Bible Speaks

“You must pray, then, this way: “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your Kingdom come." (Matt.6:9,10) jw.org

"This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood."—1 Cor. 11:25. jw.org

Rejoice Forever Our King lives in Glory and Splendor! "O Jehovah our Lord, how majestic your name is throughout the earth; You have set your splendor even higher than the heavens!" (Ps. 8:1)

Apply Bible Principles Jehovah God gave Christians divine principles so that they can make sound decisions. Learning Bible principles and applying them can be likened to learning a language and using it. Once you have mastered the language, you can often tell when someone makes grammatical mistakes because what he says does not sound quite right. You may not be able to point out in specific grammatical terms exactly what is wrong with the statement, but you know it is wrong. When you learn Bible principles to the point of making them part of yourself, you can usually tell when a certain decision is inappropriate, out of harmony with divine principles. The apostle Paul wrote: “I desire the women to adorn themselves in well-arranged dress, with modesty and soundness of mind, not with styles of hair braiding and gold or pearls or very expensive garb, but in the way that befits women professing to reverence God, namely, through good works.” (1 Timothy 2:9, 10) Paul is here writing about women, but the principle applies to both men and women. What is the principle? Our appearance should reflect modesty and soundness of mind. So the young man can ask himself, ‘Will my hairstyle reflect the modesty that befits a Christian?’ And what helpful principle can a young person extract from the following words of the disciple James? “Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) Christians loathe the thought of being a friend of the world, which is at enmity with God. Would the type of hairstyle that his peers are fond of make him seem to be a friend of God or a friend of the world? The young man pondering the question of hairstyle can use such Bible-based principles in making a wise decision. Yes, divine principles help us make decisions. And when we become accustomed to making decisions based on godly principles, it gets easier to come to wise conclusions that do not have negative consequences. We can find many principles in God’s Word. To be sure, we may not find a text that specifically addresses our situation. Still, we can read about how some people obeyed divine guidance and how others ignored divine warnings. (Genesis 4:6, 7, 13-16; Deuteronomy 30:15-20;1 Corinthians 10:11) Reading such accounts and analyzing the outcomes, we will perceive divine principles that can help us in making decisions that please God. jw.org

All those for whom I have affection, I reprove and discipline.—Rev. 3:19. Although Jesus’ disciples repeatedly argued about who was the greatest among them, Jesus did not give up on them. He also did not ignore it when they failed to respond to his counsel. Lovingly and mildly, Jesus reproved them at a suitable time and place. (Mark 9:33-37) Show your love for your children by disciplining them. It is sometimes enough to explain why a certain course is right or wrong. At other times, a child may fail to apply what you say. (Prov. 22:15) When that happens, imitate Jesus. At a fitting time and place, discipline your child lovingly and mildly through patient guidance, training, and correction. “My parents never disciplined me in anger or without explaining why I was being disciplined,” says Elaine, a sister in South Africa. “As a result, I felt secure. I knew my boundaries, and I understood what was required of me.” w15 11/15 1:5, 6

@David Normand Yes, much joy now in being approved! Can you imagine life without end at last? Agape, ???

Who Really Is Jesus Christ? “Now when he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was set in commotion, saying: ‘Who is this?’ The crowds kept telling: ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee!’”—MATTHEW 21:10, 11. WHY did the arrival of Jesus Christ* in Jerusalem on that spring day in 33 C.E. cause such commotion? Many in the city had heard about Jesus and the extraordinary things he had done. They kept telling others about him. (John 12:17-19) Yet, little did the crowds know that in their midst was a man whose influence would spread around the world and span the centuries down to our day! Consider a few examples of the far-reaching influence that Jesus has had on human history. The calendar commonly used in many parts of the world is based on the year when Jesus is thought to have been born. Some two billion people—about a third of the world’s population—call themselves Christians. Islam, with more than a billion members worldwide, teaches that Jesus is “a greater prophet than Abraham, Noah, and Moses.” Many of Jesus’ wise sayings have, in various forms, entered everyday speech. Among them are the following: ‘Turn the other cheek.’—MATTHEW 5:39. ‘Go the extra mile.’—MATTHEW 5:41. ‘No man can serve two masters.’—MATTHEW 6:24. ‘Do not cast your pearls before swine.’—MATTHEW 7:6. ‘All things that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them.’—MATTHEW 7:12. ‘Count the cost.’—LUKE 14:28. Jesus’ influence is beyond question. Yet, people hold widely different ideas and beliefs about him. Hence, you may wonder, ‘Who really is Jesus Christ?’ The Bible alone tells us where Jesus came from, how he lived, and why he died. Knowing those truths about him can have a profound effect on your life—now and in the future. “Jesus,” the personal name of this prophet from Nazareth, means “Jehovah Is Salvation.” The word “Christ” is a title that means “Anointed One,” signifying that Jesus was anointed, or appointed by God to a special position. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011241#h=1:0-19:0

