Bible Speaks

“Stay Awake, Stand Firm in the Faith”

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Paul, writing to the Corinthians, urged: “Stay awake, stand firm in the faith.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) Yes, staying awake is linked to our having a firm standing in the Christian faith.

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How can we stay awake? By acquiring a deeper knowledge of GodÂ’s Word. (2 Timothy 3:14, 15) Good personal study habits and regular meeting attendance help to strengthen our faith, and keeping JehovahÂ’s day close in mind is an important aspect of our faith. So our reviewing from time to time the Scriptural proof that we are living close to the end of this system will help us not to lose sight of the important truths regarding that coming end.

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 It is also good to take note of unfolding world events that fulfill Bible prophecy. One brother in Germany wrote: “Every time I watch the news—the wars, the earthquakes, the violence, and the contamination of our planet—it drives home to me the nearness of the end.” -

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https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dt/r1/lp-e/2017/11/28

When nature is used to give glory to Jehovah (Revelation 4:11)

What do you think? – What We Give To Jehovah Comes Back As A Blessing! 

What do you think?

"The plans of the diligent surely lead to success, But all who are hasty surely head for poverty." (Prov. 21:5) 

At times, pressure to engage in unwholesome activity may come from other youths who claim to be servants of Jehovah. For example, what if you arrive at a gathering arranged by such a person and discover that there is no adult supervision? 

Or what if a youth claiming to be a Christian brings alcohol to a gathering and you and others present are not of legal age to drink? A number of situations may arise in which you will need to follow your Bible trained conscience. 

One teenage Christian relates: “My sister and I walked out of a movie that contained a lot of swearing. Others in the group decided to stay. Our parents praised us for what we did.” If you are going to a gathering, have an exit plan in case things are not as you expected them to be. Some youths have an agreement with their parents that a simple phone call is all that will be needed to get an early ride home.

(Ps. 26:4, 5) –"I do not associate with deceitful men, And I avoid those who hide what they are. I hate the company of evil men, And I refuse to associate* with the wicked.' - Bible Speaks

"Everyone that keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt. 5:28) 

To maintain our integrity to Jehovah, we must adhere to his moral standards, just as Job did. He declared: “A covenant I have concluded with my eyes. So how could I show myself attentive to a virgin? . . . If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I kept lying in wait at the very entranceway of my companion, let my wife do the grinding for another man, and over her let other men kneel down.” (Job 31:1, 9, 10) 

Determined to maintain integrity to God, Job avoided gazing at a woman lustfully. As a married man, he did not flirt with a single woman or pursue romantic objectives with another man’s wife. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made a powerful statement regarding sexual morality—surely a point integrity keepers need to keep in mind. 

Is that your view? - Bible Speaks

Orphaned Man Says:  "What i am learning gives me hope for the future" - He Now Is Learning He Has A “Huge Worldwide Family!”

Raquel our sister a long time ago approached this orphaned man who had little or nothing to eat.He began to study the Bible.

Now  you will always see him  studying the magazines, books and the Bible. "What i am learning gives me hope for the future" he said.

When possible, our sister takes him out to eat and bring him food. 
JW Philippines

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Message from the Russian brothers and sisters. 
"We are ok! We have Jehovah on our side". (Romans 8:31)
JW Russia

Giving Thanks? - Thanksgiving and Black Friday? - A Contradiction? ???

Chuckle ???

26 minutes ago, Gone Fishing said:

That would be something, especially if the result was similar to this: "And the men of Ninʹe·veh put faith in God, and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them." Jonah 2:9

@Gone Fishing

Amazing! Jehovah Knows! Keep Busy! 

 

The increase in big earthquakes predicted for 2018 as the rotation of the earth slows down

Scientists say that the amount of severe earthquakes will likely increase sharply next year due to a regular decrease in earth rotation

Scientists have warned that there could be a huge increase in the number of devastating earthquakes around the world next year. They believe that changes in the speed of rotation of the earth could trigger intense seismic activity, particularly in densely populated tropical regions.

Although such fluctuations in rotation are small, changing the duration of the day in a millisecond, they may be involved in the release of large amounts of underground energy, it is argued.
In his study, bilham and bendick observed earthquakes of magnitude 7 and greater that occurred since 1900. "Major Earthquakes Have recorded well for more than a century and that gives us a good record to study", said said .

