Examining the Scriptures Daily - 2014

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, October 21

 

All the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.—Jer. 9:26.

 

We find a clue as to the meaning of “uncircumcised in heart” in what God urged the Jews to do: “Take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; that my rage may not go forth . . . on account of the badness of your dealings.” But from where did their bad dealings originate? From inside, from their heart. (Mark 7:20-23) Their heart was stubbornly rebellious. Their motives and thinking were displeasing to him. (Jer. 5:23, 24; 7:24-26) God told them: “Get yourselves circumcised to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your hearts.” (Jer. 4:4; 18:11, 12) Hence, Jews in Jeremiah’s day needed figurative heart surgery—‘circumcision of the heart’—even as those in Moses’ time did. (Deut. 10:16; 30:6) To ‘take away the foreskin of their heart’ meant getting rid of what made their heart unresponsive—their thinking, affections, or motives that were in conflict with God’s.—Acts 7:51. w13 3/15 2:7-9

 

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, October 22

 

We are not ignorant of his designs.—2 Cor. 2:11.

 

How can we protect ourselves against the schemes of Satan and maintain a complete heart toward Jehovah? Prayer is vital. Paul encouraged fellow believers to “stand firm against the machinations of the Devil.” Then he urged them: “With every form of prayer and supplication . . . , carry on prayer on every occasion.” (Eph. 6:11, 18; 1 Pet. 4:7) How will such prayers affect us? Paul stated: “In everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts.” (Phil. 4:6, 7) Yes, we have to pray fervently and frequently in order to maintain a complete heart toward Jehovah. (Luke 6:12) Hence, ask yourself, ‘How earnest and frequent are my prayers?’ (Matt. 7:7; Rom. 12:12) Your answer reveals much about the depth of your heartfelt desire to serve God. w12 4/15 3:16, 18

 

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, October 23

 

He did not waver in a lack of faith.—Rom. 4:20.

 

Now is not the time to “waver in a lack of faith”; it is the time to become powerful by faith. God’s enemies—Satan and those under his influence—are trying to stop the work that Jesus assigned to His followers, including us. (Matt. 28:19, 20) Despite the Devil’s attacks, we know Jehovah as “a living God, who is a Savior of all sorts of men, especially of faithful ones.” He “knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial.” (1 Tim. 4:10; 2 Pet. 2:9) Soon, Jehovah will bring an end to this wicked system of things. While we have not been given all the details and the exact time when this will occur, we do know that at just the right time, Christ will do away with God’s enemies, and Jehovah’s sovereignty will be vindicated. May we never fall into the snare of thinking that “all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.”—2 Pet. 3:3, 4; 1 Thess. 5:1. w12 5/15 3:17, 18

 

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, October 24

 

Absalom kept stealing the hearts of the men of Israel.—2 Sam. 15:6.

 

Today, Satan continues to use “Absaloms” in his attempt to steal the hearts of Jehovah’s servants. ‘Jehovah’s standards are too restrictive,’ they may say. ‘And look at all those people who do not serve Jehovah. They have all the fun!’ Will you see through such contemptible lies and remain loyal to God? Will you recognize that only Jehovah’s “perfect law,” the law of the Christ, can lead you to true freedom? (Jas. 1:25) If so, cherish that law, and never be tempted to misuse your Christian freedom. (1 Pet. 2:16) How sad that many young ones in the truth—and even a number of older ones—have had to learn the hard way that sinful pleasures often come at great cost! (Gal. 6:7, 8) So ask yourself: ‘Do I recognize Satan’s schemes for what they really are—cruel deceptions? Do I view Jehovah as my closest Friend, the one who always tells the truth and wants what is best for me?’—Isa. 48:17, 18. w12 7/15 2:6, 7, 9

 

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, October 25

 

The kingdom will partly prove to be strong and will partly prove to be fragile.—Dan. 2:42.

 

Daniel 2:41 describes the feet of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar saw as being a mixture of iron and clay, as one “kingdom,” not many. The clay, therefore, represents elements within the sphere of influence of the Anglo-American World Power, elements that make it weaker than the solid iron of the Roman Empire. The clay is referred to as “the offspring of mankind,” or the common people. (Dan. 2:43) In the Anglo-American World Power, people have risen up to claim their rights through civil rights campaigns, labor unions, and independence movements. The common people undermine the ability of the Anglo-American World Power to act with ironlike strength. Also, opposing ideologies and close election results that do not end up in a clear majority have weakened the power base of even popular leaders, so that they have no clear mandate to implement their policies.—2 Tim. 3:1-3. w12 6/15 2:9

 

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, October 26

 

Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.—Deut. 6:4.

