source_sentence
"when we read the bible and our publications , we need to meditate on how the information can help us personally
"
"a young girl talks with her schoolmates about the good news and offers them a tract .
"
"she lives in the town of ho in the volta region of ghana
"
"“ keep perceiving what the will of jehovah is . ” ​ — ephesians 5 : 17 .
"
"songs : 69 , 57
"
"how can our decisions affect us and others ?
"
"when the bible does not give us a specific law , how can we know what would please jehovah ?
"
"how can we get to know more about the way jehovah thinks ?
"
"what are some examples of bible laws , and how does obeying them benefit us ?
"
"in the bible , jehovah has given us laws that clearly tell us what he wants us to do .
"
"for example , he tells us that we must not worship idols , steal , get drunk , or do things that are sexually immoral .
"
"and jehovah’s son , jesus , gave this specific command to his followers : “ make disciples of people of all the nations , baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit , teaching them to observe all the things i have commanded you .
"
"everything that jehovah and jesus tell us to do is for our own good .
"
"jehovah’s laws teach us how to look after ourselves and our families and help us to have better health and to be happy .
"
"more important , when we obey jehovah’s commands , including the command to preach , he is pleased with us and he blesses us .
"
"2 , 3 . ( a ) why does the bible not give us rules for every situation in life ?
"
"at the same time , the bible does not give us rules about every situation in life .
"
"for example , we do not find specific instructions in the bible on what we should wear .
"
"this shows how wise jehovah is .
"
"even though fashion keeps changing over time and people around the world wear different styles of clothes , the bible is never out - of - date .
"
"also , it does not contain a lot of rules about what jobs or entertainment we should choose or exactly what we should do to stay healthy .
"
"jehovah allows individuals and family heads to make decisions about these things .
"
"so when we have to make an important decision that will affect our life and we find no law about it in the bible , we might wonder : ‘ is jehovah interested in the decision i make ?
"
"will he be pleased with whatever i choose to do as long as i do not break a law in the bible ?
"
"how can i be sure that he will be happy with the choices i make ? ’
"
"some people feel that they can do whatever they want to do .
"
"but we want to do what makes jehovah happy .
"
"so before we make a decision , we need to think about what the bible says and then obey it .
"
"for example , the bible tells us how god feels about the use of blood , so we follow what it says .
"
"we can pray to jehovah to help us make decisions that will please him .
"
"our decisions affect us . a good decision can help us draw closer to jehovah . a bad decision could damage our friendship with him .
"
"our decisions can also affect other people .
"
"we do not want to do anything that might upset our brothers or weaken their faith .
"
"we also do not want to cause problems between brothers in the congregation .
"
"so it is important for us to make good decisions . ​ — read romans 14 : 19 ; galatians 6 : 7 .
"
"what should guide our decisions ?
"
"when the bible does not tell us exactly what we should do , how can we make good decisions ?
"
"instead of just doing what we prefer , we must think carefully about our own situation and make a decision that will please jehovah .
"
"then we can be sure that he will help us to have good results . ​ — read psalm 37 : 5 .
"
"where there is no bible law , how can we find out what jehovah would want us to do in a certain situation ?
"
"but how can we know what will please jehovah ?
"
"ephesians 5 : 17 tells us : “ keep perceiving what the will of jehovah is . ”
"
"when there is no specific law in the bible , we need to perceive , or understand , what jehovah wants us to do in our situation .
"
"we need to pray to him and allow his holy spirit to guide us .
"
"how did jesus perceive what jehovah wanted him to do ?
"
"jesus always perceived what jehovah wanted him to do .
"
"for example , twice when the crowds were hungry , jesus prayed and then fed them by means of a miracle .
"
"but when he got hungry in the wilderness and the devil wanted him to change stones into bread , jesus refused .
"
"( read matthew 4 : 2 - 4 . )
"
"he knew his father very well , so he knew that jehovah would not want him to use holy spirit for his own needs .
"
"he was sure that his father would guide him and give him food when he needed it .
"
"like jesus , we can make good decisions if we rely on jehovah to guide us .
"
"in all your ways take notice of him , and he will make your paths straight .
"
"fear jehovah and turn away from bad . ”
"
"when we study the bible and learn about the way jehovah thinks , we will understand what he wants us to do in a specific situation .
"
"and the more we learn about the way jehovah thinks , the easier it will be for us to make decisions that will please him .
"
"in this way , we become more “ sensitive to god’s guidance . ” ​ — ezekiel 11 : 19 , footnote .
"
"imagine that a married woman is shopping and sees a lovely pair of shoes .
"
"but they are very expensive .
"
"although her husband is not with her , she knows what he would think if she spent that much money .
"
"how does she know ?
"
"she has been married to him for some time , so she knows how he wants them to use the money they have .
"
"in a similar way , when we learn about the way jehovah thinks and what he has done in the past , we will know what he would want us to do in different situations .
"
"what questions can we ask ourselves when we read or study the bible ?
"
"( see the box “ when you study the bible , ask yourself . ” )
"
"how can we find out what jehovah thinks ?
"
"the most important thing we can do is to read and study the bible regularly .
"
"while we are doing this , we could ask ourselves : ‘ what does this teach me about jehovah ?
"
"why did he act this way ? ’
"
"and like david , we also need to ask jehovah to help us know him better .
"
"david wrote : “ make me know your ways , o jehovah ; teach me your paths .
"
"cause me to walk in your truth and teach me , for you are my god of salvation .
"
"in you i hope all day long . ”
"
"when we learn something about jehovah , we can think of situations where we can use that information .
"
"could we use it in the family , at work , at school , or in the ministry ?
"
"when we think of a specific situation , it will be easier to know how jehovah would want us to use the information .
"
"to find out what jehovah thinks , we should read and study the bible regularly
"
"how can our publications and meetings help us to get to know what jehovah thinks about various matters ?
"
"another way to get to know the way jehovah thinks is to pay close attention to what his organization teaches us from the bible .
"
"for example , when we have a decision to make , the watch tower publications index and the research guide for jehovah’s witnesses can help us find out what jehovah thinks .
"
"we can also benefit from our christian meetings when we listen carefully and comment and when we meditate on what is being taught .
"
"this will help us learn to think the way jehovah does .
"
"as a result , we will be able to make decisions that will please him and that he will bless .
"
"give an example of how we can make a wise decision when we consider what jehovah thinks .
"
"let us take a look at an example of how we can make a wise decision when we consider what jehovah thinks .
"
"perhaps you would like to pioneer .
"
"you have made some changes in your life so that you can spend more time in the ministry .
"
"but you are still not sure whether you will really be happy with less money and fewer things .
"
"of course , the bible does not say that we have to pioneer to serve jehovah .
"
"we could continue to serve him faithfully as publishers .
"
"but on the other hand , jesus said that jehovah blesses those who make sacrifices for the kingdom .
"
"( read luke 18 : 29 , 30 . )
"
"the bible also says that jehovah is pleased when we do all we can to praise him , and he wants us to be happy serving him .
"
"by praying about these things and meditating on them , we can make a decision that is practical in our situation and one that jehovah will bless .
"
"how can you determine if a certain style of clothing is pleasing to jehovah ?
"
"here is another example : you really like a certain style of clothing , but you know that some in the congregation might be offended if you wear those clothes .
"
"the bible does not say anything about that specific style .
"
"so how can you know what jehovah thinks ?
"
"the bible tells us : “ the women should adorn themselves in appropriate dress , with modesty and soundness of mind , not with styles of hair braiding and gold or pearls or very expensive clothing , but in the way that is proper for women professing devotion to god , namely , through good works . ”
"
"of course , all of jehovah’s servants , including men , can learn from these words .
"
"when we are modest , we think of how others might feel about the clothes we choose to wear .
"
"and because we love our brothers , we avoid upsetting or offending them .
"
"if we consider what the bible says and how jehovah thinks , we can make decisions that he will be pleased with .
"
"15 , 16 . ( a ) how does jehovah feel if we keep on thinking about sexually immoral things ?
"
"( b ) when we are choosing entertainment , how can we know what is pleasing to jehovah ?
"
"( c ) how should weighty decisions be made ?
"
"from the bible , we learn that jehovah feels deeply hurt and sad when people do wicked things and when they think about bad things .
"
"( read genesis 6 : 5 , 6 . )
"
"it is clear that jehovah does not want us to daydream about sexually immoral things .
"
"in fact , if we keep thinking about these things , we may actually do them .
"
"instead , jehovah wants us to think about pure and good things .
"
"the disciple james wrote that jehovah’s wisdom “ is first of all pure , then peaceable , reasonable , ready to obey , full of mercy and good fruits , impartial , not hypocritical . ”
"
"so the bible teaches us that we must avoid any entertainment that could cause us to imagine or desire unclean and bad things .
"
"and if we understand clearly what jehovah loves and what he hates , it will be easy for us to know which books , movies , or games to choose .
"
"we will not need to ask others what we should do .
"
"when we have a decision to make , there are often several options we can choose from that would all please jehovah .
"
"but when we need to make a very important decision , it may be good to ask an elder or another experienced brother or sister to give us some advice .
"
"of course , we should not ask that person to make a decision for us .
"
"instead , we need to think carefully about what we know from the bible and then make our own decision .
"
"the apostle paul said : “ each one will carry his own load of responsibility . ” ​ — galatians 6 : 5 , footnote .
"
"how do we benefit from making decisions that please jehovah ?
