The Watchtower — August 1, 1986

Are the Dead Alive? What Men Say

THE old black woman looked very sickly. Her feet hurt so much she could hardly walk. Her appearance was strange​—her hair was daubed with red clay, she wore several scarves, and her hands and feet were adorned with charms. Why? Because for over 50 years she had believed that she was possessed by her ancestral spirits. Witch doctors had prescribed the clay, scarves, and charms to “cure” her.

A rare belief? Not really. In Africa alone, the lives of countless people revolve around the belief that dead ancestors have the power “to protect their descendants or to chastise them with minor illness or misfortune,” as the book African Heritage puts it. Similar ancestor worship is practiced in many other parts of the world. Surprising as it may seem, such worship likely has something in common with religious beliefs where you live. How so?

Hindus and others believe in reincarnation. Spiritists believe that one can contact the dead through mediums. Catholics are taught that at death most people must have their sins purged in purgatory before eventually reaching heaven but that the incorrigibly wicked go to a fiery hell. Most Protestants believe that the good go to heaven and the bad are tormented in hell, and many are convinced that this is what the Bible teaches. Some people who have had near-death experiences are convinced that something survives the body at death.

Although religions vary in their specific ideas about an afterlife, most of them have this one thing in common​—the belief that the dead are alive.

Death certainly is a terrible enemy, striking down people of all races​—rich and poor, young and old. As the Bible says: “You are a mist appearing for a little while and then disappearing.” (James 4:14) Every day multitudes lose dear ones in death.

Hence, many people wonder: ‘Where have they gone? Are they really dead or are they still alive somewhere? Will we ever see them again? Where can we find truthful answers?’

Are the Dead Alive? What God Says

A LIGHTPLANE took off from a city in Southern Africa on a flight to a town about 250 miles (400 km) away. On board were the pilot and his young daughter, aged 12. When they tried to make an emergency landing, the plane crashed, killing both of them.

“Jehovah God alone knew my pain and loss, as well as the struggle I had to cope,” recalls Betty, the wife and mother. How did she manage? “I prayed constantly and incessantly for courage and strength to cope myself so that I could help others to cope as well.” Betty also drew much comfort from what God says about the condition of the dead and the hope of the resurrection.

What does God say about the dead? The Bible answers: “The dead know nothing.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, The Jerusalem Bible) So the dead are unconscious. It is as simple as that. Then why do most people believe the opposite? Because they have been duped by a colossal and ancient earth-wide hoax!

An Earth-Wide Deception

It all started with the first lie ever told. The historical account in the Bible book of Genesis gives the details. It says: “As for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.” (Genesis 2:17) That was Jehovah God talking to the first man, Adam. Now, compare this with Genesis 3:1-4, where Satan, speaking through the serpent, induced Eve to disobey God, saying: “You positively will not die.” So Satan contradicted what God had said. He thereby told the first lie, becoming “the father of the lie.”​—John 8:44; Revelation 12:9.

But Adam and Eve did die, and so have countless millions of others. How did the liar Satan get around that? By later implanting the idea that, although the body dies, something lives on. This subsequently became a doctrine of ancient religions and was incorporated into Greek philosophy. Hence, belief in the immortality of the soul is almost universal. And to many who believe their dead loved ones are alive somewhere this is perhaps a comforting thought. However, the vital question is: Is it true?

Is Your Soul Immortal?

The word “immortality” appears three times in the Bible, all the occurrences being in the Christian Greek Scriptures. An examination of its usage makes one thing clear: Man is not inherently immortal.

Consider, for example, the apostle Paul’s words at 1 Timothy 6:15, 16 where he describes Jesus Christ as “the King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords, the one alone having immortality.” So how is Jesus distinct from all other “kings” and “lords”? He is immortal; they are not.

True, immortality is promised to those of Christ’s followers who are called to reign with him in the heavens. (1 Peter 1:3, 4) Thus, at 1 Corinthians 15:53, 54, we read: “This which is mortal must put on immortality. But when . . . this which is mortal puts on immortality, then the saying will take place that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up forever.’” But notice that immortality is “put on.” It is a reward for faithful, chosen Christians. It is not something that all humans inherit.

Further, the Bible does not say that man has or was given a soul. Rather, it says: “And Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7; compare 1 Corinthians 15:45.) Being something is quite different from having something. No one will contest the fact that being a dog is different from having a dog! Likewise, being a soul is not the same as having a soul.

That not all humans receive the grant of immortality is clear from the Bible’s many references to the soul’s dying. For example: “The soul that is sinning​—it itself will die.” (Ezekiel 18:4, 20) “Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.”​—Acts 3:23.

Since we do not have immortal souls, what happens when we die? We “sleep,” because due to Christ’s ransom sacrifice there is the hope of a resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:22) When Lazarus died Jesus said: “I am journeying there to awaken him from sleep.” Then he explained: “Lazarus has died.” (John 11:11-14) Paul also spoke about those “who are sleeping in death.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14; 1 Corinthians 15:20) Well, then, if the dead are sleeping . . .

Will There Be an Awakening?

Consider this amazing scene: A crowd is gathered before a cave at Bethany near Jerusalem. Jesus is there with Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus who has recently died and whose body lies in a cave that is closed by a stone. “Take the stone away,” orders Jesus. Martha objects: “Lord, by now he must smell, for it is four days.” But after a brief prayer Jesus cries out: “Lazarus, come on out!” And the man Lazarus comes out! (John 11:38-44) Can you imagine the astonishment and joy of the crowd​—especially of Mary and Martha?

If Lazarus had been alive during those four days, would he not have revealed it to everybody? But there is no record that he spoke about any experience he had while dead, and further confirming that, the Bible says, “The dead know nothing.”​—Ecclesiastes 9:5, JB.

Lazarus’ case was not unique. At a place called Nain, Jesus met the funeral cortege of a young man about to be buried. Jesus said: “Young man, I say to you, Get up!” And what happened? “The dead man sat up and started to speak.” (Luke 7:11-17) But, here again, did the young man say anything about a place where people go at death? No, for apparently he had simply been dead.

Jesus, Paul, Peter, Elijah, and Elisha all raised dead people. None of those who had once been dead said a word about life after death.

These marvelous miracles provide a foretaste of the only way that the vast majority of the dead can live again​—by a resurrection back to life on earth under God’s Kingdom. Said Jesus: “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear [my] voice and come out.” (John 5:28, 29) That will be a most thrilling experience for those privileged to live under Christ’s Kingdom rule of a thousand years, now so near. (Revelation 20:4, 6) The resurrection hope in itself proves that the dead cannot be alive. If people are to be resurrected, then they must first become lifeless.

Some May Ask . . .

What about the claims of mediums and others that they receive messages from the dead? Does this not prove that the dead are alive? No. Satan is very clever, an archdeceiver who often “masquerades as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14, The New English Bible) He and his demons can, and often do, masquerade as the spirits of people who have died! Hence, Jehovah’s law to Israel clearly stated: “Anyone who consults a spirit medium . . . or anyone who inquires of the dead . . . is something detestable to Jehovah.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) Jehovah also says that those who practice spiritism “will not inherit God’s kingdom” but will be destroyed.​—Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:8.a

What about those who claim to have had near-death experiences? Does that not prove that the spirit or soul leaves the body at death? George Gallup, Jr., U.S. public-opinion pollster, investigated this subject and published the results in Adventures in Immortality. Doctors and scientists who were interviewed were skeptical about the validity of the near-death accounts. Said a Maryland biophysicist: “These are the experiences of a mind in an abnormal state physiologically . . . The brain is a very complex organ and it can play a lot of tricks when you mistreat it​—look at the experiences with hallucinogenic drugs.” An Ohio psychiatrist: “These reports are fantasies or hallucinatory phenomena.” A Michigan scientist: “These are trauma-induced fantasies.”

Gallup came to the conclusion that near-death accounts do not “by any means constitute what might be considered proof of immortality or the afterlife.” He adds: “They may be simply dramatic internal scenarios that are played out entirely in the minds of those who undergo physical traumas.” He also suggests that some religious thinkers would explain such experiences as being “part of a demonic strategy to trick human beings.” What Jehovah God said long ago still stands: “The dead know nothing.”​—Ecclesiastes 9:5, JB.

