Where Should We Go?

Where Should We Go?

I should like to ask this right away: In the place we go to, what and whom will we seek? After reading these writings, this question “where should we go” is one many people will ask. Many a person supposes he cannot be saved without belonging to a religion or to some place. Whoever takes one of the holy books in hand and begins to read and research, naturally a desire to worship comes from within him too. For example, if someone Christian by birth is reading the Gospel, it is generally normal for him to want to go to church; likewise, for someone Muslim by birth reading the Quran, to want to go to the mosque. Moreover, the human being is one who wants to share. On that matter too, what could be more natural than wanting to share the faith he holds? And can a person educate himself all alone? There are surely exceptions. The general thought, however, is the thought of belonging somewhere. Now, whenever a person has begun to seek God sincerely, with all his heart, that is when the problems begin too. For that feeling of belonging somewhere within a person can later bring coldness toward God, toward religions and spiritual values — even a feeling of hatred. Or that initial sincerity, candor, love departs, and its place is taken by hypocrisy, the cowardice of fearing to lose something, and entirely different values far from God. Unfortunately it is so. The religions, sects and orders that say “you can find God here with us,” instead of bringing one nearer to God, on the contrary possess features that drive one away from God. Those who know and accept that it is so and, without making a sound, continue on that road are so very many. Without dwelling on the reasons for this, in order to please God, let us research the question “Where should we go?” directly from God's own words.

When the great majority of his disciples abandoned Jesus because of words that caused them to stumble, and Jesus asked the 12 apostles who remained, “Do you too wish to go away?”, Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” He continues while asking, and at once gives the answer himself again: “You have the words of everlasting life. We believe and we know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69.

The apostles of that time emphasize a truth with these words. The society they lived in, the sons of Israel, were the seed of Abraham and the very nation God had chosen. The office of priesthood representing God on earth belonged to these alone. Even though God had chosen them as a nation and given them the office of priesthood, by saying “to whom shall we go” they in fact emphasized that in none of all this is there salvation. For these men did not see the rank of priesthood and the chosenness they had received from God as a nation as an automatic salvation. This plainly meant, in the eyes of the apostles of that time, that there was no other place that could take them to everlasting life and, most importantly, to God. Again, according to them, neither the great temple in Jerusalem, nor the countless synagogues in every village and city, nor the temples, nor the Jewish religious scholars and the various sects possessed these words that lead to everlasting life. Why did these apostles count none of all this for anything? Was the person they followed, that is, Jesus the Messiah, very splendid? “No,” writes Isaiah in chapter 53 of his book. They sought one single thing: the will of the true, real God and His words. And it is certain they could not find this in the places we counted.

Now, in our time, is the situation different? In reality only technical matters have changed; in spiritual matters humanity has always loved, and has loved, to remain blind. It has fallen into step with that blind order. Let us see what those apostles of that time were doing until Jesus came. Were they very devout, drilling endlessly day and night in temples and shrines? No. Some were fishermen, tax collectors, people who worked the land, ordinary people. But it was certain that within all of them there was a great love toward God. This was sometimes a potential of love that even they themselves did not notice. Yes, it is not hard for us to understand that such people were seeking something. They had come to hate hypocrisy, fraud, those who in God's name oppressed, devoured, exploited people and, when they saw it necessary, destroyed them with violence. They were people who possessed features in keeping with all the verses in the 11th chapter of the Gospel's book of Hebrews. Those verses emphasize that these people were seeking a homeland. For this reason they were strangers, guests, prisoners in this world; indeed wanderers in the mountains and caves. The world was not worthy of them. (Please open and read these verses in the 11th chapter of the Gospel's book of Hebrews.)

First it is necessary to state one thing clearly. A person who reads all the holy books must also become aware of this:

No place can be designated as the house of God. While Jesus was speaking with a widow he said: the place where God ought to be worshiped would be neither in Jerusalem nor in any other place. He pointed out “that those who truly worship must worship God in spirit and in truth, and that God seeks those who worship Him thus,” and named no particular place. (John 4:21-24)

With the inspiration he received from God on this subject, the apostle Paul too voiced interesting truths. In 2 Corinthians chapter 6:16: “…we are the temple of the living God; even as God has said, ‘I will dwell among them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’” In what is written here God does not say, you must absolutely be here, stand in this place, belong here or there in order to serve me. But on the contrary, God commands us to come out of all those places and says exactly this: “Come out from among them and be separate. Touch nothing unclean, and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17), indeed He gives a guarantee. So then God wants us, with our living, our works, our heart's attitude, the things that pass through our minds, to be like a house acceptable to Him. That is, we ourselves, personally, must possess the features of the house God seeks. Rather than being organized with stone walls, buildings, structures, organizations, God pays attention and gives importance to us personally, one by one. I want without fail to emphasize this too: God is not a God opposed to unity. But He is by no means a God in need of unity. Everything that is according to His will is acceptable to Him. But these religions, under the name of “unity,” which with their every kind of work and teaching are opposed to God — even if they think “without us nothing can be” — with my writings I will try to emphasize that they have fallen into a terrible error. Before them, their brothers the Israelites also thought this way! We read in the Holy Scripture and in the Quran the reactions they received from God and their consequences. Those of our own time too will not be reckoned worthy of any other recompense.

And yet, all humanity, and we, are terrified of leaving the religion we received at birth. We panic and cannot even think of such a thing. Even if we go neither to mosque, nor to church, nor to meetings or other places of worship, even if we never gather with them, we cannot easily say “we do not belong to you.” Smoke hashish, take heroin, traffic in women, sell yourself whether as a man or a woman; look, all these are seen as harmless. It is not so dangerous. “Oh dear, oh dear,” they say, and ostensibly try to help. They offer consolation and show understanding. But the moment you begin to seek the real God — not the God of the fairy tales they tell, but from God's own words — you notice that these consolers, these understanding ones, at once vanish from around you. The moment you begin to cling to a knowledge that is according to the wish of our Creator and not according to your own head — that is when their real hatred too comes to the surface. They advance upon you with threats, they spit in your face, they proclaim everywhere: “This so-and-so is no longer our brother.” They do not tell those who hear the reason. Who knows, perhaps it might spread! And what if they too catch the same disease! What do these religionists, who want to spread their eaves still wider, do then! Let those who hear now also think about that person, “who knows what nonsense he got up to.” “What crookedness did he do? Did he perhaps steal, or is he committing adultery? Was he a murderer and we never knew? Whom has he swindled? Perhaps he is a sexual pervert, or has become an atheist, an enemy of religion and God! And yet how decent he seemed, I truly never expected it.” Once they have begun to think this way about that person, those sheep of theirs, those shepherds, sleep soundly again!

What has the person about whom they wish such things to be thought actually done? For instance, it may be that he said to the Muslims: “Why should we be circumcised? Even if people are circumcised, we have no right to do this in God's name. For nowhere in the Quran does it write that God asked such a thing of us.” And they at once: “Whaaat, who are you to meddle with us and with our willies! Throw this heretic, this infidel, out, strike him, destroy him — and it is even a meritorious deed!”

Christianity is even nicer:

One among them tells the truth and says: “In the Gospel there is no such thing as a God in three, nor did Jesus say celebrate my birthday, and on that day he was not even born at all. To commemorate his death, he never said hand out rabbits and eggs. (These are the practices of Christians in general.) And God always sees the future; God's seeing the future cannot be likened to a television or radio channel… (this is the belief of the Jehovah's Witnesses) — so, while I am praying, has God now switched to another channel? How am I to know this? These teachings of yours are only nonsense, nothing else. These are merely idols you have invented out of your own hearts. This that you describe is not the real God.”

“Whaaat, are you the one giving us advice now! Excommunicate him at once, cut off relations with him, let no one speak with him, do not dare to greet him.” These are the precautions taken by those whose nails are not yet long. As for those whose nails are long: “Strike him in a corner, destroy him, flog him, lop off his head, cast him out of society. Hang the Holy Scripture in his hand around his neck and burn him alive,” they say. Human history has lived through all of these and is still living through them. What I relate is not a fairy tale, an exaggeration, a joke or the like.

Those who spoke that truth have met with such a response. And is it not in fact very good that it is so? Should there not be a difference? Should we be happy about these things? In a sense, yes — and how very much. For God said beforehand that these things would be so. In John chapter 16:2-3:

“They will expel you from the synagogues; yes, an hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is rendering service to God. They will do these things because they have known neither the Father nor me,” says Jesus the Messiah.

