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STUDY ARTICLES

AUGUST 27SEPTEMBER 2

Let Jehovah Lead Youto True FreedomPAGE 3 SONGS: 107, 27

SEPTEMBER 3-9

Serve the God of Freedom

PAGE 9 SONGS: 120, 129

SEPTEMBER 10-16

Of Whom Shall I Bein Dread?

PAGE 15 SONGS: 33, 45

SEPTEMBER 17-23

One Jehovah GathersHis Family

PAGE 21

SONGS: 53, 124

34567

J UL Y 1 5 , 2 0 1 2

DS I M P L I F I E D E N G L I S H E D I T I O N

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THE PURPOSE OF THIS

MAGAZINE, The Watchtower,is to honor Jehovah God, the

Supreme Ruler of the universe.

Just as watchtowers in ancient

times enabled a person to

observe developments from

afar, so this magazine shows us

the significance of world events

in the light of Bible prophecies.

It comforts people with the

good news that Gods Kingdom,

which is a real government in

heaven, will soon bring an end

to all wickedness and transform

the earth into a paradise. It

promotes faith in Jesus Christ,

who died so that we might gain

everlasting life and who is now

ruling as King of Gods Kingdom.

This magazine has been pub-

lished by Jehovahs Witnesses

continuously since 1879 and is

nonpolitical. It adheres to the

Bible as its authority.

This publication is not for sale. It is

provided as part of a worldwide Bible

educational work supported by voluntarydonations. Unless otherwise indicated,

Scripture quotations are from the modern-

language New World Translation of the

Holy ScripturesWith References.

Some Expressions Explained are

contextual explanations of words used

within an article.

345676

JULY 15, 2012

PURPOSE OF STUDY ARTICLES

STUDY ARTICLES 1, 2 PAGES 3-14

Jehovah wants humans to have as much

freedom as possible. In these articles,

note how he is teaching us to be a free

people. And note how Satan is trying to

take our freedom away and make us want

the false freedom that the world offers.

STUDY ARTICLE 3 PAGES 15-20

Why do we continue to preach with

courage even though people oppose us

and there are serious economic problems

in the world? Psalm 27 gives many of

the reasons, and we will learn about

them from this article.

STUDY ARTICLE 4 PAGES 21-26

Today, God is preparing the anointed to

live in heaven and the other sheep to live

in Paradise on earth. In his letter to the

Ephesians, Paul calls these preparations

an administration. Parts of this letter

will help us to understand why God is

doing this and what we must do.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

27 THEY OFFERED THEMSELVES

WILLINGLYIN ECUADOR

31 QUESTIONS FROM READERS

32 MY DREAM HAS COME TRUE

COVER: Preaching

the good news in Brazil

ian Sign Language in

the city of Rio de Janei-

ro in Comunidade da

Rocinha

BRAZILS

SIGN-LANGUAGE

FIELD

CONGREGATIONS

358

GROUPS

460

CIRCUITS

18

Vol. 133, No. 14 Semimonthly

ENGLISH

The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) is

published semimonthly by Watchtower

Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.;

L. Weaver, Jr., President; G. F. Simonis,

Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights,

Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483, and by Watch

Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada,PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, NY,

and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes

to Watchtower, 1000 Red Mills Road,

Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. 5 2012

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved.

Printed in Canada.

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3

WE ARE living in a time when people aremore and more greedy, violent, and dis-respectful of laws. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Be-

cause of that, governments make more laws,

strengthen their police forces, and use cameras towatch what people are doing. In some countries,people have alarm systems in their homes, extralocks, and even electric fences to protect them-selves. Many people feel so unsafe that they donot go out at night or let their children play out-side by themselves. It is clear that people have lessand less freedom, and this situation will probablynot get better.

2

Back in the garden of Eden, Satan said thathumans could be truly free only if they were in-dependent from Jehovah. What has happenedsince then proves that what he said was a terri-ble lie! The more that people do what they wantand not what God tells them to do, the more allhumans suffer. Jehovahs servants also suffer be-cause of this situation. But we have the hope thathumans will one day be free from sin and corrup-tion and will have what the Bible calls the glori-

ous freedom of the children of God. (Romans 8:21) In fact, Jehovah is now preparing his servantsfor that freedom. How is he doing this?

3 To prepare his servants for that future

1, 2. (a) What is happening to peoples freedom? Why?(b) What freedom do Jehovahs servants hope to have?

3. What law has Jehovah given his servants? What questionswill we consider?

Let Jehovah

Lead You toTrue Freedom

[Peer] into the perfect

law that belongs to

freedom.JAMES 1:25.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN?

What law is preparing people

to have true freedom? Who

benefit from that law?

What must we do to be really

free?

What freedom will all those

who continue to obey Jehovah

have?

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4 SIMPLIFIED ENGLISH EDITION

freedom, Jehovah gave us what Jamescalled the perfect law that belongsto freedom. (Read James 1:25.) Oth-er Bibles call it the law that makesus free (The New English Bible) andthe perfect law of freedom (The New

American Bible). When people think oflaw, they usually think of being con-trolled, not of having freedom. Then,

what is the perfect law that belongsto freedom? And how does that lawmake us free?

THE LAW

THAT SETS US FREE

4 The perfect law that belongs to

freedom cannot be the Mosaic Law.Jehovah gave the Mosaic Law to the Is-raelites to show them that they weresinners, and Christ fulfilled that Law.

(Matthew 5:17; Galatians 3:19) Then,what law was James talking about?He was talking about the law of theChrist, also called the law of faithand the law of a free people. (Ga-

latians 6:2; Romans 3:27; James 2:12) So the perfect law includeseverything that Jehovah requires ofus. Both anointed Christians and theother sheep benefit from it.John10:16.

4. What is the perfect law that belongs to free-dom? Who benefit from it?

5 The perfect law is different fromthe laws of many countries. It is madeup of simple commandments and ba-sic principles that are not too difficultto understand or to follow. (1 John5:3) Jesus said: My yoke is kindly

and my load is light. (Matthew 11:29, 30) Also, the perfect law has noneed for a long list of rules. It is basedon love and is written on the mindsand hearts of people, not on tablets ofstone.Read Hebrews 8:6, 10.

HOW THE PERFECT LAW

SETS US FREE

6 The limits that Jehovah has set for

humans are for their benefit and pro-tection. For example, think of the lawsof nature that control energy and mat-ter. People do not complain that theyfeel oppressed by those laws. They arethankful for them because they real-ize that those laws are for their bene-fit. In the same way, Jehovahs re-quirements, which we learn from the

perfect law of the Christ, are for ourbenefit.7 The law of freedom is a protection

for us, and it also allows us to satisfyall our right desires without harmingourselves or disrespecting the rightsand the freedoms of others. So we arefree to do what we desire only when

we have the right desires. This meansthat we should desire to do what Jeho-

vah likes and what he requires of us.We have to learn to love what Jeho-

vah loves and to hate what he hates.

5. Why is the law of freedom not too difficult tofollow?

6, 7. What can we say about Jehovahs require-ments? What does the law of freedom allow usto do?

The law of freedom

includes everything

that Jehovahrequires of us

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JULY 15, 2012 5

The law of freedom helps us to do that.Amos 5:15.

8 Because we are imperfect, it isvery hard for us to control wrong de-sires. But when we loyallyobey the lawof freedom, we can have some free-dom even now. For example, a man

named Jay was addicted to tobacco.When he started studying the Bible,he learned that his habit displeasedGod. He had to make a decision.Would he continue to be controlled byhis desire to smoke or would he obey

8, 9. How do we benefit from obeying the lawof freedom? Give an example.

Jehovah? He made the wise decisionto serve God, even though it was veryhard for him to stop smoking. How didhe feel after he stopped this habit? Hesaid that he felt very happy and won-derfully free.

9 The freedoms that the world offers

allow people to satisfy their desires.But as Jay learned, the result is thatpeople actually become slaves to sin.Those who obey Gods law of freedomchoose to be controlled by Gods spir-it, and the result is that they are setfree and can have life and peace. (Ro-mans 8:5, 6) Where did Jay get the

Do I still want some of the freedoms of the world?

