LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: Week from July 17 to 23, 2023, Obedience protects us, Video: Hermanus van Selm: Obedience protects us (2 Thes. 1:8), Analysis and Answers.

LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: July 17-23-2023, Obedience protects us, Video: Hermanus van Selm: Obedience protects us (2 Thess. 1:8), Analysis and Responses.

Obedience protects us (2Te 1:8) (15 min.): Analysis with the audience. Put the video. Then ask: 

What will happen before Armageddon?

The book "Pure Worship" in its chapter 18 explains that after the destruction of all false religions in the world, possibly Jehovah will have his servants proclaim the final message of judgment, a very harsh and hurtful message for some.

Another thing that may happen is that we have to declare that the political system is about to come to an end. Logically this message will not please the kings of the Earth, so Ezekiel chapter 18 will be fulfilled, which prophesies that these kings of their role as Gog of Magog in the form of a coalition of nations, will attack the people of God.

It will also happen that at some point in the attack of Gog of Magog, Jesus will send his angels to gather all of the remaining spiritual Israel on earth to receive heavenly life in heaven. This will be significant, because when we are attacked, the Anointed brothers will no longer be among us.

How does being obedient benefit us now?

Being obedient now benefits us because the instructions given to us by the governing body protect us, give us inner peace, help us have a clear conscience, and prepare us to obey vital instructions in the future.

It also allows us to have a clear conscience when giving Bible courses and advising others. It also allows us to be a positive influence or a good example to our non-witness family members.

What is the relationship between Armageddon and obedience?

James 3:17 says that we must be ready to obey. And that implies quickly correcting the way of thinking when we are given good reasons to do so. It also involves getting along with others. So by being obedient now, we train ourselves to obey the instructions given to us in the future, which will not save our lives when we are attacked and Armageddon comes.

Obedience implies fulfilling the commandments and principles established by Jehovah in his word, the Bible. By obeying we demonstrate his mission and respect for Jehovah and we also show that we recognize and accept his sovereignty and authority over our lives, and that we agree with his purposes and prepared to do his will at Armageddon and it is obedience that will allow Jehovah protect us and save our lives.

ANALYSIS OF OTHER ADDITIONAL POINTS OF THE VIDEO.

Today's text and commentary highlight two things, one a very important event and two a very important quality, the event is Armageddon and the quality is obedience. So we are going to answer three questions. What is going to happen before Armageddon? How does being obedient benefit us now? and What is the relationship between armageddon and obedience?

Let's start by talking about Armageddon. What are some of the events that will happen shortly before the Armageddon war begins? How the book explains pure worship in Chapter 18 after the destruction of all false religions in the world, it is very likely that Jehovah will make his servants proclaim a final message of judgment, a very harsh and hurtful message for some .

We may have to declare that the political system is about to come to an end and it is to be expected that the kings of the earth do not like this message at all. The Bible, in chapter 38 of the book of Ezekiel says that these Kings they will attack us in their role as Gog of Magog, as the servants of God are all over the world, these kings that the Bible mentions will have to work together internationally to attack us all at the same time. 

For that they will have to become allies, that is, they will have to unite and that is the reason why our most recent publications say that Gog de Magog is a union or a coalition of Nations. But who exactly will Gog of Magog attack? Will Anointed Christians be left on earth when this attack begins? In this regard, The Watchtower of July 2015 stated the following: Gog will see God's defenseless people and will attack them shortly before the last Anointed are taken to heaven. So according to this Watchtower the Nations will attack us while there are still Anointed Ones on earth.

But how does the Bible confirm? This idea in Ezekiel chapter 38 verse 16, the prophecy about Gog of Magog says the following: Like clouds that cover the country, you will come against my people Israel. Our publications have long explained that this Israel is spiritual Israel. So the rest of spiritual Israel including the brothers that make up the governing body at that time will be with us when that coalition attacks us, having those faithful brothers by our side at that time will certainly help us have the peace and quiet that will be needed. to face the initial phase of the ferocious attack of this coalition of nations.

