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)

What God's Word Can Do to Us

The wise King Solomon said, "To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion [to them] is wearisome to the flesh." (Ecclesiastes 12:12) This is true as regards the endless publication of books today, which would sometimes wear us down when we try to read many of them.

However, there is a book that is not only delightful and refreshing to read, but can also help us in every aspect of our lives. This book contains guidance, laws and principles that are not burdensome to follow at all but are a source of pleasure if we truly endeavor to apply them in our lives. 

God's Word is as refreshing as the raindrops

"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."
- Psalm 19:7-10

Yes, God's Word, the Bible, is not wearisome to read, but instead, it is a healing to the soul. Isn't it worth our time and effort to read it daily?

(NOTE: In quoting this Scripture, I employed the original rendition of the Hebrew Scriptures with regards  the use of God's personal name.)

Does God Really Care About Us?

Since we live in a world full of cruelty and injustice, many people feel that there is no God, or if there is, he doesn't care about us at all. Many religious leaders teach that the sufferings we experience are God's will, a teaching that turns people away from God and makes them more alienated from him, let alone hate him.

The truth is, God never causes wickedness and sufferings. Job 34:10 says, " Far be it from the true God to act wickedly, and the Almighty to act unjustly!" 

Actually, God has a loving purpose for humans. That is why Jesus taught us to pray: "Our Father in the heavens, let...your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." (Matthew 6:9,10) God cares so deeply about us that he has made arrangements to provide ways in order to fulfill his purpose. "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) The fact that Jesus has already given his life for us guarantees that soon, all wickedness and sufferings will be gone and that righteous mankind who put faith in God and Jesus will attain eternal life in the new world.

While waiting for the fulfillment of God's purpose, we can make our lives meaningful and satisfying right now, knowing that God cares about us. When we experience adversities or when the wickedness around us becomes too much to bear, this Scripture helps a lot: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;  while you throw all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6,7)

A Treasure Worth More Than Gold and Silver

"Happy is the man that has found wisdom, and the man that gets discernment, for having it as gain is better than having silver as gain and having it as produce than gold itself.  It is more precious than corals, and all other delights of yours cannot be made equal to it. Length of days is in its right hand; in its left hand there are riches and glory. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its roadways are peace. It is a tree of life to those taking hold of it, and those keeping fast hold of it are to be called happy."

- Proverbs 3:13-18

A man of wisdom possesses the kind of treasure that preserves his life not only now but throughout eternity. Unlike material treasures that may give a measure of protection but at the same time endangers the life of one who has them, wisdom is for all time a protection. It can direct one to the right path, away from the alluring and deceptive  byways and highways of this world where most people have been misled. A wise man knows that danger lurks in those ways and thus avoid them. He follows the way of wisdom from above, which is the perfect way. In doing so, he procures true riches and glory, peace and happiness. Most of all, he keeps walking in pleasantness as he moves on to his life's journey into the wonderful future that the Giver of such wisdom has prepared for him. And he will enjoy life to time indefinite.

What Makes a Wise Person

True wisdom is clearly described in these short Scriptural passages:

"Who is wise and understanding among YOU? Let him show out of his fine conduct his works with a mildness that belongs to wisdom." - James 3:13

"But the wisdom from above is first of all chaste, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, not making partial distinctions, not hypocritical. Moreover, the fruit of righteousness has its seed sown under peaceful conditions for those who are making peace." - James 3:17,18

Such wisdom brings never-ending benefits and blessings to those who possess it.


For related topic, feel free to visit this link:
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20070615/article_02.htm

He Will Surely Provide for Our Needs

For those who put God first in their lives,  that is, who make the doing of God's will their priority, there's no cause for worry at all concerning their material needs. The Almighty Father knows all their needs, and He will surely provide for them as long as they keep the Father foremost in their lives. Here is the promise:

“Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these [other] things will be added to YOU. So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness." 
- Matthew 6:33,34

The message is clear: If we put spiritual things first, then all our material needs will be added to us. Millions worldwide have experienced the fulfillment of this promise. They are the ones who strive to serve God first, trusting in His promises, and they have never found themselves lacking in their material provisions. 

This doesn't mean, however, that they don't work at all, and just wait for these material things to drop from heaven. They do work hard, and God blesses their efforts so that they can have what they need materially. That's how God adds to their material necessities. So they don't need to worry about the following day, knowing that God will keep providing for them.

