Society they totally lost interest in the Faith and became atheist or a fighter against the non-trinitarians. Many ex-Jehovah Witnesses found themselves without family, but often also without believers around them who wanted to share the same love for God. A big problem that so many also got totally stuck in their thinking which was brought on by the organisation that all others in the world had the wrong believes and should be avoided. So many do not dare to make contact with other faith groups and often have no idea that there are many other non-trinitarian Bible Students.

The Jehovah Witnesses grew every year and became a very strong organisation.

Last year a second JW Survey showed again very revealing figures:

The results are available for download in PDF format on this link. They show that the overwhelming majority of 1,488 voters who participated disapprove with some or all of the Society's teachings and practices. Some of the more shocking statistics are as follows:

  • Only 5% of active Witness voters agreed with ALL Watchtower beliefs and practices
  • 70% of inactive voters stopped attending meetings because they no longer believe that Jehovah's Witnesses are the true religion
  • 61% of unbaptized voters believe Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult
  • 31% of anointed voters do not believe 144,000 is a literal number
  • 65% of active Witness voters believe some apostates may have legitimate concerns
  • 31% of serving elder voters consider themselves to be "secret apostates"
  • 60% of former Witness "apostate" voters have nothing against Jehovah's Witnesses but would like to see the Watch Tower Society dissolved
  • 49% of active Witness voters would either openly or secretly accept a blood transfusion
  • 60% of active Witness voters object to all forms of shunning
  • Three quarters of former Witness voters say they are being shunned by JW family members
  • 84% of inactive Witness voters would leave the organization if shunning were abolished
  • Three quarters of all inactive Witness voters experience "pre-emptive shunning" even though they are not disfellowshipped
  • Half of all serving elder voters feel elders are motivated by a desire for prominence and an ambition to succeed
  • More than 80% of active Witness voters DON'T believe elders are appointed by Holy Spirit
  • 58% of serving elder voters regret a decision they have reached on a judicial committee
  • Two thirds of active Witness voters don't believe Jehovah's Witnesses represent God's spirit-directed organization
  • 81% of all voters have known or heard of a Jehovah's Witness committing or attempting suicide
  • 60% of inactive voters experienced marital or family problems through their decision to become inactive
The Watchtower, Jehovah's Witnesses National HQ
The Watchtower, Jehovah's Witnesses National HQ (Photo credit: ad454)
No doubt the Society would dismiss the above statistics as merely representing the opinions of a few "bitter apostates," but one of the most interesting things about the JW Survey group their survey is that even active Witnesses who attend meetings have had a share in making their voices heard. The Society cannot claim to have the unquestioned loyalty of all those in its kingdom halls while increasing numbers of such ones are venturing online and making their voices heard through websites such as this.
Whether the Governing Body acknowledges these hundreds of people or not, the JW Survey group will continue to run the survey and gather the opinions of the "silent majority."
The 2013 Global Survey is now online!
In case you are a Jehovah Witness or are interested in their activities, or want to have your say, we would encourage you to react and why not to one-and-all to take part by clicking on this link to get started. 
If you are unfamiliar with how the survey works, please take your time to familiarize yourself with the instructions before proceeding - and be sure to read the questions carefully before casting your vote!
As to the results of last year's survey, these will still get posted to Brooklyn even if they go straight in the Bethel mailroom's bin. Why? Because when the media eventually takes an interest in the efforts of the JW Survey Group (which we believe they will) they want to be able to tell them that they have mailed their surveys to the Governing Body each and every year, and they never replied. Of course, they would rather the Governing body DID reply - but this is out of their hands. And even if the JW Survey can't force the Governing Body to take an interest in the opinions of hundreds of current and former Witnesses, they can still produce their UPS tickets as proof that they tried!
 For all those who love Jehovah it might also be an important step, because all God's lovers should become untied at the end. And more Jehovah Witnesses and ex-Witnesses should get to learn that there is more than only the Jehovah Witness movement. They and other Christians shall have to get to know that there are more non-trintiarian Christians than only the Jehovah Witness, who do witness for Jehovah. In some countries there are even groups who call themselves Jehovah People and as such could perhaps be better positioned to say that they are the people of God because they really bear the name of being the people of Jehovah.
But also other movements like the Nazarene Friends, Ex-Jehovah Witnesses, church of God, Church of Abrahamic Faith, Christadelphians, they all go for Jehovah and do their best to get to know the Only One God and to serve Him at their best.
In the world Christians who have their heart on the right place should dare to come out and say their ideas, willing to give signs to others so that they can correct or change direction.
For ex-Jehovah Witnesses and for those who have doubts about certain writings of the organisation it might seem as though there is little point in voting if the Governing Body isn't listening, but we honestly don't see things that way. The more the Governing Body ignores the many pleas for mercy and reasonableness, the more they prove themselves to be entirely unfit for the role they have assumed on the behalf of so many Jehovah Witnesses. So, with that in mind, please continue to add your voices to the project of the JW Survey Group - and spread the word among your friends too! Let the silent majority speak loud and clear...
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English: Personal bible study Português: Estud...
English: Personal bible study Português: Estudo pessoal da bíblia Italiano: Lo studio personale della bibbia Deutsch: Persönliches Bibelstudium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Those who think people who talk about Jehovah are Jehovah Witnesses better look further and do find many other faith groups which also use the Name of God. It is namely not the sole right of the Jehovah Witnesses to use the proper Name of God.
For those interested to learn more about Jehovah and other faith-groups or churches which want to honour the Only One God, we do advise to have a look at other websites, like for example:
The Christadelphians or to get to know better the Christadelphian People What Christadelphians believe or look at the world wide community of Christadelphia with Christadelphia Worldwide communities or ecclesiae
  1. Charles Taze Russel Official Website
  2. Thomasites
  3. Unitarian Church of God
  4. Friends of the Nazarene
  5. Restoration Fellowship
  6. Bible Student Websites 
  7. Associated Bible Students of Central Ohio - Official Website
  8. Dawn Bible Students Association
  9. Biblestudents  
  10. Bijbelvorsers 
  11. Bijbelvorsers Webs
  12. Bijbelvorser = Bible Researcher
  13. Broeders in Christus  
  14. Belgian Christadelphian Ecclesia
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Wednesday 13 October 2010