Have I made the truth my way of life?

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strength to stop his habit? Not fromwithin himself but from God. He regu-larly studied the Bible, prayed for holyspirit, and accepted the loving helpfrom the brothers and sisters in thecongregation. These same things canhelp all of us to have true freedom. Letus see how.

PEER INTO GODS WORD

10 At James 1:25, we read that hewho peers into the perfect law thatbelongs to freedom and who persistsin it will be happy in his doing it.The Greek word translated peersmeans to bend down to have a clos-er look at something. This takes ef-fort. So if we want the law of freedom

to influence our mind and heart, wemust make an effort to study the Bi-ble carefully and regularly and to med-itate deeply on what we read.1 Timo-thy 4:15.

11 At the same time, we must per-sist, or endure, in applying GodsWord. We must make the truth our

way of life. Jesus said something simi-

lar to some who believed in him: Ifyou remain in my word, you are reallymy disciples, and you will know the

10. What does it mean to peer into Gods law?

11, 12. (a) What did Jesus say that shows thatwe need to make the truth our way of life?(b) According to the illustration on page 5,what danger must we avoid, especially if we areyoung?

truth, and the truth will set you free.(John 8:31, 32) One Bible dictionaryexplains that to know here includesunderstanding how important what

we know is in our life. So we can saythat we fully know the truth when wemake it our way of life. Then the wordof God will be at work in us. It will

help us to continue to make changes inour personality so that we better imi-tate our heavenly Father.1 Thessalo-nians 2:13.

12 Ask yourself, Do I really knowthe truth? Have I made it my way oflife? Or do I still want some of thefreedoms of the world? A sister who

was raised by Christian parents tellsus about her experience. When she

was young, she believed in Jehovah

but never really got to know him. Shewrote: I never learned to hate what hehates. I never believed that what I didmattered to him. And I never learnedto go to him when I was in trouble. Ileaned on my own understanding,

which I now know was ridiculous be-cause I knew nothing. Happily, the

SOME

EXPRESSIONS

EXPLAINED

The flesh: The imperfect

human condition

(Ephesians 2:3)

We fully know the

truth when we make

it our way of life

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JULY 15, 2012 7

sister later realized that her thinkingwas very wrong, and she made someimportant changes. She even began toserve as a regular pioneer.

HOLY SPIRIT CAN HELP SET YOU FREE

13

At 2 Corinthians 3:17, we read:Where the spirit of Jehovah is, thereis freedom. How does holy spirit helpset us free? It helps us to have suchqualities as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,mildness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22, 23) People cannot be truly free

without these qualities, especiallylove. The situation in the world to-

day clearly shows this. After the apos-tle Paul listed the spirits fruitage, he

wrote: Against such things there is nolaw. What did he mean? The fruit-age of Gods spirit is not limited byany law. There will never be a lawthat would prevent these qualitiesfrom growing. (Galatians 5:18) Jeho-

vah wants us to keep showing these

qualities more and more and to showthem forever.14 Those who are controlled by the

worlds spirit and who satisfy all theirselfish desires may think that theyare free. (Read 2 Peter 2:18, 19.) Butthey do not know that they are actual-ly slaves. Governments must make alot of laws to keep these peoples de-sires and behavior under control. And

Paul says that laws are made, not for arighteous man, but for persons lawlessand unruly. (1 Timothy 1:9, 10) Theyalso are slaves of their sinful flesh be-

13. How does Gods holy spirit help to makeus free?

14. In what ways does the worlds spirit makepeople slaves?

cause they do the things willed bythe flesh, and the flesh is a cruel mas-ter. (Ephesians 2:1-3) Like insects thatcrawl into a bowl of honey to satis-fy their appetite and then get trapped,these people follow their wrong de-

sires and become slaves of sin.James1:14, 15.

SET FREE WITHIN

THE CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION

15 Associating with the Christiancongregation is not like joining a so-cial club. You came into the congre-gation because Jehovah wanted youhere. (John 6:44) Why did he choose

you? Did he see a righteous personwho feared God? Not at all! you may

say. What, then, did God see? He sawthat you would be willing to obey hislaw and accept his kind direction. Eversince you became part of the congre-gation, Jehovah has taken care of youby teaching you from his Word. He hasset you free from the lies and supersti-tions of false religion and has taught

you how to imitate Christs personali-

ty. (Read Ephesians 4:22-24.) As a re-sult, you now have the honor of beingpart of the only people in the world

who are truly free.James 2:12.16 Think about this: When you are

15, 16. What benefits have we had since webecame part of the Christian congregation?What freedom do we have in the congregation?

To be really free, we

must work hard to have

the right desires

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with those who love Jehovah with alltheir heart, do you feel afraid? While

you are talking to your brothers andsisters at the Kingdom Hall, are you

worried that someone may steal yourbelongings? Not at all! You feel safe

and free. Would you feel that wayamong any other group of people atany other place? Of course not! But thefreedom that you now have among Je-hovahs people is just a taste of thefreedom that you will have in the fu-ture.

THE GLORIOUS FREEDOM OF THE

CHILDREN OF GOD

17 Paul wrote about the freedomthat Jehovah will give his people onearth. He said: The eager expectationof the creation is waiting for the re-

vealing of the sons of God. Then headded: The creation itself also will beset free from enslavement to corrup-tion and have the glorious freedom ofthe children of God. (Romans 8:19-21) The creation means humans who

have the hope of living on earth for-ever and who will benefit from the re-

vealing of the anointed sons of God.That revealing will begin when theanointed in heaven help Christ destroyall wicked people and bring a greatcrowd into the new system of things.Revelation 7:9, 14.

18 Humans will then have a veryspecial freedom. They will be freefrom the influence of Satan and the de-mons. (Revelation 20:1-3) What a re-lief that will be! From that time on,

17. How will the revealing of the sons of Godhelp humans become free?

18. How will freedom increase for obedienthumans? What freedom will humans finallyhave?

the 144,000 kings and priests will usethe ransom sacrifice to benefit humansuntil mankind becomes completelyfree from sin and imperfection. (Reve-lation 5:9, 10) After their faith has beentested, obedient humans will finally

have the perfect freedom that Jeho-vah originally wanted for them, that is,the glorious freedom of the childrenof God. Think! It will no longer be dif-ficult for you to do what God says isright. Your body, heart, and mind willbe perfect, and you will be able to imi-tate Gods qualities perfectly.

19 Do you want to have the glori-ous freedom of the children of God?If you do, let your mind and heart con-tinue to be influenced by the perfectlaw that belongs to freedom. Study

the Bible carefully and regularly. Makethe truth your way of life. Pray for holyspirit. Benefit fully from the Christiancongregation and the spiritual foodthat Jehovah gives us. Do not let Satandeceive you, as he deceived Eve, andmake you think that Gods require-ments are too strict. Even though the

Devil can be very clever, it is possi-ble not to be defeated by him, for weare not ignorant of his designs. This is

what we will discuss in the next arti-cle.2 Corinthians 2:11.

19. What must we continue to do if we want tohave the glorious freedom of the children ofGod?

Humans will soon be

free from the influence

of Satan and the demons

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ONLY Jehovah has unlimited freedom. Buthe always uses his freedom the right way.And he does not control every little thing

his servants do. Instead, he has given them the

freedom to make their own decisions and to sat-isfy all their right desires. For example, there

was only one thing that God told Adam and Evethey were not allowed to do. He told them notto eat from the tree of the knowledge of goodand bad. (Genesis 2:17) So it was possible forthem to do Gods will and still have amazing free-dom!

2 Why did God allow Adam and Eve to have

so much freedom? Because Jehovah gave them aconscience and created them in his image. He ex-pected them to do what was right because of theirlove for him as their Creator. (Genesis 1:27; Ro-mans 2:15) Sadly, Adam and Eve were not grate-ful to their Creator for the freedom he had giventhem. Instead, they chose to decide for them-selves what was right and what was wrong. Theythought that this would give them more freedom,but in reality, their choice made them and their

children slaves to sin and resulted in sufferingand death.Romans 5:12.

