... the text for June 21, 2020

Never let anyone look down on your youth. Instead, become an example to the faithful ones in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness. - 1 Tim. 4:12

When people treat you with contempt, what do you do? Get anry and harbor resentment or bitterness? While Paul was talking to Timothy, who likely was an elder in his congregation and a young man, his exortation and encouragement applies to all of us.

by our actions, we can show that we have the confidence in Jehovah. By the way we talk to each other shows the good qualities we have. By making wise decisions and maintaining good conduct, we show others that we do our best to imitate Jesus and Jehovah.

I know of one brother who became an elder at the age of 22. That seemed young, but you can watch how he acts and how he talks and know that he really cares about the congregation and wrks hard to shepherd it in love. He took this scripture to heart and  displays the qualities Paul recommended to Paul.

We have many young ones that help lead the congregation and they should be valued and recognized for thir love of Jehovah's name. As us older ones step aside, or limit our activities, the young will take it up and move the organization forward.

Such a wonderful thing to see and we can trust it, because Jesus is in full control of the congregations and he will assure that everything works smoothly.

but let all ov us continue to be a good example, encouraging others by our faith and determination to serve Jehovah, even in this crumbling system of things.

Stay safe!

... cruelty

"With your past, no one will ever love you." Could you imagine Jehovah or Jesus uttering those words? Thankfully, you couldn't. They would never say that in a million years.

Huymans, on the other hand, have demonstrated an amazing capacity to be cruel to one another, with they way they talked to those they're supposed to love; to think of and create fiendish means of torture; to develop and maintain weapons of mass destruction. We this profound ability to do the worst things.

We create gods to worship that are like us, cruel, vindictive, heartless, angry, demanding, control freaks, and dictators.

How does Jehovah feel about that? In Genesis 6, he said that the earth was ruined because of the way people were. (Gen. 6:11) That's why he brought the flood. He promised he won't use water to kill the wicked (Gen. 9:11), but He has other things at his disposal. The world today is even worse than in Noah's ;time. As a whole, the wicked today have made up for the lack of the Nephilim. Jehovah will definitely clean his once again ruined earth.

Many paint Jehovah as a heartless God, ready to punish and destory. They imagine that He created Hell for us to fear Him and bow to his control. That's exactly how some treat others, they create fear in order to dominate. They try to create a sense of inferiority in others in order to dominate and to treat with disdain and cruelty, as if they're more important.

In ages long ago, there were those who sacrificed their firstborn children by fire. How did Jehovah feel about that? Did he accept such sacrifices? He says in Jer. 7:31: "...something that I had not commanded and that had never even come into my heart" So, how could Jehovah even dream of an eternal place of torment for sinners on earth? Impossible. So, it's obvious man dreamt it up.

We must endure the cruelty and dominance of others. But, the day will come when such diabolical actions and thoughts will be done away with, when Jehovah gives Jesus the signal. I look forward to that day!