What Should You Do?

Beware of ideas or teachings based on Satan’s first lie​—“you positively will not die.” (Genesis 3:1-5) Accept what God’s Word teaches, that when a man dies “his thoughts do perish.” (Psalm 146:4) Accept, too, that the sleeping dead will rise during the glorious rule of God’s Kingdom, for which many pray, when “there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”​—Acts 24:15; Matthew 6:9, 10.

The sickly woman mentioned in our first article rejoiced when she was told what God says about the dead and about deceitful demon spirits. She destroyed her charms and other spiritistic items and in a few days felt much better. She is now helping others to break free from demon worship.

The widow who lost her loved ones in the plane crash was comforted by this thought: Since the dead know nothing, time, for them, is no more. So from their standpoint they awake at the next instant in an earthly paradise under God’s Kingdom! She delights in helping others to know that soon “Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces.” (Isaiah 25:8) She looks forward to the day when, by means of the resurrection, her dead loved ones will come alive.

[Footnotes]

Jesus’ Life and Ministry

What Is Lawful on the Sabbath?

IT IS on another Sabbath that Jesus visits a synagogue near the Sea of Galilee. Present is a man with a withered right hand. The scribes and the Pharisees are watching closely to see whether Jesus will heal him. Finally they ask: “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?”

The Jewish religious leaders believe that healing is lawful on the Sabbath only if life is in danger. They teach, for example, that on the Sabbath it is unlawful to set a bone or bandage a sprain. So the scribes and the Pharisees are questioning Jesus in an effort to get an accusation against him.

Jesus, however, knows their reasonings. At the same time, he realizes they have adopted an extreme, unscriptural view as to what constitutes a violation of the Sabbath-day requirement prohibiting work. Thus Jesus sets the stage for a dramatic confrontation by telling the man with the withered hand: “Get up and come to the center.”

Now, turning to the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus says: “Who will be the man among you that has one sheep and, if this falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not get hold of it and lift it out?” Since a sheep represents a financial investment, they would not leave it in the pit until the next day, perhaps to sicken and lose its value. Besides, the Scriptures say: “The righteous one is caring for the soul of his domestic animal.”

Drawing a parallel, Jesus continues: “All considered, of how much more worth is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do a fine thing on the sabbath.” Unable to refute such logical, compassionate reasoning, the religious leaders keep silent.

With indignation, as well as grief at their obstinate stupidity, Jesus looks around. Then he says to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretches it out and the hand is healed.

Rather than being happy that the man’s hand is restored, the Pharisees go out and immediately conspire with the party followers of Herod to kill Jesus. This political party evidently includes members of the religious Sadducees. Ordinarily, this political party and the Pharisees are openly opposed to each other, but they are solidly united in their opposition to Jesus. Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11; Proverbs 12:10; Exodus 20:8-10.

◆ What was the setting for a dramatic confrontation between Jesus and Jewish religious leaders?

◆ What did the Jews believe regarding healing on the Sabbath?

◆ What illustration did Jesus use to refute their wrong views?

Youths​—Do Not Be Deceived

“Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light.”​—2 CORINTHIANS 11:14.

1. (a) In what ways have many of us been deceived? (b) Who, generally, are more easily deceived?

NO DOUBT all of us have been deceived at one time or another. Perhaps you were playing a game in which an opposing player by a deceptive move faked you out of position and thus scored to win the game. Or you may have purchased a fine-looking item of clothing, only to discover after wearing it a short time and having it cleaned that the garment was not of the quality that it had appeared to be. Who, generally, are more easily deceived, that is, fooled or tricked? Is it not those with less experience? And often the consequences are much more serious than simply losing a game or being cheated on some purchase.

2. How have some youths been led into serious wrongdoing?

² For example, Julie, only a sophomore in high school, was, as she said, “in love” with “the most handsome and popular guy in the entire school.” She explained: “I told him I wasn’t ready for what he wanted, but he kept telling me how much he loved me, and that everything would be okay. When I still said no, that’s when he lowered the boom. He said, ‘I really cared about you, and I thought you felt the same way. If you won’t prove it to me, I guess we’ll just have to stop seeing each other.’” So Julie gave in and committed fornication. The next day, when she discovered that the boy had bragged about his “conquest,” she realized how totally she had been deceived. She should have known that if the boy really loved her, he would not have done it.

3. (a) Why is fornication such a serious wrong? (b) What is the aim of Satan the Devil?

³ What Julie had been fooled or tricked into doing was a serious violation of God’s law. For that reason the Bible urges: “Flee from fornication.” And it states plainly: “No fornicator . . . has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 5:5) So while Satan the Devil may not be concerned whether you win or lose a ball game or you make a wise purchase or not, he is definitely trying to mislead you into breaking God’s law. “Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone,” the Bible warns. (1 Peter 5:8) Indeed, he is using all his shrewd thinking, including posing as an angel of light, to get us away from serving Jehovah God! Is that not a sobering thought?​—2 Corinthians 11:14.

Learn From What Happened to Eve

4. Why can it be said that youths are a special target of Satan?

⁴ But for you younger ones, this is an even more sobering thought: You are a special target of Satan. Why so? Because of your youth, you have had less time to acquire knowledge and wisdom, and Satan picks on less experienced ones. He did that at the very outset of his rebellion. Recall that he approached Eve in the garden of Eden, not her husband Adam who had been created some time before her. And Satan was successful. He deceived, yes, misled by false appearances, the younger and less experienced Eve. “For Adam was formed first,” the Bible explains, “then Eve. Also, Adam was not deceived, but the woman was thoroughly deceived and came to be in transgression.”​—1 Timothy 2:13, 14.

5. (a) What should we never be lulled into thinking? (b) What was the apostle Paul’s concern, and why was it appropriate?

⁵ Never be lulled into thinking that Satan’s methods could not work on you, that he could never get you to break God’s laws. Remember the divine warning that “Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14) The apostle Paul was rightly concerned that the Master of Deception might be successful in his approaches to Paul’s less experienced fellow Christians. Paul wrote: “I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that are due the Christ.”​—2 Corinthians 11:3.

6. What does it mean to be seduced?

⁶ Notice that Eve was not simply deceived or tricked; she was also seduced. This means she was drawn into a disastrous course by an alluring enticement or temptation. According to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, seduce means “to persuade into disobedience,” “to attract or gain by or as if by quiet subtle charm.” Specifically, this dictionary says, seduce means “to persuade (a female) to have sexual intercourse for the first time.” We can benefit by reviewing Satan’s method of seducing Eve (though sexual intercourse was not involved in this instance) and also by noting similar methods that he uses today.

7, 8. (a) What was the purpose of Satan’s question to Eve? (b) How did Satan make eating from the tree appear so appealing?

⁷ At the very outset of his approach, Satan, in a subtle way, used a serpent to cause Eve to begin to question God’s law. In words carefully designed to arouse suspicion and distrust, he asked: “Is it really so that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” By this sinister question, Satan was implying that it was a pity that she could not eat from all the trees of the garden. In fact, he argued that, rather than dying as God had said she would, she would really benefit from eating from the forbidden tree. “For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it,” Satan assured her, “your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.”​—Genesis 3:1-5.

⁸ How wickedly cunning of Satan this was, to suggest that God was trying to keep beneficial knowledge from Eve! According to Satan, God was even using an idle threat of death to keep her from exercising the ability of self-determination. ‘Hey, you are missing out!’ he, in effect, told Eve. ‘You will not die. You can enjoy what God himself enjoys. You can decide for yourself what is good or bad.’ It appealed to Eve to be able to make her own decisions without having to answer to anyone.

9. As shown in James 1:14, 15, what sequence of events led to Eve’s sin and eventual death?

⁹ As a result, Eve began to look at the tree with desire. “Consequently the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something to be longed for to the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look upon. So she began taking of its fruit and eating it.” (Genesis 3:6) But afterward, when Eve discovered that she did not receive what had been promised, she explained: “The serpent​—it deceived me.” (Genesis 3:13) In fact, it had also seduced her, leading her along by an alluring enticement or temptation until selfish desire caused her to sin and, consequently, eventually to die.​—James 1:14, 15.

