ASUU Strike: We Need New Strategies

Here is a country with great priorities: legislators are amongst the highest paid in the world while the entire spend on education continues to wallow at less than 9% of the annual budget.

I confess: the current strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) failed to register on my worry-o-meter, that detector of things going/gone bad in Nigeria. I remained blissfully unconcerned even after headlines and Twitter feeds about the strike bumped into me while surfing the news. Then one morning I accidentally caught a program where members of ASUU and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) were discussing the strike. It struck me as I listened that I could still be in the 90s – nothing had changed in the rhetoric of ASUU, NANS or the government since my days as a student. All the pain of being caught by these parties who did not seem to care about my future came flooding back. I also understood with clarity that my position on the strikes then was extremely selfish – it was linked to me graduating and getting on with my life. It explains why the strike failed to register. I am not in school and don’t have children of University age.

Maybe this selfish short-term perspective of the key parties in the cycle of strikes is a huge obstacle to finding lasting solutions to the education problem?

Here’s what we know: 129 tertiary Institutions with 36 federal Universities, one in each state to satisfy federal character, severely underfunded and none of which are ranked amongst the top 500 in the world. Quality continues to deteriorate faster than potatoes in an airtight bag and in 2012 alone Nigerians reportedly spent $500 million dollars sending their children to schools as close as Ghana and as far as Malaysia.

In 2009, ASUU and the FG agreed that 9 interventions would help: (1) funds to revitalize Nigerian Universities (2) FG assistance to state Universities (3) a Pension Management Committee (4) progressive increase in annual education budget to 26% (5) earned allowances (6) extending retirement age to 70 (7) reinstatement of prematurely dissolved Governing Councils (8) transfer of FG landed property to Universities and (9) setting up of research development council & provision of research equipment to laboratories.

The response of the FG is typically short term and expected. The administration that negotiated in 2009 probably wanted ASUU off their backs and made promises they did not intend to keep. This current administration wants to do the same thing; postpone things.

In light of the evidence that under the current political system no FGN will substantially improve education, it is time to ask ASUU to consider other options to realize their responsibilities to students and Nigerians. The problem with education is not 100% the fault of the FGN.

ASUU must come to equity with clean hands. God knows expecting equity from dealings with the Nigerian government is something of an oxymoron but there is still something to be said for doing things the right way. Admittedly, the incentives for academia are low especially when a professor needs to work for 200 years to earn what a Nigerian Senator earns in a year but instead of being angry there are two practical options lecturers can take. The first is to decide to be proper teachers and groom and inspire millions of Nigerians to help change the education system. This entails engaging, not dictating. The second is keeping the corruption in the political system out of the Universities. Instead of speaking up strongly against the madness of one federal University in each state, our professors are more concerned with increased probabilities of being Vice Chancellor. Instead of denouncing the practice where key administrative positions and/or admissions are preserved for indigenes, our lecturers have accepted the practice. How can they be surprised that the FG won’t treat them with honour when there is no honour within the Universities and we haven’t even dwelt on the s*xploitation of students and the commercialization of admissions, grades, handouts and degrees?


ASUU needs to get creative about internal revenue – raising fees is not the panacea. Parking fees, consulting fees from think tanks within strategic departments, endowments from alumni, publications etc. are all avenues for Universities to raise revenue for their development. With a little innovation, some space and the talent of Nigerians for creativity particularly around music, art, fiction and fashion, the Universities are sitting on a gold mine.

As for students, sadly, the focus is also short term: to finish being at the receiving end of an exploitative system. But if students don’t realize that sacrifices are needed so that siblings and future children don’t have to suffer too, then the cycle continues. Students need to bury the belief that cheap education is a birthright. The argument of ASUU (and probably NANS) that increased fees exclude millions from ‘quality education’ is hysterically funny. This position needs to be revisited particularly with what we know about the quality of graduates and the poor global ranking of our schools, particularly in the sciences. There are unexplored benefits to increasing fees: more cash to invest in infrastructure and R&D, more attentive students and parents (check out parents at PTA meetings of private schools) and it would arguably make the Universities more independent from the FG. What ASUU should be demanding is a loan scheme for students of tertiary Institutions. Let Nigerians who gain admission into schools take low interest loans from the FG or their SGs and pay back these loans over years. That way we get quality education, employers have the right incentives to hire and invest thus creating a cycle of increased employment and value for everyone.

Like everything else that is wrong in Nigeria that could be so easily set right, the problem with education and ASUU is connected to our dysfunctional political institutions. Nigerians must realize that we cannot fix education before we fix our politics. Short-term solutions which don’t look at the context in which we operate and which seek to provide instant gratification to the parties involved will not succeed. The sooner ASUU, students and Nigerians realize this and change strategy the better for us all.