Around C.T.Russell

On the Multiply Group of the Bibleresearchers "Bijbelonderzoekers" in the article "Wie kan zich beroepen op C.T. Russell" is written in Dutch that a lot of organizations mention Charles Taze Russell as their clergyman father.
It is shown that the family Russell was influenced by many preachers and thoughts that where spread in the 19th century. Already in the 15th and 16th century several people were not happy with what the Roman Catholic church preached and distantiated themselves from their ideas. It was only a tiny minority who really tried to understand Gods Word and took enough time to study it. In the 16th and 17th century there were Bible Students who considered them selves to be Brothers of Christ or Brothers in Christ. In the Anabaptist and baptist movements there were many people convinced that the Holy Trinity was a reprehensible heathen thought. Lots of those Baptist preachers had to flee Belgium, went up north and crossed the see from Amsterdam going westward to England and New England. In America the non-Trinitarian preachers independently went cross the country and tried to reach as many people as they could. John Thomas came in contact with many of those itinerant preachers and put order in their ideas. Thomas succeeded to get some more people interested to travel all round to preach the Gospel and to show the people that there was only One God and that it was He who send His son to save all mankind. The Russell family came in contact with those teachings and agreed mostly with them but Charles Taze Russell as a good businessman new how to get better to the people then those Christadelphians. His financial means were also perhaps better than Dr Thomas his possibilities.

Russell must well have been very eloquent and have had a good understanding of how to approach the people in that time. He encountered a lot of people who were in a kind of religion vacuum or did not believe at all. Charles managed to get them interested by his 'shows' and with the flyers and many tracts. He built a beautiful association to witch many stayed faithfully, but found also men and women who just clung at a group of men, that could give them them social peace. Especially the doom-mongering attracted a lot of frightened people. Lots of people wanted to secure  or insure their future. That we live "in the last days" "the day of the Lord" — "the end" of the Gospel time and consequently, in the dawn of the "new" time, became facts named that not only perceptibly were through those who took the Bibles at hand  to study. According to Russell could the student of the Word, become led by the Spirit, but for him the signs of the end times, that were recognizable through the world, carried the same testimony, and must we be desiring  that the "master of the household of belief" totally awake showed us to the fact that — "We live in a very important time".
Charles went into lots of discussions, found some interested people who wanted to come together with him to study the Bible. He had a time of constant growth in grace and knowledge and love of God and his Word.
What he did with it you can read in Charles Taze Russell and what he started.
Dutch, Flemish and South-African speaking people can read more in:
Nederlandstalige lezers kunnen meer vinden over C.T. Russell in de onderstaande artikelen:

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Focus on Charles Taze Russell

http://ctr.reslight.net/
Focus on the Biblestudent Russell who was not the founder of Jehovah’s Witnesses, nor did ever believe in such an authoritarian organization.

