Watchtower Study, Keep “Jah's Flame” Alive, 31-July-6-August-2023, Comments and Responses.
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"His [love's] flames are a burning fire, the flame of Jah" (SONG 8:6).
1. How does the Bible describe true love?
The Bible expresses in this passage that true love is something exciting and describes it as something very beautiful that love is, that cannot be separated and that will last a lifetime.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Yes, as we can see in Song of Songs 8:6 and 7, there it clearly says how the love between a man and a woman can be something invincible and that can last a lifetime.
If also that verse says that it is the flame of Jah, which shows that true love comes because it is based on Jehovah.
He says that there can be raging water, serious problems can arise and he also says that the current of a river is very strong, it cannot take it away either and there will be problems, but true love will be unconditional and eternal.
2. What does a married couple have to do so that their love does not fade?
So that this love does not go out, everyone has to do their part, especially the husband, the most important thing in a relationship is communication, it is always good to listen to the spouse, also spending time together as a couple strengthens relationships, there are other things for which they also have to be done, such as family adoration. Doing this makes love not go out.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, he says that he has to do his part if he wants love to last a lifetime and let's think of a campfire so that the fire doesn't go out, we have to feed it.
Sometimes due to economic difficulties, other problems, health problems or, as The Watchtower says, the challenge of raising children, this flame of love may go out, so the article is very good because we will see three things and they will help us have a strong and happy marriage.
And also all the advice that we will see can be applied to those marriages in which a spouse does not serve Jehovah, perhaps he is not a believer, as the note says and in first Corinthians 7, since they are encouraged not to separate because it says that the spouse who is not believer can be sanctified in their relationship with the other, that is to say that in the sight of Jehovah it continues to be an honorable and holy marriage, so the person who serves Jehovah must strive to apply these wise advice that we will see.
First Peter 3:1 and 2 can be a great difficulty because it says the wife has to be subject to a husband even if he is not a believer and without a doubt that is a plus so that it is obviously not easy but it is seen that it must be done because it is what Jehovah wants.
CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH JEHOVAH
3. Why is it necessary for married couples to be friends of Jehovah to keep love alive? (Ecclesiastes 4:12; see also image.)
Because in this way marriages are strengthened more, since both will strive to imitate the examples of Jehovah, and you can also go out to preach together or study together, cultivate patience which is one of Jehovah's characteristics, what he instills in us always. And we support each other, since we must not let anyone be left behind, we always have to walk on a par with the couple.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because if the two are friends of Jehovah in this way they will strengthen their marriage, we will all be willing to comply with Jehovah's principles.
Yes and also by imitating the qualities of Jehovah, then it is easier for the marriage to go well.
In our relationship in marriage we need Jehovah as the third part Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us a triple rope does not break easily, husband and wife and Jehovah God therefore we need Jehovah God in our marriage relationship those of us who are married to be able to face the problems that come and go in life.
I really liked a reflection that a Watchtower made, speaking of Ecclesiastes 4:12, asking the question what it means to let God be in your marriage and saying that spouses are interested in contributing to the well-being of each other in satisfying each other's needs and please each other to make life comfortable provide security and in this case both have to play this role.
Undoubtedly, both spouses have very good qualities and surely we make an effort to take care of the other, but the one who really does have very good qualities is Jehovah and imitating Jehovah is what will prevent us from having those defects that are intrinsic in the human being but to imitate Jehovah we will cover the defects that we have and we will be able to make the marriage go ahead.
ILLUSTRATION
A married couple hold hands as they pray together. In a circle, Joseph and Mary are seen holding hands as they pray. Like Joseph and Mary, those who are married need to be good friends with Jehovah. (See paragraph 3).
4. Why did Jehovah choose Joseph and Mary to be the parents of the Messiah?
Because Joseph and Mary proved to be faithful to Jehovah in their marriage, since they always put Jehovah first, at all times they showed that they put Jehovah's Kingdom first before anything else and because of their willingness to raise Jesus later on. .
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because they were both very close to him and they knew that they would always put him first in their marriage.
We see in the gospels that the two of them, each one separately, before getting married, were friends of Jehovah. We see it when Mary found out she was pregnant. Jehovah's commandments regarding worship.
