00:00:01 Welcome!
00:00:03 This month we’ll focus on how
00:00:05 we can “serve Jehovah with rejoicing.”
00:00:09 As parents know, a child is a source
00:00:12 of great joy as well as challenges.
00:00:16 We’ll see how the good example
00:00:18 set by these parents influenced their children.
00:00:21 When you think of God’s promised new world,
00:00:25 do images like these come to mind?
00:00:28 How do they make you feel?
00:00:31 We’re sure you’ll enjoy a glimpse
00:00:33 of the future in our new music video.
00:00:38 And we’ll learn how our joy is enhanced
00:00:40 when we express appreciation for our family,
00:00:44 for our congregation, and for Jehovah.
00:00:49 This is the February 2020 edition
00:00:52 of JW Broadcasting®.
00:01:13 To set the stage, we’d like to begin
00:01:16 with a few thoughts about the subject
00:01:18 “Serve Jehovah With Rejoicing.”
00:01:21 This is what we are told at Psalm 100:2.
00:01:25 But do you serve Jehovah with rejoicing all the time?
00:01:30 I guess we all will agree
00:01:32 that at times it can be difficult to be happy.
00:01:36 So, then, is it really important
00:01:39 to serve Jehovah with rejoicing?
00:01:41 And what does it really mean?
00:01:44 In other words, what is this joyful attitude
00:01:47 that Jehovah expects from us?
00:01:49 And what can we do to serve Jehovah
00:01:53 with rejoicing and maintain a joyful spirit?
00:01:58 How can we prove that it is important to serve Jehovah with rejoicing?
00:02:03 You might think of our goal, which is to reflect his personality.
00:02:08 At 1 Timothy 1:11, he’s called “the happy God.”
00:02:13 So isn’t it logical that Jehovah expects us
00:02:17 to be happy in his service?
00:02:20 In Deuteronomy chapter 28,
00:02:23 we find a report of God’s dealings with the Israelites.
00:02:27 Here Jehovah warned them of what would take place
00:02:31 if they became disobedient
00:02:33 and lost their joy in serving him.
00:02:38 We read at Deuteronomy chapter 28, beginning in verse 45:
00:02:43 “All these curses will certainly come upon you
00:02:47 “. . . because you did not listen to the voice of Jehovah your God
00:02:51 “by keeping his commandments and . . .
00:02:54 “because you did not serve Jehovah your God
00:02:58 “with rejoicing and joy of heart
00:03:00 when you had such an abundance of everything.”
00:03:04 Jehovah took such good care of the Israelites,
00:03:08 and yet they were not happy.
00:03:11 This attitude was something he did not like at all.
00:03:15 So we see that serving Jehovah joyfully
00:03:19 is very important.
00:03:22 This was emphasized by what Jesus taught.
00:03:25 For example, in the Sermon on the Mount,
00:03:28 he helped his audience to understand
00:03:31 how to be happy.
00:03:33 At times, this part in Matthew chapter 5
00:03:36 is referred to as the nine happinesses.
00:03:40 Later, the apostle Paul wrote about “the fruitage of the spirit.”
00:03:45 Joy is counted among the aspects of the fruitage of the spirit.
00:03:50 Being joyful is important,
00:03:54 and by means of his spirit,
00:03:57 Jehovah helps us to rejoice in his service.
00:04:02 But is it realistic to expect
00:04:05 that we will smile all the time
00:04:08 and cheerfully sing songs the whole day?
00:04:11 Of course, this is not what Jehovah expects.
00:04:15 We all have different personalities and express our happiness differently.
00:04:20 Also, there are moments in life
00:04:23 when we are sad and disappointed.
00:04:27 And Jehovah is fully aware that some of us are not healthy.
00:04:32 Others might fight depression
00:04:34 and are therefore at times just not able to express joy in this way.
00:04:39 And yet he loves all of us
00:04:43 and appreciates us very much.
00:04:47 So, then, what is the joy that Jehovah expects from us?
00:04:52 What exactly is this joyful spirit, or attitude?
