Examining the Scriptures Daily - 2014

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, November 9

 

You have taken hold of my right hand. . . . You will take me even to glory.—Ps. 73:23, 24.

 

How does Jehovah do this? Jehovah leads his humble servants to glory by honoring them in numerous ways. He blesses them with an understanding of his will. (1 Cor. 2:7) He bestows upon those who listen to his word and obey him the honor of a close personal relationship with him. (Jas. 4:8) Jehovah also entrusts his servants with the glorious treasure of the Christian ministry. (2 Cor. 4:1, 7) And this ministry leads to glory. Faithful ones are honored with a good name with Jehovah, and they are likely to be well spoken of by other servants of God. (1 Sam. 2:30; Prov. 11:16; 22:1) What about the future of those who “hope in Jehovah and keep his way”? They are promised: “He [Jehovah] will exalt you to take possession of the earth. When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it.” (Ps. 37:34) They look forward to experiencing the incomparable honor of receiving everlasting life.—Ps. 37:29. w13 2/15 4:3-5

 

[feather]

  always appreciated this little tidbit in WT pubs, particularly it book...

 

    the right hand was of significant importance, having a superior position

  in book of Rev, Jesus has the 7 stars in his right hand...

 

  but my fav was this one: to the sword wielding warrior,

    the right hand would be left unprotected. vulnerable.

  that Jehovah 'would take the right hand' would clearly

   indicate divine help and protection.

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, November 10

 

He is a God, not of the dead, but of the living.—Luke 20:38.

 

As Satan’s world nears its end, its “pangs of distress” will get worse. (Matt. 24:7, 8) Things will definitely get worse during the great tribulation. Infrastructures will collapse, and people will fear for their very lives. (Hab. 3:16, 17) Out of sheer desperation, they will, as it were, seek refuge “in the caves and in the rock-masses of the mountains.” (Rev. 6:15-17) But neither literal caves nor mountainlike political and commercial organizations will afford any protection. Jehovah’s people, however, will continue to enjoy the safety of their “real dwelling,” Jehovah God. (Ps. 90:1) Even those who might die faithful before the great tribulation begins remain secure with Jehovah, “for they are all living to him.” Yes, to Jehovah, his loyal ones who have died faithful to him are as good as alive; their resurrection is a certainty.—Eccl. 7:1. w13 3/15 4:15-17

 

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, November 11

 

He purposed . . . an administration . . . to gather all things together again in the Christ.—Eph. 1:9, 10.

 

This administration will carry out its objective in two stages. The first stage prepares the congregation of anointed ones for life in heaven under Jesus Christ as their spiritual Head. This stage began at Pentecost 33 C.E. when Jehovah started to gather those who would rule with Christ in heaven. (Acts 2:1-4) Since the anointed have been declared righteous for life on the basis of Christ’s ransom sacrifice, they readily acknowledge that they have been adopted as “God’s children.” (Rom. 3:23, 24; 5:1; 8:15-17) The second stage prepares those who will dwell in Paradise on earth. The “great crowd” make up the initial part of this group. (Rev. 7:9, 13-17; 21:1-5) During the Thousand Year Reign, they will be joined by billions of resurrected ones. (Rev. 20:12, 13) Those proving faithful will be adopted as earthly “children of God.”—Rom. 8:21; Rev. 20:7, 8. w12 7/15 4:3, 4

 

[ChocoBro]

Hopefully anybody fretting about the number 4 talk this week and thinking about giving up will see this as a signal

[New World Explorer]

One definition for administration is Organisation. ... Good to use this scripture with those who deny that God has an organisation

[timpin]

Hopefully anybody fretting about the number 4 talk this week and thinking about giving up will see this as a signal

 

shouldn't have to fret, consel won't even be given on the "#4 talk"  only 1-3 talks!   ...   do they still have #4 talks in Munich?

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, November 12

 

We are not ignorant of [satan’s] designs.—2 Cor. 2:11.

 

Since we are not ignorant of Satan’s designs, we can avoid being overreached by the Devil. We will not be caught in his snares, or traps, if we pray for wisdom to deal with our trials. (Jas. 1:5) We need to act in harmony with our prayers by engaging in regular personal study and by applying God’s Word. The Bible study aids provided by the faithful and discreet slave shed light on the traps set by the Devil and help us to avoid them. Prayer and Bible study promote in us a love for what is good. But it is equally important that we develop a hatred for what is bad. (Ps. 97:10) Meditating on the consequences of pursuing selfish desires can help us to avoid them. (Jas. 1:14, 15) When we learn to hate what is bad and truly love what is good, the bait that Satan places in his traps repels us; it holds no allure. How thankful we are that God helps us so that we are not overreached by Satan!—Matt. 6:13. w12 8/15 3:18-20

 

[PhorosM]

"Meditating on the consequences of pursuing selfish desires can help us to avoid them."

