Examining the Scriptures Daily - 2017

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, November 11

The name of God is being blasphemed among the nations because of you.—Rom. 2:24.

 

What a privilege it is for us not only to know God’s personal name but also to bear it as “a people for his name.” (Acts 15:14; Isa. 43:10) We implore our heavenly Father: “Let your name be sanctified.” (Matt. 6:9) Your making such a request may move you to ask Jehovah to help you to avoid doing or saying anything that would dishonor his holy name. We do not want to be like some in the first century who did not practice what they preached, as mentioned in today’s text. What is needed for God’s name to be completely sanctified and cleared of all reproach? For that to happen, Jehovah must act to remove all who willfully reject his sovereignty. (Ezek. 38:22, 23) Mankind will gradually be brought to perfection. How we long for the time when all intelligent creation will treat Jehovah’s name as holy! Then, at last, our loving heavenly Father will “be all things to everyone.”—1 Cor. 15:28. w15 6/15 4:7, 10

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, November 12

The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool.—Isa. 66:1.

 

Besides referring to the earth, the term “footstool” is also employed figuratively in the Hebrew Scriptures to describe the ancient temple used by the Israelites. (1 Chron. 28:2;Ps. 132:7) Located on the earth, the temple served as the center of true worship. For that reason, it was truly beautiful in Jehovah’s eyes and its very existence glorified the place for Jehovah’s feet. (Isa. 60:13) Today the center of true worship is no longer a literal temple on earth. There is, however, a spiritual temple, which glorifies Jehovah far more than any building. This is an arrangement that makes reconciliation with God possible by means of the priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It came into existence in 29 C.E. at Jesus’ baptism when Jesus was anointed as High Priest of Jehovah’s great spiritual temple.—Heb. 9:11, 12. w15 7/15 1:1-3

[New World Explorer]

55 minutes ago, GrumpysWife said:

It came into existence in 29 C.E. at Jesus’ baptism when Jesus was anointed as High Priest of Jehovah’s great spiritual temple.—Heb. 9:11, 12. w15 7/15 1:1-3

We are so blessed with such insights!

People still trapped in Babylon The Great have no clue about it!

 

[Spechellekaye]

Jehovah's name is holy and we should make sure that we never do anything to bring any reproach on it. We do not want to be hypocritical in our actions. We must display the same love, patience, and forgiveness for our spiritual family that we would do for those we meet in the ministry. So if we are struggling in any areas, we want to petition Jehovah in prayer for his Holy Spirit to assist us. 
 

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, November 13

They will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.—Luke 21:27.

 

This will be a time for rewarding those who are faithful and for punishing those who are not. (Matt. 24:46, 47, 50, 51; 25:19, 28-30) According to Matthew, Jesus finished giving the composite sign with the parable of the sheep and the goats, saying: “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.” (Matt. 25:31-33) What judgment will the sheep and the goats hear pronounced on them? The parable finishes with the words: “These [the goats] will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”—Matt. 25:46. w15 7/15 2:11, 12

[sunshine]

Hi all - regarding this text there was a morning worship on jwb about the superioroty of the spiritual temple arrangement to the physical one, but I didn't note the speaker so I can't find it.  does anyone recall this?

 

[Spechellekaye]

This spiritual temple is God's arrangements that allow us to become his friend and worship him. This arrangement is only possible because of Jesus ransom. So, we want to be grateful to Jehovah by telling others about his name and the wonderful gift of the ransom. 

[Spechellekaye]

When the judging is being done, we want to find our acceptable and approved. So we need to be obedient NOW to Jehovah’s instructions. We want to let go of any negative feelings toward our brothers/sisters and try to repair any disagreements. We want to read God’s Word daily, attend our meetings, and have a full share in the ministry. And we definitely need to keep encouraging one another. 

[Miss Bea]

Faith, strengthen now!

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, November 14

Look! How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!—Ps. 133:1.