@Alexa The website is up to date look there. Thank you ?????

Did Joseph Practice Divination? There is no reason to believe that Joseph actually employed any form of divination. The Bible reveals Joseph’s real understanding on the use of magical arts to learn the future. Earlier, when he was asked to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph repeatedly insisted that only God can “announce” upcoming events. As a result, Pharaoh himself came to believe that the God whom Joseph worshipped—the true God, not occult powers—caused Joseph to know details about the future. (Genesis 41:16, 25, 28, 32, 39) In the Law given to Moses later on, Jehovah prohibited the use of magic or divination, thus confirming that He alone foretells the future.—Deuteronomy 18:10-12. Why, then, did Joseph indicate through his servant that he used a silver cup to ‘read omens expertly’? (Genesis 44:5) We need to consider the circumstances under which this statement was made. Because of a very severe famine, Joseph’s brothers had traveled to Egypt to obtain food. Years earlier, these same brothers had sold Joseph into slavery. Now, unbeknownst to them, they requested assistance from their own brother, who had become Egypt’s food administrator. Joseph did not reveal himself to them. Instead, he decided to test them. Fittingly, Joseph wanted to determine the genuineness of their repentance. He also wanted to find out whether—and to what degree—they loved their brother Benjamin and their father, Jacob, who was especially fond of Benjamin. Thus, Joseph resorted to a ruse.—Genesis 41:55–44:3. Joseph commanded one of his servants to fill his brothers’ bags with food supplies, return each one’s money in the mouth of his bag, and put Joseph’s silver cup in the mouth of Benjamin’s bag. In all of this, Joseph was representing himself as an administrator of a pagan land. He adapted himself, his actions, and his language to the character of such an administrator, as it would appear in the eyes of his unsuspecting brothers. When Joseph confronted his brothers, he continued with his subterfuge, asking them: “Did you not know that such a man as I am can expertly read omens?” (Genesis 44:15) Thus, the cup was evidently all part of the stratagem. Joseph’s use of the cup to read omens was no more real than Benjamin’s theft of it.

We Are Free, No Longer in Darkness! - Remain Free! ? ? ? (John 8:32) "YOU will know the truth, and the truth will set YOU free.” The Truth That Sets Us Free’ The light of Scriptural truth is wonderful because the Bible answers important questions that have perplexed mankind for millenniums. Among such questions are these: Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? Why does evil exist? Is there life after death? Jehovah has enlightened us with wonderful doctrinal truths. Should we not be grateful at heart? May we never take for granted what we have learned! Jesus’ ransom sacrifice has made possible freedom from sin and death. But these precious truths have also set us free from the ignorance and uncertainties of a world enveloped in darkness. Appreciatively meditating on what we have learned will help us to fortify our love for Jehovah and for his Word. Just as a caterpillar looks in total darkness, not knowing anything about the light. We when becoming full grown ready to receive the light of God's Word, emerge into the light with beautiful love and want for Jehovah and the Holy Spirit to guide our lives, we grow out and blossom! We are anxious to learn the love if the Truth and share with others. When we leave a dark area if the cocoon and enter the light it may take a while before our eyes and body adjust. Similarly, it takes time to study God’s Word and to see the light of the truth. It takes time to meditate on what we learn and to reflect on how precious the truth is. The cost, though, is not too great. Why? Because the light is wonderful! We are FREE! Thank to Jehovah and His Precious Ransom of His Son! Come April 11, 2017 after sundown to a Kingdom Hall near you. jw.org

