02-10-2008, 04:33 PM
Good afternoon everyone! :D:hibye:
The snow is falling in large flakes and it is warm outside ... a perfect wintry day ...! :cold: :thumbsup:
The Scripture for today is from Neh. 10:39 ...
We should not neglect the house of our God.
Watchtower comments ...
''The faithful man Nehemiah reminded his fellow Jews that they should show proper respect for the literal temple by supporting it materially. Now Jehovah is gathering his people and making them rejoice inside his ''house of prayer,'' his spiritual temple. (Isa. 56:7) Therefore, we should not neglect Jehovah's invitation to worship him there. Showing the need for regularity in meeting together to worship, Isaiah prophesied: ''It will certainly occur that from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath all flesh will come in to bow down before me,'' Jehovah has said.'' (Isa. 66:23) This is happening today. Regularly, every week of every month, dedicated Christians come together to worship Jehovah. They do this by, among other things, attending Christian meetings and engaging in the public ministry. Are you one of those who regularly 'come and bow down before Jehovah?' w06 11/1 2:14,15
My thoughts ... although I am a bit fuzzy today ... so forgive me if I don't make a lot of sense ... :funnyface::giverose:
In times past indeed we can see that when the Israelites didn't forsake the house of God in PURE worship (for we know it was corrupted many a time :( ) and were blessed because of it ...
What was the PURPOSE of going to the house of God ...? Was it not to worship and offer sacrifices?
However, do we, or can we, only 'worship' in a 'building' ...? Is not going to a building 'forsaking Him' in some way ...?
One thing that I am thinking about right now is what happened after Jesus came and went ... did he not reject the only 'source' (temple) that the Jews so revered and wanted us to stop looking from 'without' and begin to look 'within' ... be busy up our OWN temple ... who we are as Christians perhaps ...?
Acts 7:48,49 ...
48 Nevertheless, the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; just as the prophet says,
49 'The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What sort of house will YOU build for me? Jehovah says. Or what is the place for my resting?
So, if we realize that everything we have is from our God, and we give everything we have to Him and for Him ... then can we be said to be forsaking his house ...?
While it is indeed good and pleasant to dwell among fellow believers, sometimes that is not always able to be done if we have been, like Jesus said we would, thrown out of the Synagogue ... sent to the wilderness ...
But since Jehovah is also in the wilderness ... then we are not forsaking Him as He is not forsaking us ...
We find fellowship with others wherever we may be, and make wherever we are into a 'house of God' ... for is not our 'worship' our WHOLE way of living ... and sometimes more specific when we take time to study, pray, and speak about our love for our God and his Son!
So, if we don't neglect 'building ourselves' as a 'spiritual temple' ... then we won't be forsaking the house of God will we? :dontknow:
Hopefully someone will give a more sensible comment ... :happyheart:
Luv to all ... BR :sheepy: :bouncyhearts:
The snow is falling in large flakes and it is warm outside ... a perfect wintry day ...! :cold: :thumbsup:
The Scripture for today is from Neh. 10:39 ...
We should not neglect the house of our God.
Watchtower comments ...
''The faithful man Nehemiah reminded his fellow Jews that they should show proper respect for the literal temple by supporting it materially. Now Jehovah is gathering his people and making them rejoice inside his ''house of prayer,'' his spiritual temple. (Isa. 56:7) Therefore, we should not neglect Jehovah's invitation to worship him there. Showing the need for regularity in meeting together to worship, Isaiah prophesied: ''It will certainly occur that from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath all flesh will come in to bow down before me,'' Jehovah has said.'' (Isa. 66:23) This is happening today. Regularly, every week of every month, dedicated Christians come together to worship Jehovah. They do this by, among other things, attending Christian meetings and engaging in the public ministry. Are you one of those who regularly 'come and bow down before Jehovah?' w06 11/1 2:14,15
My thoughts ... although I am a bit fuzzy today ... so forgive me if I don't make a lot of sense ... :funnyface::giverose:
In times past indeed we can see that when the Israelites didn't forsake the house of God in PURE worship (for we know it was corrupted many a time :( ) and were blessed because of it ...
What was the PURPOSE of going to the house of God ...? Was it not to worship and offer sacrifices?
However, do we, or can we, only 'worship' in a 'building' ...? Is not going to a building 'forsaking Him' in some way ...?
One thing that I am thinking about right now is what happened after Jesus came and went ... did he not reject the only 'source' (temple) that the Jews so revered and wanted us to stop looking from 'without' and begin to look 'within' ... be busy up our OWN temple ... who we are as Christians perhaps ...?
Acts 7:48,49 ...
48 Nevertheless, the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; just as the prophet says,
49 'The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What sort of house will YOU build for me? Jehovah says. Or what is the place for my resting?
So, if we realize that everything we have is from our God, and we give everything we have to Him and for Him ... then can we be said to be forsaking his house ...?
While it is indeed good and pleasant to dwell among fellow believers, sometimes that is not always able to be done if we have been, like Jesus said we would, thrown out of the Synagogue ... sent to the wilderness ...
But since Jehovah is also in the wilderness ... then we are not forsaking Him as He is not forsaking us ...
We find fellowship with others wherever we may be, and make wherever we are into a 'house of God' ... for is not our 'worship' our WHOLE way of living ... and sometimes more specific when we take time to study, pray, and speak about our love for our God and his Son!
So, if we don't neglect 'building ourselves' as a 'spiritual temple' ... then we won't be forsaking the house of God will we? :dontknow:
Hopefully someone will give a more sensible comment ... :happyheart:
Luv to all ... BR :sheepy: :bouncyhearts: