00:00:01 Welcome to the program!
00:00:04 We have many spiritual gems to share with you.
00:00:07 For example,
00:00:09 how can we build a good relationship
00:00:12 with Jehovah despite a difficult upbringing?
00:00:17 The story of Dimitris and Agis
00:00:19 is very encouraging.
00:00:22 And how can we continue to honor our marriage mate,
00:00:26 even if he or she is an unbeliever?
00:00:29 Notice how Emma has learned
00:00:31 to do just that with her husband, Thomas,
00:00:34 despite their differences.
00:00:37 And this month’s music video highlights
00:00:40 who really is a true friend.
00:00:43 This is the November 2018 program
00:00:47 of JW Broadcasting!
00:01:09 Our adversary, Satan the Devil,
00:01:12 will do all he can to break our integrity
00:01:15 and destroy our friendship with Jehovah.
00:01:18 Meet Brother Viktor Winter.
00:01:21 He is a Russian brother who lives in Germany.
00:01:25 In 1958, at the age of 21,
00:01:29 Brother Winter was sent to a Siberian labor camp
00:01:33 simply for practicing his faith in Jehovah.
00:01:36 In total, he spent 13 years
00:01:40 in multiple Soviet prison camps
00:01:42 and 5 years in exile.
00:01:45 Despite the persecution,
00:01:47 he maintained his Christian qualities.
00:01:57 On July 24, 1958,
00:02:00 I got baptized; and on November 5, 1958,
00:02:05 I already got arrested for refusal to do military service.
00:02:10 The second time I was convicted was again
00:02:14 for refusal to do military service.
00:02:17 The next court trial took place in 1963.
00:02:21 I got seven years —and five years exile.
00:02:25 They added three years
00:02:27 that I did not serve for refusal to go to the army.
00:02:33 I was taken to Mordovia.
00:02:37 This was the first camp where all believers were put,
00:02:40 amongst them 360 of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
00:02:44 The detentions were very strict
00:02:47 because around this time the governments
00:02:49 and party politics changed.
00:02:51 They decided that prisoners must suffer hunger.
00:02:58 The food rations were cut.
00:03:01 This was very difficult, very difficult, I must say.
00:03:07 And the winters can be cold.
00:03:09 Even in March, it could get as cold
00:03:11 as 35 degrees Celsius —minus 35 (-31°F).
00:03:18 Spiritual things were for all of us
00:03:21 —the brothers in this camp— top priority.
00:03:25 First of all, all 360 people
00:03:28 were divided into four congregations,
00:03:31 and every congregation was divided into groups.
00:03:34 Every congregation had responsible brothers as overseers
00:03:37 and so had every group.
00:03:40 We conducted the study not just once a week,
00:03:43 but we conducted the study every day,
00:03:46 every day.
00:03:48 And brothers took this very seriously.
00:03:50 We had no time for any worldly thoughts.
00:03:55 Every Saturday and Sunday,
00:03:57 we had a very powerful choir —men’s voices.
00:04:01 When we were singing, we stationed guards
00:04:05 near the oversight house where supervisors were on duty.
00:04:09 And if one of them came out, it was signaled
00:04:13 from one brother to the next so that if he or they came closer,
00:04:18 we would already be gone.
00:04:20 But the most interesting thing
00:04:23 was that we were singing in the zone.
00:04:26 We were the prisoners,
00:04:28 but our listeners were outside.
00:04:31 They were sitting up in the trees
00:04:33 —the children of the supervisors,
00:04:36 officers, and guards.
00:04:38 And they were listening to our choir.
00:04:42 All together during that time,
00:04:45 I was in seven prison camps.
00:04:48 I spent about 13 years there
00:04:51 and another 5 years in exile in Siberia.
00:04:56 But when I was convicted the last time,
00:05:00 the head of the interrogation department came into my cell and said,
00:05:03 “Viktor, when you finish all your prison terms,
00:05:07 you will have nothing at all —no family, no children.”
00:05:10 I smiled at him and asked:
00:05:13 “How do you know this, Citizen Lieutenant Colonel?
00:05:16 I don’t know it either, but I do trust in Jehovah.”
00:05:22 Today, I do have a family
00:05:24 and do have my wife and my children.
00:05:28 We continue to serve Jehovah.
00:05:31 And my greatest joy
00:05:33 is when my six-year-old granddaughter
00:05:36 stands next to me in the Kingdom Hall
00:05:39 and sings songs that praise Jehovah.
00:05:45 Well, to make it simple, I would put it this way:
00:05:48 Preserve your love for Jehovah and for your brothers.
00:05:52 Joy in Jehovah’s service —never lose it!
00:05:57 We will not fear anything bad
00:06:00 —neither cold nor hunger—
00:06:03 nothing.
00:06:07 Did you notice the evil words
00:06:09 of the head of the interrogation department?
00:06:12 “You will have nothing at all
00:06:15 —no family, no children.”
00:06:18 Today, Brother Winter is over 80 years old.
00:06:23 What a blessing, as you can see,
00:06:26 that he is now surrounded by a big family!
00:06:30 By maintaining his theocratic routine
00:06:33 even under persecution,
00:06:35 Brother Winter avoided developing bitter feelings
00:06:38 toward his persecutors.
00:06:40 In this way,
00:06:42 he maintained his relationship with Jehovah
00:06:45 and he conquered the evil with the good.
00:06:51 And that is also the theme for this month’s program:
00:06:55 “Keep Conquering the Evil With the Good.”
00:06:59 This challenging exhortation
00:07:02 was written by the apostle Paul at Romans 12:21.
00:07:06 It’s challenging because we live in a world
00:07:10 that is alienated from God and the truth,
00:07:12 a world that tries to squeeze everyone into its mold.
00:07:18 Isaiah 5:20 shows how the world
00:07:21 has changed God-given standards.
00:07:24 It reads:
00:07:26 “Woe to those who say that good is bad
00:07:30 “and bad is good,
00:07:33 “those who substitute darkness for light
00:07:36 “and light for darkness,
00:07:38 “those who put bitter for sweet
00:07:41 and sweet for bitter!”
00:07:43 By adhering to the standard
00:07:46 “of healthful words” in the Scriptures
00:07:48 and to the examples of faithful servants of the past,
00:07:52 we can ‘conquer the evil with the good.’
