Friday, March 16 The word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword.​—Heb. 4:12.

[njwinans]

4 minutes ago, minister159 said:

When might we start to think or act immodestly? Consider a few of the warning signs. We might be taking ourselves or our privileges too seriously. (Rom. 12:16) We might be drawing attention to ourselves in inappropriate ways. (1 Tim. 2:9, 10) Or we might be advocating strong opinions solely on the basis of our position, connections, or personal thinking. (1 Cor. 4:6) Often, when we act like this, we may not even be aware that we have crossed the line from modesty to presumptuousness."

 

Great point.

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, February 27

Let the elders who preside in a fine way be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching.—1 Tim. 5:17.

Those related to us in the faith certainly merit honor and respect. This is especially true of the elders who are taking the lead. We honor these brothers regardless of their nationality, education, social standing, or financial status. The Bible refers to them as “gifts in men,” and they are a key part of God’s arrangement to care for the needs of his people. (Eph. 4:8) Think of congregation elders, circuit overseers, Branch Committee members, and the members of the Governing Body. Our brothers and sisters in the first century had high regard for those appointed to take the lead, and we feel similarly today. We do not idolize well-known representatives of the Christian congregation or react in their presence as if angels were standing nearby. Still, we do respect and honor such brothers for their hard work and humility.—2 Cor. 1:24; Rev. 19:10. w17.03 1:13

[Stoffer]

The clue is in the scripture itself:

Quote

Let the elders who preside in a fine way ... those who work hard...

Those that don't (including in their own homes) shouldn't be surprised if they don't receive much honour or respect.

This is a good text for those of us serving in a position of oversight, not to show others that we deserve respect but rather to make sure that we are indeed setting a fine example for others to follow. We shouldn't be doing things to receive glory nor honour but maybe if some brothers and sisters are a bit brusk with us, could the reason be that we are not setting a fine example?

The final word in the text today is vital for appointed men: "humility".

 

Those are my musings on today's text. 

[njwinans]

Our brothers care.

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, February 28

Why do you call me good? Nobody is good except one, God.—Mark 10:18.

What a contrast existed between Jesus and Herod Agrippa I, who became king of Judea! At a diplomatic function, Herod clothed himself “with royal raiment.” His adoring crowd shouted: “A god’s voice, and not a man’s!” Herod evidently basked in the praise. But “instantly the angel of Jehovah struck him, because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten up with worms and died.” (Acts 12:21-23) Surely, no objective observer could conclude that Herod was chosen by Jehovah to be leader. Jesus, on the other hand, gave convincing evidence of being appointed by God, and he constantly glorified Jehovah as the Supreme Leader of his people. Jesus’ leadership was not meant to last only a few years. “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth,” he declared after his resurrection. “And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”—Matt. 28:18-20. w17.02 3:20, 21

[njwinans]

3 words to sum up the text:

 

Jesus' eternal leadership.

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, March 1

They drove Jephthah out.—Judg. 11:2.

Jealousy and hatred moved Jephthah’s half brothers to drive him away, illegally depriving him of his rightful inheritance as firstborn. (Judg. 11:1-3) Yet, he came to their aid when they pleaded for his help. (Judg. 11:4-11) The fight to defend Jehovah’s name was more important to Jephthah than any personal conflicts. He was determined to be faithful to Jehovah, resulting in good for himself and for others. (Heb. 11:32, 33) Will we allow Jephthah’s example to touch our hearts? Perhaps we have experienced disappointment or ill-treatment from certain Christian brothers. If so, we should not allow such challenges to hold us back from attending Christian meetings or serving Jehovah and being with the congregation to the full. In imitation of Jephthah, we too can allow divine standards to help us overcome negative circumstances and continue to be a force for good.—Rom. 12:20, 21; Col. 3:13. w16.04 1:7, 9, 10

[njwinans]

Don't withhold good.

[Tbs77]

Be loving regardless

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, March 2

We do not give up.—2 Cor. 4:1.

