Questions and Answers Worth-Pondering

* How can I find genuine peace?

Isaiah 48:17,18

"This is what Jehovah has said, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel: "I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself,  the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like the river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea."

 

* Will evil always exist?

Proverbs 2:21,22

"The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut from the earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it."

* Will there be an end to sickness and suffering?

Revelation 21:3,4

"Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things (today's many problems) have passed away.

These are the assurances of God, who can never lie. (Titus 1:2) Our response to his promises reveals whether we have faith in him. Hebrews 11:1 says: "Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld." 

A Treasure Worth Keeping

Unlike material treasures that can perish, spiritual treasures last forever and can greatly benefit their keepers now and through eternity. Such spiritual treasures can be dug from God's Word, the Bible. The value of possessing such treasures is summed up in these verses from the book of Psalms.

The law of Jehovah is perfect, bringing back the soul.

The reminder of Jehovah is trustworthy, 

making the inexperienced one wise.

The orders from Jehovah are upright, 

causing the heart to rejoice;

The commandment of Jehovah is clean, 

making the eyes shine.

The fear of Jehovah is pure, standing forever.

The judicial decisions of Jehovah are true; 

they have proved altogether righteous.

They are more to be desired than gold, 

yes, than much refined gold;

And sweeter than honey and 

the flowing honey of the combs.

Also, your own servant has been warned by them;

In the keeping of them there is a large reward.

-Psalms 19:7-11

It is vital then to read God’s Word daily in an appreciative, prayerful frame of mind, and then live by its godly principles. By doing so, we will reap a large reward. 

Remaining in God's Love

Millions of people around the world have been deeply touched by the great love that our Heavenly Father has for mankind. They specially appreciate the magnitude of such love each time they think about how God gave his only-begotten Son for us, and how the Son, Jesus, willingly obeyed his Father's will that he (Jesus) should offer his life as a ransom sacrifice so that believing mankind will attain eternal life. (John 3:16) That is why this event in mankind's history has been dubbed as "the greatest expression of love."

God's love for us has moved us to love Him in return. Those who have felt such deep love can truly say that they have been blessed with a more meaningful and satisfying life. There's no other life best spent than the assurance that God loves us and is blessing us in many ways, and that we love Him in return and do our best to serve Him.

Since there's a tendency for our love to cool off, what should we do to remain in God's love? The Son of God tells us how.

“If you observe my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.” (John 15:10)

It is clear that Jesus remained in God’s love by observing his Father’s commandments. The same is true of us today. To remain in God’s love, we need to apply the truth in everyday life. Jesus continues:

“If you know these things, 

happy you are if you do them.” 

(John 13:17)

Yes, applying the truth in our life, that is, observing God's commandments and following the footsteps of His Son, will help us to keep ourselves “in God’s love . . . with everlasting life in view.” (Jude 21)

To Live Longer and Healthier

"A calm heart is the life of the fleshly organism, but jealousy is rottenness to the bones."

- Proverbs 14:30

"A joyful heart has a good effect on the countenance, but because of the pain of the heart there is a stricken spirit."

-Proverbs 15:13

"Many medical reports indicate that anger and hostility can become triggers for strokes and heart attacks. Recently, a medical journal, when speaking of people with heart disease, compared explosive anger to poison. The journal also stated that “getting really mad can mean getting really sick.” Those who pursue peace, however, can develop “a calm heart” and reap benefits."

(quoted from Awake, May 2006, p.28)

Learning God’s purpose for a peaceful new world and putting on ‘the new personality’ have helped many people develop a calm heart. Their health has improved greatly as a result. (Ephesians 4:22-24; Isaiah 65:17; Micah 4:1-4) Many others have concluded from personal experience that developing a peaceable spirit can improve emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

(source: Awake, May 2006, p. 28)

Unafraid of Bad News

"For at no time will he be made to totter.

The righteous one will prove to be for remembrance 

to time indefinite.

He will not be afraid even of bad news.

His heart is steadfast, made reliant upon Jehovah."

