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References for Life and Ministry Meeting WorkbookJohn’s inspired words: “The world is passingaway and so is its desire, but he that doesthe will of God remains forever.” (1 John 2:17) Satan’s system seems to be permanent andreal. Nevertheless, one day it will come to anend. Nothing that Satan’s world has to offer haspermanence. Remembering that fact will helpus not to be seduced by the Devil’s enticements.NOVEMBER 4-10TREASURES1 JOHN 1-5FROMGOD’SWORD “Do Not Love the World or the Things in theWorld”(1 John 2:15, 16) Do not love either the worldor the things in the world. If anyone loves theworld, the love of the Father is not in him;16 because everything in the world—the desireof the flesh and the desire of the eyes andthe showy display of one’s means of life—doesnot originate with the Father, but originateswith the world.Digging for Spiritual Gems(1 John 2:7, 8) Beloved ones, I am writingyou, not a new commandment, but an oldcommandment that you have had from thebeginning. This old commandment is the wordthat you heard. 8 Again, I am writing youa new commandment, which is true in hiscase and in yours, because the darkness ispassing away and the true light is alreadyshining.w05 1/1 10 13Hold to the Pattern Jesus Set13Some might reason that not everything in theworld is wrong. Even so, the world and its attractions can easily distract us from servingJehovah. And nothing the world provides is designed to draw us closer to God. Hence, if wegrow to love the things in the world, even thingsthat may not in themselves be wrong, we are ona dangerous course. (1 Timothy 6:9, 10) Besides, much in the world truly is bad and cancorrupt us. If we watch movies or television programs that highlight violence, materialism, orsexual immorality, those things can become acceptable—and then tempting. If we mix withpeople whose main interest is in improving theirlife-style or cultivating business opportunities,those things can become of chief importance tous too.—Matthew 6:24; 1 Corinthians 15:33.w13 9/15 10 14Jehovah’s Reminders Are Trustworthy14The Christian Greek Scriptures are repletewith reminders for us to show love for oneanother. Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighboras yourself.” (Matt. 22:39) Similarly, Jesus’ halfbrother James called love “the kingly law.” (Jas.2:8) The apostle John wrote: “Beloved ones, Iam writing you, not a new commandment, butan old commandment which you have had fromthe beginning.” (1 John 2:7, 8) To what wasJohn referring as the “old commandment”? Hewas referring to the command to love. It was“old” in the sense that Jesus had given it decades earlier, “from the beginning.” But it wasalso “new” in that it called for self-sacrificinglove, which the disciples might need as theyfaced new circumstances. As disciples of Christ,do we not appreciate warnings that help us toguard against developing the selfish spirit so(1 John 2:17) Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one whodoes the will of God remains forever.w13 8/15 27 18Consider What Kind of Person You Ought to Be18Another factor that helps us to resist “thethings in the world” is that we keep in mindmwbr19.11-E1

of life, 2 (yes, the life was made manifest, andwe have seen and are bearing witness andreporting to you the everlasting life that waswith the Father and was made manifest to us),3 that which we have seen and heard we arereporting also to you, so that you too mayhave fellowship with us. And this fellowship ofours is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these thingsso that our joy may be complete. 5 This is themessage that we heard from him and are announcing to you: God is light, and there is nodarkness at all in him. 6 If we make the statement, “We are having fellowship with him,”and yet we go on walking in the darkness,we are lying and are not practicing the truth.7 However, if we are walking in the light as hehimself is in the light, we do have fellowshipwith one another, and the blood of Jesus hisSon cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we make thestatement, “We have no sin,” we are misleading ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If weconfess our sins, he is faithful and righteousso as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse usfrom all unrighteousness. 10 If we make thestatement, “We have not sinned,” we are making him a liar, and his word is not in us.characteristic of this world, which can erode ourlove of neighbor?(1 John 5:16, 17) If anyone catches sight ofhis brother committing a sin that does not incur death, he will ask, and God will give lifeto him, yes, to those not committing sin thatincurs death. There is a sin that does incurdeath. It is concerning that sin that I do nottell him to make request. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and yet there is a sin that doesnot incur death.it-1 862 5ForgivenessIt is proper to pray for God’s forgiveness in behalf of others, even for an entire congregation.Moses did so respecting the nation of Israel,confessing their national sin and asking forgiveness, and he was favorably heard by Jehovah.