3 If Satan could influence two perfect humans

1. How does Jehovah use his freedom? What freedom did hegive Adam and Eve?

2. Why did Adam and Eve become slaves to sin?

3, 4. What does Satan want us to think about Gods require-ments?

Serve

the Godof Freedom

This is what the

love of God means,

that we observe his

commandments; and

yet his commandments

are not burdensome.

1 JOHN 5:3.

CAN YOU ANSWER?

What does Satan want us

to think about Gods require-ments?

Why must we choose our

friends very carefully?

What will help us to continue

to be loyal to the God of free-

dom?

9

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and many angels to reject Gods rule,he could do the same to us. Satanstricks have not changed. He wants usto think that Gods requirements aretoo strict. Satan wants us to think thatif we serve God, we will have no fun orexcitement in life. (1 John 5:3) Peoplein the world think this way, and if we

regularly spend time with them, wemay start thinking like them. A sister

who is now 24 years old said that shewas greatly influenced by the wrong

kind of friends. She was afraid of hav-ing an opinion different from that ofother young people. As a result, thissister committed immorality. Perhaps

you too have felt how strong the influ-

ence of friends can be.4 Sadly, even some in the Christian

congregation may become bad influ-ences. A young brother said that someof his friends in the congregation

were dating people who did not serveJehovah. The more time he spent withthese friends, the more he became

like them. He said: My relationshipwith Jehovah became weaker. I wasnot enjoying the meetings, and I al-most never went out in service any-more. That is when I realized that Ihad to stop spending time with them,and I did! Do you realize how much

your friends influence you? Consider

a Bible example that can help us to-day.Romans 15:4.

HE STOLE THEIR HEARTS

5 There are many examples in theBible of those who were a bad influ-ence on others. One of these exam-ples is Absalom, a son of King David.Absalom was a very handsome man.

Like Satan, he allowed a wrong de-sire to grow in his heart. He wantedto become king instead of his father,even though Absalom did not havethe right to be king.1 (See footnote.)To try to get what he wanted, Absalommade the people believe that he want-ed to help them but that the king didnot want to help them. Just like theDevil in the garden of Eden, Absalommade people think that he cared for

1 When God promised to give David a seed, orson, to become king after David, Absalom had al-ready been born. So Absalom should have knownthat Jehovah had not chosen him to be the next king.2 Samuel 3:3; 7:12.

5, 6. How did Absalom fool others? Did hisplan have success?

SOME

EXPRESSIONS

EXPLAINED

Bad associations:

The wrong kind of friends

(1 Corinthians 15:33)

Satan wants you to

think that if you obey

God, you will haveno fun in life

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JULY 15, 2012 11

them and at the same time told a ter-rible lie about his own father.2 Sam-uel 15:1-5.

6 Did Absaloms plan have success?

We know that it had some success.The Bible says that Absalom keptstealing the hearts of the men of Is-rael. (2 Samuel 15:6) Absalom fooledmany people, but in the end, he wasdefeated. His pride resulted in hisdeath and the death of thousands

who were tricked by him.2 Samuel18:7, 14-17.

7

Why was it so easy for Absalomto mislead those Israelites? Maybebecause they desired the things hepromised them. Or maybe they wereinfluenced by his good looks. What-ever the reason, we can be sure of

7. What lessons can we learn from Absalomsexample? (See picture above.)

this: They were not loyal to Jehovahand to the king whom he had chosen.Today, Satan continues to use peo-ple like Absalom to try to fool Jeho-

vahs servants. They may say that Je-hovahs requirements are too strict orthat people who do not serve Jeho-

vah have more fun. When you hearthese things, will you recognize thatthey are lies and continue to be loyalto God? Will you recognize that only

Jehovahs perfect law, the law of theChrist, can result in true freedom?

(James 1:25) If you do, show that youlove that law, and use your freedomin a way that pleases Jehovah.Read1 Peter 2:16.

8 Satan especially wants to deceive

8. What are some examples that show that dis-obeying Jehovahs requirements does not makepeople happy?

How can we identify modern-day Absaloms and guard ourselves against them?

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young people. A brother who is nowover 30 years old said that when he

was a teenager, he did not think thatJe hovahs requirements protectedhim. He felt that he had no freedom.As a result, he committed sexual im-

morality. But that did not make himhappy. Instead, he had strong feel-ings of guilt and regret for many years.One sister who committed immorality

when she was a teenager wrote thatafterward she felt sad and worthless.She added: Even now after 19 years,bad memories come back. Anothersister said that it caused her great pain

to think of the effects her actions hadon the people she loved. She added,It is terrible to live without Jehovahsfavor. Satan does not want you tothink about the consequences of sin.

9 As these examples show, the con-sequences of disobeying God are ter-rible. It is so sad that many youngones in the truth, and even older ones,have had to suffer to learn that! (Ga-latians 6:7, 8) So ask yourself: Do Irecognize the tricks that Satan uses totry to deceive me? Do I think of Jeho-

vah as my best Friend, the one who al-ways tells the truth and wants whatis best for me? Do I really believethat he would never deny me some-thing that is truly good and that wouldmake me happy? (Read Isaiah 48:17,

18.) You can answer yes to these ques-tions only if you know Jehovah well.You need to recognize that the lawsand principles in the Bible show that

Jehovah loves you, not that he wants

9. (a) What questions should we ask ourselvesabout Jehovah and his laws and principles?(b) Why is it important to know God well?

to take your freedom away.Psalm25:14.

PRAY FOR A WISE

AND OBEDIENT HEART

10 When he was still a young man,

Solomon humbly prayed to Jehovahand said: I am but a little boy. I donot know how to go out and how tocome in. Solomon then asked Jeho-

vah to help him become wise and obe-dient. (1 Kings 3:7-9, 12) Jehovah an-swered that sincere prayer. If you ask

Jehovah for the same thing, he will lis-ten to your prayer too, whether youare young or old. Of course, Jehovah

will not instantly make you wise. Buthe will make you wise if you serious-ly study his Word, pray for holy spir-it, and follow the guidance and in-struction you receive in the Christiancongregation. (James 1:5) In fact, Je-hovah makes even his young servants

wiser than all those who do not obeyhim, including the wise and intellec-

tual ones of this world.Luke 10:21;read Psalm 119:98-100.11 Let us now discuss some scrip-

10 . Why should we try to imitate youngKing Solomon?

11-13. (a) What important lessons can welearn from Psalm 26:4, Proverbs 13:20, and1 Corinthians 15:33? (b) How will you use theselessons in your life?

Jehovah is your

best Friend.

He wants what

is best for you

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JULY 15, 2012 13

tures that teach us important lessonsabout our choice of friends. This willhelp us understand how important itis to study the Bible and to meditateon it so that we can get to know Je-hovah well. Psalm 26:4 says: I have

not sat with men of untruth; and withthose who hide what they are I do notcome in. At Proverbs 13:20, we read:He that is walking with wise per-sons will become wise, but he that ishaving dealings with the stupid ones

will fare badly.And 1 Corinthians 15:33 says: Bad associations spoil usefulhabits.

12

What important lessons can welearn from those scriptures? (1) Jeho-vah wants us to choose our friendscarefully. He wants to protect us fromdoing something that could harm usand our friendship with him. (2) Ourfriends influence us to do good thingsor to do bad things. That is simply afact of life. The way the verses aboveare written shows that Jehovah istrying to touch our heart. Notice thatthese verses are written as simpletruths, not as rules, such as you mustnot do this or you must not do that.It is as if Jehovah is telling us: Theseare the facts. What will you do? Whatis in your heart?

1 3 Finally, because these threescriptures are written as simple

truths, they are as true today as theywere when they were written and canapply to people in many situations.Ask yourself such questions as: In

what situations could I meet peoplewho hide what they are? How canI avoid becoming friends with them?(Proverbs 3:32; 6:12) Who are the

wise persons Jehovah wants me tobe friends with? Who are the stupidones he wants me to avoid? (Psalm111:10; 112:1; Proverbs 1:7) What arethe useful habits that I will ruin ifI choose the wrong kind of friends?

