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"the next time an elder visits you , take advantage of the opportunity to draw on his wisdom and benefit from his advice .
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"two elders in england responded to a call from a married couple who were having problems .
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"the wife felt unevenly yoked spiritually .
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"her husband admitted that he was not the best teacher and did not arrange for regular family worship .
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"the elders directed the couple’s attention to jesus ’ example .
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"he took care of his disciples and considered their needs .
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"the elders urged the husband to imitate jesus .
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"they encouraged the wife to be patient .
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"the elders also gave the couple some practical suggestions on how they could work together to have family worship with their two children .
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"later the elders commended the husband for his efforts .
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"they encouraged him to persevere and to rely on holy spirit to help him become a good spiritual head .
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"their loving interest and support have helped this family to let their light shine .
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"what can you expect as you let your light shine ?
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"“ happy is everyone who fears jehovah , who walks in his ways , ” sang the psalmist .
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"when you let your light shine ​ — by inviting others to serve god , by conducting yourself in a way that promotes unity , and by maintaining a watchful attitude — ​ you will find increased happiness .
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"others will see your fine works , and many will be moved to give glory to our father . ​ — matt .
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"as told by edward bazely
"
"on the west bank of the indus river , in what is now pakistan , is the ancient city of sukkur .
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"that is where i entered the world on november 9 , 1929 .
"
"about that time , my parents obtained a set of brightly colored books from an english missionary .
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"those bible - based books had a role in shaping my life as one of jehovah’s witnesses .
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"those books were called the rainbow set .
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"when i was able to examine them , i found vivid illustrations that fired my imagination .
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"as a result , from an early age , i developed a hunger for bible knowledge , such as was presented in those outstanding volumes .
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"as world war ii threatened to engulf india , my world seemed to fall apart .
"
"my parents separated and then divorced .
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"i could not understand why two people whom i loved would leave each other .
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"i felt emotionally numb and abandoned .
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"i was an only child , and i could not seem to get the comfort and support that i wanted so much .
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"my mother and i were then living in karachi , the provincial capital .
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"one day , fred hardaker , an elderly doctor who was one of jehovah’s witnesses , called at our home .
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"he was of the same faith as the missionary who had provided those books for my family .
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"he offered my mother a bible study .
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"mother declined but said that i might be interested .
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"i started studying with brother hardaker the very next week .
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"a few weeks later , i began attending christian meetings at brother hardaker’s medical clinic .
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"about 12 elderly witnesses met there for worship .
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"they comforted me and cared for me like a son .
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"i fondly remember how they sat with me , coming down to my eye level , and talked with me as genuine friends , which i so needed at the time .
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"soon brother hardaker invited me to accompany him in the field ministry .
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"he taught me to operate a portable phonograph so that we could play records containing short bible talks .
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"a few of the talks were quite direct , and some householders did not appreciate the message .
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"but i got a thrill out of witnessing to others .
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"i was full of zeal for bible truth and loved sharing it with others .
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"as the japanese army advanced on india , the british authorities put increasing pressure on jehovah’s witnesses .
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"finally , in july 1943 , that pressure affected me personally .
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"the school principal , an anglican clergyman , expelled me for being “ an unsatisfactory character . ”
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"he told my mother that my association with jehovah’s witnesses set a bad example for the other students .
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"she was horrified and barred me from associating with the witnesses .
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"later , she shipped me off to my father at peshawar , a town some 850 miles ( 1,370 km ) to the north .
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"deprived of spiritual food and association , i became spiritually inactive .
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"in 1947 , i returned to karachi in search of work .
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"while there , i visited dr . hardaker’s clinic .
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"he gave me a warm and hearty welcome .
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"“ now , what seems to be troubling you ? ”
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"he asked , thinking that i had come for medical advice .
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"“ doctor , i am not physically ill , ” i answered .
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"“ i’m spiritually sick .
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"“ when would you like to start ? ” he asked .
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"“ right now if possible , ” i replied .
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"we spent a wonderful evening studying the bible .
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"i felt as if i had come home spiritually .
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"my mother tried hard to stop me from associating with the witnesses , but this time i was determined to make the truth my own .
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"on august 31 , 1947 , i symbolized my dedication to jehovah by water baptism .
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"soon , at the age of 17 , i started to serve as a regular pioneer .
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"my first pioneer assignment was quetta , a former british military outpost .
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"in 1947 , the country was partitioned into india and pakistan .
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"* this event triggered widespread religious violence among the people , resulting in one of the largest mass migrations in history .
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"some 14 million refugees were displaced .
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"muslims in india went to pakistan , while hindus and sikhs in pakistan relocated to india .
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"amid that chaos , i boarded an overcrowded train in karachi and clung precariously to an outside handrail most of the way to quetta .
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"i attended a circuit assembly in india in 1948
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"in quetta , i met george singh , a special pioneer in his mid - 20 ’ s .
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"george gave me an old bicycle that i could ride ( or push ) around the hilly territory .
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"most of the time , i preached by myself .
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"within six months , i had 17 bible studies , and some of the students came into the truth .
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"one of them , an army officer named sadiq masih , helped george and me to translate some bible literature into urdu , the national language of pakistan .
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"in time , sadiq became a zealous publisher of the good news .
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"heading to gilead school aboard the queen elizabeth
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"later , i returned to karachi and served with henry finch and harry forrest , newly arrived missionaries from gilead school .
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"what valuable theocratic training they gave me !
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"once i accompanied brother finch on a preaching trip to northern pakistan .
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"at the foot of lofty mountain ranges , we found many humble urdu - speaking villagers who thirsted for bible truth .
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"two years later , i myself was able to attend gilead school ; i returned to pakistan as a part - time circuit overseer .
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"i was based at a missionary home in lahore , along with three other missionary brothers .
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"sadly , in 1954 , the missionaries at lahore had a clash of personalities , causing the branch office to make reassignments .
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"because i had unwisely taken sides in the dispute , i received strong counsel .
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"i felt crushed , concluding that i was a spiritual failure .
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"i moved back to karachi and then to london , england , hoping to make a fresh spiritual start .
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"in london , my congregation included many members of the london bethel family .
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"pryce hughes , the kindly branch servant , took me under his wing .
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"one day , he told me of an occasion when he received firm counsel from joseph f .
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"rutherford , who was overseeing the worldwide preaching work .
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"when brother hughes tried to justify himself , brother rutherford sternly rebuked him .
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"i was surprised to see brother hughes smile at the memory .
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"he said that the incident upset him at first .
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"but later he realized that he needed the firm counsel and that it was an expression of jehovah’s love .
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"his comments touched my heart and helped me regain my spiritual balance .
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"about that time , my mother moved to london and accepted a bible study from john e .
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"barr , who later served on the governing body .
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"she made steady spiritual progress and was baptized in 1957 .
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"later i learned that before my father died , he too studied with jehovah’s witnesses .
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"in 1958 , i married lene , a danish sister who had settled in london .
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"the next year , we were blessed with a daughter , jane , the first of our five children .
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"i also received privileges of service in the fulham congregation .
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"in time , however , lene’s poor health required that we move to a warmer climate .
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"so in 1967 , we migrated to adelaide , australia .
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"our congregation in adelaide included 12 older anointed christians .
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"they took a zealous lead in the preaching work .
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"we quickly settled into a good spiritual routine .
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"in 1979 , lene and i welcomed the arrival of our fifth child , daniel .
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"he was severely affected with down syndrome * and was not expected to live long .
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"even now i struggle to describe the anguish that we felt .
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"we threw ourselves into caring for his needs , while not neglecting our four other children .
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"daniel sometimes turned blue from lack of oxygen caused by two holes in his heart , and we had to rush him to the hospital .
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"but despite his poor health , he was very intelligent and had a loving nature .
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"he was also very spiritually inclined .
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"when our family prayed before meals , he would clasp his tiny hands , nod his head , and say a hearty “ amen ! ”
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"only then would he eat his meal .
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"when daniel was four , he developed acute leukemia .
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"lene and i were physically and emotionally exhausted .
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"i felt that i was close to a nervous breakdown .
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"yet , when we were at our lowest ebb , our circuit overseer , neville bromwich , arrived at our door .
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"that night , with tears in his eyes , he wrapped his arms around us .
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"we all wept .
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"his loving and compassionate words comforted us beyond measure .
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"he left about one o’clock the next morning .
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"soon afterward daniel died .
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"losing him was the most traumatic event in our lives .
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"nevertheless , we endured our grief , confident that nothing ​ — not even death — ​ can separate daniel from jehovah’s love .
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"today , after surviving two major strokes , i still serve as a congregation elder .
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"my experiences have instilled in me empathy and compassion for others , especially those struggling with problems .
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"i try not to judge them .
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"instead , i ask myself : ‘ how has their background shaped their emotions and thinking ?
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"how can i show them that i care ?
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"how can i encourage them to follow jehovah’s ways ? ’
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"i truly love doing shepherding work in the congregation !
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"indeed , when i comfort and refresh others spiritually , i sense that i am comforting and refreshing myself .
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"i continue to find satisfaction in making shepherding visits
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"i feel like the psalmist who declared : “ when anxieties overwhelmed me , [ jehovah ] comforted and soothed me . ”
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"he has sustained me through family difficulties , religious opposition , personal disappointments , and depression .
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"truly , jehovah has been a real father to me !
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"at first , pakistan was composed of west pakistan ( now pakistan ) and east pakistan ( now bangladesh ) .
"
"see the article “ raising a child with down syndrome ​ — the challenge and the reward ” in awake !