The Bible vs. The Jehovah's Witnesses. prt2

The Holy Ghost Is Deity

The JW's believe that the Holy Ghost is only "God's active force." They deny the scriptural teaching that the Holy Ghost is a Member of the Holy Trinity:

"The Scriptures themselves unite to show that God's holy spirit is not a person but is God's active force by which he accomplishes his purpose and executes his will" (Aid to Bible Understanding, pg. 1543).

"The Holy Spirit is the invisible active force of Almighty God that moves his servants to do his will" (Let God Be True, pg. 108).

Not only do the JW's deny the DEITY of the Holy Spirit, they even deny that He is a person. So, in this sense, Satan has been exalted ABOVE the Holy Ghost by the JW's! The reason given by the JW's for the personality of Satan is that:

". . . the Bible calls Satan a manslayer, a liar, a father (in a spiritual sense) and a ruler. (John 8:44, 14:30) Only an intelligent person could fit all those descriptions." (See "Awake!", December 8, 1973)

We agree, but how can any honest person say that and then DENY the personality of the Holy Ghost? The Holy Ghost ALSO has attributes that only a PERSON can have. For example:

(1) Only a person could SPEAK, which the Holy Spirit does (Acts 2:11; 13:2; Rev. 2:7).

(2) Only a person could TEACH and COMFORT (Jhn. 16:7, 13).

(3) Only a person could have a MIND (Rom. 8:27).

(4) Only a person could possess the POWER that the Holy Spirit possesses (Rom. 15:19).

(5) Only a person could be INSULTED and GRIEVED (Heb. 10:29; Eph. 4:30).

So the Holy Ghost certainly IS a Person, but more than that, He is GOD, the Third Member of the Holy Trinity. There are several scriptural proofs for the Deity of the Holy Ghost:

(1) In Acts 15:3 Peter accuses Ananias of lying to the Holy Ghost, and then in verse four Peter tells him that he had lied unto GOD. The Holy Ghost is God.

(2) The Holy Ghost says in Acts 13:2, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." GOD is the one who calls men to do His work (Rom. 8:28; Gal. 1:6; 1 Ths. 2:12; 4:7; 2 Ths. 2:13-14); so, the Holy Ghost is God.

(3) Only God could perform all the great wonders that the Holy Ghost performs (Psa. 104:30; Jhn. 14:16, 26; 16:8-14; Job 33:4; 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 1:13; 4:30).

(4) The Holy Ghost is God because blasphemy against Him shall not be forgiven (Mat. 12:31).

(5) The Holy Ghost is God because He is ETERNAL (Heb. 9:14).

(6) The Holy Ghost is God because He is OMNIPRESENT (Psa. 139:7-8).

(7) The Holy Ghost is God because He has the power to give life (John 3:6; 6:63).

(9) The Scriptures are God's word, and 2 Peter 1:21 says that the Holy Ghost INSPIRED the Scriptures. Therefore the Holy Ghost is God.

The Bible clearly reveals to us that the Holy Ghost is a Member of the Holy Trinity. To deny this truth is to openly deny God's word.

The Trinity doctrine is a BIBLE doctrine. It is true that Satan has counterfeited the Trinity doctrine for many centuries in many pagan religions, but that doesn't change the truth. God's word declares that He is a Trinity, and it is our responsibility to BELIEVE it.

Did Jesus Christ Rise Physically From the Dead?

According to the JW's, He did not. The Bible speaks of a literal and physical resurrection, but the Watchtower Society teaches that Jesus only rose from the grave spiritually. Their literature speaks for itself:

". . . So the King Christ Jesus was put to death in the flesh and was resurrected an invisible spirit creature." (Let God Be True, pg. 138)

"Therefore the bodies in which Jesus manifested himself to his disciples after his return to life were not the body in which he was nailed to a tree. They were merely materialized for the occasion, resembling on one or two occasions the body in which he died..." (The Kingdom Is At Hand, pg. 259)

"Our Lord's human body . . . did not decay or corrupt . . . whether it was dissolved into gasses or whether it is still preserved somewhere . . . no one knows." (Studies In The Scriptures, Vol. 2, pg. 129)

According to the words of Jesus Christ Himself, He is NOT merely a spirit being. He is a literal and physical risen Savior. In Luke chapter twenty-four, beginning at verse thirty-six, the disciples see the risen Christ and they supposed they had seen a spirit (vs. 37); but Jesus cleared the matter up for everyone when He said, ". . . Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luk. 24:38-39)

He then SHOWED them His hands and feet, and they believed. What did they believe? They believed that He was a literal and physical being in a literal and physical body.

When Jesus appeared to Thomas He said, ". . . Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." (Jhn. 20:27) The risen Christ had the crucifixion scars in His body to PROVE that He had been physically resurrected from the dead.

If Jesus didn't rise physically then He lied in John 2:18-22 when He said that His "body" would rise in three days. He didn't say His spirit would rise. He said that His BODY would rise. When He arose His disciples actually REMEMBERED this prophecy and believed. Too bad the JW's can't do the same.