00:07:57 The faithful man Enoch was born
00:07:59 when Adam was about 600 years old,
00:08:02 which means that Enoch and Adam
00:08:04 were contemporaries for about 300 years.
00:08:08 However, there is no record
00:08:11 of any contact between them during that period of time.
00:08:15 The Scriptures indicate that violence and hate for God
00:08:19 were widespread in that pre-Flood world.
00:08:23 Many centuries later,
00:08:25 the disciple Jude described the fear-inspiring prophecy
00:08:29 that God gave to Enoch
00:08:31 about Jehovah coming with his holy myriads,
00:08:34 legions of mighty angels in battle array,
00:08:38 to bring destruction to all the ungodly.
00:08:42 Enoch fearlessly went about declaring
00:08:45 the coming judgment and destruction and,
00:08:48 what is more, he did it alone!
00:08:51 The prophecy was fulfilled in the global Deluge,
00:08:56 and it set the pattern
00:08:58 of a greater destruction yet to come.
00:09:02 No wonder that Genesis 5:24 tells us
00:09:06 that “Enoch kept walking with the true God.”
00:09:11 Enoch’s example gives us courage
00:09:13 to remain firm for true worship
00:09:16 even if family and friends stand apart from us.
00:09:20 Enoch did not try to fit in with the evil crowd
00:09:24 of the pre-Flood world,
00:09:26 and we don’t want to fit in
00:09:28 with the present dying world and its evil ways.
00:09:32 We may feel alone at times,
00:09:34 but we are reminded that Jehovah never abandoned Enoch,
00:09:39 and neither will He abandon His faithful servants today.
00:09:45 We imitate Enoch
00:09:47 by not allowing the evil surrounding us
00:09:50 to undermine our faith in Jehovah.
00:09:54 Like Enoch, we can ‘conquer the evil with the good’
00:09:58 by avoiding bad associations,
00:10:01 sticking close to Jehovah God
00:10:03 and the earthly part of his organization,
00:10:06 and boldly proclaiming the good news.
00:10:11 Elisha the prophet
00:10:13 refused to engage in ‘paying evil for evil,’
00:10:17 even when it seemed justified.
00:10:19 The account is found
00:10:21 at 2 Kings 6:14-23.
00:10:28 Syria was at war with Israel.
00:10:30 The king of Syria was enraged
00:10:33 because Elisha was able to foresee wherever it was
00:10:37 that Syria was planning to ambush the Israelites.
00:10:41 Elisha would warn the king of Israel, and he, in turn,
00:10:45 would keep his troops away from the place of ambush.
00:10:50 The king of Syria became exasperated
00:10:53 and wanted desperately to take the prophet Elisha captive
00:10:57 to stop him from warning the king of Israel.
00:11:01 It came about that the king of Syria learned
00:11:05 that Elisha was in the city of Dothan,
00:11:08 so the king sent horses,
00:11:10 war chariots, as well as a large army
00:11:13 to surround Dothan by night
00:11:15 in order to take Elisha captive.
00:11:19 The following morning,
00:11:21 Jehovah listened to Elisha
00:11:23 and did something amazing.
00:11:26 He struck the Syrian troops
00:11:29 with a temporary form of blindness,
00:11:32 and Elisha guided all those troops,
00:11:34 not back to Syria, but to Samaria,
00:11:38 where the king of Israel resided.
00:11:41 The king of Israel was anxious
00:11:43 to strike down and kill the Syrian troops,
00:11:46 but Elisha said to him,
00:11:48 as recorded in verses 22 and 23
00:11:51 of 2 Kings chapter 6:
00:11:54 “‘You must not strike them down.
00:11:57 “‘Do you strike down those whom you have taken captive
00:12:01 “‘with your sword and with your bow?
00:12:03 “‘Give them bread and water so they may eat and drink
00:12:07 “and return to their lord.’
00:12:10 “So he spread a great feast for them,
00:12:12 “and they ate and drank,
00:12:15 after which he sent them away to return to their lord.”
00:12:20 What a shock this must have been to the Syrian soldiers,
00:12:23 who likely thought that they were as good as dead!
00:12:27 This astounding turn of events
00:12:30 was far better than ‘paying evil for evil.’
00:12:33 How do we know it was better?
00:12:36 The latter part of verse 23 says:
00:12:40 “And not once did the marauder bands
00:12:43 of the Syrians come again into the land of Israel.”
00:12:47 Can you imagine the men of the Syrian army
00:12:50 relating to their king what had taken place?
00:12:53 They went out to take Elisha captive.
00:12:56 However, Elisha, with the help of Jehovah’s spirit,
00:13:00 had taken the Syrians captive without a battle.
00:13:04 The Syrian king must have been dumbfounded
00:13:07 when he heard the report.
00:13:09 And you can be sure that the soldiers
00:13:11 of the Syrian army were not only grateful
00:13:14 but they acquired a very respectful fear of Jehovah
00:13:18 and of his prophet Elisha.
00:13:21 The good done to the Syrians
00:13:24 would not be soon forgotten.
00:13:27 Like Elisha,
00:13:29 we want to do what is good for people,
00:13:32 including those who do not view us favorably.
00:13:36 When tragedies such as fires, floods,
00:13:39 earthquakes, and hurricanes strike,
00:13:41 we go out of our way
00:13:43 to comfort people with the Scriptures.
00:13:46 Also, Jehovah’s Witnesses
00:13:48 serving as relief workers are well-known
00:13:51 for the practical assistance they render
00:13:53 to fellow believers and to others.
00:13:56 As a result, many people have changed their view of us
00:14:01 and have come to appreciate that in these last days,
00:14:04 Jehovah does indeed have “a people for his name” on the earth.
00:14:10 At 2 Timothy 2:23-25,
00:14:15 the apostle Paul encourages us
00:14:18 to display qualities that make us different from the world.
00:14:21 He says:
00:14:23 “Further, reject foolish and ignorant debates,
00:14:28 “knowing that they produce fights.
00:14:30 “For a slave of the Lord does not need to fight,
00:14:34 “but needs to be gentle toward all,
00:14:37 “qualified to teach, showing restraint when wronged,
00:14:42 instructing with mildness those not favorably disposed.”