In reality, should there not be one single God and one single religion? In response to this question, it is as if a host of voices comes to my ear. All the religions are shouting, all together with one mouth: “yeeees!” Of course, all of them again say the same thing to one another: “All of you, withdraw from the stage so that only we may perform!” On this matter there is, in the Quran, a short but crystal-clear truth. Verses 92 and 93 of the surah Al-Anbiya (21) say exactly this:

Truly your religion is one single religion; and I am your God, so serve only Me. But they broke up their unity and parted…

What a logical, short and concise thought. The truth behind it, however, is the thousands of divided religions we all know — their nails grown long, their horns swollen, looking for someone to butt. The undersides of their nails are full of human flesh and blood. On their horns are the traces of the people they have wounded, killed, scattered over the earth. Again the Quran continues and sheds light on this subject, and in surah Ash-Shura (42) verse 13 says:

He (God) has made for you, as the path to be followed in religion, that which He enjoined upon Noah, that which We have revealed to you, and that which We told Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Hold fast to religion, and do not fall into division in it… (Osman Nebioğlu translation)

Which Muslim religion or sect applies and accepts this truth? These books which the verse mentions — Abraham, Moses, Jesus — have been gathered together under the name of the Holy Scripture. Which Muslim takes and reads these books? And if he does read them, does the religion he holds approve of it? For according to them these books are the books of the infidels. Again according to this verse, what they in fact deny is the very Quran in their hands. Let them not suppose that Moses or Jesus will prove them guilty. In fact it is Muhammad, in whom they trust, who will prove them guilty. As Jesus said to the Jews (John 5:45-47):

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, since it was about me that he wrote. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?

Will not Muhammad too say these very words above to those who pass as Muslims? We can be sure that he will say it according to the Quran, which confirms and approves the book they push away and call the infidels'.

There are many people scattered over our earth who think and believe as we have written above. God expresses very beautifully, through the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 34, that it is so. Although God appears to have said these words to the religious leaders of the Israel of that time, it is certain He also meant all the religious administrators who suppose they represent God's name. It is clear too that this covers a time extending to the end of the world, that is, of this system. Again, please open the Holy Scripture and, reading those places, weigh for yourselves the truth of what is written. For a large part of these writings I will set down below belongs to the prophet Ezekiel who appears in the Holy Scripture. Through that prophet God says the following:

What the religious administrators do:

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, and say to them, to those shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Is it not the sheep that the shepherds should feed? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fattened ones; but you do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak, nor healed the sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back the strayed, nor sought the lost; but with force and with harshness you have ruled over them. And they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field, and were scattered. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; and my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to ask after them and none to seek them. Ezekiel 34:1-6

God's judgment upon the religious leaders:

Therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, surely because my sheep were plundered for lack of a shepherd, and my sheep became food for all the beasts of the field, and my shepherds did not seek my sheep, and the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my sheep; therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will seek my sheep from their hand, and I will put an end to their feeding the sheep; and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them. Ezekiel 34:7-10

The hope God gives to “those who belong to no place”:

For thus says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself will inquire after my sheep and search them out. As a shepherd searches out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I search out my sheep, and I will deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture… Ezekiel 34:11-14

God will also judge those lost ones with love and justice:

I myself will feed my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, says the Lord Jehovah. I will seek the lost, and bring back the strayed, and bind up the broken; I will strengthen the sick, but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them with justice. Ezekiel 34:15-16

Speaking of corrupt, distorted teachings, God says:

Is it too little for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must trample the rest with your feet? And is it too little for you to drink the clear waters, that you must muddy the rest with your feet? And my sheep then eat what has been trampled by your feet, and drink what has been muddied by your feet. Ezekiel 34:18-19

Who are these sheep of which God speaks?

And you, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, you are men, and I am your God, says the Lord Jehovah. Ezekiel 34:31

So then, where should we go?

All these verses clearly show us that belonging to a certain religion, sect, or any organization will not save us. As for those who expect help and salvation from those organizations, we have read what God had written through the prophet Ezekiel. We have clearly seen how God expresses their true faces. Can help to a person come from these? On the contrary, they can be death for us. But from where will we draw encouragement? Who will support us? In a distress of ours, who will run to our help? And where will we spend the times of our empty days? Let us answer all these questions with God's word.

