00:01 Welcome to JW Broadcasting!
00:04 On our program for this month,
00:07 we’ll hear the experience of Brother Jim Brown.
00:10 He studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses
00:12 off and on for 30 years!
00:16 What motivated him to make changes and dedicate his life to Jehovah?
00:21 When serious problems arise in marriage,
00:24 how will Bible principles help you?
00:27 The candid and heartfelt interviews with these couples
00:30 will show how the Bible saved their marriages.
00:34 It’s important for youths to develop good spiritual habits early.
00:38 How can teenagers get the most out of their daily Bible reading?
00:42 We have a lot to look forward to on the April 2018 edition
00:46 of JW Broadcasting.
01:08 As God’s Word touches the heart of a Bible student,
01:11 they may need to make significant changes
01:14 to live by Jehovah’s standards.
01:16 We start our program with just such a story.
01:20 Meet Jim Brown,
01:22 a brother from Key Largo, Florida,
01:24 in the United States.
01:26 Before becoming one of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
01:28 he was on a dangerous path of vice and violence.
01:32 What changes did he have to make on the road to true worship?
01:41 I’m 53 years old.
01:43 I was known as a troublemaker.
01:47 I was fighting in the bars.
01:50 It comes to a point to where you begin to enjoy it.
01:53 He was flat-out scary.
01:55 He was a very mean and violent man,
01:58 so everybody kind of kept their distance from him.
02:03 My language was detestable.
02:07 I would make grown men blush
02:09 by the things that I would say and things that I would do.
02:11 I was involved with some bikers,
02:14 and they were trying to prospect me into getting into their club.
02:18 Things were escalating.
02:21 We got married very young, and we were 17.
02:25 And we had my oldest daughter.
02:27 I was the mom, and he lived a life
02:30 of being out with his friends and partying.
02:35 About that time, my wife started studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
02:39 It was a big change for her, but she explained the reasoning behind it.
02:43 I couldn’t argue with it.
02:44 She talked me into studying.
02:47 I studied from 20 years old to 30.
02:52 I had always seen it.
02:53 I had always seen that it was good.
02:55 I knew that this was where I needed to be.
02:57 Somehow, I just could never break free of the person that I was.
03:01 My mom always raised us in the truth,
03:03 growing up, and that’s what we knew.
03:05 So, then, to see my dad,
03:06 where he was so different
03:08 but yet believed it to be the truth,
03:11 and then to see that his lifestyle didn’t do him any good
03:15 was kind of a good example
03:18 of a bad example, if that makes sense.
03:23 I was afraid of the change.
03:25 People accepted me for who I was,
03:28 being the tough guy, being Jimmy Brown.
03:32 The scripture comes to mind:
03:34 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept making it grow.”
03:37 Many brothers have studied with Jim
03:39 from time to time over the years.
03:41 I just happened to be the one at the time in his life
03:45 when he was taking the truth and running with it.
03:51 I wanted to be a better person.
03:53 I truly knew that this was just
03:56 not the way of life that I wanted anymore.
04:00 He changed his friends; he changed his life;
04:02 he changed his dress and grooming;
04:04 he changed his speech patterns;
04:07 he changed the way he was a grandfather;
04:10 he changed the way he was a father; he changed the way he was a husband.
04:12 Everything changed about him.
04:18 I knew the work that Witnesses do
04:20 —going out door to door talking to people.
04:22 I thought I could never do that.
04:23 Whoa! Me, going door to door?
04:25 I’m going to run into people that I know,
04:27 that I drank with for years and years.
04:30 How can I face them now?
04:33 I had always told my wife,
04:35 “It would be much easier for me
04:37 to become a Witness if I didn’t live here.”
04:39 But how wrong I was
04:42 because what a witness my changes have been
04:45 to so many people in town.
04:51 One of my favorite things to do
04:53 is bridge witnessing with my granddaughter.
04:57 People are fishing on the bridge —some have been there all night.
05:00 I even have return visits that I do
05:02 because people regularly come down on the weekend
05:04 to fish on the bridges.
05:06 I seize every opportunity.
05:08 My kids laugh at me.
05:10 He’ll witness to anybody, anytime, anywhere.
05:13 You’ll see some raggedy-taggedy, old, rough guy
05:17 that he knew and brought to the Kingdom Hall.
05:19 In a few weeks, he’s got a new suit on,
05:21 got a haircut, clean-shaven, and just—
05:25 This is the effect he has on the people
05:28 that he comes in contact with.
05:31 I love life now.
05:33 I have true friends.
05:35 I know that I have hope for the future.
05:37 Jehovah has seen something in me,
05:41 and he’s brought it to light
05:43 that I am a good person.
05:46 I can be a good human being; I can help other people;
05:49 I can be loved by Him.
05:54 It’s priceless.
06:04 Are you a Bible student who is undecided
06:06 on whether to “commit your way to Jehovah”?
06:09 Take note of the trust and confidence
06:13 Brother Brown showed in dedicating his life to God.
06:16 Be assured that Jehovah will guide and care for us
06:20 if we give him the opportunity.
06:22 Brother Brown now enjoys the blessing of living under Jehovah’s protection,
06:27 serving as a ministerial servant and regular pioneer.
06:31 You too can experience Jehovah’s spiritual protection,
06:35 as we’ll learn throughout our program.
06:38 The theme of our broadcast
06:40 is a very comforting one:
06:42 “Being ‘Securely Wrapped
06:44 in the Bag of Life With Jehovah.’”
06:48 Perhaps the thought of being securely wrapped
06:50 makes us think of a safely swaddled baby
06:53 or of being enveloped in a warm blanket on a cold night.
