Congregation Bible Study
“Keep Yourselves in God’s Love”
Chapter 15: See Good for Your Hard Work (¶18-23, box on p. 180)
Song #70: “Make Sure of the More Important Things” (Php 1:10) 10 that you may make sure of the more important things, so that you may be flawless and not be stumbling others up to the day of Christ,
Paragraph 18(2Ti 3:1) But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here.
(1Ti 6:9-10) However, those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful de-sires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin. 10 For 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.
(Php 1:10) that you may make sure of the more important things, so that you may be flawless and not be stumbling others up to the day of Christ,
Paragraph 19
(Pr 3:5-6) Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. 6 In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.
(1Pe 5:7) while you throw all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you.
(Ps 37:25) A young man I used to be, I have also grown old, And yet I have not seen anyone righteous left entirely, Nor his offspring looking for bread.
(Heb 13:5) Let [your] manner of life be free of the love of money, while you are content with the present things. For he has said: “I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.”
(Mt 6:25-32) “On this account I say to you: Stop being anxious about your souls as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not the soul mean more than food and the body than clothing? 26 Observe intently the birds of heaven, because they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses; still your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? 27 Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? 28 Also, on the matter of clothing, why are you anxious? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they are growing; they do not toil, nor do they spin; 29 but I say to you that not even Sol′o•mon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30 If, now, God thus clothes the vegetation of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith? 31 So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to put on?’ 32 For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. For your heavenly Father knows you need all these things.
(Mt 24:14) And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.
(Heb 10:24-25) And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, 25 not forsaking the gathering of ourselves to-gether, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.
Paragraph 20
(Mt 6:22-23) “The lamp of the body is the eye. If, then, your eye is simple, your whole body will be bright; 23 but if your eye is wicked, your whole body will be dark. If in reality the light that is in you is darkness, how great that darkness is!
(1Ti 6:8) So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be con-tent with these things.
Paragraph 21
(Mt 6:33) “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these [other] things will be added to you.
Paragraph 22
(Mt 24:14) And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.
(Mt 28:19-20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”
(Pr 10:22) The blessing of Jehovah—that is what makes rich, and he adds no pain with it.
Friday, January 15, 2010
SERVICE MEETING for the week of 18january2010
Service Meeting
Song #115: Making Our Way Successful (Jos 1:8) 8 This book of the law should not depart from your mouth, and you must in an un-dertone read in it day and night, in order that you may take care to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful and then you will act wisely.
5 min: Announcements.
15 min: Prepare to Offer The Watchtower and Awake!
15 min: Question Box.
(De 31:12) Congregate the people, the men and the women and the little ones and your alien resident who is within your gates, in order that they may listen and in order that they may learn, as they must fear Jehovah your God and take care to carry out all the words of this law.
Paragraph 1
(Ec 5:1) Guard your feet whenever you go to the house of the [true] God; and let there be a drawing near to hear, rather than to give a sacrifice as the stupid ones do, for they are not aware of doing what is bad.
(Php 2:4) keeping an eye, not in personal interest upon just your own matters, but also in personal interest upon those of the others.
Paragraph 2
(Pr 22:6) Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.
(Pr 22:15) Foolishness is tied up with the heart of a boy; the rod of discipline is what will remove it far from him.
Paragraph 4
(Heb 10:24-25) And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, 25 not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.
Song #125: Loyally Submitting to Theocratic Order (1Co 14:33) 33 For God is [a God], not of disorder, but of peace. As in all the congregations of the holy ones,
Song #115: Making Our Way Successful (Jos 1:8) 8 This book of the law should not depart from your mouth, and you must in an un-dertone read in it day and night, in order that you may take care to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful and then you will act wisely.
5 min: Announcements.
15 min: Prepare to Offer The Watchtower and Awake!
15 min: Question Box.
(De 31:12) Congregate the people, the men and the women and the little ones and your alien resident who is within your gates, in order that they may listen and in order that they may learn, as they must fear Jehovah your God and take care to carry out all the words of this law.
Paragraph 1
(Ec 5:1) Guard your feet whenever you go to the house of the [true] God; and let there be a drawing near to hear, rather than to give a sacrifice as the stupid ones do, for they are not aware of doing what is bad.
(Php 2:4) keeping an eye, not in personal interest upon just your own matters, but also in personal interest upon those of the others.
Paragraph 2
(Pr 22:6) Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.
(Pr 22:15) Foolishness is tied up with the heart of a boy; the rod of discipline is what will remove it far from him.
Paragraph 4
(Heb 10:24-25) And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, 25 not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.
Song #125: Loyally Submitting to Theocratic Order (1Co 14:33) 33 For God is [a God], not of disorder, but of peace. As in all the congregations of the holy ones,
Thursday, January 14, 2010
TMS -18JANUARY2010
Jan 18 Bible Reading: Judges 1-4 (See si Book)
No. 1: Judges 2:11-23
No. 2: What Sort of People Go to the Bible Hell?
(rs p. 170 ¶1-3)
No. 3: God Did Not Create the Devil
No. 1: Judges 2:11-23
And the sons of Israel fell to doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah and serving the Ba′als. 12 Thus they abandoned Jehovah the God of their fathers who had brought them out of the land of Egypt and went following other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them and they be-gan bowing down to them, so that they offended Je-hovah. 13 Thus they abandoned Jehovah and took up serving Ba′al and the Ash′to•reth images. 14 At this Jehovah’s anger blazed against Israel, so that he gave them into the hands of the pillagers, and they began to pillage them; and he proceeded to sell them into the hand of their enemies round about, and they were no longer able to stand before their enemies. 15 Everywhere that they went out, the hand of Jeho-vah proved to be against them for calamity, just as Jehovah had spoken and just as Jehovah had sworn to them; and they got to be in very sore straits. 16 So Jehovah would raise up judges, and they would save them out of the hand of their pillagers. 17 And even to their judges they did not listen, but they had immoral intercourse with other gods and went bowing down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way in which their forefathers had walked by obeying the commandments of Jehovah. They did not do like that. 18 And when Jehovah did raise up judges for them, Jehovah proved to be with the judge, and he saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for Jehovah would feel regret over their groaning because of their oppressors and those who were shoving them around. 19 And it occurred that when the judge died they would turn around and act more ruinously than their fathers by walking after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They did not refrain from their practices and their stubborn behavior. 20 Finally Jehovah’s anger blazed against Israel and he said: “For the reason that this nation have overstepped my covenant that I com-manded their forefathers and have not listened to my voice, 21 I too, for my part, shall not drive out again from before them a single one of the nations that Joshua left behind when he died, 22 in order by them to test Israel, whether they will be keepers of Jeho-vah’s way by walking in it just as their fathers kept it, or not.” 23 Accordingly Jehovah let these nations stay by not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into Joshua’s hand.
No. 2: What Sort of People Go to the Bible Hell?
(rs p. 170 ¶1-3)
What sort of people go to the Bible hell?
Does the Bible say that the wicked go to hell?
Ps. 9:17, KJ: “The wicked shall be turned into hell,* and all the nations that forget God.” (*“Hell,” 9:18 in Dy; “death,” TEV; “the place of death,” Kx; “Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB, NW.)
Does the Bible also say that upright people go to hell?
Job 14:13, Dy: “[Job prayed:] Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell,* and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?” (God himself said that Job was “a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turn-ing aside from bad.”—Job 1:8.) (*“The grave,” KJ; “the world of the dead,” TEV; “Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB, NW.)