00:14:47 And then Paul explains the desired result:
00:14:51 “Perhaps God may give them repentance
00:14:54 leading to an accurate knowledge of truth.”
00:14:58 Paul was “gentle toward all”
00:15:01 and “qualified to teach.”
00:15:03 He ‘showed restraint’ when he was imprisoned
00:15:06 by the Roman authorities around 60 or 61 C.E.
00:15:10 He spent about two years under house arrest in Rome,
00:15:14 perhaps even being chained to a guard.
00:15:17 He had done nothing to merit imprisonment.
00:15:21 However, he did not dwell on the evil done to him,
00:15:25 and he did not allow it to make him bitter
00:15:29 and resentful of Roman authorities.
00:15:32 Rather, at Philippians 1:12-14,
00:15:37 Paul wrote:
00:15:39 “Now I want you to know, brothers,
00:15:43 “that my situation has actually turned out
00:15:46 “for the advancement of the good news,
00:15:48 “so that my prison bonds for the sake of Christ
00:15:51 “have become public knowledge
00:15:53 “among all the Praetorian Guard and all the rest.
00:15:56 “Now most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence
00:16:00 “because of my prison bonds,
00:16:02 “and they are showing all the more courage
00:16:04 to speak the word of God fearlessly.”
00:16:08 In his letter to Titus
00:16:10 in chapter 3, verses 1 and 2,
00:16:13 Paul gives reminders on how Christians today
00:16:16 can ‘conquer the evil with the good’
00:16:18 by showing proper respect
00:16:21 for governmental authorities wherever we may live.
00:16:25 He writes:
00:16:26 “Continue reminding them [fellow Christians]
00:16:31 “to be in subjection and to be obedient
00:16:34 “to governments and authorities,
00:16:37 “to be ready for every good work,
00:16:40 “to speak injuriously of no one,
00:16:44 “not to be quarrelsome,
00:16:46 “but to be reasonable,
00:16:48 displaying all mildness toward all men.”
00:16:53 Paul followed his own advice.
00:16:56 While in custody in Rome,
00:16:58 Paul wrote inspired letters
00:17:00 to Christian congregations in Greece and Asia Minor,
00:17:04 and we today benefit from the counsel in those letters.
00:17:08 Never do we read in his letters
00:17:11 criticism aimed at human rulers
00:17:14 or encouragement for Christians
00:17:16 to favor one political figure or party over another.
00:17:20 He was “no part of the world,”
00:17:23 and he knew that man’s only hope
00:17:27 was the Kingdom of God.
00:17:30 Paul was a spiritual man,
00:17:33 and he ‘conquered the evil with the good’
00:17:36 by following Jesus’ instructions at Mark 12:17
00:17:40 of giving “Caesar’s things to Caesar,
00:17:43 but God’s things to God,”
00:17:46 all the while displaying “a mildness that belongs to wisdom.”
00:17:53 At 1 Peter 2:21,
00:17:56 we receive further direction
00:17:58 about the course that we are to follow.
00:18:01 Peter writes:
00:18:03 “In fact, to this course you were called,
00:18:07 “because even Christ suffered for you,
00:18:10 leaving a model for you to follow his steps closely.”
00:18:15 Some of Christ’s steps are enumerated
00:18:18 in verses 22 and 23, where it reads:
00:18:21 “He [Jesus] committed no sin,
00:18:25 “nor was deception found in his mouth.
00:18:29 “When he was being insulted,
00:18:31 “he did not insult in return.
00:18:33 “When he was suffering, he did not threaten,
00:18:37 “but he entrusted himself
00:18:40 to the One who judges righteously.”
00:18:43 Jehovah is “the One who judges righteously.”
00:18:47 However, the Jewish religious leaders
00:18:50 did not judge the Christ righteously.
00:18:53 They insulted Jesus frequently
00:18:56 and even accused him of having a demon.
00:18:59 Jesus did not stoop
00:19:01 to “return evil for evil,”
00:19:04 hurling insults or threatening people.
00:19:08 Insults and threats do not open hearts
00:19:12 to accept the good news.
00:19:15 When Jesus was on trial,
00:19:17 the Jewish religious leaders spurred the crowd on
00:19:20 to cry out for his execution.
00:19:23 The Roman authorities had Jesus nailed to a torture stake
00:19:26 to suffer a cruel and excruciating death.
00:19:30 While suffering on the torture stake,
00:19:33 what did Jesus speak about?
00:19:36 Did he curse the Roman soldiers
00:19:38 who had mistreated him and were now executing him?
00:19:41 To the contrary,
00:19:43 he ‘conquered the evil with the good.’
00:19:47 Among Jesus’ last words
00:19:50 are those recorded at Luke 23:34:
00:19:54 “Father, forgive them,
00:19:56 for they do not know what they are doing.”
00:20:00 Jesus knew that the Roman soldiers
00:20:03 were ignorant of who he really was
00:20:05 and did not know what they were doing.
00:20:08 He could forgive them with the hope
00:20:10 that they would eventually respond
00:20:12 to the truth and become his disciples.
00:20:16 In every respect,
00:20:18 Jesus ‘conquered the evil with the good,’
00:20:21 and he always displayed complete confidence
00:20:25 in “the One who judges righteously,”
00:20:28 Jehovah God.
00:20:30 We want to demonstrate the same kind
00:20:33 of confidence in Jehovah and in his Word
00:20:36 that Jesus displayed.
00:20:39 We do our best to imitate the Christ
00:20:42 by applying the spirit-inspired counsel
00:20:44 at Romans 12:17, 18:
00:20:49 “Return evil for evil to no one.
00:20:54 “Take into consideration
00:20:56 “what is fine from the viewpoint of all men.
00:21:00 “If possible, as far as it depends on you,
00:21:03 be peaceable with all men.”
00:21:07 Heeding this counsel is particularly important
00:21:10 in homes that are religiously divided.
00:21:13 The Christian mate resists the temptation
00:21:17 to repay an unkind word or act
00:21:19 with another unkindness.
00:21:22 Really, no good comes from ‘returning evil for evil.’
