Greetings from Russell's Remnant:

Two Christian missionaries came to witness at the meeting place of the TNG recently. They were met by one of Russell's more aggressive chelas. He politely suggested that the Bible carrying apostles would probably be better served if they moved on to another home. They declined to move on. The chela then suggested that he had forgotten more about their scripture than they knew about their own Bible. They still would not move on even after he complimented them for following the Christ's edict to witness in pairs. The witnesses then tried to sell their "churchanity" to the now perturbed chela. Then the chela cranked up his "esoteric pearl casting patter" and began lambasting the young salesmen. He intellectually hit them up side the head with esoteric left hooks and metaphysical jabs. At this moment, another of Russell's more mature chelas heard the brutal licking being dished out at the door by her esoteric brother. She felt so bad for the defenseless young men that she started to come the door and apologize for the way they were being treated and thought she might tell the young men that the "firebrand" they were facing was just released from a mental hospital and would be returning to that institution soon. She decided however, not the intervene. The salesmen turned away in frustration for they could not get a word in edgewise. And this whole ruckus was started by the two young men who asked, "Are you saved brother?"

Are you saved brother? These four words ring out every day throughout the Christian world, and based upon the answer one is judged to be fit or not fit for the kingdom. Accept Jesus as your savior and you will be saved. That's like a man with ten children who sends the first one to college. Upon his return he tells the other nine that they do not have to go because he has done it for them. This is ludicrous both in the example of college and the infinitely more important case of salvation or union with God.

As my internationally known mentor, a retired Episcopal priest who served as the bishop's chaplain in the largest archdiocese in the world, once said - If a Christian walked up to the Christ and asked him if he were saved, he would probably say... I do not know. That is up to my Father. In fact, to worry about your own salvation is the height of selfishness which is the antithesis of what I tried to teach you. I told you to take care of your fellowman. I told you that there is only one commandment - Love the lord thy God with all your soul with all your heart and with all your mind; and love thy neighbor as thyself. This humble priest also told me that "Christianity might work if somebody tried it." What passes for Christianity is, in fact, churchanity based on the creeds and doctrines of men. Dogma that is like cisterns that do not hold water.

When one accepts Jesus as his savior he is probably following John 3:16, but to me the words "that whosoever believeth in him," mean just that. If you believe in Jesus then you must also believe in what he said and that you must do what he said. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. John 13:15 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say. Luke 6:46

As a result of the contradiction between what the Christ said I must do and what the church said I must do, I decided to enlist the directives of Christ just to see what he said about the subject. I concluded that most reasonably intelligent "Christians" would agree that whenever the Christ referred to "becoming my disciple, entering the Kingdom of Heaven, entering the Kingdom of God, having Eternal Life, and having Everlasting Life; he was telling us exactly what we must do. The following are his requirements:

Cost of Discipleship : Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt.10:34-37 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33

Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven : And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt.18:3 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt.19:23

Entrance into the Kingdom of God : And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Matt.19:24 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Luke 11:4 in reference to "Thy kingdom come." Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell all that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. Luke 12:32-33 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Mark 10:15 (Note:"little ones or babes" refers to level of acceptance of Christ's directives as is taught in the wisdom schools or the "hidden mysteries" as the Bible calls them. Other levels are "servant, friend, and master.") And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! Mark 10:23-24 (Note: remember "ye cannot serve God and mammon.") And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:59-62 Therefore take no thought, saying What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt.6:31-33 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5

To Have Eternal Life: And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? Matt.19:16 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Matt.19:18-19 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. Matt.19:21 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospels, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. Mark 10:29-30

To Have Everlasting Life: And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. Matt.19:29

Now for those who also follow closely the teachings of Paul, look at what he said you must do to enter the Kingdom of God. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. I Cor.6:9-10 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. I Cor.15:50 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkeness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal.5:19-21

Now I am sure that these are not all of the edicts for salvation or union with God, but these are sufficient. There will be some who say that I have taken these words of Christ out of context, or that's not what he meant, or that the King James version is not the translation to use, or that the translator made a mistake. These are usually the excuses used by those who are shown that to be saved, one must live like the Christ and do what he said to do. To be Christian about the whole thing, I will let you throw out half of the requirements of the Christ. Under the present conditions of your life, can you qualify to be Christ's disciple, enter the kingdom of heaven, enter the kingdom of God, have eternal life, or have everlasting life? It is a tough task and very few make it in this life. Straight is the way, narrow is the gate, many are called, few are chosen.