Wednesday 3 March 2010

21st Century Version of the Christian Scripture or Mark Heber Miller Bible

Mark Heber Miller, born in 1938 in the Norfolk, Virginia, has always had a strong spiritual bent and a particular love of the Bible. His great-great grandfather William Miller was one of the founding fathers of the Bible Students division now better known as the Jehovah Witnesses. He did 20 years of missionary work in the U. S., The Bahamas, The Netherlands, and Spain. He became a seminarian instructor, writer and photographer and research consultant for the largest publisher of Bible literature in the world, the Watch Tower Society. 19 years before me he suffered a catastrophic and traumatic auto wreck and like me he came near to death. He renewed deep research in the spiritual depths of the Bible.
Several Bible Students wanted to indicate the importance of Christ his offering and found themselves as Friends of the Nazarene. Our Belgian Bible Student Movement of "Vrijë Christenen" or "Free Christians" found the same spirited people to discuss the Word of God. Notes and ideas where interchanged.
Mark Heber Miller brought with his
spiritual community of Messianic Christians during the years 1997 through 2001 a monthly On-line Biblical Studies Magazine.
In the mid-90s he determined to create a fresh version of the New Testament, at first designed for computer use on the Internet, which became printed by Living Waters.


Background information: Biography

Download Materials from the Friends of the Nazarene
Download Electronic Publications in MS Word Format

For free OnlineBible:
The texts on which the OLB modules MHM and MHMNC are based consist of a new version, the 21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM], as an additional part of Nazarene Commentary 2000-2002©. This rendering by Mark Heber Miller may be considered a literal version with limited paraphrase.
The Nazarene Commentary Modules for OLB > MHMNC > (MHMNC for OLB - 1,8 Mb)
+ MHM  bible module > (MHM for OLB - 560 Kb)


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2016 update
We are sorry that the Online modules are not working any more, but I do hope to have a new working module ready in 2017.

2016 update links
 

Sunday 22 November 2009

Biblestudents & T.C.Russell

The terms "Bible Students' movement," or "Bible Student Movement," covers many shades of "Bible Students." There are many of the "Bible Students" associated with the movement who rarely, if ever, refer or study the works of Russell at all, while on the other extreme there are some who believe that no one should study the Bible at all without the works of Russell, and even some who claim to "fully" believe all that Russell taught. There are those "Bible Students" who believe that Russell was appointed as the faithful and wise servant, and there are those "Bible Students" who do not believe such. Russell advocated the usage of the expression "Associated Bible Students" as recognizing Bible Students associated with each other, but yet he viewed this phrase to be a descriptive, non-sectarian, non-denominational designation.

Read more > 

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Russell and his beliefs

Often we hear it mentioned that Russell found the non-trinitarian group which is known as the "Jehovah's Witnesses."  Russell, of course, did not found an organization called "Jehovah's Witnesses." He never heard of such an organization; he did not believe in such an organization, and he preached against the formation of such an organization until the day he died. Russell refused to allow himself or the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to become a "central authority" over the local congregations, although, individually, and as congregations, many of the Bible Students had come to view him as such.

Russell learned the Biblical truths about hell, the condition of the dead, and about the trinity, as well as "the ransom for all," from others who had become before him. His understanding of these matters did not originate from out of the blue, nor were they simply his own thoughts. It was the proper Biblical understand ing of these matters that led him to reaffirm his faith in the Bible, in the God of the Bible, and in Jesus as the Son of God who gave himself a ransom for all.

Russell had, through his own self-study educated himself along many lines. The fact that he did not receive his education at the hands of humanly-recognized sectarian theological schools does not mean that he did not understand what he was writing about. That Russell did correctly present the usage of Hebrew and Greek words was confirmed, with some few minor exceptions, by Paul S. L. Johnson, who was well-educated and who was a thoroughly trained scholar in both Hebrew and Greek.

Russell gave a summation of his beliefs, what he stood for, in the January 15, 1912 issue of the Watch Tower, page 28:
>What Did Charles Taze Russell Stand For?