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/18/2018-set-to-be-year-of-big-earthquakes

How Can You Keep a Balanced View of Money? ?????

Love of money and a desire for possessions are not new; nor is the Bible silent about them, as if they were some recent phenomena. They are very old. In the Law, God instructed the Israelites: “You must not desire your fellowmanÂ’s house . . . nor anything that belongs to your fellowman.”—Exodus 20:17.

The proper use of money is approved by God. For example, Jesus said: “Make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous riches.” (Luke 16:9) This includes contributing toward the advancement of the true worship of God, for we definitely should want God as our Friend. Solomon himself, following the example of his father, David, contributed large amounts of money and valuables toward the building of Jehovah’s temple. Another Christian mandate is to give material assistance to those in need. “Share with the holy ones according to their needs,” said the apostle Paul. He added: “Follow the course of hospitality.” (Romans 12:13)

This often involves spending some money. However, what about the love of money? Paul warns: “The love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

This text does not say that money itself is evil—nor does any other scripture. Neither does the apostle say that money is the fundamental cause of “injurious things” or that money lies at the root of every problem. Rather, the love of money can be a cause—even if not the only cause—of all kinds of “injurious things.”

Guard Against Greed

The fact that money itself is not condemned in the Scriptures should not blunt Paul’s warning. Christians who begin to love money are vulnerable to all kinds of problems, the worst of which is that of straying from the faith. This truth is reinforced by what Paul said to the Christians in Colossae: “Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects . . . hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5) How may covetousness, greed, or “love of money” amount to idolatry? Does this mean that it is wrong to want a bigger house, a newer car, a more profitable job? No, none of these things are evil in themselves. The question is: What is the heart attitude that makes one want any of these things, and are they really necessary?

The difference between normal desire and greed might be likened to the difference between the small campfire that cooks food and the blazing inferno that consumes a forest. Wholesome and well-placed desire can be constructive. It motivates us to work and to be productive. Proverbs 16:26 says: “The soul of the hard worker has worked hard for him, because his mouth has pressed him hard.” But greed is dangerous and destructive. It is desire out of control.

Control is a core issue. Will the money we accumulate or the material things we want serve our needs, or will our needs serve money? That is why Paul says that being a “greedy person . . . means being an idolater.” (Ephesians 5:5) To be greedy for something in reality means that we surrender our will to it—in effect, we make it our master, our god, the thing we serve. In contrast, God insists: “You must not have any other gods against my face.”—Exodus 20:3.

Our being greedy also indicates that we do not trust that God will follow through on his promise to supply what we need. (Matthew 6:33) Greed, then, amounts to a turning away from God. In this sense too, it is “idolatry.” No wonder Paul warns so clearly against it!

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https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2001441?q=love+of+money&p=par#h=10

“Make Sure of the More Important Things”

There are many things that Jehovah chose not to include in the Bible. For example, he did not give us details about the human brain or the universe. Instead, Jehovah gave us information that we need so that we can understand his will and obey him. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

It is interesting that Jehovah chose to tell us about the invisible part of his organization. It is exciting for us to read this information in the Bible books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation! (Isaiah 6:1-4; Ezekiel 1:4-14, 22-24; Daniel 7:9-14; Revelation 4:1-11)

Why has Jehovah allowed us to know about some of the things that are happening in heaven?

Jehovah wants us always to remember that we are part of a universal organization. The invisible part of JehovahÂ’s organization is working hard to do JehovahÂ’s will.

For example, Ezekiel saw a vision of the invisible part of JehovahÂ’s organization represented by a huge chariot. This chariot was extremely fast and could change direction instantly. (Ezekiel 1:15-21)

He also saw the Rider of the chariot. Ezekiel said: “I got to see something like the glow of electrum, like the appearance of fire all around.” He added: “It was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah.” (Ezekiel 1:25-28) Ezekiel must have been amazed by this vision. He saw that Jehovah is in full control of his organization and is using his holy spirit to direct it. The moving chariot in the vision is a wonderful illustration of how the invisible part of Jehovah’s organization works -

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/402013285?q=phil+1%3A10&p=par

"All your works will glorify you, O Jehovah, And your loyal ones will praise you. They All your works with glorify you oh Jehovah, will proclaim the glory of your kingship. And speak about your mightiness," (Ps 145:10,11) 

May Jehovah Bless You as You Praise Him. 

Good Night! ? 

