Bible Speaks

"O love Jehovah, all YOU loyal ones of his. The faithful ones Jehovah is safeguarding." (Ps.31:23.) NWT jw.org

Queen Esther: Jehovah of course will fulfill his promises and he's already protecting this earth ? with those Van Allen Radiation Belts! What a Master of the earth, it's harmony and protection for man and beast and all living! Only a loving Creator can and would know harmony of this earth and the universe! We have a God, Jehovah. There is no other God that loves us so. Agape, Bible Speaks ??????????

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Doomsday Fears Loom to a Large Nuclear War? One nuclear explosion can instantly obliterate a city—a somber fact that was demonstrated twice in August 1945. A nuclear explosion is horrendously powerful, destroying and killing by means of blast wave, wind, heat, fire, and radiation. Radiation also contaminates food and water. A nuclear war would cause tons of dust to be thrown into the air, blocking sunlight and causing global temperatures to plummet. Food crops and other plants would die. Without food to eat, humans and animals would die of starvation. Some nine countries are said to have the capacity to launch nuclear attacks. A few other nations appear to be in the process of developing their own nuclear weapons. And terrorist organizations are only too eager to get hold of them. “Nuclear weapons remain the gravest and most immediate threat to human civilization. . . . There are still some 25,000 nuclear weapons worldwide . . Eventually, terrorists will get the bomb.”—Union of Concerned Scientists. Bible’s version of what the future holds paints a more reasonable picture. According to the Bible, for a certainty, a great change is coming. But survival is guaranteed to all who do God’s will. Furthermore, the Bible does not foretell that the earth will be blasted to a cinder or frozen like an ice cube. It will be transformed into a global paradise. Will the earth and the human race be destroyed? “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29. Will any humans lose their lives? “The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.”—Proverbs 2:21, 22. Has God acted against ungodly people in the past? God “did not hold back from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly people; and by reducing the cities Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly persons of things to come.”— 2 Peter 2:5, 6. Can we know the date when God’s judgment will come? “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.”—Matthew 24:36-39. Though the Scriptures give us but a glimpse of what lies ahead, they assure us that humanity is not doomed. The future will be glorious beyond our ability to comprehend. You can count on that, confident that what Jehovah God has promised, he is also able to do. How is the earth also protected? Van Allen radiation belts (cross section) A radiation belt is a zone of energeticcharged particles, most of which originate from the solar wind that is captured by and held around a planet by that planet's magnetic field. The Earth has two such belts and sometimes others may be temporarily created. The discovery of the belts is credited to James Van Allen, and as a result the Earth's belts are known as the Van Allen belts. Earth's two main belts extend from an altitude of about 1,000 to 60,000 kilometers above the surface in which region radiation levels vary. Most of the particles that form the belts are thought to come from solar windand other particles by cosmic rays.[1] By trapping the solar wind, the magnetic field deflects those energetic particles and protects the Earth's atmosphere from destruction. The belts are located in the inner region of the Earth's magnetosphere. The belts trap energetic electrons and protons. Other nuclei, such as alpha particles, are less prevalent. The belts endanger satellites, which must have their sensitive components protected with adequate shielding if they spend significant time in that zone. In 2013, NASA reported that the Van Allen Probes had discovered a transient, third radiation belt, which was observed for four weeks until it was destroyed by a powerful, interplanetary shock wavefrom the Sun.[2] NOW ARE YOU IN FEAR OF NUCLEAR WAR OR DEVASTATION OF OUR PLANET? Rest your hope in a all-wise loving Creator that will not let the righteous be destroyed or his beautiful earth be destroyed with all living things. God made the earth to be inhabited by humans—to be a lush, global paradise of delight, not a wasteland. Isaiah 45:18 describes Jehovah as “the Creator of the heavens, He the true God, the Former of the earthand the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited.” God has long promised that humans who choose to obey him would reside forever on this earth in peace. Micah 4:4 promises: “They will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble; for the very mouth of Jehovah of armies has spoken it.” Thus, according to God’s purpose, the earth must remain eternally as mankind’s home, or else his promises would be in vain.—Psalm 119:90; Isaiah 55:11; 1 John 2:17. IMG_3815.MP4

8 "You keep track of my wandering. Do collect my tears in your skin bottle. Are they not recorded in your book?" (Psalm 56:8) NWT jw.org IMG_3789.MOV

8 "I am Jehovah. That is my name; I give my glory to no one else." (Isaiah 42:8) NWT jw.org

The Real Life is so close, it's just a whisper away, closely coming just around the corner. We look forward to when all things will be made New. 19 "Safely treasuring up for themselves a fine foundation for the future, so that they may get a firm hold on the real life." (1 Timothy 6:19) jw.org

22 "And you will be hated by all people on account of my name, but the one who has endured to the end will be saved." ( Matthew 10:22) jw.org IMG_3717.MP4

The fruitage of the spirit is love.—Gal. 5:22. Other aspects of the fruitage of the spirit—such as mildness, self-control, and patience—are important too. (Gal. 5:23) IMG_3669.mov IMG_3351.mov

Don't let your happiness depend on someone who may desert you.... 10 "Those knowing your name will trust in you; You will never abandon those seeking you, O Jehovah." (Psalm 9:10) jw.org

“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. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/li/r1/lp-e

8 "Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you indecisive ones."(James 4:8)jw.org IMG_3569.MOV

May Jehovah be praised forever! Agape, ???

