Comments You Will Not Hear at the 06-27-10 WT Study (APRIL 15, 2010, pages 24-28)(THE CHRIST)
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ARE YOU FULLY FOLLOWING THE CHRIST?
“Just as you are in fact walking, . . . keep on doing it more fully.”— 1 THESS. 4:1.
OPENING COMMENTS
What is the real theme of this article—being zealous, having zeal, not begging off, not making excuses about preaching the WTS dogma. Is a jw following Christ or Jehovah? Are the witness of Jesus or Jehovah? While jws may post increased hours---are their more people becoming jws, does the rank and file jw feel that their salvation depends on making disciples or merely giving the appearance of putting in 10 hours a month?
For years the WTS taught that The Christ was Jesus plus the 144,000, head and body complete.
Then this antitypical Moses, The Christ complete, Head and Body, will mediate between God and the world of mankind for a thousand years. 9/1/13 WT p. 261
We emphasized the fact that The Christ is the Vine-- that Jesus is the Root, and his faithful members branches in him. 5/1/11 WT p. 132
This "city" or government will consist of The Christ--the "Bridegroom" and "the bride the Lamb's wife." 12/15/97 WT p. 304
But we have already shown that one reason why we are called theChrist, is that we are like our Leader, anointed of the Spirit or power of God. P. 1, 5/1881 WT
Moreover a double figure is used to represent The Christ, namely, Jesus the Head and the Church his Body. 9/15/10, p. 294
The Apostle Paul identifies the real seed most unmistakably: "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Not the Christ in one person merely, but the Christ in many persons: "For ye are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."--` Gal. 3:16-29 `. 8/15/92 WT, p. 249
That Jesus thus recognizes His followers as His members is clearly attested by the Apostle. In their flesh they are counted as members of Jesus; as New Creatures spirit-begotten, they are counted as members of The Christ. Thus Jesus said to Saul of Tarsus, speaking of His followers, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" SM76 Sermon Book / SM069 - Blood Atonement Was Necessary
In harmony with this teaching of John, that we also are anointed, Paul assures us that this mystery which has been kept secret in ages past, but which is now made known to the saints, is that the Christ (the Anointed) is "not one member, but many," just as the human body is one, and has many members; but as all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Anointed--the Christ. ( 1 Cor. 12:12-28 ) Jesus is anointed to be the Head or Lord over the Church, which is his body (or his bride, as expressed in another figure-- Eph. 5:25-30 ), and unitedly they constitute the promised "Seed"--the Great Deliverer: "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29 A82 Volume 1 - The Divine Plan of the Ages / A077 - "The Mystery Hid From Ages And From Generations, But Now Made Manifest To His Saints"-- Col. 1:26
Those who will constitute the spiritual phase of the kingdom are the overcoming saints of the Gospel age--the Christ, head and body--glorified. Their resurrection and exaltation to power precedes that of all others, because through this class all others are to be blessed. ( Heb. 11:39 , 40 ) Theirs is the first resurrection. ( Rev. 20:5 *) The great work before this glorious anointed company--the Christ— A288 Volume 1 - The Divine Plan of the Ages / A273 - The Kingdom Of God
The glory of the earthly, as we have seen, was lost by the first Adam's sin, and is to be restored to the race by the Lord Jesus and his Bride (the Christ, Head and body) during the Millennial reign. A181 Volume 1 - The Divine Plan of the Ages / A173 - Spiritual And Human Natures Separate And Distinct
START OF ARTICLE
1, 2. (a) What grand things did many people in Jesus’
day witness? (b)Why is our present era also momentous?
HAVE you ever entertained the thought
of how wonderful it must have been to
be alive when Jesus was on earth? You
might think of the prospect of being healed
by Jesus and thus spared the distress of
some troublesome physical affliction. Or
you might consider the sheer pleasure of being
able to see and hear Jesus—to be able to
learn from him or to see him perform some
miracle. (Mark 4:1, 2; Luke 5:3-9; 9:11)What
a great privilege it would have been to be
present when Jesus did all those works!