Do You Feel a Pain of Heart? Are You Depressed? Discouraged? Feel like Nobody Cares? It is Human to be Depressed in this world. What Can we do to Help? This was Very Encouraging to Me! - Positive in Outlook Reference to the word “heart” connects the next three proverbs of Solomon. Describing the effect of our emotions on our countenance, the wise king says: “A joyful heart has a good effect on the countenance, but because of the pain of the heart there is a stricken spirit.”—(Proverbs 15:13) What can cause pain of heart? “Anxious care in the heart of a man is what will cause it to bow down [with sadness],” states the Bible. (Proverbs 12:25) How can we prevent negative aspects of life from crushing our spirit? Rather than constantly dwelling on circumstances over which we may have very little control, we can reflect on the rich spiritual blessings that Jehovah has bestowed upon us now and on what he will do for us in the future. This will bring us closer to him. Yes, drawing near to “the happy God” is bound to bring joy to our sad heart.—1 Timothy 1:11 Moreover, the message of the Bible is an excellent source of comfort and delight. The psalmist pronounced happy the man whose “delight is in the law of Jehovah, and in his law he reads in an undertone day and night.” (Psalm 1:1, 2) The next proverb states an excellent benefit of having a positive outlook. The king of Israel says: “All the days of the afflicted one are bad; but the one that is good at heart has a feast constantly.” (Proverbs 15:15) Life has its blessings and calamities, joys and tears. If we dwell only on the negative, sorrow will take over our thoughts, and all our days will be gloomy. However, if we allow personal blessings and our God-given hope to dominate our thinking, the affliction-causing aspects of life will fade into the background and we will experience inner joy. A positive outlook makes it possible for us to enjoy “a feast constantly.” By all means, then, let us have high regard for discipline. May we let it affect not only our emotions, speech, and actions but also our outlook. ????

"Jesus . . . loved them to the end."—(John 13:1) Jesus trained his disciples by providing personal counsel tailored to their needs. For example, he rebuked James and John for wanting to call down fire from heaven on some Samaritans who had not received him. (Luke 9:52-55) When the mother of James and John approached Jesus on their behalf to ask that they be granted favored positions in the Kingdom, Jesus addressed the brothers directly, saying: “This sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” (Matt. 20:20-23) At all times, Jesus gave counsel that was clear, practical, and solidly based on godly principles. He taught his disciples to reason on such principles. (Matt. 17:24-27) Jesus also recognized the limitations of his followers and did not expect perfection from them. His counsel was motivated by genuine love. jw.org

Short illustration regarding the "Cowbird" ? ? ? Hello, CM We recently dedicated our remodeled Kingdom Hall here in Los Angeles , and our guest speaker was Bro. Javier Hernandez from Brooklyn Bethel. Bro. Hernandez did a program in English and Spanish, which was outstanding. Then on Sunday he gave our Public Talk and then a service talk entitled "Imitate Their Faith." It highlighted the hard work of the governing body, and why we should imitate their example. Bro. Hernandez is very knowledgeable of the Governing Body, because he serves as Bro. Herd's personal secretary. I have to relate the wonderful illustration he gave of the lazy cowbird. It is so good. Bro. Hernandez grew up in West Texas , and often saw cowbirds. These birds spend most of their time on the backs of cows eating parasites. When they spot a bird building a nest they will wait for the bird to leave and then go and lay their eggs in someone else's nest. The cowbird is lazy, so it goes back to the cow. The unsuspecting bird doesn't notice the extra eggs, and when they hatch, she begins flying off to feed them. This tires her out so that when her own eggs hatch she is too weak to feed them, and her babies end up dying. Today Satan is like the cowbird. He watches us and then tries to drop eggs into our nest. They may be work, school, entertainment, recreation, or whatever, and we begin to take more care of Satan's eggs than our own spiritual needs. If we are not careful, our spirituality will die because we are too busy feeding Satan's eggs. So watch out for those deadly eggs and get them out of your nest! What a simple practical real life illustration! Maybe you have heard it before but it was so good I had to share. Bro.Hernandez also repeatedly said we are living in the last seconds of the last days. No doubt working closely with the Governing Body, that phrase is common. It's a good reminder of our need to get and be ready.

