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Spirit Creatures—How They Affect Us? ????? YOU ALSO CAN HAVE GOD'S PROTECTION FROM THE WICKED SPIRTS - LEARN HOW! (PSALMS 34:7,8) 7 "The angel of Jehovah is camping all around those fearing him, And he rescues them." 8 "Taste and see that Jehovah is good, O YOU people; Happy is the able-bodied man that takes refuge in him." (DANIEL 6:22,23) 22 "My own God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions, and they have not brought me to ruin, forasmuch as before him innocence itself was found in me; and also before you, O king, no hurtful act have I done.” 23 Then it was that the king himself became very glad, and Daniel himself he commanded to be lifted up out of the pit. And Daniel was lifted up out of the pit, and there was no hurt at all found on him, because he had trusted in his God." But why has God tolerated evil spirits and the wickedness that has caused people so much suffering? That question will be answered in the next chapter. * Regarding righteous angels, Revelation 5:11 says: “The number of them was myriads of myriads,” or “ten thousand times tens of thousands.” So the Bible does indicate that hundreds of millions of angels were created. Faithful angels come to the aid of those who serve Jehovah.—(Hebrews 1:7, 14) Satan and his demons are misleading people and turning them away from God." (Revelation 12:9) If you do GodÂ’s will and oppose the Devil, Satan will flee from you. (James 4:7, 8) - Bible Speaks ????? https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-are-angels/

SCHERZO Da Vinci's String Organ Must Be Heard To Be Believed ?????

What points to this Paradise as being earthly? Look all things have been made New. Isaiah 65:17. 17 For look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth.” And the former things will not be called to mind, Nor will they come up into the heart. The Hebrew Scriptures had never led faithful Jews to expect a reward of heavenly life. Those Scriptures pointed to the restoration of Paradise here on earth. Daniel 7:13, 14 had foretold that when “rulership and dignity and kingdom” would be given to the Messiah, “the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him.” Those subjects of the Kingdom would be here on the earth. By what he said to Jesus, the evildoer was evidently expressing the hope that Jesus would remember him when that time came. How, then, would Jesus be with the evildoer? By raising him from the dead, making provision for his physical needs, and extending to him the opportunity to learn and conform to Jehovah’s requirements for eternal life. (John 5:28, 29) Jesus saw in the evildoer’s repentant and respectful attitude a basis for including him among the billions who will be resurrected to earthly life and the opportunity to prove their worthiness to live forever in Paradise. Pictures of Hopeful Paradise! Tap on Video Link mp4 _______Enjoy!  3AFC1F21-077B-474C-A0E2-FB2EFD95BD1D.MP4

A Miracle That “Is Alive and Exerts Power”!! The miracles of bygone days—miraculous Healing's and resurrections—no longer occur. ????? “The Power of GodÂ’s Word,” Hebrews 4:12 states: “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.” The Bible—GodÂ’s Word or ManÂ’s? chapter 7, published by JehovahÂ’s Witnesses. - Bible Speaks - https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2005121?q=miracles&p=par

