Moscow (AsiaNews) - While in some regions of Russia Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) have been deemed "extremists", like the militants of the Islamic State or neo-Nazis, the State Duma (the lower house of parliament) is studying how to introduce a legal concept of "sect" that does not violate the Constitution and could be used to ban the activities of certain religious organizations from the country. On November [...]
Wednesday, December 16 Who really is the faithful and discreet slave?—Matt. 24:45. The faithful slave must be made up of anointed Christians on earth. Such ones are called “a royal priesthood” and have been commissioned to “‘declare abroad the excellencies’ of the one that called them out of darkness into his wonderful light.” That slave is made up of a small group of anointed brothers who are [...]
Tuesday, December 15 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. In giving direction to fellow believers, elders provide encouragement and counsel based either on the Scriptures themselves or on Scriptural principles. Their objective in providing such guidance is not to dictate how their brothers should live their lives. Rather, it is to [...]
NEW YORK (AP) — The Jehovah's Witnesses, the door-knocking religious group that's been based in Brooklyn for a century, is selling its headquarters and other properties for an expected price tag of $1 billion or more. The Witnesses' move to a town about an hour north of New York City will likely mean the end of the complex's most well-known feature, the neon "Watchtower" sign advertising [...]
Sunday, December 13 The king will long for your beauty, for he is your lord, so bow down to him.—Ps. 45:11. Over the centuries, Christ has been preparing his future bride for their heavenly wedding. The apostle Paul explained that Christ “loved the congregation and gave himself up for it, in order that he might sanctify it, cleansing it with the bath of water by means of [...]
Friday, December 11 Let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together.—Heb. 10:24, 25. For what reasons does our God place such importance on our regularly gathering together? Our meetings, assemblies, and conventions help us to have courage to speak with boldness and to deal with opposition or apathy in our territories. We are strengthened and made firm in [...]
Thursday, December 10 There is where their weeping and the gnashing of their teeth will be.—Matt. 13:42. Is that happening right now? No. Today, Christendom, as part of the harlot, still says about herself: “I sit a queen, and I am no widow, and I shall never see mourning.” Indeed, Christendom feels very much in charge, even presuming to ‘sit as a queen’ atop the class of political [...]
Monday, December 7 The heart is more treacherous than anything else.—Jer. 17:9. The spirit of a sound mind does not mean just going by what we or others think or feel is reasonable or expedient. Our imperfect mind and heart can be like a watch that is going either too fast or too slow. Being guided by it could bring us serious trouble. We need to calibrate [...]
Sunday, December 6 The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.—1 John 5:19. As he did in Eden, Satan also today targets the inexperienced. Young people are a particular favorite for attack. Satan is not happy when a young person, or indeed anyone, volunteers to slave for Jehovah. God’s enemy wants all who dedicate their lives to Jehovah to fail in their devotion and [...]
Saturday, December 5 They will not lift up sword, nation against nation.—Mic. 4:3. Earth wide today, true worshippers of Jehovah have beaten “their swords into plowshares,” and they refuse to “learn war anymore.” Understandably, we want Jehovah to bring an end to this wicked system soon. If we are to wait patiently, though, we need to view matters from Jehovah’s perspective. He has set a day when he [...]
