Table of Contents

March 1, 2008

How Jesus’ Death Can Save You

IN THIS ISSUE

3 Rescue Needed!

4 How Jesus’ Death Can Save You

8 Becoming One of God’s Children

11 Victims of Violence Vindicated

12 Did You Know?

17 For Our Young People​—The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

18 “The Law Has Become Our Tutor”

22 Our Readers Ask

23 Draw Close to God​—A Restorer of Life

26 “He Leads Me in the Tracks of Righteousness”

30 2008 “Guided by God’s Spirit” District Convention Locations

32 March 22, 2008​—A Day to Remember

You Can Be Happy Despite Disappointment

PAGE 13

A Letter From the Dominican Republic

PAGE 24

Rescue Needed!

How Jesus’ Death Can Save You

Becoming One of God’s Children

SOME 30 years after the Korean War, the Korean Broadcasting System launched a program to help people locate family members who had been lost since the war. The result? Over 11,000 people were reunited with their loved ones​—with tears, cries, hugs, and all. The Korea Times reported: “Never before in their history have the Korean people shed so many tears of joy spontaneously and simultaneously.”

In Brazil, Cézar was given away as a baby in payment for a debt. Some ten years later, he was so happy to find his real mother that he left his wealthy foster parents to live with her.

How family members rejoice when they find one another after being separated and lost! The Bible describes how humans were tragically separated from God’s family. It also tells how they are now being joyfully united. How did this happen? And how can you share in that joy?

How God’s Family Was Separated

Regarding Jehovah God, the Creator, the psalmist said: “With you is the source of life.” (Psalm 36:9) Jehovah is the Father of a large universal family of faithful intelligent creatures. That family consists of a heavenly part made up of angels, who are his spirit sons, and an earthly part made up of humans, who are to be his earthly children.

When God’s first human son, Adam, rebelled, as described in the preceding article, the human race was painfully separated from its loving Father and Creator. (Luke 3:38) This is because through his rebellion, Adam forfeited for himself and his yet unborn offspring the privilege of being children of God. Through his servant Moses, God described the consequences of what had happened: “They have acted ruinously on their own part; they are not [God’s] children, the defect is their own.” “The defect,” or sinful nature, alienated humans from God, who is holy and perfect in every way. (Deuteronomy 32:4, 5; Isaiah 6:3) In a sense, then, mankind became lost, fatherless.​—Ephesians 2:12.

To emphasize the extent of mankind’s isolation, the Bible refers to those outside God’s family as “enemies.” (Romans 5:8, 10) Separated from God, humankind has suffered under the harsh rule of Satan and the deadly effects of inherited sin and imperfection. (Romans 5:12; 1 John 5:19) Can sinful humans become part of God’s family? Can imperfect creatures become children of God in the fullest sense, the way Adam and Eve were before they sinned?

Gathering Separated Children

Lovingly, Jehovah made provisions for the benefit of imperfect people who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9) The apostle Paul explains: “God was by means of Christ reconciling a world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses.” (2 Corinthians 5:19) As explained in the preceding article, Jehovah God provided Jesus Christ as a ransom for our sins. (Matthew 20:28; John 3:16) With appreciation, the apostle John wrote: “See what sort of love the Father has given us, so that we should be called children of God.” (1 John 3:1) Thus, a way was opened for obedient mankind to become part of Jehovah’s family once again.

Though all humans gathered into God’s family will enjoy wonderful unity under the care of their heavenly Father, note how the Bible describes them as being gathered into two groups. We read: “It is according to [God’s] good pleasure which he purposed in himself for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth.” (Ephesians 1:9, 10) Why does God administer things in that manner?

The way Jehovah arranges his children in two groups actually contributes to the harmony of his family. It is not difficult to understand why. God’s family is so large that it can be likened to a nation. In any nation, a few are selected to form a government so that the rest can enjoy law and order. Of course, no human government has brought true peace, but God provides his family with a perfect government. The first group, “the things in the heavens,” consists of the children of God whom Jehovah selects to form a government, or Kingdom, in heaven. From there, “they are to rule as kings over the earth.”​—Revelation 5:10.

Children of God on Earth

Jehovah is also gathering “the things on the earth,” that is, millions of people earth wide, in order that they can eventually become his earthly children. As a kind Father, he teaches them his ways of love so that, although they are from many nations, they are harmoniously united. Even people who are violent, selfish, immoral, and disobedient to God are being invited to “become reconciled to God.”​—2 Corinthians 5:20.

What about those who reject God’s invitation to become reconciled to him as his children? To ensure peace and harmony in his family, Jehovah will take firm measures to deal with such ones. There will be a “day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:7) God will cleanse the earth of rebellious ones. What relief that will bring to those who obey!​—Psalm 37:10, 11.

A thousand years of peace will follow, during which all who respond to God’s love will be progressively restored to the perfection of life that Adam lost. Even the dead will be raised. (John 5:28, 29; Revelation 20:6; 21:3, 4) Thus God will fulfill his promise: “The [human] creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.”​—Romans 8:21.

Becoming United With Your Father

Cézar and the thousands of Koreans mentioned at the beginning of this article had to take action to enjoy a reunion of their families. Those people in Korea had to join the program, and Cézar left his foster parents. Similarly, you may have to take decisive action to become reconciled to your heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and to enjoy being part of his family. What should you do?

To draw close to God as your Father, you must study his Word, the Bible, so as to develop strong faith in him and in his promises. You will learn to trust that what God tells you to do is for your benefit. You will also need to accept God’s correction and discipline, for the Bible says to Christians: “God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is he that a father does not discipline?”​—Hebrews 12:7.

Taking such steps will change your whole way of life. The Bible says: “You should be made new in the force actuating your mind, and should put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty.” (Ephesians 4:23, 24) Then follow the apostle Peter’s admonition: “As obedient children, do not let your characters be shaped any longer by the desires you cherished in your days of ignorance.”​—1 Peter 1:14, The New English Bible.

Finding Your Real Family

When Cézar found his mother, he was overjoyed to learn that he also had a brother and a sister. Similarly, when you draw close to your heavenly Father, you will find that you have many brothers and sisters in the Christian congregation. As you associate with them, you may feel that they come to be closer to you than members of your own natural family.​—Acts 28:14, 15; Hebrews 10:24, 25.

The invitation is open for you to be united with your real Father and your real brothers and sisters. The joy you will experience can be just as great as the joy experienced by Cézar and the thousands in Korea when they were reunited with their families.

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Cézar at age 19 with his mother

[Pictures on page 10]

Take steps to draw close to God

Victims of Violence Vindicated

ON May 3, 2007, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, rendered a unanimous decision in favor of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Republic of Georgia. The Court found that the Witnesses there had been subjected to inhuman treatment and that their right to freedom of religion had been infringed upon. The Court also rebuked the former government of Georgia for its inaction in prosecuting the perpetrators of the criminal action. What led to this decision?

