DAILY TEXT, Today Tuesday, September 3, 2024, I wish you were cold or hot (Rev. 3:15).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2024

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

I wish you were cold or hot (Rev. 3:15).

We cannot rest on our laurels and think that we no longer need to exert ourselves in our service to Jehovah. We may not be able to do as much now as we did before, but we must “be very busy in the work of the Lord” and remain awake and vigilant until the end comes. (1 Cor. 15:58; Matt. 24:13; Mark 13:33) Worship Jehovah with enthusiasm and wholeheartedness. In Jesus’ message to the Christians in Laodicea, he highlighted another problem. They were “lukewarm” or apathetic in their worship of Jehovah. In fact, Jesus told them that they were in a “wretched, pitiful state.” So they needed to rekindle their enthusiasm for Jehovah and his worship. (Rev. 3:16, 17, 19) What is the lesson for us? If we no longer have the enthusiasm we once had, we need to deepen our appreciation for spiritual riches.—Rev. 3:18. Let us not allow ourselves to be distracted by the desire for a comfortable life. We want spiritual pursuits to always be the most important thing in our lives. w22.05 3, 4 pars. 7, 8.

Considering what Jesus told the congregations in Pergamus and Thyatira, what danger should we avoid?

Reject the teachings of apostates. Jesus sharply rebuked some Christians in Pergamos for fostering divisions and sects. (Rev. 2:14–16) He commended the Christians in Thyatira who had avoided “the deep things of Satan” and encouraged them to hold fast to the truth. (Rev. 2:24–26) Christians who were spiritually weak and had been deceived by false teachings needed to repent. Likewise, we need to reject any teaching that goes against Jehovah’s mind. Apostates may appear to “have devotion to God,” but in reality they are “denying the power of that devotion.” (2 Tim. 3:5) If we are good students of God’s Word, we will be able to recognize and reject false teachings. (2 Tim. 3:14–17; Jude 3, 4)

What other lesson do we learn from what Jesus told the congregations in Pergamus and Thyatira?

Let us not practice or tolerate any kind of sexual immorality. There was another problem in Pergamos and Thyatira. Some Christians in these congregations did not reject sexual immorality, so Jesus called them to task. (Rev. 2:14, 20) This teaches us that Jehovah will not tolerate us falling into sexual immorality even if we have been in the truth for years and have many responsibilities. (1 Sam. 15:22; 1 Pet. 2:16) No matter how low the standards of this world may fall, he expects us to respect his high moral standards. (Eph. 6:11-13)

What have we learned so far? (See also the box “Lessons for us.”)

How can we summarize what we have learned so far? We have seen that it is very important to make sure that Jehovah accepts our worship. If we are doing something that is wrong, we should immediately make the necessary changes. (Rev. 2:5, 16; 3:3, 16) Now, Jesus mentioned something else in the messages he sent to the congregations. What is it?

What do we learn from the messages received by the congregations in Smyrna and Philadelphia? (Revelation 2:10)

Now let’s consider the messages that the congregations in Smyrna and Philadelphia received. Jesus told these Christians not to fear persecution, for Jehovah would reward them for their faithfulness. (Read Revelation 2:10; 3:10.) What do we learn from these messages? That persecution is something to expect and that we must be prepared to endure it. (Matt. 24:9, 13; 2 Cor. 12:10.) Why is this important for us to keep in mind?

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