- Psalm 112:6,7

We cannot avoid hearing bad news and escape their effects. They are everywhere in the world. They even crawl to those who live a righteous life. However, such righteous ones are not paralyzed with fear. Their hearts are steadfast and unshakable as they look to the future with confidence, knowing that the righteous new world that God promised is near. (Psalm 37:10,11)

When disasters strike, their reliance on God for support enables them to be able to cope better with the situation. They are counting on His assurance that He will never let the righteous ones to flounder and that He will give them help and strength to endure. (Philippians 4:13)

Relief and Blessings for Those Crying for Help

Imagine this:


"O God, give your own judicial decisions to the king,
And your righteousness to the son of the king.
May he plead the cause of your people with righteousness
And of your afflicted ones with judicial decision.
Let the mountains carry peace to the people,
Also the hills, through righteousness.
Let him judge the afflicted ones of the people,
Let him save the sons of the poor one,
And let him crush the defrauder.
They will fear you as long as there is a sun,
And before the moon for generation after generation.
He will descend like the rain upon the mown grass,
Like copious showers that wet the earth.
In his days the righteous one will sprout,
And the abundance of peace until the moon is no more.
And he will have subjects from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Before him the inhabitants of waterless regions will bow down,
And his very enemies will lick the dust itself.
The kings of Tar′shish and of the islands—
Tribute they will pay.
The kings of She′ba and of Se′ba—
A gift they will present.
And to him all the kings will prostrate themselves;
All the nations, for their part, will serve him.
For he will deliver the poor one crying for help,
Also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper.
He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one,
And the souls of the poor ones he will save.
From oppression and from violence he will redeem their soul,
And their blood will be precious in his eyes."
- Psalm 72:1-14

These are the heartwarming words penned by King David of ancient Israel. They paint a vivid picture of how God understands our lamentable situation and how he is going to relieve us from it. 

Although this refers to the kingship of David's son Solomon, it is prophetic of what God himself will do under the rulership of his anointed Son and King, Jesus Christ. Hence, this song provides foregleams of what is in store for all those who are crying for help, that is, all humans who are suffering. The God of superb mercy and loving-kindness is certainly going to act in our behalf.

What a refreshing and inspiring assurance!

God's Kingdom - The Government that Will Solve Mankind's Problems

An outline from the Scriptures


What God's Word says about the Kingdom:


* Matthew 6:9,10
"YOU must pray, then, this way:
'Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.' "

* Daniel 2:44
"And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite."

* Isaiah 9:6,7
"For there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end."

* Matthew 25:31,33
"When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left."

What God's Kingdom will accomplish for mankind:

(1) Wars, crime, and violence will be eliminated forever.

* Psalm 46:8, 9
"Come, YOU people, behold the activities of Jehovah,
How he has set astonishing events on the earth.
He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth.
The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces;
The wagons he burns in the fire."

(2) Equality and impartiality will exist for all; there will be no more racial, social, or other forms of discrimination.

* Acts 10:35
"But in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him."

*Revelation 7:9, 10.
"After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. And they keep on crying with a loud voice, saying: "Salvation [we owe] to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb."

(3) There will be abundant food, adequate housing, and enjoyable work for everyone.


* Psalm 72:16
"There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth;
On the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.
His fruit will be as in Lebanon,
And those who are from the city will blossom like the vegetation of the earth."

* Isaiah 25:6
"And Jehovah of armies will certainly make for all the peoples, in this mountain, a banquet of well-oiled dishes, a banquet of [wine kept on] the dregs, of well-oiled dishes filled with marrow, of wine kept on the dregs, filtered."

* Isaiah 65:21, 22.
"And they will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat [their] fruitage. They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating. For like the days of a tree will the days of my people be; and the work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full."

(4) Sickness, disability, old age, and death will be no more.
* Isaiah 25:8
"He will actually swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces. And the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for Jehovah himself has spoken it."

* Isaiah 35:5, 6 
"At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness. For in the wilderness waters will have burst out, and torrents in the desert plain."


* Revelation 21:4
"And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away."

(5) The dead will be raised.

* John 5:28, 29
"Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment."

* Revelation 20:12
"And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds."

(6) The earth will become a global paradise.

* Luke 23:43
"And he said to him: "Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise."


* Psalm 98:7-9
"Let the sea thunder and that which fills it,
The productive land and those dwelling in it.
Let the rivers themselves clap their hands;
Altogether let the very mountains cry out joyfully
Before Jehovah, for he has come to judge the earth.
He will judge the productive land with righteousness
And the peoples with uprightness."

What we should do to benefit from these blessings:

* John 17:3
"This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ."

* Revelation 22:17
"And the spirit and the bride keep on saying: "Come!" And let anyone hearing say: "Come!" And let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life's water free."