“God . . . draws up the drops of water; they filter as rain for his mist, so that the clouds trickle, they drip upon mankind abundantly.” (Job 36:26-28) Is that not a Miracle? We are truly blessed!

"We . . . reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah."—2 Cor. 3:18. Are you reflecting Jehovah’s glory by your godly conduct and by your activity as a regular Kingdom proclaimer? jw.org

"The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." (1 Cor 3:19) Trust in Jehovah as the End Draws Near We cling to Jehovah when we heed his Word, which often runs contrary to human wisdom. (Ps. 73:23, 24) For instance, people influenced by human wisdom may say: ‘You have only one life; make the most of it.’ ‘Pursue a good career.’ ‘Make a lot of money.’ ‘Buy this, buy that.’ ‘Travel; enjoy the world.’ Godly wisdom, on the other hand, is in line with the advice: “[Let] those making use of the world [be] as those not using it to the full; for the scene of this world is changing.” (1 Cor. 7:31) Likewise, Jesus exhorts us always to put Kingdom interests first and thereby store up “treasures in heaven,” where they will be absolutely secure.—(Matt. 6:19, 20) Does your attitude toward “the world” and “the things in the world” reflect your complete trust in God? (1 John 2:15-17) Are spiritual riches and privileges of Kingdom service more desirable and important to you than the things the world offers? (Phil. 3:8) Do you strive to maintain a ‘simple eye’? (Matt. 6:22) Of course, God does not want you to be imprudent or irresponsible, especially if you have a family to care for. (1 Tim. 5:8) But he does expect his servants to trust fully in him—not in Satan’s dying world.—Heb. 13:5 Holding to God’s standards leads to happiness How can we trust in God • when tempted to do wrong? • when facing apathy or opposition? • when dealing with anxieties? jw.org

"Jehovah’s spirit enveloped Gideon."—(Judg. 6:34) The book of Judges is replete with accounts of humans who “from a weak state were made powerful.” (Heb. 11:34) By means of holy spirit, God impelled Gideon to fight in behalf of His people. The army Gideon assembled, however, was outnumbered by the Midianite menace 4 to 1. Yet, Jehovah twice decreed that Gideon scale back the army until the enemy outnumbered Israelite fighters 450 to 1. (Judg. 7:2-8; 8:10) If a stunning victory was to take place, who could brag that it was wrought by human effort or wisdom? Jehovah’s power to save is infinite. He can deliver his people from any predicament, even doing so by using those who appear weak or helpless. Sometimes we may feel outnumbered or in desperate straits. However, we can draw abundant guidance and reassurance from God’s Word and through his spirit-directed congregation. (Rom. 8:31, 32) Jehovah’s loving promises fortify our faith and convince us that he really is our Helper! jw.org

“God Is Love” “He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.”—(1 JOHN 4:8) ALL of Jehovah’s attributes are sterling, perfect, and appealing. But the most endearing of all of Jehovah’s qualities is love. Nothing else draws us so powerfully to Jehovah as his love. Happily, love is also his dominant quality. How do we know that? The Bible says something about love that it never says about Jehovah’s other cardinal attributes. The Scriptures do not say that God is power or that God is justice or even that God is wisdom. He possesses those qualities and is the ultimate source of all three. About love, though, something more profound is said at 1 John 4:8: “God is love.” Yes, love runs very deep in Jehovah. It is his very essence, or nature. Generally speaking, we might think of it this way: Jehovah’s power enables him to act. His justice and his wisdom guide the way he acts. However, Jehovah’s love motivates him to act. And his love is always reflected in the way he uses his other attributes. Since Jehovah has feelings, the pain he must have suffered over the death of his Son is beyond the power of our words to express. What can be expressed is Jehovah’s motive for having allowed it to happen. Why did the Father subject himself to such pain? Jehovah reveals something wonderful to us at John 3:16—a Bible verse so important that it has been called the Gospel in miniature. It says: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” So God’s motive amounted to this: love. No greater love has ever been shown. How Jehovah Assures Us of His Love However, an important question arises: Does God love us personally? Some may agree that God loves mankind in general, as John 3:16 says. But they feel, in effect, ‘God could never love me as an individual.’ The fact is that Satan the Devil is eager for us to believe that Jehovah neither loves us nor values us. On the other hand, no matter how unlovable or worthless we may think we are, Jehovah assures us that each of his faithful servants is of value to him. jw.org