"
"when we make decisions that please jehovah , we draw closer to him and have his approval and blessing .
"
"then our faith in jehovah becomes stronger .
"
"so let us meditate on what we read in the bible so that we can understand how he thinks .
"
"of course , we will always have something new to learn about jehovah .
"
"but if we work hard to learn about him now , we will become wise and will be able to make good decisions .
"
"the ideas and plans of humans change , but jehovah never changes .
"
"the psalmist said : “ the decisions of jehovah will stand forever ; the thoughts of his heart are from generation to generation . ”
"
"clearly , we can make the best decisions when we learn to think the way jehovah thinks and then do what is pleasing to him .
"
"what does this teach me about jehovah ?
"
"how can i use this information . . .
"
"at home ?
"
"at work ?
"
"at school ?
"
"to perceive jehovah’s will : to find out , or understand , what jehovah thinks and what pleases him .
"
"this is especially important when there is no specific command in the bible .
"
"we need to pray and meditate on what we have learned about jehovah , what he loves and hates , and what he has done in the past
"
"“ be transformed by making your mind over . ” ​ — romans 12 : 2 .
"
"songs : 61 , 52
"
"after baptism , why should we keep making changes ?
"
"why does god expect us to put forth effort to overcome our weaknesses ?
"
"what can we do to let god’s word keep on changing our life ?
"
"1 - 3 . ( a ) what changes may it be hard for us to make after our baptism ?
"
"( b ) when making progress is harder than we expected , what questions might we ask ?
"
"for many years , kevin gambled , smoked , drank too much , and took drugs .
"
"then he learned about jehovah and wanted to be his friend .
"
"but to do so , he had to make big changes in his life .
"
"he was able to change by means of jehovah’s help and the power of his word , the bible . ​ — hebrews 4 : 12 .
"
"after kevin got baptized , he still had to make changes to his personality so that he could become a better christian .
"
"for example , he used to get angry quickly .
"
"in fact , kevin said that learning to control his temper was actually harder than it was to stop the bad things he was doing before he got baptized !
"
"but he was able to make changes by begging jehovah to help him and by a thorough study of the bible .
"
"before we got baptized , many of us had to make big changes in our lives so that we could live in the way the bible says we should .
"
"but even now , we realize that there are smaller changes we need to make to become more like god and christ .
"
"for example , we might notice that we complain a lot or that we often gossip and say unkind things about others .
"
"or at times we may be so afraid of what others might think or say that we do not do what is right .
"
"perhaps we have been trying to change for many years but we still keep making the same mistakes .
"
"so we may wonder : ‘ why is it so difficult for me to make these smaller changes ?
"
"what must i do to apply what the bible says so that i can continue to improve my personality ? ’
"
"why are we unable to please jehovah in everything we do ?
"
"we love jehovah , and we desire with all our heart to please him .
"
"but sadly , we cannot please him all the time , because we are imperfect .
"
"we often feel like the apostle paul , who said : “ i have the desire to do what is fine but not the ability to carry it out . ” ​ — romans 7 : 18 ; james 3 : 2 .
"
"what changes did we make before we got baptized , but what weaknesses may we still struggle with ?
"
"before we could be part of the congregation , we had to stop practicing things that jehovah hates .
"
"but we are still imperfect .
"
"so we continue to make mistakes even if we have been baptized for many years .
"
"from time to time , we may have wrong desires and feelings , or we may find it hard to control a weakness in our personality .
"
"in fact , we may have to fight the same weakness for many years .
"
"6 , 7 . ( a ) what makes it possible for us to be jehovah’s friends even though we are imperfect ?
"
"( b ) why should we not hold back from asking jehovah for forgiveness ?
"
"even though we are imperfect , we can still have a friendship with jehovah and serve him .
"
"always remember how you first became jehovah’s friend .
"
"he was the one who saw the good in you and wanted you to know him .
"
"he also knew that you had faults and weaknesses and that you were going to make mistakes .
"
"but jehovah still wanted you to be his friend .
"
"jehovah loved us so much that he gave us a precious gift .
"
"he sent his son to earth so that jesus could give his life as a ransom for our sins .
"
"when we make a mistake , we can ask jehovah for forgiveness .
"
"and because of the ransom , we can be sure that he will forgive us and that we will still be his friends .
"
"remember , jesus died for repentant sinners .
"
"so even if we feel that what we have done is very bad , we must never stop praying to jehovah for forgiveness .
"
"if we did not ask him to forgive us , it would be like refusing to wash our hands when they are dirty .
"
"how grateful we are that jehovah has made it possible for us to be his friends even though we are imperfect ! ​ — read 1 timothy 1 : 15 .
"
"if we want to draw closer to jehovah , we must keep trying to imitate him and his son
"
"why should we not ignore our weaknesses ?
"
"of course , we cannot ignore our weaknesses or keep making excuses for them .
"
"jehovah has told us what kind of people he wants his friends to be .
"
"so if we want to draw closer to him , we must keep trying to imitate him and his son .
"
"we must also try to control our wrong desires , and we may even be able to get rid of some of them .
"
"no matter how long we have been baptized , we must keep improving our personality . ​ — 2 corinthians 13 : 11 .
"
"how do we know that we can keep putting on the new personality ?
"
"the apostle paul told christians : “ you were taught to put away the old personality that conforms to your former course of conduct and that is being corrupted according to its deceptive desires . and you should continue to be made new in your dominant mental attitude , and should put on the new personality that was created according to god’s will in true righteousness and loyalty . ”
"
"this means that we need to keep on making the effort to change and “ put on the new personality . ”
"
"so no matter how long we have been serving jehovah , we can always learn more about his qualities .
"
"and the bible can help us to keep making changes in our personality to become more like him .
"
"what must we do to keep making changes with the help of the bible , and what questions might we ask ?
"
"we all want to follow what the bible says .
"
"but we need to work hard if we want to continue to change .
"
"why do we need to make such an effort ?
"
"could not jehovah just make it easy for us to do what is right ?
"
"why does jehovah expect us to put forth effort to overcome our weaknesses ?
"
"when we think of the universe and all that is in it , we have no doubt that jehovah has the power to do anything .
"
"for example , he made the sun , which is extremely powerful .
"
"every second , the sun produces a huge amount of light and heat , yet only a small amount of this energy is needed for life on earth to exist .
"
"jehovah also gives power to his servants on earth when they need it .
"
"clearly , if jehovah wanted to , he could make it very easy for us to fight our weaknesses and to stop having wrong desires .
"
"so why does he not do so ?
"
"jehovah has given us free will .
"
"he allows us to choose for ourselves whether we will obey him or not .
"
"when we choose to obey him and work hard to do his will , we show that we love him and want to please him .
"
"satan says that jehovah has no right to rule .
"
"but when we obey jehovah , we show that we want him to be our ruler .
"
"and we can be sure that our loving father values every effort we make to obey him .
"
"when we work hard to control our weaknesses even though it is not easy to do so , we are loyal to jehovah and show that we want him to be our ruler .
"
"jehovah tells us that we should work hard to imitate his qualities .
"
"what can we do to develop qualities that jehovah loves ?
"
"( see the box “ the bible and prayer changed their lives . ” )
"
"instead of just deciding for ourselves what we need to change , we need to let god guide us .
"
"romans 12 : 2 says : “ stop being molded by this system of things , but be transformed by making your mind over , so that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of god . ”
"
"so to find out what jehovah wants , we need to rely on the help that he has provided .
"
"we must read the bible daily , meditate on what we read , and pray to jehovah to give us his holy spirit .
"
"in these ways , jehovah can help us to understand what pleases him , and we can learn to think the way he does .
"
"as a result , what we think , say , and do will be more pleasing to jehovah , and we will learn how to control our weaknesses .
"
"but even then , we will need to keep fighting them . ​ — proverbs 4 : 23 .
"
"collect articles from our publications or scriptures from the bible that help you fight your weaknesses , and read them again from time to time ( see paragraph 15 )
"
"in addition to reading the bible every day , we need to study it with the help of our publications , such as the watchtower and awake !
"
"many articles in these magazines teach us how we can imitate jehovah’s qualities and how to fight our weaknesses .
"
"we may find certain articles or scriptures that are especially helpful to us .
"
"we can collect these scriptures and articles so that we can read them again from time to time .
"
"why should we not be discouraged if we are not able to make changes quickly ?
"
"it takes time to learn to imitate jehovah’s qualities .
"
"so if you feel that you have not made as many changes as you would like to , be patient .
"
"at first , you may need to force yourself to do what the bible says .
"
"but the more you think and behave the way jehovah wants you to , the easier it will become for you to think the way he does and to do what is right . ​ — psalm 37 : 31 ; proverbs 23 : 12 ; galatians 5 : 16 , 17 .
"
"if we are loyal to jehovah , what delightful future can we look forward to ?
"
"we look forward to the time when we will be perfect and serve jehovah forever .
"
"at that time , we will not need to fight any weaknesses , and it will be much easier for us to imitate jehovah .
"
"but even now we are able to worship jehovah because he has given us the gift of the ransom .
"
"although we are imperfect , we can please him if we continue to work hard to make changes and follow what he teaches us in the bible .
"
"how can we be sure that the bible has power to continue changing our life ?
"
"kevin did all he could to learn to control his anger .
"
"he meditated on what he read in the bible and tried hard to make changes in his life .
"
"he also followed the advice that fellow christians gave him .