Elephants’ “Sound of Silence” On a hot afternoon in the sprawling Amboseli National Park in Kenya, the large herd of elephants seems undisturbed by any intrusion into their habitat. Yet, the air is full of “elephant talk,” ranging from low frequency rumblings to high frequency trumpets, roars, bellows, barks, and snorts. Some of the calls contain components that are below the level of human hearing and yet are so powerful that they can be heard by an elephant several miles away. Experts in animal behavior continue to be puzzled by the intricate ways in which elephants convey serious messages. Joyce Poole has spent over 20 years studying communication concepts among African elephants. She has concluded that these huge creatures, known for their coveted tusks, exhibit feelings found in very few animals. “It is hard to watch elephants’ remarkable behavior during a family or bond group greeting ceremony [or at] the birth of a new family member . . . and not imagine that they feel very strong emotions which could be best described by words such as joy, happiness, love, feelings of friendship, exuberance, amusement, pleasure, compassion, relief, and respect,” says Poole. When getting together after being separated for long periods, their greetings turn to pandemonium, as members rush together with heads high and ears folded and flapping. At times, an elephant will even put its trunk into another’s mouth. These greetings seem to give the elephants a deep sense of joy, as if they were saying, “Wow! It’s simply fantastic to be with you again!” Such bonds renew the support network vital to their survival. Elephants seem to have a sense of humor too. Poole describes watching elephants draw the corners of their mouths in what she called a smile, wagging their heads in a manner suggesting amusement. She once initiated a game in which the animals took part, and for 15 minutes they behaved in a totally absurd manner. Two years later, some participants seemed to “smile” at her again, perhaps remembering her involvement in the game. Not only do elephants amuse each other in play but they also mimic sounds. In a research project, Poole heard a sound that was different from the normal elephant calls. On analysis, it was suggested that the elephants were imitating the noise made by trucks passing nearby. And they were apparently doing it for fun! It is as if elephants look for any excuse to get excited. Much has been said about the way elephants appear to mourn when calamity befalls a family member. Poole once observed a female standing guard over her stillborn baby for three days and described it this way: Her “facial expressions” seemed “similar to a grief stricken, depressed person: her head and ears hung down, the corners of her mouth were turned down.” Those who kill elephants for ivory do not consider the ‘psychological trauma’ of the orphans who may have witnessed the killing of their mothers. These babies spend the first few days at an animal orphanage trying to overcome their “grief.” A keeper reported having heard the orphans “scream” in the morning. Repercussions can be observed several years after the death. Poole suggests that the elephants can detect the hand of man in their suffering. We look forward to the time when man and beast will live together in peace.—Isaiah 11:6-9. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102002249 IMG_3564.MP4

Obedience makes our spirituality progressively stronger..... 3 “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them." (Matthew 5:3) jw.org

“Keep on the watch. . . because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”—MATTHEW 24:42. Jesus gave this warning: “Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know one thing, that if the householder had known in what watch thethief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.” (Matthew 24:42, 43) So Jesus likened his coming to the arrival of a thief—unexpected. Because we truly love Jehovah, we find the greatest delight in doing his will. (Psalm 40:8;Matthew 26:39) And we want to serve Jehovah forever. That prospect is not less precious just because we must wait a little longer than we may have expected. Above all, we keep onthe watch because we eagerly anticipate what Jehovah’s day will mean for the accomplishment of his purpose. Our earnest desire to please God moves us to apply thecounsel of his Word and give his Kingdom first place in our life. (Matthew 6:33; 1 John 5:3) Let us consider to keep on the watch it should influence the decisions we make and the way we live our life each day. Jesus said: “Just as the days of Noah were, so thepresence of the Son of man will be. For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so thepresence of the Son of man will be.” (Matthew 24:37-39) What can we learn from that? If any of us are allowing mundane concerns—even the normal activities of life—to crowd out the spiritual activities that God urges us to keep in first place, we need to think seriously about our situation.—Romans 14:17. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2005725?q=keep+on+the+watch&p=par#h=12 jw.org

8:12 "Then Jesus spoke again to them, saying: “I am the light of the world." "Whoever follows me will by no means walk in darkness, but will possess the light." (John 8:12) NWT jw.org