5. How can husbands follow the example of Joseph?
Yes, because Jose did not hesitate to follow Jehovah's guidance and that made him an excellent husband.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Husbands can follow the example of Joseph, being attentive, for example Joseph demonstrated to take care of Jesus very well. Mary must have felt that she felt protected by Joseph, in the same way husbands have to care for and protect our wives and also be subject to the word of Jehovah.
Biblical record in chapter 1 of Matthew we see at least three occasions in which Jehovah gives instructions to Joseph through his angel for example when he finds out that Mary is pregnant but Jehovah told him do not be afraid take her home that is by spirit holy that she is pregnant and Joseph does so, then an angel tells him at night to flee to Egypt because Herod wants to kill the child and Joseph obeys again and when Herod dies again an angel tells him again that they can return to Israel that Herod is dead and Joseph returns to obey these instructions.
It is true that sometimes the husband can feel a bit overwhelmed to have to take the lead in all aspects but the organization helps us the help for families section in jw .org is impressive I have never stopped so much to have the advice that is given It's beautiful and one of the first songs says look for the good side of the things that bother you about your husband and your wife.
There is also something very clear what you husbands say, they have that great example of Joseph in seeking advice based on the Bible that helps them take great care of their family.
In addition, in the good communication section there are two very interesting articles, one talks about spending quality time because it says that many married couples, even if they are in the same room, do not communicate, we can do to take advantage of these moments to be together and also How to maintain technology under control.
6. What can wives learn from Mary's example?
We have the experience of a sister who tells that before getting married she was independent or spiritually conscious, that is, she prayed alone and prepared herself, but after getting married, she felt that her husband did everything, so this teaches us that wives can take charge your own spiritual health.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, Maria was a friend of Jehovah but her faith did not depend on what her husband did, but she knew the scriptures very well and took time to pray to Jehovah and to meditate. She was a very spiritual woman and therefore she was an excellent wife.
And as the study note of 14:6 indicates, she also knew the scriptures that in that sentence she was able to relate 20 verses of the Bible in that sentence, the note helps us a lot because we can find out what they were, showing that she was a studious person that she knew the scriptures because she quoted from different passages of it so she did not depend spiritually on her husband but on her personal study.
Proverbs 31:30 also says that charm can be false and fleeting beauty, but the woman who fears Jehovah will receive praise, this means that it is better for external beauty to be accompanied by inner beauty that does not fade because, because It is rooted in the fear of Jehovah, which is why we wives must strive to strengthen our friendship with Jehovah and thus husbands will have more reasons to love each other and thus we can also make our marriage more bearable.
The sister mentions that when she was single, she carried out her spiritual routine, but of course, when she got married, her husband spoke for both of them and took care of the spirituality of the family. She realized that her faith depended on what her husband did and now She says well, I have to do my part and it was her responsibility. She saw the responsibility of getting closer to Jehovah for her and now I take time to be alone to be able to pray to Jehovah, read and meditate on the scriptures.
7. What can couples learn from the example of Joseph and Mary?
Married couples have to imitate the example of Joseph and Mary, they have to put Family Worship first, because if they go through difficulties or problems, they will always be able to face them together with Jehovah's help and in this way friendship with them will be strengthened. Jehovah and thus the two will get closer to our creator.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Yes, the biblical quotes that come here from Luke show that it was a continuity from the birth of Jesus during his childhood and then later the parents were united in spiritual activities, they offered the two turtledoves when Jesus was born or they went to family parties and then It is seen that also with Jesus he had the habit of going to the synagogue on Saturdays.
So what families can learn is the same thing that they put the worship of Jehovah in the first place, they worshiped Jehovah together, they strengthened together despite the difficulties in doing family worship, attending meetings, they have to take into account that if they together the relationship with Jehovah as a family will grow closer.
8. What can a troubled marriage do to benefit from family worship?
Maybe they don't even want to see each other and they don't feel like doing Adoration as a family, but they do, talk about how they feel and look for how to fix it, always with respect, remember that they are a married couple that they are a team and that this team has to get ahead together, as a family the most important thing of all is to ask Jehovah to help us.
And well, if it is a marriage that has problems, perhaps the last thing you want to sit down for a moment to consider anything else, then perhaps it is better to analyze something that is short and that is pleasant for both of you.
