How can you benefit from God’s gift of prayer? Learn how prayer can help you when you are experiencing difficult situations, making important decisions, or struggling to resist temptations.

STUDY ARTICLE 2 PAGES 9-13

The apostle Paul told Christians in Rome what was required of them if they were to receive life and peace. Learn how you can benefit from the counsel he gave them.

STUDY ARTICLE 3 PAGES 16-20

Faithful men of the past lived as “temporary residents.” The first disciples of Jesus did the same. But what about true Christians today? Learn what it means to live as temporary residents in this wicked world.

STUDY ARTICLES 4, 5 PAGES 21-32

There is a need for brothers to care for the congregations. Jesus helped many men to accept the good news. He trained them to continue his work. We can learn from Jesus’ example. We can help the men we meet in the ministry, and we can help brothers to have a desire to serve others in the congregation.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

14 “Disabled Now but Not Forever!”

“Do Not Lean Upon Your Own Understanding”

pp. 3–8

“Do Not Lean Upon Your Own Understanding”

THEME SCRIPTURE

“Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding.”—PROVERBS 3:5.

1, 2. (a) What are some problems that we may experience? (b) In whom should we trust when we are experiencing difficult situations, making important decisions, or fighting temptations? Why?

CYNTHIA’Sa employer has already dismissed some of the workers from his company. (See footnote.) Now Cynthia is worried that she too may lose her job. How will she pay her bills? Another sister, Pamela, wants to move to an area where there is a great need to preach the good news. But should she move to that area? Samuel has a different kind of problem. He looked at pornography when he was very young. He is now in his 20’s and feels a strong temptation to start looking at pornography again. How can he fight this temptation?

² When you are experiencing difficult situations, making important decisions, or fighting temptations, in whom do you trust? Do you trust only yourself? Or do you “throw your burden upon Jehovah”? (Psalm 55:22) The Bible says: “The eyes of Jehovah are toward the righteous ones, and his ears are toward their cry for help.” (Psalm 34:15) So it is very important that we trust in Jehovah with all our heart and that we do not lean on our own understanding!—Proverbs 3:5.

3. (a) What does it mean to trust in Jehovah? (b) Why do some lean on their own understanding?

³ We show that we trust in Jehovah with all our heart when we do what he requires of us. We have to pray regularly to him so that he will help and guide us. But many people think it is hard to trust in Jehovah. For example, a sister named Lynn said that it has been a struggle for her to trust in Jehovah completely. Why? She said: “I have no relationship with my father, and I have a mother who did not care for me emotionally or physically. So I very quickly learned to look after myself.” Because of this, it is hard for her to trust anyone. Other people may rely on their own ability and success instead of trusting in Jehovah. For example, an elder who has a lot of experience might trust himself too much instead of praying to God before he cares for matters in the congregation.

4. What will we study about in this article?

⁴ When we pray for Jehovah to help us, he expects us to try our best and follow his direction. How do you know when you should allow Jehovah to solve a difficult problem and when you should try to solve it yourself? What should we be careful about when we are making decisions? Why do we need to pray when we are fighting temptations? We will answer these questions by discussing some Bible examples.

WHEN WE ARE SUFFERING

5, 6. What did Hezekiah do when King Sennacherib said that he would attack Jerusalem?

⁵ The Bible says about King Hezekiah of Judah: “He kept sticking to Jehovah. He did not turn aside from following him, but he continued keeping his commandments that Jehovah had commanded Moses.” King Hezekiah trusted in Jehovah, the God of Israel. (2 Kings 18:5, 6) Once, King Sennacherib of Assyria and his powerful army had captured some strong cities of Judah, and next he wanted to attack Jerusalem. So King Sennacherib sent his army to Jerusalem and sent Rabshakeh and two other messengers to insult and frighten the people of Jerusalem. What did Hezekiah do? Hezekiah went to the temple of Jehovah and began to pray: “O Jehovah our God, save us, please, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Jehovah, are God alone.”—2 Kings 19:14-19.

⁶ Hezekiah asked Jehovah for help but also did something about the problem. For example, even before he went to the temple to pray, he told his people not to respond to Rabshakeh’s insults. Hezekiah also sent some of his men to the prophet Isaiah to ask for his advice. (2 Kings 18:36; 19:1, 2) And Hezekiah only did things that he knew would please Jehovah. He did not try to get help from Egypt or from other nations. He knew that Jehovah did not want him to do that. So Hezekiah did not lean on his own understanding. He trusted in Jehovah. After Jehovah’s angel killed 185,000 of Sennacherib’s men, Sennacherib and his army returned to Nineveh.—2 Kings 19:35, 36.

7. What comfort can we receive from the prayers of Hannah and Jonah?

⁷ Here are two more examples. Hannah, the wife of the Levite Elkanah, was very sad because she could not have a child. But she relied on Jehovah and prayed to him about her situation. (1 Samuel 1:9-11, 18) Jonah, a prophet of Jehovah, disobeyed Jehovah and was swallowed by a big fish. But Jonah prayed: “Out of my distress I called out to Jehovah, and he proceeded to answer me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried for help. You heard my voice.” Jehovah saved him. (Jonah 2:1, 2, 10) It is very comforting to know that no matter how difficult our situation is, we can pray to Jehovah and ask him to help us.—Read Psalm 55:1, 16.

8, 9. What was important to Hezekiah, Hannah, and Jonah when they prayed? What can we learn from their example?

⁸ The examples of Hezekiah, Hannah, and Jonah help us to understand what we should pray for when we are suffering. Even though all three of them suffered because of difficult situations, their prayers show us that they did not care only about themselves and their own problems. The most important things to them were to honor God’s name, to worship God the right way, and to do what he required of them. Hezekiah was sad because people were dishonoring God’s name. Hannah promised Jehovah that if he would give her a son, she would arrange for him to serve at the tabernacle in Shiloh. And Jonah said: “What I have vowed, I will pay.”—Jonah 2:9.

⁹ When we are praying for help because of a difficult situation, we should think about our reasons for praying. Do we pray only about solutions to our own problems? Or do we remember Jehovah and his purpose in our prayers? When we are suffering, we could become so worried about our own problems that Jehovah’s purpose and our worship of him become less important to us. When we pray to Jehovah for help, we should remember to pray for the sanctification of his name and the vindication of his sovereignty. If we remember these things in our prayers, it will help us to have a positive attitude even if we do not get the solution we wanted. Sometimes Jehovah answers our prayers by giving us the strength we need to endure the problem. He may not immediately take the problem away.—Read Isaiah 40:29; Philippians 4:13.

WHEN WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS

10, 11. What did Jehoshaphat do when he had to make a difficult decision?

¹⁰ How do you make important decisions in your life? Do you first decide what you want to happen and only then ask Jehovah to make it happen that way? Jehoshaphat, a king of Judah, is a good example of a person who made a decision in the right way. The Moabites and the Ammonites started a war against the land of Judah. But Judah was not powerful enough to fight them. So what did Jehoshaphat do?

¹¹ The Bible says: “Jehoshaphat became afraid and set his face to search for Jehovah.” To show how serious the situation was, he told all the people of Judah not to eat for a period of time and he gathered them together to ask for Jehovah’s guidance. Then he stood up among the people of Judah and of Jerusalem and prayed: “O our God, will you not execute judgment upon them? For in us there is no power before this large crowd that is coming against us; and we ourselves do not know what we ought to do, but our eyes are toward you.” The true God heard Jehoshaphat’s prayer, and He fought for them and saved them. (2 Chronicles 20:3-12, 17) When we need to make an important decision, especially a decision that could affect our relationship with Jehovah, we should rely on him and not on our own understanding.