00:04:57 Here in Deuteronomy, the term “rejoicing” means
00:05:02 “the inner feeling and the outward manifestation of joy.”
00:05:07 And we also read about the “joy of heart.”
00:05:11 The heart stands for what we are on the inside.
00:05:15 This is the interior man and is displayed
00:05:18 in all his various activities,
00:05:21 desires, affections, emotions,
00:05:23 passions, thoughts, and so on.
00:05:28 And so we see that joy comes from within us.
00:05:34 Yet, does the joy we are talking about
00:05:37 depend on circumstances?
00:05:41 Let’s illustrate: I think it’s safe to say that we all like sunshine.
00:05:46 However, how does the farmer feel
00:05:49 when he urgently needs it to rain
00:05:52 and he’s waiting and waiting?
00:05:56 He probably would be happier if he had rain.
00:06:01 In these last days, we rarely, if ever,
00:06:05 have perfect circumstances with no problems.
00:06:08 So I think we can all agree that our joy in Jehovah’s service
00:06:12 is not based on circumstances.
00:06:16 And we’ve had here on this program and in our publications
00:06:20 many examples of ones who have maintained their joy
00:06:24 in Jehovah’s service despite challenging circumstances,
00:06:27 like poor health or opposition.
00:06:32 So, then, what is it that makes us a happy person?
00:06:39 To help us to open up the scope of the answer,
00:06:42 would you be willing to join me for a little experiment?
00:06:46 Please close your eyes for a moment.
00:06:49 Do you have your eyes closed?
00:06:52 So now think about an apple.
00:06:56 Now you can open your eyes again.
00:07:00 Let me ask you a question:
00:07:02 Did you think about a red apple,
00:07:06 a green apple,
00:07:09 or a yellow apple?
00:07:12 Why are you able to answer this question?
00:07:14 All I asked you to do was to think about an apple.
00:07:19 The answer is, we think in pictures.
00:07:23 In fact, we think of countless pictures every day.
00:07:28 And after we think about it,
00:07:30 it’s like we put all of the pictures in a stack.
00:07:34 And then when we think the same thought a second time,
00:07:37 it’s like we pull the picture out from below
00:07:40 and put it on top of the stack.
00:07:43 The longer that we do not think the thought,
00:07:47 the deeper the picture gets in the stack
00:07:50 and it becomes more difficult to remember.
00:07:53 Now, this stack of pictures representing our thoughts
00:07:58 is our subconscious.
00:08:01 This stack of pictures makes up
00:08:04 our emotional state, or state of mind.
00:08:07 It determines whether we are sad or happy,
00:08:12 whether we are bored or excited, and so forth.
00:08:19 Jehovah our Creator is aware of this powerful connection
00:08:23 between our thoughts and pictures.
00:08:27 Let’s please turn to 2 Kings chapter 6
00:08:30 to find one example of how Jehovah made use of this.
00:08:35 Here we find the report about the king of Syria
00:08:40 who wanted to capture Elisha.
00:08:43 How did his attendant feel?
00:08:47 Let’s see at 2 Kings chapter 6, beginning with verse 15:
00:08:52 “When the attendant of the man
00:08:55 “of the true God rose early and went outside,
00:08:59 “he saw that an army with horses and war chariots was surrounding the city.
00:09:04 “At once the attendant said to him:
00:09:06 “‘Alas, my master!
00:09:08 What are we to do?’”
00:09:10 The attendant was in fear.
00:09:13 He probably thought about their defenseless position
00:09:16 and saw himself already captured by the Syrian army.
00:09:20 Would Elisha be able to help his attendant?
00:09:24 Verse 16:
00:09:26 “But he [Elisha] said: ‘Do not be afraid!
00:09:31 For there are more who are with us than those who are with them.’”
00:09:36 In other words, Elisha said: ‘Think of something else.
00:09:40 Think of the many that are with us.’
00:09:43 Did this work?
00:09:45 It seems that the attendant was not able to focus on these reassuring thoughts.
00:09:50 He could not envision Jehovah rescuing them.
00:09:55 How did Jehovah help the attendant?