According to what God had written about those religious leaders, while our earth is in this state with all these devout ones' works, shall we seek encouragement from these? Let us not forget that Jesus said: “Leave them; they are blind guides of the blind, and if a blind man guides a blind man, both fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:14)

We also read in Ezekiel 34:11 that God said: “…I myself will inquire after my sheep and search them out.” God supports Joshua, who came in Moses' place, with these words: This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may take care to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way open, and then you will be successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and be of good courage; do not fear and do not be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. With these words in Joshua 1:8-9, has God not given us, humanity, a sufficient assurance?

And in a distress of ours, God too will help, again in accordance with His own will. Only, no one can force God to do something. But the things He does are His gift to us. Let us also not forget that, just because we have read two pages of the holy books, our prayers — opening our hands for the calamity of someone we are angry with — will go unanswered. But in 2 Chronicles 16:9 of the Holy Scripture it says: “For the eyes of the LORD range over all the earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose heart is whole toward Him.” God did not create us human beings with a purpose of leaving us ownerless on the earth, as some claim. He created the human being with an interest that would know him at every moment, down to the number of the hairs of his head. (Matthew 10:30)

To have fun, to laugh — these are pleasant things. In some religious groups, holding picnics, organizing outings, going on visits may also seem pleasant. Rather than taking pleasure in these with an utterly empty head and heart, let us look to acquiring the knowledge of God, which perhaps we have never, or very little, done until now. “Buy up the opportunity,” says God, for the time is evil. This opportunity will not always fall into our hands, be sure of this. So, as much as you can, look to being filled with the knowledge of God that contains the truths. For our pleasures we already do more than enough. Jesus, before being taken up into heaven, gave a very important command:

“…Go you and make disciples of all the nations… teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you to the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19-20. This command wants all of us to be teachers. Yes, learn so that you may teach. And do not do this, like some religions, by going door to door to fill hours and write reports. Do it in a way pleasing to God, with love. As Jesus said, search out those who are worthy. (Matthew 10:11; Luke 10:3,16) To those who ask who you are, say “that you have no label, and that you do this thing not only because God commanded it, but out of love for people and because it is right.” And do not go out to collect help from anyone; on the contrary, if you can, you give help.

The truth lies scattered over the earth. Let your work be to gather and collect them together. Listen to everyone, but do not believe every spirit. As John said, test the teachings as to whether they are from God. (1 John 4:1) And do not forget that to test, you need a full knowledge. Whatever has befallen us came from those spitting hodjas, priests, and from ignorance. Let us not be like them. Let us always have a spirit able to give something to others. Let us not, like some and like the world, always expect from others. Let us develop in ourselves a spirit in keeping with Jesus' saying: “To give is better than to receive.”

If the knowledge and understanding of history I possess is correct — and I may also be mistaken — in September or October of the year 2005 Jesus may become king in the heavens in a way we cannot see with the eye. I will write about this subject later, touching on its reasons. On the internet, in the links, I have already published this subject and the chronological proof. If I am not mistaken about the dates — and I do see that I am mistaken — but a certain time after the fulfillment of the prophecies mentioned, all religions will be removed from the earth. God speaks of its being so in the book of Daniel chapter 11:28-40 and in the book of Revelation chapters 16 and 17. (The harlot or Babylon mentioned there is the religions.) Besides these, in many other prophecies too God clearly shows that it will be so.

Finally, let us encourage and console ourselves with the words of those verses that Paul wrote to the Colossians in the Gospel, of which I have spoken again and again:

…not like those who please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord, obey. Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, whatever you do, work at it from the soul, as for the Lord and not for men; …For he who does wrong will receive back the wrong he has done; and there is no partiality. Colossians 3:22-25

For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, nor is it far from you. It is not in the heavens, that you should say: Who will go up to the heavens for us and bring it to us and make us hear it, that we may do it? Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say: Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and bring it to us and make us hear it, that we may do it? But the word is very near you, that you may do it; it is in your mouth and in your heart. Torah; Deuteronomy (the Repetition of the Law) 30:11-14