*** km 7/85 p. 4 Presenting the Good News—With Discernment ***
Presenting the Good News—With Discernment
1 “A man of discernment is cool of spirit.” (Prov. 17:27) The wisdom of these words is often proved true in our preaching activity. For example, we may come face to face with a sign that says, “No Soliciting.” Or, we may be asked to leave a building where we have been witnessing. In other areas, a custodian or a manager may refuse to grant entrance to a building. What can we do in these instances?
2 “No Soliciting.” Our work of preaching the good news and leaving literature with people for a freewill contribution to cover printing costs does not constitute solicitation for funds. Yet, some people will object and refer to our preaching work as soliciting. If so, we can kindly explain that our work is not commercial, that it is a missionary and evangelizing work, and that we are ministers. In so doing, our utterance should be ‘always with graciousness, seasoned with salt, so as to know how we ought to give an answer to each one.’ (Col. 4:6) If such a sign is enforced or if authorized persons insist that we are not welcome, we should quietly leave and perhaps try witnessing there at another time.
3 “Asked to leave the premises.” If a publisher is asked to leave a building where he has been preaching, he can tactfully show that his work is of a religious nature of utmost importance and is a public service. If the objection is to calling on Sunday, try to make arrangements to return on another day. If, after calmly talking to the person, you are ordered to leave, you should do so. It is not wise to insist on one’s rights and contribute to further disturbances or even unnecessary arrests. If advisable, the publisher can return on another occasion or write a personal letter giving a witness to those who live there. If you return, discernment may dictate calling at only a few doors or homes. Then return later to visit a few more. If you keep an accurate record of all residents, all may eventually receive a witness.
4 “Entrance to a building is refused.” Discernment calls for the words of Proverbs 15:1: “An answer, when mild, turns away rage, but a word causing pain makes anger to come up.” Thus, as mentioned before, it is usually best not to insist on one’s rights. However, in some places where entry is refused, making an appointment to talk with the superintendent of the building to explain our work may help to obtain permission to preach therein. Also, it may be possible to get into a building or an area in some normal, legal way, and call on one or more families at a time and in a manner unobserved by those who object. Of course, this should be done discreetly. At all times the dignity of our work should be maintained so that we “do all things for God’s glory.”—1 Cor. 10:31.
5 “The good news has to be preached.” (Mark 13:10) As we approach the end of this system, it is expected that Satan will continue to make it more difficult for us to reach sheeplike ones. May we use discernment as we preach in order to reach as many as we can with the hope from God’s Word.
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JoinedPosts by Bangalore
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trespass at your own risk--so sayeth the governing body
by wannaexit inso another wonderful tract campaign will take place in november.
cities and towns will be inundated by a cheap bifold about the dead .. but the dubs are warned--if there is a "no trespassing sign" on a property enter at your own risk.
so says the letter from mother/gb that was read this week at the hall.
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trespass at your own risk--so sayeth the governing body
by wannaexit inso another wonderful tract campaign will take place in november.
cities and towns will be inundated by a cheap bifold about the dead .. but the dubs are warned--if there is a "no trespassing sign" on a property enter at your own risk.
so says the letter from mother/gb that was read this week at the hall.
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*** km 8/71 pp. 3-4 Defending and Legally Establishing the Good News ***
4 Should you ignore “No Solicitors” signs? It should be remembered that our work is not commercial. Accordingly we conclude that the sign just does not have any application to our gospel preaching. We do not solicit funds. We leave with people life-giving information for which they may make free-will contributions.
5 You may be refused entrance into an apartment building or trailer court. This is not at all unusual. Often there may be a doorman or an elevator operator blocking your entrance. If there is no way at all to make personal calls, you may be able to make a list of the tenants and apartment numbers and write to the occupants. If there is no one on duty, then go ahead with the work in the usual way. If, while you are in a place, the superintendent or manager asks you to leave, identify yourself and explain tactfully and kindly that you are in the ministry and doing good for the tenants. If he insists that you leave, comply with his request without making a ‘scene’ and try to return from time to time until the place is covered completely. There are some apartment building owners who have incorporated in their leases stipulation that allows them to determine who shall or shall not call on the tenants. If the tenants are willing to let their landlords make such important decisions for them, they place themselves under the “community responsibility” rule and we shall not insist on making calls on them; in fact, we are legally barred from doing so. Some may be contacted when we engage in street magazine activity.
6 The courts have held that laws allowing door-to-door and street preaching by Jehovah’s witnesses, only upon permit from some official, are unconstitutional. There are still many communities, however, that insist that we comply with registration and permit ordinances. In each instance we could insist on our right and force the matter into the courts. Present world conditions being as they are, where the police are hard pressed to provide protection to citizens, we could conceivably lose such a court case. So we will agree to comply when town authorities request that we comply with such ordinances but only if there is no fee involved. However, this does not mean that we will voluntarily offer to comply with permit ordinances, because most officials agree it is not required that we do so.
7 Occasionally the so-called “Green River” ordinance is encountered. This ordinance is designed to prevent commercial salesmen from making calls at homes of people without a previous invitation. It has no application to our work. When request is made that you comply with such an ordinance, as above indicated, write to the Watchtower Society all the details, sending a copy of the ordinance and names and addresses of the police chief and city attorney.Bangalore
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Jail for Jehovahs Witness elder who molested girls
by Watchtower-Free inhttp://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/jail-jehovahs-witness-elder-jonathan-6258814.
oct 31 2013. .
a jehovah's witness elder who was exposed as a paedophile on facebook has been jailed.. jonathan rose was branded a hypocrite as he was locked up for molesting two little girls he met through the church.. manchester crown court heard that rose, of new moston , won the trust of his victims families before targeting their daughters.
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Disgusting.
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Request stories on JW mental health issues
by optimusprime ini am just curious as to how much of a problem mental illness is among jws.
i would like to hear what others have to say regarding their own experiences in this matter.
specifically, i want to know how these individuals were handled in the congregation and whether or not being a jw contributed to the effects on mental illness.. .
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What % of householders would have a clue about the "life saving " message JW`s have brought to their doors these past 100 years.
by smiddy ini`m an optimist and i would say zilch .
i would bet you a million dollars ( if i had a million dollars ) that if you did a survey in the street that you live , asking the householders what is the life saving message jehovahs witnesses bring to your door on a regular basis , they would not have a clue.. and they have been preaching this message for over 100 years .
how inefective can they be .. the probable answers you would get are : they dont take blood transfusions.
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How many people in countries like China or North Korea have even heard of JW's,let alone been preached to by them?
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Happy Birthday,Angus. Have a great day.
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Some JWs overseas use a false name to evade the authorities. Is this a common practice?
by dropoffyourkeylee ini had posted this a few days ago and got no response, then i realized i had messed up the title, so here goes again;.
i have learned from a credible source that jws from the us have recently gone to morocco to witness, where the work is under ban, and while living there have lived under assumed names.
this is (according to my source) under the direction of the branch (i'm not sure which branch it would be, but i would guess france).
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Interesting thread from a Morracan forum.
http://www.yabiladi.com/forum/moroccan-christians-44-1002391.html
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