Wednesday, September 30 I will give you all this authority and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. —Luke 4:6. Satan and the demons use not only governments but also false religion and the commercial system to mislead “the entire inhabited earth.” (Rev. 12:9) Through false religion, Satan promotes lies about Jehovah. In addition, the Devil seems [...]
Sunday, September 27 I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart. —Rom. 9:2. Paul felt discouraged by the Jews’ negative reaction to the Kingdom message. Even so, he did not give up on them. Note what he further said in his letter to the Christians in Rome about his feelings toward those Jews: “The goodwill of my heart and my supplication to God for [...]
Saturday, September 26 The sons of the true God began to notice that the daughters of men were beautiful. —Gen. 6:2. Perhaps Satan tempted the disloyal angels not only with the opportunity for immoral sex but also with the promise of seizing power over mankind. His purpose may have been to disrupt the arrival of the promised ‘offspring of the woman.’ (Gen. 3:15) In any case, [...]
Friday, September 25 Is it lawful to pay head tax to Caesar or not? —Matt. 22:17. The party followers of Herod who raised this issue hoped that if Jesus denounced the tax, he might be accused of sedition. If Jesus said that taxation was a necessary burden, he could lose the support of his followers. Jesus was careful to remain neutral on the taxation issue. Of [...]
Modesty is good. It is important to recognize our limitations both in our abilities and in our authority. True modesty comes from recognizing divine supremacy and authority. In his presentation, Mark Sanderson noted a couple of Bible examples. One of modesty and one of presumptuousness. David displayed modesty by not taking vengeance on Saul, who was seeking to kill him. [...]
Tuesday, September 22 Jehovah knows those who belong to him. —2 Tim. 2:19. How can we strengthen our resolve to seek Jehovah’s recognition and not that of the world? To do so, we need to remember two important facts. First, Jehovah always gives recognition to those who serve him faithfully. (Heb. 6:10; 11:6) He deeply appreciates every one of his servants, and he views it as “unrighteous” to ignore those who are [...]
Monday, September 21 Jehovah your God you should fear, him you should serve, to him you should cling. —Deut. 10:20. The Bible accounts about the disobedience of Cain, Solomon, and the Israelites at Mount Sinai have a noteworthy element in common. These individuals had opportunity to “repent . . . and turn around.” (Acts 3:19) Clearly, Jehovah is not quick to give up on those who take a [...]
Saturday, September 12 How long must I ask for help from violence, but you do not intervene? —Hab. 1:2. Habakkuk lived during a very difficult and challenging time. He was deeply saddened because he was surrounded by wicked, violent people. When would their wickedness end? Why did Jehovah take so long before acting? All Habakkuk saw was injustice and oppression practiced by his own countrymen. He [...]
Sunday, September 6 The Law has a shadow of the good things to come. —Heb. 10:1. The Law specifically protected those who could not protect themselves, such as orphans, widows, and foreign residents. The judges in Israel were told: “You must not pervert the judgment of the foreign resident or of the fatherless child, and you must not seize the garment of a widow as security [...]
Wednesday, September 2 No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him. —John 6:44. We can play a part in helping others learn about God, but we do not play the most important part. (1 Cor. 3:6, 7) Jehovah is the one who draws people. In the end, each individual will respond to the good news based on his or her heart condition. [...]
Daily commentary on examining the Scriptures.