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"of june 2011 .
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"what are four things we can do to improve our singing ?
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"we can use good posture by holding our songbook up high .
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"we should breathe properly .
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"when we open our mouth wide and sing out , we are able to sing louder . ​ — w17.11 , p . 5 .
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"what should impress us about the locations and roads connected to the cities of refuge in israel ?
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"there were six cities of refuge distributed in the land , with good roads leading to them .
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"a man could thus find refuge relatively quickly and conveniently . ​ — w17.11 , p . 14 .
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"why is god’s gift of the ransom through jesus the best gift we could receive ? it satisfies our desire to keep living , and it fills our need to be freed from sin and death .
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"having warm feelings toward adam’s offspring , god provided jesus for us while we were yet sinners . ​ — wp17.6 , pp .
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"6 - 7 .
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"how did psalm 118 : 22 point to jesus ’ resurrection ?
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"jesus was rejected as the messiah and killed .
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"in order for him to become “ the chief cornerstone , ” he had to be resurrected . ​ — w17.12 , pp . 9 - 10 .
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"david was not jesse’s firstborn son ; yet , the messiah descended from david . ​ — w17.12 , pp .
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"14 - 15 .
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"what are some medical principles found in the bible ?
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"under the law , those with certain diseases were to be kept isolated .
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"people had to wash after touching a dead body .
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"the law required proper disposal of human waste .
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"circumcision was to be done on the eighth day of life , which was ideal with regard to the blood’s ability to clot . ​ — wp18.1 , p .
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"why is a measure of self - love fitting for a christian ?
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"we are to love our neighbor as ourselves .
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"husbands are to “ love their wives as their own bodies . ”
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"of course , self - love can become distorted . ​ — w18.01 , p . 23 .
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"what are some steps we can take to progress spiritually ?
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"we need to study god’s word and meditate on it and then apply what we learn .
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"we must also keep our mind and heart open to the influence of holy spirit and gratefully accept help from others . ​ — w18.02 , p . 26 .
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"why are astrology and fortune - telling not keys to knowing the future ?
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"there are various reasons , but the prime reason is that the bible condemns both practices . ​ — wp18.2 , pp . 4 - 5 .
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"how should we view accepting an invitation to a meal ?
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"if we have accepted an invitation , we should try to be true to our word .
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"the host likely has worked hard to prepare the meal . ​ — w18.03 , p .
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"appointed men can learn what lessons from timothy ?
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"timothy truly cared for people and put spiritual interests first .
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"he worked hard in sacred service and applied the lessons he learned .
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"he kept training himself and relied on jehovah’s spirit .
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"both elders and others can imitate his example . ​ — w18.04 , pp . 13 - 14 .
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"3 they offered themselves willingly ​ — in myanmar
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"7 whose recognition do you seek ?
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"many today are concerned with seeking recognition from this wicked world .
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"this article will discuss why we should maintain our focus on gaining the greatest form of recognition ​ — the recognition granted by jehovah to his faithful servants .
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"we will also discuss how jehovah shows this recognition , sometimes in very unexpected ways .
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"12 where are your eyes looking ?
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"in this article , we will analyze why the faithful man moses lost out on the privilege of entering the promised land .
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"we will also be helped to see how we can avoid falling into the trap that ensnared moses .
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"17 “ who is on jehovah’s side ? ”
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"22 we belong to jehovah
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"jehovah can rightfully claim ownership of all humans .
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"thus , he requires our exclusive devotion .
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"some individuals , though , pursue a course of disobedience while pretending to be faithful to god .
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"in the first article , we will draw vital lessons from the bible accounts of cain , solomon , moses , and aaron .
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"in the second article , we will consider various ways that we can show appreciation for the privilege of belonging to jehovah as his people .
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"27 cultivate compassion for “ all sorts of people ”
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"30 how to make your study of the bible more effective and enjoyable
"
"these words spoken by jesus some 2,000 years ago well describe the situation in myanmar today .
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"in myanmar , only some 4,200 publishers are spreading the good news among 55 million people .
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"however , “ the master of the harvest , ” jehovah , has touched the hearts of hundreds of brothers and sisters from different lands , and they have come to this country in southeast asia to assist in the spiritual harvest work .
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"what caused them to leave their homeland ?
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"how were they helped to make the move ?
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"and what blessings are they enjoying ?
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"some years ago , kazuhiro , a pioneer in japan , had an epileptic seizure , lost consciousness , and was taken to a hospital .
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"the doctor told him not to drive for two years .
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"kazuhiro was shocked .
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"‘ how can i keep on doing what i love ​ — pioneering ? ’ he asked himself .
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"he prayed fervently , begging jehovah to open the way for him to continue serving as a pioneer .
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"kazuhiro and mari
"
"kazuhiro relates : “ a month later , my friend who was serving in myanmar heard of my plight .
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"he called me and said : ‘ in myanmar the basic transportation is the bus .
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"if you come here , you can continue your field service without the need of a car ! ’
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"i asked my doctor if my condition would allow me to go to myanmar .
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"to my surprise , the doctor said : ‘ a brain specialist from myanmar is visiting japan right now .
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"i will introduce you to him .
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"if you ever again have a seizure , he can take care of you . ’
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"i took the doctor’s reply as an answer from jehovah . ”
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"immediately , kazuhiro sent an e - mail to the myanmar branch office and expressed his and his wife’s desire to serve in that land as pioneers .
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"just five days later , the branch responded , “ come , we need more pioneers ! ”
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"kazuhiro and his wife , mari , sold their cars , obtained their visas , and bought plane tickets .
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"today , they happily serve with the sign - language group in mandalay .
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"kazuhiro says : “ through this experience , we feel that our faith in god’s promise found at psalm 37 : 5 has been strengthened : ‘ commit your way to jehovah ; rely on him , and he will act in your behalf . ’ ”
"
"in 2014 , jehovah’s witnesses in myanmar had the privilege of hosting a special convention .
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"a number of foreign delegates attended the event .
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"one of them , monique , a sister in her mid - 30 ’ s from the united states , says : “ after returning from the convention , i prayed to jehovah about the next step i needed to take in my life .
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"also , i talked with my parents about my spiritual goals .
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"we all felt that i should return to myanmar , but it took some time and many prayers before i reached my final decision . ”
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"monique explains why .
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"monique and li
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"“ jesus encouraged his followers to ‘ calculate the expense . ’
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"so i asked myself : ‘ can i afford to make this move ?
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"will i be able to support myself in that country without spending more time on secular work ? ’ ”
"
"she admits : “ i quickly realized that i didn’t have enough money to move to the other side of the world . ”
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"so , then , how was she able to move ? ​ — luke 14 : 28 .
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"monique relates : “ one day my employer asked to see me .
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"i was nervous , thinking that i would be laid off .
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"but , instead , my employer thanked me for my good work .
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"then she told me that she had arranged for me to receive a bonus , which turned out to be the exact amount of money that i needed to free myself of my financial obligations ! ”
"
"monique has been serving in myanmar since december 2014 .
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"how does she feel about her ministry as a need - greater ?
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"“ i am so happy to be here , ” she says .
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"“ i am conducting three bible studies .
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"one of my students is 67 years old .
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"she always greets me with a smile and a big hug .
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"when she learned that god’s name is jehovah , she was moved to tears .
"
"she said : ‘ this is the first time in my life that i have heard that god’s name is jehovah .
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"you are a whole lifetime younger than i am , but you have taught me the most important thing i could ever learn . ’
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"needless to say , i too was in tears .
"
"experiences such as this one make serving where the need is greater a very satisfying life . ”
"
"recently , monique had the privilege of attending the school for kingdom evangelizers .
"
"another incentive for some to come to myanmar was the 2013 yearbook of jehovah’s witnesses account about this country .
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"a sister in her early 30 ’ s named li already lived in southeast asia .
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"she had a full - time job , but the yearbook account prompted her to consider serving in myanmar .
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"“ in 2014 when i attended the special convention in yangon , i met a married couple serving as need - greaters in the chinese field in myanmar .
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"since i speak chinese , i decided to move to myanmar to support the chinese group there .
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"i teamed up with monique , and we moved to mandalay .
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"jehovah blessed us with finding part - time teaching jobs at the same school , and we found an apartment nearby .
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"despite the hot weather and some inconveniences , i enjoy my service here .
"
"people in myanmar live a simple life , but they are polite and willing to take the time to listen to the good news .
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"it is very exciting to see how jehovah is speeding up the work .
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"i firmly believe that it is jehovah’s will for me to be right here in mandalay . ”
"
"a number of need - greaters experienced the power of prayer .
"
"take jumpei and his wife , nao , both in their mid - 30 ’ s .
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"they were already serving in a sign - language congregation in japan .
"
"why did they move to myanmar ?
"
"jumpei relates : “ my wife and i always had the goal of serving as need - greaters in a foreign country .
"
"a brother from our sign - language congregation in japan moved to myanmar .
"
"though we had only a small amount of money saved , in may 2010 we too moved .
"
"the brothers and sisters in myanmar gave us a warm welcome ! ”
"
"how does he feel about the sign - language field in myanmar ?
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"“ the interest is great .
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"when we show the sign - language videos , the deaf householders are amazed .
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"we are so glad that we made the decision to come to serve jehovah here ! ”
"
"nao and jumpei
"
"how have jumpei and nao coped financially ?
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"“ after three years , we had used up most of our savings and did not have enough money to pay the rent for the next year .
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"my wife and i said many earnest prayers .
