TheylaughedatNoah

Do you think God’s purpose for people to live in an earthly paradise will ever be realized? “I have spoken,” God declares, “and I will also carry it out.” (Isaiah 46:9-11; 55:11) Yes, what God purposes he will surely do! He says that he “did not create [the earth] simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited.” (Isaiah 45:18) What kind of people did God want to live on the earth? And for how long did he want them to live here? The Bible answers: “The righteous will possess the earth, and they will live forever on it.”—Psalm 37:29; Revelation 21:3, 4. JW ORG

Many people argue that we cannot know anything about the spirit realm because no eyewitness has come from there to tell us about it. That line of reasoning, however, is incorrect. Jesus Christ existed in heaven, in the spirit realm, before he came to the earth. He said so quite openly to the religious leaders in the first century: “I have come down from heaven to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” So Jesus was sharing firsthand information when he told his apostles: “In the house of my Father are many dwelling places.”—John 6:38; 14:2.

Jesus’ Father, of course, is God, whose name is Jehovah, and Jehovah’s “house” is in the heavens. (Psalm 83:18) JW ORG

Roman governor of Judea in the first century, asked of Jesus, who was on trial before the governor. (John 18:38) Pilate, of course, was not really seeking the truth. If anything, his question revealed his skeptical or cynical attitude. Apparently, to Pilate truth was whatever a person might choose or was taught to believe; there was really no way to determine what is truth. Many today feel the same way.

Churchgoers in 16th-century Europe faced the dilemma of what to believe as truth. Raised to believe in the supremacy of the pope and in other teachings of the church, they were confronted with new ideas spread by the Reformation, which was sweeping through Europe at the time. What should they believe? How would they decide what is truth?

During that period, there were, among many others, three men who were determined to seek out the truth.* How did they go about identifying what was true and what was false? And what did they find? Let us see. the source

All true worshippers are united in one faith.—Read John 4:23, 24; 14:6; Ephesians 4:4, 5.

2. Why do so many different religions claim to be Christian?

False prophets have corrupted Christianity and have used it to further their own interests. As Jesus foretold, they present themselves as his “sheep” but act like hungry wolves. (Matthew 7:13-15, 21, 23) False Christianity developed especially after Jesus’ apostles died.—Read Acts 20:29, 30.

3. What are some features that distinguish true worship? True religion differs from religion based on men’s ideas. (Matthew 15:7-9)

The true religion honors God’s name, Jehovah. Jesus made God’s name known. He helped people to know God and taught them to pray that God’s name be sanctified. (Matthew 6:9

4. How can you recognize true worshippers?

True Christians preach about God’s Kingdom. God sent Jesus to preach about the Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is the only hope for mankind. Jesus continued speaking about it until his dying day. (Luke 4:43; 8:1; 23:42, 43) He told his followers to preach about God’s Kingdom. If someone approaches you to speak about God’s Kingdom, to which religion does he likely belong?—Read Matthew 10:7; 24:14.

Jesus’ followers are no part of this wicked world. They take no part in political affairs or social conflicts. (John 17:16)

5. What is the primary mark of true Christianity?

LOVE From God’s Word, they learn to respect members of all ethnic groups.

The Bible says: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5; Psalm 146:4) Therefore, when we die, we cease to exist. The dead can’t think, act, or feel anything.

“To dust you will return”

God explained what happens when we die when he spoke to the first man, Adam. Because Adam was disobedient, God said to him: “Dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) Before God created Adam “out of dust from the ground,” Adam did not exist. (Genesis 2:7) Likewise, when Adam died, he returned to dust and ceased to exist.

The same thing happens to those who die now. Speaking of both humans and animals, the Bible says: “They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust.”—Ecclesiastes 3:19, 20.

Death is not necessarily the end of everything

The Bible often compares death to sleep. (Psalm 13:3; John 11:11-14; Acts 7:60) A person who is fast asleep is unaware of what is happening around him. Likewise, the dead are not conscious of anything. Yet, the Bible teaches that God can awaken the dead as if from sleep and give them life again. (Job 14:13-15) For those whom God resurrects, death is not the end of everything.

PLANTS use a complex process called photosynthesis to extract energy from sunlight to create food. Studies on certain species have revealed that they perform yet another feat—they calculate the optimum rate at which to absorb that food overnight.