The JW's claim that Jesus appeared in different bodies after His so-called "spiritual resurrection." Their "proof" for this is the fact that the Emmaus disciples didn't recognize Him in His resurrection body, so it couldn't have been the same body. That's nonsense. Luke 24:16 tells us why they didn't recognize Him. It had nothing to do with a spiritual body. The problem was their EYESIGHT: "But their eyes were holden that they should not know him."

The bodily resurrection of Christ is a fundamental Bible doctrine. The salvation of a person's soul rests upon this doctrine, because if Jesus didn't physically rise from the dead AS HE SAID HE WOULD, then we're all lost and going to Hell according to 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (JW's included).

Will There Be A Literal and Physical Second Coming?

If the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected literally and physically from the dead, and if He appeared physically to His disciples, then His Second Coming must also be literal and physical.

Acts 1:11 tells us that Jesus will return "in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Jesus ascended into Heaven literally, physically, and visibly, so He will return "in like manner."

The JW's deny this. They insist that the Second Coming of Christ will be SPIRITUAL, rather than literal and physical:

"Christ Jesus comes, not again as a human, but as a glorious spirit person." (Let God Be True, pg. 196)

"Since no earthly men have ever seen or can see the Father, they will be unable to see the glorified Son." (Let God Be True, pg. 197)

"It is a settled Scriptural truth, therefore, that human eyes will not see him at his second coming, neither will he come in a fleshy body." (The Truth Shall Make You Free, pg. 295)

The word of God says otherwise. Paul says in Titus 2:13 that we should be LOOKING for that blessed hope and the glorious APPEARING of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. If the JW's are right in saying that we will not be able to see Christ, then why did Paul tell us to be LOOKING for His APPEARING?

The New World Translation has very conveniently removed the word "appearing" from Titus 2:13 and replaced it with "manifestation." The same has also been done in 1 Timothy 6:14, 2 Timothy 1:10, and 2 Timothy 4:8. (You can make the Bible teach ANYTHING if you just CHANGE THE WORDS!)

Now we know that the Second Coming of Christ will NOT be a spiritual and invisible return. Revelation 1:7 says, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." In Matthew 24:30, Jesus Himself says, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Zechariah 14:4 says, "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south." The literal and physical feet of Luke 24:39 will literally STAND upon the literal, physical, and very visible mount of Olives. That's perfectly clear to anyone with reading ability.

There's nothing spiritual or invisible about the Second Coming of Christ. The "clouds" will be literal (Rev. 1:7), as will the "fire" (2 Ths. 1:8), the "saints" (1 Ths. 3:13), the "mountains and rocks" (Rev. 6:16), and, of course, the thousand-year reign (Rev. 20:1-7). A "spiritual" or "invisible" Second Coming is totally foreign to the written revelation of God.

JWs and their false prophecies

If it doesn't come true as it was predicted, then it wasn't from God . Its that simple.

  "...to know whether one is a true or a false prophet.... If he is a true prophet, his message will come to pass exactly as prophesied. If he is a false prophet, his prophecy will fail to come to pass" (Watch Tower, May 15, 1930, p. 154).  In their own words the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is nothing but false prophets

Now, it is also noteworthy to point out that the JW's have quite a record when it comes to DATING the Second Coming. Listed below are five separate instances where the JW's have predicted the Second Coming and missed:

(1) In 1897, a book titled "The Battle of Armageddon" stated on page seventy-five that Jesus' Second Coming had ALREADY HAPPENED INVISIBLY in the year 1874, and the Watchtower publication re-stated this in the September 15th issue of 1922 and also in the January 1st issue of 1924.

(2) On January 15th, 1892, the Watchtower claimed that Armageddon began in 1874 and would end in 1914. This became quite an embarrassment for the JW's because 1914 was the beginning of World War I!

(3) The book Millions Now Living Will Never Die claimed that the year 1925 would actually bring about the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old. Page eighty-nine of this book claimed that "the earthly phase of the kingdom shall be recognized." However, when the January 1, 1925, issue of the Watchtower was published, it said, "This may be accomplished. It may not be."

(4) The December Watchtower for 1941 claimed that World War II would turn America and England into dictatorships, that the end of Nazi rule would mark the end of demon rule, and that God would rule when the Nazis were defeated.

(5) In 1942, the JW's were still talking about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob returning "any day now!" (Consolation, May 27, 1942, Pg. 13)

So the Watchtower Society will continue right along with it's foolish date setting--keeping it's members in constant fear and confusion. It is true that the Bible gives us many definite signs which indicate the Lord's return is getting very near, but no one knows the day nor the hour (Mat. 24:36).

Is Hell A Literal Fiery Place?

The JW's have traditionally believed and taught that there is no eternal punishment for the wicked:

". . . the Bible hell is mankind's common grave..." (Let God Be True, pg. 92. Page ninety-eight of this book refers to the doctrine of Hell as a "God defaming doctrine.")