Beware of Satan’s Designs

10. Why do we not have to be ignorant of Satan’s designs, and what instructions are we wise to follow?

¹⁰ Satan uses similar designs, that is, schemes, maneuvers, and strategems, to deceive and seduce youths today. But since the Bible provides a thorough history of Satan’s deceptive methods, you need not be ignorant of his designs. (2 Corinthians 2:11) What you need is the good sense to heed the warnings and instructions that Jehovah God provides by means of his Word and organization.​—Proverbs 2:1-6; 3:1-7, 11, 12; 4:1, 2, 20-27; 7:1-4.

11. How does Satan often seduce or deceive youths into wrongdoing?

¹¹ How does Satan often allure or entice younger ones into wrongdoing? He does so by making what God condemns, activities that can lead to losing God’s approval, appear to be very attractive, yet at the same time harmless, even as the fruit appeared to Eve. And as he did with Eve, he will try to promote the idea that you are needlessly missing out on something pleasurable. Thus, in a cunning, deceitful way Satan endeavors to undermine your respect for Jehovah’s Word, as well as for the instructions given by your God-fearing parents and God’s organization. So with good reason the Bible urges, “Stand firm against the machinations [or, as The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures says, “crafty acts”] of the Devil.”​—Ephesians 6:11.

12. (a) What fact about Satan should all of us take seriously, and why? (b) How do you view what is said at 1 John 2:15 and James 4:4? (c) What would Satan like to deceive you into believing?

¹² Obviously, Eve was foolish to believe Satan’s lie. Yet do not many youths today similarly treat lightly the warnings in Jehovah’s Word or those provided by their parents or Christian elders? What about you? For example, do you take seriously the fact that Satan the Devil is the ruler of this world and that, as the god of this system of things, he is blinding the minds of people? (1 John 5:19; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4) Do you really try to heed God’s command: “Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world”? (1 John 2:15) And ask yourself: ‘Do I really believe the Scriptural statement, “Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God”’? (James 4:4) Satan would like to deceive you into believing that the world poses no threat, that the activities it promotes are harmless. But beware! Do not be deceived!

Deceptive Allurements Today

13. What custom has become popular in many places, and what would Satan like us to believe regarding it?

¹³ Satan often entices people into wrongdoing by things that in themselves may not be wrong or that are not explicitly condemned in the Bible. For example, while many married couples have pleasant memories of wholesome times they enjoyed in their courting days, there are potential dangers when persons are alone together on a date. Actually, dating is a relatively modern custom that only after World War I has become popular in many places. Satan would like you to believe that the custom is simply an innocent form of recreation that enables young people to become acquainted with members of the opposite sex on a one-on-one basis. But, in truth, the custom is fraught with moral dangers.

14. (a) How can the custom of dating be evaluated? (b) What feelings can develop in the dating situation?

¹⁴ Older, mature Christians, because of their experience, are more aware of these dangers and therefore can provide helpful direction. (Proverbs 27:12) But perhaps you feel that there is no danger in dating and that your parents are overly restrictive, robbing you of fun. Yet just as people can be judged by the fruitage they bear, so can customs such as dating. (Proverbs 20:11; Matthew 7:16) For example, an 18-year-old who regularly dated, and who became pregnant, noted: “I was one of the thousands of kids who thought it couldn’t happen to me.” She admitted that after dating for some time “handholding and kissing gets stale.” Similarly, a 17-year-old girl who often dated, reports: “Kissing and cuddling build up until I am desperate to have the boy make love to me.” An uncommon feeling? Not at all.

15. For what tragedies must dating bear considerable responsibility?

¹⁵ When young people who are physically attracted to each other isolate themselves, as is common when dating, sexual desire can build up until it leads even well-intentioned youths into breaking God’s law. Consider that well over a million teenage girls in the United States get pregnant each year and that hundreds of thousands of them have abortions or bear their children out of wedlock. Unfortunately, occasionally some of these teenage girls are children of Jehovah’s Witnesses and so are the boys who are involved with them. The modern custom of dating must bear considerable responsibility for these tragedies, as well as for perhaps millions of the new cases of sexually transmitted disease each year.

16. (a) Where only are sexual desires properly fulfilled? (b) What happens to many of God’s people?

¹⁶ God purposed that sexual desire be fulfilled within the bonds of marriage, where it can bring wholesome pleasure and satisfaction. (Hebrews 13:4; Proverbs 5:15-19) Yet, Satan has craftily used this God-given gift to seduce people to misuse sex and to commit fornication. In ancient times, 24,000 Israelites were put to death in one day for this offense against God, and presently thousands each year are disfellowshipped from the Christian congregation for fornication. So be wise. Listen to counsel and direction. Do not allow yourself to be deceived.​—Numbers 25:1-9, 16-18; 31:16.

17. (a) What deceptive view has Satan promoted regarding such things as sports, music, and dancing? (b) Why does the world’s entertainment pose a threat to God’s people?

¹⁷ Be alert, also, to other designs of Satan. Sports, music, and dancing, for example, have become a prominent part of his world’s entertainment. True, these things in themselves are not necessarily wrong and can be pleasurable and even beneficial. (1 Timothy 4:8; Zechariah 8:5; Luke 15:25) Satan, however, has deceptively promoted the view that they pose no threat of harm, even when regularly participated in with people of the world. But God’s Word warns: “Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) Think about it. If religion and politics are part of Satan’s system, is it not foolish to believe that the entertainment promoted by the world is free of his influence? You need constantly to be on guard not to “let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould.”​—Romans 12:2, The New Testament in Modern English, by J. B. Phillips.

Provisions to Protect Youths

18. Why should you appreciate parents who instruct and guide you?

¹⁸ Jehovah God has lovingly made provisions to protect you younger ones from being deceived. First, he has provided your parents to instruct and guide you. And you can be happy when they do. One unhappy 18-year-old, who conceived a child out of wedlock, complained that it would not have happened “if my parents had done their job as parents should, and told me the pitfalls of a steady boy friend, and forbade me to go steady.” So be grateful if you have God-fearing parents. They are not trying to hem you in and make life unpleasant by the restrictions they place on you. On the contrary, they love you and want to protect you. Take advantage of their experience and wisdom by seeking their counsel.

19. What additional helps have been provided to protect youths?

¹⁹ In addition, Jehovah has provided his earthly organization to help you. For instance, each issue of Awake! carries the feature “Young People Ask . . . ” that shows the reasonableness of Jehovah’s standards. Similarly, the brochure School and Jehovah’s Witnesses was provided to help you abide by God’s laws and principles in the school environment. Further encouragement and counsel is given through the pages of The Watchtower and at congregation meetings, circuit assemblies, and district conventions. Indeed, this very subject, “Youths​—Do Not Be Deceived,” was a talk at a recent district convention as well as the subject of a Service Meeting part.

20. (a) Why is much help provided young people? (b) What attitude will help you resist Satan’s attempts to deceive you?

²⁰ May you never think that by all this attention we are trying to gang up on you to rob you of your joy. Rather, God’s organization loves you, and everything that is printed and said is meant to protect you​—to save your life! Learn to appreciate these provisions. Make Bible study with the use of the Society’s publications a habit; let Bible truths excite you with appreciation. May you have the attitude of an 18-year-old who, after considering pointed counsel directed toward youths, wrote: “It just made me realize how fortunate we young people are to be in the truth! No other organization on earth cares for and loves its young people so much!” May we stick together and resist the attempts of the Devil to deceive us, for we are not ignorant of his designs!

REVIEW BOX

◻ Why are young people a special target of Satan?

◻ How did Satan seduce Eve into wrongdoing?

◻ How, today, does Satan often seduce youths into wrongdoing?

◻ What provisions are there to protect young people?

[Picture on page 10]

Just as Satan sought to mislead Eve, who was less experienced than Adam, so youths are a special target of Satan

[Picture on page 13]

When young people isolate themselves, sexual desire can build up and lead to breaking God’s law

Youths Who Make Jehovah’s Heart Glad

“Make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me.”​—PROVERBS 27:11.

