Bible teaching: Focus of Jehovah's Witnesses conventions
By VICENTE B. FOZ
EDUCATION is a vital part of one's daily life, and every person should have a right to study and learn in order to live well and long - even forever. Jehovah's Witnesses will focus on opportunities for a unique education to all who attend the ''Teachers of God's Word'' district conventions in the Philippines and in 234 other lands. The convention's theme emphasizes the value of receiving an education in God's Word and the need to share such education with others.
Prominently and repeatedly underscored in the program are themes involving teachers, teaching, learning and education. It will demonstrate how to apply the principles of God's Word in one's family and personal life in everyday situation. It consists of discourses, lively discussions, trueto-life skits, reenactments, personal experiences, and a Bible drama. Emphasis will be placed on living one's life in harmony with God's way for humankind so that a person will not only find happiness today but also enjoy everlasting life under God's Kingdom.
More than 300,000 are expected to attend the 60 district conventions in 49 cities throughout the country. They include people of all age groups, from infants to the elderly. Attending the first of eight district conventions at the Metro Manila Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Novaliches, Quezon City on Nov. 23-25 are some 6,000 Witnesses from the Quezon City Circuit No. 3 composed of 19 congregations, joined by four other congregations of Manila Circuit No. 7, two congregations of San Francisco del Monte, Bulacan; five congregations of Valenzuela City, and 14 congregations of Caloocan City. Other district conventions will be held elsewhere in the country, using nine languages: Tagalog, Bicol, Cebuano, English, Hiligaynon, Iloko, Pangasinan, Philippine sign language, and SamarLeyte.
Worldwide, Jehovah's Witnesses number more than six million who preach and teach their message of hope in 235 lands and islands.
The official journal of Jehovah's Witnesses is The Watchtower, with a circulation of over 23,000,000 copies in 140 languages. Its companion, Awake! Magazine, is published in 82 languages and averages 20,389,000 copies of each issue. These publications and dozens of others enhance appreciation for the Bible and contribute to a better understanding of it. All build confidence in God's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.
The Witnesses areuse Bible translations that are available in hundreds of languages. They have also produced the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in 21 languages and the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures in 16 additional languages, and are in the process of translating this Bible into 11 more languages.
In service year 2000, the number of Witnesses reached 6,035,564 who spent more than 1.171 billion hours preaching and teaching others about Jehovah God, Jesus Christ and God's Kingdom, and conducted an average 4,766,631 free home Bible studies. They are organized into more than 91,000 congregations which, through 110 branches all over the world, work under the direction of a central governing body in Brooklyn, New York.
On Friday, the opening day of each convention, the keynote address "Completely Equipped As Teachers of God" will invite everyone to take part in that learning process," thus: "Jesus was not interested in conferring the key of knowledge upon an elite group of Scripture scholars. He told his disciples: 'What I tell you in the darkness, say in the light; and what you hear whispered, preach from the housetops.' Jesus ardently desired to share the knowledge of God with as many people as possible. To him, knowledge of the Scriptures was to be shared, not hidden away."
Saturday morning's program will include the baptism and ordination of those who have already dedicated themselves to Jehovah God. A highlight on Sunday morning will be a reenactment of a Bible account featuring a cast of costumed actors. The public talk "Who Are Teaching All Nations the Truth?" will be delivered by a Metro Manila minister who works daily with the congregations for their spiritual edification.
Beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses
The Witnesses worship Jehovah, the personal name of Almighty God, as the only true and living God, and freely speak to others about him and his loving purposes for humankind. Jesus Christ is God's only-begotten Son, the first of God's creations. Jesus had a pre-human existence and his life was transferred from heaven to the womb of a virgin, Mary. His perfect human life laid down in sacrifice makes possible salvation to eternal life for those who exercise faith. As the head of the Christian congregation, Jesus is the model that Jehovah's Witnesses strive to follow.
Jehovah's Witnesses acknowledge God's Kingdom under Christ as the government soon to rule over the earth in righteousness. Since they trust in this Bible-based promise, they are neutral toward all human government.
They believe that 144,000 spirit-anointed Christians will share with Christ in the heavenly Kingdom, ruling as kings with him. They do not believe that heaven is the reward for everyone who is simply "good."
God's original purpose for the earth will be fulfilled. The earth will be completely populated by worshippers of Jehovah and they will be able to enjoy eternal life in human perfection. Even the dead will be resurrected to an opportunity to share in these blessings.
The dead are conscious of absolutely nothing. They are experiencing neither pain nor pleasure in some spirit realm. They do not exist except in God's memory, so hope for their future life lies in a resurrection from the dead.
Witnesses believe that we are living now, since 1944, in the last days of this wicked system of things. Lovers of righteousness will survive into a cleansed earth.
They earnestly endeavor to be no part of this world, as Jesus said would be true of His followers. They show genuine Christian love for their neighbors, but they do not share in the politics or the wars of any nation. They provide for the material needs of their families, but shun the world's avid pursuit of material things and personal fame and its excessive indulgence in pleasure.
They believe that it is important to apply the counsel of God's Word in everyday life now - at home, in school, in business, in their congregations. Regardless of a person's past way of life, he may become one of Jehovah's applies its godly counsel. But if anyone thereafter makes practice of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, drug abuse, drunkenness, lying or stealing, he will be disfellowshipped from the organization.
http://www.mb.com.ph/OPED/2001-11/OE111710.asp
Yachyd Da
Kent
I need the new KM's as they come! Please send me scans!
Daily News On The Watchtower and the Jehovah's Witnesses:
http://watchtower.observer.org