Friday, February 24 [My word] will have sure success in what I send it to do.—Isa. 55:11. Think about how the preaching of the good news fits in with Jehovah’s loving purpose for humankind. He purposed that humans would inhabit the earth without ever dying; though Adam sinned, Jehovah did not change His mind. Instead, he arranged for humans to be delivered from condemnation to sin and [...]
Thursday, February 23 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those too I must bring in, . . . and they will become one flock, one shepherd.—John 10:16. Do those of the other sheep need to know the names of all those who are anointed today? The short answer is no. Why not? Because even if someone has received the heavenly calling, that person has received [...]
Tuesday, February 21 The desolating of [Jerusalem] has drawn near.—Luke 21:20. Seeing Jerusalem “surrounded by encamped armies,” just as Jesus had prophesied, Christians in Judea, and especially those living in Jerusalem, had to act decisively. Jesus had warned them that they would need to flee as soon as they saw these events start to unfold. In the 28 years since Jesus had uttered that prophecy, the faithful [...]
Sunday, February 19 Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?—Matt. 24:45. When early in the last century a small group of diligent Bible students was appointed as “the faithful and discreet slave,” much of their communication with the “domestics” was in English. That “slave” has put forth great effort [...]
Friday, February 10 In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here.—2 Tim. 3:1. The Bible indicates that wickedness will greatly increase “in the last days.” So we can expect that world conditions, bad as they are now, will continue to decline. But how bad do you expect conditions to become before “the great tribulation”? For example, do you expect that there will be a war [...]
Wednesday, February 8 I [will] sanctify myself through you before their eyes, O Gog.—Ezek. 38:16. Shortly before the remaining ones of the 144,000 are taken to heaven, Gog will attack God’s people. What reaction does this provoke? On earth, God’s people will appear to be defenseless. They will obey the instructions given in the days of King Jehoshaphat: “You will not need to fight this battle. Take your [...]
Tuesday, February 7 I will glorify the place for my feet.—Isa. 60:13. The expression “spiritual paradise” has become a part of our theocratic vocabulary. It describes our unique, spiritually rich environment, or condition, which allows us to enjoy peace with God and with our brothers. Of course, we should not conclude that the terms “spiritual paradise” and “spiritual temple” are the same. The spiritual temple is God’s [...]
This is the first of what I hope to be regular weekly, "Sunday Talks." Sorry for the less than optimal sound quality. The little clip on microphone I was wearing picked up some background noise, so I had to use the audio recorded from the shotgun mic on the camera, which was sub par. Hopefully I'll get the mic situation fixed for next Sunday. I think [...]
Saturday, January 28 Let me pin him to the ground with the spear just once, and I will not need to do it twice.—1 Sam. 26:8. When Abishai crept into Saul’s camp, he did not have his loyalties in the proper order. Out of loyalty to David, Abishai was eager to kill King Saul, but David restrained him, realizing that it would be wrong to lift one’s hand [...]
Friday, January 27 Your people will be my people, and your God my God.—Ruth 1:16. Note Ruth’s love for Jehovah. The landowner Boaz later praised Ruth for seeking refuge under Jehovah’s wings. That may remind us of a baby bird taking refuge under the wings of a powerful, protective parent. Jehovah became such a parent to Ruth. He rewarded her for her faith, and she never had any reason [...]
Daily commentary on examining the Scriptures.