(Luke 19:37) No generation since then has
witnessed such things, and what Jesus accomplished
on earth “through the sacrifice of himself” will not be repeated.
—Heb. 9:26; John 14:19.
COMMENTS
So that is what Jesus’ followers felt was important, being personally healed, to be “entertained” by his miracles? Weren’t they supposed to be looking forward to God’s name being sanctified and God’s sovereignty being vindicated?
Aren’t the anointed jw described as having the special privilege of seeing and hearing Jesus after their resurrection to heaven, a privilege no other humans will have?
***w99 7/15 p. 19 par. 14 Anchored by Hope, Impelled by Love *** Out of gratitude to Jehovah, our primary concern should be, not to gain personal salvation, but to witness the sanctification of his holy name and the vindication of his righteous sovereignty.
2 Our present era, though, is also momentous.
Why so? We now live in what the Scriptures
foretold as “the time of the end” and
“the last days.” (Dan. 12:1-4, 9; 2 Tim. 3:1)
During this period, Satan was cast out of
heaven. Soon, he will be bound and thrown
“into the abyss.” (Rev.12:7-9, 12; 20:1-3) It is
also during this time that we have the grand
privilege of declaring the “good news of the
kingdom” worldwide, telling people about
the hope of the Paradise to come—a never-to-
be-repeated work.—Matt. 24:14.
COMMENTS
What did the Watchtower Society teach was the “time of the end” and did it begin or end in 1914?
The Time of the End--Its Commencement, A.D. 1799--Its Close, A.D. 1914 a point that cannot be found on the WT-CD.
Did the Bible Students see as the early Christians saw Jesus, see Jesus cast out Satan and will they see literally Satan cast into the “abyss”?
What is the good news that jws preach? How is it that the suggested presentations in the KM rarely mention the Kingdom or Jesus? Is that what average non-jws will say about jws, that they preach about the kingdom? Or are they remember for not celebrating birthdays or holidays, not taking blood transfusions, not voting or serving in the military, etc. What non-jw if asked would say, they come to my door with the good news of the kingdom?
Do jws tell people that unless they become baptized jws that they will not be in the Paradise to come, but will be destroyed by God without any hope of a resurrection, including children and babies?
3. Just before his ascension to heaven, what did Jesus
tell his followers to do, and what would that involve?
3 Just before his ascension to heaven, Jesus
told his followers: “You will be witnesses of
me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and
Samaria and to the most distant part of
the earth.” (Acts 1:8) That work would involve
a global teaching activity. The goal? To
make disciples—additional followers of the
Christ—before the end comes. (Matt. 28:19,
20) What must we do if we want to succeed
in fulfilling Christ’s commission?
COMMENTS
At Acts 1:8, Jesus said his followers would be witnesses of Jesus, no mention of God or Jehovah. In fact there is no mention of Jehovah’s witnesses in the Old Testament, only witnesses of Jesus. Hmmm….
(Revelation 12:16-17) . . .. 17 And the dragon grew wrathful at the woman, and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her seed, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus.
(Revelation 17:5-6) . . .” 6 And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.. .
.
(Revelation 19:10) . . .for the bearing witness to Jesus is what inspires prophesying.”
The WTS feels that only jws are true Christians, the rest are only professed or false. Considering that jws are named as followers of Jehovah, how is it then that people become followers of Jesus?
***w97 1/15 p. 22 pars. 21-22 What Does God Require of Us? ***
We must serve Jehovah with his spirit-directed organization. How, though, can God’s organized people be identified? According to the standards set out in the Scriptures, they have real love among themselves, they have deep respect for the Bible, they honor God’s name, they preach about his Kingdom, and they are no part of this wicked world. (Matthew 6:9; 24:14; John 13:34, 35; 17:16, 17) There is only one religious organization on this earth that has all these marks of true Christianity—Jehovah’sWitnesses!
4. (a) Peter’s exclamation found at 2 Peter 3:11, 12
Emphasizes what need? (b) Against what do we need
to be on guard?
4 Note this exclamation of the apostle Peter:
“What sort of persons ought you to be in
holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion,
awaiting and keeping close in mind
the presence of the day of Jehovah!” (2 Pet.