"
"although it took a few years for kevin to improve , in time he was able to serve as a ministerial servant .
"
"and for the last 20 years , he has been serving as an elder .
"
"but even now , he knows that he needs to continue fighting his weaknesses .
"
"like kevin , we can keep improving our personality .
"
"if we do , we will continue to draw closer to jehovah .
"
"and when we do all we can to make changes to please him , he will help us to succeed .
"
"we can be sure that with the help of the bible , we can keep making changes in our lives . ​ — psalm 34 : 8 .
"
"[ 1 ] ( paragraph 1 ) the name has been changed .
"
"russell often complained about other brothers and sisters and thought that most of the time they did not do anything right .
"
"maria victoria loved to gossip .
"
"linda was afraid of what others might think or say whenever she went out in the ministry .
"
"although all three were baptized christians , they thought it would be impossible to change .
"
"russell : “ supplicating jehovah in prayer and a daily dose of bible reading helped me .
"
"meditating on 2 peter 2 : 11 and on personal counsel from the elders made a big difference . ”
"
"maria victoria : “ i fervently prayed to jehovah to help me control my tongue .
"
"i also saw the need to stop having close association with people who loved to gossip .
"
"psalm 64 : 1 - 4 made me realize that i did not want to be one from whom others pray to be safeguarded !
"
"i also came to appreciate that continuing to gossip would make me a poor example and bring reproach on jehovah’s name . ”
"
"linda : “ i familiarized myself with our tracts so as to be prepared to offer them .
"
"associating with those who enjoy various avenues of service has been a great help .
"
"and i continue to rely on jehovah through prayer . ”
"
"we fight our weaknesses : we may have weaknesses that are not easy to control , or we may make the same mistakes again and again .
"
"for example , we may be impatient , lose our temper easily , or complain a lot about others .
"
"we need to keep trying hard to correct our weaknesses because we know that this will please jehovah .
"
"3 appreciating jehovah as our potter
"
"9 do you let the great potter mold you ?
"
"a potter is a craftsman who molds clay by hand to create beautiful vessels .
"
"in these two articles , we will see why we can say that jehovah is “ our potter ” and what we need to do in order to be like soft clay in his hands .
"
"15 “ jehovah our god is one jehovah ”
"
"what does it mean that jehovah our god is “ one jehovah ” ?
"
"how does that affect our relationship with him and with our brothers and sisters ?
"
"since we come from different backgrounds , we need to understand what jehovah requires of us so that he can be “ our god . ”
"
"21 do not let the faults of others stumble you
"
"all humans have faults that can hurt others .
"
"so how should we react when someone says or does something that hurts our feelings ?
"
"in this article , we will discuss bible examples that can help us .
"
"27 a godly quality more precious than diamonds
"
"“ o jehovah , . . . you are our potter ; we are all the work of your hand . ” ​ — isaiah 64 : 8 .
"
"songs : 89 , 26
"
"how jehovah chooses those whom he will mold ?
"
"why jehovah molds his people ?
"
"how god molds those who submit to him ?
"
"why is jehovah the greatest potter ?
"
"in november 2010 , a bid of nearly 70 million dollars was made on a chinese clay vase in england .
"
"it is amazing that a potter can mold something as common and cheap as clay into a beautiful and expensive vase .
"
"jehovah , our potter , is far greater than any human potter .
"
"the bible says that jehovah made a perfect man “ out of dust from the ground , ” that is , out of clay .
"
"that man , adam , was a “ son of god ” and was created with the ability to imitate god’s qualities . ​ — luke 3 : 38 .
"
"how can we imitate the attitude of repentant israelites ?
"
"when adam rebelled against his creator , he was no longer a son of god .
"
"but many of adam’s descendants have chosen jehovah as their ruler .
"
"by humbly obeying their creator , they have shown that they want him , not satan , to be their father and potter .
"
"their loyalty to god reminds us of what the repentant israelites said : “ o jehovah , you are our father .
"
"we are the clay , and you are our potter ; we are all the work of your hand . ” ​ — isaiah 64 : 8 .
"
"jehovah’s true worshippers today likewise try hard to be humble and obedient .
"
"they consider it an honor to call jehovah their father , and they want him to be their potter .
"
"are we willing to be like soft clay that god can mold into a precious vessel ?
"
"do we see each of our brothers and sisters as a work in progress , still being molded by god ?
"
"to help us have the right attitude , we will discuss how jehovah chooses those whom he molds , why he molds them , and how he does that .
"
"how does jehovah choose those whom he draws to himself ?
"
"jehovah does not look at people the way we do .
"
"instead , he examines the heart and sees who each of us really is .
"
"( read 1 samuel 16 : 7b . )
"
"jehovah demonstrated this when he formed the christian congregation .
"
"he drew to himself and to his son many people whom some might consider to be worthless .
"
"for example , one such person was the pharisee named saul , “ a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man . ”
"
"but jehovah examined saul’s heart and did not feel that he was useless clay .
"
"instead , jehovah saw that saul could be molded into “ a chosen vessel ” who would preach “ to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of israel . ”
"
"jehovah also chose others who could be molded “ for an honorable use , ” including former drunkards , immoral people , and thieves .
"
"as they studied the scriptures , they strengthened their faith in jehovah and allowed him to mold them .
"
"it is not up to us to judge people in our territory or in our congregation
"
"how should our trust in jehovah as our potter affect our attitude toward ( a ) the people in our territory ?
"
"( b ) our brothers and sisters ?
"
"we trust that jehovah is able to choose and draw the right people .
"
"that is why we should not judge others in our territory or in our congregation .
"
"see , for example , how a man called michael reacted when jehovah’s witnesses visited him .
"
"he says : “ i would just turn away and ignore them as if they did not exist .
"
"i was really rude !
"
"later , in a different setting , i met a family whom i admired because of their good conduct .
"
"then one day i received a shock ​ — they were jehovah’s witnesses !
"
"their behavior moved me to examine the basis for my prejudice .
"
"i soon came to the realization that my attitude was based on ignorance and hearsay , not on facts . ”
"
"michael wanted to learn more and accepted a bible study .
"
"later he got baptized and then became a full - time servant .
"
"when we recognize jehovah as our potter , our attitude toward our brothers and sisters will also change .
"
"we will see each of them as a work in progress .
"
"this is how jehovah sees them .
"
"he sees who they truly are inside and knows that their imperfection is only temporary .
"
"he also knows what kind of person each of them can become .
"
"we can imitate jehovah if we have the same positive attitude toward our brothers .
"
"we can even work with our potter to help our brothers and sisters make progress .
"
"the elders in the congregation should set a good example in doing that . ​ — ephesians 4 : 8 , 11 - 13 .
"
"why do you appreciate jehovah’s discipline ?
"
"some people may say : ‘ i never fully valued the discipline i received from my parents until i had children of my own . ’
"
"as we grow older , we may come to value discipline because we see it as an expression of love .
"
"( read hebrews 12 : 5 , 6 , 11 . )
"
"yes , jehovah loves us as his children , which is why he patiently disciplines us , or molds us .
"
"he wants us to be wise and happy and to love him as our father .
"
"he does not like to see us suffer , and he does not want us to die as unrepentant sinners . ​ — ephesians 2 : 2 , 3 .
"
"jehovah loves us as his children , which is why he patiently disciplines us , or molds us
"
"how is jehovah teaching us today , and how will this education continue in the future ?
"
"before we came to know jehovah , we may have had many bad qualities .
"
"but jehovah molded us and helped us to change , and as a result , we now have some beautiful qualities .
"
"we live in a spiritual paradise .
"
"this is the special environment that jehovah is creating in our day that helps to mold us .
"
"in it , we feel safe and secure even though the world around us is wicked .
"
"those who grew up without feeling love in their family now feel real love from their brothers and sisters in the spiritual paradise .
"
"and we have learned to show love to others .
"
"but most important , we have come to know jehovah and now feel his fatherly love . ​ — james 4 : 8 .
"
"in the new world , we will fully benefit from the spiritual paradise .
"
"we will also enjoy life in a physical paradise ruled by god’s kingdom .
"
"during that time , jehovah will continue to mold us and educate us in a way that is hard to imagine right now .
"
"jehovah will also make our minds and bodies perfect .
"
"this will make it easier for us to understand and completely obey his instructions .
"
"so let us continue to allow jehovah to mold us , and let us show him that we value this proof of his love for us . ​ — proverbs 3 : 11 , 12 .
"
"how did jesus reflect the great potter’s patience and skill ?
"
"just as a skilled potter knows the type of clay he is molding , our potter , jehovah , knows us very well .
"
"he knows our weaknesses , our limitations , and the progress we have made , and he molds each one of us with these circumstances in mind .
"
"( read psalm 103 : 10 - 14 . )
"
"we can learn how jehovah views us by looking at how jesus reacted to the imperfections of his apostles .
"
"at times , the apostles argued about who was the greatest .
"
"if you had been there , how would you have viewed the apostles ’ conduct ?
"
"you might have felt that they were not like soft clay .
"
"jesus , however , knew that they could be molded if they listened to his kind and patient counsel and if they imitated his humility .
"
"after jesus ’ resurrection , the apostles received god’s spirit and were no longer focused on who was the greatest .
"
"instead , they were focused on the work jesus gave them . ​ — acts 5 : 42 .
"
"in what ways did david prove to be like soft clay , and how can we imitate him ?
"
"today , jehovah uses the bible , his holy spirit , and the congregation to mold us .