SPEND TIME TOGETHER
9. Why should a husband and wife spend time together?
It is always important to be together, because if bad circumstances happen, they will end up estranged if there is no stable communication. And they have to always support each other, so they have to spend more time, and that way they can strengthen this love by having the duration as a family and doing everything possible to set aside time to prioritize the family.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well it is clear that it is affection and the only way to have a friendship with your spouse is to keep time with her and thus be aware of the feelings.
The paragraph of a couple whose name is Lilia and Ruslan is also very interesting. After years of being married they realized a circumstance that is very common to many marriages, the time that something as daily absorbs as work could be the task of the house or even if children come also attend, that's why they realized the importance of spending quality time together because otherwise obviously they would end up distancing themselves.
And since time is very difficult, there are things that the two of them do, for example, they obviously have to preach, why not spend a day saying we're going to continue together, we preach, we talk, and at the end we have a coffee or whatever and it's a time that It encompasses these two important things, such as preaching and being together.
10. How can those who are married apply what Ephesians 5:15, 16 says?
First of all, they can plan the time to be together and spend time with their family, and in this way the ties they have will be strengthened, Because as the text says, the days are bad, we have to see the right moment to be able to evaluate, perhaps very tight schedules, So we have to see the right time to be able to have a family worship and above all communication is the basis of every marriage, we must do everything possible to stay together.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
It draws attention, he says, taking advantage of time in the best way and what the paragraph says is interesting, it says that to spend time together it is better to plan well and not leave it to chance, as we have seen, we all lead very busy lives and if we leave it until when there is One moment we probably won't find it and it's also interesting what this brother says when I make my schedule I include the time I'm going to spend with my wife, so when it's planned that way it's more likely that it will happen.
He was commenting on an example of how to make good use of time and not go like fools, this is what is mentioned from Anastasia's experience, they have planned their time to spend together as a family and so on when the wife sees that her husband is attending to homework She takes advantage of the congregation to carry out her tasks like this when they have the time because they can coincide and there is nothing that gets in the way.
A detail from Ephesians 5:15 16 that has been quoted draws our attention here, it tells us to be very careful if we let ourselves be carried away by day to day we can escape that from sight, very careful we have seen a previous paragraph the brothers said we realized that, Twice we realized that, that is, we constantly analyze our situation and see that I can improve somewhere that I am letting myself be carried away by day to day and that would be very dangerous.
11. What activities did Aquila and Priscilla do together?
The Bible indicates that they always stayed together, preached together and helped others together, they are a clear example for married couples who today can go out to preach together and study together, after all, they are a clear example of unity in marriage and we as a couple have to imitate that great example.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, although the Bible does not give many details about their marriage, it says they worked together, preached together and helped others together.
And that is why in the Bible it is always said Aquila and Priscilla, that is to say, one of the two is never mentioned only, but rather they go together as a team like Aquila and Priscilla.
And for their part, each one for their part, they were also spiritual, they not only worked together, they not only preached together, but they also helped others together.
12. What can married people do to spend more time together? (See also image).
They can manage time to preach together, and do everything possible to serve Jehovah and go to meetings together, and also something important is that we must give ourselves time to remain United in Worship as a family, also help at home and not have to leave all the work to the wife, After all, doing all this to be together as a married couple will benefit and strengthen the unity of the marriage.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Many times there are activities that each one has to do, but the paragraph mentions the reflection question about whether they could attend to some of those tasks together instead of doing it separately, just like the example of Aquila and Priscilla who preached together also worked And although it is not the case that they can work together, but in household chores, for example, perhaps taking the time to do them as a team, as Ecclesiastes 4:9 mentions, two are better than one alone.
For example, we have the habit of washing the dishes together, one washes them and the other dries them. It is a simple task, but doing them together unites us and our love grows, as shown by the experience cited in the paragraph.
And that is what we see in the image, we know that Aquila and Priscila's job was to make a tent and we can see how they are enjoying their work in a relaxed, happy and good atmosphere and we have the image an image of today also the brothers are working together in the garden and they are enjoying it, that is what Jehovah advises that couples do things together and this unites them.
ILLUSTRATION
A husband and wife enjoy gardening together. In a circle, Aquila and Priscilla are seen happily sewing the fabric of a tent together. What can a husband and wife do together? (See paragraphs 11 and 12).
