Scripture of the Day:

[iris89]

I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.—Hebrews 13:5.

As servants of Jehovah, we strive to keep our life simple, confident that he will not forsake us. Because this attitude runs contrary to the thinking of the world, we must be careful not to let the world’s spirit influence us. (Eph. 2:2) In this regard, consider the example of Jeremiah’s secretary, Baruch. It may be that Baruch wanted to make a better life for himself materially. Jehovah warned Baruch not to keep seeking “great things” for himself. Baruch proved to be humble and wise, for he listened to Jehovah and survived the destruction of Jerusalem. (Jer. 45:2-5) On the other hand, Baruch’s contemporaries who did acquire “great things” materially, putting Jehovah in the background, soon lost all at the hands of the Chaldeans (Babylonians). Many also lost their lives. (2 Chron. 36:15-18) Baruch’s experience helps us to see that a good relationship with God is much more important than wealth and prominence in this world.

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Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the rafter in your own eye?—Matthew 7:3.

A person inclined to criticize another individual takes note of a minor defect in his brother’s “eye.” Though the fault is minor—like a bit of straw—the critic offers to “extract the straw.” (Matt. 7:4) He hypocritically volunteers to help the brother see things more clearly. Especially were the Jewish religious leaders highly critical of others. Jesus therefore exclaimed: “Hypocrite! First extract the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to extract the straw from your brother’s eye.” (Matt. 7:5; Luke 6:42) If we are determined to do good and treat others well, we will not be harsh critics, always looking for a figurative straw in our brother’s eye. Instead, we will acknowledge that we are imperfect and should therefore avoid being judgmental and critical of our fellow believers.

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I am pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus.—Philipians 3:14.

The Bible shows that a total of 144,000 anointed Christians receive that prize of heavenly life. They will share with Jesus Christ in his Millennial Reign over the earth. What a wonderful goal such ones have been invited by God to pursue! The vast majority of true Christians today, however, have a different prospect, or goal. Jehovah lovingly holds out to them what Adam and Eve lost, namely, the prospect of everlasting life in perfect health on a paradise earth. (Rev. 7:4, 9; 21:1-4) Sinful humans cannot earn everlasting life by their imperfect efforts to do what is right. (Isa. 64:6) Gaining everlasting life is possible only by putting faith in God’s loving provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. Let us do all that we can to show our appreciation for that undeserved kindness of God!

[iris89]

I am pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus.—Philippians 3:14.
The Bible shows that a total of 144,000 anointed Christians receive that prize of heavenly life. They will share with Jesus Christ in his Millennial Reign over the earth. What a wonderful goal such ones have been invited by God to pursue! The vast majority of true Christians today, however, have a different prospect, or goal. Jehovah lovingly holds out to them what Adam and Eve lost, namely, the prospect of everlasting life in perfect health on a paradise earth. (Rev. 7:4, 9; 21:1-4) Sinful humans cannot earn everlasting life by their imperfect efforts to do what is right. (Isa. 64:6) Gaining everlasting life is possible only by putting faith in God’s loving provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. Let us do all that we can to show our appreciation for that undeserved kindness of God!

[iris89]

Look! A king will reign for righteousness itself; and as respects princes, they will rule as princes for justice itself.—Isaiah 32:1.

In the illustration found at Mark 4:30-32, Jesus says that the birds of the heaven are able to find lodging under the shadow of God’s Kingdom. These birds do not represent enemies of the Kingdom who try to eat up the good seeds, as was true of the birds in the illustration of the man who scattered seed on different kinds of soil. (Mark 4:4) Rather, in this illustration the birds represent righthearted ones who seek protection within the confines of the Christian congregation. Jehovah similarly likened the Messianic Kingdom to a tree and stated prophetically: “On the mountain of the height of Israel I shall transplant it, and it will certainly bear boughs and produce fruit and become a majestic cedar. And under it there will actually reside all the birds of every wing; in the shadow of its foliage they will reside.”—Ezek. 17:23.

[iris89]

Revelation 1:16, “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two–edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”

Jesus is spoken of in the vision of Revelation as having
the seven stars of the seven congregations in his right hand. That
is, all these bodies of elders have his favor and are under his full
control, power, and direction.-Re 1:16, 20; 2:1.

The right hand was considered to be of great importance, symbolically. Joseph was displeased when Jacob crossed his hands in order to lay his right hand on Ephraim, Joseph's younger son. But Jacob did this purposely, to give Ephraim the superior blessing. (Ge 48:13-20) To be on the right hand of a ruler was to have the most important position, next to the ruler himself (Ps 110:1; Ac 7:55, 56; Ro 8:34; 1Pe 3:22), or a position in his favor. (Mt 25:33) Jesus is spoken of in the vision of Revelation as having the seven stars of the seven congregations in his right hand. That is, all these bodies of elders have his favor and are under his full control, power, and direction.-Re 1:16, 20; 2:1.