3:11, 12) Peter’s words emphasize the need
to keep close watch during these last days to
make sure that our life remains centered on
deeds of godly devotion. Such deeds include
the preaching of the good news. What a joy
it is, therefore, for us to observe the zeal with
which our brothers worldwide are carrying
out Christ’s preaching commission! At the
same time, we realize that we need to be
careful that the daily pressures from Satan’s
world and from our own inherited fleshly
tendencies do not diminish the zeal with
which we are carrying out God’s service. Let
us consider, therefore, how we can make
sure that we keep on following the Christ.
COMMENTS
Once again the WTS features “deeds” of preaching their message. Would a jw be like the priest and the Levite that walked by the injured Jew as they were on the way to their “preaching” rather than help him like the Samaritan (non-jw)?
“Our brothers” worldwide, yet many if not most jws ignore the needs of their “brothers” in the same congregation.
Keep following the Christ = WTS/FDS/GB in reality
Are jws zealous in your neighborhood? How often do they call in your area, once every 2 to 5 years? What do they highlight: the kingdom or the destruction of the wicked. Where is the love in their message, or is it negative?
Embrace God-Given Responsibilities
5, 6. (a) For what did Paul commend his fellow
believers in Jerusalem, and against what did he
warn them? (b) Why should we not take our God-given
responsibilities lightly?
5 In his letter to the Christians in Jerusalem,
the apostle Paul commended his fellow
believers for their past record of faithful
endurance even under persecution. He
stated: “Keep on remembering the former
days in which, after you were enlightened,
you endured a great contest under sufferings.”
Yes, Jehovah remembered their faithful
course. (Heb. 6:10; 10:32-34) Paul’s warm
words of commendation must have encouraged
those Hebrew Christians greatly. However,
in that same letter, Paul also warned
against a human tendency that if not kept
under control, could diminish one’s zeal
for God’s service. He stated that Christians
should be careful not to “beg off,” or excuse
themselves, from following God’s commandments.—
Heb.12:25.
COMMENTS
Does the past record of jws count or only what they are doing right now? If a person is an inactive jw now, does it matter that they pioneered for 30 years or brought 15 people into the WT organization? Does this record count if they no longer support the WTS doctrine, for example the explanation of “generation” that has changed in 1995, 2008, and 2010?
Diminish one’s zeal—beg off—excuse themselves
Sounds like the rank and file are slowing down and even stopping?
6 That warning against the tendency to
“beg off” from embracing God-given responsibilities
also applies to Christians today. We
realize that we need to be determined never
to take our Christian responsibilities lightly
or to allow our zeal for God’s service to diminish.
(Heb. 10:39) After all, rendering sacred
service is a matter of life and death.
—1 Tim. 4:16.
COMMENTS
Tendency to “beg off”—zeal…to diminish
Life is dependent on preaching the WTS doctrine
7, 8. (a) What will help us to maintain our zeal for
God’s service? (b) If we have lost some of our initial
zeal, what should we remember about Jehovah and
Jesus?
7 What will help us to guard against excusing
ourselves from fulfilling our obligations
to God? One important way to fight that
tendency is by regularly meditating on the
meaning of our dedication vow. In essence,
we promised Jehovah that we would put the
doing of his will foremost in our lives, and
we want to keep that promise. (Read Matthew
16:24.) Therefore, at times we need to
pause and ask ourselves: ‘Do I still feel as determined
to live up to my dedication to God
as I did at the time of my baptism? Or have I
lost some of my initial zeal in the years since
then?’
COMMENTS
Excusing ourselves…doing the WTS will foremost…lost initial zeal
Does the WTS know about the fake hours, ineffective hours, socializing not preaching?
8 If an honest self-examination proves
that we have slackened the hand somewhat,
we do well to recall the invigorating words
spoken by the prophet Zephaniah. He stated:
“May your hands not drop down. Jehovah
your God is in the midst of you. As a
mighty One, he will save. He will exult over
you with rejoicing.” (Zeph. 3:16, 17) These
reassuring words first applied to the Israelites
of old who returned to Jerusalem from
captivity in Babylon. However, this assurance
still holds true for God’s people today.
