References for “Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook”

References for Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook

JANUARY 13-19

TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD | PSALMS 135-137

“Our Lord Is Greater Than All Other Gods”

it-2 661 ¶4-5

Power, Powerful Works

God’s control of natural forces distinctive. To prove himself the true God, Jehovah might reasonably be expected to demonstrate his control over the created forces, doing so in a way that would be distinctly connected with his name. (Ps 135:5, 6) Since the sun, moon, planets, and stars follow their regular courses, since the earthly atmospheric conditions (producing wind, rain, and other effects) obey the laws governing them, since locusts swarm and birds migrate, then these and many other normal functions would not suffice to sanctify God’s name in the face of opposition and false worship.

Nevertheless, Jehovah God could cause the natural creation and elements to testify to his Godship by using them to fulfill specific purposes beyond their ordinary function, often at a specifically designated time. Even when the events, such as a drought, a rainstorm, or a similar weather condition, were not unique in themselves, their coming in fulfillment of Jehovah’s prophecy made them distinctive. (Compare 1Ki 17:1; 18:1, 2, 41-45.) In most cases, though, the events were extraordinary in themselves, either because of their magnitude or intensity (Ex 9:24) or because they occurred in an unusual, even unheard of, way or at an abnormal time.—Ex 34:10; 1Sa 12:16-18.

JANUARY 20-26

Spiritual Gems

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Forgiveness

Moreover, forgiving others for personal offenses, regardless of the number of times involved, is a Christian requirement. (Lu 17:3, 4; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13) God’s forgiveness is not extended toward those who refuse to forgive others. (Mt 6:14, 15) However, even when serious wrongdoing leads to expulsion of “the wicked man” from the Christian congregation, that person may in due time be accorded forgiveness if he proves that he is truly repentant. At that time all in the congregation can confirm their love for him. (1Co 5:13; 2Co 2:6-11) However, Christians are not required to forgive those who practice malicious, willful sin with no repentance. Such become God’s enemies.—Heb 10:26-31; Ps 139:21, 22.

JANUARY 27–FEBRUARY 2

TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD | PSALMS 140-143

Act in Harmony With Your Pleas for Help

w15 3/15 32 ¶2

Marry “Only in the Lord”—Still Realistic?

Sometimes you may feel like the psalmist David, who said: “Do answer me quickly, O Jehovah; my strength has come to an end. Do not hide your face from me.” (Ps. 143:5-7, 10) At such times, give your heavenly Father time to show you what his will is for you. You can do that by taking time to read his Word and to ponder over what you are reading. You will know what his commandments are and will see how he acted in behalf of his people in the past. By listening to him, you will have renewed confidence in the wisdom of obeying him.

Spiritual Gems

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Venom

Figurative Use. The lying, slanderous statements of the wicked, so damaging to the victim’s reputation, are likened to the deadly venom of the serpent. (Ps 58:3, 4) Of slanderers, it is said, “The venom of the horned viper is under their lips” (or, “behind their lips”), even as the viper’s venom gland lies behind the lip and fangs of its upper jaw. (Ps 140:3; Ro 3:13) The human tongue, misused in slanderous, backbiting, false teaching, or similarly harmful speech, “is full of death-dealing poison.”—Jas 3:8.

FEBRUARY 3-9

TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD | PSALMS 144-146

“Happy Is the People Whose God Is Jehovah!”

w18.04 32 ¶3-4

Questions From Readers

2. The revised wording fits in well with the rest of the psalm. The use of “then” in verse 12 means that the blessings that follow in verses 12 to 14 are understood as applying to the righteous—those who ask to be ‘rescued and saved’ from the wicked (verse 11). This adjustment is also reflected in verse 15, where the two occurrences of the word “happy” are now in parallel in a positive or complementary way. As a result, in both instances such happiness applies to the same people—those “whose God is Jehovah!” Keep in mind, too, that the original Hebrew text had no punctuation, such as quotation marks. Hence, translators must determine the correct sense, taking into account the Hebrew poetic style, the context, and the related Bible passages.

3. The revised wording harmonizes with other Bible passages that promise divine blessings for God’s faithful people. As a result of the adjusted rendering of the term asher, the psalm now reflects David’s well-founded hope that after God delivered the nation of Israel from its enemies, He would bless the people with happiness and prosperity. (Lev. 26:9, 10; Deut. 7:13; Ps. 128:1-6) For example, Deuteronomy 28:4 states: “Blessed will be your children and the fruit of your ground and the offspring of your livestock, your young cattle and sheep.” Indeed, during the reign of David’s son Solomon, the nation enjoyed unprecedented peace and prosperity. What is more, aspects of Solomon’s reign point forward to the rule of the Messiah.—1 Ki. 4:20, 21; Ps. 72:1-20.

FEBRUARY 17-23

TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD | PROVERBS 1

Youths—To Whom Will You Listen?

w05 2/15 19-20 ¶11-12

Safeguarding Our Christian Identity

¹¹ Seek to please God, not man. It is only natural to define our identity in part by belonging to a group. Everyone needs friends, and being included makes us feel good. During adolescence—as well as later in life—peer pressure can be powerful, generating a desperate desire to imitate or please others. But friends and peers do not always have our best interests at heart. Sometimes they only want company in doing what is wrong. (Proverbs 1:11-19) When a Christian succumbs to negative peer pressure, he usually tries to conceal his identity. (Psalm 26:4) “Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you,” warned the apostle Paul. (Romans 12:2, The Jerusalem Bible) Jehovah provides the inner strength we need in order to combat any outside pressure to conform.—Hebrews 13:6.

¹² When outside pressure threatens to damage our sense of Christian identity, it is good to remember that our loyalty to God is far more important than public opinion or the trends of the majority. The words of Exodus 23:2 serve as a safe principle: “You must not follow after the crowd for evil ends.” When the majority of fellow Israelites doubted Jehovah’s ability to fulfill His promises, Caleb staunchly refused to go along with the majority. He was certain that God’s promises were trustworthy, and he was richly rewarded for his stand. (Numbers 13:30; Joshua 14:6-11) Are you similarly willing to resist the pressure of popular opinion in order to safeguard your relationship with God?

FEBRUARY 24–MARCH 2

Spiritual Gems

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Integrity

Such an integrity-keeping course is possible, not by the individual’s personal moral strength, but only through deep faith and trust in Jehovah and His saving power. (Ps 25:21) God’s promise is that he will be a “shield” and “stronghold,” guarding the way of those walking in integrity. (Pr 2:6-8; 10:29; Ps 41:12) Jehovah assures that he is aware of the life of the faultless person and guarantees that such a person’s inheritance will continue, his future will be peaceful, and he will come into the possession of good.—Job 9:20-22; Ps 37:18, 19, 37; 84:11; Pr 28:10.

Living as Christians

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Integrity

Dig deeper into the details of Bible accounts. For example, determine who wrote the passage, to whom, and when. What were the circumstances, what occurred before, and what happened afterward?

Discern the lessons by researching such questions as: ‘How did the people who were involved feel? What qualities did they display? Why should I either imitate those qualities or avoid developing them?’