For God to take hold of one's right hand would strengthen that one.
(Ps 73:23) Usually the right hand of a warrior was his sword-wielding
hand, and it was unprotected by the shield in the left hand.
Therefore, a friend would stand or fight at his right hand as an
upholder and protector. This circumstance is used metaphorically with
regard to God's help and protection to those serving him.-Ps 16:8;
109:30, 31; 110:5; 121:5.

The writer of Ecclesiastes says: "The heart of the wise is at his
right hand, but the heart of the stupid at his left hand." In other
words, the wise one inclines toward a good, favorable path, but the
stupid one inclines toward a bad course.-Ec 10:2.

Directions. The Hebrew _expressions for "right hand" (Heb., ya•min´)
and "left hand" (Heb., semo´l´) are also translated "south"
and "north," respectively (Ge 14:15; Ps 89:12), since directions were
reckoned from the standpoint of a person facing the E. Hence, S would
be to his right.-1Sa 23:19, 24.

It is never used to describe someone who is the same person
sitting at the right hand of himself. The below comment also shows
that a protector or one who fights for someone is at his right hand.
Rather than Jehovah being in subjection or as you have put it "God is
serving Jesus", he is the Sovereign of the universe and can give
rulership to whoever he pleases see (Dan4:17 and especially verse 35
of this chapter) At Daniel 7:13,14 in no way is these scriptures
any indication that the son of man is uqual to the ancient of days in
fact to the contrary the son of man knows who the soveriegn of the
universe is ( read Ps 83:18 and Is 42:8 where it says that to no one
will he give his glory to, that is his soverignty as almighty God.
[source ihackman50]

[iris89]

Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.—Proverbs 3:5, 6.

What has helped us to accept God’s authority? We adopt the position stated above. We believe that anything God requires of us will ultimately work to our good. (Deut. 10:12, 13) Indeed, Jehovah described himself to the Israelites as “the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk.” Then he added: “O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” (Isa. 48:17, 18) We trust those words. We are convinced that it is always in our best interests to obey God’s commands. We accept Jehovah’s authority and obey him even if we do not fully understand the reason for some requirement set out in his Word.

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If any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep on asking God, for he gives generously to all.—James 1:5.

Discouragement can easily distort our judgment. (Prov. 24:10) We might grow weary of some aspect of sacred service and begin to feel that we have done enough over the years, thinking that perhaps it is time for others to carry the load. Or we might wish to have a more “normal” life. However, ‘exerting ourselves vigorously’ and “always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord” will safeguard our heart. (Luke 13:24; 1 Cor. 15:58) At times, we may need to make difficult decisions, and the right course to take may not be readily evident. Would we then be tempted to take matters into our own hands? Whenever we find ourselves in such situations, we would be wise to ask Jehovah to help us. Our heavenly Father will give us the holy spirit we need so that we can make good decisions.—Luke 11:9, 13.

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Before gray hair you should rise up, and you must show consideration for the person of an old man, and you must be in fear of your God.—Leviticus 19:32.

You may know some older servants of God who have zealously preached the good news for decades and whose good examples have helped to motivate younger ones and mold their lives. Some older fellow believers have carried heavy loads of responsibility and have endured persecution for the sake of the good news. Jehovah and “the faithful and discreet slave” deeply appreciate all their past and present contributions to the Kingdom work. (Matt. 24:45) Such faithful seniors merit the gratitude and respect of other servants of Jehovah God. In fact, God’s Law given through Moses links consideration and respect for the elderly with the fear of Jehovah. We should regularly pray for these faithful ones and thank God for their labors of love. The apostle Paul prayed for his dear coworkers, young and old.—1 Thess. 1:2, 3.

[iris89]

We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not that out of ourselves.—2 Corinthians 4:7.

Jehovah can sustain us “upon a divan of illness,” as he did David. (Ps. 41:3) Although Jehovah is not in our time providing escape in the sense of miraculous healing, he does help us. How? The principles found in his Word may aid us in making wise decisions about treatment and other matters. (Prov. 2:6) By means of his spirit, Jehovah may grant us “the power beyond what is normal” to cope with our situation and to maintain our integrity, regardless of what may happen. With such help, we can avoid becoming so overwhelmed by our illness that we lose our spiritual focus.

[iris89]

We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not that out of ourselves.—2 Corinthians 4:7.

