the kingdom is a real government , page-3

i watched a movie on jim jones and at the end of the reenactment there was photos off all the folk that died
they lood like very nice people
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Sarcophagus,
There is a sharp contrast to be drawn here. Without doubt the most shocking news to make the newspaper headlines in 1978 was the horrible tragedy in Jonestown, Guyana. It was likened to the 960 Jewish zealots at Masada who preferred death to surrendering and being in slavery to the Romans; also, to the 1,000 Japanese civilians who hurled themselves from a cliff in Saipan as the American troops took the island. The Guyana tragedy was featured day after day in newspapers world wide. First, the death toll was 400, then 500, then as high as 780 and next: “GUYANA TOLL IS RAISED TO AT LEAST 900 BY U.S., WITH 260 CHILDREN AMONG VICTIMS AT COLONY.” (New York Times, November 26, 1978) Finally, the number rose to 913.
This tragedy is directly related to the question “Is your trust in God or in a man?”

Note Jesus’ words: “You must not call anyone here on earth ‘Father,’ because you have only the one Father in heaven. Nor should you be called ‘Leader,’ because your one and only leader is the Messiah.”—Matt. 23:9, 10, TEV.
What a striking, terrible example of what can happen when people, instead of putting their trust in God and following his appointed Leader Jesus Christ, put their trust in a human leader, an unprincipled demagogue! How the following contrasts illustrate the folly of doing so!
Jesus Christ and his message were life-oriented: “I have come that they might have life and might have it in abundance,” yes, “everlasting life.” (John 10:10; 3:16) “Reverend” Jones, however, was death-oriented. He “had formed a suicide pact with each member of the sect,” we are told. Also, he hailed “the dignity of death, the beauty of dying.” In fact, he repeatedly rehearsed a ritual wherein his followers were to show their loyalty by drinking a poisoned potion, though in the rehearsals it was not such. However, for the tragic last time, it was.


We further read that Jesus loved children. While his disciples felt that Jesus should not be troubled with children, he thought otherwise, for we read that God’s Son said: “Let the young children come to me; do not try to stop them.” Then Jesus “took the children into his arms and began blessing them, laying his hands upon them.” (Mark 10:13-16) On the other hand, Jones punished children by putting them into a darkened room and by having electrodes fastened to them by which they received electric shocks. Or he would have them lowered into a well of water and that repeatedly, if they did not scream loud enough. At the tragic end, some 200 children were forced to drink the poisoned liquid, or had it squirted down their throats with hypodermics.
Jesus preached peace and nonviolence, warning that “all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matt. 26:52) However, “Reverend” Jones had henchmen who not only resorted to violence but killed a United States congressman and three newspapermen whom he feared would take back damaging reports regarding his commune. More than that, when calling all his people together for suicide, he had armed henchmen threaten those who were reluctant to drink the poisoned potion.
Jesus Christ brought freedom and relief from burdens. Well could he say: “Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and become my disciples, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls. For my yoke is kindly and my load is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30) Also, “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31, 32) In Guyana, Jones made his Jonestown a concentration camp, holding all his people prisoner by taking away their passports. He had them slaving from early to late in the hot tropical sun. Their food gradually deteriorated to where they were getting only rice and gravy three times a day. “This is hell,” exclaimed one of the sect who wanted to flee.
Of Jesus, we are told: “Though he was rich he became poor for your sakes, that you might become rich through his poverty.” (2 Cor. 8:9) But Jones was so money hungry that he begged, cajoled and forced his followers to turn over their wealth, even their social-security checks, so that at his death he was worth anywhere from 10 to 15 million dollars.
Christ Jesus the perfect Son of God was sinless. Well could he ask his opposers: “Who of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46) He was “loyal, guileless, undefiled.” (Heb. 7:26) “He committed no sin.” (1 Pet. 2:22) It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast to Jesus than this clergyman Jones. According to reports, Jones “required every woman who was close to him to have sex with him regularly,” and he had a mistress as well as a wife. Not content with that it is also reported that he had a number of male lovers.
Jesus Christ accepted the Bible as God’s Word, quoted it as his authority and said of it: “Your word is truth.” (Matt. 19:4-6; John 17:17) Jones, far from accepting the Bible, used his sermons to rant against the Bible. Once he even threw a copy of the Bible on the floor, complaining: “Too many people are looking at this instead of me.”
Many more contrasts could be made between the Leader sent by God and the man Jones, the human self-styled messiah, but one more should suffice. At no time did Jesus Christ claim to be the “Alpha and the Omega,” God the Creator of the universe. His claim solely was: “I am God’s Son.” (John 10:36; Rev. 1:8) What about Jones? As one of his associates told it: “Jim stopped calling himself the reincarnation of Jesus and started calling himself God. He said he was the actual God who made the heavens and earth.” Also, at his Guyana commune he would keep shouting out: “I am the Alpha and the Omega!”