00:21:27 On the contrary, such an attitude
00:21:30 can only aggravate the situation.
00:21:32 In the domestic setting,
00:21:34 a wife who shows genuine kindness to her husband
00:21:38 after he makes unpleasant comments about her beliefs
00:21:42 may well diffuse a potentially explosive situation.
00:21:48 At Proverbs 31:12, we are told how a capable, God-fearing wife
00:21:53 deals with her husband:
00:21:55 “She rewards him with good,
00:21:59 not bad, all the days of her life.”
00:22:02 Additionally, by taking “into consideration
00:22:05 what is fine from the viewpoint of all men,”
00:22:08 Jehovah’s people have often overcome prejudice
00:22:11 by providing practical assistance
00:22:14 to their neighbors as opportunity affords,
00:22:16 and particularly when a disaster strikes.
00:22:20 We conscientiously adhere
00:22:23 to Romans 12:19, which states:
00:22:27 “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved,
00:22:30 “but yield place to the wrath; for it is written:
00:22:35 “‘“Vengeance is mine;
00:22:37 I will repay,” says Jehovah.’”
00:22:41 The footnote on verse 19 shows
00:22:44 that Paul is telling us to yield to “God’s wrath,” or anger.
00:22:48 Jehovah is the one who will set matters straight,
00:22:52 and he will do it much better than we ever could.
00:22:56 As James 1:20 states:
00:22:59 “Man’s anger does not bring about God’s righteousness.”
00:23:05 The theme of this discussion
00:23:07 is summarized exquisitely
00:23:09 at Romans 12:20, 21
00:23:13 with this direction to all of Jehovah’s people:
00:23:17 “But ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him;
00:23:22 “‘if he is thirsty, give him something to drink;
00:23:27 “for by doing this you will heap fiery coals on his head.’
00:23:32 “Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil,
00:23:36 but keep conquering the evil with the good.”
00:23:42 Let’s now turn to a modern-day example
00:23:45 of conquering evil with good.
00:23:49 In South Korea,
00:23:51 19,000 of our brothers have at some point
00:23:54 been imprisoned for their Christian neutrality.
00:23:57 But inside the prison walls,
00:24:00 our brothers have the support of their fellow Christians.
00:24:04 We met a group of brothers who still cherish
00:24:08 the friendships they developed while imprisoned,
00:24:11 although it’s been about 40 years
00:24:14 since their release.
00:24:25 When I was 21 years old,
00:24:27 I was sent to prison
00:24:29 in the Nonsan military training center
00:24:32 because I refused to serve in the military.
00:24:36 The soldier working in the military prison came
00:24:39 and started to beat me, and he beat me relentlessly.
00:24:45 It was late December 1975.
00:24:49 Four of the brothers were put
00:24:51 into standing solitary confinement cells
00:24:53 called dokgeochang.
00:24:57 It literally feels like you are in a coffin.
00:25:02 The outside temperature dropped
00:25:04 to minus 13 degrees Celsius (8°F),
00:25:07 and cold air seeped out from the wet walls.
00:25:13 The brothers couldn’t lay down to sleep, so they had to crouch,
00:25:17 and I could hear them groaning all night.
00:25:23 I extended my hand through the iron bars
00:25:26 to the brother in the cell next to mine, and he did the same.
00:25:29 We held hands
00:25:32 and encouraged each other to stay strong.
00:25:38 My health condition wasn’t really good
00:25:41 while serving my prison sentence.
00:25:43 I weighed about 47 kilograms (103 lbs),
00:25:46 and without my family’s support,
00:25:49 I was mentally and physically weak.
00:25:53 Under these extremely difficult circumstances,
00:25:56 there were times I wasn’t able to eat at all.
00:25:59 During those times, the brothers provided me
00:26:02 with porridge —which was easy to digest—
00:26:05 warm clothing, and a sleeping bag for the winter.
00:26:10 I could really feel their love.
00:26:14 Having been sent to prison three times,
00:26:17 I truly feel that Jehovah showed interest in me
00:26:21 and took care of me just as he promised at 1 Peter 5:7.
00:26:26 He especially supported me through my brothers
00:26:29 when I was facing difficulties.
00:26:33 A day in the prison started
00:26:35 with us eating breakfast
00:26:36 and then moving 300 bricks.
00:26:39 After lunch, we would have to carry another 300 bricks.
00:26:44 Because I usually finished my work early,
00:26:47 I had a 20-minute break before going back in.
00:26:51 However, this brother named Park Byung-Man
00:26:54 who was much stronger and bigger than I was
00:26:58 carried bricks all day long.
00:27:00 I found out later that Park Byung-Man
00:27:04 was carrying Choi Sung-Kyu’s share
00:27:06 of bricks because of his frail health.
00:27:09 This kind of brotherly love really moved me
00:27:14 to start studying the Bible.
00:27:16 I got baptized a year later
00:27:18 in April of 1977 in the Anyang Prison.
00:27:22 After getting baptized,
00:27:25 my mother passed away,
00:27:27 and two months before being released,
00:27:30 my father passed away as well.
00:27:32 So that time was especially difficult for me.
00:27:36 But the brothers encouraged me
00:27:39 with their warm words and kind gestures.
00:27:41 Their encouragement really touched me
00:27:44 and helped me to endure until I was released.
00:27:53 One time, I had a severe stomachache.
00:27:56 The symptoms were not getting any better
00:28:00 with the medication I was given,
00:28:02 so I was having a very difficult time.
00:28:06 One day, we were served some vegetables
00:28:09 as a side dish
00:28:12 and one brother crushed
00:28:14 and squeezed the vegetables to make juice for me.
00:28:18 He cared for me that way for several days.
00:28:22 I really would like to see that self-sacrificing
00:28:26 and loving brother once again.
00:28:29 At the time, none of our publications
00:28:31 other than the Bible were allowed into the prison.
00:28:35 Of course, that included our songbook.
00:28:39 The brothers memorized
00:28:41 the lyrics from the songbook,
00:28:43 and they would write them down.
00:28:45 Also, there were some songs
00:28:48 that were sung at the regional convention.
00:28:50 Songs like . . .
00:29:07 or
00:29:20 We sang them silently together even in this isolated place.