"
"unexpectedly , we received a letter from the branch office inviting us to take up temporary special pioneer service !
"
"we trusted in jehovah , and we experienced that he did not abandon us .
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"he has been caring for us in every way . ”
"
"recently , jumpei and nao also attended the school for kingdom evangelizers .
"
"what prompted simone , a brother in his mid - 40 ’ s , originally from italy , and his wife , anna , a sister in her late 30 ’ s , originally from new zealand , to move to myanmar ?
"
"“ it was the 2013 yearbook account on myanmar ! ” answers anna .
"
"simone says : “ it is a great privilege to be in myanmar .
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"life here is so much simpler , and i can give more time to jehovah’s work .
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"it is thrilling to experience the care that jehovah gives us when we serve in an area of greater need . ”
"
"anna says : “ i am happier than i have ever been .
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"we have a simple life .
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"i spend more time with my husband , and we have become closer .
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"we have also found precious new friends .
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"people are not prejudiced toward the witnesses , and the interest in the field is amazing ! ”
"
"simone and anna
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"anna relates : “ one day , i witnessed to a university student at the market and arranged to meet her again .
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"when i did , she had brought a friend with her .
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"the next time , she brought a few more .
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"later , she brought even more people .
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"now i am studying with five of them . ”
"
"simone says : “ people in the field are friendly and curious .
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"many are interested .
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"we simply don’t have enough time to take care of all the interest . ”
"
"sachio and mizuho
"
"but what about the practical steps involved in making the decision to move to myanmar ?
"
"mizuho , from japan , relates : “ my husband , sachio , and i always wanted to serve in a country where the need was greater ​ — but where ?
"
"after reading the 2013 yearbook account about myanmar , we were so touched by the heartwarming experiences that we began to consider if serving in myanmar would be possible for us . ”
"
"adds sachio : “ we decided to make a one - week tour of yangon , the main city in myanmar , to spy out the land , so to speak .
"
"that short fact - finding trip convinced us that we should move here . ”
"
"jane , danica , rodney , and jordan
"
"rodney and his wife , jane , from australia , both in their 50 ’ s , and their son , jordan , and daughter , danica , have been serving as need - greaters in myanmar since 2010 .
"
"rodney says : “ we were deeply moved by the spiritual hunger of the people .
"
"i would absolutely recommend to other families that they try to serve in a place like myanmar . ”
"
"“ what this has done for our family spiritually is priceless !
"
"many young ones are preoccupied with their phones , cars , jobs , and so on .
"
"our children are busy learning new words to use in the ministry .
"
"they try to learn how to reason with those who are not familiar with the bible and how to give an answer during the meetings of the local congregation , and they are absorbed in many other exciting spiritual activities . ”
"
"oliver and anna
"
"oliver , a brother in his late 30 ’ s from the united states , explains why he recommends this type of service : “ serving jehovah outside my comfort zone has had many benefits .
"
"moving away from home helped me to build my confidence and trust in jehovah no matter what circumstances i find myself in .
"
"serving with those whom i had not known before but who have the same beliefs that i do has really helped me to see that there is simply nothing in this world that compares in importance to god’s kingdom . ”
"
"today , oliver and his wife , anna , continue to serve zealously in the chinese - language field .
"
"trazel
"
"trazel , a sister in her early 50 ’ s from australia , has been serving in myanmar since 2004 .
"
"she says : “ to those whose circumstances allow , i highly recommend serving where the need is greater .
"
"i have experienced that if you have the will to serve , jehovah blesses your efforts .
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"i never dreamed i would be living like this .
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"it is the most rewarding and satisfying life i could ever wish for . ”
"
"may these heartfelt words of need - greaters in myanmar encourage you to consider helping honesthearted people in untouched territories .
"
"yes , the need - greaters are calling out , “ please , step over into myanmar and help us ! ”
"
"songs : 39 , 30
"
"what is the greatest form of recognition ?
"
"what should we remember about the recognition jehovah grants ?
"
"how did jehovah show recognition to both mary and jesus ?
"
"what natural desire do we all have , and what does it include ?
"
"how do you feel when someone you know and respect forgets your name or , worse still , does not even recognize you ?
"
"such an experience can be very discouraging .
"
"it is because each one of us has a natural desire to be accepted .
"
"the type of recognition we desire goes beyond being identified by others ; we also want some acknowledgment of who we are and what we have accomplished . ​ — num . 11 : 16 ; ftn .
"
"; job 31 : 6 .
"
"how can the desire to be appreciated become distorted ?
"
"like many other natural desires , though , our desire to be appreciated can become unbalanced , distorted by our imperfections .
"
"it can make us crave inappropriate expressions of recognition .
"
"satan’s world fuels a desire for fame and acknowledgment that distracts attention from the one who truly deserves to be recognized and worshipped , our heavenly father , jehovah god . ​ — rev .
"
"in jesus ’ day , some religious leaders had the wrong view of recognition .
"
"jesus warned his followers : “ beware of the scribes who like to walk around in robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces and front [ “ best , ” ftn . ] seats in the synagogues and the most prominent places at evening meals . ”
"
"he went on to say : “ these will receive a more severe judgment . ”
"
"by contrast , jesus commended a poor widow whose small contribution was likely not recognized by others .
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"jesus ’ view of recognition was obviously very different from that of others .
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"this article will help us maintain the right view , the one that jehovah god accepts .
"
"what is the greatest form of recognition , and why ?
"
"what , then , is the greatest form of recognition that we can strive for ?
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"it is not the kind of attention that people seek in the academic , business , and entertainment fields of this world .
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"rather , it is the kind that paul described for us in these words : “ now that you have come to know god or , rather , have come to be known by god , how is it that you are turning back again to the weak and beggarly elementary things and want to slave for them over again ? ”
"
"what a wonderful privilege it is to “ come to be known by god , ” the supreme ruler of the universe !
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"he is willing to have an intimate relationship with us .
"
"as one scholar stated , we “ become objects of his favourable attention . ”
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"when jehovah acknowledges us as his friends , we achieve the very reason for our existence . ​ — eccl .
"
"how do we put ourselves in a position to be known by god ?
"
"moses experienced such a blessing .
"
"when he pleaded with jehovah to allow him to come to know his ways more fully , jehovah replied : “ i will also do this thing that you request , because you have found favor in my eyes and i know you by name . ”
"
"we likewise can receive wonderful blessings when jehovah comes to know us personally .
"
"but how can we put ourselves in a position to be known by jehovah ?
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"we do that when we come to love him and dedicate our life to him . ​ — read 1 corinthians 8 : 3 .
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"what could cause us to lose our relationship with jehovah ?
"
"however , we need to maintain our treasured relationship with our heavenly father .
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"like the galatian christians to whom paul wrote , we too need to avoid slaving for “ the weak and beggarly elementary things ” of this world , including seeking its acclaim .
"
"those first - century christians had progressed to the point of being known by god .
"
"however , paul said that the very same brothers were “ turning back again ” to empty things .
"
"paul was , in effect , saying : “ after you have come so far , why would you return to the foolish , valueless things you left behind ? ”
"
"could we find ourselves in a similar position today ?
"
"yes , we could .
"
"when we first came to know jehovah , we , like paul , may have given up prominence in satan’s world .
"
"( read philippians 3 : 7 , 8 . )
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"perhaps we gave up opportunities to receive higher education , or we may have turned down promotions or the possibility for making more money in the business world .
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"our musical talents or athletic abilities could have potentially led us to fame and wealth , but we turned our backs on all of that .
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"how unwise it would be for us now to view such good decisions as ‘ missed opportunities ’ !
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"such thinking might lead us to seek out what we already determined were among “ the weak and beggarly ” elements of this world .
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"what will strengthen our resolve to seek jehovah’s recognition ?
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"how can we strengthen our resolve to seek jehovah’s recognition and not that of the world ?
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"to do so , we need to remember two important facts .
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"first , jehovah always gives recognition to those who serve him faithfully .
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"( read hebrews 6 : 10 ; 11 : 6 ) he deeply appreciates every one of his servants , and he views it as “ unrighteous ” to ignore those who are faithful to him .
"
"jehovah always “ knows those who belong to him . ”
"
"he is “ aware of the way of the righteous ” and knows how to rescue them out of trial . ​ — ps .
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"1 : 6 ; 2 pet .
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"give examples of how jehovah has shown his approval of his people .
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"at times , jehovah has shown his approval of his people in outstanding ways .
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"take , for example , the way jehovah saved his people at the red sea when they were being pursued by pharaoh’s mighty army .
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"this event was so spectacular that people in that part of the world were still speaking about it 40 years later .
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"how encouraging it is for us to remember such displays of jehovah’s love and power as we face the long - foretold attack by gog of magog !
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"at that time , we will be especially grateful that we sought the recognition of our god and not that of the world .
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"what aspect of jehovah’s recognition must we keep in mind ?
"
"we also need to keep in mind a second important fact : jehovah may give us recognition in ways we may never expect .
"
"those who do good deeds purely to be seen by men are told that they will have no reward at all from jehovah .
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"their reward has already been paid in full when they receive praise from others .
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"( read matthew 6 : 1 - 5 . )
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"however , jesus said that his father “ looks on in secret ” at those who do not receive due credit for the good they do to others .
"
"he notices those acts and repays each person accordingly .
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"however , at times jehovah rewards us in unexpected ways .
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"how did jehovah show recognition to the young woman mary ?
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"when it came time for god’s son to be born as a human , jehovah selected a humble virgin girl , mary , to be the mother of this special child .