12, 13. When making decisions, what can we learn from King David’s example?

¹² What should we do when we have a problem that may seem easy for us to solve? Maybe we think we can find a solution quickly because we have been in similar situations before. The example of King David helps us to understand what we should do in these situations. When the Amalekites attacked the city of Ziklag, they took away the wives and children of David and of his men. David prayed to Jehovah and asked: “Shall I chase after this marauder band?” Jehovah answered: “Go in chase, for you will without fail overtake them, and you will without fail make a deliverance.” David obeyed, and he got back all that the Amalekites had taken.—1 Samuel 30:7-9, 18-20.

¹³ Sometime after the Amalekites attacked Ziklag, the Philistines attacked Israel. David again asked Jehovah what he should do. God gave him this clear answer: “Go up, for I shall without fail give the Philistines into your hands.” (2 Samuel 5:18, 19) A little while later, the Philistines fought against David again. What would David do this time? He could have thought that he knew what to do because he had been in this situation twice before. He could have decided to fight God’s enemies. But David did not rely on himself and on his past experience. So he again prayed to Jehovah. This time Jehovah gave him a different answer. David must have been happy that he asked Jehovah to direct him! (2 Samuel 5:22, 23) We may think some problems are easy to solve, but we must be careful not to rely on ourselves and our past experience.—Read Jeremiah 10:23.

14. What can we learn from the account of Joshua and the Gibeonites?

¹⁴ We are imperfect. So all of us, even if we are experienced elders, must never forget to ask Jehovah to direct us when we make decisions. Joshua and the older men of Israel did not ask Jehovah for direction when the Gibeonites came to ask Joshua not to fight against them. Even though the Gibeonites were from the nearby city of Gibeon, they made themselves look as if they came from somewhere far away. Joshua and the older men did not ask Jehovah for direction, and they made an agreement not to fight against the Gibeonites. It is true that Jehovah did not cancel the agreement. But he had this account put in the Bible so that we would know that Joshua and the older men did not ask for his direction. We should always ask Jehovah to direct us before we make decisions.—Joshua 9:3-6, 14, 15.

WHEN WE ARE FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS

15. Why is prayer important to help us fight temptation?

¹⁵ Because we all are sinners, we need to do everything we can to fight against our sinful desires. (Romans 7:21-25) But we can win the fight. How? Jesus told his followers that they must pray for help to fight temptation. (Read Luke 22:40.) Even though we pray, we may still have wrong desires or thoughts. If so, we need to “keep on asking God” for wisdom to help us fight temptations. The Bible tells us that God gives wisdom “generously to all and without reproaching.” (James 1:5) James tells us something else that can give us strength to fight wrong desires. He says a person can “call the older men of the congregation to him, and let them pray over him, greasing him with oil in the name of Jehovah. And the prayer of faith will make the indisposed one well.”—James 5:14, 15.

16, 17. When we need help to resist temptation, when is the best time to pray?

¹⁶ We cannot be successful in resisting temptation if we do not pray. But we need to remember to pray at the right time. Think about what happened to the young man mentioned at Proverbs 7:6-23. One evening he walked down a street where he knew an immoral woman lived. She invited the young man to her home. He could not resist the temptation, and he followed her, just like a bull that is taken to the slaughter. Why did the young man go to that street? The Bible says that he was “in want of heart.” He was probably struggling with wrong desires. (Proverbs 7:7) When would it have been the right time for him to pray? Of course, it would have been good if he had prayed at any time while the woman was speaking to him. But the best time for him to pray would have been when he first had the idea of walking down that street.

¹⁷ Today, a man may be trying to avoid looking at pornography. But what if he went to Internet sites where he knows there are sexual videos or pictures? This would be the same situation as the young man in Proverbs chapter 7. It would be like walking down a road with many dangers. To resist the temptation to look at pornography, we need to ask for Jehovah’s help in prayer. If we feel the desire to look at pornography, we need to stop and pray before we go to Internet sites that we know are dangerous.

18, 19. (a) Why is it hard to fight temptation? How can we win the fight? (b) What are you determined to do?

¹⁸ It is not easy to fight against temptation or bad habits. The apostle Paul said: “The flesh is against the spirit in its desire, and the spirit against the flesh.” So the very things that we would like to do, we do not do. (Galatians 5:17) To win this fight, we need to pray with all our heart when wrong thoughts or temptations first come to our mind. Then we need to work hard to avoid those wrong things. Remember that “no temptation has taken you except what is common to men.” With Jehovah’s help, we can stay faithful to him.—1 Corinthians 10:13.

¹⁹ Prayer is a wonderful gift that can help us when we are experiencing difficult situations, making important decisions, or fighting temptations. When we pray to Jehovah, we show that we rely on him. We should also keep asking God for his holy spirit to guide us and to give us strength. (Luke 11:9-13) Let us always trust in Jehovah and not lean on our own understanding.

[Footnote]

a Names have been changed.

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ To lean upon our own understanding means to think that we know best and that we can ignore Jehovah

▪ Temptation: A desire to do what we know is wrong

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?

▪ What did you learn about trusting in Jehovah from Hezekiah, Hannah, and Jonah?

▪ How do the examples of David and Joshua show us that we need to be careful when making decisions?

▪ Why is it important to pray at the right time?

[Blurb on page 3]

We show that we trust in Jehovah when we do things his way

[Blurb on page 4]

No matter how difficult our situation is, we should pray to Jehovah and ask him for help

[Blurb on page 6]

When making decisions, we should always look for Jehovah’s guidance and not rely on our own understanding

[Blurb on page 8]

We need to pray for Jehovah’s help when wrong thoughts or temptations first come to our mind

[Picture on page 7]

To fight temptation, when will prayer benefit us the most?

For Life and Peace, Walk in Accord With the Spirit

pp. 9–13

For Life and Peace, Walk in Accord With the Spirit

THEME SCRIPTURE

“Walk, not in accord with the flesh, but in accord with the spirit.”—ROMANS 8:4.

1, 2. (a) What is the danger of being distracted while driving? (b) What is the danger of being distracted from our worship of Jehovah?

A GOVERNMENT official in the United States said that the problem of people who are distracted while driving is getting worse every year. For example, they can get distracted if they use a mobile phone while they are driving. Many have reported that they have been in an accident, or have almost been in an accident, because the driver of another car was using a phone while driving. People may think that they are saving time if they use their mobile phones while driving, but doing this can cause a serious accident.

² A driver who is distracted may not notice dangers on the road. A similar thing could happen in our relationship with Jehovah. If we allow things to distract us from serving God and maintaining good conduct, it could be dangerous. Paul said that our faith could be ruined just like a ship can be ruined in a shipwreck. (1 Timothy 1:18, 19) The apostle Paul warned about this danger when he wrote to his brothers in Rome: “The minding of the flesh means death, but the minding of the spirit means life and peace.” (Romans 8:6) What did Paul mean by that? How can we avoid “the minding of the flesh” and work hard at “the minding of the spirit”?

THEY “HAVE NO CONDEMNATION”

3, 4. (a) What personal struggle did Paul write about? (b) Why should we be interested in Paul’s situation?

³ In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote about a struggle that he had experienced in his life. He said that he felt as if his mind and his body were fighting against each other. (Read Romans 7:21-23.) Paul did not talk about this to make excuses for his actions or because he felt sorry for himself. He did not mean that it was impossible for him to do what was right. He was a mature, anointed Christian and was chosen to be sent as “an apostle to the nations.” (Romans 1:1; 11:13) So why did Paul write about this struggle?