Are there bad associations only inthe world? (2 Peter 2:1-3) How would

you answer these questions?14 In the same way that you just rea-

soned on these three scriptures, youcan read other scriptures to under-stand Gods thinking on subjects thatare important to you and your family.1(See footnote.) Parents, think about

discussing these subjects during yourFamily Worship evening. When youdo this, remember that your goal isto help each person in the family tounderstand that Gods laws and prin-ciples show how much he loves us.(Psalm 119:72) If you study like that asa family, your relationship with Jeho-

vah and with one another will becomestronger.

15 How can you know if you arereally becoming wise and obedient?One way is to compare your think-ing with the thinking of faithfulservants of God in the past, such asKing David. He wrote: To do your

will, O my God, I have delighted,and your law is within my inwardparts. (Psalm 40:8) Also, the writer of

1 Good examples of scriptures you can considerwith your family are 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, where Pauldescribes love, and Psalm 19:7-11, which talks aboutthe many blessings we can have if we obey Jehovahslaws.

14. How can you improve your Family Worshipevening?

15. How can you know if you are really becom-ing wise and obedient?

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Psalm 119 said: How I do love yourlaw! All day long it is my concern.(Psalm 119:97) You must work hard tohave this kind of love. This love grows

when you study the Bible seriously,pray, and meditate. It also grows

when you notice in your own life thatobeying Jehovahs requirements re-sults in many blessings.Psalm 34:8.

FIGHT FOR YOUR

CHRISTIAN FREEDOM!

16 All through history, nations havebeen willing to fight cruel wars to havefreedom. You should be even more

willing to fight to keep the freedomyou have as a Christian! Remember,your enemies are not just Satan andthe deadly thinking of the world. Youalso have to fight against your own im-perfections and a heart that can de-ceive you. (Jeremiah 17:9; Ephesians2:3) With Jehovahs help, you can winthe fight. Every time you choose to do

what is right, there are at least two

good results. First, you will make Jeho-vahs heart glad. (Proverbs 27:11) Sec-ond, every time you realize that obey-ing the perfect law that belongs tofreedom is good for you, you will be-come even more determined to stayon the road to everlasting life. In thefuture, you will have the greater free-dom that Jehovah promises to all who

are loyal to him.James 1:25; Mat-thew 7:13, 14.

17 Of course, we all make mistakes

16. If we want to win the fight to keep our free-dom, what must we remember?

17. When we make mistakes, why should wenot feel depressed? How does Jehovah help uswhen we make a mistake?

sometimes. (Ecclesiastes 7:20) When

that happens, do not feel worthless

or depressed. If you make a mistake,

do what is needed to correct it, even

if you have to ask the elders for help.

James wrote that their prayer of faith

will make the indisposed one well,

and Jehovah will raise him up. Also,

if he has committed sins, it will be

forgiven him. (James 5:15) Never for-get that God is truly merciful and that

he wanted you to be in the congrega-

tion because he saw something good

in you. (Read Psalm 103:8, 9.) Jeho-

vah will always help you as long as you

try to serve him with a complete heart.1 Chronicles 28:9.

18 On the night before he died, Je-

sus prayed with his 11 faithful apos-tles and asked his Father to protect

them. He said these unforgettable

words: Watch over them becauseof the wicked one. (John 17:15) Just

as Jesus cared about his apostles, he

cares about all his followers today. So

we can be sure that Jehovah will an-

swer Jesus prayer by protecting us

during these difficult times. Proverbs2:7, 8 tells us that Jehovah is like a

shield for those who are faithful to

him, and he will guard the very way

of his loyal ones. It is not always

easy to obey Jehovahs requirements.

But only those who obey Jehovah willhave everlasting life and true free-

dom. (Romans 8:21) Others may think

differently, but do not let them fool

you!

18. What must we do to have Jehovahs protec-tion?


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15

WHY are we doing more in the preach-ing work even though conditions in the

world are getting worse? Why are wehappy to use much of our time and energy in

the preaching work even though there are seri-ous economic problems in the world? How can

we continue to have courage when many peoplefear the future? King Davids song in Psalm 27gives us the answers to these questions.

2 David begins this psalm with the words: Je-hovah is my light and my salvation. Of whomshall I be in fear? Jehovah is the stronghold ofmy life. Of whom shall I be in dread? (Psalm

27:1) Dread, or great fear, can make a person feelso weak that he cannot do anything. But a per-son who trusts in Jehovah has courage and doesnot feel dread. (1 Peter 3:14) If we make Jeho-

vah our stronghold and trust in him, we can besure that we will reside in security and be un-disturbed from dread of calamity. (Proverbs 1:33;3:25) Why is that?

JEHOVAH IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION

3 When the Bible says that Jehovah is mylight, it means that Jehovah teaches us the truth.(Psalm 27:1) A literal light may show us a dangeror something that is in our way, but the light does

1. What questions will the 27th Psalm help us to answer?

2. How can fear make a person feel? But what can we besure of?

3. In what way is Jehovah our light? And what must we do?

Of Whom

Shall I Bein Dread?

Though against me war

should rise, even then

I shall be trusting.

PSALM 27:3.

HOW DO THE FOLLOWING

VERSES HELP YOU TO HAVE

COURAGE?

Psalm 27:1

Psalm 27:4

Psalm 27:11

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not remove it. We have to avoid thedanger. In a similar way, Jehovahshows us the meaning of what we seehappening in the world. He warnsus about the dangers of this wick-ed world. In the Bible, he gives us

good advice that always helps us. Thepsalmist said that Gods command-ments made him wiser than his en-emies and all his teachers. When weapply Bible principles, we too can be-come very wise.Psalm 119:98, 99,130.

4 Davids words at Psalm 27:1 showus that he did not forget how Jeho-

vah had saved him in the past. Forexample, Jehovah saved him from alion and from a bear. Jehovah alsohelped him to defeat the giant Goli-ath. Later, Jehovah saved David eachtime King Saul tried to kill him with aspear. (1 Samuel 17:37, 49, 50; 18:11,12; 19:10) For this reason, David saidthat Jehovah was his salvation. Jeho-

vah will save his servants, just as he

saved David. When will he do that?When the great tribulation comes.Revelation 7:14; 2 Peter 2:9.

REMEMBER EACH TIME JEHOVAH

HAS HELPED YOU

5 At Psalm 27:2, 3, we can readabout an important thing we can doto help us have more courage. (Read.)David remembered the times that Je-

hovah had saved him. (1 Samuel17:34-37) Those memories gave him

4. (a) Why did David say that Jehovah was hissalvation? (b) When will Jehovah save his ser-vants?

5, 6. (a) How do our memories help us to havemore courage? (b) Why is it good for us to thinkabout how Jehovah has helped his people in thepast?

courage, so that he could endure themost difficult situations. Do you re-member how Jehovah helped you inthe past? Do these memories give

you courage? For example, have youprayed a lot about a problem that

made you unhappy? Did you later ex-perience how Jehovah gave you the

wisdom and strength to endure thatproblem? Can you remember how Je-hovah helped you to solve some prob-

David had courage when he rememberedhow Jehovah had saved him

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JULY 15, 2012 17

lems that made it difficult for you toserve him with joy? Or can you re-member how he gave you new oppor-tunities in his service? (1 Corinthians16:9) How do you feel when you thinkabout those times now? Those memo-

ries should continue to convince youthat Jehovah can help you to solve orto endure even the most difficult prob-lems and situations.Romans 5:3-5.

6 What would we do if a power-ful government wanted to destroy

Jehovahs Witnesses as an organiza-tion? Some people in recent timeshave tried to do that, but they could

not. If we remember how Jehovah hashelped his people in the past, we willhave the courage to endure whatevermay happen in the future.Daniel3:28.