‘Strengthen Yourself by Jehovah’ David’s fear of Jehovah did more than just restrain him from doing wrong. It strengthened him to act decisively and wisely under difficult circumstances. For a year and four months, David and his men took refuge from Saul at Ziklag in the Philistine countryside. (1 Samuel 27:5-7) Once while the men were away, marauding Amalekites burned the city and carried off all the men’s wives, children, and flocks. Upon returning and seeing what had happened, David and his men wept. Grief quickly turned tobitterness, and David’s men spoke of stoning him. Though distressed, David did not despair. (Proverbs 24:10) His fear of God moved him to turn to Jehovah, and he “took to strengthening himself by Jehovah.” With God’s help, David and his men overtook the Amalekites and recovered everything.—1 Samuel 30:1-20. A Precious Heritage “Come, you sons, listen to me,” wrote David. “The fear of Jehovah is what I shall teach you.” (Psalm 34:11) As a father, David was intent on passing on to his children a precious heritage—the genuine, balanced, wholesome fear of Jehovah. By words and by deeds, David portrayed Jehovah, not as a demanding and fearsome God, ready to pounce on any infraction of His laws, but as a loving, caring, and forgiving Father of His earthly children. “Missteps who can keep track of?” asked David. Then, indicating his confidence that Jehovah is not constantly scrutinizing our errors, he added: “Hold me clear of unnoticed things!” David was sure that if he put forth his best effort, his words and thoughts could be acceptable to Jehovah.—Psalm 19:12, 14, Byington. jw.org IMG_3503.mov

Queen Esther: May you find joy and peace today from Jehovah! ??????

Queen Esther: May you find joy and peace today from Jehovah! ??????

Alcohol Dangers “Alcohol-related injury, disability, and deaths in younger age-groups in Europe have increased alarmingly in recent years,” reports Britain’s medical journal The Lancet. In Europe, where alcohol consumption is the world’s highest, alcohol kills 55,000 young people every year. When asked about their drinking habits, one third of the students polled in Britain, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, and Ireland admitted having been drunk at least three times during the previous month. According to a study of 100,000 students aged 15 to 16 in 30 European countries, the greatest increases in alcohol consumption by youths occurred in Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic. As reported in London’s Independent newspaper, Britain’s Royal College of Physicians warns that “advanced cirrhosis of the liver, traditionally found in hard-drinking men in their 40s and 50s, is now being diagnosed” in women in their early 20’s. The college “identified alcohol as one of Britain’s most expensive public health problems.” Intoxicating drinks in ancient Biblical lands included wine made from grapes (De 32:14) and alcoholic beverages prepared from grains. (Isa 1:22) Moderate use of wine and other strong drinks is acceptable to Jehovah, who provides “wine that makes the heart of mortal man rejoice.”—Ps 104:14, 15 The drunkard’s personal experience is described as the writer continues: “And you will certainly become like one lying down in the heart of the sea [experiencing the confusion of one drowning, finally passing into unconsciousness], even like one lying down at the top of a mast [as the rocking of the ship is greatest at this point, the drunkard’s life is in danger from accident, stroke, a fight, and so forth]. ‘They have struck me, but I did not become sick; they have smitten me, but I did not know it [says the drunkard, as if talking to himself; he was insensible to what was actually going on and to the punishment that the experience has inflicted on him]. When shall I wake up? I shall seek it yet some more [he must now sleep off the effects of overindulgence, but he is enslaved by the drink and looks forward to drinking more when he is able].’” He will come to poverty, by spending excessive amounts for liquor and also by becoming unreliable and rendering himself unable to work.—Pr 23:20, 21,34, 35. Prohibited in the Christian Congregation. The drunkard is prone to boisterousness or rough, unrestrained noisiness and to ridiculous actions, bringing reproach. (Pr 20:1; Ps 107:27; Isa 19:14) Consequently, the practice of drunkenness is not to be tolerated in the Christian congregation. God’s attitude toward drunkenness was revealed in his Law to Israel. A son who was stubborn and rebellious, who was a glutton and a drunkard, was to be stoned to death. (De 21:18-21) Similarly, the Bible commands that unrepentant or habitual drunkards are to be expelled from the Christian congregation. (1Co 5:11-13) “The works of the flesh” include “drunken bouts, revelries,” which things the nations in general practice. A Christian, having been cleansed from such practices but thereafter returning to them and proving unrepentant, would be prevented from entering God’s Kingdom. (1Co 6:9-11) He is to cease spending his time working out the will of the nations by engaging in their excesses with wine and their drinking matches. (1Pe 4:3) He must devote himself to producing the fruits of God’s spirit.—Ga 5:19-24. Moderation and soundness of mind are therefore among the requirements for Christian overseers (1Ti 3:1-3; Tit 1:7); ministerial servants (1Ti 3:8); aged men and women (Tit 2:2, 3); young men and women (Tit 2:4-8); children (especially those of overseers).—Tit 1:6. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200001226#h=6

Without goals we reach nothing. Without love we feel nothing. And without Jehovah God, we are nothing! IMG_3490.MOV

Queen Esther: What a wonderful experience! We are not "blind", we "know" where we should be and when! Let's take advantage of this wonderful spiritual food to keep us strong now, so when persecution comes we can remember all these things and spiritual gems for our survival. Be Blessed, put Jehovah first in our lives. Agape, Bible Speaks