Acts 2:25-27, KJ: “David speaketh concerning him [Jesus Christ], . . . Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,* neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (The fact that God did not “leave” Jesus in hell implies that Jesus was in hell, or Hades, at least for a time, does it not?) (*“Hell,” Dy; “death,” NE; “the place of death,” Kx; “the world of the dead,” TEV; “Hades,” AS, RS, JB, NW.)
No. 3: God Did Not Create the Devil
*** w05 11/15 pp. 4-5 How Real Is the Devil to You? ***
How Real Is the Devil to You?
THE Scriptures portray the Devil as a real person. He is invisible to humans for the same reason that God is invisible to human eyes. “God is a Spirit,” says the Bible. (John 4:24) The Devil is a spirit creature. Unlike the Creator, however, the Devil had a beginning.
Long before Jehovah God created humans, he made a multitude of spirit creatures. (Job 38:4, 7) In the Bible these spirits are called angels. (Hebrews 1:13, 14) God created all of them perfect—not a single one was a devil or had any evil trait. How, then, did the Devil come to be? The word “devil” means “slanderer” and thus refers to someone who tells malicious lies about others. “Satan” means “Resister,” or opposer. Just as a formerly honest man makes himself a thief by stealing, one of the perfect spirit sons of God acted upon an improper desire and made himself Satan the Devil. The Bible explains the process of self-corruption this way: “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.”—James 1:14, 15.
This is apparently what happened. When Jehovah God created the first human pair, Adam and Eve, the angel who was about to rebel against God took note. He knew that Jehovah commanded Adam and Eve to fill the earth with righteous people, who would worship the Creator. (Genesis 1:28) This angel saw that there was a possibility that he could gain honor and importance. Motivated by greed, he coveted what rightly belongs only to the Creator—worship from humans. Instead of rejecting such an improper desire, this spirit son of God nurtured it until it gave birth to a lie and then to rebellion. Consider what he did.
The rebellious angel used a serpent to speak to the first woman, Eve. “Is it really so that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” the serpent asked Eve. When Eve cited God’s command and the penalty for disobeying it, the serpent declared: “You positively will not die. For God knows that in the very day of your eating from [the tree that is in the middle of the garden] your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” (Genesis 3:1-5) The assertion was that God had not told Adam and Eve the truth. By eating the fruit of that tree, Eve would supposedly become like God, having the authority to decide what was good and what was bad. That was the first lie ever spoken. Telling it made that angel a slanderer. He also became an opposer of God. The Bible thus identifies this enemy of God as “the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan.”—Revelation 12:9.
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20051115/article_02.htm
No. 1: Judges 2:11-23
No. 2: What Sort of People Go to the Bible Hell?
(rs p. 170 ¶1-3)
No. 3: God Did Not Create the Devil
No. 1: Judges 2:11-23
And the sons of Israel fell to doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah and serving the Ba′als. 12 Thus they abandoned Jehovah the God of their fathers who had brought them out of the land of Egypt and went following other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them and they be-gan bowing down to them, so that they offended Je-hovah. 13 Thus they abandoned Jehovah and took up serving Ba′al and the Ash′to•reth images. 14 At this Jehovah’s anger blazed against Israel, so that he gave them into the hands of the pillagers, and they began to pillage them; and he proceeded to sell them into the hand of their enemies round about, and they were no longer able to stand before their enemies. 15 Everywhere that they went out, the hand of Jeho-vah proved to be against them for calamity, just as Jehovah had spoken and just as Jehovah had sworn to them; and they got to be in very sore straits. 16 So Jehovah would raise up judges, and they would save them out of the hand of their pillagers. 17 And even to their judges they did not listen, but they had immoral intercourse with other gods and went bowing down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way in which their forefathers had walked by obeying the commandments of Jehovah. They did not do like that. 18 And when Jehovah did raise up judges for them, Jehovah proved to be with the judge, and he saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for Jehovah would feel regret over their groaning because of their oppressors and those who were shoving them around. 19 And it occurred that when the judge died they would turn around and act more ruinously than their fathers by walking after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They did not refrain from their practices and their stubborn behavior. 20 Finally Jehovah’s anger blazed against Israel and he said: “For the reason that this nation have overstepped my covenant that I com-manded their forefathers and have not listened to my voice, 21 I too, for my part, shall not drive out again from before them a single one of the nations that Joshua left behind when he died, 22 in order by them to test Israel, whether they will be keepers of Jeho-vah’s way by walking in it just as their fathers kept it, or not.” 23 Accordingly Jehovah let these nations stay by not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into Joshua’s hand.
No. 2: What Sort of People Go to the Bible Hell?
(rs p. 170 ¶1-3)
What sort of people go to the Bible hell?
Does the Bible say that the wicked go to hell?
Ps. 9:17, KJ: “The wicked shall be turned into hell,* and all the nations that forget God.” (*“Hell,” 9:18 in Dy; “death,” TEV; “the place of death,” Kx; “Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB, NW.)
Does the Bible also say that upright people go to hell?
Job 14:13, Dy: “[Job prayed:] Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell,* and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?” (God himself said that Job was “a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turn-ing aside from bad.”—Job 1:8.) (*“The grave,” KJ; “the world of the dead,” TEV; “Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB, NW.)
Acts 2:25-27, KJ: “David speaketh concerning him [Jesus Christ], . . . Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,* neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (The fact that God did not “leave” Jesus in hell implies that Jesus was in hell, or Hades, at least for a time, does it not?) (*“Hell,” Dy; “death,” NE; “the place of death,” Kx; “the world of the dead,” TEV; “Hades,” AS, RS, JB, NW.)
No. 3: God Did Not Create the Devil
*** w05 11/15 pp. 4-5 How Real Is the Devil to You? ***
How Real Is the Devil to You?
THE Scriptures portray the Devil as a real person. He is invisible to humans for the same reason that God is invisible to human eyes. “God is a Spirit,” says the Bible. (John 4:24) The Devil is a spirit creature. Unlike the Creator, however, the Devil had a beginning.
Long before Jehovah God created humans, he made a multitude of spirit creatures. (Job 38:4, 7) In the Bible these spirits are called angels. (Hebrews 1:13, 14) God created all of them perfect—not a single one was a devil or had any evil trait. How, then, did the Devil come to be? The word “devil” means “slanderer” and thus refers to someone who tells malicious lies about others. “Satan” means “Resister,” or opposer. Just as a formerly honest man makes himself a thief by stealing, one of the perfect spirit sons of God acted upon an improper desire and made himself Satan the Devil. The Bible explains the process of self-corruption this way: “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.”—James 1:14, 15.
This is apparently what happened. When Jehovah God created the first human pair, Adam and Eve, the angel who was about to rebel against God took note. He knew that Jehovah commanded Adam and Eve to fill the earth with righteous people, who would worship the Creator. (Genesis 1:28) This angel saw that there was a possibility that he could gain honor and importance. Motivated by greed, he coveted what rightly belongs only to the Creator—worship from humans. Instead of rejecting such an improper desire, this spirit son of God nurtured it until it gave birth to a lie and then to rebellion. Consider what he did.