00:09:58 At 2 Kings 6:17, we read:
00:10:02 “Then Elisha began to pray and say:
00:10:07 “‘O Jehovah, open his eyes, please, that he may see.’
00:10:12 “Immediately Jehovah opened the attendant’s eyes and he saw,
00:10:16 “and look! the mountainous region
00:10:19 “was full of horses and war chariots of fire
00:10:22 all around Elisha.”
00:10:25 Jehovah helped the attendant with pictures.
00:10:29 The horses and chariots captured his attention.
00:10:32 His thoughts now focused on the fact
00:10:34 that Jehovah was with them and in full control.
00:10:39 Now, in his mind, he already saw Jehovah’s victory,
00:10:43 and he was not concerned anymore.
00:10:47 He was happy.
00:10:49 What he saw influenced his thoughts
00:10:53 and changed his state of mind.
00:10:55 Thoughts are so powerful!
00:10:59 And how considerate Jehovah is!
00:11:01 Remember, in the end, Jehovah did not need
00:11:04 any of these horses and chariots.
00:11:06 He saved Elisha and his attendant
00:11:09 by striking the Syrian army with blindness.
00:11:14 When we compare the emotions of Elisha
00:11:18 with his attendant, what made the difference?
00:11:21 The circumstances were exactly the same.
00:11:24 Their thoughts made the difference.
00:11:28 Now, what does this have to do with our subject
00:11:33 “Serve Jehovah With Rejoicing”?
00:11:36 So far, we have established that Jehovah expects us to be happy, right?
00:11:41 We have seen that our thoughts
00:11:43 can be pictures that influence
00:11:46 who we are and how we feel.
00:11:49 Pictures and thoughts are closely connected.
00:11:52 That’s why the apostle Paul at Romans 12:2
00:11:56 highlights the importance of our thoughts when he says:
00:11:59 “Be transformed by making your mind over,”
00:12:03 or at Ephesians 4:23, he emphasizes this by saying:
00:12:08 “And you should continue to be made new
00:12:10 in your dominant mental attitude.”
00:12:15 Both scriptures highlight that our thoughts
00:12:18 are critical and have a bearing on our whole being.
00:12:22 Additionally, the apostle Paul knew that we can change our thinking.
00:12:27 Please turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 10,
00:12:31 and see what he recommends that we do.
00:12:35 Here at 2 Corinthians 10:5, he says:
00:12:39 “We are bringing every thought into captivity
00:12:43 to make it obedient to the Christ.”
00:12:46 Isn’t this exactly what we should do?
00:12:49 We control what we think.
00:12:52 We avoid occupying our mind with thoughts that weaken our faith
00:12:56 or thoughts that undermine our determination to serve Jehovah.
00:13:01 Remember, we said that thoughts
00:13:03 are like pictures that stay within us.
00:13:07 We cannot delete them, and they will have an effect on how we feel.
00:13:14 But is there something else we can do?
00:13:16 Are you ready for a second experiment?
00:13:20 Please close your eyes again,
00:13:22 and do not think of an apple.
00:13:26 You can open your eyes again.
00:13:29 Were you successful in not thinking of an apple?
00:13:33 If so, you probably had to force yourself to think of something else.
00:13:39 We are made to think.
00:13:42 So the key to serving Jehovah with rejoicing
00:13:46 lies not just in avoiding negative thoughts
00:13:49 but also in thinking healthy thoughts.
00:13:53 Philippians chapter 4 lists a few of them.
00:13:57 We read in verse 8:
00:14:00 “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true,
00:14:04 “whatever things are of serious concern,
00:14:07 “whatever things are righteous,
00:14:09 “whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable,
00:14:14 “whatever things are well-spoken-of, whatever things are virtuous,
00:14:18 “and whatever things are praiseworthy,
00:14:21 “continue considering
00:14:23 [or “thinking about; meditating on”] these things.”
00:14:29 By considering and meditating on these healthy subjects,
00:14:33 we create pictures in our mind that make it easier for us
00:14:36 to display our joy in Jehovah’s service.
