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The idea above was submitted by a patron. (The 1995 7/1 Watchtower “What is Truth” covers this topic well.) Bonus point: Suppose the room is 75 degrees, but the two men feel it’s too cold or too hot. The cold man decides to change the temperature by adjusting the thermostat so that it’s more comfortable for him, but now the man who feels it is too hot is suffering. This frustrates the hot man, so he adjusts the temperature to cool himself down. Now the cold person is suffering. This is similar to how religions treat the Bible. Christendom’s Churches keep adjusting and changing what the Bible teaches to try to make people more comfortable in their church. For example, they lower the temperature on God’s commands against the practice of homosexuality. Doing this doesn’t actually work. Their efforts to appease some ultimately ends up offending others. Bothered by the lies and hypocrisy people leave the “room” altogether. The Bible should not be adjusted to make people feel more comfortable with their behavior. The temperature has been set by Jehovah. If someone is too cold, they can adjust and put on more clothes. If someone is too hot, they can adjust and remove unnecessary items of clothing. Instead of adjusting God’s standards to Make people more comfortable with immoral choices, people need to be encouraged to make personal adjustments to line up with God’s standards.

Think about all the people who have riches and yet they don’t have the time to sit down with their family to enjoy a meal. This is nothing new, even in Solomon’s time this was an issue. That is why he wrote the scripture at proverbs 15:17. We shouldn’t imitate the world that prioritizes wealth, entertainment and material possessions over spending time with family in a loving atmosphere. It is not about what we are eating at the dinner table, but who we are eating with. It is not about how fancy the setting is where we share a meal, but about filling that setting with love.

Who does adultery effect? First and foremost, it effects God. He sees all that we do. So when a husband or wife cheats on their mate, not only does he see the steps that lead to the adultery, but he sees the act itself. Next, the innocent mate is effected once they are told or find out about the actions of their unfaithful mate. If the couple has children, then they will be effected by this as well. Both the families of the guilty mate and the innocent mate will no doubt be hurt. The congregation may become aware of what happened, and this can be damaging. Especially is this the case if the ones involved were viewed as exemplary in the congregation. Finally, in some instances (see WT 1991 11/15 p.22 par 15), even Non-Witnesses in the community may find out. This reflects poorly on the very first person who was effected by all of this...Jehovah. So before committing any sin, it is vital to think about the ripple effect our actions will have on those around us. (Based on a recent C.O. talk) -Proverbs 22:3

I want to try something different. Normally I explain the picture on the artwork or in the comments , but this time I want to see how you all interpret the message behind these pictures. Let me know what this picture makes you think of or how you think it relates to us spiritually down below!

Bonus Point: Some pearls form naturally in clams and oysters. However, cultured pearls are different. They are formed when someone intentionally puts an irritant into an oyster triggering the defense mechanism. Similarly, some of our brothers and sisters may have suffered physical, verbal or sexual abuse. They did nothing wrong, something wrong was done to them. In these instances it can take years for them to learn to cope with the pain. Still, with God’s love and spirit, even such deep scars from the actions of others can create pearls. If this has happened to you, others who have suffered may see your pearl of strength and be encouraged to keep pressing on as well. Most importantly, Jehovah sees your pain and all you have done to keep moving forward despite it. In his eyes, that has more value than any pearl that has ever been found.