Since the work we do is Jehovah’s work, we
should keep in mind that both Jehovah and
his Son back us up and strengthen us to discharge
fully our God-given responsibilities.
(Matt. 28:20; Phil. 4:13) If we strive to continue
to do God’s work with zeal, he will
bless us and help us to go on prospering spiritually.
COMMENTS
Honest SELF-examination? Or will the individual jw be judged by the elders, the CO, the elders’ wives, and other self-righteous jws?
Slackened the hand…with zeal…hands dropped down
God’s people today – only jws
God-given responsibilities—how many times is this phrase in the article? Given by God or the WTS?
What are these responsibilities that the WTS feels have slackened?
Zealously “Seeking First the Kingdom”
9, 10. What is the point of Jesus’ parable of the
grand evening meal, and what lesson can we draw
from it?
9 While eating a meal in the home of a
ruler of the Pharisees, Jesus gave an illustration
about a grand evening meal. In that illustration,
he described the opportunity extended
to different ones to come in line for
the Kingdom of the heavens. He also illustrated
what it means to “beg off.” (Read Luke
14:16-21.) The invited guests in Jesus’ illustration
gave excuses for not attending the
feast. One said that he needed to go and examine
a field he had just bought. Another
said that he bought some cattle and wanted
to examine them. Still another said: ‘I cannot
come. I just got married.’ These were
poor excuses. One who buys a field or livestock
normally examines them beforehand,
so there is no great urgency to examine
them afterward. And why should a recent
marriage prevent one from accepting such
an important invitation? No wonder the
host in the illustration was incensed!
COMMENTS
Beg off…gave excuses…no great urgency
Think about this, was Jesus talking about his followers? Or was he talking about the Jews who did NOT accept the invitation to follow Jesus?
Does the WTS apply this to its members by making comparisons to unknown and unnamed jws who cross through crocodile infested waters, or who are carried by a brother to the meetings in a wheelbarrow, or who walk 60 miles one way to the KH, or who regular pioneer although having 6 children and an opposed husband? What jw could come up with any excuse saying they could not regular pioneer, including the elders?
Would the jws in your congregation do this?
*** yb97 pp. 235-236 Micronesia *** Missionaries throughout Micronesia routinely use their cars or pickup trucks to help people get to meetings, but there is a form of transportation that perhaps only Barak Bowman has tried. When the failing health of a heavyset 70-year-old sister prevented her from walking the two miles [3km] to the Kingdom Hall, Barak tried to figure out a way to help her. “I would like to pick you up for the meeting,” he said, “but I only have a wheelbarrow that I can use.” To his surprise, she replied, “OK, I don’t mind.” You can imagine the sight as they rolled along the trail en route to the meeting—also the effort that was required on Barak’s part. He would leave home at 7:00 a.m. with an empty wheelbarrow and arrive back at the hall with our sister aboard just in time for the 9:30 a.m. program.
*** w62 6/1 p. 341 par. 20 What will this brother say about the African witnesses in Nyasaland who, in order to attend the congregational meetings, have to ‘walk seven to fifteen miles in the rain and swim a river or two infested with crocodiles’? The flimsy argument, ‘I am tired,’ will not help him.
*** w98 3/1 p. 19 par. 18 In Mozambique it took a district overseer, Orlando, and his wife, Amélia, 45 hours to walk some 55 miles [90km] over a high mountain to serve an assembly. Then they had to make the same trip back to serve the next assembly. Orlando modestly reported: “We felt that we had done nothing when we met up with the brothers from the Bawa Congregation. To attend the assembly and return to their homes involved a six-day journey of about 250 miles [400km] on foot, and among them was a brother 60 years old!”
*** km 2/87 p. 5 par. 9 Auxiliary Pioneering—Have You Tried I t? *** One sister was able to auxiliary pioneer even though she has five children, works secularly, and has an unbaptized husband.