"Abhor what is wicked, cling to what is good."—(Rom. 12:9) In this wicked world, much entertainment is characterized by activities that flagrantly violate Bible principles or break God’s laws. (1 John 5:19) True Christians say a resolute no to all such entertainment. This includes entertainment that features sadism, demonism, homosexuality, pornography, or violence or that glorifies other vile, immoral practices. (1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Rev. 21:8) No matter where we may be, we prove to Jehovah that we “abhor what is wicked” by refusing to get close to such entertainment. (1 John 1:5, 6) Not all forms of entertainment center on practices that are expressly condemned in God’s Word. In such cases, before choosing the entertainment, we should carefully compare the activity with Jehovah’s view of what is wholesome, as expressed in Bible principles. (Prov. 4:10, 11) Then we need to make a personal decision that leaves us with a good conscience.—Gal. 6:5; 1 Tim. 1:19

JESUS DIDN'T JUST SAVE OUR LIFE - HE MADE OUR LIFE WORTH SAVING! To benefit from God’s promises, though, we must understand the role Jesus Christ plays in our salvation and exercise faith in him. Jesus himself said: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Pointing to the central role of Jesus Christ in this matter, the apostle Peter said: “There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.” (Acts 4:12) The apostle Paul and his associate Silas urged a sincere inquirer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will get saved, you and your household.”—(Acts 16:30, 31) Yes, Jesus Christ is “the Chief Agent of life,” and salvation is possible only through him. (Acts 3:15) But how can one man be such a key figure in saving us? Having a clear understanding of his role in this regard should strengthen our hope of salvation.

Two close friends are walking side by side in a beautiful valley, with tears in their eyes. Struggling to find the right words to describe this moment, they continue walking in silence and in awe. The sun is shining down on them like never before and the mountains are teeming with gorgeous waterfalls and trees. They go up on a rolling hill and flashbacks begin to run through their heads: Their trials, their endurance - Their life in the old system. Stunned by the scene surrounding them, they come to a halt when they reach the top and they witness so many animals roaming together, free at last. A little girl is walking down the road with a cute little monkey on her shoulder and the roar of a silverback gorilla from a nearby forest greets their ears, astonishing them. The smells of nature reaches their nose and not too far away from them, their friends and loved ones are gathering in a park, in the most beautiful nature scenery they have ever seen in their lives. They remain silent but you can hear them sniffling, with tears racing down their cheeks. Finally they embrace in a tearful hug and with so much emotion they exclaim the words they had been yearning to say for so long: "Remember when we used to talk about this! We made it home." To everyone who reads this: Don't give up, I hope we run into each other in paradise someday. I hope we laugh and cry and say that we finally made it after enduring for so long. I hope we have the most amazing bonfires and we share our own stories of what we went through in this system. I hope we hang out in a tree house by the ocean and we watch the dolphins and whales leap out of the water under the twinkling stars. I hope we meet Abraham, Noah, Moses, David, Esther and we have the most thrilling, conversations with them! I hope we witness the long awaited resurrection and we cry so many happy tears until we run out of tears. And I hope.. We build a lasting bond, serving the true God for millions of years and all of eternity. Until then, let's continue to endure - And if we do - I hope to see you on the other side. We are almost home! . Repost from my friend @memo8616 Click on link post below. IMG_9755.mov

Please write letters? The directions are here. Thank you ! Blessings from Jehovah!

France ??

We need a three-fold cord with Jehovah for success in Marriage. This System under Satan the Devil wants to fight against us all. Keep strong with Jehovah as the third cord we will not fail!