Helen Highwater

She means bring it on because hopefully it will take us closer to the GT

Monday, February 16 Forgive us our sins.—Luke 11:4. Is it possible for us to regain all that Adam and Eve lost? Not on our own merits. (Ps. 49:7-9) Without help, we would have no hope for a future life or a resurrection. In fact, our death would be just like that of animals. (Eccl. 3:19;2 Pet. 2:12) Our loving Father, Jehovah, has given us a gift that pays for the debt of sin that we have inherited from Adam. Jesus explained it this way: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Additionally, this same gift allows us the possibility of establishing a good relationship with Jehovah. We can benefit from this amazing gift and have our sins, or “debts,” forgiven. w25.02 3 ¶3-6

Sunday, February 15 Praise Jehovah your God.—1 Chron. 29:20. When Jesus was on earth, he glorified his Father by acknowledging Him as the Source of his miracles. (Mark 5:18-20) Jesus also brought glory to Jehovah by the way he spoke about his Father and the way he treated others. On one occasion, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. Among those listening was a woman who had been possessed by a demon for 18 years. The demon had caused her body to be bent double so that she was unable to straighten up. How distressing! Moved by compassion, Jesus approached the woman and addressed her tenderly, saying: “Woman, you are released from your weakness.” He then laid his hands on her, and instantly she stood up straight and “began to glorify God,” her health and dignity fully restored! (Luke 13:10-13) That woman had good reason to give Jehovah glory, and so do we. w25.01 2-3 ¶3-4

Saturday, February 14 Give them something to eat.—Matt. 14:16. Jesus’ request to feed the crowd was a problem because there were about 5,000 men. And including women and children, there may have been 15,000 people to feed. (Matt. 14:21) Andrew spoke up: “Here is a little boy who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are these among so many?” (John 6:9) Barley loaves were commonly eaten by the poor and others, and the small fish may have been salted and dried. Still, the amount that the boy had would not be enough to feed so many—or would it? Wanting to be hospitable to the crowd, Jesus directed the people to recline in groups on the grass. (Mark 6:39, 40; John 6:11-13) We read that Jesus gave thanks to his Father for the bread and the fish. It was entirely fitting to thank God, who in reality was the Source of the food. What a good reminder for us to follow Jesus’ example by praying before a meal. Jesus then had the food distributed, and the people ate and were satisfied. w24.12 2-3 ¶3-4

Friday, February 13 Will not God cause justice to be done for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, while he is patient toward them? I tell you, he will cause justice to be done to them speedily.—Luke 18:7, 8. Jehovah cares deeply about the way we are treated. “Jehovah loves justice.” (Ps. 37:28) Jesus assures us that Jehovah will “cause justice to be done . . . speedily” when the time is right. And soon he will undo all the harm we have suffered and eliminate all forms of injustice. (Ps. 72:1, 2) While we await the time when righteousness will prevail, Jehovah helps us to cope with injustice. (2 Pet. 3:13) He teaches us how to avoid doing something unwise when we are treated unfairly. Through his Son, Jehovah provides us with the perfect example of the way we can deal with injustice. And he gives us practical counsel that we can apply when we are treated unjustly. w24.11 2-3 ¶3-4

Thursday, February 12 When anxieties overwhelmed me, you comforted and soothed me.—Ps. 94:19. What can you do if you have doubts about your worth? Read Bible verses that assure you of your value to Jehovah and meditate on them. If you have failed to reach a goal or are discouraged because you cannot do as much as others, do not judge yourself harshly. Jehovah has reasonable expectations. (Ps. 103:13, 14) If you suffered abuse in the past, do not blame yourself for what the abuser did. You did not deserve such treatment! Remember that Jehovah holds the wrongdoers accountable, not the victims. (1 Pet. 3:12) Never doubt that Jehovah can use you to help others. He has given you the honor of being his fellow worker in the Christian ministry. (1 Cor. 3:9) Your life experiences have likely given you empathy for others and insight into how they may feel. You can do much to help them. w24.10 7-8 ¶6-7