00:29:25 It was a great source of encouragement
00:29:28 to share the love among our fellow brothers.
00:29:30 I remember this encouraging scripture
00:29:33 from 1 Corinthians 10:13.
00:29:37 It says that Jehovah ‘does not let us be tempted
00:29:40 ‘beyond what we can bear and will make the way out
00:29:43 so we may endure it.’
00:29:46 Although there were many challenges, I was convinced
00:29:49 that Jehovah would always
00:29:51 make a way out through our fellow brothers.
00:29:54 Even though 40 years have passed,
00:29:56 when we look back at those days, the memories are still fresh
00:30:00 and we are moved to tears at times.
00:30:04 So to make a meaningful trip
00:30:06 out of our 40 years of friendship,
00:30:08 all the friends who went through the same trials
00:30:11 decided to visit the headquarters in the United States together.
00:30:18 It’s really refreshing to be here with everyone again today.
00:30:24 It feels like I’m taking a field trip.
00:30:34 I was especially moved to tears
00:30:37 when I saw our old prison uniforms
00:30:39 there in the museum
00:30:41 at world headquarters displayed in the neutrality section.
00:30:48 While on the tour, the brothers sat
00:30:51 and lay down on the floor inside the dokgeochang
00:30:56 and we were able to reflect on the times
00:30:57 we spent together in prison.
00:31:03 Our gratitude to Jehovah
00:31:05 for giving us such loyal friends was renewed.
00:31:13 Yes, through their brotherly love
00:31:16 and the power and strength
00:31:18 given to them by holy spirit,
00:31:20 our Korean brothers were able
00:31:22 to conquer the evil with the good.
00:31:26 Although we may not be imprisoned,
00:31:29 having true friends can help us through many trials.
00:31:33 But what is a true friend?
00:31:37 Where can we find them,
00:31:39 and why are they so important?
00:31:43 Our music video will answer these questions.
00:31:46 It is entitled True Friends.
00:32:09 Life can be hard if we walk it alone,
00:32:14 living in these last days.
00:32:18 Jehovah knows that we need friends
00:32:21 to help us along the way.
00:32:26 But where do we go?
00:32:28 Where do we turn to find those true companions?
00:32:35 Well, remember what we learn in his Word.
00:32:43 True friends Love you when you’re down,
00:32:47 Happy when you’re up, Right by your side when trials come,
00:32:53 Speak up if you’re wrong, Commend you when you’re right,
00:32:57 Keep you on track in the race for life,
00:33:01 Help you keep Jehovah first right to the end.
00:33:07 Yeah, that’s a true friend.
00:33:17 A true friend shows love at all times.
00:33:21 That’s in His Word, we know.
00:33:25 So if troubles appear, don’t give in or fight.
00:33:29 Say a prayer; let it go.
00:33:33 Whether we’re older or whether we’re young,
00:33:38 we all got to stick together,
00:33:42 And one day soon we’ll be in Paradise.
00:33:50 True friends Love you when you’re down,
00:33:54 Happy when you’re up, Right by your side when trials come,
00:34:00 Speak up if you’re wrong, Commend you when you’re right,
00:34:04 Keep you on track in the race for life,
00:34:09 Help you keep Jehovah first right to the end.
00:34:14 Yeah, that’s a true friend.
00:34:20 Someone you trust,
00:34:22 Someone who cares about you serving Jehovah,
00:34:28 A shoulder to lean on and the right words to help you mend—
00:34:36 Yeah, that’s a true friend.
00:34:53 True friends Love you when you’re down,
00:34:58 Happy when you’re up, Right by your side when trials come,
00:35:03 Speak up if you’re wrong, Commend you when you’re right,
00:35:08 Keep you on track in the race for life,
00:35:12 Help you keep Jehovah first right to the end.
00:35:19 True friends Love you when you’re down,
00:35:23 Happy when you’re up, Right by your side when trials come,
00:35:29 Speak up if you’re wrong, Commend you when you’re right,
00:35:33 Keep you on track in the race for life,
00:35:37 Help you keep Jehovah first right to the end.
00:35:44 Yeah, that’s a true friend.
00:35:47 That’s a true friend.
00:35:51 Oh, that’s a true friend.
00:35:59 What a blessing it is to have true friends
00:36:02 around us in the Christian congregation!
00:36:06 But at times,
00:36:08 our imperfection may create roadblocks
00:36:11 between us and our dear friends,
00:36:14 and we may start developing
00:36:16 negative feelings about them.
00:36:19 In this Bethel morning worship,
00:36:22 pay attention to how Brother Geoffrey Jackson of the Governing Body
00:36:26 helps us deal with such thinking.
00:36:30 Well, perhaps we could take our Bibles
00:36:33 and turn to Colossians 3:13.
00:36:37 And let’s analyze this verse together
00:36:39 and see what it is that Jehovah expects of us.
00:36:43 So in Colossians 3:13,
00:36:46 it says: “Continue putting up with one another
00:36:49 “and forgiving one another freely
00:36:52 “even if anyone has a cause for complaint against another.
00:36:55 “Just as Jehovah freely forgave you,
00:36:58 you must also do the same.”
00:37:01 Well, certainly this verse
00:37:03 gives us plenty of food for thought —doesn’t it?—
00:37:06 areas in which, perhaps, we can work on and improve in.
00:37:10 But what two things stand out
00:37:12 as being required of us?
00:37:15 Well, looking back, you notice the first one,
00:37:17 “continue putting up with one another,”
00:37:20 and then the second point,
00:37:22 “forgiving one another freely.”
00:37:25 Well, let’s look at that first expression:
00:37:28 “Continue putting up with one another.”
00:37:30 Well, what’s the difference between these two expressions?
00:37:34 Well, we’re told that this first expression
00:37:37 doesn’t refer to serious sins but perhaps talks about things
00:37:41 that are irritating, annoying,
00:37:44 things that we may not necessarily
00:37:47 have a cause for complaint concerning,
00:37:49 but they still get us very upset anyway
00:37:52 —these minor things.
00:37:55 What are some of the things that annoy you?
00:37:57 Let’s be honest.
00:38:00 Are you annoyed when someone is always late?
00:38:05 Are you annoyed when they’re always early?
00:38:09 Are you annoyed when someone is outspoken?
