Saturday Jan 23 I will certainly set my face against the one who is eating the blood, and I will cut him off from among his people.— Lev. 17:10. Jehovah commanded the Israelites not to eat “any sort of blood.” Abstaining from blood—animal or human—is a Christian requirement as well. (Acts 15:28, 29) We shudder at the very thought of having God ‘set his face against us’ and cut us off from his congregation. We love him and want to obey him. Even when confronted with a life-threatening situation, we are determined not to cave in to the pleas and demands of those who do not know God and who do not care to obey him. Yes, we expect to be ridiculed for abstaining from blood, but we choose to be obedient to God. (Jude 17, 18) Do you understand why God commands us not to eat “any sort of blood”? Do you grasp the reason why God considers blood to be sacred? He essentially views blood as equivalent to life.—Gen. 9:4.
Sunday Jan 24 They collected the fine ones into containers, but the unsuitable they threw away.— Matt. 13:48. Understanding the lesson of this illustration helps us to avoid being overly distraught or disappointed if one of our children does not take being a Christian seriously. This may happen despite all our best efforts. Being raised in a Christian household does not automatically mean that a person will develop a strong personal relationship with God. Those unwilling to submit to God's rulership will eventually be separated from God’s people. Does this mean that those who have left will never be allowed to return to the congregation? Or if someone fails to dedicate his life to God, will he be forever classified as someone “unsuitable”? No. There is still a window of opportunity for such ones before the outbreak of the great tribulation. It is as if God calls out to them: “Return to me, and I will return to you.”— Mal. 3:7. 2:9, 11, 12
Monday Jan 25 To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. —Matt. 25:40. Early in his discourse found in Matthew chapters*24 and 25, Jesus indicated that the sign of his presence would include a remarkable feature—the good news of the Kingdom would “be preached in all the inhabited earth.” (Matt. 24:14) And just prior to talking about the sheep and the goats, he related the illustration of the talents. Jesus gave that illustration to stress to his spirit-anointed disciples, his “brothers,” that they must zealously engage in the preaching work. However, the small number of anointed ones left on earth during Jesus’ presence face an enormous challenge—that of preaching to “all the nations” before the end comes. The illustration of the sheep and the goats shows that the anointed would have help. Therefore, a primary way that those judged to be sheep show kindness to Christ’s brothers is by supporting them.
Tuesday Jan 26 If you turn to doing good, will you not be restored to favor? But if you do not turn to doing good, sin is crouching at the door, and its craving is to dominate you. —Gen. 4:7. All of God's warnings are really evidence of his loving, watchful care for us as individuals. True, the words of the Bible have been there for centuries, is the most widely distributed book in history, and the counsel is intended for everyone. Still, in all these cases, God directed your attention to his Word so that you could adjust your inclinations. Thus it can be said that this is evidence of God's loving personal care for you. To benefit from God’s warnings, we must first realize that he is truly concerned about us. Then we must respond positively to his Word, striving to eliminate any thoughts that are displeasing to God. (Isa. 55:6, 7) If we heed the warnings we are given, we will spare ourselves a lot of heartache.
Wednesday Jan 27 There will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. —Matt. 24:21. Regarding his invisible presence and the conclusion of the system of things, Jesus said the above. This unparalleled tribulation will start when God brings destruction on “Babylon the Great,” the world empire of false religion, by using the political powers. (Rev. 17:3-5, 16) What will come next? After false religion is destroyed, Satan and various elements of his world will attack God's servants. Concerning “Gog of the land of Magog,” for example, the Scriptures foretell: “You will come against them like a storm, and you will cover the land like clouds, you and all your troops and many peoples with you. Because God's true followers are the most peaceful people on earth, they will appear to be easy targets. But what a mistake attacking them will prove to be!—Ezek. 38:1, 2, 9-12.
Thursday Jan 28 I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore fig trees.— Amos 7:14. We see in the case of the prophet Amos that God noticed the potential of one of his servants, even though he might have appeared to many to be rather insignificant or unassuming. Amos’ bold response to the corrupt priest Amaziah confirmed that God had chosen the right person and could use his abilities that might not at first seem obvious. (Amos 7:12, 13, 16, 17) Yes, God notices the potential in each of his servants. He assured King David that he would always guide him, with ‘his eye upon him.’ (Ps. 32:8) Do you see why that should be encouraging to us? Even though we may lack self-confidence, God can help us to go beyond our perceived limits and reach goals that we would not have imagined. Just as an instructor watches an inexperienced rock climber attentively in order to help him find the best handholds, God is willing to guide us as we make spiritual advancement.
Friday Jan 29 Pay attention to what you are hearing.— Mark 4:24. The world is so saturated with conflicting religious teachings and doctrines that many people feel that searching for the true religion is futile. However, God has made his guidance abundantly clear for those who are willing to take advantage of it. We have to decide whom we will listen to. Since it is practically impossible to listen to two voices simultaneously, we need to ‘know the voice’ of Jesus and listen to him. He is the one whom God appointed over His sheep. (John 10:3-5) God's counsel is clear and right, but we must pay attention and listen to it by preparing our heart to receive it. If we are not careful, we could give ear to Satan’s wicked advice instead of God’s loving counsel. Never allow worldly music, videos, TV shows, books, associates, educators, or so-called experts to control your life.—Col. 2:8.