Guarding Against Unbridled Rage

 "Be wrathful, and yet do not sin; let the sun not set with YOU in a provoked state,  neither allow place for the Devil." - Ephesians 4:28,27

 It's only natural to be angry, and our anger may be justifiable. But remaining in an angry or wrathful state will only do us harm. Aside from its ill effects on our physical health, it can also put us in a position where the Devil can easily prey on us and induce us to do something evil against our fellows and against God. 

So if we feel that rage is brewing in us, it's best to pray immediately and ask God to help us be "cool of spirit" and have self control so that we can avoid acting in a harmful way. If our rage is caused by some disputes with our fellows, we must settle them peacefully as soon as possible. We should not allow ourselves to remain in a provoked state and be a victim of the Devil's malicious designs to destroy us.

The Beauty of Our Creator's Law (video version)

Evildoers Will Not Prevail

"Do not show yourself heated up because of the evildoers.

Do not be envious of those doing unrighteousness.

For like grass they will speedily wither,

And like green new grass they will fade away."

- Psalms 37:1,2

Throughout the world, wickedness and lawlessness prevail, which cause the peace-loving and righteous ones to be troubled at heart. They wish that evildoers would be eliminated. Others develop hatred for such persons, willing them to go to death.

On the other hand, there are also those who have become rich or prosperous by engaging in some illegal money-making activities (unrighteousness). It looks like those who engage in such questionable practices are more blessed.

But not really, because the Scriptures above shows that such persons will speedily wither and fade like the grass. They will not prevail forever to ruin the peace of the righteous ones. They may be here now in this world, but in the near future, they will be gone forever.

There Won't Be Any Beggars If...

....Everyone would live a righteous life.

Well, I'm not referring to those who have become rich because they have worked hard or received some inheritance or the likes.

This is about those who may not have the advantage of having a job due to some complicated situations, those who may not have guts and impetus enough to live a better life, or those who have lost hope, feeling that the world conditions are too much for them.

The following quote shows us that the righteous ones will never be left entirely, even their offspring. This is the observation of an ancient king, which is also confirmed by my personal observation and experiences.

"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." - Psalm 37:25

Being righteous here means keeping the laws and guidance of our heavenly Father, who is ever loyal to those who completely trust in Him. We can develop such trust by carefully examining His Word and exerting efforts to apply in our lives the righteous principles that we have learned from it. Then our loving Father will always be there to guide us and provide for our spiritual and material needs in different ways.

When Wickedness Will be Gone

Peace-loving ones long for the time when the wicked ones will no longer exist to make troubles in this world. Considering the endless reports worldwide about some crimes and violence, it looks like the wicked ones are flourishing and their acts of lawlessness are unstoppable. Is there hope that such wicked acts will be eliminated? The following Scripture assures us that someday, we will enjoy living in peace without any interruption.

"Just a little while longer,
and the wicked one will be no more;
And you will certainly give attention to his place,

and he will not be.

But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,

And they will indeed find their exquisite delight
in the abundance of peace."

- Psalms 37:10,11

For more information and details, please visit this site:

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20080801/article_01.htm

The Hearer of Prayers

Some people feel that their prayers are not being heard, let alone answered. So they begin to doubt whether there's a God who cares about us. Some cease to believe in Him.

This video shows that there's a caring Father who listens to us when we speaks to Him in prayer. It also outlines how we should pray so that our prayers will be answered.

He Will Fulfill His Promises

Mankind's Creator has promised many things to his human creations. Since the beginning of human history, he has personally dealt with some nations and individual people, promising them of future blessings. One instance is that of his promises to the nation of Israel, which used to be His special nation during the time of Moses and Joshua and the "Kings". Here is Joshua's acknowledgment regarding God's ability to fulfill His promises. He addressed these words to the nation of Israel that time: “YOU well know with all YOUR hearts and with all YOUR souls that not one word out of all the good words that Jehovah YOUR God has spoken to YOU has failed. They have all come true for YOU. Not one word of them has failed." (Joshua 23:14)

Many more of His promises at a later time have been fulfilled. Not one word has failed.

Today, only a few of His promises written in the Bible are awaiting fulfillment. It may seem like they would never come at all, but God never lies and He always keeps His words. So we can rely on these words penned by apostle Peter: "Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

He wants all of His human creations to be saved from this world that's full of wickedness and sufferings, and to attain that wonderful life that's in store for them in the future. He doesn't want anyone to be destroyed. 