The rebellious angel used a serpent to speak to the first woman, Eve. “Is it really so that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” the serpent asked Eve. When Eve cited God’s command and the penalty for disobeying it, the serpent declared: “You positively will not die. For God knows that in the very day of your eating from [the tree that is in the middle of the garden] your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” (Genesis 3:1-5) The assertion was that God had not told Adam and Eve the truth. By eating the fruit of that tree, Eve would supposedly become like God, having the authority to decide what was good and what was bad. That was the first lie ever spoken. Telling it made that angel a slanderer. He also became an opposer of God. The Bible thus identifies this enemy of God as “the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan.”—Revelation 12:9.
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20051115/article_02.htm
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
SERVICE MEETING for the week of 11january2010
WEEK STARTING JANUARY 11 Song 126
Congregation Bible Study:
Ivchap.15~10-17, box on p.l77
Theocratic Ministry School:
Bible reading: Joshua 21-24 No.1: Joshua 24:1.-13
No.2: Is God Uncaring and Hard-Hearted?
No.3: Does the Bible Say That the Soul Sur¬vives the Death of the Body? (rs p. 169 ~1-5)
Service Meeting: Song 1
5 min: Announcements.
15 min: Teach Your Bible Students How to Study.
Audience discussion based on the ma¬terial under the subheading "How to Study" on pages 28-31 of the Ministry School book. Begin with a demonstration of an experi¬enced publisher showing a new Bible stu¬dent how to prepare for his study using ,the material on page 7 of the Bible Teach book.
15 min: "Am I Qualified to Preach?" Question-and-answer discussion.
After con¬sidering paragraph 4, interview a publisher, asking questions such as the following: What obstacles did you have to overcome to preach effectively? In what ways were you helped to become an active and productive minister?
Song 97
Congregation Bible Study:
Ivchap.15~10-17, box on p.l77
Theocratic Ministry School:
Bible reading: Joshua 21-24 No.1: Joshua 24:1.-13
No.2: Is God Uncaring and Hard-Hearted?
No.3: Does the Bible Say That the Soul Sur¬vives the Death of the Body? (rs p. 169 ~1-5)
Service Meeting: Song 1
5 min: Announcements.
15 min: Teach Your Bible Students How to Study.
Audience discussion based on the ma¬terial under the subheading "How to Study" on pages 28-31 of the Ministry School book. Begin with a demonstration of an experi¬enced publisher showing a new Bible stu¬dent how to prepare for his study using ,the material on page 7 of the Bible Teach book.
15 min: "Am I Qualified to Preach?" Question-and-answer discussion.
After con¬sidering paragraph 4, interview a publisher, asking questions such as the following: What obstacles did you have to overcome to preach effectively? In what ways were you helped to become an active and productive minister?
Song 97
THEOCRATIC MINISTRY SCHOOL for the week of 11JANUARY 2010
Jan. 11 Bible Reading: Joshua 21-24
No. 1: Joshua 24:1-13
No. 2: Is God Uncaring and Hard-Hearted?
No. 3: Does the Bible Say That the Soul Survives the death of the body? Rs p.169 pp 1-5
No. 1: Joshua 24:1-13
And Joshua proceeded to assemble all the tribes of Israel together at She′chem and to call the older men of Israel and its heads and its judges and its officers, and they went taking their stand before the [true] God. 2 And Joshua went on to say to all the people: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said, ‘It was on the other side of the River that YOUR forefathers dwelt a long time ago, Te′rah the father of Abraham and the father of Na′hor, and they used to serve other gods. 3 “‘In time I took YOUR forefather Abraham from the other side of the River and had him walk through all the land of Ca′naan and made his seed many. So I gave him Isaac. 4 Then to Isaac I gave Jacob and E′sau. Later to E′sau I gave Mount Se′ir to take possession of it; and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 5 Later on I sent Moses and Aaron, and I went plaguing Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought YOU out. 6 When I was bringing YOUR fathers out of Egypt and YOU came to the sea, then the Egyptians went chasing after YOUR fathers with war chariots and cavalrymen to the Red Sea. 7 And they began to cry out to Jehovah. So he placed a darkness between YOU and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them, and YOUR eyes got to see what I did in Egypt; and YOU took up dwelling in the wilderness many days. 8 “‘Eventually I brought YOU to the land of the Am′or•ites who were dwelling on the other side of the Jordan, and they went fighting against YOU. At that I gave them into YOUR hand that YOU might take possession of their land, and I annihilated them from before YOU. 9 Then Ba′lak the son of Zip′por, the king of Mo′ab, got up and went fighting against Israel. So he sent and summoned Ba′laam the son of Be′or to call down evil upon YOU. 10 And I did not want to listen to Ba′laam. Consequently he blessed YOU repeatedly. Thus I delivered YOU out of his hand. 11 “‘Then YOU went crossing the Jordan and came to Jer′i•cho. And the landowners of Jer′i•cho, the Am′or•ites and the Per′iz•zites and the Ca′naan•ites and the Hit′tites and the Gir′ga•shites, the Hi′vites and the Jeb′u•sites began fighting against YOU; but I gave them into YOUR hand. 12 So I sent the feeling of dejection ahead of YOU, and it gradually drove them out before YOU—two kings of the Am′or•ites—not with your sword and not with your bow. 13 Thus I gave YOU a land for which YOU had not toiled and cities that YOU had not built, and YOU took up dwelling in them. Vineyards and olive groves that YOU did not plant are what YOU are eating.’
No. 2: Is God Uncaring and Hard-Hearted?
*** w08 11/1 p. 10 A Lover of Justice ***
Why does God allow such things to happen?’ The truth is that Jehovah God hates all injustice. His Word, the Bible, assures us that hard-hearted practicers of sin will not escape divine retribution. Let us consider the apostle Paul’s words recorded at Hebrews 10:26-31.
*** w08 11/1 p. 10 A Lover of Justice ***
Paul writes: “If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left.” (Verse 26) Willful sinners are most reprehensible. Why? First, they do not commit an isolated sin in a moment of weakness—the kind of mistake we all make at times because we are imperfect. They make a practice of sin. Second, their sins are intentional. As The Bible in Basic English puts it, they “do evil on purpose.” Deeply ingrained badness fills their heart. Third, their sins are not the result of ignorance. They have an “accurate knowledge of the truth” about God’s will and ways.
How does God view unrepentant, malicious sinners? “There is no longer any sacrifice for sins left,” says Paul. The sacrifice of Christ—God’s gift to humankind—covers the sins we commit because of our imperfection. (1 John 2:1, 2) But those who practice sin without repentance show that they have no regard for this precious gift. In God’s eyes, they have “trampled upon the Son of God and . . . esteemed as of ordinary value the blood of” Jesus. (Verse 29) By their course, they show contempt for Jesus and treat his blood “as a cheap thing,” as having no more value than that of any imperfect human. (Today’s English Version) Such ingrates are in no position to benefit from Christ’s sacrifice.