Good Morning! ??

Good Afternoon! ?

Identifying GodÂ’s Loyal Ones -

King David supplies the answer. After extolling Jehovah’s marvelous qualities, he states: “Your loyal ones will bless you.” (Psalm 145:10) You may wonder how humans can bless God. They do so primarily by praising him or by speaking well of him.

Jehovah’s loyal ones can be identified as those who use their mouths to speak well of him. In social settings and at Christian meetings, what is a common theme of their discussions? Why, it is Jehovah’s Kingdom! God’s loyal servants share the sentiments of David, who sang: “About the glory of your [Jehovah’s] kingship they will talk, and about your mightiness they will speak.”—Psalm 145:11.-

We Must Speak Out As King David Did!

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2004044?q=ps+145%3A10%2C11&p=par

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these days?” (Eccl. 7:10)New English Translation - Bible Speaks 

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https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2012206?q=good+old+days&p=par

The world's most valuable book': Copy of psalms dated 1640 sells at New York auction for record $14.2M

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Oh LOOK Jehovah’s Name! 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2514208/Copy-psalms-dated-1640-sells-auction-record-14-2M.html#ixzz2lqoZPisE

@koralblu shares: “For the past six weeks I have had the pleasure of serving where the need is great in Ecuador. 

I had the opportunity to preach in the Andes in the Quichua territory. 

This little lamb reminded me of Isaiah 40:11. I was able to see first hand what that scripture really mean to tenderly care for Jehovah’s sheep. 

Truly serving Jehovah and seeing the wonders of his creation is spectacular.”

 Thank you ?? 

“Let a rotten saying not proceed out of your mouth, but whatever saying is good for building up.” (EPHESIANS 4:29) ???

WHY WE NEED TO GUARD OUR SPEECH

One important reason to guard our speech is that words have power. Proverbs 15:4 says: “The calmness of the tongue is a tree of life, but distortion in it means a breaking down in the spirit.”

Even as water revives a thirsty tree, so the calm speech of a soothing tongue can refresh the spirit of those hearing it. 

In contrast, the twisted words of a perverse tongue can crush the spirit of others. Indeed, the words we speak have the power to injure or to heal. (Proverbs 18:21)

Vividly describing the power of words, another proverb says: “There exists the one speaking thoughtlessly as with the stabs of a sword.” (Proverbs 12:18) 

Thoughtless words said in haste can cause deep emotional wounds and destroy relationships. Has your heart ever been pierced by the thrusts of a verbal sword? 

On the positive side, the same proverb says: “The tongue of the wise ones is a healing.” Thoughtful words from one who manifests godly wisdom can mend an aching heart and restore relationships. Can you recall an occasion when you experienced the healing power of kind words? (Proverbs 16:24) 

Recognizing that spoken words have power, we certainly want to use our speech to heal others, not to hurt them.

No matter how hard we try, we cannot completely control our tongue. Here, then, is a second reason why we need to keep on guard respecting our speech: Sin and imperfection incline us toward misusing our tongue. Words are a product of our heart, and “the inclination of the heart of man is bad.” (Genesis 8:21; Luke 6:45) Bridling our tongue is therefore a real struggle. (James 3:2-4) 

Although we cannot gain perfect control of our tongue, we can keep working at making improvement in how we use it. Just as a swimmer trying to swim upstream has to keep fighting the current, so we have to keep fighting the sinful tendency to misuse our tongue.

A reason to guard our speech is that Jehovah holds us accountable for our words. The way we use our tongue affects not only our relationship with fellow humans but also our standing with Jehovah. James 1:26 says: “If any man seems to himself to be a formal worshiper and yet does not bridle his tongue, but goes on deceiving his own heart, this man’s form of worship is futile.”

If our tongue is unbridled—spewing out hurtful, poisonous speech—all of our Christian works could be rendered worthless in God’s eyes. 
(James 3:8-10)

JW.ORG

A prayer of the oppressed one when he is in despair and pours out his concern before Jehovah. – Psalms 102:16-22.

