Thursday, February 21
I do take the Levites from among the sons of Israel in place of all the firstborn.—Num. 3:12
What did that selection mean for the Levites? Rather than receiving a land inheritance, they were entrusted with a priceless privilege of service. Being “the priesthood of Jehovah” was their inheritance. (Josh. 18:7) The context of Numbers 18:20 shows that this did not leave them impoverished materially. (Num. 18:19, 21, 24) The Levites were to be given “every tenth part in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service.” They would receive 10 percent of Israel’s produce and of the increase of the domestic animals. In turn, the Levites were to contribute a tenth part of what they received, “of the very best of it,” for the support of the priesthood. (Num. 18:25-29) The priests were also given “all the holy contributions” that the sons of Israel brought to God at his place of worship. Members of the priesthood thus had good reason for believing that Jehovah would provide for them. w11 9/15 1:3, 4
21 February 2013
19 February 2013
20 Wednesday 2013 - 1 Corinthians 11: 3
Wednesday, February 20
The head of a woman is the man.—1 Cor. 11:3
What does a man’s responsibility as the head of a household involve? Outlining one aspect of headship, the Scriptures say: “If anyone does not provide for those who are his own, and especially for those who are members of his household, he has disowned the faith and is worse than a person without faith.” (1 Tim. 5:8) Indeed, a man should provide materially for his family. If he is to help his family to stay awake spiritually, though, he must prove to be more than just a breadwinner. He needs to build up his household spiritually, helping all in the family to strengthen their relationship with God. (Prov. 24:3, 4) How can he do so? Since “a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the congregation,” a married man should examine and imitate the type of headship that Jesus provides for the congregation. (Eph. 5:23) He should study what Jesus said and did and “follow his steps closely.” — 1 Pet. 2:21 w11 5/15 1:3, 4
The head of a woman is the man.—1 Cor. 11:3
What does a man’s responsibility as the head of a household involve? Outlining one aspect of headship, the Scriptures say: “If anyone does not provide for those who are his own, and especially for those who are members of his household, he has disowned the faith and is worse than a person without faith.” (1 Tim. 5:8) Indeed, a man should provide materially for his family. If he is to help his family to stay awake spiritually, though, he must prove to be more than just a breadwinner. He needs to build up his household spiritually, helping all in the family to strengthen their relationship with God. (Prov. 24:3, 4) How can he do so? Since “a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the congregation,” a married man should examine and imitate the type of headship that Jesus provides for the congregation. (Eph. 5:23) He should study what Jesus said and did and “follow his steps closely.” — 1 Pet. 2:21 w11 5/15 1:3, 4
19 February 2013 - Exodus 23: 2
Tuesday, February 19
You must not follow after the crowd for evil ends.—Ex. 23:2
In taking a long journey, what would you do if you felt unsure about which way to go? You might feel tempted to follow other travelers—especially if you saw a great many making the same choice. Such a course is risky. After all, those travelers may not be heading toward your destination, or they too may be lost. In this connection, consider a principle that underlies one of the laws given to ancient Israel. Those who served as judges or as witnesses in judicial matters were warned of the danger of ‘following after the crowd.’ Without doubt, it is all too easy for imperfect humans to bow to peer pressure, perverting justice. However, is the principle about not following the crowd restricted to judicial matters? Not at all. In truth, the pressure to “follow after the crowd” can affect us at almost any time. It may arise suddenly, and it can be very difficult to resist. w11 7/15 1:3, 4
You must not follow after the crowd for evil ends.—Ex. 23:2
In taking a long journey, what would you do if you felt unsure about which way to go? You might feel tempted to follow other travelers—especially if you saw a great many making the same choice. Such a course is risky. After all, those travelers may not be heading toward your destination, or they too may be lost. In this connection, consider a principle that underlies one of the laws given to ancient Israel. Those who served as judges or as witnesses in judicial matters were warned of the danger of ‘following after the crowd.’ Without doubt, it is all too easy for imperfect humans to bow to peer pressure, perverting justice. However, is the principle about not following the crowd restricted to judicial matters? Not at all. In truth, the pressure to “follow after the crowd” can affect us at almost any time. It may arise suddenly, and it can be very difficult to resist. w11 7/15 1:3, 4