Jehovah can sustain us “upon a divan of illness,” as he did David. (Ps. 41:3) Although Jehovah is not in our time providing escape in the sense of miraculous healing, he does help us. How? The principles found in his Word may aid us in making wise decisions about treatment and other matters. (Prov. 2:6) We may glean helpful information and practical suggestions from articles published in The Watchtower and Awake! that discuss our particular health problem. By means of his spirit, Jehovah may grant us “the power beyond what is normal” to cope with our situation and to maintain our integrity, regardless of what may happen. With such help, we can avoid becoming so overwhelmed by our illness that we lose our spiritual focus.

[iris89]

You are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.—Genesis 3:5.
The first human to choose not to follow Jehovah’s guidance was Eve, and her example shows how serious such a bad decision can be. She put herself in God’s place, making her own decisions as to good and evil rather than following Jehovah’s guidelines. Thus, she turned her back on Jehovah’s sovereignty. She wanted to be her own master. Her husband, Adam, pursued the same rebellious course. (Rom. 5:12) Today, if we do not follow Jehovah’s guidance, we are likewise failing to acknowledge his sovereignty. Think, for example, of a person who develops the habit of watching pornography. If he is associated with the Christian congregation, he knows Jehovah’s guidelines on this matter. Unclean things should not even be mentioned, let alone be gazed at with lascivious enjoyment. (Eph. 5:3) By rejecting Jehovah’s guidelines, such a man is denying Jehovah’s sovereignty, rejecting His headship.—1 Cor. 11:3.

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Just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them.—Luke 6:31.

Jesus Christ truly was the Great Teacher. When his religious foes sent men to arrest him, the officers returned empty-handed and said: “Never has another man spoken like this.” (John 7:32, 45, 46) One of Jesus’ masterful discourses was the Sermon on the Mount. It is recorded in chapters 5 through 7 of Matthew’s Gospel, and similar information is presented at Luke 6:20-49. Perhaps the best-known statement in that sermon is the one that is often called the Golden Rule. It has to do with how we treat others. “Just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them,” said Jesus. And what good things he did for people! Jesus cured the sick and even raised the dead. Individuals were especially blessed, however, when they accepted the good news he shared with them. (Luke 7:20-22) As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we are delighted to engage in similar Kingdom-preaching activity.—Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20.

[iris89]

1 John 4:15 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.

Simply put, to overcometh the world and wing God's (YHWH's) approval, we must clearly believe "that Jesus is the Son of God" and not simply some manifestation of God (YHWH). The scripture is clear, the Son of God, and NOT God the son, so there is no excuse not to believe Jesus (Yeshua) is the Son of God. This must be, otherwise the first commandment would be clearly violated, see Exodus 20:3, "You shall have no other gods before Me.

Some, however, have been mislead into error by adopting pagan beliefs that long ago corrupted much of Christianity to satisfy the political ambitions of a pagan Emporer Constantine, a Worshipper of the Unconquered Sun, to gain religious unity in his empire. He through political prowness mislead many so called Christians into believing the God (YHWH) dishonoring doctrine of the three-in-one god.

However, the Bible clearly says at Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!" (AV), and at Psalms 83:18, "That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth." (AV). Now if the Bible says, as it does at Deuteronomy 6:4 that "The Lord our God is one God," we know anyone falsely saying he is a three-in-one god is being dishonest and not telling the Truth. So we know what that makes those types of individuals. This is made clear by what Jesus (Yeshua) said at John 8:54-55, "Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying." (AV). Therefore, we should always tell the Truth about Jesus (Yeshua) and his Father, Almighty God (YHWH); and never, no never, falsely say they are just part of a three-in-one god as we will be in violation of Exodus 20:3.

Last if the Truth be in us we must per 1 John 1:8-10, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (AV). So let's be honest before God (YHWH). Also remember Jesus (Yeshua) said his followers would be few in number, Luke 12:32, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (AV).

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God is love.—1 John 4:8.

Jehovah loves us and always wants what is best for us. (John 3:16) As a loving God, he is generous toward us. The disciple James wrote: “Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, for it comes down from the Father of the celestial lights.” (Jas. 1:17) Those who let themselves be guided by God benefit greatly from his generosity. The psalmist said: “You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God, in whom I will trust.” (Ps. 91:2) When we follow Jehovah’s guidance, we are seeking refuge with the God who cannot fail. Even if we meet opposition, Jehovah supports us. He will not let us down. (Ps. 71:4, 5; Prov. 3:19-26) Yes, Jehovah knows what is best for us, wants what is best for us, and has the power to provide what is best for us. How foolish it would be for us to ignore his guidance! Really, we need God’s guidance throughout our lives, from youth to old age.