13. What do a husband and wife have to do if they really want to be together?
Being together in the same house does not mean spending quality time, what really means being united is paying attention to the husband and wife, always communicating as is the case with a sister from Brazil, always keeping in mind to support each other and having good communication with the spouse, so our love will be strengthened and Jehovah will be happy to see his servants happy.
Well, pay attention because being together does not mean that they are talking or listening to each other, on the day that many of us have a mobile phone, sometimes we can both be together in the same room but each one with the mobile phone, that's why How beautiful is the experience of these brothers who say to spend time together and dedicate quality time like this because they leave their mobile phones aside.
14. What can married couples do when they don't like spending time together?
Sometimes they both like different things or sometimes they can't stand each other. Trying to give yourself a little time each day and treat each other with affection, will strengthen love in marriage. It is also important to pray, as this will help each one to continue supporting him as the Bible commands and remember that both must put their part.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Sometimes when it comes to entertainment, there can be tremendous variety, perhaps the husband likes soccer and the wife likes the movies, so how do you combine that? This is how it is indicated here to find something that both like and that is the time they have to leverage.
And another piece of advice that the Watchtower gives is to start little by little if there comes a time when they don't feel like it, they don't like it, maybe a few moments a day and little by little, they will increase the time and they will like it more.
If we also remember that The Watchtower applies to marriages in which only one is a witness, then perhaps it will also require the witness to make efforts to think about what the spouse likes and make special efforts to have things in common and spend that time together too.
TREAT YOURSELF WITH RESPECT
15. Why is respect vital in marriage?
There must always be respect in marriage, treat each other with respect because without respect we can hurt the feelings of the spouse, we have to be very considerate of our partner and avoid making super offensive comments, on the contrary we must highlight the qualities of our partner .
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The Watchtower compares respect to oxygen and oxygen is vital for the fire to continue burning if we take away the oxygen the flame goes out immediately and that is what we have to try by all means so that our respect serves as oxygen so that the flame is always on no matter how much time passes.
If talking about respect the paragraph makes a note it says to remember that what counts is not whether you think you are respectful but whether the other person feels respected.
Well, what I wanted to say is that in the description that the apostle Paul makes in first Corinthians 13:4 about love, the first thing he says is that love is patient and kind, among many other qualities that have to do with respect, so as has already been said if there is no respect that love that flame goes out.
Yes, in the experience that comes, he talks about Penny and Are, who have been married for more than 25 years and who says how we both respect each other at home, love is breathed, why he says it next, he says we express with total freedom what we think and feel because we know that each one values the opinion of the other, so for there to be this respect, something fundamental is needed, it is communication, so we see that having good communication favors this.
16. What can husbands learn from Abraham's example? (1 Peter 3:7; see also image.)
We see that Abraham listened to Sarah, considered her opinion, and considered her feelings.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Husbands have to follow this example of listening and respecting their wife, we are all imperfect and sometimes we do things that we later regret, but in the end we have to be understanding with our wives and try to solve the problem in a calm way, our wife will see that we do well our duty as spouses.
It is true that Jehovah has placed the head of the family over the head of the family and that he has the authority to make decisions in what concerns the family, but that does not mean that we also give opinions about those decisions and we are heard what was It happened in the case of Abraham and Sara, Hagar was very bad with Sara, he humiliated her, he made fun of her and Abraham listened to her, he tried to solve the problem and he did it because he knew that Sara respected him and also loved her very much.
And he understood the stress that Sara was going through because in the same verse Sarah was actually to blame for what was happening because she was the one who offered her servant to have children since she was barren, so Abraham did not he told him but if after all it is your fault that you gave me your servant then no, he understood the difficult situation his son was suffering because Agar was humiliating Sara and then he solved the problem, but that is very good for husbands to understand that there are situations in which wives say things that are not very wise but are patient with them.
And what we are commenting on is related to what it says in the first text, but 3:7 about living according to clear knowledge, not only as a source of information says regarding this verse says to do this in the case of husbands it involves more than being aware of the physical and emotional differences between men and women, he says he must understand the particular needs of his wife, so it is true that the nature of man and woman is totally different and then the nature of each thing is also different, so the bible verse encourages husbands to be able to know their wives well and understand a little sometimes is what is behind many occasions.