06:58 In the Bible, these words were uttered by the woman Abigail
07:01 to Jehovah’s servant David.
07:03 To understand the meaning of the words
07:06 and their importance today,
07:08 let’s review the context of 1 Samuel chapter 25.
07:12 David and 600 of his men were dwelling as fugitives.
07:16 They eventually encountered men
07:18 who worked as shepherds for Abigail’s husband, Nabal.
07:21 David and his men began to help guard Nabal’s flocks
07:25 and serve as “a protective wall” for Nabal’s flocks and servants
07:29 against thieves and invaders who roamed through the wilderness.
07:33 It was likely challenging to find enough food for 600 soldiers,
07:38 so David decided to send ten of his men
07:40 to kindly ask Nabal for food
07:43 in repayment for the services that they had performed.
07:47 But at 1 Samuel 25:10, 11,
07:52 note Nabal’s reply:
07:55 “Nabal answered David’s servants:
07:58 “‘Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?
08:03 “‘Nowadays many servants are breaking away from their masters.
08:07 “‘Do I have to take my bread and my water
08:11 “‘and the meat that I butchered for my shearers
08:14 and give it to men who come from who knows where?’”
08:18 This was not the response that David and his men were expecting to hear.
08:23 The Bible describes Nabal as a very harsh, worthless man,
08:28 and this is certainly evidenced by his reply.
08:31 “He screamed insults” at the messengers and ridiculed David,
08:35 comparing him to a runaway servant.
08:39 So David decided to take matters into his own hands
08:42 and resolve the situation the way many people today might
08:46 —by fighting.
08:49 In verse 13,
08:51 he has 400 of his men prepare themselves for battle,
08:54 with one mission
08:56 —to wipe out every male in Nabal’s household.
09:00 Eventually, word got back to Abigail about what her husband had done.
09:05 Without telling Nabal, she gathered an abundance of food
09:08 and went out to meet David.
09:10 When she met up with him, she poured out her heart at length,
09:14 asking David to forgive her personally
09:17 and making a powerful plea for mercy
09:19 on behalf of her husband and her household.
09:22 She acknowledged that Nabal was a foolish and senseless man,
09:26 so she urged David not to take any action
09:29 that might bring bloodguilt upon him
09:31 or cause him to be affected by a troubled conscience.
09:35 As Abigail concluded her appeal to David,
09:38 notice what she tells him in verse 29,
09:42 the theme of our discussion:
09:45 “When someone rises up to pursue you and seeks your life,
09:50 “the life of my lord will be wrapped securely
09:53 “in the bag of life with Jehovah your God,
09:56 “but the lives of your enemies
09:58 he will hurl away like stones from a sling.”
10:02 Just as we might wrap up something valuable
10:05 in order to protect and preserve it,
10:08 Abigail was telling David that that is how his life
10:11 would be in Jehovah’s hands.
10:13 Jehovah would protect and preserve David’s life from his enemies
10:17 as long as he did not seek to save himself by personal efforts
10:21 but waited on Jehovah,
10:23 trusting in the One to whom he owed his life.
10:28 What lessons can we learn from this account?
10:32 As David saw, his relationship with Jehovah was a protection.
10:36 In verse 32, he acknowledges that God had sent Abigail with the warning.
10:42 We learn that Jehovah’s spiritual protection for us
10:46 is related to the quality of our relationship with him.
10:51 That’s why the Bible tells us at James 4:8:
10:56 “Draw close to God,
10:59 and he will draw close to you.”
11:02 Jehovah invites us to draw near to him
11:05 because he wants to receive us into his favor as his friends.
11:10 When we dedicate our lives and vow to serve him unconditionally,
11:14 we gain an approved standing with him;
11:16 we’re figuratively put in that “bag of life.”
11:20 And as we work to develop a close personal relationship with him,
11:24 then we can experience Jehovah’s friendship and protection.
11:28 We would never want to restrict Jehovah’s protection
11:31 by not looking to him for guidance or relying on our own thinking.
11:37 Now, can we think of areas or situations
11:40 that might require us to wait on Jehovah?
11:43 Perhaps we’re experiencing literal opposition at work or at school.
11:48 Like Abigail, we might face the challenge of living with a difficult marriage mate.
11:54 Maybe we’re battling a health issue
11:56 and loyalty is needed regarding our medical choices.
11:59 Or it may be that we live in a country
12:01 where we cannot preach freely
12:03 or that we face opposition for our beliefs.
12:06 Really, it could be any number of situations.
12:10 But it is our response
12:13 —the way we handle the situation—
12:16 that indicates how much we are allowing Jehovah to help us.
12:21 Do we trust him enough that we can leave the matter in his hands
12:26 and see how he works things out in our behalf?
12:30 We have to manifest Christian qualities in order to do that.
12:35 Think about what qualities displayed by Abigail and David impress you most.
12:40 Two that come to mind are patience and reasonableness.
12:45 Patience is closely connected with endurance
12:47 and enables one to put up with difficult circumstances
12:51 while maintaining a positive attitude.
12:54 Reasonableness describes a person who is fair,
12:58 considerate, willing to yield to others.
13:02 How well this describes Abigail!
13:05 It must have been quite a challenge to live with someone like Nabal.
13:09 But nowhere do we read that she was ever disrespectful of him
13:13 or that she belittled him.
13:15 Even when she referred to him as senseless in verse 25,
13:19 from Jehovah’s standpoint, her comments were proper
13:23 because Nabal’s actions put his entire household in danger.
13:28 How about David?
13:30 He was in a position of authority,
13:32 but he showed great patience and reasonableness in listening to Abigail
13:37 and having the good sense to know that she was right.
13:40 That’s not always easy to do in the heat of the moment
13:43 or when we’re upset.
13:46 Perhaps you recall that at our
13:48 “Don’t Give Up!” Regional Convention last year,
13:50 when discussing 2 Peter 1:5-8,
13:54 we learned a nice formula that can help us
13:57 to cultivate and strengthen Christian qualities.
14:01 We were encouraged to study them,
14:04 meditate on them,
14:07 and put them into practice.
14:09 If we apply this formula
14:11 with the qualities of patience and reasonableness,
14:14 it can help us to endure our trials successfully.
14:18 And we’re confident that Jehovah will supply us
14:20 with whatever power we need
14:23 so that we will not tire out
14:25 as we continue to endure and put our trust in him.
14:30 In addition to developing these qualities,
14:32 something else that can help us is our spiritual routine.
14:36 Our consistent routine of study, meeting attendance,
14:40 and the ministry will help us remain busy,
14:44 stay active, and make good decisions.
14:48 We’ll have no time to become curious or occupied
14:51 with the things this world has to offer.
14:55 It’s good to remember the people during the days of Haggai.
14:58 When the Jews lost their focus and started neglecting Jehovah’s temple,
15:03 they lost his blessing and protection spiritually.
15:08 And what was the result?
15:10 Well, notice how Haggai draws our attention
15:13 to a different type of “bag”
15:16 at Haggai 1:6:
15:20 “You have sown much seed, but you harvest little.
15:25 “You eat, but it is not to satisfaction.
15:29 “You drink, but you do not drink your fill.
15:33 “You put on clothing, but no one gets warm.
15:37 “The one who hires himself out puts his wages
15:41 in a bag full of holes.”
15:43 The Jews sowed seed but had a meager harvest.
15:48 They lacked enough food to satisfy their needs.
15:51 They were unable to clothe themselves with warm garments.
15:55 Because Jehovah withheld his blessings,
15:58 Haggai rightly compared them to a man
16:01 who “puts his wages in a bag full of holes.”
16:05 Imagine the disappointment of discovering that hard-earned wages
16:10 had gradually disappeared through a leaking bag!
16:13 Of course, our focus is not material prosperity,
16:17 because, whether we have an abundance of material things or not,
16:21 if we fail to receive Jehovah’s blessing,
16:24 our spirituality is jeopardized.
16:28 So we must be determined never to lose our focus
16:33 and keep Jehovah in the forefront of our lives.
16:37 When we examine the life of David,
16:40 it’s evident that he enjoyed
16:42 a preserved and protected relationship with God.
16:46 When you read the book of Psalms,
16:49 take note of how David describes Jehovah’s protective care
16:53 in Psalm 18,
16:55 Psalm 31, and Psalm 34
16:59 as he went through distresses
17:01 —just beautiful accounts!
17:03 Now, did David always do everything the right way?
17:07 No.
17:09 Think of his encounter with Nabal.
17:11 While his angry reaction was understandable,
17:15 his way of expressing it was not correct.
17:18 But David learned from his mistakes,
17:21 and each new trial that he went through
17:24 strengthened his relationship with Jehovah even more.
17:28 For example, after the ordeal with Nabal,
17:32 a short time later, David married Abigail.
17:36 They were still fugitives,
17:38 but he found a king that befriended them,
17:40 and he gave David’s men and family a land to dwell in.
17:44 One day, while all the men were away,
17:47 the Amalekites raided and burned the city
17:50 and carried off all the men’s wives,
17:53 children, and flocks.
17:55 Upon returning and seeing what had happened,
17:58 David and his men wept.
18:01 Grief quickly turned to bitterness,
18:03 and David’s men spoke of stoning him.
18:07 This was likely quite stressful for David.
18:10 He was concerned for the safety of his family,
18:13 and likely he was frustrated that his men had turned on him.
18:17 Maybe he felt disrespected again, as he had with Nabal.
18:22 So how would he handle this situation?
18:26 We get a glimpse of David’s feelings
18:29 at 1 Samuel 30:6:
18:34 “David was very distressed,
18:37 “because the men were talking of stoning him,
18:40 “for all the men had become very bitter
18:43 over the loss of their sons and daughters.”
18:46 But notice, how did David handle the situation?
18:51 The verse continues:
18:54 “But David strengthened himself by Jehovah his God.”
18:59 How did he do this?
19:02 Verse 8 says:
19:04 “David inquired of Jehovah.”
19:09 This time, David has a different thought process and response.
19:14 Immediately he remembers to consult Jehovah.
19:19 Isn’t this a nice reminder
19:21 that when you and I are going through difficult trials and situations,
19:25 we want to immediately pray to Jehovah
19:29 and seek his direction through the pages of his Word, the Bible?
19:32 This is essential for our spiritual protection.
19:38 So in review, as we face difficult situations in life,
19:43 may we look for opportunities to show and develop our Christian qualities
19:48 —such as patience and reasonableness.
19:51 These qualities show Jehovah that we want to be like him,
19:55 that we have the mental disposition of Christ,
19:58 and that we will allow Him to guide us constantly.
20:02 Next, may we keep focused and busy “in the work of the Lord.”
20:07 By drawing close to Jehovah through prayer
20:10 and engaging in spiritual activities,
20:13 we make the best of our situation now.
20:16 But we will also find
20:18 everlasting protection in Jehovah’s hands,
20:21 safely swaddled
20:23 and securely wrapped in his “bag of life”!
20:29 We need to rely on Jehovah’s guidance even in the most severe trials.