18 February 2013
Monday, February 18
From Jerusalem and in a circuit as far as Illyricum I have thoroughly preached the good news about the Christ.—Rom. 15:19
All people need to know about Jesus and put faith in him. In the book of Romans, Paul addressed this need. Early on, he wrote of “God, to whom I render sacred service with my spirit in connection with the good news about his Son.” He added: “I am not ashamed of the good news; it is, in fact, God’s power for salvation to everyone having faith.” Later he referred to the time “when God through Christ Jesus judges the secret things of mankind, according to the good news I declare.” (Rom. 1:9, 16; 2:16) Why, do you think, did Paul stress Jesus Christ to the Romans? Every Christian in Rome faced a predicament that also confronts each one of us. Paul put it this way: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) Clearly, all to whom Paul wrote needed to recognize that they were sinners and had to put faith in God’s means to meet that need. w11 6/15 1:5, 8
From Jerusalem and in a circuit as far as Illyricum I have thoroughly preached the good news about the Christ.—Rom. 15:19
All people need to know about Jesus and put faith in him. In the book of Romans, Paul addressed this need. Early on, he wrote of “God, to whom I render sacred service with my spirit in connection with the good news about his Son.” He added: “I am not ashamed of the good news; it is, in fact, God’s power for salvation to everyone having faith.” Later he referred to the time “when God through Christ Jesus judges the secret things of mankind, according to the good news I declare.” (Rom. 1:9, 16; 2:16) Why, do you think, did Paul stress Jesus Christ to the Romans? Every Christian in Rome faced a predicament that also confronts each one of us. Paul put it this way: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) Clearly, all to whom Paul wrote needed to recognize that they were sinners and had to put faith in God’s means to meet that need. w11 6/15 1:5, 8
18 February 2013
JURY DUTY SCAM
*** This is very important. ***
JURY DUTY- DO NOT DELETE WITHOUT READINGPass this on to your grown children and anyone else you can think of. This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.
The caller claims to be a jury DUTY coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the Scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.
The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado , AZ and more. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system.
The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.
Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm
And here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp
Yep! It's true
16 February 2013
17 February 2013 - Proverbs 4: 18
Sunday, February 17
The path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.—Prov. 4:18
The words of today’s text mean that our conduct and our understanding of God’s purposes will improve over time. After Jesus’ death it was difficult for many Jewish Christians to break free from the Mosaic Law. (Acts 21:20) Although Paul skillfully argued that Christians were no longer under the Law, some rejected his inspired reasoning. (Col. 2:13-15) Perhaps they felt that if they continued to observe at least portions of the Law, they would avoid persecution. In any case, Paul wrote to the Hebrew Christians and plainly told them that they could not enter into God’s rest as long as they refused to work in harmony with His unfolding purpose. (Heb. 4:1, 2, 6, 11) To gain Jehovah’s approval, they would have to face the fact that he was leading his people in a different direction. w11 7/15 4:7, 8
The path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.—Prov. 4:18
The words of today’s text mean that our conduct and our understanding of God’s purposes will improve over time. After Jesus’ death it was difficult for many Jewish Christians to break free from the Mosaic Law. (Acts 21:20) Although Paul skillfully argued that Christians were no longer under the Law, some rejected his inspired reasoning. (Col. 2:13-15) Perhaps they felt that if they continued to observe at least portions of the Law, they would avoid persecution. In any case, Paul wrote to the Hebrew Christians and plainly told them that they could not enter into God’s rest as long as they refused to work in harmony with His unfolding purpose. (Heb. 4:1, 2, 6, 11) To gain Jehovah’s approval, they would have to face the fact that he was leading his people in a different direction. w11 7/15 4:7, 8
16 February 2013 - Ecclesiastes 7: 4