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Read also: A small company of Jesus' footstep follower

Wednesday 1 July 2009

Bijbelonderzoekers en Russelism

Gemakkelijk stelt men bijbelonderzoekers of Bijbelstudenten voor als JG of als Russelieten of navolgers van Russellism.
Bij “Russell-ism”, refereert men naar diegenen die na Charles Taze Russell zijn dood in 1916, zijn inzichten bleven of nog steeds volgen.
Zowel de JG als de Russellieten blijven aannemen dat in 1914 Jezus zijn Koninkrijk reeds opzette. Tegenwoordig geloven niet alle bijbelstudenten of zelfs volgelingen van Russell dat niet meer.
Verscheidene leiders trachten scheuringen te verkrijgen in de bijbelstudentenbeweging na Russll's dood. Zij wilden dat de leden hun keuze maakten of kamp kozen.
Men kan de vraag stellen: "Wat is de Waarheid?" als men voorop stelt dat men moet kiezen voor Dé Waarheid. Welke vereniging kan er zich op beroepen de waarheid in pacht te hebben of er trots op zijn om het meeste licht te hebben verkregen?

> * Russellism; Self-Inflicted Wound.doc (66 KB - downloaded 3 times.)
The "Russellism" Label > http://reslight.net/forum/index.php/topic,842.msg2037.html#msg2037

> There is a point in this  in that Russell was viewed as the "faithful and wise servant", "the Laodicean Messenger", etc., which doctrines were held to as a basis for supposed doctrinal "unity", but which doctrines themselves actually have led to divisions amongst the Bible Students. The viewpoints extended from Brother Russell's thoughts in the harvest also became a dividing point. And all of this does show the results of limiting belief to a certain set of thoughts revealed in the writings of one servant of the Lord to such an extent as to view those writings as though they were nearly or actually divinely-inspired scripture. And yet, like the holy scriptures, the meaning of much that Russell wrote is still debated to this day, often without thought that we should move beyond what Russell wrote, and simply consider what the scriptures state.

> How does one be "in the truth"? Is it by accepting the doctrine of this or that man, even to accepting the thoughts of this or that man as "doctrine" when such is not directly revealed in the Bible? (1 Corinthians 4:6) Jesus claimed to be "the truth" (John 14:16); that is, that the words he spoke were true words of the only true God. (Deuteronomy 18:18; John 14:10; 24) Thus, scripturally, to be  'in the truth', as it relates to the Christian, is to be  "in Christ". -- Romans 8:4; 12:5.

> here is also an understanding of prophecies that are due to be understood in our day, that were not previously understood. (Daniel 12:8-10) Part of our walking in the light would entail walking in agreement with such increased understanding. As we understand these prophecies, although the revealment of the "light" itself is in the prophecy, our understanding of the prophecies does constitute an increase of light for us individually, and even collectively, as the understanding becomes available to us, regardless of who is/are the agent(s) in showing the understanding. However, it is the thought of men's reasoning beyond what has been written (1 Corinthians 4:6) to assume that a Christian has to identify this or that man, or group of men, etc., so as to follow such a man or men in order to walk in the light of truth. Jesus did not say "You must find and identify that one faithful and wise servant whom I have appointed to give to you food, and if you do not so recognize that one faithful servant, you are not in the light." Yet this appears to be what many have thought and read into Jesus' words. < schrijft Ronald RD van Restoration Light

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Russell himself never claimed to be a prophet.

Charles Taze Russell (although he stated his views firmly as his beliefs) was never dogmatic about his beliefs on chronology and time prophecy, nor did he demand of the Bible Students associated with him or anyone else accept his beliefs.
 His statements were:
“Our own views are not prophecy, but interpretations of the holy prophets of old.” (Watch Tower, October 1890, page 8)
“Neither must you lean upon the DAWN and the TOWER as infallible teachers. If it was proper for the early Christians to prove what they received from the apostles, who were and who claimed to be inspired, how much more important it is that you fully satisfy yourself that these teachings keep closely within their outline instructions and those of our Lord; — since their author claims no inspiration, but merely the guidance of the Lord, as one used of him in feeding his flock.” (”The Watch Tower”, June, 1893)
...
What one will not find anywhere in Russell’s writings is that he claimed that his writings were a direct revelation from God, or that his predictions were directly from God.

> Read full article >Did Russell Claim Direct Revelation From God?

Wednesday 18 March 2009

A Christian Site for ALL Students of Scripture

Er is een nieuwe Bible Students site die interessant kan zijn om meermaals te bezoeken.
2043 Ad.com



Faithbuilders Fellowship,
a publication of Millennial Morning
their Bi-Monthly Journal

The Scriptural History of the World
Bible Chronology, Archaeology

Should be The most accurate, up to date English version of the holy Scriptures available. (Still under construction)

2000 Bible Study
Reference Books

Access to the Bible Student World,
the "Truth Movement" of our day.

The Collected Works of
Pastor Charles Russell
(Still under construction)

Artwork, Music, Children, Speakers, Audiovisual, Broadcasts
(Under construction)