ILLUSTRATION
Yes, in the same way that Abraham listened to Sarah, he listened to her attentively, the Christian husband also has to treat his wife with respect and consideration and also listen to her and that is a bit of what we can see, not the image of how the wife is venting and we don't see the husband distracted by looking at his cell phone or perhaps cutting her off, but rather he is listening to her attentively.
A husband listens carefully as his wife tells him what she is feeling. In a circle Abraham is seen listening intently as Sarah tells him what he feels. The Christian husband treats his wife with respect and consideration by listening attentively. (See paragraph 16).
17. What can wives learn from Sarah's example? (1 Peter 3:5, 6).
Wives are a super important and fundamental piece for the marriage, they have to support the decisions of the husband, even so, not if they disagree, since they can talk about it calmly, and always support the decisions of the head of the family, since the husband Cristiano will always look for the best for the family.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, they can learn what Sara showed, the great respect for which Abraham commented to Sara that when he received these three men and gave them hospitality, he told Sara to prepare food for them, then Sara did not say that she would have a job but that Sara acted immediately and supported Abraham's decision, she is a great example for wives today that they must be obedient and respectful towards their husbands.
Sara could have said, but if we have so many servants, why do you come and interrupt me and ask me, but she didn't see it that way, rather she gave him another approach, he took her into account because he was her friend, they were friends, they were part of a team and this is how we should see ourselves.
And I like how in verse 6 the apostle Peter relates Sarah's way of acting with Jehovah's blessing Jehovah blessed Sarah for this attitude of respect and submission and now he tells these women that they can be Sarah's daughters if they have These qualities, although they will not be literal daughters if they imitate her, because just as Sara was blessed, they will have her blessing if they make an effort to do or give this respect, bring respect to the husband, without a doubt, Jehovah will reward them.
18. What will be the result if you strive to keep love alive?
Although there are various factors against it and sometimes we feel that we cannot manage to keep the marriage flame alive, we have to remember that Jehovah is happy to see his servants married together. In this study we saw how to keep love alive, maintaining affection by spending quality time together, going out to preach and going to the meeting, in this way we will show that we want to keep love alive and thus we will be happier.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
If we make an effort to keep the love we had at the beginning alive, the result will be that our marriage will honor Jehovah and we will always be able to keep the fire alive and thus our love will burn strong forever.
We have seen that we have to put Jehovah first in our marriage, make time to be together, show respect and also take into account each other's feelings and needs, then we will be able to keep that game of love strong forever .
The importance of those of us who are not married getting married in the Lord to be able to use Jehovah in the marriage and that is the most important thing.
And as the paragraph says at the beginning, Satan is the one who wants the flame of love to go out in marriages, he is the one behind it, he tries it and what does he want to achieve, well, of course, if the husband and wife stop loving each other, they do not show respect. Well, what are they going to get away from Jehovah and that is the end that Satan has for both of them to get away from Jehovah.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
Why is it necessary to be a friend of Jehovah to have a happy marriage?
Because reading his word and studying it will help us to be able to improve in marriage, and become a better husband and wife, since Jehovah always wants the marriage to stay united.
Well, we will strive to be Jehovah's friends, we will strive to be like him and imitate him, imitate his qualities and we will also be willing to follow his advice and avoid problems in marriage.
What can married people do to spend more time together?
What those who are married can do to spend more time together is study the Bible every night as a family, it will always be good for both of them, also talk about what they like, their favorite hobbies, go out to preach together, spend time together will make those who are married strengthen their marriage.
Well, we have seen that we have to plan well and not leave it to chance and the activities that we can do together instead of separately, such as preaching, doing household chores together, and if it is possible to work like Aquila and Priscila did, then do it together so that we can be together a lot. more close.
What can a husband and wife do to show that they respect each other?
We must always treat our spouse with affection, since we can speak or say things that may hurt the feelings of the other, so when there are discussions about a topic, we must speak calmly, as well as the example of Abraham and Sara, we must listen and understand the spouse, even if we do not agree entirely, the head of the family always wants the best for both of us.
Spending quality time listening to what they want to say when someone has a concern, one may not have to say much, simply listening can be enough, just like Abraham and Sara.
Listening to each other with respect, without judging, the husband has the authority to make decisions in the family. But, since he loves his wife, he takes her opinion into account, and even more so if the decision will affect her.
Supporting the husband's decisions, even if they were last minute, avoid throwing things or mistakes in the face.
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