⁴ Paul was saying that he could not do God’s will the way he really wanted to do it. Why not? He said: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Like all of Adam’s children, Paul was imperfect and had wrong desires. We can understand how he felt. We too struggle every day because of our imperfection and wrong desires. And there are many distractions that could affect our worship of God and take us off the narrow road leading to life. (Matthew 7:14) But Paul’s situation was not hopeless, and neither is ours.

5. From where did Paul get help and relief?

⁵ Paul asked who would rescue him from this struggle, and then he said: “Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24, 25) Then, Paul spoke to anointed Christians, the ones who are “in union with Christ Jesus.” (Read Romans 8:1, 2.) Jehovah adopts them as sons through his holy spirit. He makes them “joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:14-17) God’s holy spirit and the faith they have in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus help them to win the fight that Paul talked about. So God no longer condemns them for their imperfection. They are set free “from the law of sin and of death.”

6. Why should all of God’s servants want to understand Paul’s words?

⁶ Even though Paul was talking to anointed Christians, what he said about God’s holy spirit and the ransom sacrifice of Jesus can benefit all of Jehovah’s servants, whether they have the hope to live in heaven or to live on earth. Even though the counsel Paul gave was inspired by God, it is important that all of God’s servants understand and obey what he wrote.

HOW GOD “CONDEMNED SIN IN THE FLESH”

7, 8. (a) In what way was the Law “weak through the flesh”? (b) What has God done through his holy spirit and the ransom sacrifice?

⁷ In Romans chapter 7, Paul explained that imperfect humans are under the power of sin. In chapter 8, he talked about the power of holy spirit. He explained that God’s holy spirit can help Christians in their struggle against the power of sin. It can help them to do what Jehovah wants and to have his approval. Paul showed that God used his holy spirit and the ransom sacrifice of Jesus to do something that the Law of Moses could not.

⁸ The Law condemned sinners because it was not possible for people to obey all the commandments of the Law. Israel’s high priests serving under the Law were imperfect and could not offer sacrifices to remove sin, so the Law was “weak through the flesh.” God sent his Son as a human “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” and his ransom “condemned sin in the flesh.” The sacrifice of Jesus was able to save people from sin. Because anointed Christians have faith in Jesus’ sacrifice, Jehovah can view them as righteous. Paul’s counsel encourages anointed Christians to “walk, not in accord with the flesh, but in accord with the spirit.” (Read Romans 8:3, 4.) They must continue to do this until the end of their life on earth. If they are faithful, they will receive “the crown of life.”—Revelation 2:10.

9. What is the meaning of the word “law” used at Romans 8:2?

⁹ Paul also talked about “the law of that spirit” and “the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:2) What are these laws? The word he used in this verse does not refer to rules, like the ones in the Law of Moses. A reference book says that the Greek word for “law” in this verse means the good or bad things that people do and that control them like a law. It can also mean the guidelines that they choose to live by.

10. How does the law of sin and of death control us?

¹⁰ The apostle Paul wrote: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) Because we are all children of Adam, the law of sin and of death controls us. Our sinful desire is to do things that do not please God. But these things lead to death. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul said that these sinful actions and habits are “works of the flesh.” And he said: “Those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.” (Galatians 5:19-21) The people who do these things walk “in accord with the flesh.” They follow their fleshly desires. (Romans 8:4) They are guided by what their imperfect flesh tells them to do. But are people who commit sins like fornication, idolatry, spiritism, and other sins the only ones who are following their fleshly desires? No. “The works of the flesh” mentioned in Galatians also include things that many could think are just personal weaknesses. This would include things like jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, and envies. We must never think that we do not need to fight against our imperfect flesh.

11, 12. What has Jehovah done to free us from the law of sin and of death? What must we do to have God’s approval?

¹¹ We are happy that Jehovah has made it possible for us to be free from the law of sin and of death! Jesus said: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” If we live in a way that shows that we love God and we have faith in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, we can be freed from the punishment that results from sin. (John 3:16-18) We will feel as Paul did when he said: “Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

¹² Our situation is similar to being cured of a serious illness. We can recover completely only if we do what the doctor tells us to do. Our faith in the ransom can free us from the law of sin and of death, but we are still imperfect and sinful. To continue to have a strong relationship with Jehovah and have his approval, there is something that we need to do. If we want to recover from the sickness of imperfection, Paul tells us that we must walk in accord with the spirit.

HOW CAN WE WALK IN ACCORD WITH GOD’S SPIRIT?

13. What does it mean to walk in accord with God’s spirit?

¹³ When we walk somewhere, we continue moving toward that place. To walk in accord with the spirit, we need to progress in the truth. (1 Timothy 4:15) Even though we cannot do this perfectly, each day we do our best to follow the guidance of God’s spirit. If we are “walking by spirit,” we will please God.—Galatians 5:16.

14. How do people who live “in accord with the flesh” think and act?

¹⁴ In his letter to the Romans, Paul next spoke about people who have two opposite ways of thinking. (Read Romans 8:5.) Here the word “flesh” is not just the physical body. In the Bible, “flesh” can sometimes refer to our imperfections. Our imperfections cause the struggle between the flesh and the mind that Paul talked about. Paul fought against his flesh, or imperfections. But many people today do not even try to fight their wrong desires, so they live “in accord with the flesh.” They do not think about what God wants them to do, and they do not ask him to help them win the fight. They often “set their minds on the things of the flesh” and allow their fleshly desires to control them. But people who are living “in accord with the spirit” allow Jehovah to guide them.

15, 16. (a) How can setting our mind on something affect what we think about? (b) What are most people today interested in?

¹⁵ (Read Romans 8:6.) Before people do good things or bad things, they first set their mind on the things they want to do. If people set their mind on the things of the flesh, the result will be that they will want to do the things of the flesh. Their thoughts, interests, and feelings will usually be on these things.

¹⁶ What are most people interested in today? The apostle John wrote: “Everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world.” (1 John 2:16) The desires John wrote about are things like immorality, wanting to be important and well-known, and wanting more material things. Books, magazines, movies, TV programs, and the Internet promote these desires all the time. These are the things that most people have set their mind on because these are the things that they really want. Paul said that “the minding of the flesh means death.” It could cause us to lose our relationship with God, and in the future we could lose our life. Why? “Because the minding of the flesh means enmity with God, for it is not under subjection to the law of God, nor, in fact, can it be. So those who are in harmony with the flesh cannot please God.”—Romans 8:7, 8.

17, 18. How can we allow God’s spirit to guide us? What is the result if we do so?

¹⁷ “The minding of the spirit means life and peace.” It means everlasting life in the future as well as peace in our hearts and minds and peace with God now. How can we show we are minding the spirit? If we always follow the guidance of God and his holy spirit, we will grow in a way of thinking that agrees with his way of thinking. We want our thinking to be “under subjection to the law of God.” Then, when we are in a situation where we need to resist temptation, we will know what we should do. We will have the desire to make the right choice. We will make a choice that is guided by God’s spirit.

¹⁸ It should be our desire to set our mind on the things of God. We want to make Christian activities the most important part of our life. These activities include regular prayer, Bible reading and study, meeting attendance, and the ministry. (1 Peter 1:13) Instead of letting our sinful desires control us, we should follow God’s way of thinking and allow his spirit to guide us. If we do this, we will have many blessings, and we will have everlasting life and peace.—Galatians 6:7, 8.