OUR LOVE FOR TRUE WORSHIP

7 Our love for true worship alsohelps us to have courage. (Read Psalm27:4.) In Davids time, the house of

Jehovah was not the temple. It wasthe tabernacle, which was a tent. Da-

vid made sure that everything wasprepared so that his son Solomon

7, 8. (a) What did David ask from Jehovah, aswe read at Psalm 27:4? (b) What is Jehovahsgreat spiritual temple? How do we worshipthere today?

could build a beautiful temple for Je-hovah. Hundreds of years later, Je-sus explained that there would be atime when people would not have togo to the temple to worship Jehovah.(John 4:21-23) Jehovah made an ar-

rangement that makes it possible for

us to worship him in a way that he ac-cepts. He accepts our worship if wehave faith in the ransom sacrifice of

Jesus. In Hebrews chapters 8 to 10,the apostle Paul said that this arrange-ment in which we can worship Godis a great spiritual temple not made

with hands. Paul explained that this

temple started to exist when Jesus gotbaptized and offered himself to do Je-hovahs will. This happened in the

year 29. (Hebrews 10:10) How do weworship at this temple? By praying toJehovah with true hearts in the fullassurance of faith, and by preach-ing to others about him with courage.

SOME

EXPRESSIONS

EXPLAINED

Tabernacle: A special tent

where the Israelites made

sacrifices to Jehovah. When

they moved from place to

place, they carried the tent

with them

Spiritual temple: Jehovahs

arrangement that makes it

possible for us to worship

him in a way that he ac-

cepts

If you remember how

Jehovah has helped

you in the past, you

will have courage

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We also worship at this temple whenwe attend meetings and during familyworship. (Hebrews 10:22-25) Our lovefor true worship will help us to contin-ue doing these things in these difficultlast days.

8 Around the world, Jehovahsfaithful servants are using more oftheir time in the ministry, learningnew languages, and moving to places

where there are few people to preachabout the Kingdom. They are show-ing that they are like the psalmist. Heasked Jehovah for just one thing. He

wanted to behold the pleasantness

of Jehovah and to look with apprecia-tion upon his temple. Jehovahs ser-vants today want him to bless them,and they want to worship him no mat-ter what happens.Read Psalm 27:6.

TRUST IN GODS HELP

9 Davids words show us how muchhe trusted in Jehovahs help. He said:In case my own father and my own

mother did leave me, even Jehovahhimself would take me up. (Psalm 27:10) Because of what we read in 1 Sam-uel chapter 22, we know that Davidsparents did not abandon him. But to-day many people have been rejectedby their family. Many who have beenabandoned by their family have re-ceived help from the loving Christiancongregation and feel its protection.

10 Jehovah is ready to care for hisservants even if others abandon them.So we can be sure that he will care forthem when they experience other dif-ficulties. For example, if we are wor-ried about how we will provide what

9, 10. What does Psalm 27:10 promise?

our family needs, we should remem-ber that Jehovah will help us. (He-brews 13:5, 6) He understands oursituation and also knows what weneed.

11 We have the example of Victoria,

a Bible student in Liberia. The manshe was living with left her and herthree children. Even though she hadno home and no job, she did not stopstudying the Bible, and she later gotbaptized. Then one day her daughter,

who was 13 years old, found a bagfull of money. Victoria and her daugh-ter did not even count the money be-

cause they did not want to be tempt-ed to keep something that did notbelong to them. Instead, they quicklylooked for the soldier who had lost thebag. When they found him, he saidthat if all people were as honest as

Jehovahs Witnesses, the whole worldwould be a better and more peacefulplace. Victoria used her Bible to showthe soldier Jehovahs promise of a new

world. The soldier was so impressedby her faith and honesty that he gaveVictoria a large amount of the mon-ey she had given back to him. Peoplearound the world know that JehovahsWitnesses are always honest. Becausethey have complete trust in Jehovahsability to care for them, they are hon-est.

12

Or imagine how Thomas, an un-baptized publisher in Sierra Leone,must have felt. He started working as

11. What do people think about us as Jeho-vahs Witnesses when we show our trust in Je-hovah? Give an example.

12. Why do we continue to serve Jehovah eventhough we may lose a job or money? Give anexample.

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JULY 15, 2012 19

a teacher, but he did not get paid foralmost a year. Thomas needed to havean interview with the administratorof the school to receive the moneythe school owed him. This administra-tor was a priest, and he told Thomas

that the beliefs of Jehovahs Witness-es were not accepted at the school.The priest said that Thomas could nolonger be one of Jehovahs Witnessesif he wanted to keep his job. Thomasleft that job even though he did not re-ceive any of the money that was owedhim. After that, Thomas found anoth-er job, repairing radios and mobilephones. Many examples show that if

we trust in Jehovah, we should nev-er fear that we will be without what

we need. Because Jehovah createdeverything and has always protectedhis people, we know that he will carefor us.

13 Brothers and sisters in manypoor countries are very busy in thepreaching work. Why? One branch

office wrote that many people who ac-cept a Bible study do not have work,so they have more time to study dur-ing the day. Brothers and sisters alsohave more time to preach. Peoplequickly accept that we are living in thelast days because they can see the badconditions around them. In anothercountry, many publishers have morethan three Bible studies each. A mis-

sionary who has been serving therefor over 12 years wrote that many ofthe brothers and sisters have moretime to preach and conduct Biblestudies because they have few thingsto distract them.

13. Why are the brothers and sisters in poorcountries very busy in the preaching work?

14 Jehovah has promised to help,protect, and save his people as agroup, and we believe that he willkeep his promise. (Psalm 37:28; 91:1-3) There will be a great crowd of peo-ple who will survive the great tribula-tion. (Revelation 7:9, 14) So God will

protect that great crowd by not allow-ing anyone to destroy all his peopleduring the last days of this system. An-other way Jehovah will protect themis by giving them everything theyneed to endure trials and to keep theirfriendship with him. And during Ar-mageddon, Jehovah will protect hisservants by saving their lives.

INSTRUCT ME, O JEHOVAH,IN YOUR WAY

15 If we want to keep our courage,we need to continue to be taught

14. In what ways can God protect the greatcrowd?

15, 16. How do we benefit when we applywhat God teaches us? Give an example.

When we have economic problems, do we

see this as an opportunity to do more in the ministry?

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by God. David said: Instruct me,O Jehovah, in your way, and lead mein the path of uprightness. (Psalm 27:11) To be taught by God means that

we must carefully listen to what theBible says and to the guidance we re-

ceive from Jehovahs organization. We

must also be quick to apply what welearn. For example, many have ap-plied the wise counsel to simplifytheir life. They have paid their debtsand sold things that they did notneed. So when the economy wentbad, they had fewer money problemsto worry about. Now they do not haveto work so hard to keep paying forthings that they do not really need.And they are able to do more in theministry. We should all ask ourselves,Am I quick to apply everything I readin the Bible and in the publications ofthe faithful and discreet slave, even

when it is very difficult for me?Mat-thew 24:45.

16 When we allow Jehovah to teach

us and tell us how to live our life, wewill not have any reason for fear. Aregular pioneer in the United Statestried to get a position at his workplacethat would help him and his wholefamily to continue pioneering. But hissupervisor told him that he wouldnever get that position because he did

not have a college degree. If this hap-pened to you, would you have beensorry that you chose full-time serviceand did not go to college or to a uni-

versity? Two weeks later, that supervi-sor lost his job and another supervi-

sor asked the brother about his goals.The brother told him that he and his

wife were full-time ministers of Jeho-vahs Witnesses and that they wantedto continue to do that work. But beforethe brother could say anything else,the supervisor said: I knew there wassomething different about you! Whenmy father was on his deathbed, two of

your fellow believers came and readthe Bible to him every day. I prom-ised myself that if I ever had an op-portunity to help one of JehovahsWitnesses, I would do it. The nextmorning, the brother was given the

job that the other supervisor did notwant to give him. When we put theKingdom first in our life, Jehovah willkeep his promise to give us everything

we need.Matthew 6:33.

WE MUST HAVE FAITH AND HOPE

17 David helps us to understandhow important it is to have faith andhope. He felt that he would havehad no hope if he did not have faithin seeing the goodness of Jehovah.(Psalm 27:13) What would our life belike if God did not give us hope andif we did not know the things men-tioned in Psalm 27? So in these lastdays, we need to continue to pray to

Jehovah to give us strength and tosave us through Armageddon.ReadPsalm 27:14.