1. How are our parents and our Creator affected by the way we live our life?

WHETHER you realize it or not, it makes a difference how you live your life. For example, it makes a difference to your parents. “A wise son is the one that makes a father rejoice,” the Bible explains, “and a stupid son is the grief of his mother.” (Proverbs 10:1; 23:24, 25) But even more importantly, how you live your life can make our Creator, Jehovah God, either glad or sad. “Be wise, my son,” Jehovah exhorts, “and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me.”​—Proverbs 27:11.

2. What vital issue was raised by Satan, and how are we involved?

² The one taunting Jehovah, of course, is Satan the Devil. In the garden of Eden, Satan raised a vital issue that called for a reply from God. When the Devil was able, with apparent ease, to get Eve, and then Adam, to break God’s law, there is evidence that he challenged Jehovah. In effect, Satan asserted: ‘Just give me the chance and I can turn anybody away from serving you.’ (Job 1:6-12) Therefore, Jehovah made the heartwarming appeal recorded above, that his son furnish Him “a reply” so that He might answer Satan’s challenge.

3. Why does Jehovah’s appeal apply particularly to Jesus, and who else will also have made God’s heart glad?

³ However, to whom in particular did Jehovah direct this appeal, addressing him as “my son”? Jesus Christ is in a unique way God’s son, being his only-begotten Son. (John 1:14) Moreover, aside from Adam, who failed his Creator, Jesus is the only perfect man to have walked the earth, hence the only man capable of proving in the complete sense that faithfulness to God can be maintained. (1 Corinthians 15:45) Thus Jehovah’s appeal applies particularly to Jesus. And Jesus did not disappoint his Father. By his faithful course, Jesus gave God an answer to Satan’s boastful challenge that humans would not serve Him faithfully under test. (Hebrews 2:14; 12:2) In addition, all those who will reign with Christ in heaven will also have made Jehovah’s heart glad by their faithfulness to God even unto death.​—Revelation 2:10.

4. When deciding what to do with your life, what vital matter should you consider?

⁴ But what about us today, including you young ones? Are you involved in this issue of whether humans will be faithful to God or not? Indeed you are! (Psalm 147:11; 148:12, 13) You may not realize it, but what you do with your life supports either God’s side of the issue or Satan’s side. It makes either Jehovah glad or Satan glad. Really, Jehovah’s invitation or appeal can be viewed as also directed to you personally: “Be wise, my son [or daughter], and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me.” (Proverbs 27:11) Is not making glad the heart of your Creator a satisfying goal for you to have?

Why It Is Wise

5. Why is it wise to make Jehovah’s heart glad?

⁵ Note that Jehovah encourages, “Be wise.” Why are we wise when we make Jehovah’s heart glad? It is because Jehovah is a loving Father who wants only the best for us, and anything he asks us to do is for our good. As Isaiah 48:17, 18 says: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”

6. (a) What shows that Jehovah wants you to enjoy life? (b) What consequences can you not avoid?

⁶ As a loving parent, Jehovah wants you to enjoy to the full his precious gift of life. Therefore he says: “Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart do you good in the days of your young manhood, and walk in the ways of your heart and in the things seen by your eyes.” Now this, of course, is not an invitation to do whatever pleasurable thing you desire. This is shown by the following caution: “But know that on account of all these the true God will bring you into judgment.” (Ecclesiastes 11:9) Yes, you cannot avoid the consequences of your actions; God will hold you accountable for what you do. The rule is certain: “Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.”​—Galatians 6:7.

7, 8. (a) How can you remove vexation and ward off calamity? (b) When are youth and the prime of life vanity?

⁷ For this reason, Jehovah adds: “So remove vexation [or cause for worry] from your heart, and ward off calamity from your flesh; for youth and the prime of life are vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 11:10) Surely, it is wise to avoid activities that will cause you vexing problems later on. Oh, there will be those who say you are missing out​—that you have not ‘really lived’ unless you have got drunk, had illicit sex, or done some other such “daring” thing. But how foolish they are! “It sure wasn’t worth it,” a tearful young student lamented after committing fornication. “I’ve been worried ever since.”

⁸ So you young ones, wisely heed God’s counsel to remove from your heart any cause for anxiety or regret, such as that experienced by youths who pursue a reckless or selfish way of life. A 17th-century essayist observed: “The greatest part of mankind employ their first years to make their last miserable.” True, but how sad! When a youngster dissipates his physical energies and capabilities in a way that makes later adult years more difficult, his youth and prime of life are indeed vanity! (Proverbs 22:3) So be wise! Follow the further admonition: “Remember, now, your Grand Creator in the days of your young manhood.”​—Ecclesiastes 12:1.

9. What benefits will you enjoy by remembering Jehovah in your youth?

⁹ By remembering Jehovah in your youth, you really will benefit yourself. Not only will you avoid vexation and calamitous difficulties but you will enjoy right now a happy, rewarding life in serving your Grand Creator. In addition, you will wisely be storing up treasures in heaven that will benefit you for all eternity. (Matthew 6:19-21) If you remember Jehovah now by doing his will, he will remember you and reward you with “the requests of your heart,” yes, a happy, full life in Paradise forever!​—Psalm 37:4; 133:3; Luke 23:43; Revelation 21:3, 4.

How Do You Feel About Jehovah?

10. (a) Why cannot your decision to serve God be simply a cold calculation of what is wise? (b) What further appeal does Jehovah make?

¹⁰ Yet your decision to serve Jehovah cannot simply be a cold calculation of what is wise. Satan is such a cunning foe that if you are thinking only of your personal benefit, he will eventually be able to appeal to some selfish inclination to get you away from serving Jehovah. So Jehovah does not simply invite you to be wise. No, but he also appeals for a personal dedication to him. Jesus said: “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart.” (Matthew 22:37) Do you know what it means to love Jehovah wholeheartedly?

11. (a) What does it mean to give your heart to Jehovah? (b) How does Joseph’s experience illustrate how proper heart motivation can impel us to do God’s will?

¹¹ Your heart refers to your innermost self, your motivations, your attitudes, and your deep emotions, along with your thinking faculties. Thus to love Jehovah with your whole heart means that you love him dearly and that above everything else in life it is your considered choice to make his heart glad by providing him a reply to Satan’s taunt. Such inner discernment and deep feelings of love and concern for God will provide your strongest motivation for doing his will, even when it may seem so appealing to do otherwise. Young Joseph had such love for Jehovah, so when a prominent woman invited: “Lie down with me,” Joseph answered: “How could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God?”​—Genesis 39:7-9.

12. (a) How do you show that you have given your heart to Jehovah? (b) If you have not given your heart to Jehovah, what questions should you consider?

¹² You show that you love Jehovah with your whole heart when you go to him in prayer and tell him that you want to belong to him, that you want to serve him forever. In this way you dedicate yourself to Jehovah. Have you done this? If not, why not? What is holding you back? Are you old enough to understand and appreciate the great issue between Jehovah and Satan? And do you want to make Jehovah’s heart glad? Satan certainly does not want you to love Jehovah with your whole heart. He wants you selfishly to “do your own thing,” to please yourself. Whom will you make glad, Jehovah or Satan? Give this serious consideration.

13. If you are dedicated and baptized, what questions should you ask yourself?

¹³ If you have dedicated yourself to God and symbolized this by water baptism, does your life course demonstrate that your heart really belongs to God? Where are your interests, your affections, centered? on getting a new car? on making money to buy clothes or other personal items? Whose interests come first​—your own or Jehovah’s? Have you really responded to Jehovah’s appeal to give your heart to him?

14. (a) What valuable asset do youths have? (b) Why is it sad when a youth does not remember his Creator?

¹⁴ While older ones have more experience and generally more wisdom, youths have a valuable asset they can use to please God. “The beauty of young men is their power,” the Bible says. (Proverbs 20:29) So use that power now. Remember your Creator “before the calamitous days” of old age “proceed to come,” when the body weakens and its organs break down and fail to function properly. How sad it is for a person who has failed to remember his Creator in his youth and so in old age has nothing to recommend himself to God! It is “the greatest vanity!” (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8) Wisely, therefore, remember your Creator while you have strength and vigor. Build a record of faithful service to God, who will remember you with a favorable judgment, yes, to everlasting life.​—Hebrews 6:10-12; Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.