We must endure, not for a time, but to the end. To illustrate: Imagine a ship that capsizes. To survive, the passengers must swim to shore. The swimmer who gives up only a few yards from shore faces the same fate as the swimmer who gave up much earlier. Similarly, we are determined to endure until we reach the new world. Our life depends on our enduring. We have an attitude like that of the apostle Paul, who twice stated: “We do not give up.” (2 Cor. 4:16) We can be absolutely confident that Jehovah will help us endure to the end. We share Paul’s conviction as expressed at Romans 8:37-39: “We are coming off completely victorious through the one who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” w16.04 2:17, 18

[njwinans]

3 words to describe today's text:

 

DON'T GIVE UP!

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, March 3

If any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep asking God, . . . and it will be given him.—Jas. 1:5.

Ask Jehovah for the wisdom to recognize and deal with situations that could cause you to violate your Christian neutrality. If you are imprisoned or otherwise punished because of your resolute stand for true worship, pray for the strength to defend your faith with boldness and to endure whatever persecution may come. (Acts 4:27-31) Jehovah can strengthen you by means of his Word. Meditate on verses that will help you maintain your neutrality under test. Commit them to memory now, so that they can sustain you if you do not have access to a Bible later. God’s Word can also reinforce your hope in future Kingdom blessings. This hope is essential if we are to endure persecution. (Rom. 8:25) Select passages that describe blessings that you especially hope to enjoy, and visualize yourself experiencing those blessings in Paradise. w16.04 4:14, 15

[njwinans]

Those seeking ask.

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, March 4

You received free, give free.—Matt. 10:8.

The clergy of Christendom are not preaching God’s Kingdom. If they do speak about the Kingdom, many refer to it as a feeling or a condition in the heart of a Christian. (Luke 17:21) They do not help people to understand that God’s Kingdom is a heavenly government with Jesus Christ as Ruler, that it is the solution to all mankind’s problems, and that it will soon remove all wickedness from this earth. (Rev. 19:11-21) Rather, they prefer to remember Jesus at Christmas and Easter. They seem to have no idea of what Jesus will accomplish as earth’s new Ruler. They have also lost sight of what should be the motive for preaching. It should not be to collect money and construct elaborate buildings. The Word of God should not be commercialized. (2 Cor. 2:17, ftn.) Those preaching the Kingdom message should not seek personal gain for the work that they do.—Acts 20:33-35. w16.05 2:7, 8

[njwinans]

Three words that describe today's text.  You can choose to elaborate if you want to.  We have a few in my hall that does this and it is fun to see what everyone comes up with.

 

Saturday March 3rd...  

 

Those seeking ask.

 

Now you try.

Edited March 4, 2018 by njwinans

[njwinans]

God's servants give.

[Rozannnancarrow]

Preach .teach live

[Miss Bea]

Future? Prepare now! 

[Tia]

Hi Brother Nathan,

Nice. We have been doing the 3 words for a few years

with some friends in our congo.  It gets so meaty for me

I need a whole sentence.    

[Tia]

Christendom shutup Kingdom

[njwinans]

Sunday's...

 

God's servants give.

[normadenardo]

Takers gonna pay 

[Rozannnancarrow]

Greedyness Rev 19.17 

Hurry up 

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, March 5

Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.—1 Cor. 10:24.

Suppose you are drawn to a certain style of dress that could possibly disturb some in the congregation. Yet, you may know of no specific Bible law that forbids it. What is Jehovah’s mind on the matter? The apostle Paul offered this inspired counsel: “The women should adorn themselves in appropriate dress, with modesty and soundness of mind, not with styles of hair braiding and gold or pearls or very expensive clothing, but in the way that is proper for women professing devotion to God.” (1 Tim. 2:9, 10) In principle, this counsel applies equally to Christian men. As devoted servants of Jehovah, we are concerned not only with our personal preferences but with the effect that our dress and grooming could have on others. Modesty and love move us to take into account the opinions of fellow believers in order to avoid distracting or even offending them.—1 Cor. 10:23; Phil. 3:17. w16.05 3:14

[njwinans]

Others are First.