What can the wicked expect? The God of justice has promised: “Vengeance is mine; I will recompense.” (Verse 30) Let all who are bent on practicing sin at the expense of others beware. No one can flout God’s righteous laws with impunity. Often, their wicked ways catch up with them. (Galatians 6:7) At the latest, they will stand before God in the near future when he comes to rid this earth of all injustice. (Proverbs 2:21, 22) Paul warns: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”—Verse 31.Learning that Jehovah God does not condone willful sin is both comforting
*** w08 11/1 p. 10 Maibigin sa Katarungan ***
Ano ang pangmalas ng Diyos sa mga taong sinasadyang magkasala at hindi nagsisisi? “Wala nang anumang haing natitira pa para sa kasalanan,” ang sabi ni Pablo. Ang hain ni Kristo—ang kaloob ng Diyos sa sangkatauhan—ay para sa mga kasalanang nagagawa natin dahil sa ating di-kasakdalan. (1 Juan 2:1, 2) Pero walang pagpapahalaga sa mahalagang kaloob na ito ang mga taong namimihasa sa kasalanan at hindi nagsisisi. Sa paningin ng Diyos, ‘niyurakan nila ang Anak ng Diyos at itinuring na may pangkaraniwang halaga ang dugo’ ni Jesus. (Talata 29) Sa kanilang ginawa, hinamak nila si Jesus at ‘nilapastangan’ ang kaniyang dugo, na para bang wala itong halaga gaya ng sa isang di-sakdal na tao. (Magandang Balita Biblia) Ang gayong tao ay hindi makikinabang sa hain ni Kristo.
No. 3: Does the Bible Say That the Soul Sur-
vives the Deat\h of the Body?
(rs p. 169 ¶1-5)
Does the Bible indicate whether the dead experience pain?
Eccl. 9:5, 10: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all . . . All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol,* the place to which you are going.” (If they are conscious of nothing, they obviously feel no pain.) (*“Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB; “the grave,” KJ, Kx; “hell,” Dy; “the world of the dead,” TEV.)
Ps. 146:4: “His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts* do perish.” (*“Thoughts,” KJ, 145:4 in Dy; “schemes,” JB; “plans,” RS, TEV.)
Does the Bible indicate that the soul survives the death of the body?
Ezek. 18:4: “The soul* that is sinning—it itself will die.” (*“Soul,” KJ, Dy, RS, NE, Kx; “the man,” JB; “the person,” TEV.)
“The concept of ‘soul,’ meaning a purely spiritual, immaterial reality, separate from the ‘body,’ . . . does not exist in the Bible.”—La Parole de Dieu (Paris, 1960), Georges Auzou, professor of Sacred Scripture, Rouen Seminary, France, p. 128.
“Although the Hebrew word nefesh [in the Hebrew Scriptures] is frequently translated as ‘soul,’ it would be inaccurate to read into it a Greek meaning. Nefesh . . . is never conceived of as operating separately from the body. In the New Testament the Greek word psyche is often translated as ‘soul’ but again should not be readily understood to have the meaning the word had for the Greek philosophers. It usually means ‘life,’ or ‘vitality,’ or, at times, ‘the self.’”—The Encyclopedia Americana (1977), Vol. 25, p. 236.
No. 1: Joshua 24:1-13
No. 2: Is God Uncaring and Hard-Hearted?
No. 3: Does the Bible Say That the Soul Survives the death of the body? Rs p.169 pp 1-5
No. 1: Joshua 24:1-13
And Joshua proceeded to assemble all the tribes of Israel together at She′chem and to call the older men of Israel and its heads and its judges and its officers, and they went taking their stand before the [true] God. 2 And Joshua went on to say to all the people: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said, ‘It was on the other side of the River that YOUR forefathers dwelt a long time ago, Te′rah the father of Abraham and the father of Na′hor, and they used to serve other gods. 3 “‘In time I took YOUR forefather Abraham from the other side of the River and had him walk through all the land of Ca′naan and made his seed many. So I gave him Isaac. 4 Then to Isaac I gave Jacob and E′sau. Later to E′sau I gave Mount Se′ir to take possession of it; and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 5 Later on I sent Moses and Aaron, and I went plaguing Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought YOU out. 6 When I was bringing YOUR fathers out of Egypt and YOU came to the sea, then the Egyptians went chasing after YOUR fathers with war chariots and cavalrymen to the Red Sea. 7 And they began to cry out to Jehovah. So he placed a darkness between YOU and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them, and YOUR eyes got to see what I did in Egypt; and YOU took up dwelling in the wilderness many days. 8 “‘Eventually I brought YOU to the land of the Am′or•ites who were dwelling on the other side of the Jordan, and they went fighting against YOU. At that I gave them into YOUR hand that YOU might take possession of their land, and I annihilated them from before YOU. 9 Then Ba′lak the son of Zip′por, the king of Mo′ab, got up and went fighting against Israel. So he sent and summoned Ba′laam the son of Be′or to call down evil upon YOU. 10 And I did not want to listen to Ba′laam. Consequently he blessed YOU repeatedly. Thus I delivered YOU out of his hand. 11 “‘Then YOU went crossing the Jordan and came to Jer′i•cho. And the landowners of Jer′i•cho, the Am′or•ites and the Per′iz•zites and the Ca′naan•ites and the Hit′tites and the Gir′ga•shites, the Hi′vites and the Jeb′u•sites began fighting against YOU; but I gave them into YOUR hand. 12 So I sent the feeling of dejection ahead of YOU, and it gradually drove them out before YOU—two kings of the Am′or•ites—not with your sword and not with your bow. 13 Thus I gave YOU a land for which YOU had not toiled and cities that YOU had not built, and YOU took up dwelling in them. Vineyards and olive groves that YOU did not plant are what YOU are eating.’
No. 2: Is God Uncaring and Hard-Hearted?
*** w08 11/1 p. 10 A Lover of Justice ***
Why does God allow such things to happen?’ The truth is that Jehovah God hates all injustice. His Word, the Bible, assures us that hard-hearted practicers of sin will not escape divine retribution. Let us consider the apostle Paul’s words recorded at Hebrews 10:26-31.
*** w08 11/1 p. 10 A Lover of Justice ***
Paul writes: “If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left.” (Verse 26) Willful sinners are most reprehensible. Why? First, they do not commit an isolated sin in a moment of weakness—the kind of mistake we all make at times because we are imperfect. They make a practice of sin. Second, their sins are intentional. As The Bible in Basic English puts it, they “do evil on purpose.” Deeply ingrained badness fills their heart. Third, their sins are not the result of ignorance. They have an “accurate knowledge of the truth” about God’s will and ways.
How does God view unrepentant, malicious sinners? “There is no longer any sacrifice for sins left,” says Paul. The sacrifice of Christ—God’s gift to humankind—covers the sins we commit because of our imperfection. (1 John 2:1, 2) But those who practice sin without repentance show that they have no regard for this precious gift. In God’s eyes, they have “trampled upon the Son of God and . . . esteemed as of ordinary value the blood of” Jesus. (Verse 29) By their course, they show contempt for Jesus and treat his blood “as a cheap thing,” as having no more value than that of any imperfect human. (Today’s English Version) Such ingrates are in no position to benefit from Christ’s sacrifice.
What can the wicked expect? The God of justice has promised: “Vengeance is mine; I will recompense.” (Verse 30) Let all who are bent on practicing sin at the expense of others beware. No one can flout God’s righteous laws with impunity. Often, their wicked ways catch up with them. (Galatians 6:7) At the latest, they will stand before God in the near future when he comes to rid this earth of all injustice. (Proverbs 2:21, 22) Paul warns: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”—Verse 31.Learning that Jehovah God does not condone willful sin is both comforting
*** w08 11/1 p. 10 Maibigin sa Katarungan ***
Ano ang pangmalas ng Diyos sa mga taong sinasadyang magkasala at hindi nagsisisi? “Wala nang anumang haing natitira pa para sa kasalanan,” ang sabi ni Pablo. Ang hain ni Kristo—ang kaloob ng Diyos sa sangkatauhan—ay para sa mga kasalanang nagagawa natin dahil sa ating di-kasakdalan. (1 Juan 2:1, 2) Pero walang pagpapahalaga sa mahalagang kaloob na ito ang mga taong namimihasa sa kasalanan at hindi nagsisisi. Sa paningin ng Diyos, ‘niyurakan nila ang Anak ng Diyos at itinuring na may pangkaraniwang halaga ang dugo’ ni Jesus. (Talata 29) Sa kanilang ginawa, hinamak nila si Jesus at ‘nilapastangan’ ang kaniyang dugo, na para bang wala itong halaga gaya ng sa isang di-sakdal na tao. (Magandang Balita Biblia) Ang gayong tao ay hindi makikinabang sa hain ni Kristo.
