Friday, August 26 We are members belonging to one another.—Eph. 4:25. Jehovah is helping us “to serve him shoulder to shoulder.” He is training us to fit into his eternal purpose. What does that include? He purposes “to gather all things together in the Christ.” Yes, he wants to unify all willing creatures throughout the universe, and he will succeed in doing this. Does that help you to see [...]
Tuesday, August 23 Let the one who thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.—1 Cor. 10:12. Consider King David of ancient Israel. As a young person, he was victorious over the Philistine giant Goliath. David became a soldier, a king, a protector, and a decision-maker for a nation. But when David relied on himself, his heart deceived him and he committed a serious sin with [...]
Monday, August 22 If errors were what you watch . . . who, O Jehovah, could stand?—Ps. 130:3. Had you been there with Moses when Aaron made a statue of a golden calf, how would you have felt about Aaron’s weak excuses? Or how would you have considered Aaron’s attitude when he criticized Moses for marrying a foreign woman? How would you have reacted when Aaron and Moses failed to honor [...]
Sunday, August 21 This good news of the Kingdom will be preached.—Matt. 24:14. The postwar year of 1919 opened up the possibility for a worldwide witness to be given about God’s means of salvation and the good news of the established Kingdom. Anointed Christians seized this opportunity to witness, resulting in thousands more anointed ones being gathered to become Christ’s joint heirs. From the mid-1930’s onward, it [...]
Saturday, August 20 The eyes of Jehovah are on the righteous, and his ears listen to their supplication.—1 Pet. 3:12. The righteous include “a great crowd” who “come out of the great tribulation.” These survivors are not just “a crowd.” They are “a great crowd”—a very large number of people. Do you see yourself among them as a survivor of “the great tribulation”? Where do those making up [...]
Thursday, August 18 The virgins who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast.—Matt. 25:10. A quality that helped those virgins to be ready was vigilance. Would it be possible for individual anointed Christians to get sleepy during a long nighttime vigil? Indeed. Note that Jesus says of the ten virgins that “they all became drowsy and fell asleep.” Jesus knew well that even a [...]
Tuesday, August 16 Clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion.—Col. 3:12. “The tender affections of compassion” are part of the new personality that all Christians are expected to put on. How can you cultivate tender feelings for others? Open your heart wide. Listen carefully when someone shares his feelings and concerns. Use your imagination and ask yourself: ‘If I were in his situation, how would I feel? [...]
Monday, August 15 The Kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure, hidden in the field . . . Again the Kingdom of the heavens is like a traveling merchant seeking fine pearls.—Matt. 13:44, 45. In these two parables, Jesus showed that the truth is found in different ways. Some people are searching for it and have gone to great lengths to find it. Others, although not searching for it, [...]
Belated commentary Saturday, August 13 I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring.—Gen. 3:15. How intense would this enmity be? “He (the offspring of the woman) will crush your (Satan’s) head, and you will strike him in the heel,” said Jehovah. The enmity between the serpent and the woman would be so fierce that Satan would spare no effort [...]
Friday, August 12 You will be beaten in synagogues and be put on the stand before governors and kings.—Mark 13:9. As those words indicate, some Christians will face tribulation in the form of physical persecution, perhaps at the instigation of religious or political leaders. Consider Paul’s example. Did he cower at the thought of being subjected to such persecution? Not at all. Paul bravely stood up to Satan’s [...]
Daily commentary on examining the Scriptures.