20:34 It’s possible that you may face a life-threatening issue
20:37 where there’s no desirable option,
20:40 but a decision is necessary.
20:43 In the following dramatization,
20:45 Emma is faced with a situation like this.
20:49 What will she do?
20:51 And how will God’s Word help her to make a decision?
20:58 When Thomas and I first learned I was pregnant,
21:01 we were both really shocked.
21:09 But then we grew more and more excited.
21:15 And we were so thrilled when we saw our little girl for the first time.
21:25 We really didn’t care if it was a boy or a girl;
21:27 we just wanted the baby to be healthy.
21:45 Unfortunately, our hopes were completely destroyed
21:49 when the doctor told us that the baby would likely be born
21:52 with severe problems and could even die.
22:04 My husband and his parents are not Jehovah’s Witnesses,
22:08 but they do feel abortion is wrong.
22:19 Still, they thought that we should listen to our doctor’s advice.
22:26 I couldn’t believe this was happening.
22:28 I even questioned why Jehovah would allow it.
22:32 I really felt it was more than I could bear.
22:38 Thomas asked me what I wanted to do,
22:41 and I told him that I could never have an abortion.
22:44 He agreed that normally it would be wrong
22:47 but felt that in our situation God would understand.
22:55 I was so overwhelmed.
22:57 I was being pressured to make a decision I knew was wrong
23:01 but that everyone was telling me was best for my child.
23:08 I had never felt so alone.
23:13 I needed Jehovah more than ever,
23:16 so I poured out my heart to him in prayer.
23:28 And then I did research.
23:49 I showed Thomas the scripture I had found.
24:08 “If men should struggle with each other
24:10 “and they hurt a pregnant woman
24:14 “. . . if a fatality does occur,
24:17 then you must give life for life.”
24:21 Jehovah views even the unintentional killing
24:24 of an unborn child as a serious sin.
24:27 So how could we intentionally take the life of our child?
24:36 I made my decision clear to our doctor
24:45 and to my in-laws.
24:50 There was a chance the diagnosis was incorrect,
24:53 and I’d love to say that’s what occurred;
24:57 but it did not.
24:59 My daughter Chloe only lived a few weeks after she was born,
25:03 and losing her was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to endure.
25:07 But Jehovah gave me the courage to explain my beliefs to my husband,
25:11 my in-laws, and the medical staff,
25:14 and they all expressed admiration for my strong faith.
25:19 And I’ve never regretted the decision I made.
25:23 Even though Chloe only lived those few weeks,
25:26 I’m so grateful for the time I had with her.
25:29 I know Jehovah remembers every detail about her,
25:33 and he’ll give her back to me in the resurrection in perfect health,
25:37 because all life is truly precious in his eyes.
25:47 Getting Jehovah’s thinking on a matter
25:49 should be the first thing we do when making decisions.
25:53 This is especially true when well-intentioned friends or family
25:57 offer advice that may conflict with Bible principles.
26:01 As we weigh a variety of options,
26:03 follow Emma’s good example of consulting God’s Word
26:06 and our Christian publications.
26:08 This will help us make decisions that bring honor to Jehovah.
26:14 Emma’s Christian conduct helped her to navigate
26:16 a potentially divisive moment in her marriage.
26:20 But unfortunately, this system of things and our imperfect flesh
26:25 can create extreme tension in a marriage.
26:28 Can the Bible save a marriage that’s in danger?
26:32 The following interviews, while very frank,
26:36 will show the exceeding value of God’s own Word, the Bible,
26:40 to preserve that divine union.
26:42 Almost from the start of the marriage,
26:45 it was not running smoothly, to say the least.
26:50 We were fighting constantly.
26:52 Even the smallest things we would argue over,
26:57 and it would just get blown out of proportion.
27:00 We couldn’t communicate without it being an argument.
27:04 Steadily the arguments increased
27:08 in frequency and intensity.
27:11 And you think, ‘Well, I’m not happy here,’
27:14 and that’s when I threatened to leave.
27:17 Sometimes I felt like completely giving up on the marriage.
27:22 There would be arguments where you’d be packing the bags
27:24 and saying you’d wished you’d never done it.
27:26 And ultimately it would end in insults.
27:29 Jehovah was missing in our marriage,
27:31 and that was the essential part of making our marriage work.
27:36 A brother and sister that we’d known for a long time
27:40 initially offered us a Bible study.
27:42 They invited us to their Family Worship evening
27:45 to have dinner and to do The Watchtower with them,
27:48 which we accepted.
27:50 The Family Worship arrangement helped
27:52 because it wasn’t just Bible principles that you read about,
27:55 but we saw them being applied in this couple’s life.
27:59 And so all of a sudden,
28:01 I could see the cause and effect of a Bible principle.
28:06 But the impact that it was having was tremendous
28:09 because we could see how to apply a Bible principle and make it work.
28:13 I think it took a long time before things got better, honestly,
28:18 but the turning point was coming back to Jehovah.
28:22 There were many principles that all of a sudden
28:24 were like little light bulbs going off,
28:26 such as Jesus at John 13:34
28:29 when he recommended his example.
28:31 Ephesians 5:33
28:34 eventually had an impact on me,
28:36 because there were articles that pointed out
28:39 how important it is for a husband to feel respected by his wife,
28:43 and I don’t think I’d ever really appreciated that before.
28:45 I just viewed it as a mechanical process:
28:48 He’s the head; he needs to have respect from his wife.
28:51 I didn’t recognize that it’s important for a husband to feel respected
28:55 to be able to take on his role as head.
