Thursday night
August 16, 2013
I didn't make it to the Hall. My temp went back up and my digestive track has been giving me trouble all afternoon, and it still is. On top of it, I have the full blown migraine down to a dull roar. I'm so tried of being sick. I miss out on everything. So tonight I am not doing any reading and I am just going to try and take notes on the C.O.'s part tonight.
THOSE LOVING JEHOVAH, THERE IS NO STUMBLING BLOCK
If we had to make a list of all the things we have in common, the list would be long. including imperfection.
Prov 24:16...the righteous one may fall, even seven times...the wicked are made to stumble...
A righteous one will fall and get up, but the wicked, stumble and they don't get back up.
Jehovah is not letting any one of his righteous ones to not be able to get back up after falling. He provides the help for us to get back up.
Theme scripture
Ps 119:165... abundant peace belongs to those loving your law and there is no stumbling block...
Heb 12:1... put off every weight and the sin that entangles us.... let us run the race with endurance...
A marathon runner, will stumble and fall, but there is time to get back up and keep going.
How do we identify a stumbling block... there are 5 of them
1) Personal weaknesses... even if we fall repeatedly, Jehovah doesn't count us as disloyal, as long as we keep trying to keep going.
Two times David manifested self control, when it came to not taking Saul's life. But, he didn't when it came to Bathsheba. Or when it came to Nabel, David was stopped as he had lost control. So although he faultered,
Luke 22:62... Peter said he wouldn't deny Jesus... but he did, three times... and he wept bitterly
Matt 10:33... who ever denies me... I deny him...
Most likely Peter thought of that. So he fell, but Peter didn't stay down.
Isa 41:9 & 10... I will really help you... I will keep fast hold....
Jehovah really understands and he will help us when we fall short.
2) Desires of Flesh... We have a choice to make, to submit to Jehovah's laws and standards. We choose to apply his view and live by Jehovah's standards.
A physical person can only see what is around them. A spiritual person looks at life from Jehovah's viewpoint.
Matt 5:29-30.... if your eye is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you....
It is difficult and maybe some drastic measures have to be taken, to keep ourselves mentally, morally and spiritually clean.
In this day of technology, is it easy to keep mentally, morally and spiritually clean? If we have a weakness, isn't it better to take drastic measures then to loose Jehovah's favor?
3) What we perceive to be the mishandling of matters within the cong.
Do we have all the facts on matters that are being handled by the elders? Was there any doubt that Jesus was directing things in the cong? Paul had to write two letters to the cong in Corinth.
Rev 1:14... his hair was white as wool... he had in his right hand, seven stars...
We know the seven stars are the anointed and those in association with the anointed... (the elders). They are in Jesus' right hand, he sees exactly what is going on. He knows just what needs to be handled and how to handle it and when to handle it.
There was an example, that a brother had an accident and a child died. It was an accident. But, a week later, it was announced that the brother was DF... why? The brother was so distart, that he told the elders about many very very bad things he had been doing for 20 years.... and that is why he was DF.
We cannot let the decisions of our elders be our stumbling block
4) Tribulation and Persecution...
There could be a lack of spiritual balance.
Matt 13:21... this is the one that hears the word... but easily stumbled...
If we maintain a right heart condition, we will be able to withstand whatever opposition comes at us.
5) The Imperfections of Others in the Cong.
It is unfortunate when we get caught up in the thinking that we have it all together but everyone else is falling short.
We CANNOT allow our conscience to judge others. Just because we wouldn't do something, doesn't give us the right to take offence or judge another for making a conscience decision.
"you can be as resentful as you want, it isn't going to change the other person".
Am I judging others unfavorably or unjustly?
Hannah, quivering, crying, and praying, and the high priest came in and said, what are you drunk? What would we have done? "said you are an elder you shouldn't be saying that sort of thing" or whatever? she was respectful. Hannah was serving Jehovah, not some elder or some rock or whatever. She was not going to let anyone prevent her from serving her God, Jehovah.