A Touching experience from a Friend. Enjoy! Thank you my Friend! Jehovah will take our hands forever! - ????? I want to share a personal experience with anyone out there who needs some encouragement. I was feeling pretty down and exhausted lately, and just don't feel like doing anything. I just want to take a break and rest. I just didn't know if I am still of use to Jehovah, whether He still wants to use me. I asked Him, "Do you still want me? Am I still of use to you? Pls let me know." And voila! I got an email from Judith who said a Bro needed sisters to do an OKM demo that evening. It was really very last minute, with only a day to prepare mentally (he gave us the script, though). It was the demo on, "Do we need God?" I emailed the sis back and told her that I don't feel up to it, that I am just not confident. She replied that if I really can't do it, she will try to find someone else. When I thought about it, I felt that I was letting Jehovah down, cos this is a privilege. I felt, "This is just NOT right. You can't do this and just shift the job to someone else. You can't." I felt very pressed for time, but prayed, "Pls, Jehovah, I want to take this on, cos it is for you, and I know that you will help me. So, I'm going to just leave this in Your hands. Pls help me. Use me in any way you want. All for Your use. Pls help me." I was on public transport, on the train. I was heading back towards Malaysia, towards my demo. I know that by the time I got back, I will only have about half an hour to rehearse with Judith. Time is just so short. I don't know if I pull this off, cos I want so much to encourage the bros and sisters and not mess up. It is my personal responsibility cos I agreed to take it on. I was trying my best to remember my scipt for the demo. There was a scripture being used there, Matthew 5:3, that Jesus said we need spiritual values to be happy. And that mankind needs God. And I was not happy. I felt this magazine is for me too. My brain hurts. I just can't remember the script. So I took out my Watchtower magazine for the week and started reading. I closed my eyes and tried to meditate on what I was reading. I felt so tired, cos some parts of the WT "beat me" and made me feel so guilty. Well, I opened my eyes and I saw a young teenage girl looking at me. I felt embarrassed. I look down at my WT and I started reading again, and I closed my eyes again. When I opened them, she was still looking at me, and she inched closer. Ouch... I felt that she was intruding on my private space. I hated that.. Cos my personal space bubble is being invaded... lol So I looked at my WT and closed my eyes the 3rd time. This time, when I opened my eyes, I couldn't stand it when I saw her moving toooo close to me. I felt like scolding her and asking her to move back, cos there was so much more space around. It really made me very uncomfortable. I never like people coming too close to me.. And before I could tell her off, she asked, "Are you trying to memorise for an exam? I can help you! I am working on a thesis, and my memory is good!" Haha... My eyes nearly popped out! And I laughed inside myself. I told her, "Oh, no. I am not studying for an exam, but reading a magazine that is published worldwide in more than 239 lands, for people who are interested in spiritual matters." She exclaimed, "Wow! You are so spiritual-minded! I am from a church too." And she whipped out her church tract, and tried to ask me to go to her church. Lol... Not to be outdone, I whipped out my tract from my waistpouch, and showed it to her. And I whipped out my mobile phone, and immediately got to our website, jw.org and showed her the articles there. I made sure she got it --> jw.org I had to get off soon, but I felt I must at least show her some scriptures. What to use? Ah... I can use the one for my demo in the evening! I quickly used our JW Library on our Application website and showed her 2 scriptures, namely Matthew 5:3. I told her that we need spiritual values to be happy, and that we need to know the Person who can give us happiness. Does she know God's name? No, she doesn't. So I showed her Psalm 83:18. Her eyes opened wide. And guess what? I had actually talked a little bit louder because I was on the noisy train, and the rest of the passengers heard me loud and clear when I quoted those 2 scriptures. Haha... They got a witness too. The girl told me that she will go to our website and check it out. I am thankful I am used this way. I made my way back to Malaysia as fast as I could. There was a new route that I was trying to take. It was getting very dark, and it was very very quiet there. I got a little bit scared, cos I was all alone on that road. A motorbike came back, the rider turned his head and looked at me. I was reallllly scared. I prayed, "Jehovah, help me. I am scared!" And at that moment, a police car whizzed by. I was like, "Thank you, Jehovah!" and I started walking as quickly as I can. It was really quiet. And I prayed, "Jah, I am still scared!" And guess what???? A SECOND police car came whizzing by again. And I thanked Jehovah again! By then, I had reached the new place where I am staying now. And I promised myself not to take that quiet route again. Quiet because it was the schoold holidays and there was no one there. I didn't know that. Jehovah was with me all this while. He NEVER left me. For that, I am thankful! I got back, and quickly rehearsed with Judith as fast as I can. My strength was going very very fast, but somehow, I told Jehovah, "This is for you. Pls help me tonight. I want to benefit the bros and sisters. Pls help me. It's not for me, but for them, and for you. Pls help me." Jehovah heard. Cos I did not hear the pounding of my heart when I did the demo. And yes, the ending of the story is: My demo for the night with Sis Judith went smoothly. So, if we avail ourselves, Jehovah can STILL and WILL use us. ~ A Happy Hong