On October 17, 1999, some 120 members of the Gldani Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Tbilisi, the capital, were peacefully meeting together for worship. Suddenly, a large mob led by Vasili Mkalavishvili, a defrocked Orthodox priest, burst into the meeting place. The mob, armed with wooden clubs and iron crosses, viciously attacked those in attendance, inflicting injuries, some very serious, on a number of individuals. One woman sustained permanent damage to her eye from the blows she received. At least 16 persons needed medical attention. When some Witnesses went to the police station for help, they were met by the police chief, who said that he would have given them even worse treatment! The attack was filmed by a member of the mob and was later aired on national television stations, showing clearly who the attackers were.a

The Witnesses who were victimized filed criminal complaints, but no action was taken against the attackers. A police investigator assigned to look into the matter stated that he was an Orthodox believer and could not be impartial in the case. The inaction of the civil authorities emboldened the religious extremists to carry out over one hundred similar attacks.

So on June 29, 2001, Jehovah’s Witnesses filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights.b The Court rendered the final judgment on May 3, 2007, in which it gave a graphic description of the attack and condemned the inaction of the State authorities. The Court said: “The authorities . . . had a duty to act promptly to verify the information” about the attack. “Tolerance by the authorities towards such acts,” the decision held, “cannot but undermine public confidence in the principle of lawfulness and the State’s maintenance of the rule of law.”

The Court concluded: “As the attack against the applicants on 17 October 1999 constituted the first act of large-scale aggression against the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the authorities’ negligence opened the doors to a generalisation of religious violence throughout Georgia by the same group of attackers.”

Accordingly, the victims of the violent attack were vindicated, and the government of Georgia was ordered to pay damages and legal fees to members of the Gldani Congregation. While Jehovah’s Witnesses in Georgia are happy that the violence and brutality have largely abated, they rejoice that the Court’s decision affirms their right to meet peacefully for worship. For this, they are truly thankful to their heavenly Father, Jehovah God, whose guidance and protection they have felt all along.​—Psalm 23:4.

[Footnotes]

Did You Know?

How much were the widow’s two coins worth?

In the first century C.E., the annual temple tax paid by the Jews was “two drachmas,” worth about two days’ wages. (Matthew 17:24) By contrast, Jesus said that two sparrows sold “for a coin of small value,” the equivalent of 45 minutes’ wages. In fact, five sparrows could be obtained for double this price, or the wages for about 90 minutes’ work.​—Matthew 10:29; Luke 12:6.

The temple contribution made by the needy widow whom Jesus observed was worth far less than that. These two coins, or two lepta, were the smallest copper coins used in Israel at that time. They were the equivalent of a mere ¹⁄64 of a day’s wages, or less than 12 minutes’ wages if based on an average workday of 12 hours.

Jesus Christ valued the widow’s gift as being greater than that of all those who had donated more “out of their surplus.” Why? The account mentions that she had “two small coins,” so she could have contributed one and kept the other for herself. Yet, she gave “all of what she had, her whole living.”​—Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:2-4.

When did Saul become known as Paul?

The apostle Paul was born a Hebrew with Roman citizenship. (Acts 22:27, 28; Philippians 3:5) So it is likely that from childhood he had both the Hebrew name Saul and the Roman name Paul. Some of Paul’s relatives likewise had Roman and Greek names. (Romans 16:7, 21) Additionally, it was not unusual for Jews of that time, particularly among those living outside Israel, to have two names.​—Acts 12:12; 13:1.

For over a decade after becoming a Christian, this apostle seemed to have been known mostly by his Hebrew name, Saul. (Acts 13:1, 2) However, on his first missionary journey, about 47/48 C.E., he might have preferred to use his Roman name, Paul. He was commissioned to declare the good news to non-Jews, and he might have felt that his Roman name would be more acceptable. (Acts 9:15; 13:9; Galatians 2:7, 8) He may also have used the name Paul because the Greek pronunciation of his Hebrew name, Saul, is very similar to that of a Greek word that has a bad connotation. Whatever the reason for the change, Paul showed that he was willing to “become all things to people of all sorts, that [he] might by all means save some.”​—1 Corinthians 9:22.

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A lepton, shown actual size

You Can Be Happy Despite Disappointment

WHO has never been disappointed? Why, even our heavenly Father, Jehovah God, has experienced the pain of disappointment. For example, he delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and blessed them richly. Yet, the Bible says: “Again and again they would put God to the test, and they pained even the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 78:41) Nevertheless, Jehovah has always been “the happy God.”​—1 Timothy 1:11.

Indeed, many are the causes of disappointment. How can we prevent them from robbing us of our happiness? What can we learn from the way Jehovah God handled disappointing situations?

Things That Disappoint

“Time and unforeseen occurrence” befall us all, states God’s Word. (Ecclesiastes 9:11) All of a sudden, a crime, an accident, or a disease can bring great distress​—and disappointment. The Bible also says: “Expectation postponed is making the heart sick.” (Proverbs 13:12) Eager anticipation of something good fills us with joy, but if it is not soon realized, we may feel a depressing sense of letdown. For example, Duncan,a who had his heart set on being a missionary, found that after many years in missionary service, he and his wife had to return home. “For the first time in my life, I lost all sense of direction,” he said. “I had no goals. Nothing seemed important anymore.” The pain of disappointment can be long lasting, as in Claire’s case. She explains: “I was seven months pregnant when I lost my baby by miscarriage. That was years ago, but even now, when I see a boy giving a talk on the stage, I think to myself, ‘That is how old my son would be.’”

It can also be painful when someone lets you down, as when a courtship ends, a marriage fails, a child rebels, a companion is disloyal, or a friend is ungrateful. Since we live among imperfect people and in difficult times, the possibilities for disappointment are endless.

Our own failures can likewise cause disappointment. For instance, if we fail to pass an exam, get a job, or win someone’s heart, we may feel worthless. We can also feel disappointed with ourselves when someone we love falters. Mary says: “My daughter seemed to be doing well. I felt that I had set a good example for her. But when she turned her back on Jehovah God and our family values, I felt that I was a total failure. None of the successes I had in other aspects of life could make up for it. I was so discouraged.”

How can we cope with such letdowns? For the answer, consider the example set by Jehovah in dealing with disappointment.

Focus on the Solution

Jehovah God lovingly provided for the first human couple, yet they proved to be ungrateful and rebelled. (Genesis, chapters 2 and 3) Then their son Cain began to develop a bad attitude. Ignoring Jehovah’s warning, Cain murdered his own brother. (Genesis 4:1-8) Can you imagine the disappointment that Jehovah felt?

Why did that disappointment not rob God of his happiness? Because he had purposed to fill the earth with perfect humans and he continued working to accomplish that purpose. (John 5:17) To that end, he provided the ransom sacrifice and his Kingdom. (Matthew 6:9, 10; Romans 5:18, 19) Jehovah God focused, not on the problem, but on the solution.

God’s Word encourages us to focus on positive things rather than on what might have been or what we should have done. It says: “Whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things.”​—Philippians 4:8.

Proper View of Disappointment

Things may happen that can alter our life dramatically. For example, we might suddenly find ourselves without a job, without a marriage mate, or without the privileges we once enjoyed. We might lose our health, our home, or our friends. How can we cope with such changes?

Some have found that setting priorities is helpful. Duncan, mentioned earlier, says: “When my wife and I realized that we could never go back to our former way of life, we were devastated. Eventually, we established two priorities: caring for Mother and if at all possible, continuing in the full-time ministry. When faced with decisions, we consider how they will affect these priorities. This simplifies everything.”

Many of us tend to exaggerate the negative when we experience disappointment. For example, our efforts in raising a child, qualifying for a job, or preaching the good news in a foreign field may not produce the desired result. We might think, ‘I am a failure.’ Yet, just as the disappointing start of the human race did not prove God a failure, we are not failures simply because our efforts disappoint us at first.​—Deuteronomy 32:4, 5.

It is easy for us to react with bitter resentment when people disappoint us. Jehovah does not act in that way. King David was a disappointment when he committed adultery and then had the woman’s husband killed. Yet, Jehovah saw the sincerity of David’s repentance and continued using David as his servant. Similarly, faithful King Jehoshaphat erred when he formed an alliance with God’s enemies. Jehovah’s prophet said: “For this there is indignation against you from the person of Jehovah. Nevertheless, there are good things that have been found with you.” (2 Chronicles 19:2, 3) Jehovah recognized that one mistake did not make Jehoshaphat a traitor. In the same way, we can avoid losing friends if we do not overreact when they err. Friends who disappoint us may still have fine qualities.​—Colossians 3:13.

Disappointments can be viewed as necessary experience along the way to ultimate success. We may be disappointed with ourselves when we commit a sin. Yet, we can recover if we take proper and purposeful action and move forward. When King David was painfully disappointed with himself, he wrote: “My bones wore out through my groaning all day long. . . . My sin I finally confessed to you [Jehovah] . . . , and you yourself pardoned the error of my sins.” (Psalm 32:3-5) If we realize that we have not done what God expects of us, we should ask for God’s forgiveness and change our ways and be determined to follow God’s counsel more closely in the future.​—1 John 2:1, 2.

Prepare Now for Disappointment

Without doubt, all of us will face some sort of disappointment in the future. What can we do to be prepared? Interesting are the comments of Bruno, an older Christian man who suffered a disappointment that changed his way of life. He said: “In my case, the most important factor in coping with the disappointment was that I continued to do what I had been doing before to strengthen my spirituality. I had learned why God permits this cruel system of things to continue. I had spent years developing a close relationship with Jehovah. I was so thankful that I had done that. The consolation of knowing that he was with me helped me to endure the depression I experienced.”

As we contemplate the future, we can be sure of one thing: Although we may disappoint ourselves or others may disappoint us, God will never disappoint us. In fact, God stated that his name, Jehovah, means “I shall prove to be what I shall prove to be.” (Exodus 3:14) That gives us confidence that he will become whatever is necessary in order to fulfill his promises. He has promised that by means of his Kingdom, his will shall take place “as in heaven, also upon earth.” That is why the apostle Paul wrote: “I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments . . . nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus.”​—Matthew 6:10; Romans 8:38, 39.

We can confidently look forward to the fulfillment of God’s promise made through the prophet Isaiah: “Here I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.” (Isaiah 65:17) What a marvelous prospect it is that the time is coming when all memories of disappointments will be a thing of the past!

[Footnote]

[Blurb on page 13]

We are not failures simply because our efforts disappoint us at first

[Blurb on page 14]

God’s Word encourages us to focus on positive things rather than on what might have been

[Pictures on page 15]

God is happy, despite the failings of humans, because his purpose is sure of fulfillment

[Picture on page 16]

Setting spiritual priorities is helpful in coping with disappointments

For Our Young People

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Instructions: Do this exercise in quiet surroundings. As you read the scriptures, imagine that you are part of the event. Visualize the scene. Hear the voices. Feel the emotions of the main characters.

ANALYZE THE SCENE.​—READ GENESIS 19:1-14.

Describe the appearance of Lot’s visitors as you imagine them.

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What kind of people were in the mob?

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DIG DEEPER.​—READ GENESIS 13:7-13.

How did Lot come to be a resident of Sodom?

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Why did Jehovah judge those living there as worthy of destruction?

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READ GENESIS 19:15-26.

In what ways did Jehovah show consideration for Lot?

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Why did Lot’s wife look back?

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Why was she destroyed?

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APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED. WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT . . .

Jehovah’s view of wickedness.

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Jehovah’s compassion.

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Jehovah’s warning his people before acting in judgment.

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Which aspect of this account is most meaningful to you, and why.

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“The Law Has Become Our Tutor”

HOW many children appreciate the value of rules and discipline? Not many. For them, restrictions are tiresome. Those with the responsibility of helping young ones, however, know that appropriate oversight is absolutely necessary. And as the years pass, most youngsters will probably come to appreciate the value of the guidance received. The apostle Paul used the image of a man who protected children to illustrate an aspect of the developing relationship between Jehovah God and his people.

Some first-century Christians in the Roman province of Galatia insisted that God favored only those who obeyed the Law that God gave to the Israelites through Moses. The apostle Paul knew this to be false, for God gave holy spirit to some who had never observed Jewish law. (Acts 15:12) So Paul corrected the wrong idea by means of an illustration. In a letter to the Galatian Christians, he wrote: “The Law has become our tutor leading to Christ.” (Galatians 3:24) The figure of a tutor, says one scholar, has “an ancient and rich background.” Understanding this background clarifies the point that the apostle Paul was making.

The Tutor and His Responsibilities

Tutors were widely used in well-to-do Greek, Roman, and perhaps even Jewish households to supervise the activities of children from infancy to puberty. The tutor was generally a trusted slave, often aged, who acted as an attendant to ensure a child’s safety and to see to it that the father’s wishes for the child were respected. All day long, the tutor accompanied the child wherever he went, attended to his hygiene, took him to school, often carried his books and other equipment, and watched over his studies.

The tutor was not usually a schoolteacher. Rather than giving formal scholastic instruction, the tutor merely administered the father’s directives in a custodial fashion. He did, however, give indirect instruction through supervision and discipline. This included inculcating decorum, imparting rebukes, and even inflicting physical punishment for misconduct. The mother and father, of course, were the child’s primary educators. Yet, as the boy grew, his tutor taught him that he should have good posture when he walked in the streets, that he should wear his cloak, sit, and eat properly, and that he should rise for his elders, love his parents, and so on.

Greek philosopher Plato (428-348 B.C.E.) was in no doubt that childish passions had to be restrained. “Just as no sheep or other grazing beast ought to exist without a herdsman, so children cannot live without a tutor, nor slaves without a master,” he wrote. This view might seem extreme; still, that is how Plato saw things.