To many, this future is not real, that it's only an illusion. But to some, this is a hope that spurs them to endure in this present world while waiting for that promised future. It may seem to be slow in coming but it will surely come. It's like the SPRING in this part of the world. It didn't come on time, but it did COME, bringing with it all the natural beauties that brought pleasure to the hearts of those who have been waiting for it.

When the Whole Earth is a Garden

I never expected that I would come across this tulip garden in the picture. It's like a dream come true for me to be with my dream flowers. In the past, I just looked at them in the pictures, magazines and movies. Now, I'm face to face with them. I can touch them, smell them and drink in their fresh and exquisite beauty. Walking in such a garden transports me to paradise.

This is truly a gift from above. "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." - James 1:17

What if the whole earth will be a garden full of colorful lovely flowers? Not a remote possibility. The Giver of such gifts is so generous and He will give us the desires of our hearts. In fact, he is now very close to the point of fulfilling His promise that this whole earth will be turned to Paradise. Soon, righteous mankind who put faith in our Creator's promise will walk forever in a much lovelier garden.

Worship That God Approves

Are all religions pleasing to God?

How can we identify the true religion?

Who are God’s true worshipers on earth today?

The way we worship God means either life or death for us. Read more by following the link below.

http://www.watchtower.org/e/bh/article_15.htm

God's Kingdom - The Government That We Need

An Unbelievable Promise Will Be Fulfilled

We have seen many promises broken, even the simple ones that can easily be kept. Sometimes, we stop believing in any promises because we don't trust them anymore. However, there is a promise to us by Someone who has always kept His words. Most of His written promises have been fulfilled, and we are now awaiting for the grand fulfillment of one promise that sounds impossible to us. It is our Creator's promise to restore the original beauty and purity of our home planet where righteous mankind will dwell eternally in perfection. (Psalm 37:10,11,29)

The certainly of the fulfillment of this promise is underscored in the Scripture quoted below, and illustrated by these three pictures that I have taken in winter and spring.

"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

Yes, from the beginning, our Creator had it in His heart to create humans and  for them to enjoy living forever in perfection on a paradise earth without any disturbance. However, that purpose was interrupted by the rebellion of some individuals, but which will be corrected soon. Just like what the Scripture above says, He had said it, and so He will fulfill it; it is His delight, and it must succeed. It's like the rain and the snow that has melted, making it possible for the vegetation to grow.  We can also place our full confidence in this promise because Titus 1:2 says that God cannot lie in His promise to give us everlasting life.

Today's Calamities Lead to Tomorrow's Blessings

These past few months, we have seen and experienced many calamities that sent the world in unprecedented apprehension. Just imagine all the earthquakes, typhoons, floods, volcano eruptions, and many other natural disasters that went striking in succession,  snuffing out thousands of lives and tearing down millions of homes. 

We also hear about economic crises, outbreak of new diseases that turned pandemic, wars between nations, poverty, violence, etc. Things are happening in an epic proportion.

People throughout the world become frantic and many of them have been living in fear. They fear that they may be the next victim; they fear what will come next and where this world is going; they fear what will become of life on earth. 

But then, the situation will not go on like this. In fact, all these events should happen if we are to live a better life in the future. An ancient prophecy mentions about the final part of the days. "You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress." (Matthew 24:6-8) We're now living in the darkest part of history, which should ironically keep us in high spirits. Why? "But as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near.” (Luke 21:28)

It's also like what the saying goes, "The darkest part of the night is before the dawn." We are now in the darkest part of the night, and soon, dawn will come. It is the dawn of a new era, a wonderful new world that is in store for those who seek peace and righteousness. It is a promise of a loving Creator who doesn't want to see us suffer and die. It is His desire and purpose for us to live happily forever. (Revelation 21:3,4)

So we must take heart. There's hope! We only need to heed these divine words: "For everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved." (Romans 10:13) We must also put faith and have confidence in all His promises. After all, most of His promises have been fulfilled. Only a few are left to be realized, and yet, we can now see signs of their fulfillment.

A Global Loving Brotherhood Does Exist

A glimpse of a group of people who enjoy a worldwide brotherhood, who truly love one another regardless of their race, and who enjoy living in a spiritual paradise even amidst this trouble-infested world. Here's the link.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/404280/a_global_loving_brotherhood_does_exist.html

Isaiah 2:2-4: "And it must occur in the final part of the days [that] the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, and it will certainly be lifted up above the hills; and to it all the nations must stream.  And many peoples will certainly go and say: “Come, YOU people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For out of Zion law will go forth, and the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem.  And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore."