Comments You Will Not Hear at the 01-12-2014 WT Study (NOVEMBER 15, 2013, pages 10-14)(WAITING ATTITUDE)
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20131115/
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http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com
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COMMENTS
Life gets busy and things have changed since the first time I posted my comments and typed the magazine articles free hand from the paper copies I received through the congregation and later through jw friends. Then when that dried up, posters on JWN sent me copies they had scanned.
Now with the advent of the www.jw.org website, anyone with access to a computer or other device that allowed access could down load it. It takes some time for me to edit it and insert my comments. I propose to change that by giving access to the magazines here for downloading and to put my comments here by paragraph.
How Can We Maintain “a Waiting Attitude”?
“I will show a waiting attitude.”— MIC. 7:7 .
HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?
- What can we learn from Micah’s example?
- We are waiting to see what events?
- What are some ways in which we may express appreciation for Jehovah’s patience?
1. Why might we become impatient?
WHEN the Messianic Kingdom was established in 1914, Satan’s system entered its final days. As a result of the war in heaven, Jesus hurled the Devil and the demons down to the vicinity of the earth. (Read Revelation 12:7-9 .) Satan knows that he has only “a short period of time.” ( Rev. 12:12 ) However, that “period of time” has gone on for decades, and some may feel that the last days have lasted a long time. As we wait for Jehovah to act, have we personally become impatient?
Was the Messianic Kingdom established in 1914 or 1878?
http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/failed-1914-predictions.php
Satan's final days? 100 years later still final?
End of last days 1914, 1925, 1975? Impatient or deceived by the WTS?
http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/misquotes-deception-lies.php
2. What will this article consider? (article, people, or bible?)
2 Impatience can be dangerous, for it can cause us to behave rashly. How can we maintain a waiting attitude? This article will help us to do so by answering the following questions. (1) What can we learn about patience from the example set by the prophet Micah? (2) What events will signal the end of our waiting period? (3) How can we express our appreciation for Jehovah’s patience?
Micah—OT example
Are these events newly told by the WTS or old news?
God's patience, soon over 7 billion men, women, and children will die eternally…patient?
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM MICAH’S EXAMPLE?
3. In Micah’s day, what were conditions like in Israel?
3 Read Micah 7:2-6. Jehovah’s prophet Micah saw conditions in Israel deteriorate spiritually until they became appalling under the rulership of wicked King Ahaz. Micah likens the unfaithful Israelites to “a brier” and “a thorn hedge.” Just as a brier or a thorn hedge injures anyone who walks into it, those corrupt Israelites harmed anyone with whom they had dealings. The corruption became so great that even family relationships broke down. Aware that he could do nothing to change the situation himself, Micah poured out his heart to Jehovah. Then he waited patiently for God to act. Micah was confident that Jehovah would intervene in His own time.
Corrupt Israelites compare to spiritual Israelites/anointed in the WTS
Prayer for God to intervene in his own time or wait for the WTS to hit the right date, 1914, 1925, 1975?
4. What challenges do we face?
4 Like Micah, we have to live among selfish people. Many are “unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection.” (2 Tim. 3:2, 3) We find it distressing when workmates, schoolmates, and neighbors show a self-centered attitude. Some of God’s servants, though, have an even greater challenge. Jesus said that his followers would face family opposition, and he used words similar to those recorded at Micah 7:6 to describe the impact that his message would have. “I came to cause division,” said Jesus, “with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a young wife against her mother-in-law. Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household.” (Matt. 10:35, 36) What a difficult thing it is to endure the ridicule and opposition of family members who do not share our faith! If we face such a trial, let us not cave in to family pressure. Instead, may we remain loyal and wait patiently for Jehovah to resolve matters. If we constantly ask for his help, he will give us the strength and wisdom needed in order to endure.
Live among selfish people—fellow religious believers not Gentiles, so the selfish people are other jws.
Or non-jws…family members do not share our faith…but really Israelites = jws only
What family pressure?
God's servants – only jws
5, 6. How did Jehovah reward Micah, but what did Micah not witness?
5 Jehovah rewarded Micah for his patience. Micah witnessed the end of King Ahaz and his wicked rule. He saw Ahaz’ son, good King Hezekiah, inherit the throne and restore pure worship. And Jehovah’s judgment message against Samaria through Micah was fulfilled when the Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom of Israel.—Mic. 1:6.
Witnessed end of Ahaz and then good King Hezekiah, followed by REALLY BAD KING MANASSEH who tossed his children into the fire.
*** w96 7/1 pp. 3-4 Does God Accept Every Kind of Worship? ***
Many Israelites did not accept God’s view of pure worship. Instead, they allowed Baal worship to continue in their land. Soon the Israelites were seduced into trying to mix the worship of Jehovah with that of Baal. Did God accept this mixed kind of worship? Consider what happened during the reign of King Manasseh. He set up altars to Baal, burned his own son as a sacrifice, and practiced magic. “Further, he put the carved image of the sacred pole [ʼashe·rah′ in Hebrew] that he had made in the house of which Jehovah had said . . . : ‘In this house . . . I shall put my name to time indefinite.’”—2 Kings 21:3-7.
6 However, Micah did not witness the fulfillment of all that Jehovah inspired him to prophesy about. For example, Micah wrote: “In the final part of the days . . . the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, and it will certainly be lifted up above the hills; and to it peoples must stream. And many nations will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah.’” (Mic. 4:1, 2) Micah died long before that prophecy was fulfilled. Even so, he was determined to remain loyal to Jehovah even to death, no matter what others around him did. In this regard, Micah wrote: “All the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever.” (Mic. 4:5) Micah could wait patiently during distressing times because he had absolute confidence that Jehovah would fulfill all of His promises. The faithful prophet trusted in Jehovah.
What does the WTS say is the fulfillment and when?
Where is trusting in Jesus?
7, 8. (a) Why do we have reason for confidence? (b) What will make time pass more quickly?
7 Do we have similar confidence in Jehovah? We have good reason for such trust. We have witnessed firsthand the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy. During “the final part of the days,” millions from all nations and tribes and tongues have streamed to “the mountain of the house of Jehovah.” Despite having come from rival nations, these worshippers have beaten “their swords into plowshares,” and they refuse to “learn war anymore.” (Mic. 4:3) What a privilege we have to be numbered among Jehovah’s peaceful people!
Where is the trust in Christ?
Will Jesus be peaceful or will he and the angels come with a sword to destroy all 7 billion non-jws, not baptized as jws and marked on their forehead?
8 Understandably, we want Jehovah to bring an end to this wicked system soon. If we are to wait patiently, though, we need to view matters from Jehovah’s perspective. He has set a day when he will judge mankind “by a man whom he has appointed,” Jesus Christ. (Acts 17:31) But before then, God is giving all sorts of people the opportunity to gain “an accurate knowledge of truth,” to act on that knowledge, and to be saved. Precious lives are at stake. (Read 1 Timothy 2:3, 4.) If we are busy helping others to gain accurate knowledge about God, the time remaining before the coming of Jehovah’s judgment will pass more quickly. Soon—even suddenly—time will run out. When it does, how glad we will be that we kept busy in the Kingdom-preaching work!
Where is Jesus part in bringing an end in the bible?
Set a day, 1914, 1925, 1975? SOON (39 years from 1975)
WHAT EVENTS SIGNAL THE END OF OUR WAITING?
9-11. Has 1 Thessalonians 5:3 been fulfilled? Explain.
9 Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3. In the near future, the nations will say “Peace and security!” If we are not to be caught off guard by this declaration, we need to “stay awake and keep our senses.” (1 Thess. 5:6) To help us stay awake spiritually, let us briefly review events that have set the stage for this noteworthy proclamation.
Peace and security – before destruction of BTG; when used this phrase before?
*** w53 7/1 p. 391 Too Big for God? ***
The truth is that when man says a work is too big for God, he is impressed by his own importance. Today we have political luminaries from sixty different nations assembling at the U.N. in New York endeavoring to make the earth abound with peace and security. Said President Truman a few days before the inauguration of General Eisenhower: “If we can get peace and safety in the world under the United Nations, the developments will come so fast we will not recognize the world in which we now live.” And in his inaugural address, President Eisenhower called the U.N. the “living sign of all people’s hope for peace”. Soon now Jehovah will thwart the combined efforts of the nations: “The LORD [Jehovah] annuls the counsel of the nations; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.” “Whenever it is that they are saying, ‘Peace and security!’ then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them.” (Ps. 33:10, AT; 1 Thess. 5:3, NW) Armageddon’s sudden destruction will leave the U.N. in smoldering ruins, and the earth littered with the bodies of the “slain of Jehovah”.—Jer. 25:33, 34, AS.
10 In the aftermath of each of the two world wars, the nations clamored for peace. After the first world war, the League of Nations was formed in the hope of bringing peace. Later, after the second global war, the United Nations became a popular hope of bringing peace to the earth. Government and religious leaders have looked to those agencies to bring about peaceful conditions for mankind. For example, in 1986, the United Nations sanctioned a highly publicized International Year of Peace. That year, leaders from many nations and religions joined the head of the Catholic Church in Assisi, Italy, to offer prayers for peace.
League of Nations 1919, bring peace…stand in a place…
Remember when the WTS taught that the prophecy about standing if a holy place was fulfilled in 1919 but changed it to a future date in 1999?
http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/revelation-daniel-prophetic-interpretation.php
1986 past WTS comments
*** w86 5/15 p. 27 Insight on the News ***
Peace and Security—Soon?
A well-known inscription on the United Nations Plaza wall reads: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares. And their spears into pruning hooks: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war any more.” Hopeful of bearing fruit toward the fulfillment of those prophetic words, the United Nations has declared 1986 to be the “International Year of Peace.” Is there reason to believe that the UN will succeed in its avowed goal as the self-proclaimed caretaker of “international peace and security?”
Whatever contribution the UN may make toward the impending cry of “peace and security,” any man-made peace surely rests on an explosive foundation. (1 Thessalonians 5:3) Military expenditures are now estimated to be approaching a trillion dollars annually worldwide. Since World War II, excluding conventional weapons, the cost of building nuclear arsenals has been estimated at three to four trillion dollars—hardly what would be expected at a time when the UN is calling for dedication to world peace and security! In fact, says Vernon Walters, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, “the United Nations has drifted away from its role as an institution for the resolution of conflict,” dashing the hopes of those who believed that “the U.N. would do more than it has in the way of conflict resolution.”
Nevertheless, the inscribed words quoted earlier from Isaiah 2:4 will find fulfillment—but not in 1986, or ever, through the efforts of a man-made organization. Rather, real peace and security will soon be brought about by a heavenly government, whose invisible leader truly is the “Prince of Peace.”—Isaiah 9:6, 7.
11 However, neither that proclamation of peace and security nor others like it have been the fulfillment of the prophecy recorded at 1 Thessalonians 5:3. Why not? Because the foretold “sudden destruction” has not yet occurred.
Sudden destruction? GT first. P&S, destruction of BTG starts GT
*** w12 9/15 p. 4 par. 5 How This World Will Come to an End ***
What yet unseen event will take place next? Paul stated: “Whenever it is that they are saying: ‘Peace and security!’ then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them.” The first phase of this “sudden destruction” is the attack against “Babylon the Great,” the world empire of false religion, also known as “the harlot.” (Rev. 17:5, 6, 15) That attack against all forms of false religion, including Christendom, is the start of the “great tribulation.” (Matt. 24:21; 2 Thess. 2:8) For many, this event will come as a surprise. Why? Because up to that point, the harlot will confidently view herself as “a queen” who will “never see mourning.” But she will suddenly discover that she has miscalculated her chances of survival. She will be wiped out rather quickly, as if “in one day.”—Rev. 18:7, 8.
12. What do we know about the declaration of “Peace and security”?
12 Who will make this significant future declaration of “Peace and security”? What role will the leaders of Christendom and of other religions play? How will the leaders of various governments be involved in this proclamation? The Scriptures do not tell us. What we do know is that no matter what form the proclamation takes or how convincing it might sound, it will be only a veneer. This old system will remain under Satan’s control. It is rotten to the core and will remain that way. How sad it would be if any of us were to believe the satanic propaganda and violate our Christian neutrality!
THE SCRIPTURS DO NOT TELL US It will be a veneer…system rotten, all 7 billion
*** w02 1/15 p. 22 Brothers Who Developed Different Attitudes ***
In order to thrive, sheep need human care. Abel’s occupation testifies that man raised these domestic animals from the outset of mankind’s history. The Scriptures do not say whether the earliest humans used animal milk as a source of food, but even those with a vegetarian diet can use sheep’s wool. And when sheep die, their hides serve useful purposes. To clothe Adam and Eve, for instance, Jehovah provided “long garments of skin.”—Genesis 3:21.
*** ws chap. 22 p. 183 par. 8 The God of the “Prince of Peace” Becomes “All Things to Everyone” ***
. What methods of temptation Jehovah will permit Satan and the demons to employ after their release from the abyss the Scriptures do not say. But no doubt there will be an appeal to selfishness and to a desire for independence from God.
13. Why are angels holding back the winds of destruction?
13 Read Revelation 7:1-4. While we wait for the fulfillment of 1 Thessalonians 5:3, powerful angels are holding back the destructive winds of the great tribulation. What are they waiting for? One key event is described by the apostle John—the final sealing of the anointed “slaves of our God.” * Once that final sealing has been completed, the angels will unleash the winds of destruction. What will happen then?
Destructive winds (4 corners)
Final sealing of anointed (temporary sealing?)
Sealed before death
14. What indicates that the demise of Babylon the Great is near?
14 Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, will meet her deserved end. “Peoples and crowds and nations and tongues” will be unable to give her effective support. Already we see indications that her demise is near. (Rev. 16:12; 17:15-18; 18:7, 8, 21) In fact, a lack of support is now reflected in the news media, where religion and religious leaders are increasingly coming under attack. Even so, the leaders of Babylon the Great feel that they are in no real danger. How wrong they are! Following the proclamation of “Peace and security!” political elements of Satan’s system will suddenly turn on false religion and wipe it out. Never again will Babylon the Great be seen! Surely it is worth waiting patiently for such momentous events.—Rev. 18:8, 10.
Demise is near, how long WTS said near? P&S then destruction of BTG
Notice how far the WTS has backed away from saying that the UN will destroy false religion.
HOW CAN WE SHOW APPRECIATION FOR GOD’S PATIENCE?
(past comments by the WTS regarding inactive members**see at end)
15. Why has Jehovah not acted hastily?
15 Despite the reproach people heap on his name, Jehovah has waited patiently for the right time to act. Jehovah does not want any honesthearted people to be destroyed. (2 Pet. 3:9, 10) Do we feel the same way? Before Jehovah’s day comes, we can express our appreciation for his patience in the following ways.
Right time to act—no honesthearted people…only baptized jws or minor children of jws—cannot be unbaptized and honesthearted
16, 17. (a) Why should we want to help those who have become inactive? (b) Why is it urgent that inactive ones return to Jehovah?
16 Help those who have become inactive. Jesus said that there is joy in heaven when just one lost sheep is found. (Matt. 18:14; Luke 15:3-7) Obviously, Jehovah cares deeply about all those who have expressed love for his name, even if they are not actively serving him at present. When we help such ones return to the congregation, we contribute to making Jehovah and the angels rejoice.
Inactive = lost sheep = what is active service….preaching/teaching
Help return (past articles) bleat sheep, part of flock, not jws (see quotes below)
My favorite one.
*** w02 3/1 p. 16 pars. 13-14 How Precious Is the Truth to You? ***
In Scotland some young lambs were grazing in a pasture when one of them strayed to the side of a hillock and tumbled onto a ledge below. It was uninjured, but it was frightened and unable to climb back. So it started to bleat plaintively. Its mother heard it, and she too began to bleat until the shepherd came and retrieved the young lamb.
14 Notice the sequence of events. The lamb called for help, the ewe added her voice to its cries, and the alerted shepherd sprang into action to rescue it. If a very young animal and its mother can sense danger and immediately call for help, should we not do the same when we stumble spiritually or face unexpected dangers from Satan’s world? (James 5:14, 15; 1 Peter 5:8) We should, especially if we are lacking in experience either because we are young or because we are relatively new in the truth
So did Jesus say it was the responsibility of the sheep to bleat for the shepherd to find them?
*** w03 2/1 p. 14 par. 5 “Have Love Among Yourselves” ***
One was about a shepherd. Jesus said: “What man of you with a hundred sheep, on losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine behind in the wilderness and go for the lost one until he finds it? And when he has found it he puts it upon his shoulders and rejoices. And when he gets home he calls his friends and his neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ I tell you that thus there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.”—Luke 15:4-7.
17 Are you among those who are not now actively serving God? Perhaps someone in the congregation hurt you and as a result you stopped associating with Jehovah’s organization. Since some time may have passed, ask yourself: ‘Is my life now more meaningful, and am I happier? Was it Jehovah who offended me, or was it an imperfect human? Has Jehovah God ever done anything to harm me?’ Really, he has always done good toward us. Even if we are not living up to our dedication to him, he allows us to enjoy the good things he provides. (Jas. 1:16, 17) Soon, Jehovah’s day will come. Now is the time to return to our heavenly Father’s loving arms and to the congregation—the only safe haven in these last days.—Deut. 33:27; Heb. 10:24, 25.
What if you read the bible, talked to others about it, but did not attend meetings? Did Naomi, her husband and sons stop associating when they moved to Moab far away from the temple and the Israelite nation, or course they did? Did you ever read in the Bible where they were counseled for doing a bad thing?
Has God allowed people to harm us? (pedophiles)(financial frauds)(that God’s holy spirit supposedly appointed)
How safe was the congregation for you?
Jehovah’s people make every effort to help inactive ones return to Jehovah (See paragraphs 16, 17)
*** w96 3/15 p. 26 How Christian Shepherds Serve You ***
Suggestions for Shepherding Calls
□ Make an appointment: It is usually good to make an appointment. If the elder plans to handle a serious problem, it would be proper to inform the publisher of this beforehand.
18. Why should we support those taking the lead?
18 Loyally support those taking the lead. As a loving Shepherd, Jehovah guides and protects us. He has appointed his Son as the Chief Shepherd of the flock. (1 Pet. 5:4) Elders in more than 100,000 congregations shepherd God’s sheep on a personal level. (Acts 20:28) When we loyally support those appointed to take the lead, we express our appreciation to Jehovah and Jesus for all that they have done for us.
Support those taking the lead…should Micah have supported Ahaz and wicked Jewish priests although God had not tossed them out?
19. How can we close ranks?
19 Draw close to one another. What does that mean? When a well-trained army is attacked by an enemy, the individual soldiers close ranks, that is, they draw closer to one another. They thus form an impenetrable defense. Satan is intensifying his attacks on God’s people. Now is no time for fighting within our ranks. Now is the time for us to draw close to one another, to overlook the imperfections of others, and to display confidence in Jehovah’s leadership.
So what help and support did you get at the KH? Did you find that the attacks on you were by those claiming to serve God? Who pointed out our imperfections never giving commendation…DO MORE.
It is now time for us to close ranks against Satan and the demons (See paragraph 19)
20. What should we do now?
20 May all of us remain spiritually alert and display a waiting attitude. Let us patiently wait for the proclamation of “Peace and security!” and for the final sealing of the chosen ones. Thereafter, the four angels will let go of the destructive winds, and Babylon the Great will be destroyed. While we wait for these momentous events to happen, let us accept direction from those appointed to take the lead in Jehovah’s organization. Close ranks against the Devil and the demons! Now is the time to heed the psalmist’s exhortation: “Be courageous, and may your heart be strong, all you who are waiting for Jehovah.”—Ps. 31:24.
Already the WTS has failed in announcing the end: 1914, 1925, 1975
How many times can they cry wolf?
*** w98 6/1 p. 5 Wait Patiently ***
THE shepherd who repeatedly cried “Wolf!” when there was no wolf found that his subsequent cry for help went unheeded. Similarly today, many disregard the imminence of Jehovah’s day because they have heard countless warnings that have proved to be false alarms. The very fact that so many fail to discern which warning is genuine and then heed it plays into the hands of God’s great enemy, Satan, that false “angel of light.”—2 Corinthians 11:14.
http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1800s.php
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
8 kings???? Princes, mighty men, sheikhs, Does the WTS earthly system bear better things or more rulers. Rank and file will only be women.
INACTIVE QUOTES
*** w08 11/15 p. 16 par. 17 Help Them Return Without Delay! ***
Why did the brother become inactive? He admits: “I started giving more attention to worldly matters than to spiritual things. Then I stopped studying, engaging in the ministry, and attending meetings. The next thing I knew, I was no longer a part of the Christian congregation
*** w08 11/15 p. 8 par. 2 Help Those Who Stray From the Flock ***
Sadly, some who seemed to appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice and made a dedication to God no longer associate with the Christian congregation. Discouragement, health problems, or other factors may have weakened their zeal and caused them to become inactive. However, only as part of God’s flock can they enjoy the serenity and happiness that David spoke of in the 23rd Psalm. (inactive no part of the blockf)
*** w05 4/15 p. 20 par. 22 Let God’s Word Light Your Roadway ***
The psalmist wanted to keep living and praising Jehovah, but in some undisclosed way, he had ‘wandered like a lost sheep.’ (Psalm 119:175, 176) Some who have wandered away from the Christian congregation may still love God and may want to praise him. Let us therefore do all we can to help them so that they may again find spiritual security and experience the joy of praising Jehovah with his people.—Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 5:6, 7.
*** w05 12/15 p. 27 par. 12 Now Is the Time for Decisive Action ***
Sadly, some baptized Christians have become irregular or inactive in their worship. (Hebrews 10:23-25; 13:15, 16) Some have lost their zeal because of fear of persecution, the anxieties of making a living, efforts to get rich, or the pursuit of selfish pleasures. Jesus warned that these very things would stumble, choke, and ensnare some of his followers. (Matthew 10:28-33; 13:20-22; Luke 12:22-31; 21:34-36) Instead of ‘limping on two opinions,’ as it were, such ones should “be zealous and repent” by taking decisive action to carry out their dedication to God.—Revelation 3:15-19.
*** w93 7/15 p. 27 Tenderly Shepherding Jehovah’s Precious Sheep ***
Inactivity in the ministry or in attending Christian meetings does not mean that the sheep is no longer part of the flock. He remains part of “all the flock” for whom the elders must “render an account” to Jehovah.
*** w82 4/15 pp. 23-24 par. 10 Enduring Joyfully Despite Persecution ***
Hence, when our activity is banned, it is generally our preaching and our meetings that are prohibited. “You can be Jehovah’s Witnesses,” we are often told, “but you may not preach or hold any meetings.” Yet if we did not preach or hold meetings, we would not be witnesses of Jehovah God or Christ Jesus, since a witness who does not say anything is really not a witness at all. (Isaiah 43:10, 12; Acts 1:8)
*** km 9/82 p. 3 par. 1 Are You Having a Share in Assisting Inactive Ones? ***
“Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.” (Luke 15:6) This feeling of rejoicing is being experienced by many brothers and sisters in congregations where inactive ones are returning to the flock.
*** km 2/82 p. 7 par. 4 Can They Be Helped? ***
For example, a sister who had been away many years felt that Jehovah and the congregation no longer cared for her. A sister called on this ‘lost sheep’ and read selected paragraphs to her from The Watchtower. Learning that Jehovah did still care, the inactive sister began to weep. She had stopped associating due to many family problems and discouragement, wrongly assuming she had been disfellowshipped because of her long absence.
*** w68 2/15 p. 118 par. 10 Working What Is Good Toward Those in the Faith ***
A sister, inactive for three years, related to the overseer that ‘it is going to be difficult to come back into the truth. I have been away so long. How can I even think of going out in the service or to the meetings?’ She had been caring for her critically ill mother for so long until her death that she, herself, had become spiritually weak and inactive. She was encouraged to feel that she had never really been out of the truth but fulfilling a feature of her ministry so vital to good Christian conduct and love, and that Jehovah had not forgotten her works of love. She was told that brothers in prison could not share in meetings or field service but they weren’t out of the truth. This view of matters helped her tremendously. She is now regular in service and attends meetings. Other enjoyable experiences such as this encourage us to continue showing kindness to our brothers.”
*** w55 1/1 p. 14 par. 14 Holding Fast the Public Declaration of Our Hope ***
Under that wholesome counsel by Paul it is very necessary for each one of us to look after himself. It is not just a matter of saying, ‘I am one of Jehovah’s witnesses,’ or one’s coming to a meeting and there sitting quietly. It really is a matter of inspecting yourself, testing or proving yourself by answering questions in public, voluntarily or when called upon. How can anyone say he is one of Jehovah’s witnesses if he does not attend and participate in the meetings of true worshipers of Jehovah? (John 4:23) How can he say, even to himself, that he believes the truth of God’s Word if he never expresses that truth to his brothers? One might be born a Catholic and be baptized into that religious cult when he is but a few days old and be called a Catholic for the rest of his life. Or he may be born of Protestant parents or Moslem parents or Jewish parents, and the name of his parents’ religion will go with him the rest of his life unless he personally decides to progress. But as for Jehovah’s witnesses, each must make a decision for himself. It is not for any parent to decide for his child to make a dedication to Jehovah God through Jesus Christ. Each must personally prove that he is one of Jehovah’s witnesses through public expression of his faith and hope in Jehovah’s new world before the congregation of Jehovah’s people. It is your active belief that will incite others to greater activity; therefore the knowledge you have gained should be expressed aloud before the congregation for the benefit of all.—1 John 4:17, NW.
*** w56 4/15 p. 246 par. 22 Activity and Life versus Inactivity and Death ***
Inactivity means we are as good as dead. Quit training and quit the race and we are dead in God’s sight. Do not be dead in the sin of inactivity. Be active now and live tomorrow, brothers!
*** w57 2/15 p. 114 par. 4 How Jehovah’s Witnesses View Their Ministry ***
Being one of Jehovah’s witnesses means more than saying, ‘I am one of Jehovah’s witnesses.’ Are you witnessing? Regularly? All physically able have the responsibility to preach publicly and from house to house, as did Jesus, and in addition take advantage of all opportunities to witness to friends, neighbors, etc., while the physically infirm are privileged to witness to visitors, write letters, make telephone calls, and in other ways share in giving the mighty witness. Without exception each witness of Jehovah is aware of his obligations in this regard, as set out in Ezekiel 3:17-21. If one does not witness, he is not one of Jehovah’s witnesses. To call ourselves witnesses of Jehovah and then to refrain from witnessing, which is ministering, would be taking Jehovah’s name in a vain or worthless way. Never may that happen, and it will not so long as a proper view of the ministry is maintained.
*** w58 12/15 pp. 757-758 par. 28 The Crucial Time for Staying Awake ***
So the rendering of the unfaithful ministerial guard naked is a punishment for his failure. To sheeplike men and to angels it shows that he has not been active in Jehovah’s service and has not been fulfilling his Christian commission and his obligations under that commission. He has not been fulfilling the purpose of being a Christian, that of being one of Jehovah’s witnesses and ministers. Only in name has he been a Christian, having a mere form of godly devotion but really proving false to its power. (2 Tim. 3:5) He is unfaithful, lazy, loving ease, careless, not taking his duties seriously in a theocratic spirit. He does not prize the things of Jehovah God and try to preserve them and keep them clean. He is not watching out for the increase of the earthly interests of God’s kingdom or for preserving and expanding the spiritual paradise of Jehovah’s faithful witnesses on earth.
*** w59 12/1 p. 722 par. 8 “Prove Yourselves My Disciples” ***
All who are counted as Jehovah’s witnesses are active preachers of the good news meeting the Biblical standard of morals, since an inactive Christian or one not meeting the standard is not a Christian at all. He is not a witness for Jehovah. Of course, the same Biblical standard must be met in every country of the world.
...OUTLAW