 

It is understandable that we might feel some affection for the land, the culture, the language, and the food of the country we were raised in. However, we must avoid the “mine is best” attitude. For our pleasure, Jehovah has created great variety in all things. (Ps. 104:24; Rev. 4:11) So why insist that one way of doing things is superior to another? God wants people of all sorts to come to an accurate knowledge of truth and to enjoy everlasting life. (John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:3, 4) Open-mindedness toward a diversity of acceptable ideas enriches us and protects our Christian unity. As we maintain our loyalty to Jehovah, we must avoid involvement in the world’s controversies. Partisan allegiances have no place among us. How thankful we are to Jehovah for freeing us from the divisive, prideful, competitive practices that dominate Satan’s world! w15 7/15 3:17, 18

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, November 15

[God] cares for you.—1 Pet. 5:7.

 

There are many ways to express our love for Jehovah. For example, we show love for God and neighbor by having a zealous share in the Kingdom-preaching work. (Matt. 24:14;28:19, 20) We show that we truly love Jehovah by enduring tests of faith as integrity keepers. (Ps. 84:11; Jas. 1:2-5) If our trials become severe, we can be sure that God is aware of our suffering and will help us, for we are precious to him. (Ps. 56:8) Our love for Jehovah moves us to meditate on his creative works and other marvelous deeds. We show that we love God and highly value his Word by diligently studying the Bible. Love for Jehovah draws us ever closer to him in prayer. And our love for God grows deeper as we reflect on the ransom sacrifice he provided for our sins. (1 John 2:1, 2) These are just some of the many reasons we have for loving Jehovah in response to his enduring love for us. w15 8/15 1:6, 17, 18

 

Edited November 14, 2017 by GrumpysWife

[Spechellekaye]

We are a part of the most wonderful organization in the world. We love and serve the Almighty God Jehovah and he is an impartial God. He does not care about the color of your skin or material wealth. He looks at each individuals heart and their loyalty to him. So we should not pre-judge people when we look at them. Our mission is to preach to all, no matter where or how they live or the color of their skin. 

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, November 16

[It is] better to be patient.—Eccl. 7:8.

 

In the new world, there may be times when we will need to exercise patience. For example, we may hear of individuals who, to the delight of their relatives and friends, have been raised from the dead. However, we ourselves may have to wait for the resurrection of our loved ones. If that is the case, will we rejoice with others and be patient? (Rom. 12:15) Learning to wait patiently for the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promises now will help us to exercise patience then. We can also prepare for life in the new world by exercising patience regarding revealed truth. Are we studious and patient as our understanding of Bible truth is progressively clarified today? If so, we will likely have no difficulty showing patience in the new world as Jehovah makes known his requirements for mankind.—Prov. 4:18; John 16:12. w15 8/15 3:9, 10

[jayrtom]

Today's text made me wonder if we will have anxiety waiting for the resurrections... After all only Jehovah knows who will and who won't be resurrected whatever our own opinion...

Could it be that a list of all the approved for resurrection be available?

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, November 17

Attain . . . the measure of stature that belongs to the fullness of the Christ.—Eph. 4:13.

 

The apostle Paul wrote of the need for Christians in Ephesus to grow spiritually. He encouraged them to reach out to “attain to the oneness of the faith and of the accurate knowledge of the Son of God, to being a full-grown man, attaining the measure of stature that belongs to the fullness of the Christ.” (Eph. 4:13) When Paul wrote his letter, the congregation in Ephesus had already existed for some years. Many disciples there had reached a high level of spiritual development. Some, however, still needed to press on to maturity. The situation among Jehovah’s Witnesses today is much the same. Many brothers and sisters have long served God and have advanced to spiritual maturity. But obviously not all are at that point. For example, thousands of new ones are baptized each year, so some still need to strive for maturity. What about you?—Col. 2:6, 7. w15 9/15 1:2, 3

[Pink Butterflies]

Today's text reminds reminds of Gal 5:22. So glad this quality will be included in the series they're doing in the Watchtower. It would be wonderful if it was made into a book or brochure afterward. 

[humble bumble bee]

Strive for a stronger relationship with Jehovah

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, November 18

Physical training is beneficial for a little.—1 Tim. 4:8.

