Bible Speaks

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/254132115-story ARLINGTON, Va. - Fire investigators are looking into two separate fires that have taken place at two Jehovah’s Witnesses churches in the past two days. The most recent fire happened Thursday and investigators are trying to determine if the incidents are connected. When employees arrived at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses church in Arlington shortly after 10 a.m., they found a door leading to the sanctuary on fire. Firefighters put it out within minutes, but their attention has shifted as they say this is likely the work of an arsonist. “We did smell an accelerant upon our arrival,” said Arlington County Fire Lt. Deputy Jason Hart. “We also had a neighboring jurisdiction bring in their accelerant dog which was able to come around and investigate the scene. He did hit on around that door area for use of an accelerant.” “It's shocking,” said church member Carlos Quezada. “It's never happened before with us. This is the first time I hear that.” Mercy Musond said this incident will not deter her from coming to worship here. “Not really because it's never happened before,” said Mercy Musond. “I believe we are safe.” A minister at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses said staff is reviewing its security plan. A similar incident happened Wednesday at another church four miles away in Falls Church. “There is a similar case in our neighboring jurisdiction where another Jehovah's Witness church also had a fire there and we are investigating and coordinating with their office to determine if this is related,” said Hart. http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/254132115-story

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39907049?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook ⚠️⚠️⚠️〽️ A UK security researcher has told the BBC how he "accidentally" halted the spread of the malicious ransomware that has affected hundreds of organisations, including the UK's NHS. The 22-year-old man, known by the pseudonym MalwareTech, had taken a week off work, but decided to investigate the ransomware after hearing about the global cyber-attack. He managed to bring the spread to a halt when he found what appeared to be a "kill switch" in the rogue software's code. "It was actually partly accidental," he told the BBC, after spending the night investigating. "I have not slept a wink." Although his discovery did not repair the damage done by the ransomware, it did stop it spreading to new computers, and he has been hailed an "accidental hero". "I would say that's correct," he told the BBC. Cyber-attack scale 'unprecedented' NHS 'robust' after cyber-attack "The attention has been slightly overwhelming. The boss gave me another week off to make up for this train-wreck of a vacation." What exactly did he discover? The researcher first noticed that the malware was trying to contact a specific web address every time it infected a new computer. But the web address it was trying to contact - a long jumble of letters - had not been registered. MalwareTech decided to register it, and bought it for $10.69 (£8). Owning it would let him see where computers were accessing it from, and give him an idea of how widespread the ransomware was. Image copyright MALWARETECH Image caption Owning the web address let MalwareTech monitor where infections were happening But by doing so he triggered part of the ransomware's code that told it to continue spreading as long as the mysterious web address did not exist. Analysis: How did it start? What is the ransomware? This type of code is known as a "kill switch", which some attackers use to halt the spread of their software if things get out of hand. He tested his theory and was delighted when he managed to trigger the ransomware on demand. "Now you probably can't picture a grown man jumping around with the excitement of having just been 'ransomwared', but this was me," he said in a blog post. MalwareTech now thinks the code was originally designed to thwart researchers trying to investigate the ransomware, but it backfired by letting them remotely disable it. Does this mean the ransomware is defeated? While the registration of the web address appears to have stopped one strain of the ransomware spreading from device-to-device, it does not repair computers that are already infected. Security experts have also warned that new variants of the malware that ignore the "kill switch" will appear. "This variant shouldn't be spreading any further, however there'll almost certainly be copycats," said security researcher Troy Hunt in a blog post. MalwareTech warned: "We have stopped this one, but there will be another one coming and it will not be stoppable by us. "There's a lot of money in this, there is no reason for them to stop. It's not much effort for them to change the code and start over." http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39907049?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook

“O Hearer of prayer, even to you people of all flesh will come."—Ps. 65:2. ?????? ??? Jehovah is the Hearer of prayer for all righthearted ones ??? Psalms 65:1, 2 Jehovah listens to “people of all sorts” who sincerely want to know him and want to do his will We can go to Jehovah in prayer at any time Praise Jehovah, the Hearer of Prayer ??? Make your promises to Jehovah a matter of prayer ??? Psalms 61:1, 8 Praying about our promises will strengthen our resolve to keep them Our dedication to God is the most important promise we can make https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/202016242?q=ps+65%3A2&p=par

“Strap your sword on … Go on to victory."—Ps. 45:3, 4. #GodsAppointedKing? #JesusChrist ??⚔️?? Psalm 45:3. Jehovah tells the King to strap his sword on his side. By doing this, he gives Jesus permission to wage war against those who oppose God’s rule and to destroy them. (Psalm 110:2) ??⚔️?? Because Christ is a Warrior and King who cannot be defeated, he is called “mighty one.” He strapped on his sword in 1914, when he defeated Satan and the demons and threw them out of heaven down to the earth.—Revelation 12:7-9. ??⚔️?? That was only the beginning of the King’s ride to victory. He still must “complete his conquest.” (Revelation 6:2) Jehovah has decided that every part of Satan’s world must be destroyed, and the influence of Satan and his demons must be removed. First, Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, will be eliminated. Jehovah will use the world’s political rulers to destroy this wicked “prostitute.” (Revelation 17:16, 17) ??⚔️?? Next, Christ will completely remove all governments of Satan’s world. Then, Jesus, who is called “the angel of the abyss,” will complete his victory by throwing Satan and the demons into the abyss. (Revelation 9:1, 11;20:1-3) Let us see how these exciting events were foretold in Psalm 45. ??⚔️?? THE KING RIDES “IN THE CAUSE OF TRUTH” ??⚔️?? Read Psalm 45:4. The King does not fight a war to conquer lands or enslave people. He has honorable reasons to go to war. He rides to defend “truth and humility and righteousness.” Jehovah is the only one who has the right to rule the universe. This is the most important “truth” that must be defended. When Satan rebelled, he was saying that Jehovah did not have the right to rule. Since then, both demons and humans have questioned this fundamental truth. Now is the time for Jehovah’s anointed King to ride into battle and prove that Jehovah alone has the right to rule. ??⚔️?? All loyal servants of the King must follow his example and be humble as they obey Jehovah as their Ruler in all things. Only those who do this will be allowed to live in God’s new world.—Zechariah 14:16, 17. ??⚔️?? https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/402014122?q=ps+45%3A3%2C4&p=par 2 pictures 1 GIF 1 Moving IMG_4711.mov

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"With someone loyal you will act in loyalty."—2 Sam. 22:26. ??‍❤️‍?? WHAT IS A GOOD FRIEND? ??‍❤️‍?? Two good friends talking to each other ?Principle: “A true friend shows love at all times, and is a brother who is born for times of distress.”—Proverbs 17:17. ?Some questions to ask yourself ?Are my friends also friends of Jehovah and Jesus?—John 15:14, 16; James 2:23. ?Do my friends help me to develop good habits?—1 Corinthians 15:33. ?Do my friends love me enough to correct me if necessary?—Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 27:6. ?What do my speech and actions reveal about the type of friend I am to others?—Proverbs 12:18; 18:24; 1 John 3:16-18. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102008062?q=2+sam+22%3A26&p=par

“You will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name."—Matt. 24:9 ??? 'Christ’s true followers to be objects of hatred by all nations on account of his name’ (Matt. 24:9) ??? This persecution is not because of political meddling but ‘on account of the name of Jesus Christ,’ because his followers adhere to him as Jehovah’s Messianic King, because of their obeying Christ ahead of any earthly ruler, because of their loyally adhering to his Kingdom and not becoming involved in the affairs of human governments. As modern-day history testifies, that has been the experience of Jehovah’s Witnesses in all parts of the earth. ??? ‘This good news of the kingdom preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness’ (Matt. 24:14) ??? The message that would be preached is that God’s Kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ has begun to rule in the heavens, that soon it will put an end to the entire wicked system of things, that under its rule mankind will be brought to perfection and earth will become a paradise. That good news is being preached today in over 200 lands and island groups, to the most distant parts of the earth. Jehovah’s Witnesses devote hundreds of millions of hours to this activity each year, making repeated house-to-house visits so that everyone possible is given the opportunity to hear. ??? https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101989243?q=matt+24%3A9&p=par

