..the text for April 24, 2020

Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you...for my sake. - Matt. 5:11

 I apologize for the lateness of my post, but this text really resonated with me. Through my life, I have been the victim of reproach and persecution because I stood up for what was right. They were painful experiences, because these experiences were caused by those close to me.

I have several examples, but I won't go into it here.
According to Matt. 5:11, does the experience above count? I tried to do what was right. I tried to tell the truth. I supported Jehovah as the true, and only Judge got punished for it. Did it hut me? Yes.

Don't be paranoid, but do be aware. Satan will use any means to get you to stop supporting Jesus and Jehovah, even your own family and friends. When it happens, don't be in despair, but know that our King and our Father are aware of such situations and will take care of it at the proper time. On sister told me, that her C.O. said, "one + Jehovah is the majority, no matter how many is on the other side."

There is a scripture that said something along the lines of your family persecuting you. The closest I found was when Jesus was discussing the danger of having more affection for family than Jesus or Jehovah. Matt. 10:36 says:

Indeed, a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.

 This is a quote from Micah 7:6. In Micah 7:7, it encourages us to "keep on the lookout for Jehovah...and a waiting attitude for the God of my salvation."

In the Great Tribulation, persecution will come in many shapes and sizes. When it happens, be resolute and stick. to. your. guns. Jehovah will bless you wonderfully as you continue to support His Kingdom, even if you're completely abandon, because He will never abandon you.

.. the text for April 23, 2020

The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one. - 1 John 5:19

The comments in today's text focused on the failure of religious leaders to teach their flocks the truth about God and His Son, Jesus. Hosea 4:9 had this point:

It will be the same for the people as the priest; I will call them to account for their ways.

 This is a sobering thought: You can't succeed in the blame game. It won't work. This principle goes beyond religion. Let's say for example, that you're involved in some court case.  and your attorney suggests a course of action that "shouldn't be done", but your counsel tells you it will succeed because various people involved in the case will be told to lie on your behalf and will alter paperwork to put things in your favor. You say, "OK", thinking that if this gets found out, you can say, "Well, the attorney told me to do it." Whoa, there! The attorney didn't make you do anything, but you're the one who gave the okay. If he is accountable, so are you.

Galatians 6:5 clearly shows that you're responsible for your actions, and that others should respect your for your choices, however, Jehovah is the perfect Judge, and he has the right to judge and administer punishment, so we are all ultimately accountable to him, even if we "get away with it."

Think too of this: Many, many people choose to play ignorant of the things they do. They do their best to remain oblivious, and they do everything they can to avoid counsel, discipline and punishment, by lying or  blaming everyone else or  causing distractions by having the authorities (elders, police, human judges) look at someone else to punish or discipline while they slip away unnoticed.  This doesn't work. Jehovah is not distracted or swayed by anything. He is still looking at you.

Hebrews 4:13 makes it plain:

And there is not a creation that is hidden from his sight,o but all things are naked and openly exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we must give an account.

 Prov. 15:11 reminds us that Jehovah can see "the hearts of men".

Those in the world need to know the truth, which is why we do so much to broadcast it through cart witnessing and other means. When religion is destroyed, people cannot say, "Well, my religious leaders lied to me; I was fooled." They will still be punished in their ignorance. In other cases, we need to be quick to confess before Jehovah when we do wrong. Hiding it won't help, acting oblivious will not get you life in the new world. Jehovah's discipline is an expression of his love and it can only assure you of it, as it did for me a year ago.

... a visit to Randsburg, CA

In years past, when my vision was good enough for driving, I would often take excursions, mini road trips to visit this or that. In 2008, I had been living with my grandparents in Apple Valley, so I sometimes would take long drives such as follow Route 66 from Victorville to Barstow and back, stopping briefly at small towns along the way.

One day, I decided to take a random drive north along Route 395, and take a look around. The area here is the Mojave Desert, occupied in part by Death Valley.

As I drove along, it was all desert, with hills and the moutains in the distance. Little towns here and there. I passed through one small town named Red Mountain, and then I saw a sign saying "Left to Randsburg". Curious, I made the left turn and fallowed the two-laned blacktop into the hills. Here is a brief history of Randsburg from Wikipedia:

Randsburg (formerly, Rand Camp) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Randsburg is located 17 miles (27 km) south of Ridgecrest, at an elevation of 3,504 feet (1,068 m). The population was 69 at the 2010 census, down from 77 at the 2000 census.