"
"how can the bible mold us ?
"
"we need to read it , meditate on what we read , and ask jehovah to help us apply what we have learned .
"
"king david wrote : “ i remember you while upon my bed ; i meditate on you during the watches of the night . ”
"
"he also wrote : “ i will praise jehovah , who has given me advice .
"
"yes , david meditated on jehovah’s counsel and let it mold his deepest thoughts and feelings , even when the counsel was difficult to accept .
"
"david set a beautiful example of humility and obedience for us .
"
"so ask yourself : ‘ when i read the bible , do i meditate on it and let god’s counsel touch my deepest thoughts and feelings ?
"
"can i do so even more ? ’ ​ — psalm 1 : 2 , 3 .
"
"how does jehovah mold us by means of holy spirit and the christian congregation ?
"
"holy spirit can mold us in several ways .
"
"for example , it can help us learn to imitate jesus ’ personality and to display the different aspects of the fruitage of the spirit .
"
"one aspect of that fruitage is love .
"
"we love god and want to obey him and be molded by him because we know that his commandments are for our benefit .
"
"in addition , holy spirit can give us the strength to avoid being molded by this wicked world .
"
"when the apostle paul was young , he was influenced by the proud jewish religious leaders .
"
"but holy spirit helped him to change .
"
"he later wrote : “ for all things i have the strength through the one who gives me power . ”
"
"we too need to ask for holy spirit , knowing that jehovah will answer our sincere prayers . ​ — psalm 10 : 17 .
"
"jehovah uses christian elders to mold us , but we must apply their counsel ( see paragraphs 12 , 13 )
"
"jehovah also uses the congregation and the elders to mold each one of us .
"
"for example , if the elders notice that we have a weakness , they try to help us .
"
"however , they do not give counsel based on their own ideas .
"
"instead , they humbly pray to jehovah for understanding and wisdom .
"
"then , they do research using the bible and our christian publications in order to find information that will help us .
"
"if the elders come to you and give you kind and loving counsel , perhaps about how you are dressed , remember that this is proof of god’s love for you .
"
"when you apply the counsel , you will be like soft clay that jehovah is able to mold , and you will benefit .
"
"though having authority over the clay , how does jehovah show respect for our free will ?
"
"if we understand how jehovah molds us , it can help us to have good relationships with our brothers and sisters .
"
"also , we will have a positive attitude about people in our territory , including our bible students .
"
"in bible times , before molding clay , a potter needed to clean it and remove stones and other material .
"
"the great potter , jehovah , helps people who want to be molded .
"
"he does not force them to change , but instead , he shows them his clean standards .
"
"then they must decide if they will make the needed changes .
"
"how do bible students show that they want jehovah to mold them ?
"
"consider what happened to tessie , a sister in australia .
"
"it was very easy for her to learn what the bible says .
"
"however , she did not make much progress , and she did not go to the meetings .
"
"the sister who studied with her had prayed to jehovah and had decided to stop the study .
"
"at their study , tessie told her teacher why she had not made any progress .
"
"she said that she felt like a hypocrite because she loved to gamble .
"
"but now she had decided to stop gambling .
"
"soon , tessie started going to the meetings and showing christian qualities even though some of her former friends made fun of her .
"
"in time , tessie got baptized and became a regular pioneer , even while she had young children .
"
"it is clear that when bible students begin to make changes to please god , he will draw close to them and will mold them into valuable vessels .
"
"( a ) what appeals to you about having jehovah as your potter ?
"
"( b ) what aspects of molding will we next consider ?
"
"today , some potters still carefully mold clay into beautiful vessels by hand .
"
"in a similar way , jehovah patiently molds us using his counsel , and he closely watches to see how we will react .
"
"can you see that jehovah is interested in you ?
"
"do you see how jehovah is carefully molding you ?
"
"if so , what qualities will help you to stay like soft clay that jehovah can mold ?
"
"what traits should you avoid so that you do not become like hard clay that cannot be molded ?
"
"and how can parents work with jehovah to mold their children ?
"
"jehovah molds us using the bible , his holy spirit , and the congregation .
"
"he helps us to change so that we can become better people
"
"as the clay in the hand of the potter , so are you in my hand . ” ​ — jeremiah 18 : 6 .
"
"songs : 60 , 22
"
"what traits could harden us against jehovah’s counsel ?
"
"what qualities can help us to remain moldable in god’s hands ?
"
"how can christian parents show that jehovah is their potter ?
"
"why did god consider daniel to be a “ very precious man , ” and how can we be obedient like daniel ?
"
"when the jews were taken to babylon , they entered a city filled with idols and with people who worshipped wicked spirits .
"
"still , faithful jews , such as daniel and his three friends , refused to be molded by the people of babylon .
"
"daniel and his friends accepted jehovah as their potter and continued to worship only him .
"
"even though daniel lived in a bad environment most of his life , god’s angel said that he was a “ very precious man . ” ​ — daniel 10 : 11 , 19 .
"
"in bible times , a potter might press clay into a mold to form a certain shape .
"
"today , true worshippers know that jehovah is the ruler of the universe and has the authority to mold nations .
"
"( read jeremiah 18 : 6 . )
"
"god also has the authority to mold each one of us .
"
"however , jehovah does not force anyone to change .
"
"instead , he wants us to be willing to let him mold us .
"
"in this article , we will learn how we can remain like soft clay in god’s hands .
"
"we will discuss the following three questions : ( 1 ) how can we avoid displaying traits that might cause us to reject god’s counsel and become like hard clay ?
"
"( 2 ) how can we develop qualities that help us to remain obedient and like soft clay ?
"
"( 3 ) how can christian parents work with god when molding their children ?
"
"what traits could harden our heart ?
"
"“ above all the things that you guard , safeguard your heart , for out of it are the sources of life , ” says proverbs 4 : 23 .
"
"to keep our hearts from becoming hard , we must avoid negative traits such as pride , the practice of sin , and a lack of faith .
"
"if we are not careful , these could cause us to become disobedient and rebellious .
"
"that is what happened to king uzziah of judah .
"
"( read 2 chronicles 26 : 3 - 5 , 16 - 21 . )
"
"at first , uzziah was obedient and had a good relationship with god , so god gave him strength .
"
"but “ as soon as he was strong , his heart became haughty . ”
"
"he became so proud that he tried to burn incense at the temple even though only priests were supposed to do that .
"
"when the priests told him he was wrong , uzziah became very angry !
"
"jehovah humbled the proud king , and he was a leper until he died . ​ — proverbs 16 : 18 .
"
"what could happen if we failed to guard against pride ?
"
"if we do not avoid pride , we can start thinking that we are better than others and may begin to reject counsel given to us from the bible .
"
"that is what happened to an elder named jim .
"
"he disagreed with the other elders in the congregation about a situation .
"
"jim says , “ i told the brothers that they were not loving , and i left the meeting . ”
"
"about six months later , he moved to another congregation but was not appointed an elder there .
"
"jim was very disappointed .
"
"he was so convinced he was right that he stopped serving jehovah and was inactive for ten years .
"
"he says that he was proud and that he began to blame jehovah for what was happening .
"
"for years , brothers visited him and tried to help him , but jim refused their help .
"
"jim says , “ i just could not stop focusing on how the others seemed to be wrong . ”
"
"his example shows us that pride can cause us to defend our wrong conduct .
"
"when that happens , we are no longer like soft clay .
"
"have you ever been offended by a brother or sister ?
"
"were you ever sad because you lost a privilege ?
"
"did you become proud , or did you realize that making peace with your brother and maintaining loyalty to jehovah are most important ? ​ — read psalm 119 : 165 ; colossians 3 : 13 .
"
"what can happen if we practice sin ?
"
"when a person continues to sin and even hides what he is doing , it may be hard for him to accept divine counsel .
"
"it can then become easier to sin .
"
"one brother said that in time his improper conduct did not bother him much at all . another brother , who for a time had the habit of watching pornography , later said , “ i found myself developing a critical attitude toward the elders . ”
"
"his habit damaged his relationship with jehovah .
"
"when others discovered what he was doing , he got help from the elders .
"
"it is true that all of us are imperfect .
"
"but if we become critical of those who counsel us or if we make excuses when we do something wrong instead of asking god to forgive us and help us , our heart may become hard .
"
"the disobedient israelites died in the wilderness because of their hardened hearts and lack of faith
"
"7 , 8 . ( a ) how did the ancient israelites demonstrate the hardening effect of a lack of faith ?
"
"( b ) what is the lesson for us ?
"
"when jehovah freed the israelites from egypt , they saw him perform many amazing miracles .
"
"despite that , as they got close to the promised land , their hearts became hard .
"
"they did not have faith in god .
"
"instead of trusting in jehovah , they became afraid and complained against moses .
"
"they even wanted to go back to egypt , where they had been slaves !
"
"jehovah was deeply hurt and said : “ how much longer will this people treat me without respect ? ”
"
"those israelites died in the wilderness because of their hardened hearts and lack of faith .
"
"today , we are very close to the new world , and our faith is being tested .
"
"so we need to examine the quality of our faith .
"
"how can we make sure that it is strong ?
"
"we could examine jesus ’ words found at matthew 6 : 33 .
"
"ask yourself : ‘ do my goals and decisions prove that i truly believe jesus ’ words ?
"
"would i miss meetings or field service to make more money ?
"
"what will i do if my job demands more of my time and energy ?
"
"will i allow this world to mold me and perhaps even stop me from serving jehovah ? ’
"
"why should we “ keep testing ” whether we are in the faith , and how can we do so ?
"
"if we do not follow what the bible says about bad associations , disfellowshipping , or entertainment , our heart can become hard .
"
"what should you do if this starts happening to you ?
"
"you urgently need to examine your faith !
"
"the bible says : “ keep testing whether you are in the faith ; keep proving what you yourselves are . ”
"
"be honest with yourself , and regularly use god’s word to correct your thinking .
"
"what can help us to be like soft clay in jehovah’s hands ?
"
"to help us remain like soft clay , god has given us his word , the christian congregation , and the ministry .
"
"when we read the bible and meditate on it daily , it helps us to become soft in jehovah’s hands and allows him to mold us .
"
"jehovah commanded the kings of israel to write a copy of god’s law and read it daily .
"
"the apostles knew that reading the scriptures and meditating on them was very important for their ministry .
"
"they used portions of the hebrew scriptures hundreds of times in their writings , and when they preached to people , they encouraged them to use the scriptures as well .
"
"in a similar way , we too see that it is important to read god’s word daily and meditate on it .
"
"this helps us to remain humble , and jehovah will thus be able to mold us .
"
"use godʼs provisions to help you remain like soft clay ( see paragraphs 10 - 13 )
"
"how can jehovah use the christian congregation to mold us according to our individual needs ?
"
"jehovah knows what each one of us needs , and he uses the christian congregation to mold us .
"
"jim , mentioned earlier , began to change his attitude when an elder showed interest in him .
"
"jim says : “ not once did he blame me for my situation or criticize me .
"
"instead , he remained positive and expressed a sincere desire to help . ”
"
"after about three months , the elder invited jim to a meeting .
"
"jim says that the congregation kindly welcomed him and that their love helped him to change his thinking .
"
"he began to see that his feelings were not the most important thing .
"
"the elders in jim’s congregation and his wife encouraged him , and he gradually returned to serving jehovah .
"
"jim also benefited from reading the articles “ jehovah is not to blame ” and “ serve jehovah loyally , ” found in the watchtower of november 15 , 1992 .
"
"in time , jim became an elder again .
"
"since then , he has helped other brothers to solve similar problems and strengthen their faith .
"
"he says that he thought he had a close relationship with jehovah but that he actually did not !
"
"he regrets that he allowed pride to cause him to focus on other people’s faults rather than on the more important things . ​ — 1 corinthians 10 : 12 .
"
"when we imitate christ , people are attracted to our message and may change their attitude toward us
"
"the field ministry can help us to cultivate what qualities , and with what benefits ?
"
"the field ministry can also mold us and help us to become better people .
"
"when we preach the good news , we must show qualities such as humility and the different aspects of the fruitage of god’s spirit .
"
"think of good qualities that the field ministry has helped you to develop .
"
"when we imitate christ , people are attracted to our message and may change their attitude toward us .
"
"for example , two witnesses in australia tried to preach to a woman at her home , but she got very angry and was rude to them .
"
"however , the witnesses listened to her respectfully .
"
"later , the woman regretted her behavior and wrote a letter to the branch office .
"
"she apologized for her behavior .
"
"she said , “ i am a fool to stand before two people spreading god’s word and attempt to steer them away like that . ”
"
"from this experience , we can see the value of being mild when we preach .
"
"yes , our ministry helps others , but it also helps us to improve our personality .
"
"what must parents do if they want to be truly effective in molding their children ?
"
"most little children are humble and eager to learn .
"
"so it is wise for parents to help their children to learn the truth and to love it while the children are still young .
"
"to be successful , parents must love the truth themselves and apply what the bible says in their own lives .
"
"when parents do this , it becomes easier for their children to love the truth .
"
"also , children will understand that discipline from their parents shows that they are loved by them and by jehovah .
"
"how should parents demonstrate their trust in god if their child is disfellowshipped ?
"
"even when parents teach their children the truth , some children leave jehovah or are disfellowshipped .
"
"if that happens , the family suffers very much . one sister in south africa said : “ when my brother was disfellowshipped , it was as if he had died .
"
"it was heartbreaking ! ”
"
"but what did she and her parents do ?
"
"they followed the instructions found in the bible .
"
"( read 1 corinthians 5 : 11 , 13 . )
"
"the parents knew that obeying god’s counsel would benefit everyone .
"
"and they recognized that disfellowshipping is loving discipline from jehovah .
"
"so they contacted their son only when it was absolutely necessary for family business .
"
"how did the son feel ?
"
"later he said , “ i knew that my family did not hate me , but they were obeying jehovah and his organization . ”
"
"he also said , “ when you are forced to beg jehovah for help and forgiveness , you realize how much you need him . ”
"
"imagine the family’s joy when this young man came back to jehovah !
"
"yes , we will be happy and successful when we always obey god . ​ — proverbs 3 : 5 , 6 ; 28 : 26 .
"
"when we are humble and always obey jehovah , we become very precious to him
"
"why should we make submission to jehovah our way of life , and how will this course benefit us ?
"
"the prophet isaiah foretold that the jews in babylon would repent and say : “ o jehovah , you are our father .
"
"we are the clay , and you are our potter ; we are all the work of your hand . ”
"
"they would also beg jehovah : “ do not remember our error forever .
"
"look at us , please , for we are all your people . ”
"
"when we are humble and always obey jehovah , we become very precious to him , as daniel was .
"
"jehovah will continue to mold us using his word , spirit , and organization so that in the future we will become perfect “ children of god . ” ​ — romans 8 : 21 .
"
"our heart can become hard when we allow negative traits , such as pride , to make us reject counsel and direction from jehovah and his organization
"
"the man with the secretary’s inkhorn represents jesus christ .
"
"he is the one who marks those who will survive
"
"they represent forces in heaven that were involved in the destruction of jerusalem and that will also be involved in the destruction of satan’s wicked world at armageddon .
"
"this is an adjusted understanding .
"
"before 607 b.c.e . , jehovah gave ezekiel a vision of what would happen in jerusalem before it was destroyed .
"
"in the vision , ezekiel saw many wicked things happening there .
"
"then he saw six men who each had a “ weapon for smashing in his hand . ”
"
"there was also a man with them who was “ clothed in linen ” and had “ a secretary’s inkhorn . ”
"
"this man was told to go through the city “ and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and groaning over all the detestable things that are being done in the city . ”
"
"then the six men with the weapons were told to kill all those in the city who did not have the mark .
"
"what can we learn from this vision , and who is the man with the secretary’s inkhorn ?
"
"ezekiel had this vision in 612 b.c.e .
"
"it was a prophecy that was first fulfilled five years later when jehovah allowed the babylonian army to destroy jerusalem .
"
"in this way , jehovah used the babylonians to punish his disobedient people .
"
"but what about the righteous jews who did not agree with all the bad things that were happening in the city ?
"
"jehovah made sure that they were saved .
"
"in the vision , ezekiel did not literally mark anyone or take part in the destruction of the city .
"
"instead , it was the angels who directed the destruction of jerusalem .
"
"so this prophecy gives us the opportunity to see what happens in heaven .
"
"jehovah told his angels to organize the destruction of the wicked and to make sure that the righteous ones would survive .
"
"this prophecy will also be fulfilled in the future .
"
"we used to say that the man with the secretary’s inkhorn represented the anointed who are still alive on the earth .
"
"we also said that people were being marked for survival when they listened to and accepted the good news that we preach .
"
"recently , though , it became clear that we needed to change how we explain this prophecy .
"
"we have learned from matthew 25 : 31 - 33 that jesus is the one who judges people .
"
"he will do this in the future during the great tribulation .
"
"at that time , those who are judged as sheep will survive , and those who are judged as goats will be destroyed .
"
"so , what do we learn from ezekiel’s vision ?
"
"here are five lessons :
"
"before jerusalem was destroyed , ezekiel , as well as jeremiah and isaiah , warned the people about what was going to happen to the city .
"
"they were like watchmen .
"
"today , jehovah uses a small group of anointed ones to teach his people and warn others before the great tribulation starts .
"
"in fact , all of god’s people , that is , christ’s domestics , have a share in this warning work . ​ — matthew 24 : 45 - 47 .
"
"ezekiel did not mark those who would survive .
"
"neither do god’s people today .
"
"they simply preach to others and warn them about what will happen in the future .
"
"this worldwide preaching work is done with the help of the angels . ​ — revelation 14 : 6 .
"
"those who were saved in ezekiel’s time did not have an actual mark on their foreheads .
"
"today those who will be saved will also not have an actual mark .
"
"what must people do to survive the great tribulation ?
"
"when they hear the warning , they must learn to imitate christ , dedicate themselves to god , and support christ’s brothers by preaching the good news .
"
"during the great tribulation , these ones will be given the mark , that is , they will be chosen to survive .
"
"the man with the inkhorn represents jesus .
"
"during the great tribulation , jesus will mark the great crowd when he judges them as sheep .
"
"then they will have the opportunity to live forever here on earth . ​ — matthew 25 : 34 , 46 .
"
"today the six men with the weapons for smashing represent the heavenly armies that are led by jesus .
"
"they will soon destroy the nations and end all wickedness . ​ — ezekiel 10 : 2 , 6 , 7 ; revelation 19 : 11 - 21 .
"
"the lessons we learn from this vision help us to feel confident that jehovah will not destroy righteous ones along with wicked ones .
"
"the lessons learned also remind us that the preaching work in our time is very important .
"
"everyone needs to hear the warning before the end comes ! ​ — matthew 24 : 14 .
"
"those who were saved , such as baruch ( jeremiah’s secretary ) , ebed - melech the ethiopian , and the rechabites , did not have an actual mark on their foreheads .
"
"the symbolic mark simply meant that they would survive .
"
"faithful anointed ones will not need to receive this mark to survive .
"
"instead , they will receive their final sealing either before they die or before the start of the great tribulation . ​ — revelation 7 : 1 , 3 .
"
"“ listen , o israel : jehovah our god is one jehovah . ” ​ — deuteronomy 6 : 4 .
"
"songs : 138 , 112
"
"how can we show that we worship jehovah as “ one jehovah ” ?
"
"what can we do to maintain our peace and unity ?
"
"1 , 2 . ( a ) why are the words of deuteronomy 6 : 4 so well - known ?
"
"( b ) why did moses speak those words ?
"
"for hundreds of years , jewish people have used the words of deuteronomy 6 : 4 as part of a special prayer .
"
"this prayer is called the shema , which is the first word of that verse in hebrew .
"
"many jews say this prayer every day in the morning and in the evening to show their exclusive devotion to god .
"
"those words are part of the final talk that moses gave to the nation of israel .
"
"in the year 1473 before christ , the nation was in the land of moab , ready to cross the jordan river and conquer the promised land .
"
"moses had led the people for 40 years , and he wanted them to be courageous in order to face the difficulties that would come .
"
"they needed to trust in their god , jehovah , and to be faithful to him .
"
"so moses ’ final words encouraged them to do just that .
"
"after he mentioned the ten commandments and other laws from jehovah , moses gave the people the powerful reminder we read at deuteronomy 6 : 4 , 5 .
"
"the israelites knew that jehovah their god is “ one jehovah . ”
"
"faithful israelites worshipped one god , the god of their forefathers .
"
"so why did moses remind them that jehovah their god is “ one jehovah ” ?
"
"what is the connection between that truth and loving our god with our whole heart , whole soul , and whole strength ?
"
"and how do the words of deuteronomy 6 : 4 , 5 apply to us today ?
"
"4 , 5 . ( a ) what is one meaning of the phrase “ one jehovah ” ?
"
"( b ) how is jehovah different from the gods of the nations ?
"
"unique .
"
"the expression “ one jehovah ” means that jehovah is unique , that no one is equal to or like him .
"
"why did moses use that expression ? it does not seem that he was trying to prove that belief in a trinity was wrong .
"
"jehovah is the creator of heaven and earth and the ruler of the universe .
"
"he is the only true god , and no other god is like him .
"
"so moses ’ words would remind the israelites that they should worship only jehovah .
"
"they should not imitate the people living around them , who worshipped many false gods and goddesses .
"
"those people believed that their gods could control parts of nature .
"
"for example , the egyptians worshipped the sun - god ra , the sky - goddess nut , the earth - god geb , the nile - god hapi , as well as many animals .
"
"jehovah showed that he was superior to these false gods when he brought the ten plagues .
"
"the main canaanite god was baal , a false god who the canaanites believed brought life into existence .
"
"he was also believed to be the god of the sky , rain , and storm .
"
"in many places , people relied on baal for protection .
"
"the israelites were to remember that their god , “ the true god , ” is unique .
"
"he is “ one jehovah . ” ​ — deuteronomy 4 : 35 , 39 .
"
"jehovah god is not divided or unpredictable .
"
"he is always faithful , consistent , loyal , and true
"
"what is another meaning of “ one , ” and how did jehovah prove to be “ one ” ?
"
"consistent and loyal .
"
"the word “ one ” in the expression “ one jehovah ” also means that his purpose and actions are always reliable .
"
"he is always faithful , consistent , loyal , and true .
"
"for example , he promised abraham that his descendants would live in the promised land .
"
"and jehovah performed many powerful miracles in order to keep that promise .
"
"four hundred and thirty years after giving that promise , jehovah’s purpose had not changed . ​ — genesis 12 : 1 , 2 , 7 ; exodus 12 : 40 , 41 .
"
"hundreds of years later , jehovah called the israelites his witnesses and told them : “ i am the same one .
"
"before me no god was formed , and after me there has been none . ”
"
"jehovah also made it clear that his purpose never changes when he added : “ i am always the same one . ”
"
"what a great privilege the israelites had to serve a god who is consistent and always loyal !
"
"we have the same privilege today . ​ — malachi 3 : 6 ; james 1 : 17 .
"
"8 , 9 . ( a ) what does jehovah require of his worshippers ?
"
"( b ) how did jesus emphasize the import of moses ’ words ?
"
"yes , moses reminded the israelites that jehovah’s love and care for them would never change .
"
"in return , jehovah expected them to give him their exclusive devotion and to love him with their whole heart , soul , and strength .
"
"parents were to teach their children about jehovah at every opportunity so that young ones too would worship only jehovah . ​ — deuteronomy 6 : 6 - 9 .
"
"jehovah never changes his purpose , so he will never change his basic requirements for his true worshippers .
"
"if we want jehovah to be pleased with our worship , we must give him exclusive devotion and love him with our whole heart , mind , and strength .
"
"jesus said that this is the most important commandment .
"
"( read mark 12 : 28 - 31 . )
"
"let us learn how we can show by our actions that we believe that “ jehovah our god is one jehovah . ”
"
"10 , 11 . ( a ) in what sense is our worship of jehovah exclusive ?
"
"( b ) how did hebrew youths in babylon demonstrate their exclusive devotion to jehovah ?
"
"jehovah is our one and only god .
"
"we give him our exclusive devotion when we worship only him .
"
"we cannot worship any other gods or include any false ideas or practices in our worship to jehovah .
"
"he is not simply a god who is above other gods or who is more powerful than them .
"
"he is the true god .
"
"we should worship only jehovah . ​ — read revelation 4 : 11 .
"
"in the book of daniel , we read about the young hebrew men daniel , hananiah , mishael , and azariah .
"
"they showed their exclusive devotion to jehovah by refusing to eat foods that were unclean for worshippers of jehovah .
"
"and daniel’s three friends refused to bow down to an idol , nebuchadnezzar’s golden image .
"
"for them , jehovah came first .
"
"they were completely loyal to him . ​ — daniel 1 : 1 – 3 : 30 .
"
"jehovah must have first place in our life
"
"in giving jehovah exclusive devotion , against what must we be on guard ?
"
"jehovah must have first place in our life .
"
"if we want to give him our exclusive devotion , we must be careful that other things do not take his place .
"
"what could those things be ?
"
"in the ten commandments , jehovah said that his people should not worship other gods .
"
"they should not practice any kind of idolatry .
"
"today , there are many kinds of idolatry , and some of these may be hard to recognize .
"
"but jehovah has not changed his requirements .
"
"he is still “ one jehovah . ”
"
"let us see how we can avoid idolatry today .
"
"what could we begin to love more than jehovah ?
"
"at colossians 3 : 5 ( read ) , we read about things that could ruin our exclusive friendship with jehovah .
"
"we see that greediness is related to idolatry .
"
"when we have a strong desire for something , such as for a lot of money or luxuries , it can control our life , like a powerful god .
"
"all the sins mentioned at colossians 3 : 5 are related to greediness , which is a type of idolatry .
"
"so if we have a strong desire for these things , we could begin to love them more than we love god .
"
"then jehovah would not be “ one jehovah ” to us .
"
"what warning did the apostle john give regarding our love for god ?
"
"the apostle john emphasized something similar .
"
"he warned that if anyone loves the things in the world , that is , “ the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life , ” then “ the love of the father is not in him . ”
"
"so we need to examine ourselves regularly to see whether we love the world .
"
"we may discover that we have started to be attracted to the entertainment , people , and styles of dress and grooming of this world .
"
"or we may want to achieve “ great things ” by seeking higher education .
"
"the new world is very near .
"
"so we need to remember moses ’ powerful words !
"
"if we understand and really believe that “ jehovah our god is one jehovah , ” we will give him our exclusive devotion and serve him the way that he wants . ​ — hebrews 12 : 28 , 29 .
"
"why did paul remind christians that god is “ one jehovah ” ?
"
"the expression “ one jehovah ” helps us to understand that jehovah wants his servants to be united and to have the same purpose in life .
"
"in the early christian congregation , there were jews , greeks , romans , and people of other nationalities .
"
"they had different backgrounds , customs , and preferences .
"
"because of that , it was difficult for some of them to accept a new way of worship or to abandon their former practices .
"
"so paul needed to remind them that christians have one god , jehovah . ​ — read 1 corinthians 8 : 5 , 6 .
"
"jehovah wants his servants to be united and to have the same purpose in life
"
"16 , 17 . ( a ) what prophecy is being fulfilled in our day , and with what result ?
"
"( b ) what could undermine our unity ?
"
"what about the christian congregation today ?
"
"the prophet isaiah said that “ in the final part of the days , ” people from all nations would come together to worship jehovah .
"
"they would say : “ he will instruct us about his ways , and we will walk in his paths . ”
"
"we are happy to see this prophecy being fulfilled today !
"
"our brothers and sisters come from different places , speak different languages , and have different cultures .
"
"but we are united in our worship to jehovah .
"
"however , because we are so different , sometimes there may be difficulties .