They Made God’s Heart Glad

15. What Bible examples are there of youths who used their power in God’s service?

¹⁵ The Bible is filled with examples of youths who used their “beauty”​—their power—​in God’s service. It was “young men” with quickness and agility who spied out the Promised Land. (Joshua 6:22, 23; 2:15, 16, 23) David, while only in his 20’s himself, sent “ten young men” on a mission to request favor from Nabal. (1 Samuel 25:4, 5) When the Jews under governor Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem while under threat of attack, who did the dangerous, hard work? “Half of my young men,” Nehemiah explained, “were active in the work and half of them were holding the lances, the shields and the bows and the coats of mail.” (Nehemiah 4:16) And when God struck Ananias and his wife Sapphira dead because they lied, “young men” carried them out and buried them.​—Acts 5:5, 6, 10.

16. In what spiritual activity have young people in the past shared?

¹⁶ Surely, it gladdens Jehovah’s heart when youths make themselves available for whatever service is required at the time. Yet youths have been involved in spiritual activity that required more than physical power and stamina. “Young I am in days,” Elihu acknowledged. Nevertheless, Jehovah used him to correct Job. (Job 32:4-6) Samuel was only “a boy” when he began serving at Jehovah’s tabernacle at Shiloh. (1 Samuel 2:18) It was “a little girl” who, even though a slave in Naaman’s house, fearlessly proclaimed what Jehovah’s prophet could do. (2 Kings 5:2-4) When Jehovah assigned Jeremiah as a prophet, Jeremiah said: “I am but a boy.” (Jeremiah 1:5, 6) “And as for these children, the four of them”​—Daniel and his three Hebrew companions—​what outstanding servants of Jehovah they were in Babylonian exile! (Daniel, chapters 1 and 3) Paul’s nephew, a “young man,” courageously acted in his uncle’s behalf. (Acts 23:16-22) Then there was the lad Timothy, who from infancy knew the holy writings and used his youth in Jehovah’s service.​—2 Timothy 3:15; Philippians 2:19-23; 1 Corinthians 4:17.

Making God’s Heart Glad Today

17. Why should we expect to find youths today who are pleasing Jehovah, and do we?

¹⁷ And it is not only youths of the past who have made God’s heart glad by their faithful service. “‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I shall pour out some of my spirit upon every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions.’” (Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28) So we should rightly expect to find in these last days many young Christians who are pleasing Jehovah. And we do! While young Witnesses are not faultless, as none of us are, many are doing very well as Christians. They are concerned with making Jehovah’s heart glad.​—Proverbs 27:11; 3:1, 2.

18, 19. What work needs to be done today, and why are youths well suited for it?

¹⁸ In these last days, Jehovah’s will is that a great global witness about his Kingdom be given, which involves a tremendous effort. (Matthew 24:14) Kingdom Halls for worship need to be constructed, as well as larger buildings for circuit assemblies. In many countries, more factory space for publishing Bible literature is needed, as well as additional living quarters in Bethel homes. Providing these new facilities requires heavy construction work, and as with the wall building in Nehemiah’s day, youths with strength and stamina are doing much of the work.

¹⁹ Such young ones are also doing the bulk of the heavy physical work required to print, bind, and ship thousands of tons of Bible literature each year. In fact, at the New York headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including Watchtower Farms, there are over 1,400 youths 25 years of age and younger. And their service is not limited to the physically demanding work they do during the week; on the weekends they share in the house-to-house preaching activity and in Christian meetings with the local congregations. How glad they make Jehovah’s heart!

20. (a) What share are youths having in the pioneer ministry? (b) What questions should young people not in the full-time ministry ask themselves?

²⁰ In the United States, working shoulder to shoulder with these youths are more than 12,700 others of the same age group who are serving as regular pioneer ministers. In other parts of the world, more tens of thousands of youngsters are also pioneering. If you are a youth who is not yet in the full-time ministry, can you set goals for yourself that will put Jehovah first in your life, rather than perhaps simply intending to get a well-paying secular job, then get married and have a family? Do you understand the great universal issue? Do you truly long to see the name of our Grand Creator cleared of all reproach? If so, then is it not proper that you do all you can in Jehovah’s service? And would that not include, for at least many more of you, volunteering to serve at Bethel homes or to engage in the pioneer work?

21. (a) To what invitation from Jehovah should you respond, and how? (b) Why can we be confident that many more young ones will respond to Jehovah’s invitation as did Isaiah?

²¹ Listen! Jehovah is inviting you, yes, appealing to you, to provide him a reply to Satan’s wicked taunts. Can you, like Isaiah, hear Jehovah asking: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Why not be wise and respond as Isaiah did: “Here I am! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) We are confident that many more of you young ones will respond because God’s Word promises: “Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day of your military force. . . . You have your company of young men [and women] just like dewdrops.” (Psalm 110:3; 148:12, 13) And when you do respond, you can have the joy of knowing that Jehovah observes and approves​—that you are making his heart glad!

REVIEW BOX

◻ Why is the way we live our life important to Jehovah?

◻ Why is it wise to make Jehovah’s heart glad?

◻ How can we show that we have given our heart to Jehovah?

◻ Who in the past made Jehovah’s heart glad, and how?

◻ Who are making Jehovah’s heart glad today, and how?

[Blurb on page 17]

When youths break God’s laws, they reap bitter consequences later

[Picture on page 18]

Youths made God’s heart glad by helping to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem

Kingdom Proclaimers Report

Bible Truth Brings Family Unity and Happiness

A MARRIED couple in India who were members of a church of Christendom quarreled frequently. Often the husband beat his wife. They even tried to kill each other! On one occasion she boiled ghee (clarified butter) and brought it to him as if it were tea but then poured it on his face. Finally, the wife decided to commit suicide.

Could anything bring unity and happiness to this couple? Many would say no. But before committing suicide, the wife went to visit her daughter and son-in-law. They were having a Bible study with Jehovah’s Witnesses. She decided to listen, and her heart was greatly moved by what she heard. After the study, she told the Witnesses about her problems. They showed her from the Bible what her responsibilities really were as a wife. The husband was also contacted and a Bible study was started with him. The result? By both husband and wife applying Bible principles, their family problems were overcome. Now the couple have progressed to the point of dedicating their lives to Jehovah, and they have been baptized.

Countless other couples have found that God’s inspired Word does contain the solution to family problems. By applying its counsel, such as that found at Colossians 3:12-14 and Ephesians chapter 5, they overcome these problems and attain unity and happiness.

□ Another example of how Bible truth can unite a family comes from Lebanon. In 1973 one of Jehovah’s Witnesses started a Bible study with a family in a small village. Two girls, sisters, from the neighborhood also attended the study. But when the local priest opposed the study, the family stopped it. The two girls continued to study by correspondence, using their sister-in-law’s address. After they studied the letters from the Witness, they gave them to their sister-in-law to read, although her husband was by now opposed. When they had questions, they asked the Witness by mail.

However, their brother continued his opposition. He tore up the Bible publications that his sisters and his wife had and even burned their Bibles. But despite severe censuring by the family, the priest, and others in the village the girls continued to study. In time, they got baptized. Other relatives also began to study the Bible and were baptized. The opposed brother of the two girls learned the truth too and got baptized. He now serves as a ministerial servant in the congregation, and is a regular auxiliary pioneer. By the end of 1985, 23 members of this family had learned the truth and had been baptized!

How happy those two sisters are for sticking to the truth despite opposition! What a joy for them to see the unity and happiness of their family as a result of their accepting Bible truth! It confirms the words of the psalmist when he declared: “Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!”​—Psalm 144:15.

□ Yet another experience comes from New York City, U.S.A. This person started using drugs when he was 13 years old and became so addicted that he could not even eat until he had smoked marijuana! His cocaine habit cost $100 a day, and while selling drugs he always carried two handguns. He married and fathered four children. When his wife became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he opposed her. But eventually he became bored with his life-style of getting high and “running the streets,” committing adultery.