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ If we walk in accord with the spirit, we follow the guidance of God’s holy spirit in our thinking and conduct

▪ If we walk in accord with the flesh, we allow sinful desires to control our thoughts and actions

CAN YOU EXPLAIN?

▪ What was the Law of Moses not able to do? How did God overcome this?

▪ What is “the law of sin and of death”? How can we be freed from it?

▪ What must we do to develop “the minding of the spirit”?

[Blurb on page 12]

Even though we are imperfect, we can progress in the truth when we walk in accord with the spirit

[Pictures on pages 12, 13]

Do you walk in accord with the flesh or in accord with the spirit?

Life Story

pp. 14–15

Life Story

“Disabled Now but Not Forever!”

As told by Sara van der Monde

People often tell me, “Sara, you have such a lovely smile. Why are you always so happy?” I tell them that I have a special hope. I say, “I am disabled now but not forever!”

I WAS born in 1974 in Paris, France. There were problems during my birth, and later the doctors told my parents that I had cerebral palsy. I had limited movement, and when I spoke, it was hard for people to understand me. In time, I also became an epileptic, and it was easy for me to get infections.

When I was two years old, my family moved to Melbourne, Australia. Two years later, my father left my mother and me. That was the first time that I remember feeling that God was my Friend. Mum was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and regularly took me to Christian meetings. There I learned that God loved me and cared for me. God’s comfort along with Mum’s love helped me to feel safe, even though our situation had changed.

Mum also taught me how to pray to Jehovah. Actually, it is much easier for me to pray than to talk. When I pray, I do not have to struggle to say the words, but the words are clear in my mind. And because it is difficult for people to understand me when I talk, it comforts me to know that Jehovah understands everything I say, whether I say it in my mind or struggle to say it out loud.—Psalm 65:2.

HOW I ENDURED MORE PROBLEMS

At the age of five, I could no longer walk without the help of heavy splints. And even with them, it was very difficult to walk straight. By the age of 11, I could no longer walk. Later, I could not get in and out of bed without the help of a machine to lift me into my motorized wheelchair. I control my wheelchair with a hand lever.

Sometimes my disabilities discourage me. But then I remember that in my family, we always say that we should not worry about the things we cannot do, but we should continue to do the things we can do. This has helped me to do well at horseback riding, sailing, canoeing, camping, and even driving a car around a track! I show my love of art by painting, sewing, quilting, embroidering, and making ceramics.

Because of my serious disabilities, some people have doubted my ability to make my own decision to worship God. When I was 18, a schoolteacher told me to leave home so that I would not have to follow my mother’s religion. The teacher even offered to help me find a place to live. But I told her that I would never leave my religion and that I would leave home only when I was ready to be more independent.

Soon after that, I was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Two years later, I moved into a small apartment. Here I am happy because I have both help and independence.

AN OFFER I DID NOT EXPECT

In my life, many things have happened that have tested my faith. One day I was completely surprised when a disabled schoolmate asked me to marry him. At first, this made me feel good about myself. Just like most young women, I would like to get married. But no one can say that two people will have a happy marriage just because they both have a disability. More important, the young man did not worship Jehovah. Our beliefs, activities, and goals were completely different. How could we have a happy life together? I want to obey God’s command to marry only someone who serves Jehovah. (1 Corinthians 7:39) So I kindly told the young man that I could not accept his offer of marriage.

Even today, I know I made the right choice. And I have no doubt that I will be happy in the new world that God promises. (Psalm 145:16; 2 Peter 3:13) Until then, I will do everything I can to continue to be loyal to Jehovah and to be content with my situation.

I often think about the day when I can leap from my wheelchair and run as fast as I can. On that day, I will be able to say, “I was disabled, but now I have perfect health that will last forever!”

“Temporary Residents” in a Wicked World

pp. 16–20

“Temporary Residents” in a Wicked World

THEME SCRIPTURE

“In faith all these . . . publicly declared that they were strangers and temporary residents in the land.”—HEBREWS 11:13.

1. What did Jesus say about true Christians and this world?

JESUS said this about his disciples: “They are in the world.” But he also said: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 17:11, 14) His words clearly show how true Christians should view this world. Satan is the god of “this system of things,” or world. (2 Corinthians 4:4) Christians live in the world, but they are no part of it. That is why the Bible says that Christians are like “aliens,” or foreigners. They are “temporary residents” in this world.—1 Peter 2:11.

THEY LIVED AS “TEMPORARY RESIDENTS”

2, 3. Why can we say that Enoch, Noah, and Abraham and Sarah lived as “strangers and temporary residents”?

² Faithful servants of Jehovah have always been different from people in the world. Two examples are Enoch and Noah. The Bible says that they “walked with the true God.” (Genesis 5:22-24; 6:9) They bravely preached that Jehovah condemned Satan’s wicked world. (Read 2 Peter 2:5; Jude 14, 15.) They did what was right even though the people around them were wicked. For this reason we read that Enoch “pleased God well” and that Noah was “faultless among his contemporaries.”—Hebrews 11:5; Genesis 6:9.

³ We can also learn from the example of Abraham and Sarah. They obeyed God when he asked them to leave their comfortable home in the city of Ur of the Chaldeans. They were willing to live without a home in a foreign land. (Genesis 11:27, 28; 12:1) The apostle Paul wrote: “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed in going out into a place he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, although not knowing where he was going. By faith he resided as an alien in the land of the promise as in a foreign land, and dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the very same promise.” (Hebrews 11:8, 9) Paul also said about these servants of Jehovah: “In faith all these died, although they did not get the fulfillment of the promises, but they saw them afar off and welcomed them and publicly declared that they were strangers and temporary residents in the land.”—Hebrews 11:13.

A WARNING TO THE ISRAELITES

4. What warning did Jehovah give the Israelites before he gave them their land?

⁴ Abraham had many descendants. God organized them into the nation of Israel and gave them laws and a land. (Genesis 48:4; Deuteronomy 6:1) The people of Israel had to remember that the land was not theirs but belonged to Jehovah. (Leviticus 25:23) Even though they used the land, they had to obey Jehovah’s rules. Also, the Israelites had to remember that “not by bread alone does man live” and that all their good things came from Jehovah. (Deuteronomy 8:1-3) That is why before Jehovah gave them their land, he warned them: “It must occur that when Jehovah your God will bring you into the land that he swore to your forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give you, great and good-looking cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things and that you did not fill, and cisterns hewn out that you did not hew out, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you shall have eaten and become satisfied, watch out for yourself that you may not forget Jehovah.”—Deuteronomy 6:10-12.

5. Why did Jehovah no longer want the Israelites to be his people? What new nation did he choose?

⁵ The Israelites did exactly what Jehovah had warned them not to do. When they entered the Promised Land and began to live in comfortable houses and had plenty of food and wine, they forgot Jehovah. In the time of Nehemiah, a group of Levites spoke with shame about what had happened, as we read at Nehemiah 9:25-27. (Read.) They said that people “began to eat and to be satisfied and to grow fat.” The Israelites rebelled against God, and they killed the prophets he sent to warn them. So Jehovah allowed their enemies to rule over them. (Hosea 13:6-9) Later, when the Romans ruled over Israel, the Israelites even killed the Messiah who was promised by God! So Jehovah no longer wanted them as his people. He chose a new nation, “the Israel of God.”—Galatians 6:16; Matthew 21:43; Acts 7:51, 52.

CHRISTIANS ARE “NO PART OF THE WORLD”

6, 7. (a) How would you explain what Jesus said about his followers and this world? (b) According to Peter, why did true Christians have to continue to be no part of the world?