Secrets of Contentment

Some people are not contented with their lot in life. Even though they have enough, they still want more. These people fall to the category mentioned in this ancient adage: "A mere lover of silver will not be satisfied with silver, neither any lover of wealth with income. This too is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

A person constantly desiring for more always finds himself dissatisfied all the time, thus leaving him no room to enjoy what he has. In connection with this, Benjamin Franklin said, "Contentment makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor." When a person is content with what he has, no matter how little it may be, he is rich in the sense that he is always happy with his lot. And happiness is a treasure that truly matters in our pursuit of our basic necessities.

The following are the secrets of contentment  found in God's Word, the Bible.

1) Love people, not money and possessions

1 Timothy 6:10

"The love of money is the root of all injurious things."

Acts 20:35

"There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving."

1 Timothy 6:7-9

"For we have brought nothing into the world, and neither can we carry anything out.  So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things. However, those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin."

2) Resist the urge to compare yourself with others

Galatians 6:4

"Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others."

Ecclesiastes 4:4

"And I myself have seen all the hard work and all the proficiency in work, that it means the rivalry of one toward another; this also is vanity and a striving after the wind."

1 Samuel 16:7

"For not the way man sees [is the way God sees], because mere man sees what appears to the eyes; but as for Jehovah, he sees what the heart is."

Proverbs 11:2

"Has presumptuousness come? Then dishonor will come; but wisdom is with the modest ones."

3) Maintain an appreciative attitude

1 Thessalonians 5:18

"In connection with everything give thanks."

Psalm 143:5

"I have remembered days of long ago;

I have meditated on all your activity;

I willingly kept myself concerned with the work of your own hands."

James 1:17

"Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, for it comes down from the Father of the [celestial] lights, and with him there is not a variation of the turning of the shadow." 

Philippians 4:6,7

"Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God;  and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus."

4) Choose you friends wisely

Proverbs 13:20:

"He that is walking with wise persons will become wise."

1 Corinthians 15:33

"Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits."

Jude 16

"These men are murmurers, complainers about their lot in life, proceeding according to their own desires, and their mouths speak swelling things, while they are admiring personalities for the sake of [their own] benefit."

Proverbs 17:17

"A true companion is loving all the time, and is a brother that is born for when there is distress."

Philippians 2:3,4

"Doing nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with lowliness of mind considering that the others are superior to you, keeping an eye, not in personal interest upon just your own matters, but also in personal interest upon those of the others."

5) Satisfy your spiritual need

Matthew 5:3

"Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need."

Romans 1:20 : Examine the evidence that God exists.

"For his invisible [qualities] are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable."

Romans 12:1,2

"Consequently I entreat you by the compassions of God, brothers, to present your bodies a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason.  And quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

1 Timothy 6:6

"To be sure, it is a means of great gain, [this] godly devotion along with self-sufficiency." 

(Based on Watchtower magazine, November 1, 2010)

Who Has Come to Know the Almighty?

Many people raise several questions about God, his godship, his existence, his creations, etc. Some have been satisfied with the answers they have found while others have given up searching for him after failing to find him.  

It's helpful to bear in mind that although the Bible clearly describes God's qualities, there are some things about God that remain unfathomable for us. They are too deep for us imperfect humans to understand. No matter how deeply we try to think of them, we can never fathom them.

Here are some Scriptures that give us insight on the kind of Person the Almighty is. 

"As for the Almighty, we have not found him out;

He is exalted in power,

And justice and abundance of righteousness he will not belittle."

-Job 37:23

"Jehovah is great and very much to be praised,

And his greatness is unsearchable."

- Psalm 145:3

"Everything he has made pretty in its time. Even time indefinite he has put in their heart, that mankind may never find out the work that the true God has made from the start to the finish." 

- Ecclesiastes 3:11

"O the depth of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How unsearchable his judgments are and past tracing out his ways are!"

- Romans 11:33

"Yours, O Jehovah, are the greatness and the mightiness and the beauty and the excellency and the dignity; for everything in the heavens and in the earth is yours."

- 1 Chronicles 29:11

"Look! God himself acts exaltedly with his power;

Who is an instructor like him?"

- Job 36:22

“Raise your eyes high up and see. Who has created these things? It is the One who is bringing forth the army of them even by number, all of whom he calls even by name. Due to the abundance of dynamic energy, he also being vigorous in power, not one of them is missing."

