Ancient Israel Fought Wars-Why Don't We?

1. GOD'S PEOPLE ALL BELONGED TO ONE NATION

In the past, Jehovah gathered his people into one nation-Israel.  He called the Israelites his "special property out of all peoples." (Exodus 19:5)  God also assigned them a defined territory. So when God commanded the Israelites to go to war against other nations, they were not fighting or killing their fellow worshippers." 

Today, true worshippers are from "all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues." (Revelation 7:9)  If God's people  were to participate in war, they could fighting against - and even killing -their fellow worshippers.

Next time: Ancient Israel Fought Wars -Why Don't We? - 2. JEHOVAH COMMANDED THE ISRAELITES TO GO TO WAR

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The Ancient Israelites Fought Wars -Why Don't We?

 "IF ANY one you refuses to fight against France or England, all of you must die!" barked a Nazi officer to a group of Jehovah's Witnesses during Word War II.  Even though fully armed SS soldiers waited nearby,  not one our brothers gave in.  What a courageous stance!  This example well highlights the view that we share as Jehovah's Witnesses. We refuse to fight in the wars of this world. Even when threatened with death, we refuse to take sides in this world's conflicts.

However, not all who call themselves Christians agree. Many believe that a Christian can and should defend his country.  They may reason, "The ancient Israelites   were God's people and they fought wars, so why shouldn't Christians today?" How would you answer.  You could explain that the situation of the ancient Israelites differed significantly from that of God's people today. Consider five differences. 

Next time: The Ancient Israelites Fought Wars -Why Don't We" - 1. GOD'S PEOPLE ALL BELONGED TO ONE NATION

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Keep Your Christian Hope Strone - REJOICE IN THE HOPE

 Our hope of everlasting life is a precious gift from God. We look forward to a wonderful future-one that we can be certain will happen. It acts as our anchor, stabilizing  us so that we can endure trials, withstand persecution, and even face death.  It acts as our helmet, protecting our thinking so that we can reject  what is wrong and cling to what is right.  Our Bible-based hope draws us closer to God and reveals the depth of his love for us.  We benefit greatly as we keep our hope bright and strong.

"Rejoice in the hope." encouraged the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. (Romans 12:12) Paul could rejoice because he was sure that if he remained faithful, he would gain everlasting life in heaven.  We too can rejoice in our hope because we are certain that Jehovah will keep his promises. As the psalmist wrote, "happy is the one . . . . whose hope is Jehovah God, . . . the One who always remains faithful." - PSALM 146:5, 6.

Next time: The Ancient Israelites Fought Wars-Why Don't We?

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Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - KEEP YOUR HOPE STRONG

 Consider what Jehovah has done for you. Think about how you have already benefited personally from the fulfillment of the promises contained in God's Word. For example, Jesus promised that his Father will provide you with the necessities of life.  (Matthew  6:32, 33) Jesus has also assured you that Jehovah will give you holy spirit when you ask for it. (Luke 11:13) Jehovah has kept those promises.  Likely, you can think of other promises that he has kept in your behalf. For instance, he promises to forgive you, to comfort you, and to feel you spiritually. (Matthew 6:14; 24:45; 2 Corinthians 1:3)  When you meditate on what God has done for you already, you will strengthen your hope in what he will do in the future.

Next time: Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - REJOICE IN THE HOPE

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Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - KEEP YOUR HOPE STRONG

 It is not always  easy to keep our hope strong.  We might become impatient while we wait on God. However, Jehovah is eternal, and his view of time is different from ours. (2 Peter 3:8, 9) He will work out his purpose in the best way possible, but he may  not act when we expect him to. What can help us to keep our hope strong as we wait patiently for God to fulfill his promise? - JAMES 5:7, 8. 

We will keep our hope strong if we remain close to Jehovah, the one who guarantees  our hope.  In fact, the Bible closely links hope to faith that Jehovah exists and that he is "the rewarder of those earnestly seeking hi." (Read Hebrews11:1, 6.) The more real Jehovah is to us, the greater our confidence will be that he will do all that he has promised.  Let us consider  practical ways to deepen our relationship with Jehovah and thus keep our hope strong.

Pray to Jehovah, and read his Word.  Though we cannot see Jehovah, we can draw close to him.  We can speak to him in prayer, confident that he will listen to us.  (Jeremiah 29:11, 12) We can listen to God by reading his Word and meditating on it.  As we read how Jehovah cared for those who were loyal to him in the past, our hope will grow ever stronger.  Everything in God's Word was "written for our instruction, so that  through our endurance and through the comfort  from the Scriptures we might have hope." - ROMANS 15:4. 

Next time: Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - KEEP YOUR HOPE STRONG - Conclusion

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Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - OUR HOPE IS LIKE A HELMET

The Bible also compares our hope to a helmet.  (Read Thessalonians 5:8.)  A soldier wears a helmet to protect his head from the blows his enemies try to inflict on him. In our spiritual warfare, we need to protect our mind from Satan's attacks. He bombards us with temptations and ideas designed to corrupt our thinking. Just as the helmet protects a soldier's head, our hope protects our thinking so that we can remain faithful to Jehovah. 

Our hope of everlasting life will help us to act with wisdom and discernment. On the other hand, if our hope weakens and we allow fleshly thinking to take hole of our mind, we can lost sight of the goal of everlasting life.  Consider the case of some Christians living in  ancient Corinth.  They lost faith in a key promise of God-the hope of resurrection.  (1 Corinthians 15:12)Paul argued that people with no hope of a future life live only for the present.  (1 Corinthians 15:32) Today many who have no hope in God's promises live for the moment, grasping whatever pleasures are available to them. We however, put our trust in the future promised by God. Our hope acts as  a figurative helmet that protects our thinking and safeguards us from choosing a self-indulgent lifestyle, which would spoil our relationship with Jehovah. - 1 CORINTHIANS 15:33, 34.