29:00 We’re so thankful to Jehovah for his patience.
29:04 The Bible principles were always there;
29:07 we just weren’t making application of them.
29:09 As soon as we started to make application,
29:11 our marriage did a complete turnaround.
29:14 Where we are now is totally different.
29:17 The relationship that we have is what we wanted at the start
29:20 but didn’t know how to get.
29:22 It’s just that application of Bible principles
29:24 that has made it possible.
29:32 We were 17, actually, when we met and 20 when we got married.
29:36 Life was good for Tony and me; we were happy.
29:40 But then I got into another business
29:43 that became the main focus in my life.
29:46 It had quite a dramatic effect on our spirituality.
29:50 We went through a time when we hardly saw each other,
29:54 so there was a great deal of time that we spent apart.
29:57 Bible principles were ones that weren’t brought into our life.
30:02 At that time, Bible reading was out of the picture.
30:06 I started delving into viewing things
30:09 that were really, really inappropriate.
30:12 And then it eventually happened
30:16 where I didn’t really care what I viewed,
30:19 and I didn’t think about the consequences
30:22 and of the unhappiness that it would cause.
30:26 It made me feel very, extremely, unloved.
30:31 I felt very angry about his behavior.
30:36 I felt a lot of resentment towards him, a lot of bitterness.
30:39 We ended up in separation, to begin with.
30:42 I left Tony; I walked away from him.
30:45 I walked away from the marriage, walked away from the business
30:48 and, eventually, ended up unscripturally divorcing Tony.
30:52 The elders who were assisting me
30:57 helped me to see exactly how Jehovah felt
31:01 about what I’d been doing
31:03 and where my relationship was with him, and it was quite poor.
31:07 I felt that because of the betrayal that I had experienced,
31:11 I did not have a problem with my conscience at all in going through the divorce.
31:14 It seemed the logical and best way for me to go.
31:17 With my Bible reading,
31:19 I got to see Amos 5:15.
31:22 It really had an effect on me
31:24 because I needed to “hate what is bad, and love what is good.”
31:27 One scripture that affected me
31:29 was from Malachi about how Jehovah felt about divorce.
31:33 Altogether, it took us 15 years before we got together again.
31:37 I was just enjoying a day out in the field midweek,
31:41 and I got home in mid-afternoon.
31:45 And all of a sudden, my mobile phone rang,
31:48 and I heard Rhonda’s voice.
31:52 What a delight it was that she was inviting me
31:55 to accompany her for a cup of coffee somewhere
31:59 to talk about things!
32:03 If I hadn’t started having a Scriptural intake
32:06 and learning to love God’s Word,
32:09 my life wouldn’t have changed.
32:12 Without the Bible, Tony and I would not be together.
32:15 The marriage would never ever have reconciled.
32:18 We have become best friends, so we really enjoy
32:22 being in each other’s company and serving Jehovah together.
32:26 Our married life now has certainly benefited
32:29 by both of us seeing how beneficial the Scriptures are.
32:33 Tony and I are now very much a couple,
32:35 and so no matter what we deal with, it’s us together.
32:40 When situations like these arise,
32:42 it’s not just our marriage that’s affected.
32:45 Our relationship with Jehovah is on the line!
32:49 Our dear sister, for example,
32:51 reached an emotional point where she felt the only solution
32:54 was an unscriptural divorce.
32:57 As we make our decisions in marriage,
33:00 Jehovah’s feelings on the subject, found at Malachi 2:16,
33:04 should be carefully considered:
33:07 “‘For I hate divorce,’
33:10 says Jehovah the God of Israel.”
33:14 If you find your marital peace is threatened,
33:16 review articles like the one
33:18 in the May 15, 2012, study edition of The Watchtower entitled
33:23 “Take a Positive View of a Strained Marriage.”
33:27 It provides powerful counsel that can help
33:30 to save and strengthen your marriage bond.
33:34 In our program, we’ve seen a few ways
33:36 that Satan will exert pressure on those
33:39 ‘securely wrapped in the bag of life.’
33:42 True Christians courageously stand up to the Devil,
33:45 never allowing him to pry us away from Jehovah’s protection.
33:49 At a recent Bethel morning worship,
33:51 Brother Mark Sanderson of the Governing Body discussed 1 Peter 5:9
33:56 and outlined how we take our stand against Satan.
34:01 Is it possible to survive
34:03 the attack of a roaring lion?
34:07 Well, now, I did some
34:08 —just quick—checking
34:09 on various wildlife websites,
34:12 and here’s what they say.
34:13 Basically,
34:14 they all give the same advice
34:16 if you’re being attacked by a lion.
34:18 They say: “Hold your ground.
34:21 Never run or turn back.”
34:24 In fact, one website says:
34:27 “A lion can run 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).
34:30 “So stand still.
34:32 If you run, you will only die tired.”
34:38 Well, that’s true.
34:40 First Peter 5:9
34:43 gives us exactly the same advice.
34:46 It says: “Take your stand against him.”
34:51 Well, in this case not against a literal lion,
34:54 but against that “roaring lion,” Satan the Devil,
34:58 who is seeking to devour every single one of us.
35:03 Our ability to stand firm when facing this lion
35:07 —to be able to oppose him,
35:09 to refuse to be intimidated by him,
35:13 to refuse to run away or turn back—
35:17 requires what the apostle Peter next mentions there in verse 9,
35:21 and Brother Crane so nicely covered in his comment.
35:24 We have to: “Take [our] stand against him,
35:28 firm in the faith.”
35:31 To be successful, we must have complete trust
35:35 and complete confidence in Jehovah.