 

Jesus quoted that statement, and would any true Christian disagree with him? (Mark 12:29) The Trinity doctrine runs counter to the commission Jesus gave his followers to “make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” (Matt. 28:19) To be baptized as a genuine Christian and one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a person must acknowledge the supremacy of the Father, Jehovah, as well as the position and authority of God’s Son, Jesus. The baptism candidate must also believe that the holy spirit is God’s active force, not part of a Trinity. (Gen. 1:2) An individual who continues to believe in the Trinity cannot be baptized in symbol of a valid dedication to Jehovah God. How grateful we are that our spiritual legacy has protected us from believing this God-dishonoring teaching! w13 2/15 2:6, 7

 

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, October 27

 

How is it that you are turning back again?—Gal. 4:9.

 

Christians in Galatia needed to check on the depth of their faith and to appreciate their spiritual freedom. By means of his sacrifice, Jesus had opened the way for those exercising faith in him to come to know God in a most extraordinary way—they could become sons of God! To remain in that most blessed relationship, the Galatians would have to reject the teachings of Judaizers, who were insisting that they observe the Mosaic Law. Why, uncircumcised Gentiles in the congregations had never even been under the Law! Jews and Gentiles alike needed to make spiritual progress. This involved recognizing that they could not establish their righteousness through the Mosaic Law arrangement. The apostle Paul’s counsel to the Galatians was recorded for a purpose: to prevent true Christians in any period from turning their backs on the riches of Bible truth and returning to the things behind. w13 3/15 3:3, 4

 

[New World Explorer]

Such a great daily text ...

[Dan A.]

Agreed. Really good text because Satan's world can very slowly wear down the spiritual guard, like a water drops on a solid rock....may not split it with a single drop but over time it will leave a indentation on it...

[New World Explorer]

I know brother who is turning back  ..  We all (including elders) are trying to help him ..  so far he is responding but it's a daily battle ...  Satan messed up with his head.

[Mei]

It has also become evident that the "oneness" used in conjunction with God and the Son of God has some confused with adopting the Duality in the same way many are mistakenly adopting the Trinity.  So many use Isaiah 9:6 to justify adopting the Trinity in wrongly claiming Jesus is God.  It might be important to note that since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, scholars have now evaluated the Everlasting Father phrase in Isaiah 9:6 (which Biblical translations were apparently translated from the Masoretic Text).  Scholars are now asserting that after reviewing the ancient Hebrew text in the Dead Sea Scrolls have discovered a mistranslation and discrepancy altogether and that it does not state Jesus is the Everlasting Father.

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, October 28

 

Let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.—Isa. 2:3.

 

A person desiring to become a citizen of a human government might have to learn something about that government’s history. Likewise, those desiring to be Kingdom citizens do well to learn all they can about God’s Kingdom. Human governments also require that their subjects learn and obey the laws of the land. It seems only reasonable, then, that Jehovah should expect us to learn and obey the laws and principles that govern all Kingdom citizens. (John 15:10; 1 John 5:3) Human laws are often flawed and may be unfair. In contrast, “the law of Jehovah is perfect.” (Ps. 19:7) Do we delight in God’s law and read his Word each day? (Ps. 1:1, 2) The only way we can learn God’s law is to study it for ourselves. Nobody else can do this for us. w12 8/15 2:5, 6

 

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, October 29

 

These men . . . are . . . disregarding lordship and speaking abusively of glorious ones.—Jude 8.

 

Obviously, such a spirit has no place in the Christian congregation. Older men in the congregation are not perfect, just as they were not perfect in the time of the apostles. Elders may make mistakes that affect us personally. If that happens, how inappropriate it would be for any member of the congregation to react according to the world’s spirit, vehemently demanding “justice” or that “something be done about this brother”! Jehovah may choose to overlook certain minor failings. Can we not do the same? Because of what they perceive as defects in the elders, some individuals who engage in serious wrongdoing in the congregation have refused to appear before a committee of elders assigned to help them. This could be likened to a patient who loses out on the benefits of a treatment because he does not like something about the doctor. w12 10/15 2:6, 7

 

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, October 30

 

Keep on the watch.—Matt. 25:13.

 

Imagine that a prominent official asks you to drive him to an important appointment. A few minutes before leaving to pick him up for the meeting, however, you realize that there is not enough fuel in your vehicle to make the trip. You need to rush off to purchase some. As you do, the official arrives. He looks around but cannot find you. He cannot wait, so he asks someone else to drive him. You soon get back and realize that the official has left without you. How would you feel? In his parable of the virgins, Jesus used a similar situation to illustrate why during the time of the end, some anointed Christians would prove to be faithful and discreet, but others would not. (Matt. 25:1-12) He emphasized his point by saying: “Keep on the watch, therefore, because you know neither the day nor the hour”—that is, when Jesus would actually execute God’s judgment on Satan’s world. w12 9/15 4:1, 3

 

[Dan A.]