DO YOU FEEL "TRAPPED" WITH NO WAY OUT LIKE THE ISRAELITES DID ATTHE EDGE OF THE RED SEA? ????? ??DID THEY "THINK" THEY WOULD DIE OR HAVE FAITH IN JEHOVAH GOD AND THAT HE WOULD PROTECT HIS PEOPLE? ??SO TOO WE ARE AT THE SYMBOLIC EDGE OF THE RED SEA, ON TO A NEW WORLD ? WE MUST LISTEN, AND OBEY TO BE BLESSED! ??THE Israelites were trapped—wedged between forbidding mountain cliffs and an impassable sea. The Egyptian army, a ruthless killing machine, was in hot pursuit, determined to annihilate them.* Still, Moses urged God’s people not to lose hope. “Jehovah will himself fight for you,” he assured them.—Exodus 14:14. ??Even so, Moses apparently called out to Jehovah, and God responded: “Why do you keep crying out to me? . . . Lift up your rod and stretch your hand out over the sea and split it apart.” (Exodus 14:15, 16) ??Just picture the unfolding of events. Jehovah immediately commands his angel, and the pillar of cloud moves to Israel’s rear, perhaps spreading out like a wall and blocking the Egyptian line of attack. (Exodus 14:19, 20; Psalm 105:39) ??Moses stretches out his hand. Driven by a strong wind, the sea splits apart. The waters somehow congeal and stand up like walls, opening up a path wide enough to accommodate the entire nation!—Exodus 14:21; 15:8. ??Faced with this display of might, Pharaoh should order his troops home. Instead, prideful Pharaoh orders an attack. (Exodus 14:23) ??The Egyptians rush into the seabed in pursuit, but their charge soon dissolves into chaos as the wheels of their chariots begin falling off. ??Once the Israelites are safe on the other side, Jehovah commands Moses: “Stretch your hand out over the sea, that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, their war chariots and their cavalrymen.” The watery walls collapse, burying Pharaoh and his forces!—Exodus 14:24-28;Psalm 136:15. ??The deliverance of the nation of Israel at the Red Sea was a momentous event in the history of God’s dealings with mankind. There Jehovah proved himself to be “a manly person of war.” (Exodus 15:3) ??How, though, do you react to this portrayal of Jehovah? To be honest, war has brought much pain and misery to humankind. Could it be that God’s use of destructive power seems more like a deterrent than an incentive to your drawing close to him? ?Questions for Meditation? 2 Kings 6:8-17 How can God’s role as “Jehovah of armies” prove encouraging to us during times of distress? Ezekiel 33:10-20 Before Jehovah resorts to destructive power, what opportunity does he mercifully extend to those who transgress his law? 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 How will the coming destruction of wicked people bring relief to faithful servants of God? 2 Peter 2:4-13 What moves Jehovah to wield his destructive power, providing what lessons for all mankind? https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102002028