Saturday Jan 30 Look up, please, to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to do so... So your offspring will become.— Gen. 15:5 How reassuring those words must have been to Abraham! Every time he gazed up at the starry heavens, he would be reminded of God's promise to multiply his offspring. And in God’s due time, Abraham did produce an heir, just as was promised. (Gen. 21:1, 2) Like Abraham, we too are awaiting the fulfillment of God’s promises. (2 Pet. 3:13) If we do not keep our minds fixed on the things above, the fulfillment of these promises could appear to be delayed and we might slow down in our spiritual activities. Remember, Abraham kept in mind “the city having real foundations.” (Heb. 11:10) He “put faith in God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”—Rom. 4:3.
Sunday Jan 31 Just as the Father taught me, I speak these things.— John 8:28. Noah’s sons helped their father build the ark, and then they went into it. (Gen. 7:1, 7) Because they valued what they had received through him, they had the privilege of helping to preserve the human race and reestablish true worship on a cleansed earth. (Gen. 8:20; 9:18, 19) Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and Daniel were taken to Babylon in 617 B.C.E. They could easily have just blended into the Babylonian way of life. But they did not. It is apparent from their actions that they remembered their heritage, what they had been taught. The four were richly blessed for adhering to the spiritual lessons they had learned when they were young. (Dan. 1:8, 11-15, 20) Jesus received much from his Father, and he truly valued it. And it was his desire that others benefit from what he had received. (Luke 4:18, 43) He helped his listeners to see the need for being “no part of the world.”—John 15:19.
Monday Feb 1 You have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to young children.—Matt. 11:25. Of course, Jesus did not mean that his disciples were children in a literal sense. Rather, he knew that they seemed to be children compared to the intellectual and highly educated ones in the land, who were wise in their own eyes. More important, Jesus taught his followers to be like children, remaining humble and teachable. (Matt. 18:1-4) How did they benefit from being humble? By means of holy spirit, God helped them to grasp vital spiritual truths while the wise and intellectual ones, who scorned them, remained blinded by Satan and by their own pride. No wonder Jesus was so pleased! It made him happy to see the way God revealed deep spiritual truths to humble people of all sorts, regardless of their education or intellectual gifts. He was delighted that his Father approved of this way of teaching.
Tuesday Feb 2 Moses...[chose] to be mistreated with the people of God rather than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin.—Heb. 11:24, 25. With eyes of faith, Moses recognized that the “enjoyment of sin” was temporary. Others might have reasoned that even though Egypt was steeped in idolatry and spiritism, it had risen to become a world power, while God's people suffered as slaves! Yet, Moses knew that God could change matters. Although self-indulgent ones seemed to be thriving, Moses had faith that the wicked would shrivel away. As a result, he was not enticed by “the temporary enjoyment of sin.” How can you resist “the temporary enjoyment of sin”? Never forget that sinful pleasure is fleeting. With eyes of faith, see that “the world is passing away and so is its desire.” (1*John 2:15-17) Meditate on the future of unrepentant sinners. (Ps. 73:18, 19) When tempted to engage in sinful conduct, ask, ‘What future do I want for myself?’
Wednesday Feb 3 Do nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with humility consider others superior to you.—Phil. 2:3. What is humility? In this proud world, some may think that humility suggests weakness or lack of confidence. Often, though, just the opposite is true. Showing humility calls for strength and courage. Humility has been defined as “the attitude opposite of pride and arrogance.” In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the word translated “humility” may be rendered “lowliness of mind.” Humility begins with the way we think about ourselves. “Humility is to know how lowly we really are before God,” says one Bible dictionary. If we are truly humble before God, we will also refrain from estimating ourselves to be above our fellow humans. (Rom. 12:3) It is not easy for imperfect humans to cultivate humility. But we can learn to be humble if we reflect on our standing before God and follow in the footsteps of his Son.
Thursday Feb 4 When anyone replies to a matter before he hears the facts, it is foolish and humiliating.—Prov. 18:13. Before delving into a discussion of the Bible’s viewpoint on a certain topic, we do well to try to determine what our listener really believes. Otherwise, we might spend a lot of time refuting an idea that he never believed in the first place! (1 Cor. 9:26) Tactful questions can help us to learn why a person believes what he does. For instance, what if someone we meet says that he does not believe in God? It might be easy to assume that the person has been influenced by secular views, such as the theory of evolution. (Ps. 10:4) However, some people have lost faith in God because of the intense suffering they have personally seen or experienced. They may find it hard to reconcile such suffering with the existence of a loving Creator. Therefore, well-thought-out questions may help us to determine the best way to assist the person.—Prov. 20:5.
Friday Feb 5 God ... does not dwell in handmade temples.—Acts 17:24. Is it futile to search for God? No, for he wants us to find him. The apostle Paul made that clear when he gave a witness to a group assembled on the Areopagus. That took place within sight of the Parthenon—a temple dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess of ancient Athens. Imagine that you are there as Paul speaks about “the God who made the world and all the things in it” and then explains that He “does not dwell in handmade temples.” The apostle adds that God “made out of one man every nation of men to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of where men would dwell, so that they would seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:25-27) Yes, people can find God. Millions of people ‘really have found him’—and they truly love him.
