BibleStudent100

Spiritual reasonableness ought to hold us back from devoting so much time to issues (e.g. health care, working out, hobbies, etc.) that spiritual matters are forced into the background. As a life-long avid reader of anything, I have to caution myself not to spend too much time reading the news and spend more time reading, praying and pondering religious matters. As in all cases, spiritual matters are most important: "That you may make sure of the more important things..." Philippians 1:10.

Good morning Ghostdog, I am sorry for the trauma your family has endured. This issue is just one more example of poor governance and it is tragic! I am reminded of this verse: “When anyone wicked bears rule, the people sigh.” —Proverbs 29:2. History is filled with human rulers who govern with an iron fist, bringing untold suffering to their subjects. Of course, that is not true of all rulers. Some may have the best of intentions for their fellowmen. However, once they are in power, they often find that their efforts are frustrated by infighting and power struggles. Or they may abuse their power for personal gain, to the detriment of the people. The Bible also points out: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jeremiah 10:23) Imperfect humans lack the necessary wisdom and foresight to manage all their own affairs successfully. If people cannot direct their own steps, how can they direct the steps of a nation? For this reason, Christians abandon the placement of their hope in earthly governments and focus their efforts exclusively on supporting God's kingdom. Keep up your fine work!

What is important to realize about the subordination of Jesus to God is that there was a time when Jesus did not exist; let’s visit Colossians 1:15: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” How can God and Jesus be part of the same godhead when there was a time when one of that “triad” did not exist? Once Jesus was created, he enjoyed an exalted position in the heavens and was used extensively by Jehovah; after all, “All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence” (John 1:3). So, Jesus was used by God to create all other things in the universe and what a marvelous privilege it was for Jesus to join in that endeavor! But he himself, was created by God.

Sometimes Satan’s attacks come when we do not feel spiritually strong; after all, a lion pounces upon a weakened animal. Family problems, economic hardship, or illness can sap our spiritual strength. But we should never give up in doing what is pleasing to God, for Paul said: “When I am weak, then I am powerful.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) Paul meant that the power of God can make up for our human weaknesses, provided we turn to the Lord for strength. David’s victory over Goliath shows that God can and does strengthen his people. Present-day Witnesses of the Lord, both in Worthy Christian Forums and outside of this encouraging forum can testify that in times of extreme crisis, they have felt the strengthening hand of God. These individuals no doubt feel like Daniel, who was energized hearing the consoling words from the angel: “Do not be afraid, O very desirable man. May you have peace. Be strong, yes, be strong.” That loving touch and those upbuilding words seemed to be just what Daniel needed. The result? Daniel declared: “As soon as he spoke with me I exerted my strength and finally said: ‘Let my lord speak, because you have strengthened me.’” Daniel was now ready for another challenging assignment.—Daniel 10:18, 19. And we all can feel the same when disheartened: we are ready for another challenging assignment because MORE will be on the way!

One reason people are looking for spiritual succor is found in Amos 8:11:  "Look! The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘When I will send a famine into the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But for hearing the words of God." Many denominations have left people feeling spiritually empty and with live devoid of true meaning. I hope you find what you are looking for.

Good morning Faith: I too, have heard this illustration or iterations of it that nicely provide insight into this text's meaning. Assigning a woman honor as to a weaker vessel does not devalue or demean her as dwelling with his wife “according to knowledge” means that a husband takes into account her strengths and limitations, likes and dislikes, outlook and feelings. A caring husband recognizes and respects personality differences between him and his wife. He shows due consideration for her “in order for [his] prayers not to be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7) A husband who fails to respect his wife’s feminine virtues endangers his own relationship with God.

All of us—“stumble many times” because of imperfection. Stumbling in word is one of the most frequent and potentially damaging shortcomings. James says: “If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man, able to bridle also his whole body.” Unlike Jesus Christ, we do not have perfect tongue control. If we did, we could control the other members of our body. After all, bridles and bits make horses go where we direct, and by means of a small rudder, even a large boat driven by hard winds can be steered as the helmsman wishes. Likewise, compared to a horse, a bridle is small; so is a rudder in comparison with a ship. And when compared with the human body, the tongue is small “and yet makes great brags.” Since the Scriptures make it clear that boasting displeases God, let us seek his help to refrain from it!

Spot on Hopefully! We find that Paul tells Timothy “not to fight about words” and to “reject empty speeches.” (Read 2 Timothy 2:14, 16, 23.) Some members of the congregation were promoting apostate teachings. Also, it appears that others were introducing controversial ideas. Even if the latter were not directly unscriptural, they were divisive. They resulted in bickering and arguing over words, creating a spiritually unhealthy atmosphere. Hence, Paul stressed the need to “reject foolish and ignorant debates.” How does this advice impact us today? When exposed to unscriptural teachings, regardless of the source, we must decisively reject them.