"
"are you working hard to keep the christian congregation united ?
"
"( see paragraphs 16 - 19 )
"
"for example , how do you feel about brothers and sisters who are from different cultures ?
"
"their language , clothing , manners , and food may be very different from yours .
"
"do you avoid them and mainly spend time with those you have things in common with ?
"
"how do you feel about the elders in your area who are younger than you or who are from a different race or culture ?
"
"if we are not careful , we may allow those differences to affect us and damage our unity .
"
"18 , 19 . ( a ) what counsel is mentioned at ephesians 4 : 1 - 3 ?
"
"( b ) what can we do to help the congregation stay united ?
"
"how can we avoid such difficulties ?
"
"paul gave practical advice to christians living in ephesus , a rich city with people from many different backgrounds .
"
"paul mentioned qualities such as humility , mildness , patience , and love .
"
"these qualities are like strong pillars that keep a house standing .
"
"but to keep a house in good condition , hard work is also needed .
"
"paul wanted the christians in ephesus to work hard to “ maintain the oneness of the spirit . ”
"
"all of us must do our best to keep the congregation united .
"
"first , we need to cultivate and show the qualities that paul mentioned : humility , mildness , patience , and love .
"
"second , we need to work hard to promote “ the uniting bond of peace . ”
"
"misunderstandings are like small cracks in our unity ; thus , we need to work hard to resolve these misunderstandings so that we keep peace and unity among us .
"
"how can we demonstrate that we understand that “ jehovah our god is one jehovah ” ?
"
"“ jehovah our god is one jehovah . ”
"
"that is a powerful statement !
"
"that reminder strengthened the israelites to endure difficulties when they entered and conquered the promised land .
"
"those words can strengthen us too so that we can make it through the great tribulation and contribute to the paradise to come .
"
"let us continue to give jehovah our exclusive devotion .
"
"we need to love and serve him with our whole heart , mind , and strength , and we need to work hard to keep peace and unity with our brothers .
"
"if we continue to do those things , jesus will judge us as sheep and we will see his words come true : “ come , you who have been blessed by my father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world . ” ​ — matthew 25 : 34 .
"
"we give jehovah our exclusive devotion when we worship only him and give him the first place in our life .
"
"we love him with all our heart , mind , and strength
"
"there are many fishing villages along the coasts of trinidad and tobago .
"
"jehovah’s witnesses often take the opportunity to speak with fishermen they meet
"
"why is god’s organization special ?
"
"how does the bible show that we are all imperfect ?
"
"what can we do about our own faults and those of others ?
"
"how did the bible foretell the increase of jehovah’s people ?
"
"around the earth , there is an organization made up of people who love jehovah and want to serve him .
"
"although they have faults and make mistakes , jehovah guides his people with his holy spirit .
"
"let us see some ways he has blessed them .
"
"in 1914 , very few people worshipped jehovah .
"
"but jehovah has blessed the preaching work .
"
"as a result , millions have learned bible truths and have become his witnesses .
"
"jehovah described this amazing increase when he said : “ the little one will become a thousand and the small one a mighty nation .
"
"today we can see clearly that this prophecy has been fulfilled .
"
"jehovah’s people are like a large nation .
"
"in fact , there are many nations around the world with a smaller population than the total number of jehovah’s people .
"
"how have god’s servants shown love ?
"
"during these last days , jehovah has helped his people to strengthen their love for one another .
"
"“ god is love , ” and they imitate him .
"
"jesus commanded his followers to “ love one another . ”
"
"he also told them : “ by this all will know that you are my disciples ​ — if you have love among yourselves . ”
"
"in recent times , jehovah’s servants have shown this love for one another even when nations have gone to war .
"
"for example , in the second world war , about 55 million people were killed .
"
"but jehovah’s people did not kill anyone in that war .
"
"( read micah 4 : 1 , 3 . )
"
"this has helped them to remain “ clean from the blood of all men . ” ​ — acts 20 : 26 .
"
"why is the increase of jehovah’s people noteworthy ?
"
"god’s people continue to increase in number even though they have a powerful enemy , satan .
"
"he is “ the god of this system of things . ”
"
"satan controls the political organizations of this world , as well as the news media , and he uses these to try to stop the preaching of the good news .
"
"but he cannot stop this work .
"
"however , satan knows that he has only a short time left , so he keeps on trying to stop us from worshipping jehovah . ​ — revelation 12 : 12 .
"
"why may others at times hurt our feelings ?
"
"god’s servants learn that it is very important to love god and other people .
"
"however , the bible shows that all humans are born imperfect as a result of adam’s sin .
"
"( read romans 5 : 12 , 19 . )
"
"so at times some in the congregation may say or do something that hurts our feelings .
"
"when this happens , what will we do ?
"
"will our love for jehovah stay strong ?
"
"will we be loyal to him and to his people ?
"
"the bible tells us about some of god’s servants who said or did things that hurt others .
"
"let us see what we can learn from what happened to them .
"
"if you had lived in israel at the time of eli and his sons , how would you have reacted ?
"
"in what sense did eli fail to discipline his sons ?
"
"for example , eli was the high priest of israel , but his two sons disobeyed jehovah’s laws .
"
"the bible says : “ the sons of eli were wicked men ; they had no regard for jehovah . ”
"
"eli knew that his sons were doing very bad things .
"
"even so , he did not discipline them enough .
"
"in time , jehovah punished eli and his two sons .
"
"and later on , he no longer allowed eli’s descendants to serve as high priests .
"
"if you had lived in eli’s time and had known that he let his sons do terrible things , would you have been stumbled ?
"
"would this situation have weakened your faith in jehovah , and as a result , would you have stopped serving him ?
"
"how did david sin seriously , and what did god do about it ?
"
"david had wonderful qualities , and that is why jehovah loved him very much .
"
"but even david did something very bad .
"
"when uriah was away fighting in a war , david had sexual relations with uriah’s wife , bath - sheba , and she became pregnant .
"
"david did not want anyone to know what he had done .
"
"so he ordered uriah to come see him and then tried to convince him to go to his home .
"
"david hoped that uriah would have sexual relations with bath - sheba so that people would think that uriah was the father of the baby .
"
"but uriah would not go home .
"
"so david made sure that uriah would be killed in the battle .
"
"because of his serious sins , david and his family suffered very much .
"
"yet jehovah was merciful and forgave him .
"
"he knew that david wanted to do what was right .
"
"if you had lived back then , how would you have felt about what david did ?
"
"would you have stopped serving jehovah ?
"
"( a ) how did the apostle peter fail to keep his word ?
"
"( b ) after peter’s mistake , why did jehovah continue to use peter ?
"
"another bible example is the apostle peter .
"
"jesus chose him to be an apostle .
"
"even so , peter at times said or did things that were not right .
"
"for example , peter said that he would never abandon jesus even if everyone else did .
"
"but after jesus was arrested , all the apostles , including peter , abandoned him .
"
"then , three different times , peter said that he did not know jesus .
"
"however , peter felt deeply sad about what he had done .
"
"so jehovah forgave him and continued to use him .
"
"if you had been a disciple at that time and had known what peter did , would you have continued to trust in jehovah ?
"
"we can be absolutely sure that jehovah will always do what is right and just
"
"why do you trust that god is always just ?
"
"from these examples , we see that some servants of jehovah have done bad things and have hurt others deeply .
"
"when this happens today , what will you do ?
"
"will you stop going to the meetings or even abandon jehovah and his people completely ?
"
"or will you realize that jehovah is merciful and that he may be waiting for a person to repent ?
"
"but there may be times when someone who is guilty of serious sins does not feel sorry about what he has done .
"
"will you trust that jehovah knows this and that he will do something about it at the proper time ?
"
"he may even remove that person from the congregation if necessary .
"
"do you believe that jehovah will always do what is right and just ?
"
"what did jesus understand about the faults of judas iscariot and peter ?
"
"in the bible , we read about many who remained loyal to jehovah and his people even though others around them made serious mistakes .
"
"jesus is the best example .
"
"after spending a night praying for his father’s help , he chose the 12 apostles .
"
"but one of them , judas iscariot , later betrayed him .
"
"also , the apostle peter said that he did not know jesus .
"
"jesus did not blame jehovah or the rest of the disciples when some disappointed him .
"
"jesus stayed close to his father and continued to serve him loyally .
"
"as a result , jehovah rewarded him by resurrecting him and later making him king of the kingdom in heaven . ​ — matthew 28 : 7 , 18 - 20 .
"
"the bible foretold what about jehovah’s servants in this time ?
"
"jesus ’ example teaches us to be loyal to jehovah and his people .
"
"and we have good reasons to do so .
"
"we can see that jehovah is guiding his servants in this time of the end .
"
"he is helping them to preach the truth worldwide , and they are the only ones doing this work .
"
"they are also truly united and happy because of all that jehovah is teaching them .
"
"jehovah described this when he said : “ look !
"
"my servants will shout joyfully because of the good condition of the heart . ” ​ — isaiah 65 : 14 .
"
"it would be unwise and unfair to leave jehovah and his people just because someone makes a mistake
"
"how should we view the faults of others ?
"
"we are truly happy because jehovah guides us and helps us to do many good things .
"
"in contrast , people in satan’s world are not happy and have no real hope for the future .
"
"how unwise and unfair it would be to leave jehovah and his people just because someone in the congregation does or says something that is not right !
"
"instead , we must remain loyal to jehovah and follow his direction .