 

Many have concluded that a measure of regular exercise promotes good health and refreshes the body and mind. If we want to enjoy exercise in a group, should we share in it with just anyone? Proverbs 13:20 tells us: “The one walking with the wise will become wise, but the one who has dealings with the stupid will fare badly.” Does this not suggest that we should be selective in our choice of recreation, guided by our Bible-trained conscience? There is also the question of when to engage in recreation. Do you plan recreation around theocratic activities, such as meetings, field ministry, and personal study? Or do you find yourself trying to fit theocratic activities between periods of leisure? What are your priorities? Jesus said: “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33) Does your conscience prompt you to set priorities that line up with Jesus’ advice? w15 9/15 2:13, 15

[humble bumble bee]

Balance and focus

[Spechellekaye]

Family worship, daily Bible reading, personal study and research, and meeting attendance will assist us with being more spiritually mature. But we must keep in mind that it will not mean that we will know everything. I personally enjoy listening to the comments of those that are spiritually mature at the KH and for everyone's daily text comments in this group. 

[Spechellekaye]

Paul's words show that the benefits of physical exercise are not as great as the long term benefits of a good relationship with Jehovah. This includes our choice of recreation. So we all should strive to be balanced in our our pursuit of anything that will outweigh our worship to Jehovah. 

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, November 19

Why are you so angry and dejected? If you turn to doing good, will you not be restored to favor? . . . Will you get the mastery over [sin]?—Gen. 4:6, 7.

 

That was timely counsel coupled with positive direction. Jehovah thus warned Cain when it was apparent that Cain was on a very dangerous course. Sadly, Cain did not heed that warning, and he suffered for it. (Gen. 4:11-13) When Jeremiah’s secretary, Baruch, felt weary and despondent, Jehovah gave him counsel to help him see the reality of his problem. Unlike Cain, Baruch accepted Jehovah’s counsel, and this preserved his life. (Jer. 45:2-5) “Those whom Jehovah loves he disciplines, in fact, he scourges everyone whom he receives as a son,” wrote Paul. (Heb. 12:6) Discipline, however, is not limited to punishment. It takes various forms. There are many examples in the Bible of faithful servants undergoing extreme trials that may have involved discipline and that trained them. w15 9/15 4:12, 13

[humble bumble bee]

Heed Jehovah's counsel.

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, November 20

Your servants have come . . . out of regard for the name of Jehovah your God, because we have heard about his fame and about all he did.—Josh. 9:9.

 

The Gibeonites wisely recognized Israel’s backer to be the true God. Rahab too perceived God’s hand in the events of her day. After learning about how Jehovah rescued his people, she told two Israelite spies: “I do know that Jehovah will give you the land.” Even though taking such a stand was fraught with danger, she expressed faith that Jehovah could deliver her and her family. (Josh. 2:9-13; 4:23, 24) These and many other examples in the Bible help us to understand what it means to see God or to see his hand in matters. As we come to know him, we too can see his hand because we perceive his qualities and actions with “the eyes of [our] heart.” (Eph. 1:18) Surely we want to be like those past and present who have clearly seen Jehovah supporting his people. w15 10/15 1:6, 7, 9

[1MKnight]

The child abuse case thread makes me think about this scripture and how it relates to those who leave the org. The problem always comes down to attitude. A bad attitude, one that Jehovah won't accept, is something that we can't really see or judge until the person goes through a hardship or sees something they see as an injustice (perhaps it's not even an injustice, but not all the facts are revealed yet). At that point persons will decide that their way of doing this is better, and they will leave "angry and dejected". This is somethign we must all always keep in mind. Never be like Cain and the apostates. Baruch on the other hand is a beautiful example. I've heard of experiences from a brother who was unjustly deleted as an elder (the story came from my previous D.O. so i feel that I can trust that it was unjust). The brother was advised that he could seek out the branch and try to repeal the deletion. However, the brother just said "this is Jehovah's arrangement and I'm going to follow the arrangement". My D.O. said that's probably something that he couldn't have stood for if he was the one at the time being treated unjustly like that, but he said this is the type of humility we need when taking direction, counsel and discipline.