Amen Anon! Without accurate knowledge it is impossible to cultivate godly devotion; as we know, that godly devotion is toward God personally and is evidenced by the way we live our lives. Accurate knowledge of the Lord is thus essential, since it involves coming to know him personally, intimately, becoming thoroughly acquainted with his qualities and his ways. More than that, it involves striving to imitate him. (Ephesians 5:1) The more we progress in learning about God and in reflecting his ways and qualities in our lives, the better we come to know him. (2 Corinthians 3:18; compare 1 John 2:3-6.) This, in turn, results in a deeper appreciation for God's precious qualities, a fuller measure of godly devotion.

I'd like to ask a few questions that are not so much on the Bible, but just on some practical steps I can take on long-term food storage: Can anyone recommend a quality business from which to buy pre-packaged food stuffs? Is just buying oats, beans, rice in bulk and then placing them in sealed buckets a better idea? Or combination of both? When I buy the beans/rice etc., do I remove the contents from the original plastic bags? Tx!

Peter addresses kindly words of counsel to Christian women living in religiously divided households. His words can also be applied in principle by Christian husbands in the same situation. Peter writes: “You wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, in order that, if any are not obedient to the word, they may be won without a word through the conduct of their wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of your chaste conduct together with deep respect.”—1 Peter 3:1, 2.

(Mark 8:34-37) He now called the crowd to him with his disciples and said to them: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and keep following me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the good news will save it. 36 Really, what good will it do a man to gain the whole world and to lose his life? 37 What, really, would a man give in exchange for his life? AMEN BROTHER!

Great story! So nice to hear about people who extend themselves for the Lord!

I too scratch my head in dismay when I see how people and even pastors dress in church. Out of a desire to honor God, we should dress in a dignified way for our church meetings. Granted, our dress needs to be practical and presentable and be in harmony with weather requirements, but our dress serves as a witness to others who observe us. Even the angels take note of our activity, as they did of that of Paul and his Christian associates. 1 Corinthians 4:9 remind us: "For it seems to me that God has put us the apostles last on exhibition as men condemned to death, because we have become a theatrical spectacle to the world, and to angels and to men." In fact, we should always be appropriately attired. To some, faithfulness in the choice of clothing may seem to be a small matter, but in God’s eyes it is important.

Good morning Arrabon, As we know, the Bible has much to say about the fact that “the world is passing away.” In many places it contains specific information about the time that it also calls “the conclusion of the system of things.” But when the Bible speaks about this “end of the world,” it does not mean that our home, planet Earth, is to be destroyed (See 1 John 2:17; Matthew 24:3, King James Version). God does not have to destroy the earth in order to eliminate the frightful conditions that are so prevalent on it. The earth is not causing the problems in human society today. People are responsible, especially people who have little or no regard for the Creator, and his laws. They are the ones who are turning life on this earth into a nightmare for so many. But God does not have to destroy the earth to rid it of such ones. Additionally, Jesus also likened “the end of the world” to what happened at the time of the global Flood in Noah’s day. (Matthew 24:37-39) At that time it was not the earth itself that was destroyed. Rather, it was ungodly humans. Because of the shocking behavior of the people living back then, God said: “I am going to wipe men whom I have created off the surface of the ground.” (Genesis 6:7) Likewise, the apostle Peter spoke of the ancient “world of ungodly people” that was destroyed back in Noah’s time. It was not planet Earth that perished, but rather all the humans and their institutions that promote and anti-God mentality.—2 Peter 2:5.

Although this is an apocryphal book, there is substance contained within the Christian context: people can be taught to be violent. What I ponder is how many of our modern sports promote violence in the way that players are encourage to smash into each other at full running speed or to inflict blows that can seriously damage the human body? What about dare-devil sports? Do they fall into this category promoting violence? Thoughts?

Our conscience is a moral safety device, in that it imparts pleasure and inflicts pain for one’s own good and bad conduct. It is an inward realization or sense of right and wrong that excuses or accuses one. Hence, conscience judges. It also can be trained by the thoughts and acts, convictions and rules that are implanted in a person’s mind by study and experience. Hebrews 10: 21, 22 tells us: "Let us approach with sincere hearts and complete faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from a wicked conscience and our bodies bathed with clean water. "

Those who see with the eyes of the heart are those who have really come to know God, appreciating his qualities, and that is why John could say: “He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.”—1Jo 4:8.