I figured it was small enough. Many people stopped there because there is an OHV area nearby, so when I drove into the town proper, passing clusters of trailers and small homes, there is a parking area for off-road vehicles ONLY, with dune buggies and dirt bikes neatly parked in rows. 


The town is only 1.9 sqare miles small. Another small town is Johannesburg, on the other side of the ridge that separates the two. It wouldn't take me long to see this place.

Gold was discovered in Rand Mine, near the site and a mining camp was quickly built in 1895, as Rand Camp. The post office ws established in 896. The town has tourists visit for Western Days Celebration, which starts the 3rd weekend of September. I had visited during the summer, so some places were closed.

I got out and walked around the small town. About 97 houses of mixed design are scattered around the town. I stopped in front of the Yellow Aster Saloon, and saw a sign that boasted "We have a 100-year old shake machine!" Intrigued, I went in. About three other people were there and the man behind the counter hailed me. I took a seat among the tourists, who were chatting, and ordered a milkshake. I expected to hear an ancient machine fire up and chatter away as it produced the shake. It wasn't so loud.

When he put the glass, an old-fashioned milk shake glass, I looked at it. I drank it, and it didn't taste different or feel different from any other milkshakes. Hmm, I said to myself, I thought it would be really flavorful, maybe more chunky. It was good though, so I did enjoy it.

Outside, done with my milky milkshake, I stood there in the shad and the very slight breeze. I heard a clattering to my right, coming down the street. I looked to see a vintage, 1920s era Model T Ford clunking down the street on its thin, knobby tires. It was half-rusted, in the original black. The headlight bulbs were missing. The back seat passenger had his arm out the window, holding the driver's door closed. It pulled into a spot in front of the saloon and three burly men hopped out and went in.

Kind of enthused, I walked until I saw a sign for a museum. So, I went there. It was closed. The building had originally been the Randsburg Opera House.

I continued on. Seeing the General Store and noting that the doors were open, I ventured that way. As I approached, I saw a large sign standing by the door. It proclaimed "Hopen for business". On a bench was an ancient old man and who seemed to be his granddaughter (or maybe great-granddaughter). I said hello and asked how they were doing. They nodded and said they were good. I addressed the old man, "So, how long have you lived here?" "A hunner years," he replied. Looking at the shape he was in, I was afraid to ask his age, as he might have said, "A hunner years". He had no teeth and was working his mouth, which was sunken and etched with so many wrinkles, he did not have a smooth line anywhere on his face. The young girl smiled and invited me in to look around. The inside of the store was stocked full of tourist-y stuff, like coffee mugs with "Randsburg, CA" and t-shirts and other things people tend to buy when they travel. I didn't want to buy anything, but looked at the architecture of the store and then without buying anything, walked out. I walked along the main road to see rusted out hunks of different cars: a Dodge pickup with a weird cherry-picker attachment. Another Model T that had no tired and propped up on cement blocks. At the edge of town, I look at the two-cell jail that was no longer operating, but everything was still there, the cot, the toilet, the bars.

My wife and I visited once, when we were on our way to Death Valley and it was a little cooler, but still no one around. We drover around more of the town and explored the area in the mountains, and saw that the two mines they have there appear to still be operating.

I'm a suker for history. Ghost towns, or those nearly there have always interested me. Calico is the most famous one, but there are many others around, if we take the time to explore and look at the past, and imagine people living there without ht eomforts of air conditioning and cell phones.

..the text for April 22, 2020

God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name. - Heb. 6:10

This is an important scripture to meditate on, because they world is full of people who are constantly trying to get attention. From various aged actresses bragging that they still have a great beach body; who openly feud with others, airing their dirty laundry; those who post videos of themselves licking products on store shelves (and toilet seats) despite the speediness of a disease raging around the world, and many other crazy, idiotic things.

The need for recognition is natural. We need to feel some worth in what we do. While we have many attributes (hey, she can tie a knot in a cherry stem with her tongue or, he plays a mean guitar or, he's a great writer) we need to keep it in perspective. As Rev. 4:11 reminds us, Jehovah is truly worthy "to receive the glory and the honor and the power."