But, then at some point in the attack of Gog of Magog, Jesus will send his angels to gather all who remain of spiritual Israel on earth and thus receive life in heaven. This will be a significant change for those of us on earth, because when our enemies attack us, the Anointed Brethren will no longer be among us, but still according to Luke chapter 21 verse 28 it says that we will stand up and raise our heads. And why shouldn't we be afraid? Because the fact that the Anointed go to heaven means that our Liberation is very close.

Jesus, the Angels and the 144,000 brothers of Christ will form a heavenly army that will come to rescue us from the coalition of Nations, try to imagine what our Anointed brothers will feel when they finally come to rescue us. Many Anointed Ones have worked closely with us at Bethel or in the congregation. This has given us the opportunity to support them in different ways and has also allowed us to become their friends.

They will surely be happy and very excited the moment they release us under the command of Jesus. It is at this time that they will have both the authority and the power to defend the servants of God who supported them unconditionally during the difficult situations they experienced while on earth.

No wonder today's text is based on a Watchtower article entitled Armageddon Coming Is Good News. And it is good news for those who serve Jehovah in heaven and on earth, let's talk now about the quality that we mentioned at the beginning, obedience. We recently received a letter from the personnel committee that spoke about obedience, after Mentioning some lessons we have learned during the pandemic, the letter explains: "Perhaps the most important thing we have learned is the importance of being obedient."

Dear brothers and sisters, you have set an outstanding example in this field, and these same words can also be said of all faithful brothers and sisters throughout the world. The servants of God are obedient in heart as Romans 6:17 says. What does this mean that we are obedient, because we love Jehovah, how have the instructions we have received from Jehovah's Organization benefited us?

A couple living in the United States said, “Following the instructions we received gave us inner peace.” A sister from the Philippines said, “Being obedient to the instructions allows me to have a clear conscience when giving Bible studies and counseling my friends. And a brother from Peru says: Now I feel more prepared to obey the instructions we receive later.

It is true that we all think the same as these brothers, regarding the benefits of being obedient, our obedience has a good effect on our non-witness relatives. Let's see an example in the United States, a sister had been serving Jehovah for more than 45 years, in all that time her husband had shown no interest in the truth, but during the pandemic he realized the affection with which the congregation cared for his family He was so grateful that he began to connect to congregation meetings via Zoom. He often heard announcements from the branch about security measures to avoid contagion and saw that obeying those recommendations protected the congregation.

One day a non-witness relative told him, “We're going for a walk, but he said I'm not going anywhere until Bethel tells us we can. Imagine how happy his wife was when she heard him say that. His daughter said: Even though my dad is 83 years old he can still accept the truth.

And now the last question: What is the relationship between Armageddon and obedience? James chapter 3 verse 17, gives us the answer there it says: that we must be ready to obey, it is interesting that this expression is translated from a Greek word that appears only once in the entire New World translation, here in James 3:17 the person who is ready to obey is willing to quickly correct his way of thinking when given good reasons to do so, he is someone who is characterized by wanting to get along with others.

Interestingly in the first century this same Greek word was also used in a military context, some Biblical commentators have pointed out that Flavius ​​Josephus the Jewish historian used that same word to refer to the obedience of soldiers in the Roman army. 

In fact he himself wrote that something that contributed to the success of the Roman army was that the soldiers were well trained ready to obey, this with us of course it is clear that Christians do not go to war like soldiers, but there is something in which We and the Roman soldiers look alike, like them we have to be well trained and ready to obey, why? Because if we learn to be obedient, now it will not be easier to obey the instructions of God's Organization in the future and that will save our lives when the nations attack us and when Armageddon comes.

Then our obedience will protect us, so how would we summarize what we have analyzed today? First, shortly before Armageddon, we will suffer the attack of a coalition of Nations. Second, what we are experiencing now gives us the opportunity to learn to be obedient, and third, from here. When Armageddon comes, we will be protected as long as we are ready to obey.