Consider: By day, plants convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into starch and sugars. During the night, many species consume the starch stored during the day, thus avoiding starvation and maintaining plant productivity, including growth. Moreover, they process the stored starch at just the right rate—not too quickly and not too slowly—so that they use about 95 percent of it by dawn, when they start making more.

The findings were based on experiments on a plant of the mustard family called Arabidopsis thaliana. Researchers found that this plant carefully rations its food reserves according to the length of the night, no matter whether 8, 12, or 16 hours remained until dawn. Evidently, the plant divides the amount of starch available by the length of time remaining until dawn, thus determining the optimal rate of consumption.

How do plants ascertain their starch reserves? How do they measure time? And what mechanism enables them to do math? Further research may shed light on these questions.

1 “WHY DO YOU ALLOW SUFFERING?”

2 “WHY IS RELIGION FULL OF HYPOCRISY?”

3 “WHY ARE WE HERE?”

The Answer to all three, based on the Bible:JW.ORG

For over one hundred years, this magazine has been providing its readers with information about world events to help them personally verify that we are nearing the end. Of course, some skeptics disagree, asserting that facts and statistics are subjective and can be manipulated. They also claim that since worldwide communication continues to increase, world conditions only appear to be worsening. Nonetheless, there is ever-increasing evidence that we are at the conclusion of a unique period in the history of humanity.

Some experts feel that we are approaching major changes to this earth. For example, in 2014, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists warned the United Nations Security Council about major threats to the existence of mankind. Those scientists testified: “A careful review of these threats leads us to conclude that the risk of civilization-threatening technological catastrophe remains high.” Many people are increasingly convinced that we have reached a pivotal point in world history. The publishers of this magazine and many of its readers have no doubt that this unique period really is the last days and that the end is near. But rather than dreading the future, you can be happy about the outcome. Why is that so? Because you can survive the end!

JW ORG

“Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) Jesus commanded that we commemorate his death, and every year millions of people gather with Jehovah’s Witnesses to observe this important event. We invite you to attend with us this year. To find a location near you, look under ABOUT US > MEMORIAL.

JW ORG

He would do as Jesus did. While faithfully obeying the laws of the land, he would remain strictly neutral regarding political affairs. (John 12:47, 48) He would not compromise Christian principles, even when under great pressure. (1 Peter 2:21-23) At the same time, he could not be just a disinterested observer. A true Christian would take an active interest in the welfare of those around him, as Jesus did. (Mark 6:34) He would also expend himself in helping others to lead happier lives by helping them understand and live by Christ’s teachings.—John 13:17.

Accordingly, Jehovah’s Witnesses today strive to imitate Christ in their relationship with the world around them. While being peaceful law-abiding citizens, they are no part of the world. As Jesus did, they refuse to be part of the violence and political wrangling so common today. Their hope is firmly fixed on the Kingdom of God as the solution to the problems facing the world. True Christianity results in a happier life and harmony among its members. (John 13:34, 35) It certainly has not failed.

ABOUT a third of the earth’s population claim to be Christian. Yet, the world seems more politically divided and more violent than ever before. Does this mean that Christianity as Jesus taught it is somehow flawed? Or, rather, does the flaw exist in the way many people apply Christ’s teachings?

It may come as a surprise to some that Jesus actually said that his followers should be “no part of the world, just as [he was] no part of the world.” (John 17:15, 16) Why would Christ encourage his disciples to take such a stand? Jesus’ beloved disciple the apostle John provided an answer. He wrote: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.”—1 John 5:19.

Hence, Christ’s teachings direct people, not to human entities, but to the heavenly Kingdom of God as the agency that will create a just and righteous world here on earth. (Matthew 6:10) Jesus himself did not show the slightest inclination to interfere with the social structure of his day. He rejected political office outright. (John 6:15) He also rejected violence as a way of settling disputes. (Matthew 26:50-53; John 18:36) Jesus left behind no constitution or canon of civil laws. He took no political stand on the issues of his day. For instance, he did not become an activist for the rights of slaves, nor did he involve himself in the struggle of the Jewish people against Rome.

On the night before he died, Jesus met with his apostles. At that time, he introduced a simple ceremony, and he told them: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” They were to do so in remembrance of the sacrifice he was about to make in behalf of mankind.—Luke 22:19, 20.