Actions have consequences. Our actions can hurt others. How selfish am I?

Just thinking these thoughts through would stop many missteps. Will we be trained?

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, November 13

 

Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah.”—Rom. 12:19.

 

Can you rightly condemn another person? No. (Matt. 7:1, 2) But you can be confident that justice lies in God’s hands. If you feel that you have been the victim of an injustice and find it difficult to forgive a wrongdoer who has repented, it would be good to realize that the offender too is a victim. He or she also suffers the effects of inherited imperfection. (Rom. 3:23) Jehovah feels compassion toward all imperfect mankind. Therefore, it is appropriate to pray for the offender. It is unlikely that we would continue being angry with someone for whom we are praying. And that we should avoid harboring resentment toward even those who mistreat us is clear from Jesus’ words: “Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you.”—Matt. 5:44. w12 11/15 5:14, 15

 

[PhorosM]

"...it would be good to realize that the offender too is a victim."

Sometimes we can be victims of our own stupidity, circumstances, etc. I suspect quite often that the one who has offended us might fall under those same categories.

"He or she also suffers the effects of inherited imperfection. (Rom. 3:23)"

Such simple words. If we meditate and apply our lives are much, much better.

Won't it be wonderful when we don't suffer these "effects!"

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, November 14

 

I rejoiced when they were saying to me: “To the house of Jehovah let us go.”—Ps. 122:1.

 

Although many things have changed over the centuries, the essential aspects of conventions have not. In Bible times, conventioners had to make sacrifices to attend. So do many today. Yet, the benefits are well worth the effort. These events were—and still are—important spiritual occasions. They provide us with information and understanding that are critical to our maintaining a close relationship with God. Conventions motivate us to apply what we learn, help us to avoid problems, and encourage us to stay focused on pursuits and interests that will refresh us rather than weigh us down. (Ps. 122:2-4) However, certain things have changed in the way conventions are organized. Some conventions had lasted eight days! There were morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. Field service was a regular part of the program. Volunteers worked long and hard to prepare breakfast, lunch, and supper for attendees. w12 9/15 5:15, 17

 

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, November 15

 

Do not swear at all.—Matt. 5:34.

 

Jesus said this in condemnation of the casual habit that many people have in their daily conversation of repeatedly swearing to this or to that, without ever intending to do what they say. Do Jesus’ words mean that all making of oaths is bad? How could that be? Jehovah God and his righteous servant Abraham made sworn oaths on important occasions. Also, God’s Law required the taking of a sworn oath to settle certain disputes. (Ex. 22:10, 11; Num. 5:21, 22) Thus, it may be necessary for a Christian to swear to tell the truth when testifying in a court of law. Or, on a rare occasion, a Christian might find it necessary to make a sworn oath to assure others of his intentions or to help settle a matter. In fact, when Jesus himself was put under oath by the high priest, he did not object to it but responded truthfully to the Jewish Sanhedrin.—Matt. 26:63, 64. w12 10/15 4:1, 2

 

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, November 16

 

You are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing.—Ps. 145:16.

 

What about those of you who have made sacrifices to serve Jehovah full-time? Perhaps you gave up a promising career or a successful business to have more time for Kingdom pursuits. Or perhaps you remained unmarried or if married, decided to forgo having children to make yourself available for service that otherwise would not have been possible for you. You made those decisions on the basis of your deep love for Jehovah and an earnest desire to help others who wanted to serve him. You need not think that you would have been better off had you lived your life differently. You can have the deep satisfaction of knowing that you did what you knew to be right in your case and that you did your best to serve Jehovah. He will not forget your life of self-sacrifice. In the real life yet to come, he will reward you with blessings far better than any you can now imagine!—1 Tim. 6:19. w13 1/15 4:15, 16

 

[Brina82]

Being able to devote ourselves to the full time ministry is a blessing in itself. We should never take that for granted. We should also remember Jehovah repays in a large way.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, November 17

 

I cannot put up with the use of uncanny power.—Isa. 1:13.