"The doctrine of a burning hell where the wicked are tortured eternally after death cannot be true . . . ." (Let God Be True, pg. 99)

We call it to the reader's attention that it was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ who first used the term "hell fire" (Mat. 5:22), and it was Jesus Christ who said in Matthew 25:41, ". . . Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." When the JW's attack the Hell doctrine they are attacking the very words of Christ.

A JW believes that Hell is only the grave that everyone goes to at death. He believes that the saved ones in the graves will be given eternal life on earth after the White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15, while the unsaved in the graves will be annihilated once and for all in the Lake of Fire. JW's refuse to believe that God will punish the wicked forever in the Lake of Fire. Of course, the Scriptures say something entirely different:

(1) There is no FIRE in the grave, but there certainly is fire in the "hell" of the Bible (Luk. 16:23; Deu. 32:22; Mat. 5:22; 18:9; Jas. 3:6).

(2) No one PRAYS from the grave, but they certainly do in Hell (Luk. 16:24; Jon. 2:2).

(3) Hell was originally made for the Devil and his angels (Mat. 25:41), but the grave was not.

(4) A Christian's SOUL does not go to the grave at death (Phi. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; 1 Ths. 5:10). Only the BODY goes to the grave. An unsaved man's body also goes to the grave at death, but his SOUL goes to a place of TORMENT and FLAMES (Luk. 16:22-23).

(5) The grave cannot possibly be Hell because Jesus said it would be better to enter into life (eternal life) without a hand, a foot, or an eye, than to go to Hell (Mat. 18:8-9). How could it be "better" if Hell is only the grave where there is no suffering at all? According to Jesus Christ, Hell is a lot WORSE than losing a hand, a foot, or an eye forever.

(6) Annihilation cannot be true because the Bible uses such terms as "shame and everlasting contempt" (Dan. 12:2) and "torment . . . forever" (Rev. 14:11). Shame and torment are sufferings that are experienced by a LIVING BEING, not an annihilated corpse.

God is an ETERNAL Being; therefore, an eternal payment is required for sin (Mar. 9:44-48; Isa. 66:22-23). You can have a FAIR TRIAL, or you can have a FREE PARDON. In a fair trial before God, you will be eternally damned to Hell because you are a sinner against a Holy God. God will have no choice but to sentence you to Hell forever.

If you are wise you will receive God's FREE PARDON. Jesus Christ has ALREADY paid for your sins, but you must RECEIVE Him as Savior. John 1:12 says, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"

The Bible vs. The Jehovah's Witnesses prt1

In 1870, at the age of eighteen, an ex-Congregationalist by the name of Charles Taze Russell started a Bible class in Pittsburgh. In 1876, the class elected Russell as their Pastor. He founded the "Herald of the Morning" in 1879, which eventually developed into what is known today as "The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom." Today this publication has grown to over seventeen million copies per month in over one hundred languages.

In 1884, Russell incorporated the "Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society" at Pittsburgh. Today this organization has branches in over one hundred countries, and it has missionary works in over two hundred and fifty. With over one-half million volunteer workers, the Jehovah's Witnesses have become a serious threat to Bible believers throughout the world.

Russell died in 1916, and Judge J.F. Rutherford took over the Society's leadership. It was under Rutherford's leadership that the group took the name "Jehovah's Witnesses," and Society headquarters moved to Brooklyn. Rutherford died in 1942, and Nathan Knorr took control and boosted the membership to over two million. In 1961 the Society published its own "translation" of the scriptures, called "The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures." Knorr died in 1977, and Frederick Franz took over the leadership of the Watchtower Society. Franz is the current leader of the Jehovah's Witnesses (1991).

Rather than bore ourselves with the corrupt history of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, we shall get straight to the main issue at hand: What does the Bible say about their DOCTRINES? The true Bible-believer realizes that the primary purpose for the Lord giving us the Scriptures is DOCTRINE (2 Tim. 3:16), and we are supposed to KNOW sound doctrine from false doctrine. Many have departed from the faith and have given themselves over to "doctrines of devils" (1 Tim. 4:1), and it is our Christian duty to check these people and arm ourselves against their false teachings.

The main false doctrines taught by the "JW's" (Henceforth used to abbreviate "Jehovah's Witnesses") are as follows: (1) that God is not a Trinity, (2) that Jesus Christ did not physically rise from the dead, (3) that there will be no literal and physical Second Coming of Christ, and (4) that there will be no place of eternal torment for the wicked. These are the major heresies taught by the JW's, and we shall examine each of these in light of God's pure and preserved words. Let us begin with a look at the Trinity.

Is God A Trinity?

According the Bible, God is a Triune Being. As all humans are a trinity (soul, body, and spirit--1 Ths. 5:23), God is also a Trinity. In Genesis 1:26, God said, "Let us make man in our image. . ." In Genesis 11:7, God said, ". . . .let us go down, and there confound their language. . ." The terms "us" and "our" obviously refer to the Holy Trinity. So the Trinity is found in the very early chapters of the Bible.