00:14:40 Serving Jehovah with rejoicing really depends on us.
00:14:44 Happiness does not depend on our circumstances;
00:14:48 happiness comes from doing things Jehovah’s way.
00:14:52 When we actively control our thoughts,
00:14:55 we add more pleasant pictures.
00:14:57 And even if in the past
00:14:59 we’ve experienced things that make it difficult
00:15:01 to express happiness,
00:15:03 in time,
00:15:06 these unpleasant pictures will be buried under thoughts
00:15:09 like those listed in Philippians chapter 4.
00:15:11 And gradually
00:15:13 our inner peace, contentment,
00:15:17 and happiness grows and can be seen by others.
00:15:21 Jehovah, our happy God,
00:15:23 appreciates every little step in this direction
00:15:26 because it’s important to him that we serve him with rejoicing.
00:15:33 In our first video,
00:15:35 we’ll learn another way to serve Jehovah with rejoicing.
00:15:39 You’ll recall that Jesus said:
00:15:41 “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”
00:15:46 And isn’t it true that when we give commendation, praise,
00:15:50 and words of appreciation to others,
00:15:53 we experience joy?
00:15:55 In the following interviews, notice why some hesitate
00:15:59 to express appreciation.
00:16:01 We’ll see how they were helped by applying
00:16:04 lessons they learned from The Watchtower.
00:16:21 I work as a pioneer and also as a commuter at Bethel.
00:16:26 I find this service to be very enjoyable.
00:16:29 However, because of my busy schedule,
00:16:32 at times I almost forget to express my appreciation
00:16:35 to the brothers and sisters.
00:16:39 I wanted to express my appreciation to my wife,
00:16:42 but I found myself feeling bashful in doing so.
00:16:46 I knew something wasn’t quite natural.
00:16:50 Generally, expressing appreciation is considered to be a virtue.
00:16:56 But I realized that I needed some sort of stronger motivation.
00:17:04 Although all ten lepers must have been grateful,
00:17:08 only one person returned to give thanks.
00:17:12 I suddenly realized that even if I feel appreciative,
00:17:17 I might fail to express it.
00:17:21 Esau was an impatient man.
00:17:24 In contrast, David thought deeply
00:17:27 about how wonderful pure worship is.
00:17:32 I came to realize that it is important to think deeply.
00:17:38 One sister was visiting a very sick sister almost every day
00:17:43 to help her with shopping and was looking after her very tenderly.
00:17:50 As I thought carefully
00:17:52 about why she was doing so much and how she felt,
00:17:56 I felt deep appreciation well up in me.
00:18:03 Jehovah richly rewards us.
00:18:06 If Jehovah desires to express his appreciation,
00:18:10 what kind of person am I if I don’t show it from the heart?
00:18:18 Perhaps I might be thinking to myself
00:18:22 that I deserve to be appreciated,
00:18:26 since I am the one providing for my family, aren’t I?
00:18:32 I started thinking about how Jehovah wants to reward my wife.
00:18:39 That made me want to interact with her
00:18:41 with kinder words.
00:18:44 I feel that the way I look at her
00:18:46 and my facial expressions are changing as well.
00:18:52 It gets easier to resolve disagreements quickly.
00:18:57 I also feel that we are growing closer and closer as a couple.
00:19:03 By expressing appreciation, I feel very happy.
00:19:07 My relationship with brothers and sisters
00:19:10 within the congregation has gotten better,
00:19:12 and the bonds of friendship between us are stronger.
00:19:16 I realized that the reason why Jehovah encourages us
00:19:19 to express our appreciation to others is for our happiness.
00:19:25 That drew me even closer to Jehovah.
00:19:43 Expressing appreciation may not come easy for some.
00:19:47 As we saw, we may be busy with our spiritual routine.
00:19:52 Perhaps we are shy.
00:19:54 We may need to make a special effort to get to know our brothers better.
00:19:58 But what’s the result if we do?
00:20:01 We draw closer to them and to Jehovah
00:20:04 —and that makes us happy.