⁶ In the beginning of this article, we learned that Jesus, the Head of the Christian congregation, said that his followers should be no part of Satan’s world. Just before he died, Jesus told his disciples: “If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.”—John 15:19.

⁷ After some time, there were Christians living in many places around the world where the Romans ruled. Christians had to continue to be no part of the world. They had to reject the way of life of the people around them. Wherever they lived, they had to be different. About 30 years after Jesus died, the apostle Peter wrote to the first Christians: “Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and temporary residents to keep abstaining from fleshly desires, which are the very ones that carry on a conflict against the soul. Maintain your conduct fine among the nations.”—1 Peter 1:1; 2:11, 12.

8. What did one historian say that shows that the first Christians were no part of the world?

⁸ Christians lived as “aliens and temporary residents” in the Roman world of their time. One historian wrote that they suffered severe persecution and that this happened often. He said that they were accused of not believing in God because they did not participate in false religious ceremonies. They were called “haters of the human race” because they did not join the people around them in entertainment and festivals that were full of false worship and sexual immorality.

WE DO NOT USE THE WORLD TO THE FULL

9. How do we show that we are not “haters of the human race”?

⁹ Just like the first Christians, we too are no part of “the present wicked system of things.” (Galatians 1:4) Because of this, many do not understand the way we live. Some people even hate us. But we are not “haters of the human race,” as some may think. We show that we love people by going from house to house and telling everyone the good news of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 22:39; 24:14) We preach about Jehovah’s Kingdom because we believe that it will soon destroy all imperfect human governments. This Kingdom, with Christ as King, will then bring a righteous new world.—Daniel 2:44; 2 Peter 3:13.

10, 11. (a) How do we make use of the world? (b) In what ways do Christians not use the world to the full?

¹⁰ Because Satan’s world will end soon, we know that now is not the time to try to have a comfortable life. The apostle Paul said: “The time left is reduced.” He then said that those who buy should be “as those not possessing, and those making use of the world as those not using it to the full; for the scene of this world is changing.” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) Today, how do we make use of the world? For example, we use modern technology and means of communication. These help us to teach people in many lands about the Bible, and we do it in many languages. We also work and earn the money that we need to live. And we buy necessary things for our daily lives. But we do not use the world to the full. This means that money, the things we have, and our job are not the most important things in our life.—Read 1 Timothy 6:9, 10.

¹¹ Another way Christians do not use the world to the full is by not giving too much importance to the education that this world offers. Many people in this world think that a person has to go to a university, get a good job, and earn a lot of money. But as temporary residents, we do not think like them. We do not make an effort to get “lofty things,” that is, the things that would make us important in this world. (Romans 12:16; Jeremiah 45:5) We obey the warning Jesus gave us: “Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of covetousness, because even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15) So young Christians should remember that the most important thing is to serve Jehovah. They should get enough education to care for their basic needs so that they will be able to serve Jehovah with their whole heart, soul, strength, and mind. (Luke 10:27) If they do that, they can become “rich toward God.”—Luke 12:21; read Matthew 6:19-21.

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT MATERIAL THINGS

12, 13. Why does obeying the words of Jesus at Matthew 6:31-33 make us different from people in the world?

¹² Another difference between us and people in the world is the way we think about material things. Jesus said: “Never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to put on?’ For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. For your heavenly Father knows you need all these things. Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33) Many of our brothers and sisters know from what has happened in their own lives that what Jesus said is true. Our heavenly Father always gives us the things we need.

¹³ It is good to be content with what we have. (1 Timothy 6:6) That is the opposite of how people in the world think. For example, when young people get married, many of them want to have everything immediately. They want a house or an apartment, furniture, a nice car, and new electronics. But Christians who live as temporary residents control their desires, and they will not buy more than what is possible for them to have. It is good to see that many do not spend time and money buying all these things, so that they can use more time and energy in Jehovah’s service. Some are able to serve as pioneers, at Bethel, in the traveling work, or as missionaries. We are grateful for the work that our brothers do as they serve Jehovah with their whole heart.

14. What can we learn from one of the parables of Jesus?

¹⁴ In one of his parables, Jesus said that “the anxiety of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches” can cause us to slow down in our service to God. (Matthew 13:22) This will not happen if we are content to live as temporary residents in this world. We will keep our eye “simple” by giving all our attention to serving God and by keeping his Kingdom first in our lives.—Matthew 6:22.

“THE WORLD IS PASSING AWAY”

15. What did John say about this world?

¹⁵ An important reason why true Christians live as “aliens and temporary residents” is that they believe that Satan’s world will end soon. (1 Peter 2:11; 2 Peter 3:7) We show that we believe this by the way we live our life. This includes the decisions we make, the things we want, and the goals we have. The apostle John told Christians not to love the world or the things in the world because “the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:15-17.

16. How do we show that we are part of the “people” that Jehovah has separated from the world?

¹⁶ Jehovah told the Israelites that if they obeyed him, they would become his “special property out of all other peoples.” (Exodus 19:5) When the Israelites obeyed God, their worship and way of life were different from that of other nations. Today, too, Jehovah’s people are separate from Satan’s world. The Bible tells us to “repudiate ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with soundness of mind and righteousness and godly devotion amid this present system of things, while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of the Savior of us, Christ Jesus, who gave himself for us that he might deliver us from every sort of lawlessness and cleanse for himself a people peculiarly his own, zealous for fine works.” (Titus 2:11-14) Jehovah’s “people” includes the anointed Christians and millions of “other sheep,” who help them.—John 10:16.

17. Why will the anointed and the other sheep always be happy that they lived as temporary residents in this wicked world?

¹⁷ “The happy hope” of the anointed is that of ruling with Christ in heaven. (Revelation 5:10) The hope of the other sheep is to live forever on earth. When this hope is fulfilled, the other sheep will no longer be temporary residents in a wicked world. They will have beautiful homes and many good things to eat and drink. (Psalm 37:10, 11; Isaiah 25:6; 65:21, 22) They will not forget Jehovah as the Israelites did. They will always remember that all they have is from Jehovah, “the God of the whole earth.” (Isaiah 54:5) The anointed and the other sheep will always be happy that they lived as temporary residents in this wicked world.

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ Temporary resident: Christians are “temporary residents” because even though they are living in the world, they are no part of it

▪ World: The people and the wicked system that are ruled by Satan. The Bible also calls it the present “system of things”

▪ Material things: Money and possessions

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?

▪ In what way did faithful men of the past live as temporary residents?

▪ How did the first Christians live in the world of their time?

▪ How do true Christians not use the world to the full?

▪ Why will we be happy that we lived as temporary residents in this wicked world?

[Picture on page 18]

The first Christians did not get involved in violent and immoral entertainment

Help Men to Progress Spiritually

pp. 21–26

Help Men to Progress Spiritually

THEME SCRIPTURE

“From now on you will be catching men alive.”—LUKE 5:10.

1, 2. (a) What did many men do when they heard Jesus preach? (b) What will we learn about in this article?

JESUS and his disciples had been busy preaching in Galilee. One day, they went by boat to rest in a quiet place. But many people followed them along the shore. There were “about five thousand men, besides women and young children.” (Matthew 14:21) At another time, a crowd came to Jesus because they wanted him to heal them and they wanted to hear him teach. In the crowd, there were “four thousand men, besides women and young children.” (Matthew 15:38) Many men were among the people who came to Jesus and wanted to learn more about what he was teaching. But Jesus knew that many others would accept the truth, because after the miracle when he filled the disciples’ nets with fish, he said: “From now on you will be catching men alive.” (Luke 5:10) Jesus meant that their preaching was like their fishing. He could help them find many people who would accept the truth. These would include many men.