Last year, in obedience to Jesus’ command, almost 20 million people worldwide observed this annual event. What about this year? The Memorial of Christ’s death will be held on Friday, April 3, 2015, after sundown.

Jehovah’s Witnesses warmly invite you to be present with them on this important occasion. You will learn how Jesus’ life and death can benefit you personally.

This free event will take place at a location near you.

Do you understand Bible truth? If so, you have been richly blessed. When an author writes a book, he or she usually fashions it to appeal to a specific group of people. Some books are written for the highly educated, others for children, still others for those in specialized fields. While the Bible is easily available to all, it is meant to be understood and appreciated by a particular group of people. Jehovah crafted it for the humble, the meek ones of the earth. Such people can grasp the sense of the Bible, whatever their education, culture, station in life, or ethnic group. (1 Timothy 2:3, 4) On the other hand, an understanding of Bible truth is denied to those not rightly disposed, no matter how intelligent or educated they may be. The haughty, the proud, cannot grasp the precious truths of God’s Word. (Matthew 13:11-15; Luke 10:21; Acts 13:48) Only God could produce such a book.

Psalm 37:11- the meek will possess the earth,+

And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.+

Ironically, while many people are keenly interested in God’s Kingdom, most religions seem to give little attention to it. In this regard, historian H. G. Wells noted how remarkable it is that Jesus gave “enormous prominence . . . to the teaching of what he called the Kingdom of Heaven” and yet, said Wells, this teaching has “comparative insignificance in the . . . teaching of most of the Christian churches.”

Unlike those churches, Jehovah’s Witnesses put great emphasis on God’s Kingdom. Consider: Our main journal, which you are now reading, is published in 220 languages. Nearly 46 million copies of each issue are printed, making it the most widely distributed magazine in the world. And what is this journal’s principal message? Notice its full title: The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. *

Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses go to such great lengths to announce, or advertise, God’s Kingdom? For one thing, we believe that God’s Kingdom is the central message of the most important book in the world—the Bible. Moreover, we are convinced that God’s Kingdom is the only real solution to the problems facing humans today.

In directing attention to God’s Kingdom, Jehovah’s Witnesses are endeavoring to follow the example of Jesus. While on earth, he made God’s Kingdom the focal point of his life and ministry. (Luke 4:43) Why did the Kingdom mean so much to Jesus? And what can it mean for you? http://www.jw.org/en/video-why-study-the-bible/

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Teach your teen priorities and time-management skills. Part of becoming a responsible adult involves learning to put first things first. Family communication, homework, and chores are more important than casual Internet use. If the amount of time your teen spends online is a concern, set limits—even using a timer if necessary.—Bible principle: Philippians 1:10.

Teach your teen to think before posting. Help your teenager to ask such questions as: Could the comment I am about to post hurt someone? How will this photo affect my reputation? Would I feel embarrassed if my parents or other adults saw this photo or comment? What would they conclude about me if they saw it? What would I think of someone who posted such a comment or photo?—Bible principle: Proverbs 10:23.

Teach your teen to live by values—not just rules. You cannot look over your teenager’s shoulder every moment of the day. Besides, your goal as a parent is not to control your children but to help them “have their powers of discernment trained to distinguish both right and wrong.” (Hebrews 5:14) So, instead of emphasizing rules and punishment as the primary factor, appeal to your teenager’s moral sense. What type of reputation does he want to have? For what type of character traits does she want to be known? Your goal is to help your teenager make wise decisions, whether you are there or not.—Bible principle: Proverbs 3:21.

“Kids know more about technology. Parents know more about life”

jw.org

We all think about the future. We wonder what life will be like for ourselves and our loved ones. We ask such questions as these: ‘Will my children live in a better world? Will the earth be destroyed in a disaster? Is there something I can change now to make my future better?’ This curiosity is part of who we are; we naturally yearn for reassurance, certainty, order, and stability. If you could be more certain about the future, you could prepare for it, both physically and emotionally.

So, what is in your future? Can anyone know? Professionals who try to predict the future have met with some successes but also many failures. Yet, it is said that God can accurately foretell upcoming events. His Word says: “From the beginning I foretell the outcome, and from long ago the things that have not yet been done.” (Isaiah 46:10) How successful has he been?

GOD’S SUCCESS RATE

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