00:38:13 Does it annoy you when someone is too quiet?
00:38:17 It’s amazing —isn’t it?—
00:38:19 what the things that annoy us are.
00:38:21 I remember back in the ’70’s, Brother Knorr gave an outstanding talk
00:38:25 where he alluded to the fact that maybe there’s a sister in the congregation,
00:38:30 and she’s hearing this other sister, new in the truth,
00:38:33 answering up time after time,
00:38:35 and in her heart, she’s thinking,
00:38:37 ‘Why doesn’t she just keep quiet?’
00:38:40 Well, maybe we’ve all experienced those feelings.
00:38:43 And if we’re judged on them, perhaps we’ll agree:
00:38:47 ‘Well, it’s not justified; I don’t really have a cause,
00:38:50 but it still irritates me.’
00:38:53 It’s true—isn’t it?— the expression
00:38:55 “Sometimes it’s not the mountains ahead of us that cause problems,
00:38:59 it’s the pebble in the shoe.”
00:39:01 And it’s sometimes the small things
00:39:04 that irritate us the most.
00:39:06 I remember when I was serving
00:39:08 in Western Samoa many years ago at the branch,
00:39:11 we had quite a number of brothers from overseas working on construction.
00:39:15 And there was one brother who had the habit of first thing in the morning
00:39:19 as he arrived before breakfast,
00:39:22 saying, “Good morning!” to everyone.
00:39:26 Some found that annoying.
00:39:30 Maybe you can relate to that.
00:39:32 And, no doubt, you feel very happy when you read the scripture
00:39:35 at Proverbs 27:14, where it says in one translation:
00:39:39 ‘A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning
00:39:42 is taken as a curse.’
00:39:45 You may be thinking, ‘Amen to that.’
00:39:49 And that brother ceased his habit after he read that scripture
00:39:52 —or at least it was read to him.
00:39:56 But we may not always be able to find a scripture
00:39:59 that backs up this irritation that we feel.
00:40:03 So, what do we do?
00:40:04 Well, what does it say?
00:40:06 “Continue putting up with one another.”
00:40:09 “Continue”—it’s something that we just have to keep on doing.
00:40:13 Now, that brings us to the second part of our verse,
00:40:17 “forgiving one another freely.”
00:40:20 It’s interesting, when we look at other translations of this verse,
00:40:24 most follow the King James Version
00:40:27 and just say “forgive.”
00:40:30 The New World Translation says ‘forgive freely.’
00:40:34 The reason is that this isn’t your normal
00:40:37 Greek word for “forgiveness.”
00:40:39 It denotes generosity,
00:40:42 a willingness to go beyond what’s required.
00:40:46 It’s interesting that The Watchtower even back in 1882
00:40:51 was using that expression, to ‘forgive one another freely,’
00:40:55 well before the time of the New World Translation.
00:40:58 So this gives us something to think about
00:41:01 because it’s not just a matter of forgiving,
00:41:04 but we need to be generous about forgiving.
00:41:07 We have to be willing to, as it were, bestow a pardon
00:41:12 on someone who really doesn’t deserve that pardon.
00:41:16 Now, why should we be interested
00:41:18 in developing and working on these two aspects:
00:41:21 “putting up with one another” and ‘forgiving freely’?
00:41:25 Well, we’ve heard the reasons many times before, haven’t we?
00:41:29 The first one, of course, is that Jehovah has forgiven us.
00:41:33 If we turn back just one chapter,
00:41:35 chapter 2 of Colossians and verse 13,
00:41:39 this point is highlighted for us.
00:41:42 It says in chapter 2, verse 13:
00:41:45 “Furthermore, though you were dead in your trespasses
00:41:48 “and in the uncircumcised state of your flesh,
00:41:51 “God made you alive together with him.
00:41:54 “He kindly forgave us
00:41:59 all our trespasses.”
00:42:01 So this is the model that Jehovah has given us.
00:42:04 It’s true, we sometimes can find some reason
00:42:09 why we feel we don’t have to forgive someone else.
00:42:12 But remember the illustration Jesus gave
00:42:15 of the slave who had the huge debt.
00:42:17 If you calculated it in denarius,
00:42:20 there were 60 million denarii that he owed;
00:42:24 he was forgiven that.
00:42:26 Then he went after the other man
00:42:28 who owed him just a small amount.
00:42:30 But have you ever thought that if you asked that slave,
00:42:33 maybe he would say: “Well, it’s true.
00:42:35 “I really appreciate having everything forgiven, but I still don’t have any money.
00:42:39 “I need some money, so that’s why I wanted to get
00:42:42 the other slave to give me the money.”
00:42:45 Well, there’s always a reason —isn’t there?—
00:42:47 even if it’s a distorted reason
00:42:49 as to why we don’t follow Jehovah’s example.
00:42:52 But looking back at Colossians 3:13, what does it say?
00:42:57 “If anyone has a cause for complaint against another.”
00:43:01 So that gives us a good idea, doesn’t it?
00:43:04 The second reason, of course, is that
00:43:07 we do need others to forgive us.
00:43:10 The very things that annoy us
00:43:14 and irritate us in others are sometimes
00:43:18 the same things that we do to others.
00:43:20 Have you ever noticed that?
00:43:22 And how annoying it is when someone points that out to you:
00:43:24 “You’re annoyed with that person?
00:43:26 Don’t you realize what you do?”
00:43:29 Well, that’s something good for us to remember —isn’t it?—
00:43:32 the fact that we do need to have others forgive us.
00:43:35 And then another reason
00:43:37 is that it maintains the peace within the Christian congregation.
00:43:41 The Watchtower made a comment on this.
00:43:43 It said that in countries where our work is restricted or under ban,
00:43:48 many of our brothers have to meet together in smaller groups.
00:43:53 And when you do that, you get to know
00:43:55 everyone’s weaknesses and idiosyncrasies.
00:43:58 It’s so much easier to be annoyed by others
00:44:01 when you’re dealing with small groups of persons.
00:44:05 The Watchtower then made the comment
00:44:07 what good training it is for us now
00:44:09 to learn how to put up with one another
00:44:12 when we’re in larger groups,
00:44:14 because later we may need to worship Jehovah in smaller groups.