² There are also men today who like the message that we preach. They are happy for us to study the Bible with them. (Matthew 5:3) Some men start learning about God but do not progress in the truth. How can we help them? In his ministry, Jesus did not preach in a different way to men. But he wanted to help them because there are some situations that worry men especially. In this article, we will learn how Jesus helped men and how we can imitate him. We will talk about three situations: (1) if a man is anxious about money, (2) if a man is afraid of what others think, and (3) if a man thinks that he is not as good as others.

IF A MAN IS ANXIOUS ABOUT MONEY

3, 4. (a) What do many men think is important? (b) Why do some men think that money and a job are more important than accepting the truth?

³ A man who was an expert on the Law of Moses said to Jesus: “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you are about to go.” Jesus then told him that “the Son of man has nowhere to lay down his head.” But the Bible does not say that he became a follower of Jesus. So maybe the man was anxious about where he would live and what he would eat.—Matthew 8:19, 20.

⁴ Many men think that having money and a job is more important than studying the Bible and obeying what it teaches. To get a university degree and a well-paid job is more important to them. They know that they need money to live every day. So they think that money and a job can benefit them more than studying the Bible and becoming God’s friend. They may like what the Bible teaches, but “the anxieties of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches” stop them from learning more about God or obeying what he says. (Mark 4:18, 19) But Jesus helped his disciples decide what was most important, and we can imitate his example.

5, 6. What helped Andrew, Peter, James, and John to decide what was the most important work for them?

⁵ Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen. They worked with John, his brother James, and their father, Zebedee. Their fishing business was doing well, and they employed other men. (Mark 1:16-20) When Andrew and John first learned about Jesus from John the Baptizer, they were sure that Jesus was the Messiah. Andrew then told his brother Simon Peter about Jesus, and perhaps John told his brother James. (John 1:29, 35-41) During the months after this, Jesus preached in Galilee, Judea, and Samaria, and these four disciples went with him. Then they returned to their fishing business. They liked learning the things that Jesus taught, but at that time they did not think that the preaching work was the most important work for them.

⁶ Later, Jesus invited Peter and Andrew to follow him and become “fishers of men.” What did Peter and Andrew do? “At once abandoning the nets, they followed him.” James and John did the same. “At once leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-22) What helped these men decide to start preaching full-time? They had thought carefully about this decision. They had traveled with Jesus for some months and had listened to him teach. They also saw his miracles and the zeal he had for what was right. They saw that people really liked what he taught. Because of the things they learned, their faith in Jehovah and trust in him became stronger.

7. How can we help Bible students to learn to trust in Jehovah?

⁷ How can we imitate Jesus and help our Bible students to learn to trust in Jehovah? (Proverbs 3:5, 6) We can help them by the way we teach. When we study with them, we can teach them that Jehovah promises to bless us if we put the Kingdom first. (Read Malachi 3:10; Matthew 6:33.) We can use the Bible to show them that Jehovah always cares for his people. But we should not forget that we can also teach our students by our own example. When we tell Bible students how Jehovah has helped us, this can help them learn to trust in him too. We can also show them experiences from our books and magazines.a—See footnote.

8. (a) Why is it important for a Bible student to “taste and see that Jehovah is good”? (b) How can we help a Bible student to see that Jehovah is good?

⁸ To have strong faith, it is not enough for a Bible student to read and hear how Jehovah has blessed others. He needs to experience, or see, in his own life that Jehovah is good. Psalm 34:8 says: “Taste and see that Jehovah is good, O you people; happy is the able-bodied man that takes refuge in him.” How can we help a student to see that Jehovah is good? What if the student has money problems? He may also be trying to overcome a bad habit, like smoking, gambling, or drinking too much. (Proverbs 23:20, 21; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Timothy 6:10) We can teach him to pray to God for help to stop his bad habit. When his life improves, he will see that Jehovah is good. Then we can encourage him to put worship of Jehovah first in his life. We can teach him that he needs to study the Bible every week and prepare for meetings and attend them. When the student sees that Jehovah is blessing his efforts, his faith will be stronger, and he will be less anxious about other things, like money.

IF A MAN IS AFRAID OF WHAT OTHERS THINK

9, 10. (a) Why did Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea not tell others that they were Jesus’ disciples? (b) Why are some men today afraid to be followers of Jesus?

⁹ Some men worry about what other people might think about them, so they may not become followers of Jesus. For example, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea did not tell other people that they were Jesus’ disciples because they were afraid of what other Jews might say or do. (John 3:1, 2; 19:38) There was a reason why they were afraid. The religious leaders hated Jesus so much that anyone who believed in him was no longer allowed to come to the synagogue.—John 9:22.

¹⁰ In some places today, it may be difficult for a man to show that he is interested in God, the Bible, or religion. His workmates, friends, and family may criticize him or try to cause him trouble. In other places, it may be dangerous for a person to tell others that he wants to change his religion. And a man who is serving in the military, in politics, or is in an important position in the area where he lives may get a lot of criticism from others if he talks about religion. For example, a man in Germany said: “What you Witnesses preach about the Bible is true. But if I became a Witness today, by tomorrow everyone would know about it. What would they think at work, in the neighborhood, and at the club my family and I belong to? I could not put up with that.”

11. How did Jesus help his disciples not to be afraid of what others thought about them?

¹¹ Jesus’ apostles showed courage. But sometimes they were afraid of what others might think about them. (Mark 14:50, 66-72) How did Jesus help his disciples to progress in the truth even when people opposed them? Jesus prepared them for the opposition that would come. He said: “Happy are you whenever men hate you, and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man.” (Luke 6:22) He warned his followers that they should expect opposition. But he told them that this opposition was “for the sake of the Son of man.” And he reminded them that God would always care for them if they asked Him for help and strength. (Luke 12:4-12) Jesus also invited those who began following him to associate with his disciples and to be their friends.—Mark 10:29, 30.

12. How can we help a Bible student not to be afraid of what others might think about him?

¹² We too need to help Bible students not to be afraid of what others might think about them. One way we can do this is to help a student know what to do when people oppose him. (John 15:19) For example, workmates and others may not agree with his new beliefs, or they may have questions about what he believes. We can help him to prepare simple answers from the Bible. We can be his friend, and we can introduce him to others in the congregation. Maybe he and some of the brothers have similar situations or interests, and they can become friends. It is very important to teach him to pray regularly and from his heart. This will help him become Jehovah’s friend. Jehovah will be like a strong rock and a place of refuge for him, so he will not need to be afraid of what people might think about him.—Read Psalm 94:21-23; James 4:8.

IF A MAN THINKS THAT HE IS NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS

13. If a brother thinks that he is not good enough, how can this hold him back from speaking about the truth?

¹³ Some men may think that they cannot do what others in the congregation can do. Maybe they do not read well, or they feel that they cannot explain their thoughts well. Maybe they are shy, or they do not like to talk about their beliefs in front of other people. So it is very hard for them to study, comment at the meetings, or preach to others. One brother explained that when he was young, preaching was hard for him. He said that he would go to the door, pretend to ring the doorbell, and then quietly walk away and hope that no one would hear or see him. He said: “The thought of going from door to door made me physically ill.”