The constant presence of tutors earned them a reputation as oppressive guards and harsh disciplinarians, the source of an endless flow of petty, tiresome, and ineffective accusations. Even so, the tutor provided protection, both moral and physical. Greek historian Appian of the second century C.E. relates the story of one tutor who en route to school had to throw his arms around his ward to protect him from would-be murderers. When he refused to release the boy, both tutor and child were killed.

Immorality was rife in the Hellenistic world. Children, especially boys, needed protection from sexual molestation. Tutors would thus attend the child’s lessons, since many schoolteachers could not be trusted. Greek orator Libanius of the fourth century C.E. went so far as to say that tutors had to act as “guards of the blossoming youth,” to “drive out the undesirable lovers, thrusting them away and keeping them out, not allowing them to fraternize with the boys.” Many tutors earned the respect of those whom they protected. Memorial stones attest to the gratitude adults still felt for beloved former tutors when these died.

The Law as a Tutor

Why did the apostle Paul compare the Mosaic Law to a tutor? What makes this illustration particularly appropriate?

The first aspect is the protective nature of the Law. Paul explained that the Jews were “guarded under law.” It was as though they were in the protective custody of a tutor. (Galatians 3:23) The Law influenced every aspect of their life. It bridled their lustful passions and their fleshly desires. It supervised their conduct and continually rebuked them for their shortcomings, making each Israelite aware of his own imperfections.

The Law was also a protection from corrupting influences, such as the degraded moral and religious practices of the nations that surrounded Israel. God’s prohibition on intermarriage with pagans, for example, was essential to the spiritual well-being of the nation as a whole. (Deuteronomy 7:3, 4) Such statutes preserved the spiritual purity of God’s people and prepared them to be able to recognize the Messiah. These were loving provisions indeed. Moses reminded his fellow Israelites: “Just as a man corrects his son, Jehovah your God was correcting you.”​—Deuteronomy 8:5.

An essential element of the apostle Paul’s illustration, however, was the temporary nature of a tutor’s authority. When the child reached the age of maturity, he was no longer under his tutor’s control. The Greek historian Xenophon (431-352 B.C.E.) wrote: “When a boy ceases to be a child, and begins to be a lad, others release him from his [tutor] and from his [teacher]; he is then no longer under them, but is allowed to go his own way.”

It was the same with the authority of the Law of Moses. Its function was temporary​—“to make transgressions manifest, until the seed [Jesus Christ] should arrive.” The apostle Paul explained that for the Jews, the Law was a “tutor leading to Christ.” In order for Paul’s Jewish contemporaries to enjoy God’s favor, they had to recognize Jesus’ role in God’s purpose. Once they did so, the function of the tutor was fulfilled.​—Galatians 3:19, 24, 25.

The Law that God gave to the Israelites was perfect. It fully achieved the purposes for which God established it​—to protect his people and to make them aware of his high standards. (Romans 7:7-14) The Law was a good tutor. For some who lived under its protection, however, its requirements might have seemed burdensome. Hence, Paul could write that when God’s appointed time arrived, “Christ by purchase released us from the curse of the Law.” The Law was a “curse” only in the sense that it subjected imperfect Jews to standards they could not completely measure up to. It called for the scrupulous observance of rituals. Once a Jew accepted the superior provision made possible by Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, adherence to the tutor’s restrictions was no longer necessary.​—Galatians 3:13; 4:9, 10.

Paul’s focus, then, in likening the Law of Moses to a tutor was to emphasize its custodial function and its temporary nature. Jehovah’s favor is gained, not by obedience to that Law, but by recognizing Jesus and exercising faith in him.​—Galatians 2:16; 3:11.

[Box/​Picture on page 21]

“MEN IN CHARGE” AND “STEWARDS”

Besides writing about a tutor, the apostle Paul also used the illustrations of “men in charge” and “stewards.” At Galatians 4:1, 2, we read: “As long as the heir is a babe he does not differ at all from a slave, lord of all things though he is, but he is under men in charge and under stewards until the day his father appointed beforehand.” The functions of “men in charge” and “stewards” were distinct from those of tutors, but the point that Paul wished to make was basically the same.

Under Roman law, a ‘man in charge’ was legally appointed to act as a guardian for an orphaned minor and to manage the child’s financial affairs until the child reached adulthood. Thus, says Paul, even though such a child was theoretically “lord” over his inheritance, while he remained a child, he had no more rights over it than a slave had.

A ‘steward,’ on the other hand, was an agent in charge of an estate’s financial matters. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus says that a young man named Hyrcanus asked his father for a letter authorizing his steward to furnish Hyrcanus with money to buy whatever he needed.

So in common with being under a tutor, being under a ‘man in charge’ or under a ‘steward’ signified a lack of freedom while one was a minor. The child’s life was controlled by others until the time established by his father.

[Picture on page 19]

A painting on an ancient Greek vase showing a tutor with his staff

[Credit Line]

National Archaeological Museum, Athens

[Picture on page 19]

A scene on a fifth century B.C.E. cup showing a tutor (with staff) looking on while his charge receives instruction in poetry and music

[Credit Line]

Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz/​Art Resource, NY

Our Readers Ask

Why Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Not Use the Cross in Worship?

Jehovah’s Witnesses firmly believe that the death of Jesus Christ provided the ransom that opens the door to everlasting life for those who exercise faith in him. (Matthew 20:28; John 3:16) However, they do not believe that Jesus died on a cross, as is often depicted in traditional pictures. It is their belief that Jesus died on an upright stake with no crossbeam.

The use of the cross can be traced back to Mesopotamia, to two thousand years before Christ. Crosses even decorated Scandinavian rock engravings during the Bronze Age, centuries before Jesus was born. Such non-Christians used the cross “as a magic sign . . . giving protection, bringing good luck,” wrote Sven Tito Achen, Danish historian and expert on symbols, in the book Symbols Around Us. It is no wonder that the New Catholic Encyclopedia admits: “The cross is found in both pre-Christian and non-Christian cultures, where it has largely a cosmic or natural signification.” Why, then, have the churches chosen the cross as their most sacred symbol?

W. E. Vine, respected British scholar, offers these hard facts: “By the middle of the 3rd cent. A.D. . . . pagans were received into the churches . . . and were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols. Hence the Tau or T, . . . with the cross-piece lowered, was adopted.”​—Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.

Vine further notes that both the noun “cross” and the verb “crucify” refer to “a stake or pale . . . distinguished from the ecclesiastical form of a two beamed cross.” In agreement with this, Oxford University’s Companion Bible says: “The evidence is . . . that the Lord was put to death upon an upright stake, and not on two pieces of timber placed at any angle.” Clearly, the churches have adopted a tradition that is not Biblical.

Historian Achen, quoted above, observes: “In the two centuries after the death of Jesus it is doubtful that the Christians ever used the device of the cross.” To the early Christians, he adds, the cross “must have chiefly denoted death and evil, like the guillotine or the electric chair to later generations.”

More important, no matter what device was used for the torture and execution of Jesus, no image or symbol of it should become an object of devotion or worship for Christians. “Flee from idolatry,” commands the Bible. (1 Corinthians 10:14) Jesus himself gave the real identifying mark of his true followers. He said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”​—John 13:35.

In all matters of worship, Jehovah’s Witnesses, like the first-century Christians, strive to follow the Bible rather than tradition. (Romans 3:4; Colossians 2:8) Because of this, they do not use the cross in worship.

[Picture on page 22]

Relief depicting a pagan Assyrian king wearing a cross, circa 800 B.C.E.

[Credit Line]

Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum

Draw Close to God

A Restorer of Life

Luke 7:11-15

HAVE you lost someone close to you in death? If so, you have had one of life’s most painful experiences. Our Creator understands your grief. More than that, he can undo the results of death. In the Bible, he has given us a record of past resurrections in order to demonstrate that he is not only the Giver of life but also the Restorer of it. Let us consider one of the resurrections that he empowered his Son, Jesus Christ, to perform. The account of this miracle is recorded at Luke 7:11-15.

The year was 31 C.E. Jesus had journeyed to the Galilean city of Nain. (Verse 11) It was likely close to evening when he arrived at the outskirts of the city. The Bible reports: “As he got near the gate of the city, why, look! there was a dead man being carried out, the only-begotten son of his mother. Besides, she was a widow. A considerable crowd from the city was also with her.” (Verse 12) Can you imagine the grief of that widowed mother? With the death of her only son, she was deprived of her provider and protector for the second time.

Jesus focused his attention on the grieving mother, who was likely walking near the bier that carried the body of her dead son. The account says: “When the Lord caught sight of her, he was moved with pity for her, and he said to her: ‘Stop weeping.’” (Verse 13) Jesus was deeply moved by the plight of that widow. Perhaps he was thinking about his own mother, likely widowed by then, who would soon be grieving for him.

Jesus approached​—but not to join the procession. With a gesture of authority, he “touched the bier” and brought the crowd to a stop. Then with the voice of someone who had been given power over death, he said: “‘Young man, I say to you, Get up!’ And the dead man sat up and started to speak, and he gave him to his mother.” (Verses 14, 15) That young man had ceased to belong to his mother when death claimed him. So when Jesus “gave him to his mother,” they became a family once again. The grief in that widow’s heart no doubt gave way to tears of sheer joy.

Does your heart long to experience such a joy​—to be reunited with a dead loved one? Be assured that God feels for you. Jesus’ empathy for that grieving widow reflected God’s own compassion, for Jesus perfectly mirrored his Father’s personality. (John 14:9) The Bible teaches us that God yearns to bring back to life the dead who are preserved in his memory. (Job 14:14, 15) His Word, the Bible, gives us a wonderful hope, namely, the prospect of living in a paradise on earth and seeing the resurrection of our dead loved ones. (Luke 23:43; John 5:28, 29) Why not learn more about the Restorer of life and how you can make that hope your own?

[Picture on page 23]

“The dead man sat up and started to speak, and he gave him to his mother”

A Letter From the Dominican Republic

“I Have Never Felt Such Love”

NIURKA gave a Bible presentation for the first time in our congregation this week. She had prepared by writing out in Braille what she would say, and then she memorized it. I was on the platform with her, playing the role of a person who wanted to learn Bible truth. A microphone carried my voice to her headphones. When we finished, the appreciative audience applauded with such volume that she actually heard them. Her smile reflected her great joy and satisfaction. I was happy too. How rewarding it is to be in missionary service!

I remember the first time I met Niurka. It was two years ago. After a half-hour drive over dusty country roads, I got my first glimpse of her. She was sitting on the porch of a modest country home​—a wood and cinder-block structure with a rusted tin roof. Goats, rabbits, and dogs added to the sounds and smells. Niurka sat slumped with her head down, a picture of solitude and depression. She looked much older than her 34 years.

I gently tapped her on the shoulder, and she looked up at us with eyes that 11 years before had lost their ability to see. By shouting into her ear, I introduced myself and my preaching companion. Later, we learned that Niurka is a victim of Marfan syndrome, a genetic disease that caused her much suffering. Niurka also has severe diabetes that requires a vigilant monitoring of her highly erratic blood-sugar levels.

When I placed a Bible in her hands, she recognized it and said that she had enjoyed reading the Scriptures before losing her sight. How, though, was I to teach this lonely, humble, fragile creature the refreshing truths in God’s Word? Since she knew the alphabet, I began by placing plastic letters in her hands. Soon she could identify them. Next, by feeling my hands as I signed, she learned to associate each letter with the corresponding letter in American Sign Language. Gradually, she learned other signs. Since I had only begun to learn the language myself, each study session required hours of preparation. However, both Niurka and I were highly motivated, so we quickly grew in our abilities with sign language.

A giant boost to Niurka’s progress came when a charitable organization donated hearing aids to her. Though simple, they helped immensely. After living for more than a decade without sight and in almost total silence, she had withdrawn into her own world. But Jehovah’s spirit awakened both her mind and her heart, filling them with knowledge, hope, and love. Soon, with the help of a cane, Niurka was walking about in her neighborhood, sharing Bible truth with others.

Niurka conducts a Bible study with her aunt and two cousins. She prepares well, memorizing each lesson in advance. Her students read a paragraph, and Niurka reads the question from her Braille book. A companion conveys the answers to Niurka either by speaking into her ear or through tactile signing.

The entire congregation helps and encourages Niurka. Several of her Christian brothers help her get to the meetings and assemblies. Others accompany her in the ministry. Niurka recently said to me: “I have never felt such love.” She hopes to be baptized at our next district convention.

As we turn into the lane where Niurka lives, we see her sitting on the porch in the sun with her head up and a smile on her face. I ask her why she is smiling. She says: “I was thinking about the future when the earth will be a paradise. And I was imagining that I was already there.”

[Picture on page 25]

Niurka with some members of our congregation in front of the Kingdom Hall

[Picture on page 25]

Niurka shares what she has learned with others

“He Leads Me in the Tracks of Righteousness”

As told by Olga Campbell

“A good example is like a bell that calls others to follow,” said my sister Emily. “You rang the bell, and I responded.” She was writing to congratulate me on completing 60 years in the full-time ministry. Let me tell you what my early life was like and how I came to take up my lifelong career.

I WAS born on January 19, 1927, into a Ukrainian farm family near Wakaw, Saskatchewan, in midwestern Canada. My twin brother, Bill, and I were the sixth and seventh of eight children. We little ones helped our hardworking father in the fields. In our tiny house, our mother nurtured us despite the crippling pains of rheumatoid arthritis, which eventually took her life. She was just 37 when she died; I was only 4 years old.