Faithful to the End! – ????? This is our little sister Helen Gotthold, a German Jehovah's witness who was arrested many times for serving Jehovah during the Nazi ban. Helen was convicted, condemned to death and beheaded on December 18,1944 in Berlin. What was her crime? Serving Jehovah faithfully..(Matthew 16:25) Â

Refrain from grieving the Holy Spirit! ????? "He who is sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit." (Gal. 6:8) By means of his holy spirit, God furthers the love, joy, and unity of his people. (Ps. 133: 1-3) Therefore, we should refrain from grieving the spirit because of engaging in harmful gossip or by saying things that would undermine respect for those who are spirit-appointed shepherds. (Acts 20:28; Jude Instead, we ought to promote unity and respect for one another in the congregation. Surely, we should not encourage cliques by forming exclusive groups among God’s people. Paul wrote: “I exhort you, brothers, . . . that you should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among you, but that you may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.” (1 Cor. 1:10) Jehovah is willing and able to help us avoid grieving his spirit. Let us continue to pray for holy spirit and be determined not to grieve it. - Bible Speaks - https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2010364?q=grieve+the+holy+spirit&p=par jw.org

WHAT IS GENTLENESS? – ????? A mildness of disposition or manner, thus the opposite of roughness or harshness. Gentleness is closely related to humility and meekness.Gentleness is a requisite for a servant of God, particularly one in a responsible position of oversight. ????? The apostle Paul stated that “a slave of the Lord does not need to fight, but needs to be gentle [Gr., e?pi·on] toward all.” The gentle person is not loud, noisy, or immoderate. Moses, the man of the true God, though not in every instance manifesting the proper disposition, “was by far the meekest of all the men who were upon the surface of the ground.” His speech on one occasion was said to be like “gentle rains upon grass.” ????? At 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Paul described himself and his companions as becoming “gentle in the midst of you [the Thessalonians], as when a nursing mother cherishes her own children.” This was because they had real love for those as well as concern for their spiritual growth. ????? Not Weakness. Gentleness does not denote weakness. It requires strength of disposition to be gentle with others and to pacify them or to spare their feelings, especially when one is under provocation. ????? At 2 Samuel 18:5 David, a man of war, because of fatherly love, commanded Joab to deal gently with his rebellious son Absalom. The Hebrew word here (?at) has reference to a going softly or a gentle motion. ????? The apostle Paul, although gentle, was not a weakling, as testified to by his ability to speak very strongly when the need arose, for example, when he wrote his first and second letters to the Christian congregation in Corinth. ????? A Unifying Force. It is pleasant and conducive to peace when one speaks and acts with gentleness. Such a person is approachable, not forbidding, and his manner tends toward the spiritual upbuilding of others. Harshness, roughness, boisterousness, and vulgarity are divisive and drive others away . But gentlenessattracts and unifies. ????? Jehovah is spoken of as collecting together his lambs and as carrying them in his bosom (referring to the voluminous folds of the upper part of the garment, in which lambs were sometimes carried by shepherds). - Lesson for today. (2 Tim 2:24) https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200001654?q=gentleness&p=par#h=6 Bible Speaks