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"mary lived in the insignificant city of nazareth , far from jerusalem and its magnificent temple .
"
"( read luke 1 : 26 - 33 . )
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"why was mary chosen for this privilege ?
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"she was told by the angel gabriel that she had “ found favor with god . ”
"
"mary revealed her deep spirituality when she later spoke to her relative elizabeth .
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"yes , jehovah had been observing mary , and he granted her this unexpected privilege because of her faithfulness .
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"in what way was due recognition given at the time of jesus ’ birth and when he was taken to the temple 40 days later ?
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"when mary eventually gave birth to jesus , jehovah did not honor any of the prominent officials or rulers in jerusalem and bethlehem by letting them know what had happened .
"
"angels appeared to lowly shepherds who were caring for sheep in the fields outside bethlehem .
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"these shepherds then visited the newborn baby .
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"how pleasantly surprised mary and joseph must have been to see jesus honored in such a manner !
"
"consider the contrast between jehovah’s way of doing things and that of the devil .
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"when satan sent astrologers to visit jesus and his parents , all of jerusalem became agitated at the news of jesus ’ birth .
"
"this very public announcement of jesus ’ birth ultimately resulted in the death of many innocent children . ​ — matt .
"
"forty days after jesus ’ birth , mary was required to present an offering to jehovah at the temple in jerusalem , about six miles ( 9 km ) from bethlehem .
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"as mary traveled with joseph and jesus , she may have wondered if the officiating priest would make some special acknowledgment of jesus ’ future role .
"
"recognition did come , but not in the way mary may have expected .
"
"instead , jehovah used a “ righteous and devout ” man named simeon , along with an 84 - year - old widow , the prophetess anna , to acknowledge that this child would become the promised messiah , or christ . ​ — luke 2 : 25 - 38 .
"
"what blessings did mary receive from jehovah ?
"
"what about mary ? did jehovah continue to show her due recognition for faithfully caring for and raising his son ?
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"god had her actions and words recorded in the bible .
"
"apparently , mary was not in a position to travel with jesus during the three and a half years of his ministry .
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"perhaps as a widow , mary had to stay in nazareth .
"
"but even though she missed out on many privileges , she was able to be with jesus at the time of his death .
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"later , though , mary was in jerusalem along with the disciples during the days leading up to pentecost when holy spirit was poured out .
"
"she was likely anointed along with the others present .
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"if so , this would mean that she was given the opportunity to be in heaven with jesus for all eternity .
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"what a beautiful reward for her faithful service !
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"while jesus was on earth , how did jehovah show his approval of his son ?
"
"jesus did not crave to be honored by the religious or political leaders of his day .
"
"but how encouraged he must have been when jehovah acknowledged him on three separate occasions by speaking directly from heaven .
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"just after jesus ’ baptism in the jordan river , jehovah said : “ this is my son , the beloved , whom i have approved . ”
"
"evidently , john the baptist was the only other person who heard those words .
"
"then , about a year before jesus ’ death , three of his apostles heard jehovah say about jesus : “ this is my son , the beloved , whom i have approved .
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"finally , just a few days before jesus ’ death , jehovah again spoke to his son from heaven . ​ — john 12 : 28 .
"
"what do you learn from the way jehovah showed his son due recognition ?
"
"how did jehovah honor jesus in an unexpected manner ?
"
"even though jesus knew that he would experience a shameful death , falsely branded as a blasphemer , he prayed that jehovah’s will be done and not his .
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"“ he endured a torture stake , despising shame , ” not seeking recognition from the world , but only from his father .
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"how did jehovah show that recognition ?
"
"while on earth , jesus expressed his desire to return to the glory he once had in heaven with his father .
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"nothing indicates that jesus was hoping for more than that .
"
"he was not expecting some sort of heavenly “ upgrade . ”
"
"but what did jehovah do ?
"
"he honored jesus in an unexpected way by resurrecting him to “ a superior position ” and giving him what no one else had received up until that time ​ — immortal spirit life !
"
"* what an outstanding acknowledgment of jesus ’ faithful course !
"
"what will help us to avoid seeking approval from this world ?
"
"keep close in mind that jehovah always gives recognition to his faithful servants and that he often rewards them in unexpected ways .
"
"who knows what unexpected blessings await us in the future ?
"
"but for now , as we endure the hardships and trials of this wicked world , let us always remember that this world , along with any recognition it may offer , is passing away .
"
"our loving father , jehovah , ‘ is not unrighteous so as to forget our work and the love we show for his name . ’
"
"yes , he will show us favor ​ — perhaps even in ways we cannot imagine now !
"
"in other bible translations , the word for “ beggarly ” is rendered “ useless , ” “ bankrupt , ” “ destitute , ” and “ miserable . ”
"
"this may have been an unexpected blessing , since immortality is not mentioned in the hebrew scriptures .
"
"“ to you i raise my eyes , you who are enthroned in the heavens . ” ​ — ps .
"
"123 : 1 .
"
"songs : 143 , 124
"
"in what sense should our eyes look to jehovah ?
"
"why did moses lose his privilege of entering the promised land ?
"
"what lessons do we learn from what happened to moses ?
"
"what is involved in fixing our eyes on jehovah ?
"
"we are living in “ critical times ” that are “ hard to deal with , ” and life is going to become even more difficult before a new day dawns and true peace is restored to this earth .
"
"so we do well to ask ourselves , ‘ where am i looking for help and direction ? ’
"
"our immediate answer may be , “ to jehovah , ” and that is the best response .
"
"what is involved in looking to jehovah ?
"
"and how can we make sure that our eyes remain fixed on him as we face life’s complex challenges ?
"
"centuries ago , a psalmist acknowledged the need for us to raise our eyes to jehovah for help in times of need .
"
"( read psalm 123 : 1 - 4 . )
"
"he compared our looking to jehovah with the way a servant looks to his master .
"
"what did the psalmist mean by that ?
"
"well , not only does a servant look to his master for food and protection but the servant needs constantly to watch his master to discern his wishes and then to carry them out .
"
"in a similar way , we daily need to search god’s word to ascertain what jehovah’s will is for us personally and then to follow that direction .
"
"only then can we be sure that jehovah will show us favor in our time of need . ​ — eph .
"
"what can distract us from keeping our eyes fixed on jehovah ?
"
"although we know the importance of continually looking to jehovah , we may at times become distracted .
"
"that is exactly what happened to jesus ’ close friend martha .
"
"she became “ distracted with attending to many duties . ”
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"if that could happen to such a faithful person when jesus was physically with her , we should not be surprised if the same thing could happen to us .
"
"what , then , can distract us from keeping our eyes fixed on jehovah ?
"
"in this article , we will examine how the actions of others could distract us .
"
"we will also learn how to remain focused on jehovah .
"
"why might we be surprised that moses lost the privilege of entering the promised land ?
"
"moses certainly looked to jehovah for direction and guidance .
"
"indeed , “ he continued steadfast as seeing the one who is invisible . ”
"
"the bible record tells us that “ there has never again arisen a prophet in israel like moses , whom jehovah knew face - to - face . ”
"
"but even though moses had such a close relationship with jehovah , he still lost the privilege of entering the promised land .
"
"what caused moses to stumble ?
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"what problem arose shortly after the israelites left egypt , and how did moses handle the situation ?
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"less than two months after the israelites left egypt , a serious problem arose ​ — even before they arrived at mount sinai .
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"the people started to complain about a lack of water .
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"they began to murmur against moses , and the situation became so serious that moses cried out to jehovah : “ what should i do with this people ?
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"a little longer and they will stone me ! ”
"
"jehovah responded by giving moses clear instructions .
"
"he was to take his rod and strike the rock in horeb , and then water would come gushing out .
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"we read : “ moses did so before the eyes of the elders of israel . ”
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"the israelites drank their fill , and the problem was solved . ​ — ex .
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"17 : 5 , 6 .
"
"the inspired record goes on to tell us that moses “ named the place massah and meribah because of the quarreling of the israelites and because they put jehovah to the test by saying : ‘ is jehovah in our midst or not ? ’ ”
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"those names were appropriate because they mean “ testing ” and “ quarreling . ”
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"how did jehovah feel about what happened there at meribah ?
"
"he viewed the actions of the israelites as a challenge to his godship , not just a rebellion against moses .
"
"( read psalm 95 : 8 , 9 . )
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"the israelites were clearly in the wrong .
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"on that occasion , moses reacted correctly by looking to jehovah and then carefully following his direction .
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"what problem arose toward the end of the 40 - year journey through the wilderness ?
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"what happened , though , when a similar event occurred some 40 years later , toward the end of the journey through the wilderness ?
"
"the israelites again found themselves in a location that came to be called meribah .
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"but this was a different site , one near kadesh , close to the border of the promised land .
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"* the israelites once again complained about the lack of water .
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"but on this occasion , things turned out differently for moses .
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"what instructions did moses receive , but what did he do ?
"
"how did moses react to this rebellion ?
"
"once again he turned his eyes to jehovah for direction .
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"but this time jehovah did not tell him to strike the rock .
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"moses was told to take his rod , gather the people before the crag , and then speak to the crag .
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"moses did not , however , speak to that rock , or crag .
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"rather , he vented his frustration by shouting out to those gathered there : “ hear , now , you rebels !
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"he then struck the crag not just once but twice . ​ — num .
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"20 : 10 , 11 .
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"how did jehovah react to moses ’ actions ?
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"jehovah became angry , even furious , with moses .
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"why did jehovah react in that way ?
"
"a number of factors may have been involved .