With constant encouragement from his wife and loving help from the elders, he agreed a year after his wife’s baptism to study the Bible. This helped him to cope with major withdrawal problems including hallucinations. He progressed to the point of baptism and now has the joy of seeing his family happily united and his four children progressing in the truth. Having steady employment and a good income, he and his wife look forward to sharing in the auxiliary pioneer service.

[Blurb on page 21]

“Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!”​—Psalm 144:15

Jehovah Blessed My Decisions

As told by Samuel B. Friend

BACK in July 1952 I was singing every Saturday night on a popular country-western show in Little Rock, Arkansas. The three-hour show was a favorite not only with the live audience but with the thousands who listened to it over the 50,000-watt radio station KLRA. This was back before television was introduced to that southern part of the United States.

One night, as I was concluding a performance, a talent scout for the MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) recording company approached me. “I would like you to sing for us,” he said. And right there he offered a lucrative recording contract. He said that for some weeks he had been watching the show, and he thought I had a future in the recording business.

When I told him I wasn’t interested, he was shocked. I explained that I was only on the show to help support my wife and myself in the full-time ministry and that I didn’t want to become further involved in the music industry.

Later that year, television was introduced into Arkansas​—there in Little Rock. The program director asked me to be the master of ceremonies for the first program, a variety musical show. I was delighted and gladly accepted the offer, explaining that I would appreciate having a part-time job with the station. He said that he would let me know after the opening program.

That opening program was a real success. I introduced talented performers and sang a number of songs myself. Afterward I asked whether I could have that part-time job. “No, I don’t want you part time,” he said. “I want you full time.” Since he would not compromise on the matter of working full time, I had to make a decision. To be in on the ground floor of the first TV station in Arkansas was a tempting prospect. But, really, it could not compare with serving our heavenly Father, Jehovah God, in the full-time pioneer ministry! So I declined the offer.

When I spoke with my wife Jean after the show, she was in full agreement. That night when we returned home, do you know what was in the mailbox? It was an invitation to serve as a circuit overseer, visiting congregations of Jehovah’s people to strengthen them spiritually. I really felt that Jehovah had blessed my decision.

Another Time of Decision

That was not the first such decision I had to make. When I finished high school in Mount Ida, Arkansas, my brother Fred and I joined a western musical group called the Texas Rangers. For nearly three years during the late 1930’s, I traveled with the group in many southern states. Our band received lucrative offers from sponsors as far away as Chicago. We won first prize at state contests in Mississippi and Arkansas, and in an Arkansas state contest I won first prize as the best male singer. So I had a promising career.

But I was divided. When I was a youngster in the 1920’s, our family had been contacted by representatives of the Watch Tower Society. In fact, when they were visiting our area a few miles west of Hot Springs, Arkansas, traveling ministers (called pilgrims) used to stay in our home. Our family enjoyed listening to them and generally accepted what they taught.

So as I grew up I had a basic knowledge of Bible truth. And I even spoke to my friends about the things these traveling ministers said and what we read at home in The Watchtower. Floyd Garrett was one of these boyhood friends. We went to school together in the mid-1930’s. Floyd responded to the things I related to him, and, in time, he made a dedication to God and began the full-time ministry in 1940. Today he is serving as a traveling overseer.

Well, during the time I was traveling with the band, my father would write me about talks the traveling brothers were giving back at our country home. Then, late in 1938, when we were in Jackson, Mississippi, I was invited to listen to a recording of the lecture “Fill the Earth” that the president of the Watch Tower Society, J. F. Rutherford, had delivered at a convention in London, England. That really renewed the spark of interest that had lain dormant for years. I knew I had to make a decision. The following year I quit the band and returned home to Arkansas.

Spiritual Progress

Music, as well as fishing and hunting, now took second place in my life. Spiritual things became more meaningful as I began to seek first the Kingdom. (Matthew 6:33) Jehovah became real to me, and I had a burning desire to serve him. I made a dedication to Jehovah and was baptized November 27, 1939, in a cold Arkansas creek. My mother was baptized soon afterward.

I bought an 11-year-old car for $50, and in November 1940, at 23 years of age, I entered the full-time pioneer service in rural Arkansas. What a happy day that was! My course in life was clear, and I felt Jehovah was backing me and that is what counted.

In those days, searching for sheeplike ones in the rurals around Hot Springs was not easy. It required lots of driving on dirt roads, fording creeks, and walking down dusty wagon-trails to reach isolated houses. I traded Bible literature for fruits, vegetables, chickens, eggs, canned goods, and so forth. I still treasure those experiences.

Difficulties During War Years

When the United States entered World War II in 1941, there was widespread opposition to Jehovah’s Witnesses due to their stand of neutrality. (Isaiah 2:4) Mobs were formed against them throughout the country, and thousands of young Witnesses were imprisoned. Although I received a 4-D classification as a minister, I faced severe opposition, including threats to my life.

Aiming his shotgun right at me, a man ordered: “Get off my property before I shoot!” He had recognized me as a Witness as I approached his house. Needless to say, I left without hesitation. Then there was the man with whom I studied the Bible who warned me that he had heard that someone out east of town was planning to kill me when I got to his house.

A few months later while in that area, I was invited in by a housewife and began playing a phonograph record of a Bible lecture by Brother Rutherford. While the recording was playing, the husband came in and stood between me and the door, taking out his knife. He asked what my business was but then wouldn’t let me explain. “Will you salute the flag or fight in the army?” he demanded, as he brandished his knife at me. Immediately I recalled my friend’s warning and wondered how to respond.

“How would you feel,” I asked the knife wielder, “if someone accused you of supporting Nazism?” Indignantly, I continued: “I’m no more for Hitler than you are. All I’m interested in is helping people understand the Bible.” Somehow the response pacified the man, and I was able to get away safely. As I left, I thanked Jehovah for his protection and for putting the right words in my mouth.

On another occasion, I was playing a recorded Bible lecture for a man when I noticed that something was wrong. His face set, and he actually turned white. But he kept listening. When the recording finished, I nonchalantly asked how he liked it. He paused and replied: “At first I thought it was Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I was going to kill you.” I commended him for hearing a matter before judging and gave him a printed sermon and left. I wanted him to know who I was but only after I had left.

A new congregation was established in Bonnerdale where I grew up. After serving as the company, or congregation, servant for two years and seeing the group grow to 17 publishers, I was asked by the traveling overseer to move into Hot Springs and serve as congregation overseer. This I did in 1942. Associating with the mature, older brothers there was very beneficial to my spiritual development.

During those days, Jehovah provided for my needs in so many ways. Once I had no money to pay $5 to renew my car license. I prayed to Jehovah about it and went out in the ministry. That morning I received an unsolicited donation of exactly $5!

Bethel Service

In 1944 I was assigned as a special pioneer in Joliet, Illinois. While I was there, an article appeared in the Informant (now Our Kingdom Ministry) about Bethel service in Brooklyn, New York. I decided to apply and was accepted.

When I arrived at Bethel in March 1945, there were only about 230 in the world headquarters family in Brooklyn compared to over 2,500 today! For five years I enjoyed working in various places, including the Service Department. Then one day Brother Knorr, president of the Society, called me to his office.

“You have been selected to manage the Society’s radio station WBBR,” he said. I couldn’t believe it.

“I know nothing about managing a radio station,” I said.

“You used to play on one, didn’t you?” he asked.

“But that’s different from managing one,” I protested.

Brother Knorr encouraged me to accept the assignment, and I agreed to give it my best. It was a real challenge but also a joy and a privilege. Over 90 members of the Bethel family were to be on the different programs each week. The new format was to consist of about 65 percent recorded music, including a 15-minute program of my singing each week. The rest of the time was devoted to Bible lectures, Bible studies, answering Bible questions, and other methods of presenting Bible information, as well as newscasts and information on public safety.

Baptizing My Father

When I was on vacation from Bethel in the summer of 1950, I had the unique happiness of baptizing my own father! For 27 years he had read the Society’s publications, but it took him many years to accept fully that Jehovah is using an organization through which He is dispensing His truths. (Matthew 24:45-47) At one time, Dad had actually been an atheist. Why was that?

