Thursday, July 21 People will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations.—Matt. 24:9. As followers of Christ and Witnesses of Jehovah, we are persecuted in nations around the world. This is to be expected. In the face of such hatred, however, we endure in the Kingdom-preaching work and continue to prove ourselves holy before Jehovah. [...]
Sunday, July 17 For your sakes I will send to Babylon and bring down all the bars of the gates.—Isa. 43:14. In line with that prophecy, a world-shaking event happened one night early in October 539 B.C.E. While Babylon’s king and his nobles were drinking wine from holy vessels captured from Jerusalem’s temple and were praising their man-made gods, the armies of Media and Persia conquered Babylon. In [...]
Saturday, July 16 Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.—Gen. 6:8. Noah “was a righteous man” who “proved himself faultless among his contemporaries.” Because “Noah walked with the true God,” Jehovah instructed him to build a huge ark. Its design was well-suited for the preservation of human and animal life. Obediently, “Noah did everything that Jehovah had commanded him,” and with the cooperation of his [...]
Friday, July 15 Stop judging that you may not be judged.—Matt. 7:1. Rather than being judgmental or suspicious, if a fellow believer has been weakened by personal problems, our priority should be to provide spiritual assistance. If we pause to reflect on our brothers’ circumstances, we may see their seeming frailty in a different light. Think of sisters who have been enduring family opposition for years. Some [...]
Commentary on daily text of Jehovah's Witnesses Wednesday, July 13 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.—Matt. 25:19. Jesus will come to settle accounts with his slaves toward the end of the great tribulation just ahead. What leads us to this conclusion? In his prophecy recorded in Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Jesus repeatedly mentioned his coming. Referring to the judgment [...]
COMMENTARY: Although the just signed in-to-law prohibits all religious groups from preaching, obviously it will impact Jehovah's Witnesses most directly since Jehovah's Witnesses are all about witnessing about the truth. Most people probably don't realize that Jehovah's Witnesses were illegal in Russia until quite recently, after the fall of the USSR. All during the Soviet era Jehovah's Witnesses were hauled off to gulags in Siberia for [...]
Tuesday, July 12 Let your petitions be made known to God.—Phil. 4:6. When Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the central Philippines in late 2013, Sheryl, who was only 13 years old at the time, lost virtually everything. She said: “I lost my home, and I lost most of my family.” Her father, mother, and three siblings died in the powerful storm surge. What has helped Sheryl to get [...]
Monday, July 11 Who has despised the day of small beginnings?—Zech. 4:10. There is no need for us to be overly concerned about how the Kingdom message will reach the millions who have not yet heard it. Jehovah has everything under control. But what is our work? God’s Word answers: “Sow your seed in the morning and do not let your hand rest until the evening; for [...]
QUESTION: Whats your take on the new June 2016 WT, page 16, Question from Readers: "Whom do the man with the secretary's inkhorn and the six men with smashing weapons described in Ezekiel’s vision symbolize?" ANSWER: The Watchtower’s recent “adjustment” is correct. The man with the inkhorn and the six men with smashing weapons symbolize the angels who are involved in both saving the righteous and [...]
COMMENTARY: This story could be repeated many times. Child is abused by elder or ministerial servant. The Watchtower denies any responsibility for it and treats the victim as an offender. This case though, after appealing a judgment to pay a relatively small compensation of 275,000 pounds, the appeal judge socked them triple to cover the victim's considerable legal expenses that resulted as a consequence of the [...]