35:39 Well, now, in that regard, let’s look at an example
35:42 of someone in Bible times who had that kind of confidence in Jehovah.
35:47 This is in the days of King Jehoshaphat,
35:50 when Judah was threatened by the combined forces
35:54 of Moab, Ammon,
35:56 and the inhabitants of the mountainous region of Seir.
35:59 Now let’s begin by opening our Bibles
36:01 and reading 2 Chronicles 20:12.
36:07 So here Jehoshaphat is praying to Jehovah;
36:10 he’s pouring out his heart to him, and see what he says:
36:14 “O our God, will you not execute judgment on them?
36:19 “For we are powerless before this large crowd
36:23 “that is coming against us;
36:25 “and we do not know what we should do,
36:28 but our eyes are toward you.”
36:32 Well, Jehoshaphat was facing the lion.
36:36 He said to Jehovah: ‘We don’t know what to do.’
36:40 But Jehoshaphat had complete and total trust;
36:45 he had firm faith in Jehovah.
36:48 Well, what did Jehovah tell Jehoshaphat to do?
36:51 See verse 17:
36:54 “You will not need to fight this battle.
36:57 Take your position.”
36:59 Does that sound familiar?
37:01 “Take your position, stand still,
37:05 “and see the salvation of Jehovah in your behalf.
37:09 “O Judah and Jerusalem,
37:11 “do not be afraid or be terrified.
37:13 “Tomorrow go out against them,
37:16 and Jehovah will be with you.”
37:19 Well, what did Jehovah tell them to do?
37:22 He said: ‘Take a position in opposition to that military force,
37:26 ‘stand firm, refuse to run away,
37:30 and see the salvation that will come from Jehovah.’
37:34 Well, in order to do that,
37:36 Jehoshaphat and the people with him
37:38 would need to have strong, firm, solid faith.
37:44 Well, now, to help the people,
37:46 look at what Jehoshaphat said to them
37:48 as they were getting ready for this battle.
37:50 In verse 20, you see, just about the middle of the verse,
37:55 it says: “Jehoshaphat stood up and said:
37:58 “‘Listen to me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem!
38:02 “‘Put faith in Jehovah your God
38:06 “‘so that you may be able to stand firm.
38:10 “‘Put faith in his prophets,
38:12 and you will be successful.’”
38:16 Well, that’s exactly what happened.
38:18 See, with that kind of confidence in Jehovah,
38:21 with that firm trust in him, with that standing firm,
38:25 what did Jehovah do?
38:27 Well, according to verses 22 and 23
38:30 —you’ll remember what happened—
38:32 the men of Ammon, Moab, and the inhabitants
38:35 of the mountainous region of Seir,
38:37 they all went to striking down one another.
38:41 And verse 23 says:
38:43 “And the Ammonites and the Moabites
38:45 “turned against the inhabitants of the mountainous region of Seir
38:49 “to destroy and annihilate them;
38:51 “and when they finished with the inhabitants of Seir,
38:54 they helped to destroy one another.”
38:57 Well, Jehovah had rewarded their firm faith in him.
39:02 The weapons that had been formed
39:05 against Jehoshaphat and his people had no success.
39:09 Well, now, sometimes we think, of course,
39:12 that these kinds of situations only happened in Bible times.
39:17 But it’s amazing to see how our brothers in our modern day
39:21 have had that same kind of faith
39:23 and have stood firm against the lion.
39:27 Here are just a couple of experiences
39:29 that really touched my heart.
39:31 Here’s one about a brother named Pavel from Russia.
39:35 In 1958,
39:37 Pavel was arrested for religious activities.
39:40 “Accompanying me to the train,” he says,
39:43 “the officer [with me] said,
39:45 “‘Look at your wife for the last time
39:48 because you will never see her again.’”
39:51 Well, there’s the lion.
39:53 “I spent six months in solitary confinement before my trial.
39:58 “During interrogations, . . . the investigators did everything
40:01 “to undermine my faith.
40:03 “Sometimes violence was used.
40:06 I begged Jehovah to give me the strength to stay firm.”
40:11 But now look what happened.
40:13 “During a routine interrogation,
40:16 “the investigator called me into his study and [he] said:
40:20 “‘Now we will show you what your organization is doing.
40:24 “Then you can see if it is God’s work or not!’
40:27 “Looking at me intently, he continued:
40:30 “‘This year your convention in New York
40:34 “‘was attended by 253,000 people
40:37 “‘in two stadiums.
40:39 “The convention lasted eight days.’
40:42 “The investigator strewed the table with photographs.
40:46 “In one of them, I saw happy delegates
40:48 “in colorful native dress embracing one another.
40:52 “Another photo showed Brother Knorr giving a talk,
40:55 “and yet others showed the baptism.
40:58 “The investigator could not even imagine
41:02 “what I was feeling at that moment.
41:04 “I felt that I was attending the convention
41:07 “without ever having left the prison.
41:10 “I felt new strength flooding into me.
41:13 “[It was just what] I had needed.
41:17 “. . . And Jehovah generously blessed me in a special way.
41:21 I was ready to endure further.”
41:23 Isn’t that amazing?
41:26 Here’s another similar experience,
41:28 1960, also in Russia,
41:30 a large publicized trial of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
41:34 About 300 persons were present in the courtroom,
41:37 including many of our brothers and sisters.
41:40 Well, as the evidence—
41:42 As evidence against the brothers,
41:44 the prosecutor decided to present a letter from Nathan H. Knorr.
41:49 One of the brothers who attended the trial said this:
41:53 “The prosecutor loudly began to read a letter
41:56 “that had been intercepted by the KGB
41:59 “from Brother Knorr to the brothers in the Soviet Union.