(Nu 14:19, 20) Also, Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, prayed that Jehovah mightforgive his people when they sinned and thenturned back from their wrong course. (1Ki 8:30, 33-40, 46-52) Ezra acted representatively inconfessing publicly the sins of the repatriatedJews. His heartfelt prayer and exhortation hadthe result that the people took action in orderto receive Jehovah’s forgiveness. (Ezr 9:13–10:4, 10-19, 44) James encouraged the spiritually sick one to call for the older men of thecongregation to pray over him, and “if he hascommitted sins, it will be forgiven him.” (Jas 5:14-16) However, there is “a sin that does incurdeath,” sin against the holy spirit, a deliberatepractice of sin for which there is no forgiveness.A Christian should not pray for those sinning inthis way.—1Jo 5:16; Mt 12:31; Heb 10:26, 27; seeSIN, I; SPIRIT.2 My little children, I am writing you thesethings so that you may not commit a sin. Andyet, if anyone does commit a sin, we have ahelper with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one. 2 And he is a propitiatory sacrificefor our sins, yet not for ours only but also forthe whole world’s. 3 And by this we realize thatwe have come to know him, namely, if we continue observing his commandments. 4 The onewho says, “I have come to know him,” and yetdoes not observe his commandments is a liar,and the truth is not in this person. 5 But whoever does observe his word, in this person thelove of God has truly been made perfect. Bythis we know that we are in union with him.Bible Reading(1 John 1:1–2:6) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we haveseen with our eyes, which we have observedand our hands have felt, concerning the wordmwbr19.11-E2

6The one who says he remains in union withhim is himself under obligation to go on walking just as that one walked.pointed to this judgment by the Scriptures;they are ungodly men who turn the undeserved kindness of our God into an excusefor brazen conduct and who prove false to ouronly owner and Lord, Jesus Christ.NOVEMBER 11-17TREASURES FROM2 JOHN 1–JUDEGOD’SWORD (Jude 12) These are the rocks hidden belowwater at your love feasts while they feast withyou, shepherds who feed themselves without fear; waterless clouds carried here andthere by the wind; fruitless trees in late autumn, having died twice and having beenuprooted;“We Must Fight to Stay in the Truth”(Jude 3) Beloved ones, although I was makingevery effort to write you about the salvationwe hold in common, I found it necessary towrite you to urge you to put up a hard fightfor the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones.it-2 279Love Feastsw04 9/15 11-12 8-9“Go On Acquiring Power in the Lord”The Bible does not describe these love feastsnor does it indicate how often they were held.(Jude 12) They were not commanded by theLord Jesus Christ or his apostles, and it isapparent that they are not to be consideredmandatory or permanent. Some say they wereoccasions when materially prosperous Christians held banquets to which their poor fellowbelievers were invited. Together, the fatherless,the widows, the rich, and the less fortunateshared a bountiful table in a spirit of brotherhood.8We are not ignorant of Satan’s designs because the Scriptures reveal his basic tactics.(2 Corinthians 2:11) Against the righteous manJob, the Devil used severe economic problems,the death of loved ones, family opposition,physical suffering, and unfounded criticism fromfalse friends. Job became depressed and feltthat God had abandoned him. (Job 10:1, 2)Although Satan may not directly cause theseproblems today, such hardships do affect manyChristians, and the Devil can use them to hisadvantage.it-2 816Rock9Spiritual dangers have proliferated in this timeof the end. We live in a world where material pursuits override spiritual goals. The mediaconstantly portray illicit sex as a source ofhappiness rather than heartache. And the majority have become “lovers of pleasures ratherthan lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) This wayof thinking can threaten our spiritual balanceunless we “put up a hard fight for the faith.”—Jude 3.Another Greek word, spi·las , evidently has reference to a rock or reef that is hidden beneaththe water. It is used by Jude to illustrate certain men who had slipped into the Christiancongregation with corrupt motives. As hiddenrocks were a menace to ships, so these menconstituted a real danger to others in the congregation. He says of such men: “These are therocks hidden below water in your love feastswhile they feast with you.”—Jude 12.Digging for Spiritual Gems(Jude 14, 15) Yes, the seventh one in linefrom Adam, E noch, also prophesied aboutthem when he said: “Look! Jehovah came(Jude 4) My reason is that certain men haveslipped in among you who were long ago apmwbr19.11-E3