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"as mentioned above , jehovah may have been indignant because moses failed to follow the new directions he had received .
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"how might moses ’ action of striking the rock have detracted from the miracle jehovah performed ?
"
"there is another possibility .
"
"rock formations around the location of the first meribah are solid granite .
"
"regardless of how hard someone strikes granite , no one expects water to flow from it .
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"however , cliff formations around the second meribah are very different , usually consisting of softer limestone .
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"because of the porous nature of limestone , such areas often have underground reservoirs of water that can be tapped as a water supply .
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"could it be that when moses struck such porous rock twice , he opened himself up to the accusation that the resulting flow of water was due to natural causes rather than to jehovah ?
"
"by striking the rock instead of speaking to it , was moses , as it were , taking some of the miracle out of the miracle ?
"
"* we cannot be certain .
"
"for what other reason might jehovah have been angry with moses and aaron ?
"
"there is another plausible explanation for jehovah’s anger with moses as well as aaron .
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"notice what moses said to the people : “ must we bring out water for you from this crag ? ”
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"by using the word “ we , ” moses was likely referring to himself and aaron .
"
"those words indicated a gross lack of respect for jehovah as the true source of that miracle .
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"this possibility seems to be confirmed by what we read at psalm 106 : 32 , 33 : “ they provoked him at the waters of meribah , and it went badly for moses because of them .
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"they embittered his spirit , and he spoke rashly with his lips . ”
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"* whatever the case , moses ’ actions detracted from the honor due jehovah .
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"speaking to moses and aaron , jehovah said : “ you both rebelled against my order . ”
"
"a serious sin indeed !
"
"why was the judgment jehovah made concerning moses both appropriate and consistent ?
"
"as leaders among jehovah’s people , moses and aaron had a greater measure of accountability .
"
"previously , jehovah had denied a whole generation of israelites entrance into the land of canaan because of their rebelliousness .
"
"so it was both appropriate and consistent for jehovah to make the same judgment with regard to moses because of his rebellious act .
"
"just like the other rebels , he was not allowed to enter the promised land .
"
"what caused moses to rebel ?
"
"what led moses to adopt such a rebellious attitude ?
"
"notice psalm 106 : 32 , 33 once again : “ they provoked him at the waters of meribah , and it went badly for moses because of them .
"
"although the israelites provoked jehovah , it was moses who became embittered .
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"his lack of self - control led him to speak without considering the consequences .
"
"moses allowed the actions of others to distract him from keeping his eyes fixed on jehovah .
"
"moses handled the first incident correctly .
"
"yet , it is possible that after dealing for decades with the rebellious israelites , he had become tired and frustrated .
"
"was moses thinking mainly of his own feelings instead of how he could glorify jehovah ?
"
"why should we be concerned about moses ’ actions ?
"
"if such a faithful prophet as moses could be distracted and stumbled , the same thing could easily happen to us .
"
"like moses , we are about to enter a symbolic land , the new world that jehovah has promised us .
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"none of us want to miss out on that special privilege .
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"to fulfill our goal , though , we need to keep our eyes fixed on jehovah , always seeking to do his will .
"
"what lessons should we learn from moses ’ mistake ?
"
"what will help us not to give in to frustration ?
"
"do not give in to frustration .
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"even when we find ourselves dealing with the same problems over and over again , “ let us not give up in doing what is fine , for in due time we will reap if we do not tire out . ”
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"when faced with frustrating situations or recurring personality conflicts , do we control our lips and our temper ?
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"when provoked by others , we need to learn to “ yield place to the wrath . ”
"
"whose wrath ?
"
"jehovah’s wrath .
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"( read romans 12 : 17 - 21 . )
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"if we keep looking to jehovah , we will show him due respect by yielding to his wrath , patiently waiting for him to take action when he deems it necessary .
"
"to do otherwise and avenge ourselves in some way would be tantamount to disrespecting jehovah .
"
"what do we need to remember when it comes to following directions ?
"
"carefully follow the latest directions .
"
"do we faithfully follow the latest directions that jehovah has given us ?
"
"if so , we will not rely on always doing things the way we have done them in the past .
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"rather , we will be quick to follow any new direction that jehovah provides through his organization .
"
"at the same time , we will be careful that we “ do not go beyond the things that are written . ”
"
"in so doing , we keep our eyes fixed on jehovah .
"
"what lesson should we learn from moses ’ reaction to the mistakes of others ?
"
"how can we avoid damaging our relationship with jehovah even though we may be dealing with the mistakes of others ?
"
"do not allow the mistakes of others to damage your relationship with jehovah .
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"if we keep our figurative eyes focused on jehovah , we will not allow the actions of others to embitter us or damage our relationship with him .
"
"this is especially important if , like moses , we have a measure of responsibility in god’s organization .
"
"while it is true that each of us needs to ‘ keep working out his own salvation with fear and trembling , ’ we must remember that jehovah does not have one rigid , inflexible standard by which he judges us .
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"rather , the more responsibility we have , the greater our accountability .
"
"but if we truly love jehovah , nothing will stumble us or separate us from his love . ​ — ps .
"
"119 : 165 ; rom .
"
"8 : 37 - 39 .
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"in these challenging times , may our eyes be raised continually to the one who is “ enthroned in the heavens , ” so that we can perceive his will .
"
"may we never allow our relationship with jehovah to be negatively affected by the actions of others .
"
"the example of what happened to moses reinforces the importance of this in our mind and heart .
"
"rather than overreacting to the imperfections of those around us , let it be our determination that “ our eyes look to jehovah our god until he shows us favor . ” ​ — ps .
"
"123 : 1 , 2 .
"
"this was a different location from the meribah that was near rephidim .
"
"however , both locations were named meribah because of the quarreling that occurred there . ​ — see the map in appendix b3 in the new world translation of the holy scriptures .
"
"professor john a .
"
"beck says of this account : “ according to one jewish tradition , the rebels criticize moses with these words : ‘ moses knows the properties of this particular rock !
"
"if he wishes to prove his miraculous powers , let him bring out water for us from this other one . ’ ”
"
"this is , of course , only a tradition .
"
"see the watchtower , october 15 , 1987 , “ questions from readers . ”
"
"yes , if there are no extenuating circumstances , a judicial committee would be formed on the basis of strong circumstantial evidence of sexual immorality . ​ — 1 cor .
"
"the body of elders carefully evaluates each situation to determine whether a judicial committee is warranted .
"
"for example : have the couple been pursuing a romantic relationship ?
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"have they been previously counseled regarding their conduct with each other ?
"
"what circumstances led to their spending the night together ?
"
"did they plan ahead to do so ?
"
"did they have a choice in the matter , or were there extenuating circumstances , perhaps an unforeseen occurrence or genuine emergency that left them with no choice but to spend the night together ?
"
"what were the sleeping arrangements ?
"
"since each situation is different , there may be other relevant factors that the elders will consider .
"
"after the facts are established , the body of elders will determine whether the couple’s conduct warrants judicial action .
"
"this reenactment shows the circumstances under which a bible study is conducted in bulgarian prisons with interested inmates
"
"“ jehovah your god you should fear , him you should serve , to him you should cling . ” ​ — deut .
"
"10 : 20 .
"
"songs : 28 , 32
"
"while professing to worship jehovah , how did cain and solomon lose jehovah’s favor ?
"
"how did moses and aaron seize opportunities to show that they were on jehovah’s side ?
"
"how can we fully benefit from jehovah’s mercy and forgiveness ?
"
"1 , 2 . ( a ) why is it wise to be on jehovah’s side ?
"
"it makes sense to cling to jehovah .
"
"no one is more powerful , wise , or loving than our god !
"
"who of us would not want to be on his side ?
"
"still , some of god’s worshippers have wavered when a situation called for them to take sides with jehovah .
"
"in this article , we will consider examples of individuals who claimed to be on jehovah’s side while at the same time following a course that offended him .
"
"these accounts contain vital lessons that can help us remain fully loyal to jehovah .
"
"why did jehovah reach out to cain , and what did he tell him ?
"
"consider the case of cain .
"
"he did not profess to worship any other god but jehovah .
"
"cain’s worship , however , was not acceptable to god .
"
"there were seeds of wickedness growing deep within his heart .
"
"jehovah reached out to cain and told him : “ if you turn to doing good , will you not be restored to favor ?
"
"jehovah was , in effect , telling cain , “ if you repent and take a firm stand on my side , i will , in turn , be on your side . ”
"
"given the opportunity to be on jehovah’s side , what did cain do ?
"
"if only cain would correct his thinking , jehovah would restore him to favor .
"
"but cain did not listen to the counsel .
"
"wrong thinking and selfish desire led him to wrong actions .
"
"in his youth , cain may never have imagined that he would take a stand against jehovah .
"
"in time , however , he did the unimaginable ​ — he rebelled against god and killed his own brother !
"
"what kind of thinking could cause us to lose jehovah’s favor ?
"
"like cain , a christian today could be following the wrong path even while professing to worship jehovah .
"
"for instance , one could nurture immoral fantasies , greedy thoughts , or hateful feelings toward a fellow christian .
"
"this thinking can lead to sinful actions .
"
"all the while , one could be active in the ministry and regular at congregation meetings .
"
"other humans may not be aware of our thoughts and conduct , but jehovah sees all things and knows if we are not wholeheartedly on his side . ​ — read jeremiah 17 : 9 , 10 .
"
"how does jehovah help us to “ get the mastery over ” sinful inclinations when we take a firm stand on his side ?
"
"even so , jehovah is not quick to give up on us .