Very fitting daily text for the Annual Meeting which I was able to finally watch last night - nice coincidence! 

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, October 31

 

The righteous one may fall . . . , and he will certainly get up.—Prov. 24:16.

 

Some lapse into minor sin—even repeatedly—because of some weakness. But they are still righteous in Jehovah’s eyes if they continue to “get up,” that is, sincerely repent and strive to resume a course of loyal service. We can see that from the way God dealt with ancient Israel. (Isa. 41:9, 10) Proverbs 24:16 focuses on the positive, our ‘getting up’ with the help of our merciful God. (Isa. 55:7) Expressing their confidence in us, Jehovah God and Jesus Christ kindly encourage us to “get up.” (Ps. 86:5; John 5:19) Even if a runner stumbles or falls in a marathon, he may have time to recover and finish the course if he acts with urgency. In our race for everlasting life, we do not know the “day and hour” when the end of the race will come. (Matt. 24:36) Still, the less we stumble, the more likely we are to keep a steady pace, stay in the race, and finish it successfully. w13 3/15 1:7, 8

 

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, November 1

 

There is a day coming, belonging to Jehovah.—Zech. 14:1.

 

What is this day? It is “the Lord’s day,” which began when “the kingdom of the world” became “the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.” (Rev. 1:10; 11:15) That day started in 1914 with the birth of the Messianic Kingdom in the heavens. Decades before 1914, Jehovah’s worshippers declared to the nations that the end of “the appointed times of the nations” would come in that year and that the world would enter into an unequaled period of trouble. (Luke 21:24) How did the nations respond? Instead of paying heed to that timely warning, political and religious leaders scorned and persecuted those zealous anointed evangelizers. In doing so, these world leaders mocked Almighty God himself, for anointed Kingdom ambassadors represent “heavenly Jerusalem”—the Messianic Kingdom—of which they are a part.—Heb. 12:22, 28. w13 2/15 3:4

 

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, November 2

 

O Jehovah, you yourself have proved to be a real dwelling for us.—Ps. 90:1.

 

Do you feel at home in the present world? If not, you are in good company! Throughout the ages, all who have truly loved Jehovah have felt like strangers, or aliens, in this system of things. For example, while moving from encampment to encampment in the land of Canaan, faithful worshippers of God “publicly declared that they were strangers and temporary residents.” (Heb. 11:13) Likewise, Christ’s anointed followers, whose “citizenship exists in the heavens,” view themselves as “aliens and temporary residents” in the present system of things. (Phil. 3:20; 1 Pet. 2:11) Christ’s “other sheep” are also “no part of the world, just as [Jesus was] no part of the world.” (John 10:16; 17:16) Nevertheless, God’s people are not without a “home.” In fact, we enjoy the protection of the most secure and loving home imaginable, one that is discerned through eyes of faith. w13 3/15 4:1, 2

 

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, November 3

 

The eyes of Jehovah are in every place.—Prov. 15:3.

 

Although David was a God-fearing man, he did commit serious sins. Two of these involved a married couple, Uriah and Bath-sheba. The king’s sin of adultery with Bath-sheba was compounded by his having innocent Uriah killed. The consequences of those sins were painful for all involved. Nevertheless, the way that God corrected David reveals a great deal about Jehovah’s forgiveness. He sent his prophet Nathan to David. Being a God of forgiveness, Jehovah was apparently interested in finding a basis for extending mercy. Do you not find this approach on Jehovah’s part heartwarming? He did not force David to confess but simply had Nathan present the king with a story that illustrated the badness of his sins. (2 Sam. 12:1-4) How effective that way of handling matters proved to be! David realized the gravity of what he had done and contritely admitted: “I have sinned against Jehovah.”—2 Sam. 12:5-14. w12 11/15 4:3, 5-7

 

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, November 4

 

An overseer must be free from accusation as God’s steward.—Titus 1:7.