42:02 “For all of us Witnesses present in the hall,
42:06 “it was a wonderful gift from Jehovah.
42:08 “This letter warmed our hearts!
42:11 “We heard wise counsel from the Bible
42:13 “and encouragement to serve our fellow believers lovingly
42:17 “and to stay faithful [even] under trials.
42:20 “The prosecutor read the letter
42:22 “from the beginning to the very end.
42:25 “We listened with rapt attention.
42:28 It seemed to us that we were attending a convention!”
42:33 Well, now, brothers, what additional lessons
42:36 do we learn from these two experiences?
42:40 When we stand our ground against Satan,
42:44 firm in the faith,
42:46 then Jehovah will do just what he promised
42:49 at 1 Peter 5:10.
42:52 Do you see what it says there?
42:54 “But after you have suffered a little while,
42:57 “the God of all undeserved kindness,
43:00 “who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ,
43:04 “will himself finish your training.
43:07 “He will make you firm,
43:09 “he will make you strong,
43:11 he will firmly ground you.”
43:14 So, brothers,
43:16 can we survive the attack of a roaring lion?
43:20 Absolutely!
43:22 With firm faith, let’s stand fast
43:26 and see the salvation from Jehovah.
43:31 Firm faith is needed to resist the relentless attacks of Satan the Devil.
43:36 The modern-day examples brought out in the presentation are truly inspiring.
43:42 However, did you notice that Brother Sanderson
43:45 also applied the Biblical example of Jehoshaphat?
43:49 The Bible is full of accounts that can revive
43:52 and renew our courage every time we read them.
43:57 But here’s a question:
43:59 When should we develop the type of faith
44:02 that can resist the attack of “a roaring lion”?
44:05 Is it something only longtime servants of Jehovah can do?
44:09 Ecclesiastes 12:1 says
44:11 to “remember, then, your Grand Creator
44:15 in the days of your youth.”
44:18 Young ones,
44:20 do you find it a challenge to read the Bible every day?
44:24 A few of your peers have excellent suggestions
44:27 based on how they do their Bible reading
44:29 and how they get the most benefit from it.
44:34 I often put it off until later.
44:36 So I come home in the evening tired,
44:38 and I like to relax.
44:40 Well, very often,
44:41 I was tired for many different reasons,
44:42 and that is why I didn’t have the motivation
44:45 even to start Bible reading in the first place.
44:47 I also had many phases
44:49 where it was really tough
44:51 to stick it out with Bible reading.
44:53 Especially in the age of social media,
44:55 there are many other things you can fill your day with.
44:58 One hobby that mainly got in the way
45:01 was watching movies.
45:03 I really spent a lot of time on that.
45:06 This often steals precious time you could have made better use of.
45:10 So something that moved me
45:12 was the thought that through Bible reading,
45:14 you’re actually talking with Jehovah.
45:16 You pray to him, and he is then answering you through the Bible.
45:21 As Jehovah promised, he can give us both the power and the desire to act.
45:25 I just pray to Jehovah, please, to first give me the power to read
45:28 and then the desire follows.
45:32 Then I decided to simply start and stick with it.
45:35 I started with reading my favorite book,
45:37 and that way it was easier for me.
45:40 Well, I started with Genesis just to get through the whole Bible.
45:46 My favorite Bible book is Esther.
45:49 And because I think she was a very special person,
45:52 it was especially then that I could imagine
45:54 what her situation was like and what kind of a person she was
45:58 and I could see myself in the account.
46:02 The weekly Bible reading program has been such a guideline.
46:05 It’s motivating since we discuss this content at the meetings,
46:08 and I could use the study aids in our workbook too.
46:11 You can better relate to the brothers’ and sisters’ comments
46:14 because you’ve read the material yourself, and I can comment too.
46:19 When I’m reading the Bible in the JW Library app on my phone,
46:22 there is, of course, the risk that it vibrates,
46:25 and I get a message.
46:27 And then, of course, you have the urge to check to see who just wrote me.
46:30 For me personally, then, it’s really helpful
46:33 when I put my phone in airplane mode
46:35 so that I can really focus on what I’m reading
46:37 and nothing can distract me.
46:41 I like reading at home, but I also like to do it outdoors
46:45 because I think that’s where you’re closest to Jehovah.
46:49 I never just read about the events that are described in the Bible,
46:52 but I ask myself questions like:
46:54 ‘Why did Jehovah have this written down?
46:56 What is in there for me personally?’
46:59 This helps me to stay focused and not just scratch the surface;
47:02 otherwise, my mind would immediately start wandering.
47:06 At a convention, I learned something that helps me
47:09 to really take in the things I read.
47:11 The point discussed was to remember to look
47:13 in four different directions when meditating, so to speak.
47:17 First, look upwards to find out exactly what I am learning
47:21 from the text about Jehovah;
47:24 then downwards to find out what it teaches me about his purpose,
47:28 about what he wants for the earth;
47:31 then look at myself, how I can personally benefit now;
47:36 and eventually towards others,
47:38 thinking about how I can help other people
47:40 with this particular Bible text.
47:43 In the JW Library app, there are four different colors for highlighting text,
47:48 so I simply use a different color for each of the four directions
47:53 and highlight them on my tablet or smartphone.
47:57 For example, one of my hobbies is drawing.
48:01 I decided, one time, that I was going to draw
48:03 the spiritual suit of armor, all of its different parts
48:06 and their symbolic meanings.
48:08 And this especially helped me to actually see the benefit of it,
48:11 to see how many wonderful resources Jehovah provides us with
48:15 and that he never leaves us alone.