00:44:18 So it’s good training for us as we keep peace in the congregation.
00:44:23 And what can help us?
00:44:24 Well, there are many different things that can help us in this regard.
00:44:28 The one point in the marginal reference
00:44:30 you see there is at 1 Peter 4:8,
00:44:33 and that’s where it tells us we need
00:44:35 to “have intense love for one another”
00:44:39 —not just love but “intense love.”
00:44:42 And this word “intense” means “full strength.”
00:44:45 Literally, it means “to stretch out our love.”
00:44:49 So as we come across these things that irritate us, annoy us, in life
00:44:54 or if we come across persons who actually do sin against us,
00:44:58 what should we keep in mind?
00:45:00 “Continue putting up with one another.”
00:45:03 ‘Continue freely forgiving one another.’
00:45:07 That sound advice also applies strongly in marriage,
00:45:12 when two people decide to share their lives together.
00:45:16 Perhaps your mate is an unbeliever.
00:45:19 Differences in belief
00:45:21 can cause a level of friction,
00:45:23 but how one handles, or conquers, the situation
00:45:28 can bring you peace and even be a great witness.
00:45:51 How did 15 years go by so fast?
00:45:57 We were so young when we got married
00:46:01 —maybe too young.
00:46:04 We had so little in common.
00:46:20 When I started studying the Bible,
00:46:23 I thought Thomas would be as excited as I was to learn the truth.
00:46:40 But every conversation we had on the subject
00:46:43 seemed to turn into an argument.
00:46:52 Looking back, I really wish I’d handled it better.
00:46:59 As the years went by,
00:47:01 he did become more open to discussion.
00:47:21 But it’s been hard worshipping God alone.
00:47:24 Others in the congregation are able to serve Jehovah together
00:47:28 and even reach out for theocratic goals
00:47:31 like the School for Kingdom Evangelizers,
00:47:34 something I would love to do.
00:47:36 Why can’t I have a husband who loves Jehovah like I do?
00:47:41 Abigail probably felt the same way
00:47:44 but with more reason.
00:47:51 Her husband was a bully and a drunkard
00:47:54 and was despised by his entire household.
00:48:17 At that time, many marriages were arranged,
00:48:20 so Abigail had very little control over her circumstances.
00:48:26 But her words and actions
00:48:28 showed that she was a spiritual woman
00:48:30 who didn’t focus on what she could not control
00:48:32 but on what she could.
00:48:35 I determined to do the same.
00:48:38 I meditated on Jesus’ words at Matthew 19:6:
00:48:42 “What God has yoked together, let no man put apart.”
00:48:48 To Jehovah, marriage is permanent
00:48:51 —even my marriage to an unbeliever.
00:48:54 So instead of dwelling on changing my husband or my marriage,
00:48:58 I focused on changing myself.
00:49:01 Thomas does not love Jehovah,
00:49:03 but he’s not a “Nabal” either.
00:49:06 He is loyal, and he loves me.
00:49:09 He is entitled to the respect that the Bible commands wives to show to their husbands.
00:49:13 So I’m making an effort to be more respectful and loving to him.
00:49:17 Thomas hasn’t developed an interest in the truth or started studying.
00:49:22 But I have the satisfaction of knowing my God is pleased with me,
00:49:27 and I have the same view of marriage that he does.
00:49:53 How exciting!
00:49:55 Is Thomas slowly noticing the benefits of the truth?
00:50:00 No doubt, Emma’s faithful and respectful conduct
00:50:03 has had a deep impact on how he views Jehovah.
00:50:08 And the truth can really change a person.
00:50:12 Getting to know Jehovah can help someone
00:50:15 to get their life back on track.
00:50:18 Two fleshly brothers,
00:50:20 Dimitris and Agis Sotiropoulos,
00:50:23 are good examples of how the good can conquer the evil
00:50:27 despite a challenging upbringing.
00:50:36 My father was a self-made factory owner.
00:50:39 He started a business working with rubber and plastics,
00:50:43 and we led a financially comfortable way of life.
00:50:48 But in the middle of the 1970’s,
00:50:52 things started going badly with his work.
00:50:54 For this reason,
00:50:56 he fell into a depression, and he committed suicide.
00:50:59 This was a great shock.
00:51:04 I went to the wall and wrote the words
00:51:06 “He lives.”
00:51:08 I didn’t want to believe that from that day on,
00:51:12 I wouldn’t see my father again.
00:51:18 At the age of about ten, I began to develop
00:51:20 strong antireligious tendencies.
00:51:23 And later, at the age of 17,
00:51:26 I also expressed them by participating
00:51:29 in the most important incident
00:51:31 of the student movement against the military junta
00:51:35 that was prevailing in Greece and ruling the country.
00:51:39 I became a member of the Communist Party.
00:51:44 I went to Santorini and started a business.
00:51:46 I opened a bar.
00:51:49 Of course, all this included unsavory things
00:51:52 like immorality, drugs,
00:51:55 and plenty of alcohol.
00:51:58 A few months later, I left to study in Germany.
00:52:02 It was the first time I met a brother engaging in street work.
00:52:05 People would approach him,
00:52:07 and some would swear; some even spat at him.
00:52:09 It impressed me immensely
00:52:12 how he stood calmly and accepted this treatment.
00:52:15 We had interesting conversations.
00:52:18 My studies ended, and I returned to Greece
00:52:21 to take on the responsibility of the factory.
00:52:24 When I finished my studies in Germany,
00:52:27 I left with a sense of deep respect
00:52:30 for Jehovah’s Witnesses.
00:52:33 The influence of my friends
00:52:36 led me to go into the military,
00:52:39 and there I saw a huge amount of corruption.
00:52:42 The hope I had that we humans
00:52:45 would be able to succeed without external help
00:52:48 —without God— began to collapse,
00:52:50 and then the things I had heard
00:52:52 from Jehovah’s Witnesses suddenly came to my mind.
00:52:57 The same afternoon, I sought out a family friend,
00:53:01 the mother of a childhood friend, named Lily.
00:53:04 I said to her, “Please give me a Bible
00:53:07 and some Bible study publications because I want to study them.”
