Examining the Scriptures Daily - 2016

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, July 23

Every kingdom divided against itself comes to ruin.—Matt. 12:25.

One of the darkest periods in human history nears. The prophet Joel describes it as “a day of darkness and gloom.” (Joel 2:1, 2; Zeph. 1:14) For God’s people, it will be a time for unity. During the coming time of trouble for this system, we will have to be truly united. The spiritual unity that we will need to have among ourselves could be compared to the physical proximity of houses in ancient Jerusalem. Those dwellings were built so close together that the psalmist described Jerusalem as “a city that is joined together as one.” That enabled the inhabitants to help and protect one another. Moreover, their physical closeness could well represent the spiritual unity of the whole nation when all “the tribes of Jah” assembled for worship. (Ps. 122:3, 4) Today and in the critical days to come, we likewise need to remain “joined together as one.” w14 12/15 3:10, 11

[hatcheckgirl]

What an encouraging scripture for today!  We are more united and closer as we see the terrible things happening.

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, July 24

That good news that you heard . . . was preached in all creation under heaven.—Col. 1:23.

The common, or Koine, Greek language helped to promote good communication and unity among the early Christian congregations. Greek was widely spoken and understood. Thus, God’s servants could communicate with all kinds of people, and this contributed to the spread of the good news. Moreover, Jews living in Egypt had translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. People were familiar with thisSeptuagint version, and the early followers of Christ quoted freely from it. How could Christians use the Scriptures in their ministry? Scrolls were cumbersome, for they had to be rolled and unrolled, and usually there was writing on only one side of the parchment. The Gospel of Matthew alone would fill an entire scroll. But then came the codex—the earliest form of a book. It was a collection of pages bound together. A reader could open a codex and easily locate a passage of Scripture.w15 2/15 3:4, 11, 12

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, July 25

He ordered us to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness.—Acts 10:42.

All of us are subject to “the law of the Christ.” (Gal. 6:2) That law includes all that Jesus taught. Foremost among Jesus’ teachings is that his followers should display love. (John 13:35; Jas. 2:8) And one of the primary ways we show love for God, for Christ, and for our neighbor is by preaching the good news of the Kingdom. (John 15:10; Acts 1:8) Jesus commanded only a relatively small number of his followers—those to whom he appeared after his resurrection—to preach. (Acts 10:40-42; 1 Cor. 15:6) But all his faithful first-century disciples recognized that the command applied to them, even if they had not personally heard Jesus speak. (Acts 8:4; 1 Pet. 1:8) Likewise today, Jesus has not personally spoken to any of the eight million active Kingdom preachers. But all recognize their obligation to exercise faith in Christ and to express that faith by means of the witnessing work.—Jas. 2:18. w15 3/15 4:14, 15

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, July 26

I am engaging in the holy work of the good news of God.—Rom. 15:16.

Preaching the good news contributes to the sanctification of Jehovah’s holy name. And it surely is an inestimable privilege to be entrusted with “the glorious good news of the happy God.” (1 Tim. 1:11) God wants us to maintain good spiritual health by sticking to him and supporting his organization in its various activities. Moses told the Israelites: “I take the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you today that I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the curse; and you must choose life so that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice, and by sticking to him, for he is your life and by him you will endure a long time in the land that Jehovah swore to give to your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Deut. 30:19, 20) Our life depends on doing Jehovah’s will, loving him, obediently listening to his voice, and sticking to him. w14 5/15 4:12, 13

[New World Explorer]

Our life depends on doing Jehovah’s will, loving him ... how true

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, July 27

You guide me with your advice.—Ps. 73:24.

Whenever we need guidance, we can “take notice of” Jehovah by consulting his Word to find out his view of matters and by seeking to apply Bible principles. (Prov. 3:6) Sometimes, though, a trialsome situation lingers. You may have a grievous personality conflict with someone in the congregation. For instance, you may be hurt by a remark that you consider to be unkind. Yet, the brother who made the remark receives privileges in the congregation and seems to be well-thought-of by others. ‘How can this be?’ you wonder. ‘Does Jehovah not see? Will he not act?’ (Ps. 13:1, 2; Hab. 1:2, 3) While you may feel that the other party bears most of the blame, God may view things differently. From his standpoint, you may be more at fault than you realize. The comment that you considered to be so hurtful may, in fact, have been well-deserved counsel that you ought to give thought to. w14 4/15 5:10, 12-14

[hatcheckgirl]

1 hour ago, GrumpysWife said:

‘How can this be?’ you wonder. ‘Does Jehovah not see? Will he not act?’ (Ps. 13:1, 2; Hab. 1:2, 3)

This thought process comes up sometimes, doesn't it?  I like how the example in today's text helps us to take a deep breath and look at the bigger picture.  Including thinking of how sometimes we are part of the problem too.