 

Often called spiritualism, the practice of spiritism played a notable role in 19th-century thinking. Zion’s Watch Tower of May 1885 therefore said: “The belief that the dead are alive in another sphere or condition of being is not new. It was part of the religion of the ancients, and was the very root of all mythology.” The article added that the unscriptural idea of the dead communicating with the living “has given cover and force to the deceptions practised by ‘demons’ under the guise of dis-embodied spirits of men. They have eagerly availed themselves of this mode of concealing their identity, and have thus perpetuated their sway over the minds and lives of many.” The early booklet What Say the Scriptures About Spiritism? gave similar warnings, as have our more recent publications. w13 2/15 2:11

 

[ChocoBro]

Interestingly, the occult and spiritism remained popular among culture until all the way into the early fourties. After that, I suppose it sort of went undercover in the sixties because mystic influences like Buddhism were being assimilated into western culture, then were incorporated into New Age culture and modern-day trends such as transcendental meditation. Lately, "the use of uncanny power" has made a public appearance again thanks to the vast demand for occult films and TV-shows (Medium, Ghost Whisperer), not to mention books like the Harry Potter series.

 

The entire belief that the human soul is immortal and indestructable is tied in closely with Satan's false promise to Eve that she will not die, but become like God. Jehovah, in turn, assured her and Adam that they would become like dust, soul-less matter that disperses in all the directions the wind blows.

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, November 18

 

Go your way out of your country and from your relatives . . . to the country that I shall show you.—Gen. 12:1.

 

We can only imagine how Abraham, then Abram, felt when Jehovah told him to do that. If Abraham felt any anxiety, it no doubt melted away with Jehovah’s next words: “I shall make a great nation out of you and I shall bless you . . . And him that calls down evil upon you I shall curse.” (Gen. 12:2, 3) With those words, Jehovah took it upon himself to become a secure dwelling for Abraham and for his descendants. (Gen. 26:1-6) Jehovah fulfilled his promise. For example, he prevented Pharaoh of Egypt and King Abimelech of Gerar from violating Sarah and doing away with Abraham. He protected Isaac and Rebekah in a similar manner. (Gen. 12:14-20; 20:1-14; 26:6-11) We read: “[Jehovah] did not allow any human to defraud them, but on their account he reproved kings, saying: ‘Do not you men touch my anointed ones, and to my prophets do nothing bad.’”—Ps. 105:14, 15. w13 3/15 4:4, 5

 

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, November 19

 

You have taken hold of my right hand. With your counsel you will lead me.—Ps. 73:23, 24.

 

Christians today have good reason for imitating Hannah’s example of regularly worshipping Jehovah. (1 Sam. 1:4-8) We need to be faithful in attending meetings. As we all have experienced, meetings provide vital encouragement. (Heb. 10:24, 25) The warmth of Christian fellowship comforts us. A simple expression made in a talk or comment may touch our heart. In conversation before or after a meeting, a fellow believer may give us a listening ear or share consoling words. (Prov. 15:23; 17:17) As we raise our voices in song to Jehovah, our spirits are uplifted. Especially when we are beset by “disquieting thoughts” do we need the encouragement that we receive at meetings, where Jehovah sustains us with his “own consolations” and supports us in our determination to remain faithful. (Ps. 94:18, 19) How grateful we are that Jehovah safeguards us for salvation! w12 4/15 5:16-18

 

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, November 21

 

The law of Jehovah is perfect . . . making the inexperienced one wise.—Ps. 19:7.

 

Without the Holy Scriptures, our primary teacher would be personal experience. With personal experience as our teacher, could we ever have the same sentiments as the psalmist had toward “the law of Jehovah”? The sad reality, though, is that some have allowed the love they first had for Bible truth to cool off. (Rev. 2:4) They no longer walk in the way that pleases Jehovah. (Isa. 30:21) That does not have to happen to us. We can and should work at maintaining our appreciation for the Bible and its teachings. The Bible is an important gift from our loving Creator. (Jas. 1:17) What will help us deepen our appreciation for “the word of God”? A key is reflecting on how Bible writers were guided to write the Scriptures. That involves calling to mind some of the abundant evidence of its inspiration. Doing so should stimulate us to read from God’s Word daily and to apply its counsel.—Heb. 4:12. w12 6/15 4:1, 2

 

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, November 22

 

You know neither the day nor the hour.—Matt. 25:13.