But here, Paul states that the feeling is mutual. We recognize Jehovah as the Supreme Sovereign, he acknowledges what we do on behalf of His Kingdom. What an expression of love on Jehovah's part! He doesn't treat us like the puny, little,  imperfect humans we are. He looks in our hearts and knows exactly who we are, and he expresses appreciation in so many different ways.

So far this week, the texts have given me the thread, that we need to do our best to imitate our Father. The way he treats us should be the way we treat each other. Imperfection causes us to miss this at times, so we need to be aware and keep working at it in humility.

We're not looking for 15 minutes of fame. We're looking for eternity under our heavenly Father, the one who does love us and recognizes all we do.

Stay safe.

...text for April 21, 2020 text

Jehovah was with Joseph and Jehovah made whatever he did succeed. - Gen. 39:5

I highlighted this part of the comments:

Like Joseph, we may find ourselves in a situation over which we have little or no control. However, if we remain patient and work hard at making the best of our circumstances, we will give Jehovah something to bless.

The COVID-19 pandemic is such a situation. We can't control it other than to do our best to keep safe. We can follow the direction of the Governing Body, passed down to our elders on what can be done. We must be patient. The comments above referenced Ps. 37:5, which reminds us to

...Rely on him and he will act on your behalf.

I've been seeing a lot of texts (in my preaching group) about the desire to go back to the Kingdom Hall, and it's getting everyone excited. But, what if the mayor extends the "stay-at-home' injunction? That can cause some to be discouraged, but the text today helps us to notice a larger picture. If we adapt to our circumstances and do what we can, Jehovah's holy spirit, which we have seen with regards to the Memorial and that ability of all of us to continue to meet together, definitely worked out for us, as it did for Joseph way back when

With Jehovah behind us, we can forget about it and wait patiently until He makes the situation right for us as we continue to maintain our spiritual focus by study and meditation.

Stay safe, my friends!

...text for April 20, 2020

They speak abusively of you - 1 Peter 4:4

All through my life as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I have been pressured to do various things. But, the decision to maintain faith and dependence on Jehovah, to me, was easy. Let me give a few examples:

When I was in third grade, my teacher would always try to trick me into saying the national anthem, you know, "I pledge allegiance...." But, I always refused. She never asked why, but always tried to get me to do it. I completely ignored her, and if I got in trouble for it, it was for a good reason. I knew I was supporting Jehovah's sovereignty, even though at that age, I didn't understand it. But my mother told me I shouldn't do it, so I didn't.

Later, in middle school, I was taking a class on music history, and during the semester, we had a parents/teachers night. My teacher encouraged me to bring a guitar and play something. I was excited about it. When I saw the day it was scheduled, I was dismayed. It was on a meeting night. So, I went to my teacher and explained that as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I wouldn't be there as I had a meeting to go to. She got angry, and told me it was "mandatory" that I be there. I ignored her and went to my meeting. The following day, she cornered me and said that I was supposed to be at tge teachers/parents night, so where was I? I said, "My meeting. I told you where I was going to be." She pointed at another girl, who was a sister in my congregation and told me, "Well , she was here last night!" I shrugged and said, "So? She can do whatever she wants. I had a meeting to go to, so I went."

Way later in life, as I worked for a living, we would have monthly meetings in the lunch room, to announce anniversaries and birthdays. I never attended. But, when I had worked there for five years, I was due to get a cute little collar pin, announcing 5 years of service. It was in April. Well, my birthday was in April also. So, I went to the gathering in the lunch room. They announced the anniversaries, said my name, and gave me my pin. I accepted it graciously, and then when the executive secretary said, "Now for the birthdays!" I walked out without a word and went back to my desk. One of my colleagues approached me later and expressed shock that I didn't stay for the cake.  I explained my beliefs to her and she was interested. Another colleague slipped a piece of cake on a paper plate on my desk when I wasn't looking. I throw the cake away.

Even later on, when I worked as a manager at another company, supervising 14 people, at Christmas-time, I let my staff know my beliefs and said they could decorate and do whatever they wanted, but don't touch my cubicle. As a manager, I was to attend mandatory manager meetings that were scheduled on my meeting night. I never went. My manager complained about it, but I ignored her also. When our C.O. visited our congregation, the meeting was switched to another night. So, I attended the mandatory meeting. Everyone was shocked that I was there. I shrugged and siad, "I don't have a meeting tonight, so why not?"