00:20:08 Being part of a loving family can bring us great joy.
00:20:12 It also comes with responsibilities as parents,
00:20:16 as children, and as siblings.
00:20:18 In the following dramatization,
00:20:20 we’ll see how three siblings decide
00:20:23 how to honor their elderly mother.
00:20:26 And please note how vital good communication in the family is.
00:20:51 This wasn’t the first health scare with Mum.
00:20:58 And my brother and sister
00:21:00 were always quick to help out.
00:21:22 But this time was different.
00:21:31 She’d be here for at least another week and then more long-term care.
00:21:41 We just weren’t prepared for that.
00:21:54 I should have accepted more help when the friends offered.
00:21:56 I just didn’t want to be a burden.
00:22:02 Janice understood,
00:22:04 and she was wondering how this might affect her Bethel service.
00:22:09 Terrance wished he lived closer so he could do more.
00:22:14 We decided to pray, sleep on it,
00:22:18 and regroup after doing some research.
00:22:51 I shared the example of Joseph in Genesis 45,
00:23:00 where he told his father:
00:23:04 “You must dwell in the land of Goshen, where you will be near me . . .
00:23:08 I will supply you with food.”
00:23:13 He didn’t let a long distance get in his way of caring for Jacob.
00:23:22 He took practical steps
00:23:26 and made his care a priority.
00:23:36 Janice and Terrance too found great articles
00:23:39 offering solutions
00:23:42 such as asking for periodic help,
00:23:53 making more time to communicate with Mum,
00:24:07 or even getting a part-time nurse.
00:24:19 We weren’t prepared for her situation to change so suddenly,
00:24:26 but Jehovah is guiding us through each new challenge.
00:24:37 And with his help, we’re honoring Mum,
00:24:42 making her care our continual priority.
00:24:55 In this dramatization, we saw one way
00:24:57 that a family decided to care for an aging parent.
00:25:01 Of course, situations will differ from one family to the next.
00:25:05 Each must make a prayerful decision based on their circumstances.
00:25:10 If you and your family are seeking
00:25:12 the right way to honor your elderly parents,
00:25:15 what can help?
00:25:17 Bible principles
00:25:19 and, as we saw in the video, open and candid communication.
00:25:23 This, coupled with respect and love,
00:25:25 will help you make a good decision.
00:25:29 Now we’ll look at the joy and challenges
00:25:32 that come with raising children.
00:25:34 We’ll travel to Alaska, in the United States,
00:25:37 to visit the Bode family.
00:25:39 Let’s see what we can learn
00:25:41 from the example set by the parents, Dale and Nadja.
00:25:48 We were serving in a small town in Alberta,
00:25:52 and then we began having children.
00:25:55 When we moved to Craig we had four children.
00:25:59 And after living here, we now have nine children.
00:26:03 You were given this trust, and so as a parent,
00:26:08 you need to put the Kingdom first;
00:26:10 you need to set a good example; you need to be at the meetings;
00:26:14 you need to be regular in field service.
00:26:16 We really believed that we needed to love Jehovah first
00:26:21 in order to be a good example for our children.
00:26:25 They helped us see that what would make us happy were spiritual things.
00:26:29 My parents, more in action than in words,
00:26:32 taught us to seek first the Kingdom.
00:26:35 With nine kids, it’s always going to be hectic.
00:26:37 You have extra children; you have more excuses, perhaps.
00:26:41 Having nine children is a challenge in a million ways.
00:26:52 Yeah, she had moments where she’d sit
00:26:55 in her rocking chair and just look so exhausted.
00:26:59 I remember one time when it was time to go to the meeting,
00:27:03 but I was so exhausted.
00:27:06 And I thought of Isaiah 40, where Jehovah says
00:27:10 that “those hoping in Jehovah will regain power.”
00:27:13 So I figured that Jehovah wants me to do it.
00:27:16 He’s going to make me strong enough to do this.
00:27:18 So I prayed, and I got ready.
00:27:21 It’s a scramble.
00:27:27 In Hebrews, we see the encouragement
00:27:31 to never forsake “our meeting together.”