Well, when my 13-year-old brother Jim died, the clergyman preached him right into a burning hell because the boy did not belong to a church. This stunned Dad. He reasoned: ‘Why should I worship a god who is a fiend, a torturer?’ He thought that what the preacher said was in the Bible. So he became an atheist. But his faith in God was restored when, in his first discussion with a Bible Student (Jehovah’s Witness), she convinced him from the Bible that hell is not a place of torture but mankind’s common grave.

Marriage

In 1952 I faced another decision. Jean Mylton, a zealous pioneer, and I decided to marry. Someone asked Jean what her future plans were, and she explained that since at that time there was no arrangement to bring wives to Bethel, we were going to pioneer in Little Rock, Arkansas. “How can you go down there when you don’t have anything materially?” the person asked.

True, we didn’t have much money, as I had been in full-time service for 12 years and Jean 7. This person suggested that we both work full-time for six months to “buy a car and save up about $600.” When Jean asked me about it, I said: “How do we know we can’t make it​—we haven’t tried it. If we need to, we can quit later and work full-time, but let us try it first.”

To our amazement, we received a car and exactly $600 as wedding gifts. Jehovah knew we needed it, and he provided it because we made the decision to stay in the full-time work. (Malachi 3:10) We pioneered a few months, and then I was invited to enter the circuit work in 1953, and the following year we were invited to the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. After graduation Jean accompanied me in the district work for two years.

Foreign Service and Back to Bethel

In 1957 we were serving in Pasco, Washington, when the mailman brought a special-delivery letter from The President’s Office. I excused myself from the meeting for service with the brothers, and Jean and I went into another room and opened the letter. We were invited to go to Mexico, and I was asked to serve as branch overseer. I was shocked! We did not know the Spanish language, and I knew little about branch work. But our trust was in Jehovah, and we certainly needed it. The field was big and a lot of organizing was required, but the local brothers were willing, and Jehovah blessed the work.

After serving for some years in Mexico, I was again given the privilege of attending Gilead School in New York. When I graduated, Jean and I were given a new assignment, in the circuit work in Guatemala. Jean had some health problems, so later we returned to the United States where I continued to serve in the traveling work. For several years I also taught the two-week classes of the Kingdom Ministry School for elders. Finally, we returned to take up Bethel service in Brooklyn, and we have been in this most blessed place ever since.

So here I am at 69 years of age, having enjoyed many undeserved privileges in the full-time service over the past 45 years. I can say that Jehovah is good and his blessings are rich. Jean, my faithful wife during the past 34 years, has been an especially rich blessing to me. I know that Jehovah can bless the small ones as well as the great ones, and I have appreciated my blessings as a small one. (Psalm 115:13) It is my decision and desire to keep on serving our great and loving God Jehovah in whatever way he directs, to his honor and praise.

[Blurb on page 25]

“How would you feel,” I asked the knife wielder, “if someone accused you of supporting Nazism?”

[Picture on page 23]

Sam Friend on the right, early in his musical career

[Picture on page 24]

Presenting The Watchtower on the street in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1942

[Picture on page 26]

Sam Friend and his wife Jean today

Is Your Young Child ‘Growing to Salvation’?

ALL Christian parents want to see their children grow into mature, Christian adults. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. It is by no means automatic that the child of a Christian parent will himself grow up to be a Christian. Why is that?

We can see one reason from Peter’s words: “As newborn infants, form a longing for the unadulterated milk belonging to the word, that through it you may grow to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2, 3) The exhortation to “form a longing” suggests that our children will not naturally have a longing for spiritual things. We may have to form, or develop, such a longing in them. Yet, as the text also shows, salvation is involved. Just as children have to learn to like healthful food if they are to grow to healthy adulthood, so they must learn to enjoy spiritual food if they are to “grow to salvation.”

Parents​—do you have children who are not yet teenagers? Has your program of child raising and discipline worked well for you up to this point? If so, that is fine. However, things may change during the teenage years. In fact, while the problems of adolescence are sometimes overstated, experienced parents warn that you should expect some anxious times during that period. Can you prepare for them now, while your child is still young? Yes, there are definite steps you can take. For example, we should help them to develop . . .

An Intimate Relationship With Jehovah

Young Samuel, whose birth was an answer to the prayer of Hannah, his mother, ‘grew up with Jehovah.’ (1 Samuel 2:20, 21) What a wonderful upbringing! Remember, too, that on one occasion parents brought their young children to Jesus. At first, the disciples reprimanded them, but “at seeing this Jesus was indignant and said to them: ‘Let the young children come to me; do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to suchlike ones.’” Jesus approved of the parents’ bringing their children to him. He took the children into his arms and blessed them.​—Mark 10:13-16.

Can parents today help their children to ‘grow up with Jehovah’ and bring them to Jesus Christ, thus helping them develop a relationship with Jehovah and Jesus? They can, but it takes time. Jesus was willing to spend time with other people’s children, so surely we can spend time with our own. If possible, we should start from infancy, as Timothy’s mother did. (2 Timothy 3:15) We should talk about Jehovah and Jesus as real persons, teaching our little ones to appreciate some of their wonderful creative works. When we take them to the park, to the zoo, or out in the country, we can help them to see Jehovah’s hand in the wonders they see. By means of our conversation, we can develop in them a desire to do what is right because this pleases Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. (Compare Deuteronomy 6:7.) Do not put off doing this. The time that our children are little is far too short. They grow up quickly, so time spent with them is precious.​—Matthew 19:13-15.

Of course, the primary way we teach our children the truth and help them to gain an intimacy with Jehovah is by means of a family Bible study. This will be most successful, however, if we . . .

Make It Enjoyable

A mother who wants her child to enjoy wholesome food does not force huge quantities of it down his throat. Rather, she will prepare it tastefully and encourage him to eat small portions at a time, gradually building his taste for it. Something similar is needed for spiritual food. Whether you are starting a study program for the first time or you want to do something about your program because your child is getting bored, the requirement is the same. Strive to make the program interesting.

With young children you do not have to stick to a formal question-and-answer method, nor do you have to make each study last a whole hour. Adapt the study to your child. Tell him stories about Bible characters. Let him draw pictures of Bible scenes. Let the children act out Bible events and dramas. Give them homework to prepare. Make it lively and varied. You want your child to “form a longing” for the word, so make it as tasty as you can for him.​—1 Peter 2:2, 3.

The results are worth the effort because they are long-lasting. If your child enjoys spiritual things when he is young, he can be helped to develop an intimate relationship with Jehovah that will last throughout his lifetime. “Start a boy on the right road, and even in old age he will not leave it.” (Proverbs 22:6, The New English Bible) But there is something else that will help your child to develop a love of spiritual things. What is that?

A Happy, Balanced Family

Yes, just as a plant grows best when the soil is rich and the atmosphere is just right, so a child will flourish spiritually in a happy family atmosphere. However, for such an atmosphere to exist, family members need to spend time together. Parents, do you make sure that your family members spend time together and talk to one another? Do you have a family policy on TV viewing? on recreation? on choice of music? on family study? on other spiritual activities? What is the family atmosphere like at evening mealtime? In many homes the evening meal is the best time for the family to be together. It affords the opportunity to discuss what has happened during the day, to share a little humor and relaxed talk. It can be good for everybody.

Remember, too, that while children need spiritual activities and have to fulfill their responsibilities in the home, they also need time to play. Charles R. Foster, in his book Psychology for Life Today, said: “Recognizing the importance of recreation in the lives of their children, parents should make provision for the children to enjoy these experiences. . . . Children, as they grow older and develop, should see the relationship between these activities and family expenses as well as home responsibilities. If they do recognize these relationships, and do not use recreation as an escape from home duties and responsibilities, a happier atmosphere in the home will result.”