Keep In Expectation! – ????? You wake up to get ready for work or school and you take a deep breath. Another long day lies ahead, another day of enduring in this system. Your routine stays the same: You rarely miss a meeting and you go out on the ministry constantly. You do everything you can for Jehovah and nothing distracts you from that. But the trials continue to pile up. Temptations are everywhere and the challenges of work or school are taxing on your mind and body. But you continue to rely on Jehovah everyday of your life. Time passes and things just keep getting harder and harder. Health problems continue to afflict us, tragic events happen unexpectedly. And if that's not painful enough, the death of a loved one breaks our heart and shatters it to pieces. Sometimes it seems like there is no way out. Some days are just too much to bear. You give way to tears and you cry to Jehovah in silence some nights. But you refuse to give up! You are convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love. More time passes and you keep enduring every day, holding steadfast in the truth. You rely on Jehovah's guidance more than ever and you give it your all to praise Him publicly. Then finally one day.. After coming home from work or school, your phone beeps and you receive the most astonishing text message of your life: "URGENT. Check the news!!!" Your heart starts beating a little faster. You rush to find the remote. Could this be it? Could this be the moment that we have all been waiting for? With hands shaking and palms sweating you turn on the television and in big bold letters you see this plastered across the screen: BREAKING NEWS ALERT: WORLD PEACE DECLARED. Jehovah day is about to begin!!! With tears of relief streaming down your face, you pray to Jehovah and you ask him for strength and guidance to help you deal with the earthshaking events that are about to take place worldwide. Aren't you glad you stayed spiritually alert all this time? So keep in expectation, we are on the verge of witnessing the most earth shattering events of our lives! "Whenever it is that they are saying, “Peace and security!” then sudden destruction is to be instantly on them" (1 Thessalonians 5:3) "Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it! For it will without fail come true. It will not be late!" (Habakkuk 2:3) — Contributed JW.ORG ??

"Your murmurings are not against us, but against Jehovah."—Ex. 16:8. ????? We should not use the imperfections of those who take the lead among us today as an excuse to murmur against them or to ignore their authority. - Bible Speaks - ‘Keep Free From MurmuringsÂ’ “Keep doing all things free from murmurings.”—PHILIPPIANS 2:14. ????? The Hebrew word meaning ‘to murmur, grumble, complain, or growlÂ’ is used in the Bible in connection with events during IsraelÂ’s 40 years in the wilderness. ????? On occasion, the Israelites were discontented with their lot in life and expressed this by murmuring. For example, just a few weeks after their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, “the entire assembly of the sons of Israel began to murmur against Moses and Aaron.” ????? The Israelites complained about food, saying: “If only we had died by JehovahÂ’s hand in the land of Egypt while we were sitting by the pots of meat, while we were eating bread to satisfaction, because you have brought us out into this wilderness to put this whole congregation to death by famine.”—Exodus 16:1-3. ????? Most of the Scriptural examples we have considered show that murmuring caused much damage among GodÂ’s people in the past. Therefore, we do well to think seriously about the corrosive influence it could have today. An illustration might help. Many types of metal have a natural tendency to rust. If early signs of rust are ignored, metal can rust to the point that it can no longer serve its purpose. Countless automobiles are scrapped, not because of mechanical failure, but because the metal is so rusted that the vehicles are unsafe. How can we apply this illustration to murmuring? ????? Let us try to see things from JehovahÂ’s point of view, not just our own. “Make me know your own ways, O Jehovah; teach me your own paths,” sang the psalmist David. (Psalm 25:4) ????? If we have a valid reason for complaint, this has not escaped JehovahÂ’s notice. He could correct the matter immediately. So why does he at times allow adversity to continue? This could be in order to help us develop fine qualities, such as patience, endurance, faith, and long-suffering.—James 1:2-4. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2006524?q=ex+16%3A8&p=par

(Matthew 7:15) - “Be on the watch for the false prophets who come to you in sheep's covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves.” ????? (Matthew 10:14) - “Look! I am sending you out as sheep among wolves, so prove yourselves cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves.” (NWT) ????? Please Visit: JW.Org. - TV.JW.Org. Bible Speaks

Where Would You Go To Preach The Good News? ????? 8 “But you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses+ of me in Jerusalem, in all Ju·de?a and Sa·mar?i·a, and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) This is a true picture and story! Praise Jehovah the sound keeps going out! Thank you ? Misha from Mongolia ??Â

@koralblu shares: “For the past six weeks I have had the pleasure of serving where the need is great in Ecuador. I had the opportunity to preach in the Andes in the Quichua territory. This little lamb reminded me of Isaiah 40:11. I was able to see first hand what that scripture really mean to tenderly care for JehovahÂ’s sheep. Truly serving Jehovah and seeing the wonders of his creation is spectacular.”  Thank you ??Â

