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(Cont. from Page 783)
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784. These women preserve alive wickedness in souls not belonging to Jehovah. As Jehovah says: "And I will rip away your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they will no more prove to be in your hand something caught in the hunt". (Ezek 13:21). To those who are trembling at His Word, who observe His commandments, Jehovah says: "Your brothers that are hating you, that are excluding you by reason of My Name, said 'May Jehovah be glorified!' He must also appear with rejoicing on your part, and they are the ones that will be put to shame." (Isaiah 66:5). Members of Christendom are not related to Jehovah's people in the faith. (Gal 6:10). "Your brothers that are hating you" are those who have been baptized and claim to have dedicated their lives to carry out the Will of God, but who then accept the apostate "veil" of "prophetesses" and prove unfaithful to His commandments. They hate true Christians that are faithful and try to coerce them into accepting apostate activities by showing coldness to them, keeping conversations with them as brief as possible, ostracizing them at congregation meetings, and finally, prejudging and scourging them until they are horned and shoved outside. (Ezek 34:20,21 & 15,16). In their relief and success in horning and shoving Jehovah's "lean sheep" to the outside of the flock, these so-called 'brothers', rejoice because the presence of Jehovah's "sheep"-like ones was an increasing embarrassment to their shameful conduct. (Acts 20:29,30). "For this reason, here I am sending forth to you prophets and wise men and public instructors. Some of them you will kill and impale, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city". (Matt 23:34). But what warning did Jesus give to his slaves, concerning these so-called 'brothers'? "While they are promising them freedom, they themselves are existing as slaves of corruption. For whoever is overcome by another is enslaved by this one. Certainly if, after having escaped from the defilements of the world by an accurate knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they get involved again with these very things and are overcome, the final conditions have become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them not to have accurately known the path of righteousness than after knowing it accurately turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. The saying of the true proverb has happened to them: "The dog has returned to its own vomit, and the sow that was bathed to rolling in the mire."" (2 Peter 2:19-22). (2a) What has Jehovah promised to do for His people? (2b) Are members of Christendom "brothers" to Jehovah's people? Why not? (Cont. on Page 785). 20/12/76. |