48:18 Another thing I like very much is the category
48:20 “Bible Study Activities” where you can directly pick a topic
48:23 that you personally find interesting
48:25 and then read that.
48:27 It’s Jehovah’s Word.
48:28 I love him and also want to please him, of course.
48:31 That’s why it’s very important to understand his Word.
48:34 It feels really good when you’ve understood
48:37 a difficult phrase by doing it this way.
48:39 It actually makes you feel like you’ve achieved something,
48:42 and this brings you a lot closer to Jehovah.
48:44 It happens often that you don’t even know what you should pray about
48:49 or what you could thank Jehovah for.
48:53 My personal Bible reading has helped me with this a lot
48:55 because now I know exactly what I want to tell Jehovah.
48:58 Daily Bible reading is very important to me
49:02 as it gives me some sort of inner balance when I face situations
49:05 that may be unfamiliar or shake me up.
49:08 I know that no matter what the problem is,
49:11 Jehovah always has the right answer prepared.
49:14 At the beginning, it is really hard.
49:17 You have to fight to keep it up, and you definitely need discipline.
49:20 But after a while, you truly start to enjoy it
49:24 and it gets easier and easier
49:26 and you’re happy that you started in the first place.
49:28 I really think that when Jehovah sees how much effort you put into it,
49:33 he is genuinely proud of you,
49:35 and that’s the best thing that can happen to you.
49:47 These young brothers and sisters didn’t just acquire knowledge;
49:50 they drew closer to Jehovah.
49:53 This will help them build a fine foundation for their future,
49:57 and you can too.
49:59 It may not be easy at first,
50:01 but as one young brother suggested,
50:03 start with something that captures your interest.
50:06 Try using the JW Library app or a handy notebook
50:10 to keep track of points you hope to apply or discuss at family worship.
50:15 This will make it a part of your daily routine
50:17 that you look forward to.
50:20 Each segment in the program has highlighted
50:23 some way we can build a strong relationship with God.
50:26 Our music video depicts the joy of marriage,
50:29 where Jehovah is part of a threefold cord
50:32 —one that cannot quickly be torn apart.
50:36 The song is called “Truly in Love.”
50:50 There is a gift that comes from above, A lovely gift called being in love.
51:03 When two hearts begin to beat as one, Then a wonderful time has begun.
51:18 It’s simple, so easy. And it’s something we know.
51:24 With a threefold cord, Love will grow.
51:30 With Jehovah to guide us in all that we do, How I love to be truly in love
51:41 With someone like you, Someone like you.
51:55 Trials will come our way, But our love will grow stronger each day.
52:07 We will build a bond that no one can break. We will build a love that no one will take.
52:18 No, no, no one, no.
52:23 It’s simple, so easy. And it’s something we know.
52:28 With a threefold cord, Love will grow.
52:34 With Jehovah to guide us in all that we do, How I love to be truly in love
52:45 With someone like you, Someone like you.
52:59 Nothing can destroy our love. This precious gift is from our God up above.
53:11 Exclusive devotion —‘love’s as strong as death.’
53:17 You are “bone of my bones”; you are “flesh of my flesh,”
53:23 Such an excellent woman in all that you do. I will spend all my life loving you.
53:38 I want you to know how I feel ’Cause my love for you is so very real.
53:49 I bless the day you came into my life. I bless the day I made you my wife.
54:03 Yes, I do.
54:05 It’s simple, so easy. And it’s something we know.
54:11 With a threefold cord, Love will grow.
54:17 With Jehovah to guide us in all that we do, How I love to be truly in love
54:28 With someone like you, Someone like you.
54:42 How I love to be truly in love With someone like you.
54:57 So many of our brothers and sisters can agree with the words of that song:
55:02 “With a threefold cord, love will grow.”
55:07 In marriage, in youth,
55:10 really, in all things we’ve considered,
55:13 Jehovah will be there to guide us.
55:16 What will be the result?
55:18 We’ll find the warmth and security
55:21 of being securely wrapped
55:23 in Jehovah’s “bag of life.”
55:26 We hope you enjoyed our program.
55:29 We conclude by heading
55:30 to the beautiful tropical island of Sri Lanka,
55:33 off the southeast coast of India in the Indian Ocean.
55:38 Over 6,000 publishers make up the 112 congregations on the island,
55:42 including 13 isolated groups.
55:45 As you travel throughout the country,
55:48 the scars of the decades-long civil war are still evident.
55:51 However, our brothers and sisters display
55:55 the beautiful spirit of Christian unity.
55:58 Publishers preach the good news to those on the coast,
56:01 high in the mountains,
56:03 and in the bustling cities.
56:06 More than 8,000 Bible studies are being conducted,
56:09 and over 650 brothers and sisters are in the pioneer work.
56:13 Because of the dense population in the city of Colombo,
56:16 those in metropolitan witnessing see an average of almost 17,000 people
56:21 in just one 8-hour period.
56:25 High in Sri Lanka’s tea mountains
56:27 is a small congregation in the town of Badulla.
56:32 Their productive ministry takes them into banana plantations,
56:35 jungles, and mountain tea estates as they search
56:38 for those receptive to the good news.
56:41 Despite differing ethnic backgrounds,
56:44 they’re completely united in worship and brotherly affection.
56:48 Our brothers and sisters who are wrapped up
56:50 in Jehovah’s “bag of life”
56:52 send you their warm love and greetings
56:54 from the mountaintops of Sri Lanka!
56:56 Thank you for watching.
56:59 From the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
57:01 this is JW Broadcasting.