Saturday, February 16
The heart of the stupid ones is in the house of rejoicing.—Eccl. 7:4
Wise King Solomon wrote about the value of forgoing pleasures at times in order to take life seriously. (Eccl. 3:4; 7:2, 3) Indeed, because of the shortness of life, we need to ‘exert ourselves vigorously’ to attain salvation. (Luke 13:24) To that end, we need to keep considering all the things that are of “serious concern.” (Phil. 4:8, 9) That means giving careful attention to every facet of Christian life. For example, in imitation of Jehovah and Jesus, Christians take seriously their responsibility to work hard. (John 5:17) As a result, they are often praised for their good work ethic and dependability. Especially are family heads concerned about working hard to support their families. After all, not providing materially for one’s household is tantamount to having “disowned Jehovah”! — 1 Tim. 5:8 ftn. w11 4/15 1:4, 5
The heart of the stupid ones is in the house of rejoicing.—Eccl. 7:4
Wise King Solomon wrote about the value of forgoing pleasures at times in order to take life seriously. (Eccl. 3:4; 7:2, 3) Indeed, because of the shortness of life, we need to ‘exert ourselves vigorously’ to attain salvation. (Luke 13:24) To that end, we need to keep considering all the things that are of “serious concern.” (Phil. 4:8, 9) That means giving careful attention to every facet of Christian life. For example, in imitation of Jehovah and Jesus, Christians take seriously their responsibility to work hard. (John 5:17) As a result, they are often praised for their good work ethic and dependability. Especially are family heads concerned about working hard to support their families. After all, not providing materially for one’s household is tantamount to having “disowned Jehovah”! — 1 Tim. 5:8 ftn. w11 4/15 1:4, 5
15 February 2013
15 February 2013 - Romans 14: 3
Friday, February 15
Let the one eating not look down on the one not eating.—Rom. 14:3.
In such matters as food and recreation, there is room for diversity and personal preference. (Rom. 14:2, 4) However, we also realize that allowing for diversity in recreation is not a license to indulge oneself. To illustrate, consider the example of food. Though we may be willing to eat a variety of foods, we would not deliberately consume food that is rotten. Eating such food would go against common sense and could endanger our health. Similarly, though we may be open to a variety of forms of wholesome entertainment, we would not pursue leisure activities that are life-threatening, violent, or morally rotten. Engaging in such activities would go against Bible principles and would endanger our physical or spiritual health. To make sure that we stay within reasonable limits, we do well to determine in advance whether some recreation that appeals to us is beneficial or not. — Eph. 5:10 w11 10/15 1:3, 4
Let the one eating not look down on the one not eating.—Rom. 14:3.
In such matters as food and recreation, there is room for diversity and personal preference. (Rom. 14:2, 4) However, we also realize that allowing for diversity in recreation is not a license to indulge oneself. To illustrate, consider the example of food. Though we may be willing to eat a variety of foods, we would not deliberately consume food that is rotten. Eating such food would go against common sense and could endanger our health. Similarly, though we may be open to a variety of forms of wholesome entertainment, we would not pursue leisure activities that are life-threatening, violent, or morally rotten. Engaging in such activities would go against Bible principles and would endanger our physical or spiritual health. To make sure that we stay within reasonable limits, we do well to determine in advance whether some recreation that appeals to us is beneficial or not. — Eph. 5:10 w11 10/15 1:3, 4
14 February 2013 - Psalms 16: 10
Thursday, February 14
You [Jehovah] will not leave my soul in Sheol.—Ps. 16:10.
Yes, the Messiah would be resurrected. Imagine the surprise of the women who came to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. There they encountered a materialized angel, who told them: “Stop being stunned. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was impaled. He was raised up, he is not here. See! The place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:6) To the crowd present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., the apostle Peter declared: “[David] saw beforehand and spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he forsaken in Hades nor did his flesh see corruption.” (Acts 2:29-31) God did not allow the physical body of his beloved Son to decay. Moreover, Jesus was miraculously raised to life in the spirit! — 1 Pet. 3:18 w11 8/15 2:19
You [Jehovah] will not leave my soul in Sheol.—Ps. 16:10.