17. What will help us not to fear the future?

When we apply

what Jehovah

teaches us, we have

no reason for fear

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21

FAMILY. What do you think of when you hearthat word? Do you think of love and happi-ness? Do you think of working together with

your family to reach a certain goal? Or do you

think of a safe place to grow up, learn, and talkabout your thoughts? You probably think of thesethings if you have a caring family. Jehovah creat-ed the family. (Ephesians 3:14, 15) And Godspurpose was that all who lived in heaven and onearth would be one family and that they wouldfeel safe, trust one another, and be united.

2 After Adam and Eve sinned, humans wereno longer part of Gods family. But that did not

change Gods purpose. He will still make surethat the earth will be a paradise filled with thechildren of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 1:28; Isa-iah 45:18) He has prepared everything needed tomake sure his purpose is fulfilled. Much of theBible book of Ephesians is about unity. In thatbook we can also read about what Jehovah hasprepared. We will now discuss some verses fromthat book and learn how we can cooperate with

Jehovahs purpose to unite everyone who lives in

heaven and on earth as one family.

THE ADMINISTRATION AND WHAT IT DOES

3 Moses told the Israelites: Jehovah our Godis one Jehovah. (Deuteronomy 6:4) Everything

1, 2. What is Jehovahs purpose for the earth and humans?

3. What is Gods administration that is mentioned at Ephe-sians 1:10? When did the first part of the preparations start?

One Jehovah

Gathers HisFamily

I entreat you to observe

the oneness of the spirit.

EPHESIANS 4:1, 3.

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER

THESE QUESTIONS?

What is the purpose of Gods

administration?

How do we observe the

oneness of the spirit?

What will help us to become

kind to one another?

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Jehovah does supports his purpose.At his chosen time, God began to pre-

pare all those in heaven and on earthto be united as one family. He calledthese preparations an administra-tion. (Read Ephesians 1:8-10.) Thereare two parts to this administration.First, God prepares the anointed onesto live in heaven, where they will con-tinue to work under the authority of

Jesus Christ. This started at Pentecostof the year 33, when Jehovah startedto gather those who would rule withChrist in heaven by anointing them.(Acts 2:1-4) Because of Christs ran-som sacrifice, God declares, or views,the anointed as righteous and worthyof life. The anointed know that theyhave been adopted as Gods chil-dren.Romans 3:23, 24; 5:1; 8:15-17.

4 Second, God prepares those who

will live in Paradise on earth. Theyaccept the authority of the MessianicKingdom, which includes Christ andthe anointed in heaven. The greatcrowd will be the first ones to livein Paradise. (Revelation 7:9, 13-17; 21:

4, 5. What is the second part of the prepara-tions of the administration?

1-5) Then, during the thousand yearsof Christs reign, billions of people

will be resurrected to live on earthwith the great crowd. (Revelation 20:12, 13) Imagine how many opportuni-ties we will have to show that we areunited! Together, the great crowd andthose who are resurrected will be thethings on the earth. At the end of thethousand years, they will be tested.All the faithful ones will be adopted aschildren of God on earth.Romans8:21; Revelation 20:7, 8.

5 Today, Jehovah is preparing theanointed to live in heaven and the oth-er sheep to live in Paradise on earth.But how does each one of us cooper-ate with Gods administration?

OBSERVE THE ONENESS

OF THE SPIRIT

6

The Bible says that Christiansmust meet together. (1 Corinthians 14:23; Hebrews 10:24, 25) But to be unit-ed, we must do much more than justmeet together in the same place, asdo people who go to a market or to

6. What scriptures show that Christians mustmeet together?

SOME

EXPRESSIONS

EXPLAINED

Anointed ones: Those who have

been selected by means of holy spirit

to be kings and priests with Jesus

Christ in the heavens

Gods friends: The other sheep are

Gods friends. They will become part

of Gods united family at the end ofthe thousand years when they be-

come his children

Unity: A group of people who think

and act in the same way for the

same purpose have unity

Gods children: All who are part

of Gods family. The anointed have

already been gathered into this

family, so they are now children ofGod. At the end of the thousand

years, all people on earth will also

be Gods children


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JULY 15, 2012 23

a sports stadium. We become unitedwhen we apply what Jehovah teachesus and allow Gods holy spirit to helpus to be better people.

7 Because we have faith in Christsransom sacrifice, Jehovah views us

as righteous people, either as hissons if we are of the anointed oras his friends if we are of the oth-er sheep. But while we are living inthis system, there will always be times

when we have a problem with otherpeople. (Romans 5:9; James 2:23) Thatis why the Bible tells us to be patient

with one another. But what must we

do to be united with our brothers andsisters? We need to learn completelowliness of mind and mildness, thatis, we should be humble and gen-tle. Paul said that we must work hardfor peace and unity when he told usto observe the oneness of the spiritin the uniting bond of peace. (ReadEphesians 4:1-3.) One way that we ap-ply this counsel is to allow Gods spir-

it to change the way we act and to helpus to show the fruitage of the spirit, orthe qualities that result from havingGods spirit. Also, we do not practicethe works of the flesh, or things thatGod hates. The fruitage of the spirithelps us to solve problems with oth-ers. It unites us. But the works of theflesh separate us.

8 How do the works of the fleshseparate people? (Read Galatians 5:19-21.) Fornication separates a personfrom Jehovah and the congregation.

7. How do we apply the counsel to observethe oneness of the spirit?

8. How do the works of the flesh separate peo-ple?

Adultery causes families great painand can separate children from their

parents and innocent mates fromtheir husband or wife. Uncleannessmakes it difficult to have unity withGod and with those who love him. If

you want to glue two things togeth-er, they must both be clean in orderfor them to stick to each other. Brazenconduct shows that a person disobeysGods laws and has absolutely no re-spect for them. The other works of the

flesh also separate people from oneanother and from God. These are ac-tions that Jehovah hates.

9 So each of us needs to ask him-self: How hard am I working to keep

9. What questions can we ask ourselves toknow whether we are working hard to keeppeace and unity?

He leaves his gift at the altarand goes to make peace with his brother

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peace and unity with my brothers andsisters? What do I do when I have aproblem with another person? Do Itell many of my friends about it to tryto get them to agree with me? Do I ex-pect the elders to solve the problem

for me so that I do not have to talk tothe person myself to make peace withhim? And if I know that another per-son has something against me, do Iavoid him so that we do not have todiscuss the problem? If we did anyof these things, would we be show-ing that we are cooperating with Je-hovahs purpose to unite everyone as

one family ruled by Christ?10 Je su s said: If , th en, you arebringing your gift to the altar and youthere remember that your brother hassomething against you, leave your giftthere in front of the altar, and go away;first make your peace with your broth-er, and then, when you have comeback, offer up your gift. Be about set-tling matters quickly. (Matthew 5:23-

25) James wrote that the fruit of righ-teousness has its seed sown underpeaceful conditions for those who aremaking peace. (James 3:17, 18) Thismeans that we cannot continue doing

what is right if we do not have peacewith others.

11 For example, in some countrieswhere there have been wars, one third

more of the land could be used byfarmers if there were no land mines.When a mine explodes, farmers donot use the land, and it becomes dif-ficult for people to find jobs in the vil-

10, 11. (a) How important is it to have peacewith our brothers? (b) What can we do to keeppeace and to have Jehovahs blessing?

lages and to get food in the cities. Ina similar way, it becomes difficult forus to continue to improve our Chris-tian qualities if our personality makesit difficult for us to be peaceful withothers. That would make us like land

mines. If that is the case, we need tochange our personality. If we quicklyforgive others and do good things forthem, we can all have peace and Jeho-

vahs blessing.12 Gifts in men also help us to

attain to the oneness in the faith.(Ephesians 4:8, 13) This means thatelders help the congregation to stay

united. They help us to improve ourChristian personality when they workalong with us in our service to Jeho-

vah and when they come to us andgive us counsel from the Bible. (Ephe-sians 4:22-24) When the elders give

you counsel, remember that Jehovahis using them to prepare you to live inthe new world. And elders, make surethat you correct others in a way thatshows them you want to help them.Galatians 6:1.