Wednesday, February 11 Each one will carry his own load.—Gal. 6:5. Does a mature Christian ever need help from anyone? Yes. Mature ones may need to ask for help at times. Someone who is immature may expect others to tell him what to do or to make a decision that he himself should make. A mature Christian, on the other hand, will draw on the wisdom and the experience of others while recognizing that Jehovah expects him to “carry his own load.” Just as adults differ in physical appearance, mature Christians differ in spiritual qualities, such as wisdom, courage, generosity, and empathy. Further, when two mature Christians face a similar situation, they might come to different conclusions that are both Scripturally acceptable. That is especially true in matters of conscience. Recognizing this, they avoid judging each other over such differences. Instead, they focus on remaining united.—Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 1:10. w24.04 4 ¶7-8

Tuesday, February 10 Make sure of the more important things.—Phil. 1:10. Most of Jehovah’s people lead very busy lives. We work secularly to provide for ourselves and for our families. (1 Tim. 5:8) Many Christians look after sick or elderly relatives. And all of us need to care for our own health, which takes time. In addition to these responsibilities, we have assignments in the congregation. A key responsibility is to have a zealous share in the preaching work. Bible reading is one of “the more important things” for us as Christians, so we need to make it a priority. In speaking of a happy man, the very first psalm says: “His delight is in the law of Jehovah, and he reads His law in an undertone day and night.” (Ps. 1:1, 2) Clearly, that suggests setting time aside for such reading. When is the best time to read the Bible? The answer may be different for each of us. But put simply, it would be a time when you can do so regularly. w24.09 3 ¶5-6

Monday, February 9 She began taking of its fruit and eating it. Afterward, she also gave some to her husband when he was with her, and he began eating it.—Gen. 3:6. Jehovah had that sad account recorded for our benefit. It helps us to understand why he hates sin so much. Sin separates us from our Father, and it leads to death. (Isa. 59:2) That is why Satan, the rebel spirit who instigated all this trouble, loves sin and seeks to promote it. He might have thought that he won a great victory in Eden. But he did not understand how loving Jehovah is. God never changed his purpose for the descendants of Adam and Eve. He loves the human family, so he immediately offered hope to all. (Rom. 8:20, 21) Jehovah knew that some of those descendants would choose to love him and would seek his help in fighting against sin. And as their Father and Creator, he would give them a way to be set free from sin and draw close to him. w24.08 3 ¶3-4

Sunday, February 8 We mustered up boldness by means of our God.—1 Thess. 2:2. As Jehovah’s people, we wholeheartedly support God’s Kingdom, but we often need courage to do so. (Matt. 6:33) For example, in this wicked world, we need courage to live by Jehovah’s standards and to preach the Kingdom good news. And it often takes courage to remain politically neutral in this increasingly divided system of things. (John 18:36) Many among Jehovah’s people have suffered financial loss, have been physically abused, or have been imprisoned because of refusing to participate in political or military activity. We gain strength and courage when we consider the examples of those who have courageously supported Jehovah’s rulership. Our King, Christ Jesus, firmly resisted pressure to become involved in Satan’s political system of things. (Matt. 4:8-11; John 6:14, 15) He always relied on Jehovah for strength. w24.07 3 ¶4; 4 ¶7

Saturday, February 7 O Jehovah, who may be a guest in your tent?—Ps. 15:1. For some time, God’s friendship was limited to those living in the spirit realm, where he dwells. Later, he extended his tent to include humans on earth. In time, among those favored ones were Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Job. Those true worshippers were described as God’s friends, or ones who walked “with the true God.” (Gen. 5:24;6:9; Job 29:4; Isa. 41:8) Throughout the centuries, Jehovah continued to invite his friends to be his guests. (Ezek. 37:26, 27) For example, from Ezekiel’s prophecy we learn that God truly wants his loyal worshippers to have a warm relationship with him. He promises to make “a covenant of peace with them.” That prophecy points to a time when those who have a heavenly hope and those who have an earthly hope will be united under his figurative tent as “one flock.” (John 10:16) That time is now! w24.062 ¶2, 4; 3 ¶5