Few things are sadder than what occurred to Jerusalem when Zedekiah, as a vassal king, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, which triggered the Babylonian siege. A great famine ensued, a famine so horrific that there were instances of women eating their own children (Lamentations 4:10). Jerusalem was in a slow-motion destruction that made its devastation even worse, worse than the quick and sudden destruction of Sodom (Lamentations 4:6). Of course, we can never forget WHY Jerusalem was destroyed: the Israelites did not rid themselves of the sin of idolatry that brought reproach on the God whom they claimed to represent. Although God took no pleasure in his action, He did what he had to do to convince the Israelites of their wayward ways. He let the Babylonians come in and destroy their capital city Jerusalem and, worse than that, the temple of God that was located there (2 Chronicles 36:15, 16). To the Jews this was the ultimate punishment, the greatest shock that they could have experienced. They had thought that they could carry on idol worship and at the same time could count on the permanence of their temple and their city Jerusalem. They doted on their holy city and their temple and complacently felt that Jerusalem would stand forever and that they would never be totally carried away from their land, leaving it desolate. But here the very thing that they thought impossible had happened! (Lamentations 4:12). The Jews had to realize that idolatry is gross sin and may we too realize that our worship to God must be pure and devoid of any visages of idolatry. Still, God is patient with us and “will not cast us off forever. Although he has caused grief, he will also show mercy according to his abundant loyal love. For it is not in his heart to afflict or grieve the sons of men (Lamentations 3:31-33).

NZ has taken a strong stand against the virus since the beginning. How has this impacted the economy?

Step 1: Since you are not married, you must cease sexual contact with your boyfriend: (1 Corinthians 6:18-20) 18 Flee from sexual immorality! Every other sin that a man may commit is outside his body, but whoever practices sexual immorality is sinning against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is the temple of the holy spirit within you, which you have from God? Also, you do not belong to yourselves, 20 for you were bought with a price. By all means, glorify God in your body. Step 2: Do not be hasty in your decision that this is the man you should marry: (Song of Solomon 2:7) 7 I put you under oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles and the does of the field: Do not try to awaken or arouse love in me until it feels inclined. Step 3: Avoid the commonly esteemed advice to "follow your heart" as that is antibiblical: (Proverbs 28:26) 26He that is trusting in his own heart is stupid. Why? Because “the heart is more treacherous than anything else and is desperate.” (Jeremiah 17:9; Numbers 15:39) Step 4: Give him time to show his spiritual qualities and use that time to develop your own spiritual qualities as well, such as those mentioned in Galatians: (Galatians 5:22, 23) 22 On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. May the Lord bless your efforts

The Bible neither condemns money nor criticizes those who have it—even a lot of it. The point is not the amount a person has but his attitude toward what he has or wants to acquire. The Bible’s counsel regarding money is balanced, and it is as relevant today as when it was written: “Do not wear yourself out to gain wealth.”—Proverbs 23:4. When one has a lot of material possessions, one must maintain those costly items and then use those items in order to get benefit from the material possessions. I use the example of a ski boat: One must come up with the money to buy the boat One must regularly invest money to maintain the boat One must regularly take the time to use the boat to water ski, which takes time away from the Lord's interests and involves additional money for traveling, gas, etc. I love water-skiing, but the cost of actually being a boat owner and losing time that could be spent to promote kingdom interests means that I would rather rent a ski boat for a day to occasionally water ski and then be done with it. I try to keep my other purchases to a minimum for similar reasons.

Col. 2:13-16: “[God] kindly forgave us all our trespasses and blotted out the handwritten document against us, which consisted of decrees and which was in opposition to us . . . Therefore let no man judge you in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath.” As shown in the scripture here quoted, an approved standing with God no longer requires observance of the sabbath requirement given to Israel.

A) A myriad is literally 10,000. B) A myriad can also be used to indicate a large but unspecified number. But yes, the number of fallen angels who have followed Satan into wrongdoing is very large and these wicked spirits have great influence today as as they behold their day drawing near as earth nears Armageddon, which is why we need to "let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, 25 not forsaking our meeting together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you see the day drawing near" (Hebrews 10: 24, 25).

How kind of you Tammy to reach out and show concern for fellow man. These small acts of kindness and graciousness are so important in our lives now. Those guided by God's holy spirit, or active force, display its fruit of kindness. We show loving-kindness in our relationships with others. By showing kindness, compassion and a forgiving spirit we can harmonize our personalities with that of God who is “abundant in loving-kindness” and whose Word contains many examples of kindness.