When it comes to choosing our entertainment and recreation we need to treat those choices like we would a traffic light. How so? Red Traffic Light: It is life threatening to proceed with such activities. Entertainment that centers around the love of violence, sexual immorality, spiritism or that shows a lack of respect for life are clearly things God hates. Running these red lights can cost us our hope of gaining everlasting life or hurt others. Even if we run a red light without getting hit, God’s eyes are like cameras that see what we do. So we might be getting away with running spiritual red lights now, but later we may pay for it when the ticket arrives in the mail. Yellow Traffic Light: Slow down or proceed with caution. Some decisions are really up to each individuals conscience. For example, wether or not to serve wine at a party. However, it is wise to consider not just our own “right of way” when making such decisions. Just as someone approaching a yellow light will check the surroundings before deciding to keep going or stop, we must take the time to learn and adjust to consciences of those around us. We wouldn’t want to inadvertently cause an accident. Green Traffic Light: It is safe to proceed with such activities. These can include spiritual activities, a simple gathering with brothers and sisters, various outdoor activities and so on. Some of the entertainment the world offers may have a green light as well but we still must be alert. Like a stale green light will eventually turn red, worldly entertainment that starts off clean can quickly introduce unclean things that will require us to slam on the brakes and stop watching. Making such decisions is like driving a car, each of us must apply 1 Corinthians 10:23,24 “keep on seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.” By doing so we can all safely make it to our destination in good health and with an undamaged conscience.

Perhaps it was done by mistake. If so, what good would it do for the person who tripped over it to hold on to it? That person would only be weighing themself down, while the person who made the mistake lives on, blissfully unaware of the pain they accidentally caused. Perhaps it was done intentionally. Still, what good would it do for the person who tripped over it to hold on to it? If anything, holding on to it can lead that person to seek revenge and use the stone to beat the person who stumbled them. How much better it is to let go of resentment and move on. Easy? No. Worth it? Read Matthew 18:4-5 and Watchtower 1972 12/1 p.707-708.

Isaiah 64:8 “O Jehovah, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our Potter.” Romans 12:2 “stop being molded by this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, so that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Never would we want to give up being molded by Jehovah to be molded by Satan and his system. After watching Toy Story 4 and reading Romans 12:2 this idea came to mind. Sorry that it is a sadder ending than usual.

Before deciding to date it is important you pay close attention to the person you are interested in. How do they treat others? Are they spiritually mature? How do they handle money matters? How do they handle responsibility? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? There is never a reason to settle for less. We don’t need to look for perfection, but when it is clear that they require a ton of assembly or when they don’t have very important qualities or skills needed to make a marriage a success, we would be wise to hold off from pursing a courtship. Normally, when purchasing an item we do research to make sure we are getting the best quality. Why would we do any less when it comes to something as life changing and important as choosing a marriage mate. Also, if I am aware that I have a ton of assembly required and lack in many areas of life, why not work on those things first before trying to date. If we really like someone we should want them to have the best, right? “Patience is the key”. (See YPA Vol 2 Chapter 1)

Isaiah 5:20 applies greatly to today's world. Should Halloween be considered to be good or bad? Consider just a small part of Halloween's origin: "The American Halloween tradition of “trick-or-treating” probably dates back to the early All Souls’ Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called “soul cakes” in return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as “going a-souling” was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money... "The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago...on Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter." (http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween)

Thought this would be a fun way to explain how pride can become fatal. Jehovah's spirit can help us to get though or endure any challenge we face. It can also help us to accomplish amazing things for him in this race to the finish. However, if we allow fear or pride to cause us to rely on our own strength, we may not make it to the final leap to the end. We would even lose out on all the "points" we got along the way. Humbly relying on Jehovah's spirit to the end is the only way to win this awful game Satan has created. Proverbs 16:18 "Pride is before a crash." 1 Corinthians 10:12-"So let the one who thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall." Â

  This applies more to young ones, but can really apply to any one of us. In the world we live in today there are many people looking to take advantage of us by means of social media. There have been many sad stories about people who were robbed or worse because they gave away too much personal information on social media. Some may give out their information that it becomes like posting your private info on the screens in Times Square. Young ones with free and unmonitored access to smart phones and computers have at times found themselves speaking with strangers who seek to do them harm. It's so important that on our personal private accounts we are careful about who we allow to follow us and who we choose to follow. Parents should regularly monitor their children's Internet use and set rules to protect their children as well. Even those claiming to be Witnesses may not be what they seem. Proverbs 22:33-"The shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself,But the inexperienced keep right on going and suffer the consequences." Â