Our helmet of hope can also protect us from thinking that there is no point in even trying to please Jehovah.  For example, some might reason: 'I will never be among those who live forever.  I am just not good enough.  I will never be able to measure up to God's standards.' Recall that Job's false comforter Eliphaz used similar reasoning with Job.  Eliphaz said: "What is mortal man  that he should be pure?" Further, he said of God:  "Look!  He has no faith in his holy ones, and even the heavens are not pure in his eyes." (Job 15:14, 15)  What lies! Remember who is behind such thinking-Satan.  He knows that if you allow yourself  to dwell on such thoughts, your hope will fade.  Instead, reject such lies and focus on Jehovah's promises.  Never doubt that he wants you to live forever and that he will help you to reach that goal. - 1 TIMOTHY2:3, 4. 

Next time: Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - KEEP YOUR HOPE STRONG

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Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - OUR HOPE IS LIKE AN ANCHOR -Conclusion

 Our Christian hope has helped many of our brothers and sisters to endure.  Consider the example of Leonard Chinn, a faithful brother who lived in England.  During the First World War, he was imprisoned because he refused to join the military.  For two months he was kept in solitary confinement, followed by a period of hard labor.  "My experiences," he later wrote, "impressed on me the value of hope to enable us to endure. We have the examples of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets, and we the precious promises in the Bible. All of this give us great hope for the future  and fortifies us to endure."  Hope was an anchor for Leonard, and it can be an anchor for us too.

Our hope gets stronger after we endure trials and experience Jehovah's help and approval.  (Read Romans 5:3-5; James 1:12) We thus possess a  hope that is stronger than when we first accepted the good news.  Satan wants our trials to overwhelm us, but with Jehovah's help we can meet each one successfully.

Next time: Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - OUR HOPE IS LIKE A  HELMET

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Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - OUR HOPE IS LIKE AN ANCHOR

 In his letter to the Hebrews, the apostle Paul likened our hope to an anchor. (Read Hebrews 6:19.)He often traveled by sea, so Paul knew that anchors are used to keep a ship from drifting. On one occasion, he was a passenger on a ship when a violent storm came  up. During that storm, he saw sailors cast anchors into the water to prevent the ship from being blown onto dangerous rocks.  (Acts 27:29, 39-41) As an anchor stabilizes a ship, our hope stabilizes us so that we do not drift away from Jehovah when we face turbulent times. Our firm hope helps us to ride out stormy trials because we are convinced  that calmer times lie just ahead. Remember, Jesus warned that we would be persecuted.  (John 15:20) So mediating on our promised future reward allows to keep  steady on our Christian course.

Consider how hope kept Jesus steadfast despite the cruel death that awaited him.  On the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., the apostle Peter quoted a prophecy from the book of Psalms that beautifully expresses Jesus' clam assurance:  I will reside in hope; because you will not leave me in the Grave, nor will you allow your loyal one to see corruption. . . . You will fill me with great joy in your presence."  (Acts 2:25-28; Psalm 16:8-11) Although Jesus knew that he would die, he had the firm hope that God would resurrect him and that he would  have the joy of being reunited with his Father in heaven. - HEBREWS 12:2, 3.

Next time: Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - OUR HOPE IS LIKE AN ANCHOR

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Keep Your Christian Hope Strong

 "Hope in Jehovah." - PSALM 27:14.

JEHOVAH has given us the marvelous hope of everlasting life.  Some hope to live forever in heaven as immoral spirit creatures.  (1 Corinthians  15:50, 53)  Most, though, hope to live forever on earth in perfect health and happiness. (Revelation 21:3, 4) Whether we look forward to everlasting life in heaven or on earth, our hope is precious to us.

The word "hope," as used in the Bible, can be defined as "the expectation that good things will happen." Our hope for the future is guaranteed because it comes from Jehovah. (Romans 15:13)  We  know what he has promised, and we know that he always keeps his word. (Numbers 23:19)are convinced that Jehovah has both the desire and the power to accomplish everything that he says he will do. Our hope, therefore, is not based  on fantasy  or wishful thinking; it is based on evidence and reality.

Our heavenly Father loves us, and he wants  us to trust in him. (Read Psalm 27:14.) When our hope in Jehovah is strong, we will be able to endure trials and face the future with courage  and  joy. Let us consider how our hope protects us.  To that end, we will first review how hope is both like an anchor and like a helmet.  Then we will discuss how we can strengthen our hope.

Next time: Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - OUR HOP;E IS LIKE AN ANCHOR

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True Wisdom Is Crying Aloud -TRUE WISDOM BENEFITS US - Conclusion

Follow direction.  The Bible offers this practical advice for success:  "By wise guidance you will wage your war, and through many advisers there is success." (Proverbs 24:6) Consider how applying this principle leads to success in our preaching and teaching work.  Rather than carry out the ministry in our own way, we try to follow the suggestion we have been given. We receive wise guidance at our  Christian meetings, where experienced advisers give Bible-based talks and presentations to train us.  In addition, Jehovah's organization provides useful tools-publications and videos-that can help people to understand the Bible. Are you learning these tools effectively?

Read Proverbs3:13-18.  How grateful we are for the sound advice found in God's Word!  Where would we be without it?  In this article, we have reviewed examples of practical wisdom found in the book of Proverbs.  Of course, Jehovah has provided wise sayings throughout  the Scriptures. Let us be determined always to act on the wisdom that Jehovah provides.  The way the world views such wisdom is not important to us; we are convinced that "those who keep firm hold of [wisdom] will be called happy." 

Next time:  Keep  Your Christian Hope Strong

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