In the New Testament, we can see all three Members of the Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus in Matthew chapter three. God the Father is speaking from Heaven. God the Son is being baptized, and God the Holy Ghost is descending like a dove. When Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, He said in verse 19, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 1 John 5:7 tells us that there are THREE that bear record in Heaven: ". . . the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." (The "Word" is Christ according to John 1:1-3, 14, and 1 John 1:1-3.)

God is a Trinity. He isn't three Gods, like the JW's accuse us of believing, but He is ONE Triune God. The pagans who worshipped three gods did so because they knew from observing the creation that God must be in some way associated with the number "THREE." They never fully understood the Holy Trinity, but you must admit that they came much closer than the JW's.

As a man is a soul, a body, and a spirit, God the Father is the Soul of the Trinity, God the Son is the Body, and God the Holy Ghost is the Spirit.

According to Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:20, God's creation actually declares the Trinity doctrine. One can see PROOF of the Trinity everywhere in the universe. The universe consists of three parts: Time, Space, and Matter. Time consists of three parts: Past, Present, and Future. Space consists of three parts: Length, Width, and Height. Matter consists of three parts: Energy, Motion, and Phenomena. There are three heavens in 2 Cor. 12:2, and on earth there are three forms of life: Man, Plant, and Animal. These forms of life are found in three places: Land, Sea, and Air. God is continually showing us through His creation that He is a Trinity.

A perfect example of this is the sun. The sun has three kinds of rays: chemical rays, light rays, and heat rays. Chemical rays cannot be seen or felt, but they can be very powerful. When one receives a sunburn, it is from the sun's chemical rays. This is a type of God the Father. Light rays are sometimes visible to the human eye. This is a type of Jesus Christ, the "light of the world" (John 8:12) and the "Sun of righteousness" (Mal.4:2). Heat rays are a type of the Holy Ghost for they bring comfort to us by warming our bodies, just as the Holy Ghost, the Comforter (John 16:7), brings comfort to us.

So one can clearly see that God's word and God's creation both testify to the fact that He is a Trinity. However, some people aren't getting the message. The book, "Let God Be True", (Watchtower Bible & Tract Soc., 1952) says the following on page 92:

"The trinity doctrine was not conceived by Jesus or the early Christians."

Then on page 93, this book says:

"...the plain truth is that this is another of Satan's attempts to keep the God-fearing person from learning the truth of Jehovah and His Son Jesus Christ."

On page 102 of the 1946 edition of "Let God Be True," the JW's make a very blasphemous statement concerning the Holy Trinity: "...Sincere persons who want to know the true God and serve Him find it a bit difficult to love and worship a complicated, freakish looking, three-headed God."

Such a remark is entirely uncalled for and is a blank misrepresentation of what Christians really believe about the Trinity. The JW's cannot UNDERSTAND the Trinity, so they CONDEMN the Trinity. They fail to realize that it is not our job to tell God WHAT HE IS or to even FULLY UNDERSTAND how He can exist. Our responsibility is to BELIEVE WHAT HE SAYS, AS HE SAYS IT, WHERE HE SAYS IT, WITHOUT CHANGING A SINGLE WORD! The Scriptures already presented in this study clearly show that God is a Trinity. Your responsibility is NOT to attempt reasoning out the eternal decrees of God in your small finite mind. Your responsibility is to BELIEVE WHAT GOD SAYS. Now either you DO, or you DON'T. The JW's DON'T.

The JW's believe that Jehovah is God the Father, and that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are not God. They're wrong. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are both Deity.

Jesus Christ Is Deity

As the Second Member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ stands co-existent in Eternity with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. There are many proofs in the scriptures for the Deity of Christ. We shall now list several of them.

(1) In Zechariah 12:10, Jehovah speaks of the future return of Christ and says, ". . . They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourne for him, as one mourneth for his only son . . . ." This is spoken again in Revelation 1:7, which is clearly a reference to Christ Himself, but in Zechariah 12:10 GOD said, ". . . They shall look upon me whom they have pierced . . . ." The One that they pierced was Jesus Christ! So, in Zechariah 12:10, God is saying that He is Jesus Christ.

(2) In John 1:1, John 1:14, 1 John 1:1, and in 1 John 5:7, Jesus is called "the Word," and John 1:1 says that "the Word was God."

(3) Thomas referred to Jesus as "My Lord and my God" in John 20:28, and Jesus did not see the need to correct him.

(4) Isaiah 7:14 gives us the prophecy of the Virgin Birth of Christ and states that His name would be "Immanuel." Matthew 1:23 tells us that this word means "God with us."

(5) In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called "Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." The Bible certainly would not say this about anyone less than God.