14. Why could Jesus’ disciples not cure the boy who was possessed by a demon?

¹⁴ Think how Jesus’ disciples must have felt when they could not cure a boy who was possessed by a demon. They probably thought that they could never do what Jesus wanted them to do. The father of the boy came to Jesus and said: “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and is ill, for he falls often into the fire and often into the water; and I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” When Jesus expelled the demon, the boy was cured. Later, the disciples came to Jesus and asked him: “Why is it we could not expel it?” Jesus answered them: “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, If you have faith the size of a mustard grain, you will say to this mountain, ‘Transfer from here to there,’ and it will transfer, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:14-20) A person who has faith in Jehovah will be able to do things that may seem impossible. But if he trusts in his own abilities, he will fail, and then he may feel that he is not good enough to serve Jehovah.

15, 16. How can we help a Bible student who feels that he cannot serve Jehovah as well as others can?

¹⁵ If a Bible student feels that he cannot serve Jehovah as well as others, we can encourage him not to think of his own abilities but to have faith that Jehovah will help him. Peter wrote: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; while you throw all your anxiety upon him.” (1 Peter 5:6, 7) We need to help a student to love Jehovah and to have a desire to be guided by him. This means that he must love what he learns from the Bible and show “the fruitage of the spirit” in his life. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Prayer needs to be very important to him. (Philippians 4:6, 7) And he understands that it is God who will give him the courage and strength to do what He asks of him.—Read 2 Timothy 1:7, 8.

¹⁶ Some students may need help to improve their reading and speaking abilities. Others may feel that they are not good enough to serve Jehovah because of some bad things they did before they knew him. In both cases, we can help a student by showing him love and being patient with him. Jesus said: “Persons in health do not need a physician, but the ailing do.”—Matthew 9:12.

HELP MORE MEN TO LEARN ABOUT JEHOVAH

17, 18. (a) How can we talk to more men in our preaching work? (b) What will we study about in the next article?

¹⁷ Only the Bible has a message that can make people truly happy, and we want to help as many men as possible to accept it. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) How can we find more men in our preaching work? We can try to preach in the evenings, on weekend afternoons, or during holidays when more men may be at home. And if possible, we can ask to speak with the man in the family. When appropriate, we can witness to male workmates. Some sisters in the congregation are married to men who are not Witnesses, and we can try to help these men to have an interest in the truth.

¹⁸ We want to help as many people as possible to learn the truth. Those who are searching for the truth will listen to the message we preach. We need to be patient and continue helping all who want to know the truth. But what can help baptized men to have the desire to care for responsibilities in the congregation? The next article will answer this question.

[Footnote]

a See Yearbooks of Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as life stories published in The Watchtower and Awake!

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ To progress spiritually, or progress in the truth, means to believe the truth and live by what we learn

▪ To be anxious means to worry unnecessarily about something

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?

▪ How can we help men to decide what is most important in life?

▪ How can we help Bible students not to be afraid of what people think about them?

▪ How can we help someone who feels that he cannot serve Jehovah as well as others can?

[Blurb on page 22]

If a man is anxious about money, help him to see that Jehovah is good

[Blurb on page 25]

If a man is afraid of what others might think, help him to see that Jehovah can be a place of refuge for him

[Blurb on page 26]

If a man feels that he is not as good as others, help him to have faith in Jehovah

[Picture on page 23]

Do you make opportunities to reach men with the good news?

[Picture on page 24]

How can you prepare a Bible student for opposition?

Train Others to Reach Out

pp. 27–32

Train Others to Reach Out

THEME SCRIPTURE

“Everyone that is perfectly instructed will be like his teacher.”—LUKE 6:40.

1. What did Jesus do during his ministry to train preachers who would become a large congregation?

AT THE end of his account about Jesus’ life, the apostle John wrote: “There are, in fact, many other things also which Jesus did, which, if ever they were written in full detail, I suppose, the world itself could not contain the scrolls written.” (John 21:25) Jesus worked hard in the ministry during the short time he was on earth. During that time, he needed to find men whom he could train to continue his work after he returned to heaven. In the year 33, he had trained just a small group, but it quickly grew to become a congregation of thousands of preachers.—Acts 2:41, 42; 4:4; 6:7.

2, 3. (a) Why is there a need for brothers to serve in the congregations? (b) What will we study about in this article?

² Today, there are more than seven million people who are preaching the good news in over 100,000 congregations around the world. There is a need for brothers to take the lead in those congregations. For example, there is a great need for elders. Brothers who are “reaching out,” or trying to do more to serve others in the congregation, are “desirous of a fine work.”—1 Timothy 3:1.

³ There are things that a brother needs to do before he can qualify to have responsibilities in the congregation. Education, experience, and abilities are not what prepare a man for this work. His life must be in agreement with what the Bible requires for brothers who serve in the congregation. How can we help brothers to progress in the truth and to qualify for responsibilities? “Everyone that is perfectly instructed will be like his teacher,” said Jesus. (Luke 6:40) In this article, we will talk about some ways that Jesus trained his disciples and what we can learn from this training.

“I HAVE CALLED YOU FRIENDS”

4. How was Jesus a good friend to his disciples?

⁴ Jesus did not think that he was better than his disciples. They were his friends. He wanted to be with them, and he trusted them. He said to them: “All the things I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (Read John 15:15.) Think of how happy the disciples must have been when he answered their question: “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3, 4) He also wanted them to know what he was thinking and feeling. For example, on the night when he was arrested, Jesus took Peter, James, and John into the garden of Gethsemane. He needed to pray at that difficult time. The three apostles may not have heard what he said in his prayer, but they knew that he was suffering very much. (Mark 14:33-38) Another time, he strengthened them when “he was transfigured before them.” (Mark 9:2-8; 2 Peter 1:16-18) The strong friendship between Jesus and his disciples gave them the strength they needed to continue the important work they had to do.

5. How do elders help others?

⁵ Like Jesus, elders today help their brothers and sisters and want to be their friends. They love them and show them that they are sincerely interested in them. Sometimes there are situations that the elders cannot talk about. But they do talk to their brothers about the things they have learned from God’s Word. Elders trust their brothers. They never think that they are more important than a ministerial servant who is younger than they are. Elders understand that even young ministerial servants have progressed in the truth and can keep progressing. They know that these young men love Jehovah and are serving with them to care for the congregation.

“I SET THE PATTERN FOR YOU”

6, 7. How was Jesus a good example for his disciples? How did his example help them?

⁶ Even though Jesus’ disciples loved God’s Word, at times their thinking was affected by the way they grew up and used to live. (Matthew 19:9, 10; Luke 9:46-48; John 4:27) But Jesus never criticized them or got angry with them. He did not ask them to do anything that was too difficult for them. And he never asked them to do something that he himself would not do. Jesus taught his disciples by his good example.—Read John 13:15.

⁷ How was Jesus an example for his disciples? (1 Peter 2:21) He lived a simple life so that he could use his time to serve others. (Luke 9:58) Jesus taught others what he had learned from Jehovah and did not teach his own ideas. (John 5:19; 17:14, 17) He was kind, and it was easy for people to talk to him. His actions showed that he loved others. (Matthew 19:13-15; John 15:12) Jesus’ good example helped his apostles. It helped James to be courageous and to serve God until James himself was executed. (Acts 12:1, 2) And John was faithful for more than 60 years.—Revelation 1:1, 2, 9.

8. How can elders be a good example for younger men and others?

⁸ Elders can be a good example for younger men by being humble, by showing love, and by using their time and energy to help others. (1 Peter 5:2, 3) Also, elders are happy to be a good example so that the brothers can imitate their strong faith, the way they teach, the way they live as Christians, and how they preach.—Hebrews 13:7.