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, July 28

They . . . took along with them John, the one also called Mark.—Acts 12:25.

During Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas, Mark served as an “attendant,” perhaps caring for their physical needs. However, when they reached Pamphylia, Mark suddenly left his companions in the lurch. They had to travel without him north through an area notorious for bandits. (Acts 13:5, 13) Apparently, though, Barnabas saw past Mark’s inconsistent behavior and later seized the opportunity to complete his training. (Acts 15:37-39) This helped the young man to become a mature servant of Jehovah. Interestingly, Mark was in Rome with Paul, who was then imprisoned, and joined in sending greetings to the Christians in the Colossian congregation, and the apostle spoke favorably of him. (Col. 4:10) Imagine the feeling of satisfaction that Barnabas must have had when Paul even requested Mark’s assistance.—2 Tim. 4:11. w14 6/15 4:13

[Good-O]

Jehovah always looks for the good in us .  It is a pleasure to see young brothers wanting to advance to their potential.  Our congregation does well in helping our younger brothers to advance.   An encouraging text this morning. 

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, July 29

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your spirit is good; may it lead me on level ground.—Ps. 143:10.

Although Jehovah makes his counsel freely available, he does not force anyone to follow it. We need to ask for his holy spirit, and he will give it to us generously. (Luke 11:10-13) It is essential, though, that we ‘pay attention to how we listen.’ (Luke 8:18) For example, it would be hypocritical to ask Jehovah for help to overcome an inclination toward immorality while continuing to look at pornography or watch immoral movies. We actually need to put ourselves in places or circumstances where Jehovah’s spirit is. We know that his spirit is at the congregation meetings. Many servants of Jehovah have avoided disaster by listening to Jehovah during our meetings. As a result, they have become aware of wrong desires developing in their heart and have corrected their ways.—Ps. 73:12-17. w14 8/15 4:16

[hatcheckgirl]

We will always need Jehovah's Holy Spirit to guide us through whatever path in life we are on, and especially more so as the end draws near.  So, going to the meetings is not optional - we need that top up of spirit regularly to help us exist in this cruel world.  We need that help to make sure we are always improving in our Christian qualities, and be pleasing Jehovah.

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, July 30

God made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you executed on a stake.—Acts 2:36.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter told the Jews: “Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit.” (Acts 2:22, 23, 37, 38) That day, some 3,000 people were added to the new nation of spiritual Israel. (Acts 2:41) Afterward, the zealous preaching of the apostles continued to bear more fruit. (Acts 6:7) Later, the preaching work was extended to the Samaritans, with good success. Many were baptized by the evangelizer Philip, but they did not immediately receive the holy spirit. The governing body in Jerusalem sent the apostles Peter and John to these Samaritan converts, and “they laid their hands on them, and they began to receive holy spirit.” (Acts 8:5, 6, 14-17) Hence, these Samaritans also became spirit-anointed members of spiritual Israel. w14 11/15 5:3, 4

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, July 31

God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.—Heb. 13:4.

Some of God’s faithful servants have weakened their moral defenses by associating with non-Witness workmates after work hours. Even during work hours, temptations can arise. It was at his workplace that a handsome young man named Joseph realized that his employer’s wife was very attracted to him. Day after day, she tried to seduce him. Eventually, “she grabbed hold of him by his garment and said: ‘Lie down with me!’” But Joseph managed to run away from her. What helped Joseph to keep his spiritual defenses intact? It was his firm resolve not to damage his relationship with God that safeguarded his chastity and integrity. As a result of his resolute stand, he lost his job and was unjustly imprisoned, but Jehovah blessed him. (Gen. 39:1-12; 41:38-43) Whether at work or in a private setting, Christians need to avoid putting themselves in tempting situations with someone other than their marriage mate. w15 1/15 4:8, 9

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, August 1

Persevere in these things.—1 Tim. 4:16.

Not everyone we preach to will accept the Kingdom message. (Matt. 10:11-14) That would be true even if we were to ask just the right questions, use the best reasoning, and come up with the finest illustrations. After all, relatively few responded to Jesus’ teaching—and he was the greatest Teacher ever to walk the earth! (John 6:66; 7:45-48) On the other hand, even if we feel that we are not especially gifted, we can be effective in our ministry. (Acts 4:13) God’s Word gives us sound reason for believing that “all those . . . rightly disposed for everlasting life” will accept the good news. (Acts 13:48) So let us develop and maintain a balanced view of ourselves and those with whom we seek to share the good news of the Kingdom. May we take full advantage of the training Jehovah provides, confident that it will benefit both us and those who listen to us. Jehovah can help us to see how we should “answer each person.”—Col. 4:6. w14 5/15 1:15, 16

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, August 2

Turn away from what is bad and do what is good.—Ps. 34:14.