Parents who help their child to develop a balanced attitude toward recreation, work, and spiritual matters contribute much to his enjoyment of spiritual things and his closeness to Jehovah. (Compare 2 Timothy 3:4b; Titus 3:3.) Such progress will bring them much joy. And there is something else they can start doing to build their child’s appreciation of spiritual things in early childhood:

Help Set Worthwhile Goals

Wise King Solomon gave good advice on child rearing when he said: “Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) “According to the way for him” could mean either according to his capacity, or, more likely, in the manner of life, the way, the goal in life, that you would have him choose for himself. Thus, one of the most important ways a parent can contribute to his child’s happiness and spirituality is to assist him to set meaningful goals. These goals should be worthwhile and realistic. They should also be attainable within a reasonable period of time. Then, when some goals are achieved, this will encourage the child to set others that are higher.

It is a common mistake to wait for a child to set his own goals in life. A child’s experience is too limited. If parents do not help him to set goals, someone else will​—perhaps the children at school or the school counselors. Christian parents can help the child set goals that harmonize with his appreciation for spiritual things. Young children could make it their goal to qualify to join the Theocratic Ministry School. In the field service, good goals to be achieved one by one could be to offer a handbill at the door, to give a magazine presentation, and then to give a simple sermon. Study goals could be set. Children could gradually learn the order of books of the Bible and memorize certain key texts. Career goals should be talked about early. While school counselors will hold out one kind of career, Christian parents can stress goals that will satisfy the child’s growing interest in serving Jehovah, such as pioneering, Bethel, and missionary service.

Parents also want their child to develop a sense of responsibility. They can help him train his conscience on the basis of Bible principles. As he develops, they should let him know that they trust him to do the right thing. In some endeavors they may give limited freedom, and if the child makes a mistake, they can help him to learn from it, instead of severely criticizing him. Earning a name for being dependable is an achievement children will be proud of, and it will contribute to their ‘growing to salvation.’

As the child grows, the parents watch for changes and alertly adapt training and discipline to new situations. They are completely honest and open with him. They communicate how they feel about his actions and changes. By being honest and open, they hope to help him communicate freely with them​—he will not become a stranger in the house.

Young David cultivated a longing for spiritual things. The psalms that he wrote reveal a deep appreciation of Jehovah’s love. (Psalm 23:1-6) This confidence in Jehovah stood him in good stead when he had to face up to a wild bear, a lion, and finally the Philistine giant Goliath who had struck terror into the hearts of the whole Israelite army. Imagine how proud Jesse, David’s father, must have been because of David’s faith! David developed an intimacy with Jehovah that lasted all through his life. (1 Samuel 17:32-37, 45-50; Psalm 19:9, 10, 14; 15:1, 2; 24:3, 4) Our children can build a similar intimacy and make us similarly proud​—with our help. But we cannot do it alone.

Pray for Help

When Manoah learned that he was going to become a father, he asked for guidance on how to bring up the child and how to train him. Jehovah answered his prayer. (Judges 13:8, 12, 24) Parents today, too, should not neglect praying to Jehovah about their children, imploring him for wisdom as they try to guide them onto the way to life. Samuel, a prophet of Jehovah, considered it to be a “sin against Jehovah” if he neglected to pray in behalf of Jehovah’s people. (1 Samuel 12:23; compare Proverbs 1:24, 25.) We should feel the same sense of responsibility toward our children. We want them to develop a spiritual attitude. Regular prayer for help is essential.

Do Not Give Up

Is any of this easy? Of course not. It is rewarding but not easy. When our child becomes a teenager, problems and crises are sure to arise. When they surface, do not be panic stricken. Handle them one by one and do not expect miracles. Be firm, but do not overreact; refrain from making cutting remarks but deal patiently with the problem. If we maintain our composure in this way, generally the crisis passes, and we can once again enjoy closeness with our child.

All God-fearing parents want the best for their children. We want them to ‘appreciate sacred things,’ to form a longing for the word of God, that through it they may “grow to salvation.” Sometimes, it is true, despite much hard work, Christian parents see their children grow up and then reject the truth. Nevertheless, diligent work on our part will reduce the likelihood of this happening. With Jehovah’s help we will work hard to train our children according to the way for them. May our reward be to see them endure in the way of the truth throughout their lives.​—Hebrews 12:16; 1 Peter 2:2; Proverbs 22:6.

[Blurb on page 28]

Jesus was willing to spend time with other people’s children. Surely we can spend time with our own

[Blurb on page 29]

If you want your child to ‘form a longing for the word,’ make it as tasty as possible for him

Annual Meeting​—October 4, 1986

THE ANNUAL MEETING of the members of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania on October 4, 1986, will be held at the Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 2932 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, New Jersey. A preliminary meeting of the members only will be held at 9:30 a.m., followed by the general annual meeting at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 4, 1986.

It will be appreciated if the members of the Corporation will inform the Secretary’s Office of any change in their mailing addresses during the past year so that the regular letters of notice and proxies can reach them shortly after August 15.

The proxies, which will be sent to the members along with the notice of the annual meeting, are to be returned so as to reach the Office of the Secretary of the Society not later than September 1. As each member knows, he should complete and return his proxy promptly, stating whether he is going to be at the meeting personally or not. The information given on each proxy should be definite on this point, as it will be relied upon in determining in advance those who will actually be personally present.

It is expected that the entire session, including the formal business meeting and reports, will be concluded by 1:00 p.m. or shortly thereafter. There will be no afternoon session. Due to limited space, admission will be by ticket only. No arrangements will be made for tying in the annual meeting by telephone lines to other locations.

Questions From Readers

◼ Can a Christian who has earthly hopes be spoken of as part of the “great crowd” now, in view of the fact that he has not yet survived “the great tribulation”?​—Revelation 7:9, 14.

Yes, that is appropriate in view of his or her prospects.

Revelation chapter 7 mentions two groups. First the 144,000 “sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.” (Revelation 7:4) Comparing Revelation 14:1-5 shows that the 144,000 are “bought from the earth,” to become “firstfruits to God.” These, therefore, are the ones who will reign in heaven with Christ. (Galatians 6:16; 2 Timothy 4:18) The second group is “a great crowd, which no man was able to number,” who “come out of the great tribulation.”

In its setting, Revelation 7:9-17 depicts the earthly survivors of the coming tribulation. So someone who wanted to be extremely exacting might restrict the term “great crowd” to persons who have survived that tribulation. But is it necessary to be that restrictive? We do not believe so. Obviously, those who will survive had to have been gathered before “the great tribulation” so that they could qualify for survival. Thus we have applied the term “great crowd” to loyal Christians who at this time serve Jehovah God with the prospect of survival and of their being ‘guided to fountains of waters of life’ on earth. (Revelation 7:17) If one of the “great crowd” should die now, just before the “great tribulation,” there is every reason to look forward to his or her resurrection to life on earth.

Similar points can be made concerning the term “other sheep.” In John 10:7-16, Jesus first spoke of his “sheep,” whom we understand to be the “little flock” destined for heavenly life. Jesus next said: “I have other sheep, which are not of this [heavenly] fold; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.” We have often presented Scriptural evidence identifying the “other sheep” as those whose prospect is earthly life.​—Luke 12:32.

Someone might reason: Jesus was pointing to a future gathering of “other sheep,” hence the term applies only to those who, after Jesus spoke, would accept the Biblical hope of everlasting life on earth. However, it seems unnecessary to confine the term thusly, as if Jesus were defining matters chronologically or sequentially. We believe that he was stressing that he was the shepherd of the unified sheep. Some sheeplike persons come into a fold to go to heaven. There are also other sheep who will accept him as shepherd; these will be at unity with those first mentioned. Having this view, the term “other sheep” includes men of faith who died before Jesus inaugurated the way to heaven, such as Noah, Abraham, Job, David, and John the Baptizer. (Matthew 11:11; Acts 2:29; Hebrews 10:19, 20) When these are resurrected in the new system of things, they can accept the Fine Shepherd and have the prospect of endless earthly life with the rest of Jesus’ “other sheep.”

Why the Cynical Comments?

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“Though not of your faith, I am consistently impressed at the insight and clarity of your magazine.

“I am often amazed at the cynical comments visitors to my home make when they see a copy laying around. Could it be that Awake! hits too many ‘home truths’ about ourselves?

“I was particularly interested last year in your articles on alcohol and, as an ex-drunk, the Bible extract about drink turning ‘like a snake’ confirms to me, once more, the wisdom of that book.”

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