No. 3: Does the Bible Say That the Soul Sur-
vives the Deat\h of the Body?
(rs p. 169 ¶1-5)
Does the Bible indicate whether the dead experience pain?
Eccl. 9:5, 10: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all . . . All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol,* the place to which you are going.” (If they are conscious of nothing, they obviously feel no pain.) (*“Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB; “the grave,” KJ, Kx; “hell,” Dy; “the world of the dead,” TEV.)
Ps. 146:4: “His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts* do perish.” (*“Thoughts,” KJ, 145:4 in Dy; “schemes,” JB; “plans,” RS, TEV.)
Does the Bible indicate that the soul survives the death of the body?
Ezek. 18:4: “The soul* that is sinning—it itself will die.” (*“Soul,” KJ, Dy, RS, NE, Kx; “the man,” JB; “the person,” TEV.)
“The concept of ‘soul,’ meaning a purely spiritual, immaterial reality, separate from the ‘body,’ . . . does not exist in the Bible.”—La Parole de Dieu (Paris, 1960), Georges Auzou, professor of Sacred Scripture, Rouen Seminary, France, p. 128.
“Although the Hebrew word nefesh [in the Hebrew Scriptures] is frequently translated as ‘soul,’ it would be inaccurate to read into it a Greek meaning. Nefesh . . . is never conceived of as operating separately from the body. In the New Testament the Greek word psyche is often translated as ‘soul’ but again should not be readily understood to have the meaning the word had for the Greek philosophers. It usually means ‘life,’ or ‘vitality,’ or, at times, ‘the self.’”—The Encyclopedia Americana (1977), Vol. 25, p. 236.
Monday, December 21, 2009
SERVICE MEETING for the week of 21december09
WEEK STARTING DECEMBER 21
http://www.watchtower.org/e/bible/index.htm
Song 73
Congregation Bible Study:
lv chap. 14¶10-14, box on pp.164-165, app. pp. 222-223
Theocratic Ministry School:
Bible reading: Joshua 9-11
No.1: Joshua 9:1-15
No. 2: How We Can Tell Armageddon Is Near Or chap. 47)
No. 3: God’s Peaceful New World—You Can Live There (lr chap. 48)
Service Meeting:
Song 4
5 min: Announcements. [Please include the announcement that during the week of January 4, everyone should bring their January 2010 Our Kingdom Ministry to the Service Meeting. During this meeting the convention article in the insert will be considered along with the reading of the 2010 district convention assignment letter.’
15 min: Prepare to Offer The Watchtower and Awake! Present a demonstration showing how a group overseer shares his presentation with a young publisher and explains why he selected it and which question and scriptures he will use. The young publisher explains that he had a presentation in mind but needs help refining it. Using the article he had in mind, they develop a question and select the scriptures he will use.
THE WATCHTOWER January 1
ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH’S KINGDOM
“There are conflicting religious opinions regarding the use of alcoholic beverages. How do you think God feels about a person’s drinking alcohol? [Allow for response.] Although the Bible reports that Jesus once miraculously turned water to wine, it also says this. [Read Proverbs 23:20a.] This magazine shows the Bible’s balanced viewpoint.”
Awake! January
“In these difficult times, many people feel overworked and stressed out. Have you felt that way? [Allow for response.] Notice this reasonable advice. [Read Ecclesiastes 4:6.] This magazine discusses how we can balance work, family, and relaxation. It also gives suggestions for those looking for a job.”
Watchtower (Public) — January 1, 2010
Table of Contents
“Just One More Drink”
What Is God’s View of Alcohol?
Keeping Alcohol in Its Place
Did You Know?
Draw Close to God—A Fulfiller of Promises
Why Did God Wage War Against the Canaanites?
The Life and Times of First-Century Christians—Where They Lived
Can the Dead Help the Living?
Will the Earth Come to an End?
Imitate Their Faith—He Was Loyal in the Face of Tests
Our Readers Ask . . .
For Young People—A Man of Humility and Courage
Awake! — January 2010
Table of Contents
Are You Stressed Out?
Cultivate a Balanced View of Work
Live a Simple, Balanced Life
The Bible’s Viewpoint—What Is Judgment Day?
Watching the World
Can Mealtime Strengthen Your Family Values?
Cultivating Orchids—How Patience Pays Off
The Golden Age of Queen Elizabeth I—Myth or Reality?
Come See an African Market
Was It Designed? Bone—A Marvel of Strength
Young People Ask . . . Why Don’t Boys Like Me?
‘Arresting the Drift Toward Selfishness’
“Stop Being Anxious”
Do You Want to Be God’s Friend?
15 min: “‘Impart Your Soul’ to Your Students.” Question-and-answer discussion. After considering paragraph 2, interview a publisher regarding practical ways he endeavors to show personal interest in his students. What has been the result? Also interview a publisher who benefited from personal interest shown by the one conducting his Bible study.
Impart Your Soul’ to Your Students
1 In order to help a Bible student to the point of dedication, more is required than simply conducting a regular Bible study with him. The apostle Paul compared his relationship with those he taught to that of a nursing mother cherishing her children. We too are pleased to impart “our own souls” in order to help our students to grow spiritually. —1 Thess. 2:7-9.
1. What is required to help a Bible student?
2 Take a Personal Interest: As a Bible student applies what he learns, his conscience will prompt him to discontinue close association with those who do not conform to Bible principles. (1 Pet. 4:4) His family may disown him. (Matt. 10:34-36) We can help fill the emotional void by demonstrating warm personal interest. One experienced missionary recommends: “Do not rush away from the study after it is over. If appropriate, stay and talk for a while.” Be alert to offer your student practical help. For example, could you telephone or visit him when he is sick? Can you sit with your student at meetings and help with the children, if fitting?
2. Why should we demonstrate personal interest, and how may that be done?
3 Help From the Congregation: If you are working in the ministry near your student’s home, why not visit briefly to introduce your service companions? When appropriate, from time to time invite different publishers, including elders, to accompany you on the study. Also, soon after you establish a study, encourage your Bible student to attend meetings at the Kingdom Hall. This will enable him to enjoy upbuilding association with members of the congregation who may become his spiritual family.—Mark 10: 29, 30; Heb. 10:24, 25.
3. How can we help our student receive encouragement from the congregation?
4 A parent who tirelessly assists his children spiritually is overjoyed when they take a stand for Jehovah and walk in the truth. (3 John 4) We can experience similar joy as we impart our souls to help our Bible students.