Have you ever seen the name Jehovah inscribed on a public building or on a museum artifact? Surely your reaction was one of keen interest and excitement. After all, God’s personal name occupies a special place in our worship—we are Jehovah’s Witnesses! On a global scale, no other group of people today is as closely associated with the divine name as we are. Yet, we know that the privilege of bearing God’s name comes with responsibility. Using the divine name does not in itself bring us Jehovah’s favor. We must live in harmony with his moral standards. For that reason the Bible reminds us that Jehovah’s people must “turn away from what is bad.” The apostle Paul clearly stated this principle when he wrote: “Let everyone calling on the name of Jehovah renounce unrighteousness.” (2 Tim. 2:19) As his Witnesses, we are indeed renowned for calling on Jehovah’s name. w14 7/15 2:1, 2

 

[Jahleadsme]

Kudos... Just in time

Sent from my TECNO_P5_PLUS using Tapatalk

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, August 3

[Love’s] flames are a blazing fire, the flame of Jah.—Song of Sol. 8:6.

The expression “the flame of Jah” that is used to describe love speaks volumes. True love is “the flame of Jah” in that Jehovah is the Originator of such love. He created man in his image with the ability to love. (Gen. 1:26, 27) When God presented the first woman, Eve, to the first man, Adam, the words that came out of Adam’s mouth were nothing short of poetic. No doubt Eve felt a closeness to Adam, from whom “she was taken.” (Gen. 2:21-23) Since Jehovah has given humans the capacity for showing love, it is possible for a man and a woman to have unswerving and unfailing love for each other. The love between the opposite sexes has other characteristics besides its potential for being constant and enduring. Some of these are wonderfully portrayed in the Song of Solomon, a story about the love between a young woman from the village of Shunem, or Shulem, and her beloved shepherd. w15 1/15 5:3, 4

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, August 4

Jehovah gives the command; the women proclaiming the good news are a large army.—Ps. 68:11.

In the late 1800’s, a few men and women showed keen interest in true worship. They were forerunners of those who now share in the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophetic words: “This good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:14) The small group of Bible Students has grown to some 8,000,000 Witnesses of Jehovah today. More than 11,000,000 other individuals show interest in the Bible and our work by attending the annual Memorial of Jesus’ death. In most lands, the majority of those present are women. Also, women make up the greater number of over 1,000,000 full-time Kingdom proclaimers worldwide. God has indeed granted faithful women the privilege of participating in the fulfillment of the psalmist’s words, as recorded in today’s text. w14 8/15 1:18, 19

[Hope]

Large and in charge!

[Tortuga]

[New World Explorer]

The most powerful army on earth !

[Mykyl]

9 hours ago, Hope said:

Large and in charge!

said Eve after she had gorged on the tree before her...

Edited August 4, 2016 by Mykyl

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, August 5

Whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.—Heb. 11:6.

What power and wisdom Jehovah exercised in order to raise Jesus to immortal heavenly life! Furthermore, God thus showed his ability to fulfill all of His promises. Are you not thankful to Jehovah, who gave us the sure hope of the resurrection? The Scriptures provide this assurance: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” That marvelous prospect was conveyed to the faithful apostle John, who was told: “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” From whom did John receive the inspired revelation? It came through the resurrected Jesus Christ.—Rev. 1:1; 21:3-5. w14 11/15 1:20, 21

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, August 6

Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good.—Ps. 106:1.

Throughout history, Jehovah’s people have rejoiced in their blessings. For example, after being delivered from Pharaoh and his armies at the Red Sea, the Israelites expressed their joy in songs of praise and thanksgiving. (Ex. 15:1-21) Today, among our most treasured blessings is our sure hope of deliverance from everything that causes us pain and distress. (Ps. 37:9-11; Isa. 25:8; 33:24) Imagine how we will feel when Jehovah crushes all his enemies and welcomes us into a new world of peace and righteousness. What a day for thanksgiving that will be! (Rev. 20:1-3; 21:3, 4) Whatever may come upon us in the meantime, we know that Jehovah will never abandon us. (Deut. 31:8; Ps. 9:9, 10) He will continue to provide everything we need to serve him faithfully. Therefore, may we reflect joyfully on our blessings and be moved to follow the admonition of today’s text. w15 1/15 1:14, 15