16 For Jehovah will rebuild Zion;
He will appear in his glory.

17 He will pay attention to the prayer of the destitute;
He will not despise their prayer.

18 This is written for the future generation,
So that a people yet to be brought forth will praise Jah.

19 For he looks down from his holy height, From the heavens Jehovah views the earth,

20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner, To release those sentenced to death,

21 So that the name of Jehovah will be declared in Zion
And his praise in Jerusalem,

22 When the peoples and kingdoms Gather together to serve Jehovah."
Psalm 102:16-22 fin. - Bible Speaks

2 hours ago, JW Insider said:

My uncle was a circuit overseer in the traveling work for many years, and more recently had only served as a temporary circuit overseer due to his age. His wife (my aunt) also received one of these letters. I would guess that about 5,000 of these letters went out worldwide, and the chances that several of them would arrive at the right time for it was clearly very good. Many circuit overseer's wives find the lifestyle very difficult.

@JW Insider

Jehovah sees our needs and love we share with others. Are we not grateful those 5,000 letters were sent! How small a token to show love to others and think about how they are loved and cared for. Jehovah takes care of us everyday. Are we not as appreciative?

 Thank you for your support. We serve a “Happy God”!  

Thank you ?? ???

Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane

30 x 40 inches 

Oil on Masonite board

Artist: anonymous

Patterson Educational Center

 

This painting depicts the emotional moment when Jesus appeals to His Heavenly Father. The angle from above looking downward gives us an idea of how Jehovah and his angelic brothers saw Jesus as he said “Father, if you want to, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, let, not my will, but yours take place.” (Luke 22:42).

?? #Repost @edsalazarfineart

New European standard for New Kingdom Halls 

As is the case in the United States, we will get standardized Kingdom Halls  in Europe like the one in the photo.

“Keep Working Out Your Own Salvation” -

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(Philippians 2:12) “Consequently, my beloved ones, just as you have always obeyed, not only during my presence but now much more readily during my absence, keep working out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” -

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EACH year thousands of Bible students get baptized. Many are young people—teenagers and preteens. They may have been raised in the truth. Are you one of them? If so, you are to be commended. Baptism is a requirement for Christians, and it is an essential step to gaining salvation.—Matt. 28:19, 20; 1 Pet. 3:21.

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Although baptism opens the door to many blessings, it also involves responsibility. In what way? On the day of your baptism, you answered yes to the question, “On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?”

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Your baptism symbolizes your dedication. It is a solemn promise that you made to Jehovah to love him and to put his will above everything else. That is a serious commitment. Should you regret making it?

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No, you definitely should not. Putting yourself in Jehovah’s hands is never a wrong move. Consider the alternative! A person who lives apart from Jehovah is under Satan’s rule. The Devil has no interest in your salvation. In fact, he would be happy if you lost out on everlasting life by siding with him in rejecting Jehovah’s sovereignty. Friendship with Jehovah involves two-way communication—listening and talking.

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Personal study of the Bible is the prime way we listen to Jehovah. That includes taking in knowledge by reading and meditating on God’s Word and Bible-based publications. As you do that, remember that study of the Bible is not a mere academic exercise. It should not be as if you were memorizing facts just to pass a school exam. Fruitful study is more like an expedition on which you can explore and discover new aspects of Jehovah’s personality. This will help you to draw close to God, and then he will draw close to you.—Jas. 4:8.

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https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2017689?q=phil+2%3A12&p=par

Run fast! – Time is Running Out! – ????????????????????????? For Those Loving Jehovah, “There Is No Stumbling Block”

“Abundant peace belongs to those loving your law, and for them there is no stumbling block.”—PSALM 119:165.

Living as a Christian is like being in a race. It is a race for everlasting life. We should not let anything stop us from running this race. It is not a short race in which a person has to run as fast as possible to win. And it is not like a jog in which a person runs slowly and sometimes even stops.

Instead, it is like a marathon. A marathon runner has to have endurance to keep running all the way to the end. The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth: “Do you not know that the runners in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may attain it.”—1 Corinthians 9:24.

It is not easy to run the race for everlasting life. Jesus Christ ran it without ever stumbling, but none of us can do that. James said that “we all stumble many times.” (James 3:2)

Our imperfections or the imperfections of others can make us slow down in the race or even stop for a while. If this happens, we might need help to get back in the race. We should not be surprised if we stumble from time to time.—1 Kings 8:46.

The Bible shows that we have to run the race all the way to the finish if we want the prize of everlasting life. As we run, Jehovah will give us “abundant peace.” (Psalm 119:165)

He will continue to help us now and will give us everlasting blessings if we finish the race.—James 1:12. -

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https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/402013202?q=run&p=par