(6) In John 10:30, Jesus says, "I and my Father are one." Jesus is not a lesser god; He is ONE with the Father.

(7) Micah 5:2 tells us that Jesus is "from everlasting."

(8) In John 8:58, Jesus tells the Pharisees, "Before Abraham was, I am." He claimed to be the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14, which is God Almighty.

(9) Jesus allowed others to worship Him (John 9:38; Matt. 14:33; and Luke 24:52), which was forbidden, unless He was God (Rev. 22:9).

(10) Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:5), which only God can do (Mark 2:7).

(11) The Lord Jesus Christ is omnipresent (Matt. 18:20; 28:20; II Cor. 13:14; I John 5:7). We know He is God because He is capable of being everywhere at once.

(12) Jesus is omniscient (Mark 11:2-6; Matt. 12:40). He is God because He knows all things.

(13) The Lord Jesus is also omnipotent (Rev. 19:6; Matt. 28:18). He has all power.

(14) According to John 1, 1 John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1, Jesus Christ is the Creator of Genesis 1!

(15) Jesus never sinned! Romans 3:23 says that ALL HAVE SINNED and come short of the glory of God, but Jesus did not sin (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). So Jesus had to be God.

Now, if you've taken time to check these references, then the Holy Spirit has attempted to show you one great truth: The LORD JESUS CHRIST IS GOD. That much is clear to any honest Bible student. The Jehovah's Witnesses are not honest Bible students. One only has to pick up a copy of their "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures" to see how dishonest and unfaithful they are with God's word. We shall list a few examples of how the New World Translation ATTACKS the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ:

(1) It changes Zechariah 12:10 to read, ". . . they will certainly look to the one whom they pierced. . . ."

(2) John 1:1 in the N.W.T. says that "the Word was a god," instead of "the Word was God." The definite article "the" is replaced with "a," and the capital "G" is replaced with a lower case "g." The last half of 1 John 5:7 is omitted in the N.W.T., because it says that the Father, the Word (which is Christ in John 1:14), and the Holy Ghost "are one."

(3) The Virgin Birth is attacked in Isaiah 7:14 of the N.W.T. by translating "maiden," instead of "virgin," even though Matthew 1:23 TOLD THEM that it should read "virgin!" The JW's will attack anyone or anything associated with the Lord Jesus Christ.

(4) They change "from everlasting" in Micah 5:2 to read, "time indefinite," which is not the same at all.

(5) John 8:58 is where Christ said, "Before Abraham was, I am." This matches God's statement to Moses in Exodus 3:14, meaning that Christ is God. However, the N.W.T. says, "Before Abraham came into existence, I have been." This destroys the valuable cross reference to Exodus 3:14. The JW's believe that Jesus was "a god" before the time of Abraham, but that He was NOT the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14.

(6) In John 9:38, Matthew 14:33, and Luke 24:52, the JW's have replaced the word "worshipped" with the words "did obeisance," which is not the same (See Gen. 37:7, 43:28; Exodus 18:7; 2 Sam. 1:2; 2 Chr. 24:17).

The matter is clear: the JW's will attack the Lord Jesus Christ every time they have a chance. Their "bible" proves it. Their WRITINGS also prove it. Here are a few blasphemous remarks made by the JW's over the years concerning the Lord Jesus Christ:

". . . he was the first and direct creation of Jehovah God" (The Kingdom is at Hand, p. 46, 47, 49).

"If Jesus were God, then during Jesus' death, God was dead in the grave" (Let God Be True, p. 91).

". . . the true Scriptures speak of God's Son, the Word, as 'a god'." He is a "mighty god," but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah" (The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 47).

"The very fact that he was sent proves he was not equal with God, but was less than God his father" (The Word: Who is He, p. 41).

This is how a cult deals with the written word of God. HUMAN REASONING is the final authority of all cults. Rather than to take God at His word BY FAITH, a cultist will always REJECT God's word and attempt to reason things out for himself. All cults will ADD TO, SUBTRACT FROM, OR IGNORE the written revelation of God.

For those of us who BELIEVE the scriptures, we are now well aware of the fact that Jesus Christ is God. Those who believe otherwise will have to CHANGE or IGNORE the Bible, because the Bible testifies of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (John 5:39).

JEHOVAH WITNESSES AND THE ILLUMINATI LINK.

The following information is excerpts from reliable sources throughout the web. Most of these articles quote from the Watchtowers own printed material, which at one time the Watchtower ordered to be turned in by its members. To fully understand these excerpts one must read the material from which they came. It has been proven that The Watchtower Society has been involved in Enochian magick since its founding by Charles Taze Russell. Russell himself has been linked to a Satanic bloodline and was operating with key figures whose agenda has been a New World order. We all know how important the bloodline was to Christ through David. So is the bloodline to Satan to bring about the Anti-Christ New World Order. Russell was part of this bloodline.