Be Determined to “Let Your Brotherly Love Continue”! ????? “Let your brotherly love continue.”—HEB. 13:1. (Hebrews 13:3) “Keep in mind those in prison, as though you were imprisoned with them, and those being mistreated, since you yourselves also are in the body.” ????? Soon the destructive winds of the greatest tribulation of all time will be released. (Mark 13:19; Rev. 7:1-3) ????? Then, we will do well to heed this inspired counsel: “Go, my people, enter your inner rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a brief moment until the wrath has passed by.” (Isa. 26:20) These “inner rooms” may refer to our congregations. That is where we come together as brothers and sisters to worship Jehovah. But it is not enough for us to meet together regularly. Paul reminded the Hebrew Christians that they should use such occasions to incite one another “to love and fine works.” (Heb. 10:24, 25) ????? We need to develop our brotherly love now, for it will help us during whatever tests and trials we may face in the future. ????? https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2016042#h=23:0-24:636

If Babylon fell in one Night, can it be the same for this wicked world? ????? Got this comment this morning from a sister. Thought it was a really good thought more than just a comment. She is right on as we spiral toward the end of this system. ????? Just as Babylon fell in one night. a little history here. The work to divert the river took time but the final result in just hours. ????? Thought this picture kinda hit the vortex on the head so to speak. Her comment. "Have you ever used a "funnel" to pour liquid in a container? Have you noticed how fast it goes down when the liquid gets to the very end? FAST doesn't it? ????? Well, that's how fast this system is going down. When the great tribulation comes, it will really go down fast!!! ????? WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE END. WATCH HOW FAST IT GOES DOWN!!" - Bible Speaks

WE ARE GETTING CLOSER - 1 THESS 5:6.- Bible Speaks Powerful Video – Tap on Video Link mp4 ________Enjoy! ????? Â 549CEDC0-9DF8-4BC2-A5B8-5773C0528804.MP4

“Let your Kingdom come.” – Matthew 6:10. - Bible Speaks - ????? Striking Video Link mp4 __________Enjoy! 40CBFC48-69A9-4A69-B0D0-6649B98B19A7.MP4

When YOU Look Up What Do You See? - We Have Much to Learn! ~ ????? “The heavens are declaring the glory of God; and of the work of his hands the expanse is telling.”—PSALM 19:1 LOVE IT! ? Tulip Nebula Tulip Nebula(Sh2-101) Image Courtesy Hunter Wilson Observation data: J2000.0 epoch Type   Emission Right ascension   20h 00m 29.37s Declination   35°19'13.9" Distance   6,000 ly (1,800 pc) Apparent magnitude (V)   9.0 Apparent dimensions (V)   16' x 9' Constellation   Cygnus Physical characteristics Radius   - Absolute magnitude (V)   - Notable features   - Other designations   Sharpless 101 See also: Diffuse nebula, Lists of nebulae v t e The Tulip Nebula, or Sharpless 101 (Sh2-101) or the Cygnus Star Cloud is an emission nebula located in the constellation Cygnus. It is so named because it appears to resemble the outline of a tulip when imaged photographically. It was catalogued by astronomer Stewart Sharpless in his 1959 catalog of nebulae. It lies at a distance of about 6,000 light-years (5.7×1016 km; 3.5×1016 mi) from Earth. The Tulip nebula, at least in the field seen from earth, is in close proximity to microquasar Cygnus X-1, site of one of the first suspected black holes. Cygnus X-1 is the brighter of the two stars (lower star) in close vertical proximity just to the right of the Tulip nebula in the image presented here. — ?????