4. How may our diligence be rewarded?
Song 66
http://www.watchtower.org/e/bible/index.htm
Song 73
Congregation Bible Study:
lv chap. 14¶10-14, box on pp.164-165, app. pp. 222-223
Theocratic Ministry School:
Bible reading: Joshua 9-11
No.1: Joshua 9:1-15
No. 2: How We Can Tell Armageddon Is Near Or chap. 47)
No. 3: God’s Peaceful New World—You Can Live There (lr chap. 48)
Service Meeting:
Song 4
5 min: Announcements. [Please include the announcement that during the week of January 4, everyone should bring their January 2010 Our Kingdom Ministry to the Service Meeting. During this meeting the convention article in the insert will be considered along with the reading of the 2010 district convention assignment letter.’
15 min: Prepare to Offer The Watchtower and Awake! Present a demonstration showing how a group overseer shares his presentation with a young publisher and explains why he selected it and which question and scriptures he will use. The young publisher explains that he had a presentation in mind but needs help refining it. Using the article he had in mind, they develop a question and select the scriptures he will use.
THE WATCHTOWER January 1
ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH’S KINGDOM
“There are conflicting religious opinions regarding the use of alcoholic beverages. How do you think God feels about a person’s drinking alcohol? [Allow for response.] Although the Bible reports that Jesus once miraculously turned water to wine, it also says this. [Read Proverbs 23:20a.] This magazine shows the Bible’s balanced viewpoint.”
Awake! January
“In these difficult times, many people feel overworked and stressed out. Have you felt that way? [Allow for response.] Notice this reasonable advice. [Read Ecclesiastes 4:6.] This magazine discusses how we can balance work, family, and relaxation. It also gives suggestions for those looking for a job.”
Watchtower (Public) — January 1, 2010
Table of Contents
“Just One More Drink”
What Is God’s View of Alcohol?
Keeping Alcohol in Its Place
Did You Know?
Draw Close to God—A Fulfiller of Promises
Why Did God Wage War Against the Canaanites?
The Life and Times of First-Century Christians—Where They Lived
Can the Dead Help the Living?
Will the Earth Come to an End?
Imitate Their Faith—He Was Loyal in the Face of Tests
Our Readers Ask . . .
For Young People—A Man of Humility and Courage
Awake! — January 2010
Table of Contents
Are You Stressed Out?
Cultivate a Balanced View of Work
Live a Simple, Balanced Life
The Bible’s Viewpoint—What Is Judgment Day?
Watching the World
Can Mealtime Strengthen Your Family Values?
Cultivating Orchids—How Patience Pays Off
The Golden Age of Queen Elizabeth I—Myth or Reality?
Come See an African Market
Was It Designed? Bone—A Marvel of Strength
Young People Ask . . . Why Don’t Boys Like Me?
‘Arresting the Drift Toward Selfishness’
“Stop Being Anxious”
Do You Want to Be God’s Friend?
15 min: “‘Impart Your Soul’ to Your Students.” Question-and-answer discussion. After considering paragraph 2, interview a publisher regarding practical ways he endeavors to show personal interest in his students. What has been the result? Also interview a publisher who benefited from personal interest shown by the one conducting his Bible study.
Impart Your Soul’ to Your Students
1 In order to help a Bible student to the point of dedication, more is required than simply conducting a regular Bible study with him. The apostle Paul compared his relationship with those he taught to that of a nursing mother cherishing her children. We too are pleased to impart “our own souls” in order to help our students to grow spiritually. —1 Thess. 2:7-9.
1. What is required to help a Bible student?
2 Take a Personal Interest: As a Bible student applies what he learns, his conscience will prompt him to discontinue close association with those who do not conform to Bible principles. (1 Pet. 4:4) His family may disown him. (Matt. 10:34-36) We can help fill the emotional void by demonstrating warm personal interest. One experienced missionary recommends: “Do not rush away from the study after it is over. If appropriate, stay and talk for a while.” Be alert to offer your student practical help. For example, could you telephone or visit him when he is sick? Can you sit with your student at meetings and help with the children, if fitting?
2. Why should we demonstrate personal interest, and how may that be done?
3 Help From the Congregation: If you are working in the ministry near your student’s home, why not visit briefly to introduce your service companions? When appropriate, from time to time invite different publishers, including elders, to accompany you on the study. Also, soon after you establish a study, encourage your Bible student to attend meetings at the Kingdom Hall. This will enable him to enjoy upbuilding association with members of the congregation who may become his spiritual family.—Mark 10: 29, 30; Heb. 10:24, 25.
3. How can we help our student receive encouragement from the congregation?
4 A parent who tirelessly assists his children spiritually is overjoyed when they take a stand for Jehovah and walk in the truth. (3 John 4) We can experience similar joy as we impart our souls to help our Bible students.
4. How may our diligence be rewarded?
Song 66
THEOCRATIC MINISTRY SCHOOL for the week of 21dec09
Dec. 21 Bible reading: Joshua 9-11
No. 1: Joshua 9:1-15
No. 2: How We Can Tell Armageddon Is Near (lr chap. 47)
No. 3: God’s Peaceful New World—You Can Live There (lr chap. 48)
TALK # 2
*** lr chap. 47 pp. 244-249 How We Can Tell Armageddon Is Near ***Chapter 47
How We Can Tell Armageddon Is Near
YOU know what a sign is, don’t you?— In Chapter 46 we read about the sign God gave that he would never again destroy the world by a flood. Also, the apostles asked for a sign so that they could know when Jesus had returned and when the end of the world, or system of things, was near.—Matthew 24:3.
Since Jesus would be invisible in heaven, a sign that people could see was needed to show that he had begun ruling. So Jesus told about things his disciples should watch for here on earth. When these things happened, it would mean that he had returned and had begun ruling in heaven as King.
To teach his disciples the importance of keeping on the watch, Jesus told them: “Note the fig tree and all the other trees: When they are already in the bud, by observing it you know for yourselves that now the summer is near.” You know how to tell when summer is near. And you can tell when Armageddon is near when you see the things happening that Jesus spoke about.—Luke 21:29, 30.
On this page and the following one, we are going to look at pictures of things that Jesus said would be part of the sign that the Kingdom of God is near. When all these things occur, God’s Kingdom with Christ as Ruler will crush all other governments, as we read in Chapter 46.
So look carefully at the pictures on the two pages before this one, and we will talk about them. At Matthew 24:6-14 and Luke 21:9-11, you can read about what you see in these pictures. Also, notice the small number on each picture. The same number is found at the beginning of the paragraph that describes that picture. Now let’s see if the many parts of the sign that Jesus gave are being fulfilled today.
(1) Jesus said: “You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; . . . nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” Have you heard reports about wars?— The first world war was fought from 1914 to 1918, and then there was World War II, from 1939 to 1945. Never before had there been world wars! Now there are wars all over the world. It seems that every day on TV, on the radio, and in the newspaper, we hear or read about wars.
(2) Jesus also said: “There will be food shortages . . . in one place after another.” As you may know, not everyone has enough food to eat. Every day thousands of people die because they do not have enough food.
(3) Jesus added: ‘In one place after another there will be pestilences.’ Do you know what a pestilence is?— It is a sickness, or disease, that kills many people. One great pestilence called the Spanish flu killed about 20 million people within just a year or so. In our day more people than that will probably die from AIDS. And there are cancer, heart disease, and other sicknesses that kill many thousands of people every year.
(4) Jesus gave another part of the sign, saying: “There will be . . . earthquakes in one place after another.” Do you know what an earthquake is?— Earthquakes make the ground shake under your feet. Houses fall down, and people often get killed. Since the year 1914, there have been many earthquakes every year. Have you heard about earthquakes?—
(5) Jesus said that another part of the sign would be ‘more and more badness.’ That is why there is so much stealing and violence. People everywhere are afraid that someone might try to break into their homes. Never before has there been as much crime and violence in all parts of the world as there is now.