Six months after Mother died, Father remarried. Tension soon filled our home, which we came to share with five new half sisters! I tried to show our stepmother respect, but my older brother John had a more difficult time.

In the late 1930’s, Bill and I attended middle school, where we could escape the turmoil at home. With World War II on the horizon, patriotism filled the air. Our new teacher instituted the flag salute, and one girl refused to participate. The students showered her with insults. However, I admired her courage and asked her why she had not saluted. She explained that she was a Bible Student, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were sometimes called, and that she gave allegiance only to God.​—Exodus 20:2, 3; Acts 5:29.

Striking Out on My Own

In 1943, I took a job in Prince Albert, loading trucks and delivering cases of soft drinks. Yearning for spiritual guidance, I bought a Bible but found it so difficult to understand that I shed tears of frustration. The Our Father was about the sum total of my Bible knowledge.​—Matthew 6:9-13.

One Sunday, my churchgoing landlady proudly related that she had shoved a “Bible lady” off the doorstep. ‘How could she be so unkind?’ I wondered. A few Sundays later, I didn’t feel well, and I stayed home from church. That day the “Bible lady” came back.

“Do you pray?” she asked me.

“The Our Father,” I replied.

As she explained the meaning of Jesus’ words, I listened eagerly. She promised to return the following Wednesday.

When my landlady came home, I excitedly told her about the “Bible lady,” who was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. To my dismay, my landlady threatened, “If she comes back on Wednesday, I’ll kick both of you out of the house!”

I combed the neighborhood looking for the Witness, who I had learned was Mrs. Rampel. When I found her, I explained my dilemma and asked her to tell me everything she could about the Bible. It seemed as if we covered Genesis to Revelation! She compared the present time to Noah’s day, when God brought an end to an unrighteous world and delivered Noah and his family into a cleansed earth.​—Matthew 24:37-39; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:5-7, 12.

“I can see that you have accepted these Bible teachings as the truth,” Mrs. Rampel noted after our long discussion. “In two weeks, there will be an assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and you should be baptized.” That night I lay wide awake thinking about all I had learned. Baptism seemed like such a serious step. Yet, I wanted to serve God! Though my Bible knowledge was limited, I was baptized at the age of 16, on October 15, 1943.

A Cross-Country Move

In November my brother Fred asked me to work as a housekeeper in his three-story house in the city of Toronto in eastern Canada. I agreed, hoping that I might enjoy greater freedom to worship Jehovah there. Before I left, I visited my sister Ann, who was still nearby in Saskatchewan. She had a surprise for me​—she and Doris were studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, and she urged me to do the same. Then I shared my secret​—I was already a baptized Witness!

My younger sister Emily and I took the long train ride to Toronto. Bill met us at the station and brought us to the house that he shared with Fred and John. I asked Fred who else lived in the house. “You’ll never believe this,” he said. “You remember Alex Reed from back home? He lives upstairs, and that crazy man is interested in those Bible Students!” My heart leaped.

I tiptoed up to see Alex and arranged to go to a meeting with him that very night. I wanted to attend right away so that my brothers would not have time to try to dissuade me. Shortly afterward, even though I had never had a formal Bible study, I went in the preaching work for the first time. I enjoyed speaking with many Ukrainians, using the language I had learned in my childhood.

Bill enjoyed reading The Watchtower, which I often put in his room. After he moved to British Columbia in western Canada, I sent him a gift subscription to The Watchtower. Though usually a man of few words, he wrote me a ten-page letter expressing his gratitude. In time, he dedicated his life to Jehovah and became a zealous Christian overseer. So to my great joy, five of my siblings​—Bill, Ann, Fred, Doris, and Emily—​became dedicated worshippers of Jehovah!

On May 22, 1945, the Canadian government lifted the ban on the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses.a Actually, I had not realized that we were under ban until I heard that announcement. My friend Judy Lukus and I decided to take up the full-time ministry as pioneers farther east in French-speaking Quebec. When my sisters Doris and Emily heard about our plans, they decided to pioneer in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the other side of the continent.

Religious Intolerance in Quebec

My move to Quebec was no mere change of scenery. The Witnesses there faced fierce opposition to their preaching work.b We delighted to share in the distribution of the tract Quebec’s Burning Hate for God and Christ and Freedom Is the Shame of All Canada. That searing message exposed the religious intolerance against the Witnesses.

For 16 days, we started about two o’clock each morning, silently slipping tracts under the doors. At one apartment house, we learned that the police were on the way. We escaped detection by hiding in an alley. The next day, we went back on the streets offering The Watchtower and Awake! As the months passed, the police arrested us so many times that we lost count. To be prepared for a jail stay, I always carried my toothbrush and my eyebrow pencil.

In November 1946, Nathan Knorr, who was taking the lead in the worldwide work of the Witnesses, visited from Brooklyn, New York. He invited 64 of us pioneers in Quebec to attend the ninth class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead in South Lansing, New York. At this school, we received an intensive five-month course of Bible instruction. After graduating in August 1947, we were sent to towns throughout Quebec to start new congregations.

A Rewarding Ministry

Four of us young women were sent to the city of Sherbrooke. We diligently practiced speaking French, conjugating verbs again and again as we walked to and from our preaching territory. At lunchtime we sometimes had no money for food, so we went home and studied. My partner, Kay Lindhorst, was a real grammarian. She taught me English grammar first so that I could grasp the French.

The highlight of my pioneering was in Victoriaville, then a town of about 15,000. Hardly anyone spoke English, so it was the best environment for us to improve our French. Our first week there was thrilling. Everywhere we went, people accepted our literature. When we returned, all the doors were shut and the shades were drawn. What had happened?

The local priest warned the people not to listen to us. So as we went from door to door, children followed us at a distance, throwing rocks and snowballs. Still, many longed to hear the Bible’s message. At first, they only let us visit them after nightfall. As they progressed in Bible knowledge, however, they studied openly despite their neighbors’ displeasure.

In the 1950’s, my sisters and I returned to Wakaw for a visit. We related our preaching experiences at a congregation meeting. Afterward, the presiding minister told us, “Your mother will be so pleased when she is resurrected and learns that her children became Jehovah’s Witnesses!” He explained that she had studied the Bible with a Witness before she died. It brought tears to our eyes to learn that she had been taking in Bible truths that she would surely have shared with us had her life not been cut short.

Marriage and a Shared Ministry

In 1956, I met Merton Campbell, a Witness who had spent 27 months in prison during World War II for maintaining Christian neutrality. He had been serving at the headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brooklyn for nearly ten years. Merton had many fine spiritual qualities, and I saw that he would be a good husband. We corresponded for some months, and our mutual respect and affection deepened into love.

Merton and I were married on September 24, 1960. What a blessing to have shared the past 47 years with a wonderful spiritual man! Merton has worked for 58 years in the Service Department, which provides assistance and direction to congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the United States. For over 30 years, my work in Brooklyn was to decorate guest rooms and later large Assembly Halls in the New York City area. Then, in 1995, Merton and I were transferred to the Watchtower Educational Center in Patterson, about 70 miles [110 km] north of New York City.