JEHOVAH IS MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABUNDANT IN LOVING KINDNESS - WHO IS LIKE HIM? - AS FAR OFF THE SUNSET TO THE SUNRISE HE HAS PUT OFF OUR TRANSGRESSIONS ~ FOREVER, AMEN! ????? (Psalm 103:1-6) . . .Bless Jehovah, O my soul, Even everything within me, his holy name. 2 Bless Jehovah, O my soul, And do not forget all his doings, 3 Him who is forgiving all your error, Who is healing all your maladies, 4 Who is reclaiming your life from the very pit, Who is crowning you with loving-kindness and mercies, 5 Who is satisfying your lifetime with what is good; Your youth keeps renewing itself just like that of an eagle. 6 Jehovah is executing acts of righteousness And judicial decisions for all those being defrauded." (Psalm 103:8-17) . . .Jehovah is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness. 9 He will not for all time keep finding fault, Neither will he to time indefinite keep resentful. 10 He has not done to us even according to our sins; Nor according to our errors has he brought upon us what we deserve. 11 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, His loving-kindness is superior toward those fearing him. 12 As far off as the sunrise is from the sunset, So far off from us he has put our transgressions. 13 As a father shows mercy to his sons, Jehovah has shown mercy to those fearing him. 14 For he himself well knows the formation of us, Remembering that we are dust. 15 As for mortal man, his days are like those of green grass; Like a blossom of the field is the way he blossoms forth. 16 For a mere wind has to pass over it, and it is no more; And its place will acknowledge it no further. 17 But the loving-kindness of Jehovah is from time indefinite even to time indefinite Toward those fearing him, And his righteousness to the sons of sons." (Psalms 103:19-104:1) . . .Jehovah himself has firmly established his throne in the very heavens; And over everything his own kingship has held domination. 20 Bless Jehovah, O YOU angels of his, mighty in power, carrying out his word, By listening to the voice of his word. 21 Bless Jehovah, all YOU armies of his, You ministers of his, doing his will. 22 Bless Jehovah, all YOU his works, In all places of his domination. Bless Jehovah, O my soul. 104 Bless Jehovah, O my soul. O Jehovah my God, you have proved very great.. .

Looking Forward To Paradise - ????? - An Earth-Wide Paradise Ahead! - Try to imagine what life will be like in Paradise on earth. (Read Psalm 72:5-9.) Worshippers of the only true God will be able to enjoy life in Paradise for as long as the sun and the moon exist—yes, forever! The King Jesus Christ will prove to be refreshing, ‘like rain upon mown grass and copious showers that wet the earth.Â’ As you envision the fulfillment of this psalm, is not your heart stirred by the hope of living forever in an earthly paradise? Surely the impaled evildoer was thrilled when Jesus told him: “You will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) During JesusÂ’ Thousand Year Reign, that man will be restored to life. If he submits to ChristÂ’s rulership, he will be able to live on earth forever in perfect health and happiness. Under the rule of the Greater Solomon, Jesus Christ, “the righteous one will sprout,” that is, flourish or prosper. (Ps. 72:7) ChristÂ’s love and tender care will then be abundant, just as they were when he was on the earth. In GodÂ’s promised new world, even “the unrighteous” who are resurrected will be given a loving opportunity to conform to JehovahÂ’s standards and live. (Acts 24:15) Of course, those who refuse to act in harmony with divine requirements will not be allowed to continue living and mar the peace and tranquillity of the new world. 1 GIF PICTURE 1 MOVING PICTURE TAP ON VIDEO LINK MP4 ______Enjoy! ?????  https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2010608 1BDCDADC-4E41-4A41-970E-FD86416D49CD.MP4

Thank you ????? ??? Our Sisters have Performed Betawi Dance (traditional dance of Jakarta) at JW Special Convention in ICE, BSD city, Indonesia. Tap on Video Link mp4 _________Enjoy! Thanks @rezaiskandarrr  470D28F2-7D04-4161-8736-3AF97520D37D.MP4