(6) Jesus gave a very important part of the sign when he said: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) If you believe “this good news,” then you should talk about it to others. In that way you can share in fulfilling this part of the sign.
Some people may say that the things Jesus foretold have always happened. But never before have such things all happened in so many parts of the world and at the same time. So do you understand what the sign means?— It means that when we see all these things happening, this wicked world will soon be replaced by God’s new world.
When Jesus gave this sign, he also spoke of a special season of the year. He said: “Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime.” (Matthew 24:20) What do you think he meant by that?—
Well, if a person has to escape some disaster during the winter, when the weather makes it very hard or even dangerous to travel, what could happen?— If he escaped at all, it would be with great difficulty. Wouldn’t it be sad for someone to die in a winter storm just because he was too busy doing other things to start his journey earlier?—
Do you see the point Jesus was making by talking about not waiting until wintertime to flee?— He was telling us that since we know that Armageddon is near, we do not want to delay in taking action to prove we love God by serving him. If we delay, it may be too late for us. So we would be just like those at the time of the great Flood who heard Noah but did not get inside the ark.
Next, let’s talk about what it will be like when the great war of Armageddon is over. We will learn what God has in store for all of us who love and serve him now.
The following are other scriptures showing that Armageddon is near: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and 2 Peter 3:3, 4.
[Pictures on page 244-246]
What lesson was Jesus teaching when he talked about the fig tree?
[Picture on page 249]
When Jesus spoke of trying to escape during wintertime, what lesson was he teaching?
TALK #3
*** lr chap. 48 pp. 250-256 God’s Peaceful New World—You Can Live There ***
Chapter 48
God’s Peaceful New World—You Can Live There
GOD put Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Even though they became disobedient and died, God has made it possible for their children, including us today, to live forever in Paradise. The Bible promises: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will [live] forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29.
The Bible tells about a “new heavens” and “a new earth.” (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13) The present “heavens” are made up of today’s human governments, but Jesus Christ and those who rule with him in heaven will make up the “new heavens.” How wonderful it will be when this new heavens, which is God’s righteous government of peace, rules the entire earth!
What, then, is the “new earth”?— The new earth will be good people who love Jehovah. You see, when the Bible speaks of “the earth,” it sometimes means the people who live on the earth, not the land itself. (Genesis 11:1; Psalm 66:4; 96:1) So the people who make up the new earth will live right here on this earth.
The present world of wicked people will then be gone. Remember, the Flood of Noah’s day wiped out a wicked world of people. And, as we have learned, this present wicked world will be destroyed at Armageddon. Let’s see now what it will be like to live in God’s new world after Armageddon.
Do you want to live forever in Paradise in God’s peaceful new world?— No doctor can make us live forever. There is no pill that will keep us from dying. The only way we can live forever is by drawing close to God. And the Great Teacher tells us how to do that.
Let’s get our Bibles and open them to John chapter 17, verse 3. Here we find these words of the Great Teacher: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”
So, what did Jesus say we need to do to live forever?— First, we must take in knowledge of our heavenly Father, Jehovah, and also of his Son, who gave his life for us. This means that we need to study the Bible. This book, Learn From the Great Teacher, is helping us to do that.
But how will learning about Jehovah help us to live forever?— Well, just as we need food every day, we need to learn about Jehovah every day. The Bible says: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on all the words that come from Jehovah’s mouth.’—Matthew 4:4.
We also need to take in knowledge of Jesus Christ because God sent his Son to take away our sin. The Bible says: “There is no salvation in anyone else.” And the Bible also says: “He that exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life.” (Acts 4:12; John 3:36) Now, what does it mean to ‘exercise faith’ in Jesus?— It means that we really believe in Jesus and know that we cannot live forever without him. Do we believe that?— If we do, we will continue to learn from the Great Teacher every day, and we will do what he says.
One fine way to learn from the Great Teacher is to read this book over and over and to look at and think about all the pictures. See if you can answer the questions found with these pictures. Also, read the book with your mother or father. If your parents are not with you, read it with other grown-ups and with other children. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could help others to learn from the Great Teacher what they need to do to live forever in God’s new world?—
The Bible tells us: “The world is passing away.” But then the Bible explains how we can live forever in God’s new world. It says: “He that does the will of God remains forever.” (1 John 2:17) So how can we live forever in God’s new world?— Yes, by taking in knowledge of Jehovah and his dear Son, Jesus. But we also have to do, or practice, what we learn. May your study of this book help you to do these things.
[Box/Picture on page 251]
As you read Isaiah 11:6-9 and Isaiah 65:25, you learn about animals living in peace. Look at these pictures. See the lamb, the little goat, the leopard, the calf, the big lion, and the children with them. Can you name the other animals here that the Bible talks about?— Look at that boy playing with the cobra! No one living in the new world needs to be afraid. (Hosea 2:18) What do you think about that?—
[Box/Pictures on page 252, 253]
Now, see the peace among people of all kinds. They all love one another, as Jesus said his followers would. (John 13:34, 35) Weapons of war are being made into tools to take care of the earth. The Bible tells about the wonderful peace and security that people will enjoy in God’s new world. We can read about this in such scriptures as Psalm 72:7; Isaiah 2:4; 32:16-18; and Ezekiel 34:25.
See the people on this page. They are caring for the earth, making it a beautiful place. Look at the nice house they are building and all the good fruits and vegetables shown here. People are at peace with the earth, so it has become a paradise like the garden of Eden. We can read about these wonderful things at Psalm 67:6; 72:16; Isaiah 25:6; 65:21-24; and Ezekiel 36:35.
[Box/Picture on page 254]
As you see here, everybody is healthy and happy. People can jump high like a deer. Nobody is lame, blind, or sick. And see those people who have been raised from the dead! The Bible tells about these things at Isaiah 25:8; 33:24; 35:5, 6; Acts 24:15; and Revelation 21:3, 4.
No. 1: Joshua 9:1-15
No. 2: How We Can Tell Armageddon Is Near (lr chap. 47)
No. 3: God’s Peaceful New World—You Can Live There (lr chap. 48)
TALK # 2
*** lr chap. 47 pp. 244-249 How We Can Tell Armageddon Is Near ***Chapter 47
How We Can Tell Armageddon Is Near
YOU know what a sign is, don’t you?— In Chapter 46 we read about the sign God gave that he would never again destroy the world by a flood. Also, the apostles asked for a sign so that they could know when Jesus had returned and when the end of the world, or system of things, was near.—Matthew 24:3.
Since Jesus would be invisible in heaven, a sign that people could see was needed to show that he had begun ruling. So Jesus told about things his disciples should watch for here on earth. When these things happened, it would mean that he had returned and had begun ruling in heaven as King.
To teach his disciples the importance of keeping on the watch, Jesus told them: “Note the fig tree and all the other trees: When they are already in the bud, by observing it you know for yourselves that now the summer is near.” You know how to tell when summer is near. And you can tell when Armageddon is near when you see the things happening that Jesus spoke about.—Luke 21:29, 30.
On this page and the following one, we are going to look at pictures of things that Jesus said would be part of the sign that the Kingdom of God is near. When all these things occur, God’s Kingdom with Christ as Ruler will crush all other governments, as we read in Chapter 46.