WHAT IS MY OWN CHALLENGE? WHAT IS MY OWN STUMBLING BLOCK? We don't have to deny it, as we all have them. Jehovah wants to help us, so accept his help.
THOSE LOVING JEHOVAH, THERE IS NO STUMBLING BLOCK
If we had to make a list of all the things we have in common, the list would be long. including imperfection.
Prov 24:16...the righteous one may fall, even seven times...the wicked are made to stumble...
A righteous one will fall and get up, but the wicked, stumble and they don't get back up.
Jehovah is not letting any one of his righteous ones to not be able to get back up after falling. He provides the help for us to get back up.
Theme scripture
Ps 119:165... abundant peace belongs to those loving your law and there is no stumbling block...
Heb 12:1... put off every weight and the sin that entangles us.... let us run the race with endurance...
A marathon runner, will stumble and fall, but there is time to get back up and keep going.
How do we identify a stumbling block... there are 5 of them
1) Personal weaknesses... even if we fall repeatedly, Jehovah doesn't count us as disloyal, as long as we keep trying to keep going.
Two times David manifested self control, when it came to not taking Saul's life. But, he didn't when it came to Bathsheba. Or when it came to Nabel, David was stopped as he had lost control. So although he faultered,
Luke 22:62... Peter said he wouldn't deny Jesus... but he did, three times... and he wept bitterly
Matt 10:33... who ever denies me... I deny him...
Most likely Peter thought of that. So he fell, but Peter didn't stay down.
Isa 41:9 & 10... I will really help you... I will keep fast hold....
Jehovah really understands and he will help us when we fall short.
2) Desires of Flesh... We have a choice to make, to submit to Jehovah's laws and standards. We choose to apply his view and live by Jehovah's standards.
A physical person can only see what is around them. A spiritual person looks at life from Jehovah's viewpoint.
Matt 5:29-30.... if your eye is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you....
It is difficult and maybe some drastic measures have to be taken, to keep ourselves mentally, morally and spiritually clean.
In this day of technology, is it easy to keep mentally, morally and spiritually clean? If we have a weakness, isn't it better to take drastic measures then to loose Jehovah's favor?
3) What we perceive to be the mishandling of matters within the cong.
Do we have all the facts on matters that are being handled by the elders? Was there any doubt that Jesus was directing things in the cong? Paul had to write two letters to the cong in Corinth.
Rev 1:14... his hair was white as wool... he had in his right hand, seven stars...
We know the seven stars are the anointed and those in association with the anointed... (the elders). They are in Jesus' right hand, he sees exactly what is going on. He knows just what needs to be handled and how to handle it and when to handle it.
There was an example, that a brother had an accident and a child died. It was an accident. But, a week later, it was announced that the brother was DF... why? The brother was so distart, that he told the elders about many very very bad things he had been doing for 20 years.... and that is why he was DF.
We cannot let the decisions of our elders be our stumbling block
4) Tribulation and Persecution...
There could be a lack of spiritual balance.
Matt 13:21... this is the one that hears the word... but easily stumbled...
If we maintain a right heart condition, we will be able to withstand whatever opposition comes at us.
5) The Imperfections of Others in the Cong.
It is unfortunate when we get caught up in the thinking that we have it all together but everyone else is falling short.
We CANNOT allow our conscience to judge others. Just because we wouldn't do something, doesn't give us the right to take offence or judge another for making a conscience decision.
"you can be as resentful as you want, it isn't going to change the other person".
Am I judging others unfavorably or unjustly?
Hannah, quivering, crying, and praying, and the high priest came in and said, what are you drunk? What would we have done? "said you are an elder you shouldn't be saying that sort of thing" or whatever? she was respectful. Hannah was serving Jehovah, not some elder or some rock or whatever. She was not going to let anyone prevent her from serving her God, Jehovah.
WHAT IS MY OWN CHALLENGE? WHAT IS MY OWN STUMBLING BLOCK? We don't have to deny it, as we all have them. Jehovah wants to help us, so accept his help.
Posted by Robyn Nelson.