"
"when a person’s steps lead him away from god , jehovah urges him : “ return to me , and i will return to you . ”
"
"especially when we struggle with weaknesses , jehovah wants us to take a stand against badness .
"
"if we do , he will in turn prove to be on our side by giving us the spiritual , emotional , and physical strength needed to “ get the mastery over ” our sinful inclinations . ​ — gen .
"
"how did solomon lose his good standing with jehovah ?
"
"we can learn much from the example of king solomon .
"
"during his younger years , solomon looked to jehovah for guidance .
"
"god gave him great wisdom and entrusted him with the building of a magnificent temple in jerusalem .
"
"but solomon lost his friendship with jehovah .
"
"god’s law specifically prohibited a hebrew king from taking “ many wives for himself , so that his heart [ might ] not go astray . ”
"
"solomon disobeyed , eventually marrying 700 women .
"
"he brought into his household an additional 300 concubines .
"
"many of his wives were non - israelites , who worshipped false gods .
"
"hence , solomon also disobeyed god’s law against marrying foreign women . ​ — deut .
"
"to what extreme did solomon offend jehovah ?
"
"solomon’s gradual departure from jehovah’s requirements led him in time to extreme wrongdoing .
"
"solomon built an altar to the idol goddess ashtoreth and at least one other altar to the false god chemosh .
"
"there he joined his wives in pagan worship .
"
"he built those altars on , of all places , a mountain located directly in front of jerusalem , where he had built jehovah’s temple !
"
"perhaps solomon fooled himself into thinking that jehovah would overlook his disobedience as long as he also continued to offer sacrifices at the temple .
"
"what resulted from solomon’s disregard for god’s warnings ?
"
"but jehovah never overlooks wrongdoing .
"
"the bible reports : “ jehovah became furious at solomon , because his heart had inclined away from jehovah . . . , who had appeared to him twice and had warned him about this very thing , that he should not go after other gods .
"
"but he did not obey what jehovah had commanded . ”
"
"as a result , god withdrew his approval and support .
"
"solomon’s heirs lost the unified kingdom of israel and suffered many calamities for generations to come . ​ — 1 ki .
"
"11 : 9 - 13 .
"
"what can threaten our good standing with jehovah ?
"
"as in solomon’s case , one of the greatest threats to spirituality is friendship with those who do not understand or respect jehovah’s standards .
"
"some may be associated with the congregation but may be spiritually weak .
"
"others could be relatives , neighbors , coworkers , or schoolmates who are not worshippers of jehovah .
"
"in any case , if our close associates do not show a high regard for jehovah’s standards , they can in time destroy our good standing with god .
"
"what effect are your associates having on your relationship with jehovah ?
"
"what can help us to determine whether an associate should be avoided ?
"
"read 1 corinthians 15 : 33 .
"
"most people have some good qualities , and many outside the congregation do not engage in blatant misconduct .
"
"if that is true of your acquaintances , can you assume that they are good associations ?
"
"ask yourself what effect their companionship will have on your relationship with jehovah . will they improve it ?
"
"what is in their heart ?
"
"for example , are their conversations almost exclusively about fashion , money , gadgets , entertainment , or other material pursuits ?
"
"does their speech often include disparaging comments about others or obscene jesting ?
"
"jesus aptly warned : “ out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks . ”
"
"if you realize that your associates pose a threat to your good standing with jehovah , act decisively by limiting and if necessary ending such friendships . ​ — prov .
"
"( a ) what did jehovah make clear to the israelites shortly after they left egypt ?
"
"( b ) how did the israelites respond to god’s requirement for exclusive devotion ?
"
"additional lessons can be learned from what took place shortly after the israelites were freed from egypt .
"
"the people gathered in front of mount sinai .
"
"there jehovah made his presence strikingly real .
"
"a miraculous dark cloud formed .
"
"jehovah produced thunder , lightning , smoke , and what seemed to be the loud and constant sound of a horn .
"
"in this setting , jehovah revealed himself to the israelites as “ a god who requires exclusive devotion . ”
"
"he assured them that he would be loyal to those who love him and keep his commandments .
"
"( read exodus 20 : 1 - 6 . )
"
"in effect , jehovah was telling his people , “ if you prove to be on my side , i will prove to be on your side . ”
"
"how would you respond to such a promise of loyalty from jehovah god ?
"
"you would surely do as the israelites did .
"
"they “ answered with one voice : ‘ all the words that jehovah has spoken , we are willing to do . ’ ”
"
"soon , however , something unexpected put the israelites ’ loyalty to the test .
"
"what circumstances put the loyalty of the israelites to the test ?
"
"the israelites had been frightened by the dark cloud , the lightning , and the other awe - inspiring signs from god .
"
"at their request , moses agreed to be their spokesperson for all communication with jehovah on mount sinai .
"
"moses was on the mountaintop for a long time .
"
"were the israelites now stranded in the wilderness without their trustworthy leader ?
"
"apparently , the people’s faith was too dependent on moses ’ visible presence .
"
"they became anxious and told aaron : “ make for us a god who will go ahead of us , because we do not know what has happened to this moses , the man who led us up out of the land of egypt . ” ​ — ex .
"
"what did the israelites fool themselves into thinking , and what was jehovah’s reaction ?
"
"the people knew that idolatry was a serious offense against jehovah .
"
"but soon they were worshipping a golden calf !
"
"despite this obvious act of disobedience , the israelites somehow fooled themselves into thinking that they were still on jehovah’s side .
"
"why , aaron even called their calf worship “ a festival to jehovah ” !
"
"he felt betrayed . jehovah told moses that the people had “ corrupted themselves ” and had “ deviated from the way [ he ] commanded them to go . ”
"
"in his “ burning anger , ” jehovah even considered wiping out the newly formed nation of israel . ​ — ex .
"
"32 : 5 - 10 .
"
"how did moses and aaron show that they were firmly on jehovah’s side ?
"
"jehovah decided not to eliminate the israelites .
"
"his mercy gave loyal worshippers an opportunity to take a firm stand on his side .
"
"after witnessing the unrestrained behavior of the people ​ — shouting , singing , and dancing before an idol — ​ moses crushed the golden calf into powder .
"
"he then proclaimed : “ who is on jehovah’s side ?
"
"in response , “ all the levites gathered around ” moses . ​ — ex .
"
"32 : 17 - 20 , 26 .
"
"although initially involved in setting up the idol , aaron repented and joined the rest of the levites on jehovah’s side .
"
"these loyal ones were not just taking sides with jehovah but were at the same time separating themselves from the wrongdoers .
"
"that was a wise move ; that day thousands lost their lives because of their idolatry .
"
"however , those who were on jehovah’s side were promised a blessing . ​ — ex .
"
"32 : 27 - 29 .
"
"what do paul’s words about the golden calf episode teach us ?
"
"the apostle paul drew attention to the golden calf episode and warned : “ these things became examples for us , in order for us not to . . . become idolaters , as some of them did .
"
"[ the examples ] were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have come .
"
"so let the one who thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall . ”
"
"as paul pointed out , even true worshippers could become involved in wrong practices .
"
"those who give in to temptation may think that they still have a good standing with jehovah .
"
"but merely wanting to be jehovah’s friend or claiming to be loyal to him does not always mean that one is actually approved by jehovah . ​ — 1 cor .
"
"10 : 1 - 5 .
"
"what could cause us to drift away from jehovah , and with what consequences ?
"
"just as the israelites became anxious over moses ’ delay in coming down from sinai , christians today may feel anxious over the seeming delay of jehovah’s day of judgment and the coming of the new world .
"
"the fulfillment of these promises may seem too far off in the future or too good to be true .
"
"left unchecked , such thinking can lead us to put fleshly pursuits ahead of jehovah’s will .
"
"in time , we could drift away from jehovah and eventually engage in practices that we would never have considered being involved in when we were in good spiritual health .
"
"what fundamental truth should we never forget , and why ?
"
"never should we forget that jehovah requires wholehearted obedience and exclusive devotion .
"
"any wandering away from jehovah’s worship really means doing satan’s will , and that could lead only to disaster .
"
"hence , paul reminds us : “ you cannot be drinking the cup of jehovah and the cup of demons ; you cannot be partaking of ‘ the table of jehovah ’ and the table of demons . ” ​ — 1 cor .
"
"even after we take a false step , how can jehovah help us ?
"
"the bible accounts about cain , solomon , and the israelites at mount sinai have a noteworthy element in common .
"
"these individuals had opportunity to “ repent . . . and turn around . ”
"
"clearly , jehovah is not quick to give up on those who take a false step .
"
"in aaron’s case , jehovah extended forgiveness .
"
"today , warnings from jehovah may come in the form of a bible account , bible - based publications , or kind advice from a fellow christian .
"
"when we heed the warnings , we are assured of jehovah’s mercy .
"
"what should we be determined to do when our loyalty to jehovah is put to the test ?
"
"jehovah’s undeserved kindness has a purpose .
"
"it gives us an opportunity “ to reject ungodliness and worldly desires . ”
"
"as long as we live “ amid this present system of things , ” we will face situations that will put our exclusive devotion to jehovah to the test .
"
"may we always be ready to take a firm stand on his side , for it is ‘ jehovah our god we should fear , him we should serve , and to him we should cling ’ ! ​ — deut .
"
"“ happy is the nation whose god is jehovah , the people he has chosen as his own possession . ” ​ — ps .
"
"songs : 40 , 50
"
"what are some of the things we accomplish through dedication and baptism ?
"
"why should it be obvious to others that we are exclusively devoted to jehovah ?