 

Appointed to shepherd “the flock of God,” overseers give direction and take the lead in the congregations. (1 Pet. 5:1, 2) Of course, responsibilities vary. Still, all Christian overseers are expected to carry out their duties faithfully; all must “render an account” to God. (Heb. 13:17) What, though, of the many loyal Christians who are not overseers? The apostle Peter wrote a letter to Christians in general, stating: “In proportion as each one has received a gift, use it in ministering to one another as fine stewards of God’s undeserved kindness expressed in various ways.” (1 Pet. 1:1; 4:10) God has in his undeserved kindness imparted to all of us gifts, assets, abilities, or talents that we can use to benefit fellow believers. Accordingly, all who serve God are stewards, and with their stewardship comes honor, trust, and responsibility. w12 12/15 2:6, 7

 

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, November 5

 

Gray-headedness is a crown of beauty when it is found in the way of righteousness.—Prov. 16:31.

 

It is appropriate to be concerned about our appearance. But we need not try too hard to erase all signs of aging. Those signs can be evidence of maturity, dignity, and inner beauty. For example, note the words of today’s text. That is how Jehovah views us, and we should try to view ourselves as he does. (1 Pet. 3:3, 4) Is it wise, therefore, to risk unnecessary and potentially dangerous surgical procedures or medical treatments merely to make oneself more physically attractive? “The joy of Jehovah” is a source of true beauty that radiates from the inside, regardless of age or health. (Neh. 8:10) Only in the new world will we be completely healthy and regain youthful beauty. (Job 33:25; Isa. 33:24) Until then, showing practical wisdom and faith will help us to stay close to Jehovah while we make the best of our present circumstances.—1 Tim. 4:8. w13 1/15 3:10

 

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, November 6

 

Turn, please, the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness, O Jehovah!—2 Sam. 15:31.

 

Consider treacherous Absalom. Inflamed with ambition, he was determined to usurp the throne of his father, King David. Absalom first ‘stole the hearts of the men of Israel’ by ingratiating himself with them, using sly promises and insincere expressions of affection. He would embrace and kiss them, as if he were truly interested in them and their needs. (2 Sam. 15:2-6) Absalom even won over David’s trusted confidant Ahithophel, who turned traitor and joined the coup. In Psalms 3 and 55, David describes how such disloyalty affected him. (Ps. 3:1-8; 55:12-14) Absalom exposed his shameless disregard for God’s sovereignty by his ambitious scheming and blatant conspiracy against Jehovah’s appointed king. (1 Chron. 28:5) In the end, the uprising failed, and David continued to rule as the anointed of Jehovah. w12 4/15 2:5

 

[timpin]

Friday ?  ... http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/h/r1/lp-e

 

Friday, November 7

Do you, . . . the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself?—Rom. 2:21.

A failed marriage may cast doubt on one’s spiritual state. The apostle Paul raised this serious question: “If indeed any man does not know how to preside over his own household, how will he take care of God’s congregation?” (1 Tim. 3:5) In fact, when both mates profess to be Christians and yet their marriage fails, observers may think that such individuals do not really practice what they preach. (Rom. 2:22-24) When baptized marriage mates are planning to separate or to divorce each other on unscriptural grounds, something surely is spiritually wrong in their life. Scriptural principles are apparently not being applied by one partner or perhaps by both partners. If they were truly ‘trusting in Jehovah with all their heart,’ there would be little reason for believing that they could not avoid a failed marriage.—Prov. 3:5, 6. w12 5/15 2:7, 8

Edited November 7, 2014 by timpin

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, November 7

 

Do you, . . . the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself?—Rom. 2:21.

 

A failed marriage may cast doubt on one’s spiritual state. The apostle Paul raised this serious question: “If indeed any man does not know how to preside over his own household, how will he take care of God’s congregation?” (1 Tim. 3:5) In fact, when both mates profess to be Christians and yet their marriage fails, observers may think that such individuals do not really practice what they preach. (Rom. 2:22-24) When baptized marriage mates are planning to separate or to divorce each other on unscriptural grounds, something surely is spiritually wrong in their life. Scriptural principles are apparently not being applied by one partner or perhaps by both partners. If they were truly ‘trusting in Jehovah with all their heart,’ there would be little reason for believing that they could not avoid a failed marriage.—Prov. 3:5, 6. w12 5/15 2:7, 8

 

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, November 8

 

Men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.—2 Pet. 1:21.

 

Where do we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? Why is the world the way it is? What happens to us when we die? People around the globe ask these questions. How would we know the answers to these and other important questions if we did not have the inspired Word of God? How, though, was God’s message transmitted by holy spirit to Bible writers? Did they receive precise wording or just ideas that they could express in their own words? Consider how a businessman might compose a letter. When precise wording is important, he writes the letter himself or dictates it to his secretary word for word. The secretary types it, and the letter bears the businessman’s signature. At other times, he provides only the principal ideas, and the secretary prepares the letter, using her own style or vocabulary. The businessman may then proofread it. In the end, the letter is viewed as coming from him. w12 6/15 4:1, 4