When I left home at age 12, I never imagined that one day I would be surrounded by a large spiritual family, including my own siblings. I long for the time in God’s new world when we can crowd around Mother and relate what happened while she slept​—especially how Jehovah God lovingly cared for the spiritual needs of her children. How we rejoice that Jehovah has led us in “the tracks of righteousness”!​—Psalm 23:3.

[Footnotes]

[Pictures on page 27]

My parents and the house I shared with them and my seven siblings

[Picture on page 29]

With my partners in the ministry in Ottawa, 1952

[Picture on page 29]

With my siblings (from left to right) Ann, Mary, Fred, Doris, John, me, Bill, and Emily

[Picture on page 29]

With Merton today

2008 “Guided by God’s Spirit” District Convention Locations

AMARILLO, TX

Cal Farley Coliseum, Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St.

ENGLISH July 4-6, July 18-20

SPANISH July 11-13

AMHERST, MA

The Mullins Center, University of Massachusetts, Commonwealth Ave.

ENGLISH June 20-22, June 27-29, July 4-6, July 18-20, July 25-27, August 1-3

SPANISH July 11-13

ANCHORAGE, AK

George M. Sullivan Arena, 1600 Gambell St.

ENGLISH August 29-31

Williamson Auditorium, University of Alaska, 3211 Providence Dr.

SPANISH August 1-3

BAKERSFIELD, CA

Rabobank Arena, 1001 Truxtun Ave.

ENGLISH June 13-15, August 1-3, August 8-10

SPANISH July 4-6, July 11-13

BELTON, TX

Bell County Expo Center Arena, 301 W. Loop 121

ENGLISH August 1-3, August 8-10, August 15-17

SPANISH July 18-20, July 25-27

BILLINGS, MT

MetraPark Arena, 308 6th Ave. N.

ENGLISH July 4-6

BIRMINGHAM, AL

BJCC Arena, 19th St. & 9th Ave. N.

ENGLISH July 4-6

BISMARCK, ND

Civic Center Arena, 601 E. Sweet Ave.

ENGLISH July 4-6

BLOOMINGTON, IL

U.S. Cellular Coliseum, 101 S. Madison St.

ENGLISH May 23-25

SPANISH June 27-29, July 4-6, July 25-27

BOSSIER CITY, LA

CenturyTel Center Arena, 2000 CenturyTel Center Dr.

ENGLISH June 20-22

BROOKLYN, NY

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 973 Flatbush Ave.

ENGLISH May 30–June 1, June 13-15, June 27-29, July 4-6, July 11-13, August 8-10, August 22-24, August 29-31

RUSSIAN July 25-27

SPANISH June 6-8, June 20-22, July 18-20, August 1-3, August 15-17

CHARLESTON, WV

Civic Center Coliseum, 200 Civic Center Dr.

ENGLISH June 20-22

CLEVELAND, OH

Wolstein Center, Cleveland State University, Prospect Ave. & E. 21st St.

ENGLISH July 4-6, July 11-13, August 1-3, August 8-10

COLUMBIA, MO

Mizzou Arena, One Champions Dr.

ENGLISH August 8-10

COLUMBIA, SC

The Colonial Center, 801 Lincoln St.

ENGLISH June 20-22, June 27-29, July 4-6

COLUMBUS, GA

Civic Center Arena, 400 4th St.

ENGLISH July 4-6, July 11-13

CORAOPOLIS, PA

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1630 Spring Run Rd. Ext.

GREEK July 4-6

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX

AmericanBank Center Arena, 1901 N. Shoreline Blvd.

ENGLISH August 22-24

SPANISH August 15-17

CYPRESS, TX

Richard E. Berry Center Arena, 8877 Barker Cypress Rd.

ENGLISH June 13-15, June 27-29, July 4-6

DAYTON, OH

Ervin J. Nutter Center, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy.

ENGLISH June 27-29, July 4-6, July 11-13, July 18-20

DE KALB, IL

Convocation Center, Northern Illinois University, 1525 W. Lincoln Hwy.

ENGLISH June 6-8, June 27-29, July 18-20, July 25-27, August 1-3, August 8-10, August 15-17

DENTON, TX

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 14542 Hwy. 380 W.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE July 25-27

DES MOINES, IA

Veterans Memorial Auditorium Arena, 833 5th Ave.

ENGLISH May 30–June 1

DULUTH, GA

The Arena at Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy.

ENGLISH July 4-6, July 25-27, August 1-3, August 15-17

SPANISH August 8-10

EVANSVILLE, IN

Roberts Stadium, 2600 Division St.

ENGLISH June 13-15, June 20-22

FAIRFIELD, CA

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 2020 Walters Rd.

TAGALOG July 4-6

FORT WORTH, TX

Convention Center, 1111 Houston St.

ENGLISH June 13-15, June 20-22, June 27-29

SPANISH July 4-6, July 11-13, August 29-31

FREMONT, CA

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 43400 Osgood Rd.

CHINESE July 11-13

KOREAN July 25-27

RUSSIAN July 18-20

VIETNAMESE July 4-6

GAINESVILLE, FL

Stephen C. O’Connell Center Arena, University of Florida, Gale Lemerand Dr. & W. University Ave.

ENGLISH July 25-27, August 1-3

GREEN BAY, WI

Resch Center, 1901 S. Oneida St.

ENGLISH May 23-25

HAMPTON, VA

Coliseum, 1000 Coliseum Dr.

ENGLISH July 11-13, July 18-20

HUNTSVILLE, AL

Von Braun Center Arena, 700 Monroe St. SW

ENGLISH June 20-22, July 4-6

SPANISH July 18-20

JACKSON, MS

Mississippi Coliseum, 1207 Mississippi St.

ENGLISH June 6-8, June 13-15

JERSEY CITY, NJ

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 2932 Kennedy Blvd.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE July 4-6

ENGLISH May 23-25, May 30–June 1, June 6-8, August 8-10, August 22-24, August 29-31

FRENCH July 11-13, July 18-20

JAPANESE (Annex 2nd floor) August 8-10

KOREAN August 1-3

PORTUGUESE July 25-27

SPANISH June 13-15, June 20-22, June 27-29, August 15-17

JOHNSON CITY, TN

Freedom Hall Civic Center Arena, 1320 Pactolas Rd.

ENGLISH June 13-15, June 20-22

KANSAS CITY, MO

Kemper Arena, 1800 Genessee St.

ENGLISH June 6-8

SPANISH June 13-15

KATY, TX

Leonard E. Merrell Center, 6301 S. Stadium Ln.

SPANISH June 20-22, June 27-29, July 4-6, July 11-13

KENNEWICK, WA

Toyota Center, 7100 W. Quinault Ave.