BECOME KIND TO ONE ANOTHER

1 3 Ephesians 4:25-29 mentionssome things we should not do. Weshould not lie, become very angry, belazy, and say bad things. Instead, weshould talk about things that are good

and encouraging. Anyone who doesnot obey this counsel separates peo-ple. He would be grieving Gods holyspirit, and it is His spirit that unitespeople. (Ephesians 4:30) To have

12. How can elders help us to be united?

13. What would we be doing if we did not obeythe counsel at Ephesians 4:25-32?

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JULY 15, 2012 25

peace and unity, we also need to ap-ply what Paul wrote next: Let all ma-licious bitterness and anger and wrathand screaming and abusive speech betaken away from you along with allbadness. But become kind to one an-

other, tenderly compassionate, freelyforgiving one another just as God alsoby Christ freely forgave you.Ephe-sians 4:31, 32.

14 The words become kind meanthat we may not always have beenkind and that we may need to learnto be more kind. We need to learn tothink that the feelings of others are

more important than our own. (Philip-pians 2:4) Sometimes we may want tosay something that would make oth-ers laugh or make us seem intelligent.But if it is not kind, we should not sayit. If we remember to think before wespeak, it will help us to be kind to oth-ers.

LEARN TO HAVE LOVE AND

RESPECT IN THE FAMILY

15 The Bible compares Christs rela-tionship with the congregation to therelationship that a husband has withhis wife. Christs example helps a hus-band to understand that he shouldguide and love his wife and care forher. Christs example also helps a

wife to understand that she should bein subjection to her husband. (Ephe-

sians 5:22-33) When Paul wrote: Inthis way husbands ought to be lov-ing their wives as their own bodies,

14. (a) What do the words become kindmean? (b) What will help us to be kind to oth-ers?

15. How does Ephesians 5:28 help husbands tounderstand how they should imitate Christ?

about which way was he speaking?(Ephesians 5:28) What he said aboutChrist and the congregation helps usto answer that question. He said thatChrist loved the congregation andgave his life for it and cleansed it with

the bath of water by means of theword. So a husband has the responsi-bility to help each member of his fam-ily to have a good relationship with

Jehovah. By doing this, he cooperateswith Jehovahs purpose to unite every-one as one family ruled by Christ.

16 Parents need to remember thatJehovah gave them the responsibili-

ty to care for their children. It is verysad that many in the world today haveno natural affection. (2 Timothy 3:1, 3) Many fathers ignore their respon-sibility, and this has a bad effect ontheir children and makes them sad.But Paul told Christian fathers: Donot be irritating your children, but goon bringing them up in the disciplineand mental-regulating of Jehovah.

(Ephesians 6:4) It is in the family thatchildren first learn how to show loveand how to respect authority. Parents

who teach their children these thingscooperate with Jehovahs purpose tounite everyone. Parents should maketheir children feel loved in the fami-ly. So they need to control their angerand should not shout at their children

or say hurtful things to them. In thisway, they teach their children impor-tant lessons about how to show loveand how to respect authority. This willprepare the children to live in Godsnew world.

16. What will be the result if parents care forthe responsibility that Jehovah gave them?

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17 We need to realize that the Dev-il has always wanted to stop othersfrom serving God and that he will doeverything he can to do that to us.Many people in the world are doing

just what the Devil wants them to do

when they get divorced, live togeth-er without getting married, and ac-cept marriages between homosexuals.But we do not imitate the conduct thatis becoming acceptable in the worldtoday. We imitate Christ. (Ephesians4:17-21) So to fight against the Devil

17. What do we need to do to fight against theDevil?

and his demons, we need to put onthe complete suit of armor from God.Read Ephesians 6:10-13.

GO ON WALKING IN LOVE

18 We need to have love if we want

to be united. Our hearts are full oflove for our one Lord, Jesus Christ;for our one God, Jehovah; and forone another. That is why we are de-termined to keep our peace and unity.(Ephesians 4:3-6) Jesus prayed aboutsuch love: I make request, not con-cerning these only, but also concern-ing those putting faith in me throughtheir word; in order that they mayall be one, just as you, Father, are inunion with me and I am in union with

you, that they also may be in unionwith us. He also said: I have madeyour name known to them and willmake it known, in order that the love

with which you loved me may be inthem and I in union with them.John17:20, 21, 26.

19 There may be something in ourpersonality that is hard for us tochange, but love should make us prayas the psalmist did: Unify my heartto fear your name. (Psalm 86:11) Wemust be determined to fight againstthe Devil when he tries to separate usfrom our loving Father and our broth-ers and sisters. And we should work

hard to become imitators of God, asbeloved children, and go on walkingin love in the family, in our ministry,and in the congregation.Ephesians5:1, 2.

18. What do we need to have so that we can beunited?

19. What are you determined to do?

Parents, teach your children howto show respect

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Bruno, a young brother in Italy, had to make an important

decision. He had just finished school and had the highest

grades in his class. His relatives and teachers told him that

he should go to a university. But some years earlier, Bruno had ded-

icated himself to Jehovah and promised to put Gods will first in his

life. So, what decision did he make? He explains: I told Jehovah in

prayer that I would keep my promise to him and put him first. ButBruno also honestly said in his prayer that he wanted his life in

Jehovahs service to be interesting and full of different activities.

T H E Y O F F E R E D

T H E MS E L VE SW I L L I NG LY

in Ecuador

Kayla from the United States prayed a lot

to Jehovah and talked with mature brothers

and sisters. This helped her to understand

that Jehovah blesses those who want to do

their best in his service

27

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A few years later, Bruno went to live in Ecua-

dor, South America. He now says that Jehovah

gave him even more than what he had prayed

for. When he arrived in Ecuador, he was surprised

to meet many other young adults who also had

moved there to do more in Jehovahs service.

YOU NG PE OP LE WHO TRUS T IN JE HOVAH

Jehovah invites us to give our best to him and to

trust that he will bless us greatly. Test me out,

please, Jehovah says, whether I shall not open

to you people the floodgates of the heavens and

actually empty out upon you a blessing. (Malachi

3:10) Bruno and thousands of other young peo-

ple around the world have accepted Jehovahs

invitation. Because of their love for God, they de

cided to use their time, energy, and money t

serve him in a country where there is a greate

need for people to preach the good news of the

Kingdom.

Soon after these young people arrived in the new

country, they realized that the harvest is great

but the workers are few. (Matthew 9:37) For ex

ample, Jaqueline from Germany wrote to the Ec

uador branch: Ive been serving in Ecuador fo

just over two years, and I already have 13 B

ble studies, 4 of whom attend meetings regu

larly. Isnt that great? Chantal from Canada

says: In 2008, I moved to an area on Ecua

1 Jaqueline from Germany

2 Bruno from Italy

3 Beau from Canada

4 Siobhan from Ireland

5 Joel from the United States

6 Jonathan from the

United States

7 Anna from Estonia

8 Elke from Austria

9 Chantal from Canada

10 Ines from Austria

1 2 3

4

5

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JULY 15, 2012 29

dors coast where there

was only one congrega-

tion. Now there are three

congregations and more

than 30 pioneers in that

area. She says that it is

wonderful to see so many

new ones make progress

in the truth. She recently moved to a city that is

9,000 feet (2,743 m) up in the Andes Mountains.

The city has more than 75,000 people but only

one congregation. Chantal says that many are ac-

cepting the truth and that she is really enjoying

the preaching work there.

IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY

Of course, it is not always easy to serve in anoth-

er country. In fact, for some young people, even

the decision to move was not easy. Kayla from

the United States says that some in her congre-

gation back home told her that she should not

leave. They did not understand why she wanted

to pioneer in another country. She knew that they

were trying to help her, but their reaction made

her sad. At times, she was not sure whether she

was making the right decision. She prayed a lo

to Jehovah and talked with mature brothers an

sisters. This helped her to understand that Jeho

vah blesses those who want to do their best in h

service. So Kayla decided to move.

