Tuesday, May 4 If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself. —Matt. 16:24. When you make a dedication, you approach Jehovah in earnest prayer and tell him that you will use your life to serve him forever. When you dedicate yourself to God, you “disown” yourself. You now belong to Jehovah, which is a great privilege. (Rom. 14:8) You are telling him that from [...]
Jehovah established marriage. In fact, God conducted the very first wedding in the Garden of Eden when He created a woman from one of Adam’s surgically removed ribs and then brought her to the man. Evidently, wedlock was intended as the only human institution. We know the sad ending of that original marriage. Marriage, though, with all of its connotations, is used by God metaphorically. God [...]
In my recent Internet meanderings, I came upon a summary of a book called the God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins. Having no inclination to read the book I do, however, wish to respond to a few summary points that are the premise of the atheists’ point of view. Argument #1: Who Created the Creator? For creationists, an intelligent God is the ultimate and simple explanation [...]
Friday, April 23 The one who endures to the end will be saved. —Matt. 24:13, ftn. Our endurance does not depend on favorable circumstances. We can strengthen our endurance by relying on Jehovah. (Rom. 12:12) Jesus’ promise in today’s text means that we must remain faithful despite any challenges we face. By enduring each trial now, we can become stronger before the outbreak of the great tribulation. [...]
Thursday, April 22 Know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. —2 Tim. 3:1. Were you born after the year 1914? If so, you have lived your entire life during “the last days” of the present system of things. All of us have heard about the events that Jesus foretold for this time. These include wars, food shortages, earthquakes, pestilences, [...]
Monday, April 19 I will show you the judgment on the great prostitute. —Rev. 17:1. Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, has brought much reproach on God’s name. She has taught lies about God. She has prostituted herself spiritually by forming alliances with earth’s rulers. She has used her power and influence to exploit her flocks. And she has spilled much blood, including the [...]
Thursday, April 15 We are [not] the masters over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, for it is by your faith that you are standing. —2 Cor. 1:24. Jehovah has not given us authority to make personal decisions for others. Someone who makes needless rules is not protecting his brother’s safety —he is trying to become the master of his brother’s faith. Satan the Devil will [...]
Wednesday, April 7 All those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted. —2 Tim. 3:12. In 2018, more than 223,000 publishers of the good news lived in lands where our spiritual activities were banned or severely restricted. This is not surprising. True Christians expect to be persecuted. No matter where we live, secular authorities may suddenly and unexpectedly ban us [...]
Jeremiah was originally commissioned by Jehovah to serve as a prophet to the nations and Jerusalem. In the opening chapter, God informed Jeremiah that He had sanctified him even before he was born. In that, we are reminded that those chosen to be in union with Jesus were foreordained before the founding of the world. There is no evidence that Jeremiah personally conveyed denunciatory messages to [...]
Wednesday, March 24 Who really is the faithful and discreet slave? —Matt. 24:45. In 1919, Jesus appointed a small group of anointed brothers as “the faithful and discreet slave.” That slave takes the lead in the preaching work and gives Christ’s followers “food at the proper time.” Satan and his world have done much to make the work of that faithful slave challenging, even impossible, to carry [...]