ENGLISH July 4-6, July 11-13, July 18-20

SPANISH August 1-3, August 8-10, August 15-17

KISSIMMEE, FL

Silver Spurs Arena, 1875 Silver Spur Ln.

ENGLISH July 18-20, July 25-27, August 22-24, August 29-31

SPANISH August 1-3, August 8-10, August 15-17

LINCOLN, NE

Bob Devaney Sports Center, University of Nebraska, 16th St. & Military Rd.

ENGLISH July 4-6

LONG BEACH, CA

Convention Center Arena, 300 E. Ocean Blvd.

ENGLISH May 23-25, June 6-8, June 13-15, June 20-22, August 8-10, August 15-17, August 29-31

JAPANESE (Seaside Ballroom) July 18-20

SPANISH July 11-13, July 18-20, July 25-27, August 1-3, August 22-24, September 5-7, September 12-14

MACON, GA

Centreplex Coliseum, 200 Coliseum Dr.

ENGLISH June 20-22

SPANISH June 27-29

McALLEN, TX

Convention Center Arena, 29th St. & Ware Rd.

SPANISH July 4-6, July 11-13, August 22-24, August 29-31

MOBILE, AL

Civic Center Arena, 401 Civic Center Dr.

ENGLISH July 4-6, August 1-3, August 8-10

NATICK, MA

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 85 Bacon St.

ITALIAN July 11-13

PORTUGUESE July 4-6

NEWBURGH, NY

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 23 Unity Pl.

ENGLISH June 20-22, July 4-6, July 18-20, July 25-27, August 1-3, August 8-10, August 15-17, August 22-24, August 29-31

SPANISH June 27-29, July 11-13

NORCO, CA

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1001 Parkridge Ave.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE July 11-13

ARABIC July 4-6

ARMENIAN August 1-3

KOREAN July 18-20

TAGALOG July 25-27

OGDEN, UT

Dee Events Center, 4450 S. Harrison Blvd.

ENGLISH July 4-6

SPANISH June 27-29

PINE BLUFF, AR

Convention Center Arena, 500 E. 8th Ave.

ENGLISH June 13-15, June 20-22, June 27-29

PLANT CITY, FL

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1904 N. Frontage Rd.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE August 1-3

PORTUGUESE August 8-10

PORTLAND, ME

Cumberland County Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Sq.

ENGLISH May 23-25, May 30–June 1

PORTLAND, OR

Veterans Memorial Coliseum Arena, One Center Ct.

ENGLISH June 27-29, July 4-6, August 1-3, August 8-10

PUEBLO, CO

Colorado State Fair Events Center, 1001 Beulah Ave.

ENGLISH May 23-25, June 13-15, July 4-6, August 8-10

SPANISH June 6-8, June 20-22

QUEENS, NY

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 44-17 Greenpoint Ave.

CHINESE July 25-27

ENGLISH June 6-8, June 13-15, June 27-29, July 11-13, August 1-3, August 15-17

SPANISH June 20-22, July 4-6, July 18-20, August 8-10

RALEIGH, NC

RBC Center, 1400 Edwards Mill Rd.

ENGLISH August 1-3, August 8-10

READING, PA

Sovereign Center Arena, 700 Penn St.

ENGLISH June 20-22, June 27-29, July 4-6, July 25-27, August 1-3, August 22-24, August 29-31, September 5-7

RICHMOND, VA

Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh St.

ENGLISH June 27-29, July 4-6, July 18-20, July 25-27

ROANOKE, VA

Civic Center Coliseum, 710 Williamson Rd. NE

ENGLISH July 4-6

ROCHESTER, MN

Taylor Arena, Mayo Civic Center, 30 Civic Center Dr. SE

ENGLISH July 11-13, July 25-27, August 8-10, August 15-17

SPANISH August 1-3

ROCHESTER, NY

Blue Cross Arena, Broad & Exchange Sts.

ENGLISH July 4-6, July 11-13, July 18-20

ROMEOVILLE, IL

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 800 N. Schmidt Rd.

POLISH July 18-20

SAGINAW, MI

The Dow Events Center Arena, 303 Johnson St.

ENGLISH June 20-22, June 27-29, July 4-6

ST. CHARLES, MO

The Family Arena, 2002 Arena Pkwy.

ENGLISH July 4-6, July 11-13

ST. LOUIS, MO

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 953 Laredo Ave.

KOREAN August 15-17

SALISBURY, NC

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 3401 Old Concord Rd.

FRENCH July 4-6

SAN ANGELO, TX

Convention Center Coliseum, 50 E. 43rd St.

SPANISH July 4-6

SAN DIEGO, CA

Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Rd.

ENGLISH June 20-22

SPANISH June 6-8

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave.

ENGLISH June 6-8, June 13-15, June 27-29, August 1-3 (PORTUGUESE sessions also), August 8-10, August 15-17

SPANISH July 4-6, July 11-13, July 25-27

TACOMA, WA

Tacoma Dome, 2727 East D St.

ENGLISH June 20-22, June 27-29, August 1-3

TOLEDO, OH

Seagate Convention Centre Arena, 401 Jefferson Ave.

ENGLISH June 20-22, June 27-29, July 4-6, July 18-20, July 25-27

SPANISH July 11-13

TUCSON, AZ

Convention Center, 260 S. Church St.

ENGLISH June 6-8, June 13-15, June 20-22, June 27-29

SPANISH July 11-13, August 1-3, August 15-17

TULSA, OK

Donald W. Reynolds Center, University of Tulsa, 3208 East 8th St.

ENGLISH June 27-29, July 4-6

Convention Center, 100 Civic Center

ENGLISH August 29-31

TURNERSVILLE, NJ

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 300 Sovereign Way

ENGLISH June 27-29, July 4-6, August 15-17, August 22-24

SPANISH July 11-13, July 18-20, July 25-27, August 1-3

TAGALOG August 8-10

WEST PALM BEACH, FL

Christian Convention Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1610 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.

ENGLISH May 30–June 1, June 6-8, June 13-15, July 11-13, July 18-20, July 25-27

FRENCH August 1-3

SPANISH June 20-22, June 27-29, July 4-6, August 8-10, August 15-17, August 22-24, August 29-31

WILKES-BARRE, PA

Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza, 255 Highland Park Blvd.

ENGLISH July 4-6, July 25-27

SPANISH August 22-24, August 29-31

WINSTON-SALEM, NC

Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 2825 University Pkwy.

ENGLISH June 20-22, June 27-29

SPANISH July 4-6, July 11-13

March 22, 2008​—A Day to Remember

The evening before he died, Jesus passed a loaf of unleavened bread and a cup of wine to his apostles and instructed them to eat and drink. He also told them: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”​—Luke 22:19.

This year the anniversary of this event falls on Saturday, March 22, after sunset. Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world will be gathered on this special night to observe this Memorial in the manner Jesus commanded. You are most warmly invited to join us as an observer. Please check with Jehovah’s Witnesses locally for the exact time and place of the meeting.