***km 2 /73 p. 3 “Clean from the Blood of All Men” ***A sister from Hawaii relates how she is able to pioneer although having three children and an unbelieving, husband:
10 All of God’s people can learn a lesson
from Jesus’ parable. What is it? We should
never allow personal matters, such as those
mentioned in Jesus’ illustration, to become
so important to us that they push aside our
service to God. If a Christian does not keep
personal affairs in their proper place, his
zeal in the ministry will gradually diminish.
(Read Luke 8:14.) To prevent that from happening,
we live by Jesus’ admonition: “Keep
on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his
righteousness.” (Matt. 6:33) How encouraging
it is to observe that God’s servants
—young and old alike—are applying that vital
counsel! In fact, many have taken steps
to simplify their lifestyle so that they can
give more time to the ministry. They learn
firsthand that zealously seeking first the
Kingdom brings true happiness and great
satisfaction.
COMMENTS
God’s people = only jws
A Christian = only a jw
God’s servants = only jws
Simplify their lifestyle = would jws get rid of their vehicles and bike or walk to the meetings, some who only live 5 miles away?
Zeal…diminish…zealously seeking
So what personal affairs would allow one to miss meetings or door to door? Being in the hospital in a coma?
11. What Bible account illustrates the importance
of being zealous and wholehearted in serving God?
11 To illustrate the importance of being
zealous in God’s service, note an event that
took place in the life of King Jehoash of Israel.
Concerned over the apparent fate of Israel
at the hands of Syria, Jehoash came weeping
to Elisha. The prophet instructed him to
shoot an arrow out the window toward Syria,
indicating victory by Jehovah’s hand
against that nation. This certainly should
have invigorated the king. Elisha next told
Jehoash to take his arrows and strike the
earth with them. Jehoash struck the earth
three times. Elisha was incensed at this, for
striking the earth five or six times would
have indicated “striking down Syria to the
finishing point.” Now Jehoash would enjoy
only three partial victories. Because he acted
with a lack of zeal, Jehoash experienced limited
success. (2 Kings 13:14-19) What lesson can we learn
from that account? Jehovah will abundantly bless us only if
we do his work wholeheartedly and with zeal.
COMMENTS
OT—Jehoash
So how would he have known that 3 was not as good as 5 or 6 or perhaps 7 or 9?
Lack of zeal – at least the WTS sets the “national average” of 10 hours as a goal to shoot for.
Does this mean that if an individual jw never has a bible study or have someone get baptized that they were not wholehearted or zealous?
12. (a) What will help us to maintain our zeal in
God’s service while coping with life’s challenges?
(b) Relate how you are benefiting from keeping busy
in the ministry.
12 Life’s challenges test our
zeal and devotion to God’s service.
Many brothers and sisters
are coping with trying economic
circumstances. Others
are frustrated because a serious
illness limits what they are able
to do in Jehovah’s service. Still,
each of us can take steps to
ensure that we maintain our
zeal and continue to follow the
Christ fully. Please note some
of the suggestions and scriptures
listed in the box “What
Will Help You to Keep Following
the Christ?” Consider how
you can apply them to the full.
If you do, you will reap real
benefits. Keeping busy in the ministry has a
stabilizing effect on us, enriches our life,
and brings us greater peace and happiness.
(1 Cor. 15:58) Moreover, being whole-souled
in our service to God helps us in
“keeping close in mind the presence of the
day of Jehovah.”—2 Pet. 3:12.
COMMENTS
Barriers to making WT hourly goals:
Economic circumstances
Serious illness
Maintain zeal…fully
See box below:
So are jws to judge others zeal…how…by the amount of time they spend, or the preparation they put into, or the unselfish reasons they do it?
How do jws appreciate the urgency when the WTS has put forth dates of 1914, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1940’s, 1975, end of 1914 generation (1984, 1994), which have failed to be fulfilled. Soon, very soon now. Urgency for who, the people they talk to or their own lives. Are jws really concerned about non-jws living or are they looking forward to their destruction so Paradise can begin?
Make a Frank Appraisal
13. How can we determine what whole-souled service
means for us personally?