Friday, February 6 We should no longer be children.—Eph. 4:14. A Christian who remains immature can easily be misled by “trickery” and “deceptive schemes” and be taken in by conspiracy theorists and apostates. He may be prone to being jealous, creating strife, taking offense, or yielding to temptation. (1 Cor. 3:3) The Scriptures compare the process of growing to spiritual maturity to the process of growing to adulthood. (Eph. 4:15) A child lacks insight and needs supervision. To illustrate, a mother might ask her young daughter to hold her hand while crossing the street. As the girl grows older, the mother might allow her to cross the street on her own but will still remind her to look both ways for traffic. When the child becomes an adult, she avoids such hazards on her own. Likewise, when Christians become mature, they reason on Bible principles to get Jehovah’s thinking on the matter and then follow through accordingly. w24.04 3 ¶5-6

Well he is no longer referred to as ‘Prince’ Andrew and I fully expect him to end up being extradited to the US to face charges of sex trafficking… the stuff coming out today is truly disgusting and I’ve no wish to give any of the men involved air time. It’s a distraction from the peace talks that are going on behind the scenes, but it will blow over like everything else, at the moment though it’s taken over the news completely and I’m sick of hearing about it Lol All Andrew Mountbatten has received so far is a slap on the wrist these men think they are above the law and it makes me feel physically sick, it’s the victims we should be thinking of really

Thursday, February 5 Keep on . . . seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.—Matt. 6:33. Because of changes in economic conditions, some have been tempted to accept work that requires them to move away from their family, but that has often proved to be an unwise decision. Before taking up a new job, consider not only the possible financial advantages but also the spiritual cost. (Luke 14:28) Ask yourself: ‘How might my marriage be affected if I were away from my mate? What impact would this move have on my Christian association and on my ministry?’ If you have children, you also need to ask yourself this important question: ‘How will I raise my children “in the discipline and admonition of Jehovah” if I am not with them?’ (Eph. 6:4) Be guided by God’s thinking, not by that of family or friends who do not respect Scriptural principles. w25.03 29 ¶12

Wednesday, February 4 There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.—Acts 24:15. Consider the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. A righteous man named Lot lived in their midst. But do we know that Lot preached to all of them? No. They were certainly wicked, but did they all know any better? Recall that a crowd of men in that city sought to rape Lot’s guests. The Bible says that the mob ranged “from boy to old man.” (Gen. 19:4; 2 Pet. 2:7) Do we really know that the merciful God, Jehovah, condemned each one to death with no hope of a resurrection? Jehovah assured Abraham that there were not even ten righteous men in that city. (Gen. 18:32) So they were unrighteous, and Jehovah justly held them accountable for their actions. Can we say for certain, then, that none of them will rise in the “resurrection of . . . the unrighteous”? No, we cannot say for sure! w24.05 2 ¶3; 3 ¶8

That’s a great analogy Bea! And I do agree with the speaker, it is close… things have changed so much this past 6 months, the underlying tension in the world just seems…. Different, somehow! You keep doing what you’re doing Bea, you bring comfort to all of us 🥰

Tuesday, February 3 It is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus.—Rom. 3:24. When Jehovah forgives, he does so completely and permanently. This allows us to have a good relationship with our heavenly Father. At the same time, we remember that true forgiveness is a gift. It comes from Jehovah’s love and undeserved kindness, which he expresses to sinful mankind. It is not a right that humans can demand. How grateful each one of us should be that Jehovah is the God of “true forgiveness”! (Ps. 130:4; Rom. 4:8) However, our being forgiven is dependent on something important. Jesus explained: “If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:14, 15) Obviously, then, it is vital for us to imitate Jehovah’s forgiveness. w25.02 13 ¶18-19

Monday, February 2 He will send out the angels and will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from earth’s extremity to heaven’s extremity.—Mark 13:27. While Christ died “once for all time,” he is still making sacrifices for us. (Rom. 6:10) How so? He continues to expend time and effort as he puts the ransom benefits to work in our behalf. Consider what he is busy doing. He serves as our King, High Priest, and head of the congregation. (1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 5:23; Heb. 2:17) He is in charge of the work of gathering the anointed and the great crowd, a task that will be completed before the great tribulation ends. (Matt. 25:32) He also sees to it that his faithful servants are well-fed spiritually during these last days. (Matt. 24:45) And throughout his Millennial Reign, he will continue to serve our interests. Jehovah truly gave his Son for us! w25.01 24 ¶12