To bring about a new world order one would need to infiltrate all matters of government, religion, school systems, police enforcement, etc., etc. You would then need a strong-arm force such as the United Nations to enforce this agenda worldwide.

"No one will enter the New World Order unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a LUCIFERIAN Initiation." (David Spangler, Director of Planetary Initiative, United Nations)

Our history is not what we have been taught. Our true history has been hidden by these key figures of power, the Satanic Elite. Satan's right hand men. Rewriting U.S. History Even the late American Professor Revilo P. Oliver, a confirmed atheist, was forced to conclude: "The question of precisely what fires the will of the wealthy supranational elites seeking to manipulate and control world events, has not escaped the attention of serious students of conspiracies and cover-ups. A theory that a conspiracy has been working consciously for many centuries is not very plausible unless one attributes to them a religious unity. That is tantamount to regarding them as Satanists engaged in the worship and service of supernatural evil. The directors of the conspiracy must see or otherwise directly perceive manifestations, which convince them of the existence and power of Lucifer. And since subtle conspirators must be very shrewd men, not likely to be deceived by auto-suggestion, hypnosis, or drugs, we should have to conclude that they probably are in contact with a force of pure evil." Prof. Revilo P. Oliver, (Conspiracy or Degeneracy? USA)

Now we come to Russell's part. Russell was a freemason. It has been recorded in his own material, his admittance to being a Freemason." I am very glad to have this particular opportunity of saying a word about some of the things in which we agree with our Masonic friends, because we are speaking in a building dedicated to Masonry, and we also are Masons. I am a Freemason." Charles Taze Russell. (The Temple of God-Pastor Russell page 120)

The Rothschild's had long had a plan to create a personal fiefdom for themselves and the Illuminati in Palestine and that plan involved manipulating Jewish people to settle the area as their "homeland." Charles Taze Russell, of the Illuminati-reptilian Russell bloodline, was the man who founded the Watchtower Society, better known as the Jehovah's Witnesses. He was a Satanist, a pedophile according to his wife, and most certainly Illuminati. His new "religion (mind-control cult) was funded by the Rothschild's and he was a friend of theirs, just like the founders of the Mormons who were also Rothschild-funded through Kuhn, Loeb, and Co. Russell and the Mormon founders were all Freemasons. In 1880, Charles Taze Russell, this friend of the Rothschild's, predicted that the Jews would return to their homeland. It was about the only prediction Russell ever got right. Why? Because he knew that was the plan. He wrote to the Rothschild's praising their efforts to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

And as the popular saying goes; A fruit cannot fall far from its tree, so also the organisation he formed cannot disassociate themselves from his illuminati link. In subsequent posts i will be writing about JW's(jehovah's witness) doctrine in contrast with what the bible really teaches.

SCIENTISTS WARN OF ICE AGE

Perhaps it is no coincidence that Russian scientists warn of an impending ice age.
In Germany, a month is drawing to a close which people will not forget that quickly. At least in the north and east of the country, it could be the coldest and especially the snowiest March since the beginning of the detailed records began about 100 years ago. In the Brandenburg village Coschen, the thermometer dropped to minus 19 degrees in the night to Sunday – it was the coldest place in Germany. Even though it was milder in the south, the first three weeks of March were still about three and a half degrees colder than the long-term average of this month, and the few days until its end will not change anything essential, especially since the meteorologists do not expect much higher temperatures until Easter.

In calculating the total meteorological winter (December to February), the measurements from March are not even taken into account, but the three winter months taken together were about half a degree colder than “normal.” And dark anyway.

Ornithologists have reported that migratory birds coming from the south have turned back. Others, equipped with sharper senses, remained longer than usual in the Mediterranean. The flowering of plants is delayed, and the crocus, which formed in the parks during the few mild days earlier this month, disappeared for weeks under 20 cm thick snow cover. The construction industry and other industries fear delays, losses and other cost burdens. The tenant association Hamburg expects that after the winter an increase of 100 Euros will be payable for renters of a 70 square meter apartment in the next heating bill; for public buildings, the taxpayers will be charged accordingly. Several times dozens of flights, such as to and from Frankfurt, had to be cancelled due to heavy snow, highly unusual for March.

Globally, temperature extremes balance each other most of the times, but in recent weeks one has to look very closely in order to identify particularly warm climes in our latitudes. Japan, for example, reports a relatively early onset of spring. On the other hand, the north-eastern United States suffered from snow chaos, in New York, many flights had to be cancelled too in mid-March because of almost half a meter of fresh snow. In the European part of northern Russia is has been particularly cold; rarely has the weather map been as deep dark blue over such large areas.

The blue colour projects far into our regions. Perhaps it is no coincidence, therefore, that Russian scientists warn of an impending ice age. Vladimir Bashkin and Rauf Galiulin have only recently discovered this risk in a study. The two biogeochemists – a discipline which includes the exploration of the Earth’s atmosphere – have drawn up the paper for the Research Institute VNIIGAZ of the Gazprom Group, an address that is surely not entirely free of lobbying interests. Their reasoning, however, is based on findings that the gain more and more ground in the independent science: The activity of the sun has weakened significantly, according to some experts to a degree as during the “Little Ice Age”, several hundred years ago.