Attitude Makes a Difference! ????? Which of the following do you think has the biggest effect on your happiness? your circumstances your genes your attitude SOME would choose “circumstances,” perhaps saying, “I would be happy . . . “if only I had more money” “if only I had a great marriage” “if only I had better health” In reality, though, attitude often trumps circumstances and genes when it comes to happiness. And that is good news. Why? Because unlike your circumstances or your genes—over which you have little or no control—you can control your attitude. “GOOD MEDICINE” A Bible proverb states: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit saps one’s strength.” (Proverbs 17:22) In other words, your attitude makes a difference! It can affect whether you attain a goal or give up or whether a tragic event brings out the best in you or the worst. Some people might be skeptical of that idea. They might reason: ‘Why hide my hardships behind a mask of optimism?’ ‘No amount of positive thinking will change my situation.’ ‘I would rather be a realist than a dreamer.’ Those thoughts might seem valid. Still, there are benefits to adopting a positive outlook. To illustrate, consider the following scenarios. A Bible proverb states: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit saps one’s strength.” (Proverbs 17:22) In other words, your attitude makes a difference! It can affect whether you attain a goal or give up or whether a tragic event brings out the best in you or the worst. Some people might be skeptical of that idea. They might reason: • ‘Why hide my hardships behind a mask of optimism?’ • ‘No amount of positive thinking will change my situation.’ • ‘I would rather be a realist than a dreamer.’ Those thoughts might seem valid. Still, there are benefits to adopting a positive outlook.  THE BIBLE SAYS: “If you become discouraged in the day of distress, your strength will be meager.”—Proverbs 24:10. WHAT IT MEANS: Pessimism will sap you of the strength you need to improve your situation or to help you deal with it. THE BIBLE SAYS: “All the days of the afflicted one are bad, but the one with a cheerful heart has a continual feast.”—Proverbs 15:15. WHAT IT MEANS: If you see everything negatively, you will feel “afflicted” and every day will appear “bad,” or gloomy. But if you focus on positive things, you will have “a cheerful heart” and even feel joyful. The choice is yours.  THE BIBLE SAYS: “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”—Acts 20:35. WHAT IT MEANS: Unselfish giving brings deep satisfaction to the giver. Why? Because we were created to do more than simply look after our own needs. (Philippians 2:3, 4;1 John 4:11) Experiencing the joy of giving can do much to help us cope with negative circumstances in life. Care for your attitude in the same way you would cultivate a garden. Root out the poisonous weeds of pessimism and negativity. Sow seeds of realistic optimism, and fertilize your life with actions that produce positive emotions. You will reap an emotional crop that will make your life much more rewarding. And it will confirm the fact that attitude makes a difference! Lesson for today. (Prov 17:22) https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102016002?q=positive&p=par

It’s Better to be Bibically Correct Than Politically Correct! ????? Where we live, the political environment may be calm, seemingly tolerant of true worship. Yet, as SatanÂ’s system nears its end, we can expect the issue of neutrality to become more prominent. The world is filled with people who are “not open to any agreement” and “headstrong,” so it will only become more divided and polarized. (2 Tim. 3:3, 4) ????? In some countries, our brothers have already faced unexpected challenges to their neutrality because of a rapidly changing political environment. Do you see why we need to strengthen our resolve now to remain neutral? ????? A first key to remaining neutral is to share JehovahÂ’s view of political systems. Although some governments might appear to be just, the very concept of humans ruling over other humans was never JehovahÂ’s purpose. (Jer. 10:23) ????? Man-made governments promote nationalism, which divides the human family. Even the best human leaders are unable to solve all problems. We obey God by never favoring any candidate or political party over another, regardless of whether they seem to support or oppose our interests. How might our neutrality be tested in this regard? ????? Suppose that a popular uprising tries to oust an oppressive regime, one under which GodÂ’s people have also suffered. Although we would not march with the protesters, might we be with them in spirit? (Eph. 2:2) ????? We must remain neutral not only in our words and actions but also in our heart. We must exercise caution when political issues are brought up. For example, when presenting the Kingdom message, avoid either praising or criticizing the policies of a political party or leader. Try to establish common ground with the householder by focusing on the underlying problem rather than on any proposed political solution. Then, show from the Bible how GodÂ’s government will solve the problem completely and permanently. If such volatile issues as same-sex marriage or abortion come up, defend GodÂ’s standards and explain how we follow these in our own lives. During the discussion, remain strictly neutral on the political aspects of these topics. ????? We take no position regarding what laws should be enacted, repealed, or changed, and we do not pressure others to agree with our view. Information broadcast as “news” is often presented in a biased and opinionated way. ????? The media sometimes functions as a tool of the political system. News reports might be blatantly slanted in lands with State-controlled media, yet even Christians living in so-called free countries must be careful not to adopt the bias of a commentator. ????? Ask yourself, ‘Do I enjoy listening to someone in the media because I agree with his political leaning?Â’ If so, you might look for a more objective source of information. ????? In any case, it is wise to limit your intake from media sources that promote a political agenda and to test what you hear against “the standard of wholesome words” found in the Bible. ????? Many Witnesses in modern times have maintained their neutrality. Some have suffered physical abuse and imprisonment and have even died for their faith. Their examples can help you as they did Bar??, from Turkey, who said: “Franz Reiter was a young brother who was executed because he refused to join HitlerÂ’s army. The letter he wrote to his mother the night before he died showed tremendous faith and confidence in Jehovah, and I wanted to follow his example if I faced such a trial.” Lesson for today. (John 13:35) https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2016288?q=political&p=par#h=29