JESUS GAVE HIS DISCIPLES ORDERS AND SENT THEM OUT TO PREACH

9. How do we know that Jesus trained his disciples for the preaching work?

⁹ After Jesus had preached for two years, he also sent his 12 apostles out to preach. But first he gave them instructions. (Matthew 10:5-14) Another time, before Jesus fed thousands of people with only a little bit of food, he gave instructions to his disciples. He told them how to organize the people so that everyone could have food. (Luke 9:12-17) Jesus trained his disciples by telling them exactly what they should do and how they should do it. Because of the training that Jesus gave them and the help they received from the holy spirit, the apostles organized a great preaching work that began in the year 33.

10, 11. How can elders and others train men to serve in the congregation?

¹⁰ Today, we start teaching a man when we study the Bible with him. We may need to help him to learn to read well. As we continue to study with him, we also help him in other ways. When he starts to attend meetings, he will learn what he needs to do to participate in the Theocratic Ministry School and become an unbaptized publisher. After he is baptized, the brothers will give him other training. For example, they can train him to repair the Kingdom Hall. Also, the elders can help him to understand what he needs to do to be a ministerial servant.

¹¹ When the elders give a baptized brother a responsibility in the congregation, they want to help him do it well. They explain the way that the brothers do this work in the congregations and show him clearly what he needs to do. If the work is sometimes hard for him, the elders do not immediately decide that he is not able to do it. But they kindly explain again what he needs to do and how to do it. The elders enjoy helping a brother care for his responsibilities because they know that serving others in the congregation will bring him happiness.—Acts 20:35.

“THE ONE LISTENING TO COUNSEL IS WISE”

12. Why was Jesus’ counsel helpful?

¹² Another way Jesus trained his disciples was by giving them the counsel they needed at the right time. For example, when James and John wanted fire to come down from heaven to destroy some Samaritans, Jesus told them that they were wrong to want that to happen. (Luke 9:52-55) Another time, the mother of James and John asked Jesus if they could have important positions in his Kingdom. But Jesus knew that it was James and John themselves who wanted these positions, so he said to them: “This sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:20-23) Jesus always gave counsel that was clear and that would help people know how to act in different situations. It was always based on God’s Word. He wanted his disciples to learn to think and act in agreement with God’s Word. (Matthew 17:24-27) Jesus knew that his disciples were not perfect and that there were some things that they could not do. He gave them counsel because he loved them very much.—John 13:1.

13, 14. (a) Who needs counsel? (b) What are some examples of counsel that elders may give a brother?

¹³ Every brother who wants to serve others in the congregation will need counsel from the Bible at some time in his life. Proverbs 12:15 says: “The one listening to counsel is wise.” One young brother said that he used to feel that he was not good enough to serve. He said that an elder helped him to understand that he did not need to be perfect to serve.

¹⁴ If the elders notice that a brother’s conduct is preventing him from progressing, they will immediately try to help him “in a spirit of mildness.” They want him to be able to serve others in the congregation. (Galatians 6:1) At other times, elders need to give counsel to help someone adjust his attitude. For example, maybe the elders notice that a brother sometimes seems to do less than he could. They can encourage him to think about Jesus’ example. Jesus worked hard in the preaching work and told his disciples to follow his example. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Luke 8:1) Maybe a brother wants to be more important than others. The elders could explain that Jesus taught his disciples that they should not desire to be the greatest. (Luke 22:24-27) Or maybe it is difficult for a brother to forgive others. The elders could help him by using the illustration of the slave who did not want to forgive others even though others had forgiven him much. (Matthew 18:21-35) When the elders need to give counsel, they should give it as soon as possible.—Read Proverbs 27:9.

“BE TRAINING YOURSELF”

15. How can a brother’s family help him to serve others?

¹⁵ The elders make efforts to train brothers to serve in the congregation. But others can also help. For example, a brother’s own family can help him to serve. And if a brother is already an elder, his wife and children can support him as he works hard in the congregation. They understand that he must use some of his time and energy for others. It makes him happy when his family is willing to make sacrifices so that he can care well for his responsibilities. We are thankful for the sacrifices that the families of elders make.—Proverbs 15:20; 31:10, 23.

16. (a) Who needs to show that he has the desire to serve others? (b) What does a brother need to do if he desires to serve as a ministerial servant or an elder?

¹⁶ Even though others can help him, it is the brother who needs to show that he has a desire to serve others. (Read Galatians 6:5.) It is true that a brother does not need to be a ministerial servant or an elder to help others and to do his best in the preaching work. But if a brother desires to serve as a ministerial servant or an elder, he must first work hard to qualify. The Bible describes what kind of man he should try to be. (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-3) So if a brother desires to serve as a ministerial servant or an elder but is not serving as one yet, he should think about some things that he can do to qualify. What can help him? He needs to read and study the Bible regularly, meditate, and pray. And he needs to do his best in the preaching work. If he does these things, he will be following the counsel Paul gave to Timothy: “Be training yourself with godly devotion as your aim.”—1 Timothy 4:7.

17, 18. What can a brother do if he feels that he is not good enough or if he does not have the desire to serve?

¹⁷ But what if a brother feels that he is not good enough to be a ministerial servant or an elder? It is good for him to remember how much Jehovah and Jesus help us. Jehovah promises that he will carry the load for us. (Psalm 68:19) So Jehovah will help a brother to accept responsibilities in the congregation. If a brother is not a ministerial servant or an elder, it would be good for him to remember that there is a great need for brothers who can care for the congregations. It is also good for him to pray for Jehovah’s holy spirit because this will help him to have peace and self-control. It can help him to stop feeling that he is not good enough. (Luke 11:13; Galatians 5:22, 23) We can be sure that Jehovah will bless brothers who want to serve others unselfishly.

¹⁸ Maybe a brother does not have the desire to serve. What can help him? The apostle Paul wrote: “God is the one that, for the sake of his good pleasure, is acting within you in order for you both to will and to act.” (Philippians 2:13) It is God who helps a person to have the desire and the strength to serve others and to do His will. (Philippians 4:13) And a Christian can pray to God for his help to do what is right.—Psalm 25:4, 5.

19. What does it mean that Jehovah will raise up “seven shepherds, yes, eight dukes”?

¹⁹ Jehovah will bless the efforts of elders who train others. He also blesses brothers who have the desire to serve others in the congregation. The Bible shows that we can be sure that God’s people will have enough brothers to care for the congregations. It says that Jehovah will raise up “seven shepherds, yes, eight dukes of mankind.” (Micah 5:5) Today, there are many humble brothers who have the desire to serve others and who are being trained to care for the congregations. This brings praise to Jehovah and many blessings to us.

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ Serve God: Worship Jehovah and do his will

▪ Serve others: Work in the congregation and in field service as a ministerial servant or an elder

▪ Reach out: Make an effort to serve others and to meet Scriptural qualifications

WHAT ARE YOUR ANSWERS?

▪ What are some ways that Jesus trained his disciples?

▪ How can elders imitate Jesus as they help brothers to serve others in the congregation?

▪ How can a brother’s family help him to serve others in the congregation?

▪ What does a brother need to do to show that he desires to serve in the congregation?

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There is a great need for brothers who can care for the congregations

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The Bible describes what kind of man a brother should be if he desires to serve others in the congregation

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God can help a brother to have the desire and strength to serve others

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Jehovah blesses brothers who want to serve others unselfishly

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What training can you provide your Bible student as he seeks to make progress?

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How can men show that they are reaching out?