"
"why is it important to be hospitable , generous , forgiving , and kind to fellow worshippers ?
"
"why can jehovah rightfully claim ownership of everything ?
"
"everything belongs to jehovah !
"
"he owns “ the heavens , even the heavens of the heavens , and the earth with all that is in it . ”
"
"hence , by reason of their very existence , all humans belong to jehovah .
"
"yet , throughout human history , god has designated specific groups of people as belonging to him in a special way .
"
"who have been identified in the bible as belonging to jehovah in a special way ?
"
"for example , psalm 135 refers to faithful worshippers of jehovah in ancient israel as “ his special property . ”
"
"also , the book of hosea foretold that some non - israelites would become jehovah’s people .
"
"hosea’s prophecy was fulfilled when jehovah included non - jews in his selection of prospective corulers with christ .
"
"this “ holy nation ” is jehovah’s “ special possession ” in an outstanding way , its members having been anointed with holy spirit and chosen for life in heaven .
"
"what about the majority of faithful christians today who have an earthly hope ?
"
"jehovah also calls them his “ people ” and his “ chosen ones . ” ​ — isa .
"
"65 : 22 .
"
"( a ) who enjoy a favored relationship with jehovah today ?
"
"today , the “ little flock , ” with a heavenly hope , and the “ other sheep , ” with an earthly hope , compose the “ one flock ” that jehovah highly regards as his people .
"
"we surely want to show deep appreciation to jehovah for granting us such a favored relationship with him .
"
"this article will consider various ways in which we can show our gratitude to jehovah for giving us that special honor .
"
"what is one way we can thank jehovah for making it possible for us to have a relationship with him , and how did jesus do something similar ?
"
"we show appreciation to jehovah by wholeheartedly dedicating ourselves to him .
"
"by water baptism , we formally and publicly acknowledge jehovah’s ownership of us and our willingness to subject ourselves to him .
"
"jesus did something similar when at his baptism he , in effect , said to jehovah : “ to do your will , o my god , is my desire . ”
"
"jesus presented himself to do jehovah’s will , even though since birth he had been part of a nation dedicated to god .
"
"5 , 6 . ( a ) how did jehovah respond when jesus was baptized ?
"
"( b ) illustrate why jehovah appreciates our dedication , even though everything belongs to him .
"
"how did jehovah respond to jesus ’ baptism ?
"
"the heavens were opened up , and he saw god’s spirit descending like a dove and coming upon him .
"
"although jesus already belonged to his heavenly father , jehovah was delighted to see his son’s willingness to do his will exclusively .
"
"jehovah is likewise pleased to accept our dedication , and he will honor us with his blessing . ​ — ps .
"
"149 : 4 .
"
"to illustrate , imagine that a man has planted many beautiful flowers in his garden .
"
"one day his little girl picks one of those flowers and offers it to him as a gift .
"
"did not the flower already belong to the man ?
"
"how could she give him something that he already owned ?
"
"a loving father would not even think of such questions .
"
"rather , he would be delighted to accept the gift as a token of his daughter’s love for him .
"
"jehovah is no less delighted when we willingly devote ourselves to him exclusively . ​ — ex .
"
"how did malachi highlight jehovah’s feelings toward those who willingly serve him ?
"
"read malachi 3 : 16 .
"
"if you are not yet dedicated and baptized , consider the significance of taking such a step .
"
"granted , from the moment you came into existence , you belonged to jehovah , along with the rest of mankind .
"
"yet , think how greatly it would please jehovah if in recognition of his sovereignty , you were to dedicate yourself to him and do his will .
"
"jehovah , in turn , recognizes those who willingly serve him , and he writes their names in his “ book of remembrance . ”
"
"what does jehovah require from those whose names are inscribed in his “ book of remembrance ” ?
"
"having our name inscribed in jehovah’s “ book of remembrance ” as his people comes with certain obligations .
"
"malachi specifically stated that we must ‘ fear jehovah and meditate on his name . ’
"
"giving our worshipful devotion to anyone or anything else would result in our name being removed from jehovah’s figurative book of life . ​ — ex .
"
"32 : 33 ; ps .
"
"69 : 28 .
"
"hence , our dedication to jehovah involves much more than a solemn promise to do his will and to submit to water baptism .
"
"these actions are brief , and they quickly become part of the past .
"
"our stand on jehovah’s side as his people requires an ongoing demonstration of our obedience to him both in the present and in the future ​ — for as long as we live . ​ — 1 pet .
"
"what clear distinction must exist between those who serve jehovah and those who do not ?
"
"the preceding article considered the bible accounts of cain , solomon , and the israelites .
"
"all of them professed to worship jehovah , but their devotion to him was far from exclusive .
"
"these examples clearly establish that those who truly belong to jehovah must firmly take their stand for righteousness and against wickedness .
"
"appropriately , after malachi mentioned the “ book of remembrance , ” jehovah spoke of “ the distinction between a righteous person and a wicked person , between one serving god and one not serving him . ” ​ — mal .
"
"here , then , is another way we can show appreciation to jehovah for choosing us as his people .
"
"our spiritual progress must be “ plainly seen by all . ”
"
"ask yourself : ‘ is my complete allegiance to jehovah evident to others ?
"
"do i look for opportunities to identify myself as one of jehovah’s witnesses ? ’
"
"jehovah would be deeply saddened if after he has selected us as his people , we were to hesitate to let others know that we belong to him . ​ — ps . 119 : 46 ; read mark 8 : 38 .
"
"does your lifestyle clearly identify you as one of jehovah’s witnesses ?
"
"how have some obscured their identity as jehovah’s witnesses ?
"
"sad to say , some individuals have blurred ‘ the distinction between their serving god and their not serving him ’ by imitating “ the spirit of the world . ”
"
"that is a spirit that caters to ‘ the desires of one’s flesh . ’
"
"for example , despite all the counsel that has been given on the subject , some still prefer styles of dress and grooming that are immodest .
"
"they wear tight - fitting and revealing clothing , even to christian gatherings .
"
"or they have adopted extreme haircuts and hairdos .
"
"as a result , when they are in a crowd , it may be difficult to tell who belongs to jehovah and who is “ a friend of the world . ” ​ — jas .
"
"in other ways , some witnesses have not firmly rejected worldly conduct .
"
"their dancing and actions at parties go beyond what is acceptable for christians .
"
"they post on social media photos of themselves and comments that are unbecoming to spiritual people .
"
"they may not have been disciplined in the christian congregation for a serious sin , but they can be a negative influence on their peers who are striving to maintain fine conduct among jehovah’s people . ​ — read 1 peter 2 : 11 , 12 .
"
"do not let yourself be affected by those who are not taking a firm stand on jehovah’s side
"
"what course of action is vital if we are to protect our special friendship with jehovah ?
"
"the world aggressively promotes “ the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life . ”
"
"yet , because we belong to jehovah , we are admonished to “ reject ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with soundness of mind and righteousness and godly devotion amid this present system of things . ”
"
"our speech , our eating and drinking habits , our dress and grooming , our work ethic ​ — everything we do — ​ should tell onlookers that we are exclusively devoted to jehovah . ​ — read 1 corinthians 10 : 31 , 32 .
"
"why should we treat fellow worshippers with kindness and love ?
"
"our appreciation for jehovah’s special friendship is shown in how we treat fellow worshippers .
"
"they too belong to jehovah .
"
"if we never lose sight of that fact , we will always treat our brothers and sisters with kindness and love .
"
"what example from the mosaic law illustrates jehovah’s feelings toward his people ?
"
"to illustrate how we should treat one another in the congregation , consider the following .
"
"the utensils in jehovah’s temple were dedicated , or set aside , exclusively for pure worship .
"
"the mosaic law outlined in detail how to care for these utensils , and violators were subject to death .
"
"if jehovah so jealously protected lifeless implements used in his worship , how much more would he protect his dedicated loyal worshippers whom he has chosen as his people !
"
"speaking to his people , jehovah once declared : “ whoever touches you touches the pupil of my eye . ” ​ — zech .
"
"jehovah is “ paying attention and listening ” to what ?
"
"interestingly , malachi depicted jehovah as “ paying attention and listening ” as his people interact with one another .
"
"he is keenly aware of every single thing we do and say .
"
"when we are less than kind to our fellow worshippers , jehovah is “ paying attention and listening . ”
"
"when we are hospitable , generous , forgiving , and kind to one another , we can be sure that jehovah takes notice of that as well . ​ — heb .
"
"13 : 16 ; 1 pet .
"
"how can we show appreciation for the honor of being jehovah’s people ?
"
"surely we are eager to show our appreciation to jehovah for the honor of being his people .
"
"we see the wisdom in acknowledging his ownership of us by voluntarily dedicating ourselves to him .
"
"even while living “ in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation , ” we want people to see that we are “ blameless and innocent , . . . shining as illuminators in the world . ”
"
"we take a firm stand against badness .
"
"and we love and respect our fellow worshippers , recognizing that they too belong to jehovah . ​ — rom .
"
"how does jehovah reward those who belong to him ?
"
"the bible promises : “ jehovah will not forsake his people . ”
"
"this ironclad guarantee is binding despite any calamity that might befall us .
"
"even death cannot stand in the way of jehovah’s love for us .
"
"“ if we live , we live to jehovah , and if we die , we die to jehovah .
"
"so both if we live and if we die , we belong to jehovah . ”
"
"we eagerly look forward to the day when jehovah will bring to life all his loyal friends who have died .
"
"even now we enjoy many blessings .