For many, it was difficult to learn another la

guage. Siobhan from Ireland remembers: It wahard for me not to be able to express myself.

had to learn to be patient, study the language di

igently, and laugh at myself when I made mis

takes. Anna from Estonia adds: Getting used t

the tropical heat, lots of dust, and a lack of ho

showers was nothing compared to learning Span

ish. At times, I felt like giving up. I had to learn t

focus on my progress, not on my errors.

It is also difficult to be away from family an

friends. Jonathan from the United States fe

that way soon after he arrived in the new countr

But he started to feel better when he used mor

of his time to study the Bible and to go out in th

ministry. After a short time, the wonderful exper

ences he had in the preaching work and the new

friends he made in the congregation helped him

to have joy again.

6

7 8 9

10

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It may also be difficult to get used to

living in another country. Life there

will probably be different from life

back home. Beau from Canada

says that back home he always

had electricity and running water,

but now he does not always havethese things. Also, in many coun-

trie s tran spor tat io n ca n be un-

comfortable. There may be many

poor people and those who do not

know how to read or write. What

helps Ines from Austria to keep her

joy is to think about the nice quali-

ties of the people. They are so hos-

pitable, gentle, helpful, and hum-

ble, she says. Most of all, theyhave a huge interest in learning

more about God.

A BLESSING UNTIL THERE IS

NO MORE WANT

Even though all these young adults

who are serving in Ecuador have

made sacrifices, Jehovah has given

them everything they need. He has

blessed them more than they everexpected. (Ephesians 3:20) They

feel that he has given them a bless-

ing until there is no more want.

(Malachi 3:10) This is how they feel

about their ministry:

Bruno: I began my service here in

Ecuador in the interesting Amazon

region. Later, I helped with construc-

tion at the Ecuador branch office.Now Im serving at Bethel. When I

was in Italy, I made the choice to put

Jehovah first, and he is truly giving

me an exciting life, full of different

activities in his service.

Beau: My friendship with Jehovah

is so much stronger now because in

Ecuador I can use all my time in his

work. Also, I can travel to interesting

places, which is something Ive a

ways wanted to do.

Anna: Because I am a single sister

I didnt think it was possible for me

to live like a missionary. But now

know that it is possible. Thanks to

Jehovahs blessing, I am making dis

ciples, building Kingdom Halls, and

making new friends. I am so happy

Elke: In my home country of Aus

tria, I often prayed to Jehovah fo

just one Bible study. Here, I have 15

Bible studies! It gives me so much

joy to see how happy they are tolearn about Jehovah.

Joel: Its a great experience to serv

Jehovah in a different country. You

learn to depend on him so much

more, and its exciting to see his

blessing on your efforts! In my firs

year here from the United States

the group where Im serving grew

from 6 to 21 publishers. We had

110 people come to the Memorial.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Young brothers and sisters, can yo

serve where there is a greater need

for people to preach? Of course, you

need to plan carefully before you

make a big decision like that. Mos

of all, you need to have a strong

love for Jehovah and people. If you

have that love and are able to move

somewhere else, pray to Jehova

about serving in another country

Also, talk to your parents and the e

ders in your congregation about you

desire. You may decide that you too

can serve Jehovah in this exciting

and satisfying way.

How to prepare for

serving in another

country

Do personal study

regularly

Read the August 2011

Our Kingdom Ministry,

pages 4-6

Talk to others who have

served in another country

Do research on the

culture and history of

the country

Take a basic language

course

Some who serve in

another country earn

money by . . .

working a few months

each year in their home

country

renting their house,

apartment, or business

to others

working by means of

the Internet

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Psalm 116:15 says: Precious in the eyes ofJehovah is the death of his loyal ones. Every-one who serves Jehovah is precious, or very

valuable, to him. But Psalm 116:15 is not talk-ing about the death of just one loyal person.

A brother who gives a Bible talk when a loy-al servant of Jehovah dies should not say thatPsalm 116:15 is talking about the person whodied. Why not? Because this verse has a great-

er meaning. It means that it is very importantto Jehovah that his loyal servants as a group donot die. So he will never allow that to happen.See Psalm 72:14; 116:8.

Psalm 116:15 promises that Jehovah will notallow his enemies to destroy all of his loyal ser-

vants on the earth. We know that Gods peo-ple have been persecuted very much in recenttimes, but their enemies could not kill them all.This proves to us that God will not allow any-

one to destroy his people completely.

One reason why Jehovah will not allow hisenemies to destroy us all is that he is muchstronger than they are. If God allowed his en-emies to destroy his servants, other peoplecould think that his enemies are more power-ful than he is. But they are not. Another rea-son why Jehovah will not allow his enemies todestroy us is that his purpose is for the earth

to be filled with people who are loyal to him.No one can stop his purpose from coming true.(Isaiah 45:18; 55:10, 11) If all of Jehovahs ser-

vants died, there would be nobody on earth toserve Jehovah. And when Jehovah destroys this

wicked world, there would be no one to live inthe new world under his government. (Revela-tion 21:1) Also, Christ could not rule over the

earth for a thousand years if there was no onliving on earth.Revelation 20:4, 5.

God will not allow his enemies to destroall of his servants on earth because that coulmake some people think that he is not realy the Most High God. Another reason is tha

Jehovah respects himself and his holy nameAlso, the Bible says that there is no injustice

with God. This means that he will always protect his loyal servants as a group. (Deuteronomy 32:4; Genesis 18:25) And the Bible promises: Jehovah will not desert his people for thsake of his great name. (1 Samuel 12:22) I

God allowed his enemies to destroy all of hipeople, the Bibles words would not be true. S

we can be sure that Jehovah will not forsakhis people, nor will he leave his own inhertance.Psalm 94:14.

We are very happy to know that there will aways be people on earth who serve Jehovah

So let us remain loyal to God and trust in hipromise: Any weapon whatever that will bformed against you will have no success, anany tongue at all that will rise up against yoin the judgment you will condemn. This is thhereditary possession of the servants of Jeho

vah, and their righteousness is from me.Isaiah 54:17.

How is the death of Gods loyal ones precious inthe eyes of Jehovah?

God will not allow

anyone to destroy

all of his people

JULY 15, 2012 31

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But Emilias job took too much of her

time, and this was making her unhappy.

One day, she said in front of other work-

ers: I wish I could work fewer hours!

Her boss heard of this and asked Emi-

lia if that was really what she wanted.

Emilia told her that it was. But the com-pany required its employees to work full-

time. So Emilia had to meet with a direc-

tor to get permission to work less. She

prepared for the meeting with the direc-

tor and prayed to be calm and have the

courage to speak.

During the meeting, Emilia politely but

bravely asked to work fewer hours. She

explained to the director that when she

is not at work, she uses her time to helpothers. She told him that she is one of

Jehovahs Witnesses and that she helps

people to learn about the Bible. She add-

ed that today many do not know the difference

between right and wrong and need the wisdom

from the Bible to help them make good decisions.

Emilia assured him that she would continue to be

a good worker for the company, but she wanted

to work fewer hours so that she would have more

time to help people.

The director listened carefully and said he

once thought about doing charity work. He under-

stood Emilias reasons and gave her permission

to work fewer hours. But he asked her: Do you

realize you will earn less money? Emilia said that

she did but that she could learn to live with less

money. She added that she is happy when she

helps people. The director said he admired he

for using her time to help others.

No one working for that company had eve

been allowed to work fewer hours. Emilia now

works only four days a week. To her surprise, the

company increased her pay, and she earns as

much as she used to. She says: My dream has

come true, and I can regular pioneer again!

Have you ever thought about making changes

in your life so that you could pioneer? Or if you pio

neered before but had to stop, could you pionee

again?

My Dream Has Come True

Emilia used to serve as a regular pioneer, but 15 years ago she

had to stop. Recently, she started to think a lot about how happy

she was when she was a pioneer, and she wanted to become a

pioneer again.

The director said he admired her for

using her time to help others

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