 

Our not knowing when the end will arrive allows us to reveal what is really in our heart. In fact, not knowing dignifies us, allowing us to use our free will in manifesting our loyalty to Jehovah. Although we look forward to surviving the end of this system, we serve Jehovah because we love him, not merely to get life. (Ps. 37:4) We find pleasure in doing his will, and we realize that God is teaching us to benefit ourselves. (Isa. 48:17) Another benefit of our not knowing the day or the hour is that we thus have the opportunity to make Jehovah’s heart glad. When we serve him out of love—not because of a date or solely because of a reward—we contribute to Jehovah’s answer to the baseless taunts of his adversary, Satan. (Job 2:4, 5; Prov. 27:11) Considering all the pain and sorrow that the Devil has caused, we gladly stand up for Jehovah’s sovereignty and reject Satan’s wicked rule. w12 9/15 4:5, 6

 

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, November 23

 

Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over your souls.—Heb. 13:17.

 

A Christian’s spirit may be tested if he is corrected or is relieved of privileges in the congregation. One young brother was tactfully counseled by the elders about playing violent video games. Sadly, he did not receive the counsel well and had to be deleted as a ministerial servant because he no longer met the Scriptural qualifications. (Ps. 11:5; 1 Tim. 3:8-10) Afterward, the brother made it widely known that he did not agree, repeatedly writing letters critical of the elders to the branch office and even influencing others in the congregation to do the same. It is really counterproductive, though, for us to jeopardize the peace of the entire congregation in an attempt to justify our actions. How much better to view reproof as a way to open our eyes to see weaknesses that we were not aware of and then quietly accept the correction.—Lam. 3:28, 29. w12 10/15 2:8, 9

 

[New World Explorer]

 

Sunday, November 23

 

Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over your souls.—Heb. 13:17.

 

A Christian’s spirit may be tested if he is corrected or is relieved of privileges in the congregation. One young brother was tactfully counseled by the elders about playing violent video games. Sadly, he did not receive the counsel well and had to be deleted as a ministerial servant because he no longer met the Scriptural qualifications. (Ps. 11:5; 1 Tim. 3:8-10) Afterward, the brother made it widely known that he did not agree, repeatedly writing letters critical of the elders to the branch office and even influencing others in the congregation to do the same. It is really counterproductive, though, for us to jeopardize the peace of the entire congregation in an attempt to justify our actions. How much better to view reproof as a way to open our eyes to see weaknesses that we were not aware of and then quietly accept the correction.—Lam. 3:28, 29. w12 10/15 2:8, 9

 

It is not easy to remain on the narrow road to life. To do so, we must follow the direction given in God’s Word and by those entrusted with shepherding responsibilities in his organization. (Matthew 7:13, 14) If we were traveling from one city to another by automobile and made a wrong turn, action would be needed to correct our course. Otherwise, we would never reach our destination. Similarly, if the elders show us that we are going the wrong way spiritually, perhaps by courting an unbeliever, we should quickly apply their Scriptural counsel. This would be one way to show that we really do “trust in Jehovah.”—Proverbs 3:5, 6.

 

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, November 24

 

If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.—Matt. 6:14.

 

A willingness to forgive those who offend us—whether they are members of the Christian congregation or not—is essential if we are to maintain peaceful relations with family members, friends, fellow humans, and Jehovah. The Scriptures indicate that a willingness to forgive others regardless of how often they offend us is a Christian requirement. Jesus used an illustration about a slave who was forgiven a large debt by his master. When this slave would not likewise show mercy to a fellow slave who owed him a small amount, his master had him thrown into prison. (Matt. 18:21-34) Jesus’ conclusion was: “In like manner my heavenly Father will also deal with you if you do not forgive each one his brother from your hearts.” (Matt. 18:35) Hence, anyone who desires Jehovah’s friendship is obliged to forgive the shortcomings of his fellow human. w12 11/15 5:3-5

 

[New World Explorer]

Col 3:13 makes an interesting point about that even if we have a VALID reason to be offended etc we still need to forgive

 

 

(Colossians 3:13) Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely even if anyone has a cause for complaint against another.

Just as Jehovah freely forgave you, you must also do the same.
 

Powerful scripture ! Easy to read but sometimes hard to apply.

This is my favorite scripture at the moment.

 

During our recent CO visit it was mentioned that if we can not forgive then we are not living up to our dedication.

We can not have "true"  "real" relationship with Jehovah himself.

Edited November 24, 2014 by Gregexplore