?????PEACEFUL RULE The Son of God, as the one to have ‘the princely rule upon his shoulder,’ is called the “Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6, 7) It is, therefore, noteworthy that Christ Jesus, while on earth, showed that his servants should not arm themselves for physical warfare, when saying to Peter: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Mt 26:52) Figuratively speaking, those who became Christians “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears.” They learned war no more. (Isa 2:4) This and God’s past activities, especially in connection with Israel during Solomon’s reign, point to the peace that will prevail during Jesus’ rule as King. Regarding Solomon’s reign, the Bible reports: “Peace itself became his in every region of his, all around. And Judah and Israel continued to dwell in security, everyone under his own vine and under his own fig tree, from Dan to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.” (1Ki 4:24, 25; 1Ch 22:9) As is evident from other scriptures (compare Ps 72:7, 8; Mic 4:4; Zec 9:9, 10; Mt 21:4, 5), this served as a pattern of what would take place under the rule of Christ Jesus, the One greater than Solomon, which name comes from a root meaning “peace.”—Mt 12:42. ????? PEACE BETWEEN MAN AND ANIMALS Jehovah God promised to the Israelites, if obedient: “I will put peace in the land, and you will indeed lie down, with no one making you tremble; and I will make the injurious wild beast cease out of the land.” (Le 26:6) This meant that the wild animals would stay within the confines of their habitat and not bring harm to the Israelites and their domestic animals. On the other hand, if the Israelites proved to be disobedient, Jehovah would allow their land to be invaded and devastated by foreign armies. As this would result in reducing the population, wild animals would multiply, penetrate formerly inhabited areas, and do injury to the survivors and their domestic animals.—Compare Ex 23:29; Le 26:22; 2Ki 17:5, 6, 24-26.

“THE great day of Jehovah is near. It is near, and there is a hurrying of it very much.” (Zephaniah 1:14) ????? Is it not worthwhile to examine your life to see whether you are proving yourself ready for that vital day or whether some adjustments are in order? How can you prove that you really are ready? ????? We have to be alert spiritually and live day by day as ones who are ready. We need the right attitude—and actions to match. Micah said: “As for me, it is for Jehovah that I shall keep on the lookout. I will show a waiting attitude for the God of my salvation.”—Micah 7:7.

"You should be holy, because I, Jehovah your God, am holy."—Lev. 19:2. ??? “HOLY, holy, holy is Jehovah God.” (Revelation 4:8) With those words, the Bible attributes to Jehovah holiness, which involves purity and cleanness, to the superlative degree. God is completely separate from sinfulness; he cannot be defiled or tainted by sin in any way. ??? The command regarding holiness gives us valuable insight into the thinking and ways of Jehovah God. ??? For one thing, we learn that in order to have a close relationship with him, we need to do our best to live in harmony with his standards of holy conduct. (1 Peter 1:15, 16) By holding to those standards, we can enjoy the best way of life possible.—Isaiah 48:17. ??? The command to be holy also reflects Jehovah’s confidence in his worshippers. Jehovah never expects more of us than we can do. (Psalm 103:13, 14) He knows that we humans, who are made in his image, have within us the potential to cultivate holiness—at least in a relative sense. (Genesis 1:26) ??? Are you moved to learn more about how you can draw closer to the holy God, Jehovah? We have within us the potential to cultivate holiness ??? https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009484?q=lev+19%3A2&p=par

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My Friends sometimes you can't win a war and you have to shake the dust off your feet and move on. Don't worry the Truth is a bright light that gets brighter and brighter. “The path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.”—PROVERBS 4:18. Find the Joy of Jehovah! The rest he'll take care of. ?????

What It Really Takes to Be Happy JEHOVAH, “the happy God,” and Jesus Christ, “the happy and only Potentate,” know best of all what it takes to be happy. (1 Timothy 1:11;6:15) Thus, it comes as no surprise that the key to happiness is found in God’s Word, the Bible.—Revelation 1:3; 22:7. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes what it takes to be happy. He states: “Happy are those” who (1) are conscious of their spiritual need, (2) mourn, (3) are mild-tempered, (4) hunger and thirst for righteousness, (5) are merciful, (6) are pure in heart, (7) are peaceable, (8) are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, and (9) are reproached and persecuted for his sake.—Matthew 5:3-11.* 1 Moving Picture ? IMG_4639.mov

"The members of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary."—1 Cor. 12:22. ????? Our loving Father knows that a congregation that values all members, regardless of their limitations, reflects balance and love.

