From it's ad campaign: "The Riverbend Festival is an internationally award winning 9 day music festival! Located in the heart of Chattanooga, Tennessee there is no better way to enjoy your summer. Riverbend takes place on the 21st Century Waterfront along the Tennessee River. Boasting five stages with over 100 bands featuring world class entertainment ranging from classic rock, jam bands, country, urban and bluegrass! Riverbend draws over 600,000 patrons annually. We offer countless activities to participate in during Riverbend. Come enjoy our Children's Village, Mobile exhibits, Bluecross Riverbend Run and Walk, Marketplace, Fireworks Finale and MUCH MORE!"
Did you notice from their ad above about the draw of 600,000 people! Wow! What an opportunity to evangelize!
Tonight (June 11th)was opening night and the gates will open every day at 4:30 p.m., however there are people around near the riverfront all day during the 9-day festival.
Tonight was ripe with many good converstions and "tracting", especially the last conversation of the evening I had with a family of Jehovah Witnesses. He (the husband and father) agreed to give me his e-mail for further correspondance, which I will post and will include my initial e-mail to him. The information that I'm using in the initial e-mail is from Carm.org, which I will utilize for my future correspondance with this Jehovah Witness as well. Please pray for us in our evangelism efforts that God will be glorified. Isaiah 55:11.
Michael, it was a pleasure talking with you in front of your sons and brother this evening near the entrance to Riverbend in Chattanooga, however before we begin exchanging Scriptures from the Holy Bible I have several questions regarding Jehovah Witnesses, which do include Scripture, that I would like you to clarify for me please. Thank you in advance.
1. The Watch Tower Organization claims to be the prophet of God that is in it’s April 1st, 1972 issue page 197 of The Watch Tower, yet it has made numerous false prophecies. However, The Watch Tower Organization’s excuse given for these false prophecies have been to quote Proverbs 4:18 “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” This verse in it’s context is pertaining to following wisdom for in Proverbs 4:14 it says “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.” verse 15 “Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” verse 16 “For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.” verse 17 “For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.” verse 18 “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” verse 19 “The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.” verse 20 “My son, attend to my words; incline ear unto my sayings.” Now whether or not the light gets brighter doesn’t change the fact that the Watch Tower made false prophecies. To pull one verse out from its context in an attempt to explain away something is illogical and erroneous wouldn’t you agree? The Bible says in Deut 18: verse 20 “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die." verse 21 “And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?” verse 22 “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that [is] the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, [but] the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” If the New World Translation, which is your bible, condemns false prophesying and states that it is proof that God is not speaking through that prophet. Then doesn’t this prove that the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society is not speaking for God?
2. Why does the New World Translation, which is the Jehovah Witnesses bible, insert the word Jehovah in the New Testament when there are no Greek manuscripts that have it in there? Isn’t this playing with the text? Again, this would be illogical and erroneous. Wouldn’t you agree?
3. The Watch Tower Organization states that Jesus died on a stake not a cross. The typical Watch Tower representation of this is of Jesus on a single stake in a vertical position with His hands over His head with a single nail through His wrists. If Jesus was crucified on a cross then two nails would be necessary, one in each hand. How then does the Watch Tower Organization handle the verse in the Holy Bible which states that Jesus had nails (that’s plural) in his hands (again, plural). John 20:25 in Jehovah Witnesses’ New World Translation states “Consequently, the other disciples would say to him we have seen the Lord, but he said to them unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and stick my finger into the print of the nails and stick my hand into His side I certainly will not believe.” Now Jesus had a nail in each hand and this is made clear by the use of the word nails (plural) not nail (singular). Jesus must have been crucified on a cross with His hands out spread, not on a stake with His hands over His head with one nail (singular) through His wrists as the Watch Tower Organization teaches. Why is it then that the Watch Tower teaches something clearly unbiblical?
4. The Watch Tower states that through good works and effort that 144,000 elite Jehovah Witnesses will go to heaven. The 144,000 are mentioned in two chapters in the Holy Bible, Revelation chapters 7 and 14. By looking in Revelation 7:4-8 it is obvious they (the 144,000) are literal Jews of the ancient tribes of Israel, no Gentiles among them. In Revelation 14:4 they are all male virgins. If the Jehovah Witnesses state that the usage of male virgins is figurative then what gives them the right to state that the number 144,000 is literal?
5. Where does it teach in the Bible that Jesus is the arch angel Michael? Why isn’t Jesus called Michael right now since He is in heaven?
Michael, I look forward to hearing from you upon your return to home.
Sincerely,
Jeremiah