00:53:11 I read everywhere,
00:53:13 and anything that I didn’t understand,
00:53:15 I wrote down in a notebook.
00:53:17 I got to the point, in just a few days,
00:53:20 where I had written down 80 to 90 questions.
00:53:23 Harry impressed me
00:53:25 because every time I asked him a question,
00:53:28 he gave me the answer from the Bible.
00:53:31 That convinced me that I’d found the truth.
00:53:34 So in that moment,
00:53:36 I decided to leave the military and to quit smoking.
00:53:41 A few months passed by,
00:53:43 where I was occupied mostly with the factory,
00:53:46 until I recognized
00:53:48 that for me to make progress in the truth,
00:53:52 I had to sell my shares in the factory.
00:53:55 And on July 7, 1984, I was baptized.
00:53:59 The authorities —the police, the mayor,
00:54:02 the health inspectors— began to demand money
00:54:05 so that I could keep the bar open.
00:54:11 I refused all the things they asked of me,
00:54:13 and so the war became harder
00:54:17 until one night when I went to open the door to enter my home;
00:54:22 I heard a tramping from behind,
00:54:24 I tried to turn and see, and as I turned,
00:54:27 I was hit in the face.
00:54:29 During that time,
00:54:31 when all of this was happening, my brother Dimitris arrived.
00:54:39 As brothers, we never really had a relationship.
00:54:42 When he came to Santorini and began to talk to me
00:54:45 and help me understand what was happening to me,
00:54:48 I realized that this was a different Dimitris.
00:54:53 I said to him, “I want us to start studying the Bible together.”
00:54:56 I had the Bible with me almost everywhere I went
00:54:59 so that I could read it.
00:55:01 I realized that Jehovah was helping me to understand what I was living for.
00:55:06 He was helping me to understand
00:55:08 that I could have a real goal, a purpose,
00:55:11 and a hope.
00:55:14 On the day of my baptism, I felt that I was drawing closer to Jehovah.
00:55:19 I felt like my smile went from ear to ear.
00:55:24 And now with Lydia,
00:55:26 I have the great joy of serving
00:55:28 in the Romany territory.
00:55:31 We enjoy very nice Bible studies.
00:55:34 It is truly something
00:55:36 that shows you Jehovah’s love,
00:55:39 interest, and affection
00:55:42 —things that I had felt
00:55:44 many years ago when I studied with my brother.
00:55:46 Today, my brother and I love each other very much.
00:55:50 It is a relationship characterized
00:55:53 by brotherly love
00:55:56 as it is expressed in the Bible.
00:55:59 We are very close to each other.
00:56:01 This is really a change.
00:56:04 Now we are truly brothers!
00:56:10 Today, both Dimitris and Agis serve as elders
00:56:15 and have spent many years in the full-time ministry.
00:56:18 Have you noticed the many ways
00:56:20 we have seen the good conquer the evil in this month’s broadcast?
00:56:24 Our brothers in Korea
00:56:26 were able to endure unjust imprisonment
00:56:29 with the support of their fellow believers.
00:56:33 Viktor Winter, who was also imprisoned,
00:56:36 conquered the evil
00:56:38 by maintaining a theocratic routine.
00:56:41 Our music video helped us appreciate
00:56:44 the value of our true friends in the congregation,
00:56:46 who will help us fulfill our ministry in this wicked world.
00:56:51 Also, Brother Jackson
00:56:54 shared principles to help us overcome negative feelings
00:56:57 we may have about others as a result of our imperfection.
00:57:02 Over time, Emma learned to apply those principles
00:57:06 in dealing with her unbelieving husband, Thomas.
00:57:09 And finally, the truth conquered the evil
00:57:12 when the Sotiropoulos brothers were able to clean up their lives.
00:57:17 Before we conclude, we have an announcement to make.
00:57:21 You will be happy to know
00:57:23 that the next installment of the video series Was it Designed?
00:57:27 entitled The Seahorse’s Tail
00:57:30 is available on Video on Demand
00:57:32 and jw.org starting this month.
00:57:37 Perhaps you can watch it during your next Family Worship evening.
00:57:41 Let’s also briefly visit our brothers and sisters in Portugal.
00:57:46 As the most western country in continental Europe,
00:57:49 Portugal is known as the place where the land ends
00:57:52 and the sea begins.
00:57:55 Mainland Portugal has over 800 kilometers,
00:57:58 or over 500 miles, of Atlantic Coast.
00:58:03 In the southern part of the country,
00:58:05 they have over 3,000 hours of sunshine per year.
00:58:10 Portugal became world renowned
00:58:12 as a seafaring nation with colonies around the world.
00:58:18 In the 15th century, navigators and explorers
00:58:20 from Portugal traveled to distant places
00:58:23 such as Brazil, India, and many parts of Africa.
00:58:28 The good news reached Portugal in 1925,
00:58:32 but the work was either restricted
00:58:34 or under ban from 1926 to 1974.
00:58:41 However, the brothers and sisters were good examples
00:58:43 of “conquering the evil with the good.”
00:58:47 Despite the restrictions and persecution,
00:58:50 they continued to preach
00:58:52 and gather together to worship Jehovah.
00:58:56 When the Witnesses gained legal recognition in 1974,
00:59:01 the country reported about 13,500 publishers
00:59:06 and almost 40,000 attended the first public meeting.
00:59:10 Today, the country reports some 49,500 publishers
00:59:15 and a ratio of 1 publisher to about 200 people
00:59:20 —one of the lowest ratios in Europe.
00:59:24 The ratio is even lower in Almada,
00:59:26 which is across the Tagus River from the capital city, Lisbon.
00:59:30 In Almada, there are 16 congregations
00:59:33 with almost 1,400 publishers in total
00:59:36 with a ratio of 1 publisher to about 100 residents.
00:59:41 Many of the brothers and sisters in Almada are older
00:59:45 and endured faithfully during the ban,
00:59:48 setting an example to the younger ones.
00:59:52 In addition to theocratic activities,
00:59:54 our brothers in Almada regularly come together to associate,
00:59:58 which can include a game of soccer or singing songs.
01:00:10 They all send their love and greetings
01:00:13 to the worldwide brotherhood.
01:00:16 This is JW Broadcasting
01:00:19 from the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
