Tuesday, July 7 The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one. —1 John 5:19. Satan wants us to become like him —a rebel who ignores Jehovah’s standards and is motivated by selfishness. He surrounds us with people who are already corrupted by him and hopes that they will “spoil” or “corrupt” the way we think and act. (1 Cor. 15:33; ftn.) Satan also tries to [...]
Monday, July 6 Let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works. —Heb. 10:24. To attend meetings regularly, we may need to demonstrate courage in the face of difficult circumstances. Some of our brothers and sisters attend meetings despite being burdened by grief, discouragement, or health problems. Others courageously attend meetings despite strong opposition from family members or governmental authorities. Think for [...]
Sunday, July 5 He let himself be afflicted, but he would not open his mouth. —Isa. 53:7. When we are under stress, it is difficult to be meek. Our words may become harsh and our tone cold. If you have ever felt stressed, consider the example of Jesus. During the final months of his life on earth, Jesus was under intense stress. He knew that he [...]
Saturday, July 4 All things are naked and openly exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we must give an account. —Heb. 4:13. Under the Mosaic Law, appointed older men were responsible for handling not only spiritual matters but also civil and criminal cases. Consider a few examples. If an Israelite killed someone, he was not arbitrarily executed. The elders of his city would [...]
Wednesday, July 1 Keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is. —Eph. 5:17. We are living in “critical times” that are “hard to deal with,” and life is going to become even more difficult before a new day dawns and true peace is restored to this earth. (2 Tim. 3:1) So we do well to ask ourselves, ‘Where am I looking for help and direction?’ Centuries ago, [...]
Tuesday, June 30 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up. —Prov. 12:25. Paul showed that even one who has the responsibility of encouraging others needs to be built up himself. To Christians living in Rome, he wrote: “I am longing to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift to you for you to be made firm; [...]
Monday, June 29 These are the ones who . . . bear fruit with endurance. —Luke 8:15. If you have ever felt discouraged when preaching in less responsive territories, you will relate to the apostle Paul. During his approximately 30-year-long ministry, he helped numerous individuals to become disciples of Christ. (Acts 14:21; 2 Cor. 3:2, 3) Still, he did not succeed in moving many Jews to become true worshippers. On the contrary, [...]
Sunday, June 28 The serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die.” —Gen. 3:4. Adam no doubt knew that serpents cannot talk. So he may have surmised that a spirit creature had spoken with Eve through the serpent. (Gen. 3:1-6) Adam and Eve knew virtually nothing about this spirit. Even so, Adam made a conscious choice to turn his back on his loving heavenly [...]
It was a bad idea to add daily comments into one long post. It makes for slow loading for those with slow connections, and it works against good search engine practices. So, I will be posting individual articles from now on, as before. Saturday, June 27 Accept . . . the sword of the spirit, that is, God’s word. —Eph. 6:17. The sword used by Roman infantrymen at [...]
Friday, June 26 The hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he has offered a sacred service to God. —John 16:2. That warning was true of those who murdered the disciple Stephen, and it has been true of others like them. (Acts 6:8, 12; 7:54-60) How ironic that in committing such evil crimes as murder, religious fanatics violate the very laws of the One whom [...]