"
"as the bible says , “ happy is the nation whose god is jehovah , the people he has chosen as his own possession . ” ​ — ps .
"
"when jesus taught his disciples how to preach the good news , he acknowledged that the kingdom message would not always be welcomed .
"
"in our ministry , we may encounter some who respond harshly or even act abusively .
"
"admittedly , such responses can make it difficult for us to maintain compassion for those to whom we preach .
"
"a compassionate person sees the needs and problems of others , feels sympathy for them , and wants to help .
"
"however , if we begin to lose our compassion for those whom we meet in the ministry , we may also begin to lose our zeal and effectiveness .
"
"on the other hand , when we cultivate compassion , it is as if we were adding more oxygen to a fire ​ — we keep our zeal for the ministry burning brightly ! ​ — 1 thess .
"
"how can we cultivate compassion even when it is challenging to do so ?
"
"let us consider three examples worthy of imitation ​ — the examples of jehovah , jesus , and the apostle paul .
"
"for thousands of years , jehovah has endured the reproach that has been brought on his name .
"
"yet , he remains “ kind toward the unthankful and wicked . ”
"
"his kindness is demonstrated by his patience .
"
"jehovah desires that “ all sorts of people ” be saved .
"
"although god hates wickedness , he views humans as precious and does not want any to lose their lives . ​ — 2 pet .
"
"jehovah understands how effectively satan has blinded unbelieving humans .
"
"many have been taught wrong beliefs and attitudes since childhood , making it a challenge for them to accept the truth .
"
"jehovah is eager to help such ones .
"
"consider jehovah’s view of the ancient ninevites .
"
"despite their violent ways , jehovah said to jonah : “ should i not also feel sorry for nineveh the great city , in which there are more than 120,000 men who do not even know right from wrong ? ”
"
"jehovah viewed the ninevites as spiritually disadvantaged , and he mercifully commissioned jonah to warn them .
"
"like jehovah , we view people as precious .
"
"we can imitate him by eagerly trying to help any who might listen , even if they seem unlikely to respond .
"
"like his father , jesus was moved with pity for people who were in spiritual need .
"
"“ on seeing the crowds , he felt pity for them , because they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd . ”
"
"jesus saw beneath the surface ; he recognized that those who came to hear him speak had been taught falsehoods and had been mistreated by their religious leaders .
"
"although he knew that many would allow various obstacles to hinder them from responding favorably , jesus still proceeded “ to teach them many things . ” ​ — mark 4 : 1 - 9 .
"
"do not be frustrated if a person does not initially show interest
"
"circumstances in life change , as may a person’s attitude toward the truth
"
"when people react unfavorably to our message , we need to see beneath the surface and ask ourselves why they respond as they do .
"
"some may have a negative attitude about the bible or about christianity because of the bad examples of those who claim to be christians .
"
"perhaps others have been told lies about our beliefs .
"
"still others may face the scorn of members of the community or of family members if they receive us favorably .
"
"some we meet in the ministry may react unfavorably because of traumatic experiences that have left them emotionally damaged .
"
"a missionary named kim says : “ in a certain part of our territory , many people are victims of a war in which they lost all their possessions .
"
"they have no real hope for the future .
"
"they are frustrated and very distrustful .
"
"in this area , we regularly encounter those opposed to our message .
"
"on one occasion , i was assaulted while preaching . ”
"
"how does kim maintain her compassion despite such treatment ?
"
"she says : “ when treated abusively , i try to keep in mind proverbs 19 : 11 , which says : ‘ the insight of a man certainly slows down his anger . ’
"
"remembering the background of those in our territory helps me to cultivate compassion for them .
"
"and not everyone we meet is hostile .
"
"in that same area , we have some nice return visits . ”
"
"we might ask ourselves , ‘ how would i respond to the kingdom message if i were in the position of those to whom we preach ? ’
"
"for example , what if we had repeatedly been told lies about jehovah’s witnesses ?
"
"in such circumstances , perhaps we too would respond negatively and be in need of compassion .
"
"when we recall jesus ’ command to treat others as we wish to be treated , we are motivated to respond empathetically even when it is difficult to do so . ​ — matt .
"
"the apostle paul showed compassion even for violent opposers .
"
"he did not forget his own past .
"
"he said : “ formerly i was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man .
"
"nevertheless , i was shown mercy because i acted in ignorance and with a lack of faith . ”
"
"he recognized that jehovah and jesus had shown him great mercy .
"
"likely , he could see his former self in some of those to whom he preached .
"
"at times , paul encountered strongly entrenched false beliefs .
"
"acts 17 : 16 reports that while paul was in athens , “ his spirit within him became irritated on seeing that the city was full of idols . ”
"
"nevertheless , paul used the very source of his irritation to give a fine witness .
"
"he adapted his preaching methods to the backgrounds of various types of people so that he “ might by all possible means save some . ” ​ — 1 cor .
"
"9 : 20 - 23 .
"
"we can imitate paul by acknowledging negative attitudes or wrong beliefs that we encounter and then by skillfully introducing “ good news of something better . ”
"
"a sister named dorothy says : “ in our territory , many have been taught that god is harsh and judgmental .
"
"i commend such people for their strong belief in god and then draw their attention to what the bible says about jehovah’s loving personality and his promises for the future . ”
"
"as we move deeper into “ the last days , ” we can expect that the attitudes of some to whom we preach “ will advance from bad to worse . ”
"
"but we must not let this downward trend erode our compassion or cause us to lose our joy .
"
"jehovah can give us the strength to “ keep conquering the evil with the good . ”
"
"a pioneer named jessica relates : “ i often encounter people who lack humility and who belittle us and our message .
"
"this can be annoying .
"
"when i begin a conversation , i pray silently to jehovah and ask for his help to see the person as he does .
"
"this takes my focus off of my feelings and instead makes me think about how to help the person . ”
"
"we keep looking for those who are rightly disposed for everlasting life
"
"some respond to our patient efforts to help them spiritually
"
"we should also consider how to encourage our fellow workers .
"
"jessica says : “ if one of us has a bad experience , i try not to dwell on it .
"
"rather , i shift the conversation to positive topics , such as the good that our ministry accomplishes despite the negative responses of some . ”
"
"jehovah is well - aware of the challenges we encounter in the ministry .
"
"how he must rejoice when we imitate his mercy !
"
"of course , jehovah will not extend his compassion indefinitely .
"
"we can be confident that he knows exactly the right time to end this system of things .
"
"until then , our preaching is urgent .
"
"let us continue to carry out our assignment with zeal and tender compassion for “ all sorts of people . ”
"
"joshua faces a daunting challenge .
"
"he has to lead the nation of israel into the promised land in the face of formidable obstacles .
"
"jehovah assures him of success , though , and encourages him : ‘ be courageous and strong .
"
"observe my law .
"
"read it day and night , in order to observe carefully all that is written in it .
"
"then you will be successful and you will act wisely . ’ ​ — josh .
"
"1 : 7 , 8 .
"
"in these “ critical times hard to deal with , ” we too face formidable challenges .
"
"like joshua , we can succeed by following the advice jehovah gave him .
"
"we can read the bible regularly and carefully apply its principles to the tests we face .
"
"however , many of us would admit that we are not the best students and that studying is not easy for us .
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"yet , since studying the bible is so important , review the box “ try these suggestions ” for some good tips that can make your study more effective and enjoyable .
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"“ guide me in the pathway of your commandments , ” sang the psalmist , “ for in it i take delight . ”
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"you can derive great pleasure from considering god’s word .
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"rewarding gems are awaiting discovery as you dig for spiritual treasures .
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"although you do not have to lead a nation as joshua did , you have your own challenges to face .
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"so , like joshua , study and observe what has been written for your benefit .
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"when you do , you too will be successful and act wisely .
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"pray before you study .
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"the bible contains the thoughts of the almighty god that he had recorded for your benefit .
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"so when you read the bible , seek his help to understand it , retain it , and apply it in your life . ​ — ezra 7 : 10 .
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"ask yourself questions as you read the bible or bible - based literature : ‘ what does this passage tell me about jehovah ?
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"how does it contribute to the overall message of his word ?
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"how can i use these thoughts to help others ? ’
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"meditate on what you study .
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"stop reading and think : ‘ how does this material make me feel ?
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"why does it make me feel that way ?
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"how does it relate to my past experiences , to my current situation , or to possible future events ?
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"how can i apply these bible principles and this counsel in my life ? ’
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"see if you can explain why jehovah urges his people to avoid certain practices or what the consequences of a different course of action would likely be . ​ — deut .
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"32 : 28 , 29 .
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"use your imagination when reading descriptive passages .
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"can you , for example , picture the scene as joseph’s brothers sell him to the ishmaelites ?
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"what do you see , hear , and smell ?
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"put yourself in the place of the characters .
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"what are they thinking and feeling ?
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"such thoughts will make your study more vivid and meaningful .
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"use the study tools that have been provided to enrich your research .
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"get familiar with the tools available in your language , both online and in print .
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"do not hesitate to ask others to help you learn how to use them effectively .
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"the watch tower publications index or the research guide for jehovah’s witnesses , for example , will help you to locate what has been written on many topics and to find explanations of many bible verses .
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"use the appendixes of the new world translation of the holy scriptures if available in a language you know .
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"these provide useful information on geography , chronology , weights and measures , and so on .
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"summarize key points in the material to help you remember what you have just studied .
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"better still , share it with others .
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"is there something you can use in your ministry ?
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"in these ways , you not only fix the main points in your mind but also use what you have studied to benefit others .
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