13 It is good to remember, though, that being
whole-souled is not a matter of how
much time we spend in the ministry. Individual
circumstances vary. A person who
spends just an hour or two in field service
each month may be very pleasing to Jehovah
if that really is all his health allows him
to do. (Compare Mark 12:41-44.) Hence,
to determine what whole-souled service to
God means for us personally, we need to
make a frank appraisal of our abilities and
circumstances. As followers of Christ, we
also want to harmonize our viewpoint with
his. (Read Romans 15:5; 1 Cor. 2:16) What
did Jesus put foremost in his life? He told
the crowds from Capernaum: “I must declare
the good news of the kingdom of God,
because for this I was sent forth.” (Luke 4:
43; John 18:37) With Jesus’ zeal for his ministry
in mind, evaluate your circumstances
to see if you could further expand you ministry.—
1 Cor.11:1.
COMMENTS
The WTS says being whole-souled is not a matter of how much time is spent preaching the WTS doctrine…..circumstances vary….but who judges your circumstances? Who judges if you are sick enough to get only one or 2 hours?
“If that REALLY is all his health allows him to do”? Do you see the judgmental aspect to this phrase?
Are jws really making frank appraisals of themselves or are others in the congregation helping them make a frank appraisal?
Shall they compare themselves to this woman as the WTS does?
*** g93 9/22 p. 9 Loneliness—Are You Determined to Fight It and Win? *** Take the case of Laurel Nisbet. She contracted polio and at 36 years of age was placed in an iron lung, where she lay flat on her back for 37 years. Totally paralyzed from the neck down, she could move her head, but that was all. At first she was sad beyond despair. Then, after about a day of self-pity, she decided, ‘Enough of that!’ She had two children to raise and a husband to care for. She began to rebuild her life; she learned to manage her home from an iron lung. Laurel slept very little. How did she pass the long nighttime hours? Giving in to loneliness? No. She prayed to her heavenly Father, Jehovah. Prayed for strength for herself, prayed for her Christian brothers and sisters, and prayed for opportunities to witness to others about God’s Kingdom. She devised ways to preach and impressed many by her witnessing for Jehovah’s name. She allowed no thistles of loneliness to grow; she was too busy tending the roses.
*** km 6/03 p. 7 par. 4 Disabled—Yet Fruitful *** Were you not encouraged by the life story of Laurel Nisbet, who was confined to an iron lung for 37 years yet helped 17 individuals to come to an accurate knowledge of Bible truth? In like manner, your example can inspire fellow believers to exert themselves in Jehovah’s service.—g93 1/22 pp. 18-21.
*** km 8/96 p. 1 par. 3 One sister, a victim of polio, was confined to an iron lung. She was not able to go to the Kingdom Hall or attend an assembly. But she was intensely occupied with declaring the good news. During her 37-year confinement, she was able to help 17 people learn the truth! How did she do it? Although unable to go from door to door, she found a way each day to witness informally to those who came in contact with her.
BOX What Will Help You to Keep Following the Christ?
? Read God’s Word daily, and meditate
on what you read.—Ps. 1:1-3; 1 Tim. 4:15.
? Pray often for the support and guidance
of God’s spirit.—Zech. 4:6; Luke 11:9, 13.
? Associate with those who demonstrate
heartfelt zeal for the ministry.—Prov.13:
20; Heb.10:24, 25.
? Appreciate the urgency of the times in
which we are living.—Eph. 5:15,16.
? Be conscious of the serious consequences
of ‘begging off.’—Luke 9:59-62.
? Reflect regularly on your dedication vow
and the abundant blessings that result
from serving Jehovah and following the
Christ wholeheartedly.—Ps. 116:12-14;
133:3; Prov.10:22.
14. In what ways could we further expand our ministry?
14 A careful consideration of our circumstances
may lead us to conclude that we
could increase the amount of time we spend
in the ministry. (Matt. 9:37, 38) For instance,
many thousands of our young people who
recently graduated from school have expanded
their ministry and are now experiencing
the joy that comes from zealously
serving as pioneers. Would you like to taste
that joy as well? Some brothers and sisters
have considered their circumstances and
decided that they could move to an area in
their country, or even abroad, where there
is a greater need for Kingdom publishers.