The point is this: Stick to your spiritual guns. Don't waver. Don't say, "Okay, this time, but not next time." That will weaken your stand, because they will say, "Oh, but you did it before, so why not now?" And you feel embarrassed at having to explain it.

But, let me tell a story:

In a galaxy far, far away, there were two brothers. One brother was very creative, so he designed a playing game. He created the map on a piece of large plotting paper that he got from school. He created the game pieces. So, he was explaining how to play the game, which was a role-playing game with dice. At that time, there was a mania about a similar game, "Dungeons & Dragons". So, the second brother said, "Oh, it's like "Dungeons & Dragons"! The mother heard this, and immediately pounced on him, screaming that he just put the other brother down and was expressing her anger. He was not able to defend himself saying, "But I didn't say it was the same. I said it was like that game." (He knew the difference) But the mother raged and then she said, "Do I put you down?" Well, the truth was that she did put him down on occasion and regularly called him a "dummy" or "stupid." That was the truth, and he opened him mouth to say it, but then she added, "Do I?? Do I???" in a tone of voice that meant that if he said, "Yes" the punishment would be sure and complete. So, he said, "no" to avoid being punished for the truth.

Would the rest of his life, had that really happened, be affected by psychological damage?

Walking in truth doesn't just mean obeying God. It means being honest and open with others.  We need to be willing to suffer *anything* for the truth. But, the truth huts sometimes, doesn't it? So, people don't want to know or hear the truth, about God or about themselves. That's where diplomacy comes in. When we act the truth and say the truth. Jehovah will bless you for it. The world is full of liars, so it's hard, but following the suggestions in the text comments helps. The four Hebrews who were taken to Babylon are good examples, because they resolved to do the right thing, and continued resolute until they died. We need to do the same.

...text for Apr. 19, 2020

I, Jehovah, am ... teaching you to benefit yourself. - Isa. 48:17

 The comments on this text today focused on parents endeavoring to raise their children to be good people. But the superlative Parent of all is our heavenly Father. The impact of this verse is this: Jehovah ALWAYS does things for the benefit of others. Is there any other Being like Him, that he could turn to and say, "Look! I created earth and man. See?" No.

We exist simply because He decided to create. If He chose not to create anything, we wouldn't exist. Every decision he makes is well within his right, because of his status as the Creator, the Almighty God Jehovah. So, He desn't receive anything of his creation, except the satisfaction that he created it. He is greatly satisfied when we puny humans, the "specks of dust", do our best to please Him. And, so he teaches us, disciplines us (sometimes painfully), so that we can live in a way that makes him happy, and it's to OUR benefit that HE does so.

Now, think about your mother and father. If they had decided not to have children, you would not have been born. Yet, they created YOU. It doesn't matter if it was an accident ("Oos, the condom broke) or it was a planned deal, they still created you. They want you to benefit yourselves, so they try, even as imperfect people, to train you, disciplin you (sometimes painfully), to do well, and to live as reasonable human beings. The Almighty  Father laid the responsibilty on the human father to follow His example, so that YOU can benefit. The parents get satisfaction that they did well, just as Jehovah receives satisfation that He did well. So, instead of grumbling about the early curfew, or the mundane and boring tasks they give you, think about how it goes up the shain, through your father to his Father in heaven, and that's a good thing.

Even if your parents don't serve Jehovah, they still have the right and responsibility given to them by God. There is no loophole.

Because Jehovah gave so much of himself, as his son, Jesus also did, it's in our best interests to pay attention to what the Bible says and to follow his Commandments. As we show appreciation for what Jehovah didn't have to do (create, provide a ransom, or give us His Word, the Bible), we need to meditate soberly on this text and examine ourselves to determine our motives, and ask ourselves: Do I seek my own benefit at others' expense? Do I treat myself better than I treat others? Do I have the proper fear of Jehovah, who sees what I do in private? Do we meditate on Psalm 92:5 and do what we can to search and meditate on Jehovah's works and his sayings in an attempt to imitate Him?

If you continue to check yourself in this way, then everything you do will be successful.

Stay safe.