However, it is not a variation of the warming sunshine, which would not be sufficient to explain climate changes during past centuries. However, the changes in solar ionizing radiation emissions, the so-called solar wind, could be very influential with regards the long-term development of Earth’s temperatures. These fluctuations are associated with the ups and downs of the number of sunspots. The sunspots can be observed from Earth, they are recorded since at least since their discovery by the German-British astronomer William Herschel in the 18th century. Herschel found a relationship between the number of sunspots and climate impacts, namely the good and bad years in agriculture. His theory of the “hog cycle” was long derided because an explanation was missing – until it was found a few years ago.

Meanwhile, there are other methods to track the variations of the solar wind than by sunspots; by isotopes in drilling cores, sediments, or millennia old ice. And lo and behold: there are clear parallel curves between the changes in solar activity and, a few years or decades later, global temperature – at least insofar as it is possible to retrospectively ascertain temperatures. Taking account of these delays, the ups and downs of temperatures during the 20th century and until the beginning of the 21st century can be explained from sun, whose activity in the second half of the last century was at its highest rate since the medieval climate optimum, which was about one degree warmer than today.

Several institutions, among others the nuclear research center CERN in Geneva and at the state-run National Space Institute of Denmark, are trying to find a physical explanation for this significant relationship. Through a series of tests, researchers were able, to some extent, to form a picture of how the ionizing solar wind affects cloud formation and thus the temperature of the Earth. The delay could be well explained by the buffering effect of the water masses in the oceans. One can only wonder how the work of the scientists, who study these connections, will be taken into account by the fifth “Assessment Report” of the IPCC, which will be published September. So far, it looks as if they will not play any role since the scientists who view man-made carbon dioxide emissions as almost the sole driver of the climate will set the tone.

However, the one-dimensional explanation of CO2 has lately been questioned by other studies, too. For example by a scientifically approved work by two climate researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle (USA), published in the February issue of the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” – one of the world’s most prestigious scientific magazines.  The two researchers came to the following conclusion: “The anthropogenic contribution to global warming in the second half of the 20th century has been probably been overestimated by a factor of two”, i.e. only half as large as expected. According to their study, the currents and pressure conditions in the oceans have been fundamentally underestimated.

A study by researchers at the University of Oslo comes to a similar conclusion and will be published in the next few weeks. According to the study, even a doubling of CO2 by 2050, which hardly anyone expects, will not have the dramatic effects which the IPCC predicts. According to the study, the influence of natural factors, such as clouds and volcanic eruptions, is much stronger than previously thought.

So far studies with similar conclusions, though published in peer reviewed scientific journals, are mostly ignored by the media. But they are published more frequently in science journals lately. The current extreme weather does only support them to a limited degree; weather is fickle. However, this is also correct for any contrary weather conditions. In any case, from the perspective of this winter it can be said with certainty: summer is approaching. Also predictable is the next very, very hot one. The only question remaining is this: Just when will it happen?

The japanese water therapy

It is popular in Japan to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value.  Apparently, for old and serious diseases, as well as modern illnesses, the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases: Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhoea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT:

1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 640 ml (21.6 oz) of water;

- The water must not contain fluoride;

- There is another version of this therapy on Yahoo! News, but they recommend drinking in the morning 1.5 liters (50.7 oz) of water. In my opinion this is a deception, because drinking too much water is dangerous to your health: "The opposite of dehydration is a condition known as hyponatremia (...) which means "low sodium" and is sometimes referred to as water intoxication.

Drinking too much water in too short a time overwhelms the kidneys and can cause a sudden drop in blood sodium levels. Sodium is one of the body's electrolytes (the others are potassium, chloride and bicarbonate). A drop in sodium leads to water entering the brain, causing it to swell. Results include lethargy, disorientation, confusion, seizures, coma and death."

"Rapid intake of too much water floods the inside of cells when sodium is depleted. This sodium depletion, called hyponatremia, can rupture the cells, either from extra pressure on the cells from without, or from pressure within flooded cells.

Generally speaking, we hit the danger zone when we take in more water than what our kidneys can process in a hour. And for someone with extremely healthy kidneys that is about 30 oz. of water in a hour (please don’t drink that much!). Drinking too much water in rapid succession can prove fatal and should definitely be avoided."

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute;

3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal;

4. After breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours;

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day;

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life;

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/ reduce main diseases:

 
1. High Blood Pressure - 30 days

 
2. Gastric - 10 days

 
3. Diabetes - 30 days

 
4. Constipation - 10 days

 
5. Cancer - 180 days

 
6. TB - 90 days

 
7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards - daily.

 
This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times. It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life.