- Isaiah 40:26

These are just a few of the Biblical passages that describe our Creator. The knowledge that we have gleaned from His written Word is sufficient for us to believe in Him, trust in Him and have confidence in His promises. Anyway, someday, in His own due time, our desire for deeper knowledge of Him will be satisfied. 

A Facet of Life in the Future

“For with rejoicing you people will go forth, and with peace you will be brought in. The mountains and the hills themselves will become cheerful before you with a joyful outcry, and the very trees of the field will all clap their hands."

-Isaiah 55:12 

By reading our Creator's Written Word, we can visualize the kind of life in the future that our loving heavenly Father has prepared from the beginning. Throughout the Bible, both the Old  and the New Testament, we can read about His unfading promises which He expressed over and over again through His faithful servants, who in turn, penned them down for  the benefit of the future generations. Such written promises were meant to give us hope and joy while we are  living temporarily in this bedarkened world. 

As a  caring Father, He wants us to enjoy eternal life in a world free of all the problems that we are experiencing right now. That is why He made all those promises that we read from His Word. In fact, He has already fulfilled most of His promises, and only a few remaining ones are now in the process of fulfillment. And we are confident that He will keep all His words because He himself said,

"For just as the pouring rain descends, and the snow, from the heavens and does not return to that place, unless it actually saturates the earth and makes it produce and sprout, and seed is actually given to the sower and bread to the eater, so my word that goes forth from my mouth will prove to be. It will not return to me without results, but it will certainly do that in which I have delighted, and it will have certain success in that for which I have sent it." (Isaiah 55:10,11)

Soon, we will experience the realization of one of His promises which is mentioned above. How wonderful it feels to put ourselves in that resplendent and joyous picture. We will rejoice along with the natural creations, and together we will celebrate the REAL LIFE in the REAL PARADISE that God has meant for us.

Wisdom for the Tongue

Some of us often find ourselves regretting what we have said and wishing to take back the words that we have uttered. Indeed,  animals and some violent humans can be tamed, but not the tongue. The Bible book of James says, "But the tongue, not one of mankind can get it tamed. An unruly injurious thing, it is full of death-dealing poison."

Nevertheless, we can gain more control over this small body member. Here are some Bible principles that can help us.

Proverbs 10:19

"In the abundance of words there does not fail to be transgression, but the one keeping his lips in check is acting discreetly."

The more we talk, the more we make mistakes. So it's wise to always "keep our lips in check" or think before we speak.

James 1:19

"Be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath."

We should listen closely to what others say and show that we are genuinely interested and respectful. If someone hurts or provokes us with thoughtless words, we must try to be "slow about wrath" by not reacting in kind. And if we find it hard to be slow about wrath, it's helpful to pray to God for his holy spirit's fruit of self-control.

Proverbs 25:15

"A mild tongue itself can break a bone."

Mildness has strength. It can break a bone in the sense that if we answer mildly to those who oppose us and speak bad about us, we may be able to overcome their hard and inflexible opposition and may win their heart.

So these are the "wisdom from above" (James 3:17) that can help us speak words that are dignifying, endearing and upbuilding. 

Source:

Awake magazine, November 2010

Why Read the Bible

Some people think that the Bible is just like all other ancient books that are being treasured as literary masterpieces. True, the Bible is a very old book, but unlike other books that are esteemed for their literary values, the Bible has retained its power to touch lives through the ages. Hence, the Bible is a living book. This is not surprising because countless evidences prove that it is the Word of God, which God himself imparted to men who put it down in writing for the benefit of mankind's generations that are yet to come.

There are so many reasons why we should read the Bible, but I will only mention four of them by quoting the Bible itself.

Hebrews 4:12

"For the word of God is alive and exerts power, and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints and their marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart."

2 Timothy 3:16,17

"All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work."

Romans 15:4

"For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope."

John 17:3

"This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ."

These are what God's Word can do for us personally. We can see how beneficial it is for us, not only now but also throughout eternity.

If we think that the Bible is not reliable, or that it's not really God's Word, it only shows that we haven't really read the entire Bible yet and that we haven't carefully examined it yet in conjunction with world events and scientific facts. And this is one more reason why we should read the Bible.

Those who have read it and followed its teachings have experienced remarkable changes in their lives and their outlook regarding world condition and the future. They have been experiencing true happiness and satisfaction, along with a bright hope that keeps them energized as they move on their journey into the new world which the Almighty himself has prepared for righteous mankind.