"
"we also need to learn how to view and react to the faults of others .
"
"13 , 14 . ( a ) why should we be patient with one another ?
"
"( b ) what promise do we want to remember ?
"
"what should you do if one of your brothers says or does something that hurts your feelings ?
"
"the bible gives this advice : “ do not be quick to take offense , for the taking of offense lodges in the bosom of fools . ”
"
"all of us are imperfect and make mistakes .
"
"so we cannot expect that our brothers will always say and do the right thing .
"
"and it would not be good for us to keep thinking about their mistakes .
"
"if we did , we might no longer feel happy while serving jehovah .
"
"even worse , our faith in him might weaken , and we might leave jehovah’s organization .
"
"then , we could not serve jehovah or hope to live in his new world .
"
"so , what can help you remain happy serving jehovah when others do something that troubles you ?
"
"always remember his comforting promise : “ look ! i am creating new heavens and a new earth ; and the former things will not be called to mind , nor will they come up into the heart . ”
"
"jehovah will give you these blessings if you remain loyal to him .
"
"what did jesus say we should do when others make mistakes ?
"
"of course , we are not yet in the new world .
"
"so if someone hurts our feelings , we need to meditate on what jehovah wants us to do .
"
"for example , jesus said : “ if you forgive men their trespasses , your heavenly father will also forgive you ; whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses , neither will your father forgive your trespasses . ”
"
"and when peter asked jesus whether we should forgive “ up to seven times , ” jesus replied : “ i say to you , not up to seven times , but up to 77 times . ”
"
"jesus taught us that we should always be willing to forgive others . ​ — matthew 6 : 14 , 15 ; 18 : 21 , 22 .
"
"what good example did joseph set ?
"
"joseph’s example teaches us how to react when others disappoint us .
"
"joseph and his younger brother were the only sons of jacob and rachel .
"
"jacob had ten other sons , but he loved joseph more than all of them .
"
"this made them very jealous of joseph .
"
"in fact , they hated him so much that they sold him as a slave , and he was taken to egypt .
"
"after many years , the king of egypt made joseph the second most powerful person in that country because he was very impressed with joseph’s good work .
"
"later , joseph’s brothers came to egypt to buy food as a result of a famine .
"
"when they saw joseph , they did not recognize him , but he knew who they were .
"
"although they had treated him badly , he did not punish them .
"
"instead he tested them to find out if they had truly changed .
"
"when joseph realized that they had changed , he told them that he was their brother .
"
"later , he comforted them and said : “ do not be afraid .
"
"i will keep supplying you and your little children with food . ” ​ — genesis 50 : 21 .
"
"what do you want to do when others make mistakes ?
"
"remember that since everyone has faults , you too may offend others .
"
"so if you realize that you have upset someone , follow the bible’s advice .
"
"ask him to forgive you , and try to make peace with him .
"
"( read matthew 5 : 23 , 24 . )
"
"we like it when others forgive us .
"
"so we should do the same for them .
"
"colossians 3 : 13 tells us : “ continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely even if anyone has a cause for complaint against another .
"
"if we really love our brothers , we will not keep feeling upset about something they have done in the past .
"
"and if we forgive others , jehovah will forgive us too .
"
"so when others make mistakes , may we be merciful with them just as our father , jehovah , is merciful with us . ​ — read psalm 103 : 12 - 14 .
"
"we remain loyal to jehovah and to his people : when others make mistakes , we do not stop attending meetings or leave the congregation .
"
"instead , we trust that jehovah guides the congregation and will always do what is right .
"
"also , we are willing to forgive others , just as jehovah is willing to forgive us
"
"people view diamonds as very precious gems .
"
"some are worth millions of dollars .
"
"but is there something that god views as more precious than diamonds or other gems ?
"
"haykanush , an unbaptized publisher in armenia , found a passport near her home .
"
"inside the passport were some debit cards and a large amount of money .
"
"she told her husband , also an unbaptized publisher , about what she had found .
"
"the couple had serious financial problems and were in debt .
"
"but they decided to take the money to the address that was on the passport .
"
"the man who had lost it was amazed , and so was his family .
"
"haykanush and her husband explained that they were honest because of what they were learning from the bible .
"
"then , they used the opportunity to talk about jehovah’s witnesses and to give some literature to the family .
"
"the family wanted to give haykanush some money as a reward , but she would not accept it .
"
"the next day , the wife visited haykanush and her husband at home , and to show how thankful she was , she insisted that haykanush accept a diamond ring .
"
"like that family , many people would be surprised at the honesty haykanush and her husband showed .
"
"but was jehovah surprised ?
"
"how did he view their honesty ?
"
"was their honesty worth the effort ?
"
"the answers to those questions are not difficult .
"
"because god’s servants know that imitating jehovah’s qualities is more precious to him than diamonds , gold , or other material things .
"
"yes , what jehovah views as precious is different from what most people value .
"
"and his servants feel that their efforts to imitate jehovah’s qualities are very precious .
"
"we can see this from what the bible says about discernment and wisdom .
"
"proverbs 3 : 13 - 15 says : “ happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man who acquires discernment ; to gain it is better than gaining silver , and having it as profit is better than having gold .
"
"it is more precious than corals ; nothing you desire can compare to it . ”
"
"clearly , jehovah values such qualities more than any material treasures .
"
"what , then , about honesty ?
"
"jehovah himself is honest .
"
"and he inspired the apostle paul to write to the hebrew christians in the first century : “ keep praying for us , for we trust we have an honest conscience , as we wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things . ” ​ — hebrews 13 : 18 .
"
"jesus christ set a good example of honesty .
"
"for instance , when high priest caiaphas said , “ i put you under oath by the living god to tell us whether you are the christ , the son of god ! , ” jesus was honest and identified himself as the messiah .
"
"he told the truth even though he knew that the sanhedrin could accuse him of being a blasphemer and that this could lead to his execution . ​ — matthew 26 : 63 - 67 .
"
"if we are in a situation where we might benefit materially by not telling someone all the facts or by slightly changing some facts , will we still be honest ?
"
"it can be difficult to be honest in these last days when many are “ lovers of themselves , lovers of money . ”
"
"when there is a financial crisis or when jobs are hard to find , many do not have a problem with stealing , cheating , or doing other dishonest things .
"
"this kind of thinking is so common that many feel that the only way to benefit materially is to be dishonest .
"
"even some christians have made bad decisions and for “ dishonest gain ” have lost their good reputation in the congregation . ​ — 1 timothy 3 : 8 ; titus 1 : 7 .
"
"most christians , however , imitate jesus .
"
"they realize that having qualities like those of god is more important than any riches or benefits .
"
"that is why young christians do not cheat to get good grades at school . honesty may not always result in receiving a reward , as haykanush did .
"
"still , being honest is what god says is right , and it allows us to have a clean conscience , something truly valuable .
"
"gagik’s example shows that .
"
"he says : “ before becoming a christian , i was working for a large company where the owner avoided paying taxes by reporting only a small portion of the company’s profit .
"
"as managing director , i was expected to come to ‘ an agreement ’ with the tax agent by bribing him to overlook the company’s fraudulent practices .
"
"as a result , i had the reputation of being dishonest .
"
"when i learned the truth , i refused to continue doing that , even though the job paid very well .
"
"instead , i opened my own business .
"
"and from day one , i legally registered my company and paid all my taxes . ” ​ — 2 corinthians 8 : 21 .
"
"gagik says : “ my income dropped by about half , so it was a challenge to provide for my family .
"
"however , i feel happier now . i have a clean conscience before jehovah .
"
"i am a good example for my two sons , and i have qualified for privileges in the congregation .
"
"among tax auditors and others with whom i do business , i now have the reputation of being an honest man . ”
"
"jehovah loves those who bring praise to him by imitating his wonderful qualities , including honesty .
"
"and when we do this , he promises to help us . he inspired king david to say : “ i was once young and now i am old , but i have not seen anyone righteous abandoned , nor his children looking for bread . ” ​ — psalm 37 : 25 .
"
"the experience of faithful ruth proves that .
"
"she loyally stayed with her mother - in - law , naomi , rather than leave her because she was old .
"
"ruth moved to israel , where she could worship the true god .
"
"she was honest and worked hard to glean , following the law’s arrangement for the poor .
"
"and similar to what david later experienced , jehovah never abandoned ruth and naomi .
"
"he also did much more than just provide for ruth materially .
"
"he chose her to be part of the family line of king david and even of the promised messiah ! ​ — ruth 4 : 13 - 17 ; matthew 1 : 5 , 16 .
"
"it may be very difficult for some of jehovah’s servants to earn enough money for their basic needs .
"
"yet instead of trying to find an easy but dishonest solution , they work hard and are diligent .
"
"by doing this , they show that god’s wonderful qualities , including honesty , are more valuable to them than any material things . ​ — proverbs 12 : 24 ; ephesians 4 : 28 .
"
"like ruth , christians around the world have shown faith in jehovah’s power to help them .
"
"they fully trust in the one who promised : “ i will never leave you , and i will never abandon you . ”
"
"again and again , jehovah has shown that he can and will help those who are honest at all times .
"
"he has always kept his promise to provide for the basic needs of his servants . ​ — matthew 6 : 33 .
"
"yes , humans may value diamonds and other material things .
"
"but we can be sure that our heavenly father values our honesty and other good qualities more , much more , than any precious gems !
"
"when we are honest , we can speak with a clean conscience to people in the ministry
"