"The city [Jerusalem] will actually be captured."—Zech. 14:2. ????? More attacks by the nations were yet to come against the anointed remnant and their loyal companions with an earthly hope. (Rev. 12:17)Â GodÂ’s faithful anointed Witnesses spurs on GodÂ’s servants today to endure whatever trials come their way. 2014/11/29 jw.org

"At that time the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."—Matt. 13:43. ????? They “Will Shine as Brightly as the Sun” At what time do the wheatlike ones “shine as brightly as the sun”? (Matt. 13:43) Concerning the cleansing of GodÂ’s temple, Malachi prophesied: “‘Suddenly there will come to His temple the true Lord, whom you people are seeking, and the messenger of the covenant in whom you are delighting. Look! He will certainly come,Â’ Jehovah of armies has said. ‘But who will be putting up with the day of his coming, and who will be the one standing when he appears? For he will be like the fire of a refiner and like the lye of laundrymen. And he must sit as a refiner and cleanser of silver and must cleanse the sons of Levi; and he must clarify them like gold and like silver, and they will certainly become to Jehovah people presenting a gift offering in righteousness.’”—Mal. 3:1-3. In modern times, this prophecy evidently started to be fulfilled in 1918 when Jehovah, along with “the messenger of the covenant,” Jesus Christ, inspected the spiritual temple. Malachi tells us what happens once this cleansing is completed: “You people will again certainly see the distinction between a righteous one and a wicked one, between one serving God and one who has not served him.” (Mal. 3:18) The surge in activity on the part of the reinvigorated true Christians points to that period as the beginning of the harvesttime. The prophet Daniel spoke of our day when he foretold: “The ones having insight will shine like the brightness of the expanse; and those who are bringing the many to righteousness, like the stars to time indefinite, even forever.” (Dan. 12:3) Who are these ones who shine so brightly? Why, none other than anointed Christians, the genuine wheat that Jesus referred to in his illustration of the wheat and the weeds! The ‘collecting outÂ’ of the weedlike imitation Christians has been clearly recognized by an ever-increasing great crowd of sheeplike ones. In attaching themselves to the remnant of spiritual Israel, these prospective subjects of the Kingdom likewise let their light shine in this bedarkened world.—Zech. 8:23;Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15. Today, “the sons of the kingdom” eagerly await their glorious, heavenly reward. (Rom. 8:18, 19; 1 Cor. 15:53; Phil. 1:21-24) Until that time, though, they must remain faithful, continuing to shine brightly, standing out as different from “the sons of the wicked one.” (Matt. 13:38; Rev. 2:10) How happy we all can be that we have had the privilege of seeing the results of this symbolic ‘collecting outÂ’ of the weeds in our time! https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2010201?q=matt+13%3A43&p=par