Saturday Feb 6 The solid foundation of God remains standing, having this seal, “Jehovah knows those who belong to him,” and, “Let everyone calling on the name of Jehovah renounce unrighteousness.”—2 Tim. 2:19. In the apostle Paul’s day, certain professed Christians adopted false teachings; yet, they continued to associate with the congregation. To the casual observer, these apostates might not have been different from others in the congregation. But their apostasy presented a danger to faithful Christians. These wolves in sheep’s clothing began “subverting the faith of some.” (2 Tim. 2:16-18) Paul was sure that God could recognize hypocritical worship, and he was likewise convinced that God could identify those who are obedient to Him. Paul manifested his strong conviction when writing under inspiration to Timothy. After referring to the spiritual harm that apostates were already inflicting upon some within the congregation, Paul wrote the words of today’s text.
Sunday Feb 7 Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin.—Rom. 5:12. Both Adam and Eve sinned, but Adam was held responsible for their wrongdoing. The first human pair were led to think that they did not need God as their Ruler. That raised this vital question of sovereignty: Who has the right to rule? To provide an answer for all eternity, God allowed rule independent of him to continue for a time. He knew that experience would prove that rule independent of him would fail. Over the centuries, such rulership has plunged human society into one calamity after another. In the past century alone, about 100,000,000 people died in wars—and that includes millions of innocent men, women, and children. So there already is mounting evidence that “it does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jer. 10:23) Realizing that fact, we acknowledge God as our Ruler.—Prov. 3:5, 6.
Tuesday Feb 9 Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree?—Gen. 3:1. After preparing our beautiful planet for human habitation, God issued three decrees regarding humans: Our God would create mankind in his image, humans were to expand Paradise globally and fill the earth with righteous offspring, and humans were prohibited from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. (Gen. 1:26, 28; 2:16, 17) After the creation of man, adherence to the other two decrees was all that was necessary to have God’s purpose fulfilled. In a villainous attempt to thwart God’s purpose, Satan the Devil instigated a rebellion. He did so by focusing his attention on the decree he could most easily influence—the one that required obedience on the part of man. He tempted the first woman, Eve, to disobey the prohibition regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. (Gen. 3:1-5; Rev. 12:9) In doing so, Satan challenged God’s right to rule over His creation. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Wednesday Feb 10 Happy are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear.—Matt. 13:16. Why were Jesus’ disciples able to understand when others were not? Because they were willing to search for the real meaning behind Jesus’ words, build on what they had already accepted, and use what they had heard in their personal lives and in helping others. (Matt. 13:11, 12, 36, 51, 52) If we want to understand Jesus’ illustrations, we need to follow the example of his faithful disciples. First, we need to be willing to take the time to study and meditate on what Jesus said, to do the necessary research, and to ask the appropriate questions. This leads to knowledge. (Prov. 2:4, 5) Next, we need to see how that knowledge fits in with what we already know, discerning its benefit to us personally. That results in understanding. (Prov. 2:2, 3) Finally, we should use what we have learned, putting it into action in our lives. This shows wisdom on our part.—Prov. 2:6, 7. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thursday Feb 11 He was raised up.—Matt. 28:6. That the dead could live again was not a new concept to Jesus’ apostles; resurrections had occurred before they were born. They knew that God had empowered the prophets Elijah and Elisha to perform such miracles. (1 Ki. 17:17-24; 2 Ki. 4:32-37) A dead man had even come to life when his body was thrown into a grave and it touched the bones of Elisha. (2 Ki. 13:20, 21) Very likely, all of us have been greatly moved by reading accounts of the resurrections that Jesus performed. When he restored a widow’s only son to life, she must have been astonished. (Luke 7:11-15) On another occasion, Jesus resurrected a 12-year-old girl. Imagine the joy and wonder of her previously grief-stricken parents when their daughter was brought back to life! (Luke 8:49-56) And how onlookers must have been thrilled when they saw Lazarus step from the tomb alive and well!—John 11:38-44. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Friday Feb 12 Show yourselves thankful..., encouraging one another with psalms, praises to God, spiritual songs sung with gratitude.—Col. 3:15, 16. We can learn much from the apostle Paul about cultivating gratitude. Evidently, he meditated on his blessings, for he frequently expressed heartfelt thanks. Paul well knew that he had been “a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man.” Hence, he gave thanks that despite his past sinful conduct, God and Christ had shown him mercy and had entrusted him with a ministry. (1 Tim. 1:12-14) Paul also deeply appreciated his fellow Christians and often thanked God for their fine qualities and faithful service. (Phil. 1:3-5, 7; 1 Thess. 1:2, 3) And when Paul faced trialsome situations, he was quick to thank God for the timely support that he received from his spiritual brothers. (Acts 28:15; 2 Cor. 7:5-7) It is not surprising, therefore, that Paul’s writings encourage Christians with the words of today’s text. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