Sunday, February 1 It is honorable for a man to refrain from a dispute, but every fool will become embroiled in it.—Prov. 20:3. Brothers who manifest fine Christian qualities are an asset to the congregation. A reasonable man promotes peace. If you want to be known as being reasonable, listen to others and be open to their viewpoints. In a meeting, would you be willing to support the decision of the majority if no Bible law or principle is violated? Do not insist on doing things your way. Appreciate the value of many advisers. (Gen. 13:8, 9; Prov. 15:22) Instead of being harsh or disagreeable, be gentle and tactful. As a peaceable man, take the initiative to make peace, even in tense situations. (Jas. 3:17, 18) Your kind words can soften the attitude of others, including that of opposers.—Judg. 8:1-3;Prov. 25:15; Matt. 5:23, 24. w24.11 23 ¶13

Given where we are in the sands of time then I doubt you will find many who agree with you! Or maybe you could give your reasoning on why you think this way?

Saturday, January 31 Reprove before all onlookers those who practice sin, as a warning to the rest.—1 Tim. 5:20. Sometimes an announcement is made in the congregation that a person has been reproved. In such a case, we can continue to associate with him, knowing that he repented and abandoned his wrong course. He is still a part of the congregation and needs the encouragement that comes from associating with fellow believers. (Heb. 10:24, 25) However, the situation is quite different with a person who has been removed from the congregation. We “stop keeping company” with that person, “not even eating with such a man.” (1 Cor. 5:11) Does that mean we would completely ignore him? Not necessarily. Certainly, we would not socialize with him. But Christians can use their Bible-trained conscience in deciding whether to invite a person who was removed from the congregation—perhaps a relative or someone they were close to previously—to attend a congregation meeting. w24.08 30 ¶13-14

Friday, January 30 [Love] hopes all things, endures all things.—1 Cor. 13:7. Avoid questioning others’ motives. If others do not express appreciation for something we have done, we could ask ourselves: ‘Are they truly unappreciative, or did they simply forget to express appreciation?’ Perhaps there are other reasons why they did not respond as we may have hoped. Some may feel deep gratitude but have difficulty expressing it. They might be embarrassed to receive help, especially if in the past they were the ones helping others. Whatever the case, Christian love will move us to make allowances for our fellow believers and to keep finding joy in giving. (Eph. 4:2) Be patient. With regard to being generous, wise King Solomon wrote: “Cast your bread on the waters, for after many days you will find it again.” (Eccl. 11:1) As these words indicate, some may respond to our generosity long after the fact—“after many days.” w24.09 30 ¶18-19

I studied Paradise Lost to Paradise Restored… I have to admit I hated every minute of it

Thursday, January 29 Be sound in mind.—1 Pet. 4:7. A Christian who is sound in mind does his best to make good decisions that reflect Jehovah’s thinking. Such a Christian knows that nothing in life is more important than his relationship with Jehovah. He has a balanced view of himself, knowing that he does not have all the answers. And he demonstrates his reliance on God by approaching Jehovah often in humble prayer. We realize that we need to keep praying to Jehovah regardless of any natural abilities we may have. Therefore, especially when we are faced with important decisions, we pray to Jehovah for guidance, trusting that he knows what is best for us. How thankful we are that Jehovah has designed us in a way that we can reflect his qualities. (Gen. 1:26) Of course, we cannot imitate Jehovah perfectly.—Isa. 55:9. w25.03 11 ¶13; 13 ¶17-18

Wednesday, January 28 Repent, for the Kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.—Matt. 4:17. Throughout his ministry, Jesus taught his listeners about his Father’s forgiving nature. Consider the parable of the lost son. That young man chose to pursue a sinful way of life for some time. Yet, he “came to his senses” and returned home. How did the father respond? Jesus said that while the son “was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him . . . , and he ran and embraced him and tenderly kissed him.” The son intended to ask if he could become a servant in his father’s household, but his father called him “this son of mine” and restored him to his place in the family. The father said: “He was lost and has been found.” (Luke 15:11-32) When Jesus lived in heaven before coming to earth, he had surely seen his Father show such compassion toward countless repentant sinners. What a heartwarming and reassuring picture Jesus painted of our merciful Father, Jehovah! w24.0811 ¶11-12