So look carefully at the pictures on the two pages before this one, and we will talk about them. At Matthew 24:6-14 and Luke 21:9-11, you can read about what you see in these pictures. Also, notice the small number on each picture. The same number is found at the beginning of the paragraph that describes that picture. Now let’s see if the many parts of the sign that Jesus gave are being fulfilled today.
(1) Jesus said: “You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; . . . nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” Have you heard reports about wars?— The first world war was fought from 1914 to 1918, and then there was World War II, from 1939 to 1945. Never before had there been world wars! Now there are wars all over the world. It seems that every day on TV, on the radio, and in the newspaper, we hear or read about wars.
(2) Jesus also said: “There will be food shortages . . . in one place after another.” As you may know, not everyone has enough food to eat. Every day thousands of people die because they do not have enough food.
(3) Jesus added: ‘In one place after another there will be pestilences.’ Do you know what a pestilence is?— It is a sickness, or disease, that kills many people. One great pestilence called the Spanish flu killed about 20 million people within just a year or so. In our day more people than that will probably die from AIDS. And there are cancer, heart disease, and other sicknesses that kill many thousands of people every year.
(4) Jesus gave another part of the sign, saying: “There will be . . . earthquakes in one place after another.” Do you know what an earthquake is?— Earthquakes make the ground shake under your feet. Houses fall down, and people often get killed. Since the year 1914, there have been many earthquakes every year. Have you heard about earthquakes?—
(5) Jesus said that another part of the sign would be ‘more and more badness.’ That is why there is so much stealing and violence. People everywhere are afraid that someone might try to break into their homes. Never before has there been as much crime and violence in all parts of the world as there is now.
(6) Jesus gave a very important part of the sign when he said: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) If you believe “this good news,” then you should talk about it to others. In that way you can share in fulfilling this part of the sign.
Some people may say that the things Jesus foretold have always happened. But never before have such things all happened in so many parts of the world and at the same time. So do you understand what the sign means?— It means that when we see all these things happening, this wicked world will soon be replaced by God’s new world.
When Jesus gave this sign, he also spoke of a special season of the year. He said: “Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime.” (Matthew 24:20) What do you think he meant by that?—
Well, if a person has to escape some disaster during the winter, when the weather makes it very hard or even dangerous to travel, what could happen?— If he escaped at all, it would be with great difficulty. Wouldn’t it be sad for someone to die in a winter storm just because he was too busy doing other things to start his journey earlier?—
Do you see the point Jesus was making by talking about not waiting until wintertime to flee?— He was telling us that since we know that Armageddon is near, we do not want to delay in taking action to prove we love God by serving him. If we delay, it may be too late for us. So we would be just like those at the time of the great Flood who heard Noah but did not get inside the ark.
Next, let’s talk about what it will be like when the great war of Armageddon is over. We will learn what God has in store for all of us who love and serve him now.
The following are other scriptures showing that Armageddon is near: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and 2 Peter 3:3, 4.
[Pictures on page 244-246]
What lesson was Jesus teaching when he talked about the fig tree?
[Picture on page 249]
When Jesus spoke of trying to escape during wintertime, what lesson was he teaching?
TALK #3
*** lr chap. 48 pp. 250-256 God’s Peaceful New World—You Can Live There ***
Chapter 48
God’s Peaceful New World—You Can Live There
GOD put Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Even though they became disobedient and died, God has made it possible for their children, including us today, to live forever in Paradise. The Bible promises: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will [live] forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29.
The Bible tells about a “new heavens” and “a new earth.” (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13) The present “heavens” are made up of today’s human governments, but Jesus Christ and those who rule with him in heaven will make up the “new heavens.” How wonderful it will be when this new heavens, which is God’s righteous government of peace, rules the entire earth!
What, then, is the “new earth”?— The new earth will be good people who love Jehovah. You see, when the Bible speaks of “the earth,” it sometimes means the people who live on the earth, not the land itself. (Genesis 11:1; Psalm 66:4; 96:1) So the people who make up the new earth will live right here on this earth.
The present world of wicked people will then be gone. Remember, the Flood of Noah’s day wiped out a wicked world of people. And, as we have learned, this present wicked world will be destroyed at Armageddon. Let’s see now what it will be like to live in God’s new world after Armageddon.
Do you want to live forever in Paradise in God’s peaceful new world?— No doctor can make us live forever. There is no pill that will keep us from dying. The only way we can live forever is by drawing close to God. And the Great Teacher tells us how to do that.
Let’s get our Bibles and open them to John chapter 17, verse 3. Here we find these words of the Great Teacher: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”
So, what did Jesus say we need to do to live forever?— First, we must take in knowledge of our heavenly Father, Jehovah, and also of his Son, who gave his life for us. This means that we need to study the Bible. This book, Learn From the Great Teacher, is helping us to do that.
But how will learning about Jehovah help us to live forever?— Well, just as we need food every day, we need to learn about Jehovah every day. The Bible says: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on all the words that come from Jehovah’s mouth.’—Matthew 4:4.
We also need to take in knowledge of Jesus Christ because God sent his Son to take away our sin. The Bible says: “There is no salvation in anyone else.” And the Bible also says: “He that exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life.” (Acts 4:12; John 3:36) Now, what does it mean to ‘exercise faith’ in Jesus?— It means that we really believe in Jesus and know that we cannot live forever without him. Do we believe that?— If we do, we will continue to learn from the Great Teacher every day, and we will do what he says.
One fine way to learn from the Great Teacher is to read this book over and over and to look at and think about all the pictures. See if you can answer the questions found with these pictures. Also, read the book with your mother or father. If your parents are not with you, read it with other grown-ups and with other children. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could help others to learn from the Great Teacher what they need to do to live forever in God’s new world?—
The Bible tells us: “The world is passing away.” But then the Bible explains how we can live forever in God’s new world. It says: “He that does the will of God remains forever.” (1 John 2:17) So how can we live forever in God’s new world?— Yes, by taking in knowledge of Jehovah and his dear Son, Jesus. But we also have to do, or practice, what we learn. May your study of this book help you to do these things.
[Box/Picture on page 251]
As you read Isaiah 11:6-9 and Isaiah 65:25, you learn about animals living in peace. Look at these pictures. See the lamb, the little goat, the leopard, the calf, the big lion, and the children with them. Can you name the other animals here that the Bible talks about?— Look at that boy playing with the cobra! No one living in the new world needs to be afraid. (Hosea 2:18) What do you think about that?—
[Box/Pictures on page 252, 253]
Now, see the peace among people of all kinds. They all love one another, as Jesus said his followers would. (John 13:34, 35) Weapons of war are being made into tools to take care of the earth. The Bible tells about the wonderful peace and security that people will enjoy in God’s new world. We can read about this in such scriptures as Psalm 72:7; Isaiah 2:4; 32:16-18; and Ezekiel 34:25.
See the people on this page. They are caring for the earth, making it a beautiful place. Look at the nice house they are building and all the good fruits and vegetables shown here. People are at peace with the earth, so it has become a paradise like the garden of Eden. We can read about these wonderful things at Psalm 67:6; 72:16; Isaiah 25:6; 65:21-24; and Ezekiel 36:35.
[Box/Picture on page 254]
As you see here, everybody is healthy and happy. People can jump high like a deer. Nobody is lame, blind, or sick. And see those people who have been raised from the dead! The Bible tells about these things at Isaiah 25:8; 33:24; 35:5, 6; Acts 24:15; and Revelation 21:3, 4.
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