"Lift up your eyes to heaven and see. Who has created these things?"—Isa. 40:26. ??? The Holy One of Israel is speaking for himself. To show that he is without equal, Jehovah directs attention to the stars of the heavens. ??? Like a military commander able to marshal his troops, Jehovah is in command of the stars. If he were to muster them, ‘not one of them would be missing.’ Though the number of the stars is great, he calls each one by name, either an individual name or a namelike designation. Like obedient soldiers, they keep their place and observe proper order, for their Leader has an abundance of “dynamic energy” and is “vigorous in power.” Therefore, the Jewish exiles have reason for confidence. The Creator, who commands the stars, has the power to support his servants. ??? Who of us can resist the divine invitation recorded at Isaiah 40:26: “Raise your eyes high up and see”? The discoveries of modern-day astronomers have shown that the starry heavens are even more awe-inspiring than they appeared to be in Isaiah’s day. ??? Astronomers who peer into the heavens with their powerful telescopes estimate that the observable universe contains as many as 125 billion galaxies. Why, just one of these—the Milky Way galaxy—contains, according to some estimates, over 100 billion stars! Such knowledge should awaken in our hearts reverence for our Creator and complete trust in his word of promise.

"Lift up your eyes to heaven and see. Who has created these things?"—Isa. 40:26. ??? The Holy One of Israel is speaking for himself. To show that he is without equal, Jehovah directs attention to the stars of the heavens. ??? Like a military commander able to marshal his troops, Jehovah is in command of the stars. If he were to muster them, ‘not one of them would be missing.’ Though the number of the stars is great, he calls each one by name, either an individual name or a namelike designation. Like obedient soldiers, they keep their place and observe proper order, for their Leader has an abundance of “dynamic energy” and is “vigorous in power.” Therefore, the Jewish exiles have reason for confidence. The Creator, who commands the stars, has the power to support his servants. ??? Who of us can resist the divine invitation recorded at Isaiah 40:26: “Raise your eyes high up and see”? The discoveries of modern-day astronomers have shown that the starry heavens are even more awe-inspiring than they appeared to be in Isaiah’s day. ??? Astronomers who peer into the heavens with their powerful telescopes estimate that the observable universe contains as many as 125 billion galaxies. Why, just one of these—the Milky Way galaxy—contains, according to some estimates, over 100 billion stars! Such knowledge should awaken in our hearts reverence for our Creator and complete trust in his word of promise.

"Let us . . . approach the throne of undeserved kindness with freeness of speech, so that we may receive mercy and find undeserved kindness to help us at the right time."—Heb. 4:16.

"Feed my little sheep."—John 21:17. ??? The apostles—most of whom had no doubt shared in distributing food to the crowds whom Jesus had miraculously fed—saw that it was more important for them to focus on spiritual feeding.

@ARchiv@L Thank you! You are resourceful ?????????

THE FOUR HORSEMEN—HOW THEIR RIDE AFFECTS YOU The Four Horsemen—Who Are They? The four horsemen may seem mysterious and terrifying, but that does not have to be the case. Why not? Because the Bible and the events of modern history help us to identify clearly what each horseman pictures. And although their ride has signaled calamity on earth, it can also mean good news for you and your family. How so? First, let us determine the identity of each horseman. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2017086#h=2

?LOVE ONE ANOTHER? Our love, then, must not be limited to doing only what comes easily or be restricted to a select few. Christian love requires “stretching” our heart, extending love even when it may be challenging to do so. (2 Corinthians 6:11-13) ??? Clearly, this kind of love is something we need to cultivate and work at, just as an athlete must train and work to hone his skills. It is vital that we have such love for one another. ??? Showing love must begin at home. Jesus said that his genuine followers would be identified by the love they have for one another. (John 13:34, 35) 2 photos 1 GIF 1 moving IMG_4563.mov