Yes, the Messiah would be resurrected. Imagine the surprise of the women who came to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. There they encountered a materialized angel, who told them: “Stop being stunned. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was impaled. He was raised up, he is not here. See! The place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:6) To the crowd present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., the apostle Peter declared: “[David] saw beforehand and spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he forsaken in Hades nor did his flesh see corruption.” (Acts 2:29-31) God did not allow the physical body of his beloved Son to decay. Moreover, Jesus was miraculously raised to life in the spirit! — 1 Pet. 3:18 w11 8/15 2:19
12 February 2013
13 February 2013 - 1 Corinthians 7: 34
Wednesday, February 13
He is divided.—1 Cor. 7:34
As a husband, a brother finds that he must use some of his time and energy to care for his wife and thus gain her approval. The same is true of the wife toward her husband. (1 Cor. 7:32-34) In his wisdom, Jehovah recognizes this need. He knows that a successful marriage often demands some of the time and energy that the husband and wife formerly used in His service when they were single. But the lesson goes further. If a couple must divert some time and energy from God’s service to care for each other, should they not do likewise with resources formerly used for socializing as single people? What would be the effect on a wife if a husband remained deeply involved in sports with his friends? Or how might a husband feel if a wife kept devoting much time to hobbies with her friends? The neglected mate might soon feel lonely, unhappy, and unloved. This can be avoided if those marrying do all they can to strengthen their bond as husband and wife. — Eph. 5:31 w11 10/15 2:17, 18
He is divided.—1 Cor. 7:34
As a husband, a brother finds that he must use some of his time and energy to care for his wife and thus gain her approval. The same is true of the wife toward her husband. (1 Cor. 7:32-34) In his wisdom, Jehovah recognizes this need. He knows that a successful marriage often demands some of the time and energy that the husband and wife formerly used in His service when they were single. But the lesson goes further. If a couple must divert some time and energy from God’s service to care for each other, should they not do likewise with resources formerly used for socializing as single people? What would be the effect on a wife if a husband remained deeply involved in sports with his friends? Or how might a husband feel if a wife kept devoting much time to hobbies with her friends? The neglected mate might soon feel lonely, unhappy, and unloved. This can be avoided if those marrying do all they can to strengthen their bond as husband and wife. — Eph. 5:31 w11 10/15 2:17, 18
11 February 2013
12 February 2013 - 1 Timothy 5: 15
Tuesday, February 12
Some have been turned aside to follow Satan.—1 Tim. 5:15
Satan’s aim is to get us to stop preaching the good news. (Rev. 12:17) To that end, he tries to get us to pursue activities that waste time or that cause division among us. Notice how Paul identifies Satan’s tactics at 1 Timothy 5:11-14. “Unoccupied, gadding about.” In this age of technology, it is easy to waste our time and that of others by, for example, forwarding nonessential or even fallacious e-mails. “Gossipers.” Harmful gossip may lead to slander, which often causes contention. (Prov. 26:20) Whether they realize it or not, malicious slanderers imitate Satan the Devil. “Meddlers in other people’s affairs.” It is not our right to tell others how to run their personal affairs. All such idle and troublesome behavior can distract us from the God-assigned work of Kingdom preaching. If we stop actively supporting Jehovah’s work, then we start following Satan. There is no middle ground. — Matt. 12:30 w11 7/15 2:14, 15
Some have been turned aside to follow Satan.—1 Tim. 5:15
Satan’s aim is to get us to stop preaching the good news. (Rev. 12:17) To that end, he tries to get us to pursue activities that waste time or that cause division among us. Notice how Paul identifies Satan’s tactics at 1 Timothy 5:11-14. “Unoccupied, gadding about.” In this age of technology, it is easy to waste our time and that of others by, for example, forwarding nonessential or even fallacious e-mails. “Gossipers.” Harmful gossip may lead to slander, which often causes contention. (Prov. 26:20) Whether they realize it or not, malicious slanderers imitate Satan the Devil. “Meddlers in other people’s affairs.” It is not our right to tell others how to run their personal affairs. All such idle and troublesome behavior can distract us from the God-assigned work of Kingdom preaching. If we stop actively supporting Jehovah’s work, then we start following Satan. There is no middle ground. — Matt. 12:30 w11 7/15 2:14, 15
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)