Still others have learned another language
to help foreign-speaking people. While expanding
our ministry can be challenging, it
brings rich blessings, and we may help
many others to “come to an accurate knowledge
of truth.”—1 Tim. 2:3, 4; 2 Cor. 9:6.
COMMENTS
Increase…expanded…zealously..expanding
Graduated from school (high)…pioneer…move to need greater area…learn another language
We have a Spanish-speaking congregation where jws have moved over to “help.” 5 years later they still cannot give a simple talk in the school or understand what is being discussed at the meetings (yes, I know some couldn’t do it in English). But they enjoy the social life and less pressure and expectations. Some of the men think that Hispanic women are more submissive and make better wives.
Bible Examples to Follow
15, 16. Whose examples can we imitate in being
zealous followers of the Christ?
15 How did some who became apostles respond
when Christ called them to be his followers?
Regarding Matthew, the account says:
“Leaving everything behind he rose up
and went following him.” (Luke 5:27, 28)
About Peter and Andrew, who were fishing,
we read: “At once abandoning the nets, they
followed him.” Jesus next saw James and
John, who were mending their nets along
with their father. How did they react to Jesus’
invitation? “At once leaving the boat
and their father, they followed him.”—Matt.
4:18-22.
COMMENTS
While they did leave at once, they went back to fishing. How else could they support their family (Peter was married) as the scriptures said was a requirement. Should jw men quit their jobs and go pioneering and let their wives support the family?
The WTS is being deceptive in the relating of this account.
*** w05 2/1 p. 11 par. 11” *** Was the disciples’ prompt response a spur-of-the-moment decision? Hardly! Even though they did return to their family fishing business after their first contact with Jesus, there is no doubt that what they had seen and heard on that occasion left a deep impression on their heart and mind.
16 Another fine example is that of Saul,
who became the apostle Paul. Although he
had been a rabid persecutor of Christ’s followers,
he changed course and became “a
chosen vessel” to bear Christ’s name. “Immediately
in the synagogues [Paul] began to
preach Jesus, that this One is the Son of
God.” (Acts 9:3-22) And despite his having
to endure much hardship and persecution,
Paul never lost his zeal.—2 Cor. 11:23-29;
12:15.
COMMENTS
Never lost his zeal – have jws then been losing their zeal, if they ever had it?
17. (a) What is your desire in regard to following
the Christ? (b) What blessings do we enjoy because
of doing Jehovah’s will with all our heart and
strength?
17 We surely want to imitate the fine examples
of those disciples and respond eagerly
and without reservation. (Heb. 6:11, 12)
What blessings do we enjoy as we continue
to strive to follow the Christ zealously and
fully? We find genuine pleasure in doing
the will of God and experience the satisfaction
that comes from accepting additional
privileges of service and responsibilities in
the congregation. (Ps. 40:8; read 1 Thessalonians
4:1.) Yes, as we vigorously exert ourselves
in following the Christ, we enjoy such
rich and lasting blessings as peace of mind,
satisfaction, contentment, God’s approval,
and the prospect of everlasting life.—1 Tim.
4:10.
COMMENTS
Respond eagerly…without reservation…zealously…fully…genuine pleasure…vigorously exert
Does this description fit jws? What is the attendance at your congregation on Saturday or Sunday meetings for field service? Are people prepared having read the literature and have a speaking point not an introduction they have used for the last 30 years?
In the end what motivates jws is the CARROT of the prospect of everlasting life, their own, not that of the people in the field.
Do You Recall?
? What important work have we been
given, and how should we view it?
? What human tendency must we
guard against, and why?
? What frank appraisal should we
make?
? What will help us to keep following
the Christ?
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Who is the Christ really, Jesus (head) and the 144,000 (body) per the WTS. That means that the anointed GB are really part of the Christ. No one can reach Christ except through the GB administration…making them the mediator.
This article indicates that the zeal of the rank and file is dropping off. Yes, as the WTS says, hours does not indicate wholeheartedness. Jws do not believe their salvation is dependent on being effective.
Next Sunday, “Men, Do You Submit to Christ’s Headship?” Translation the WTS/FDS/GB headship.
Love, Blondie