00:27:34 My dad always spoke of that.
00:27:35 There was a time that we had to travel in the wintertime,
00:27:40 maybe up to two hours to get to the meeting.
00:27:43 You’d come back to your home late at night,
00:27:47 you know, with all these kids that are worn out—and yourself too.
00:27:51 Seeing the importance that they placed on the meetings,
00:27:55 I was able to see that you never take meetings for granted.
00:28:00 My parents always instilled in us consistency
00:28:04 in field service just like the meetings.
00:28:08 It was just what we did.
00:28:12 That wasn’t questioned.
00:28:13 We got up on Saturday morning,
00:28:15 and we got ourselves out the door and in service.
00:28:18 We couldn’t simply just be a backseat ornament.
00:28:22 We knew that we were there to give a witness.
00:28:27 From an early age, we were really following the example
00:28:31 of our parents in showing interest in people.
00:28:34 So because of that, we enjoyed being in the ministry.
00:28:38 It gave me a sense of purpose.
00:28:40 I had people to go visit in service.
00:28:42 I had to know what I was going to talk to them about and have a plan.
00:28:46 In field service, we would often take breaks
00:28:51 for the sake of the children and ourselves.
00:28:53 It was important to have our children
00:28:57 enjoy field service—not push them hard
00:29:00 and be too rigid, and so forth.
00:29:04 I think about Proverbs 22:6 in the Byington translation
00:29:08 where it says to “give a boy the start his course requires.”
00:29:14 They did that by putting the spiritual things
00:29:18 before the material things.
00:29:20 Jehovah helped us to be the best parents we could be.
00:29:25 We failed at times, but I always knew that Jehovah was the best Parent.
00:29:29 So if we could teach them to love Him, then he would take over.
00:29:35 Well, we as a family were successful
00:29:38 because we did have Jehovah in our lives.
00:29:40 All our children
00:29:42 are doing very well in the truth.
00:29:45 And so we’re very happy about that,
00:29:47 and I’m sure it makes Jehovah happy.
00:29:51 You may not have nine children —or seven or five or two—
00:29:56 but can’t all parents learn a valuable lesson from the Bodes?
00:30:00 A very important lesson was mentioned by one of the daughters.
00:30:04 She said, “[Our] parents, more in action than in words,
00:30:08 taught us to seek first the Kingdom.”
00:30:12 Yes, despite the many demands of a busy household,
00:30:16 Dale and Nadja put the spiritual needs of their family first.
00:30:20 It was their example that had a wonderful influence
00:30:23 on all of their children.
00:30:26 Next, we’ll hear from Brother Stephen Lett of the Governing Body.
00:30:30 He spoke to the Bethel family about an enemy of joy
00:30:34 and where to find the antidote to it.
00:30:38 Now, my theme is
00:30:40 “Guard Against Every Sort of Greed.”
00:30:44 Jehovah lovingly gave counsel
00:30:47 to Jeremiah’s secretary, Baruch,
00:30:50 to stop “seeking great things” for himself.
00:30:54 Now, what were those great things?
00:30:56 Well, we don’t know for sure,
00:30:58 perhaps prominence or material things or both.
00:31:03 But what bad quality was developing
00:31:07 in Baruch’s heart that Jehovah saw?
00:31:10 Greed.
00:31:12 And the Insight book defines greed
00:31:15 as “inordinate or rapacious desire.”
00:31:20 The dictionary says it’s “a selfish, . . .
00:31:23 “excessive desire for more of something
00:31:25 (such as money) than is needed.”
00:31:28 So, in effect, Jehovah was telling Baruch,
00:31:31 ‘Stop being greedy.’
00:31:33 And in an extended application,
00:31:35 Jehovah tells us the same thing.
00:31:38 Now, echoing Jehovah’s counsel to Baruch
00:31:41 is what Jesus tells us.
00:31:44 If you’ll open up to Luke chapter 12,
00:31:47 and let’s read our theme scripture here.
00:31:49 Luke 12:15
00:31:51 —similar counsel from Jesus—
00:31:54 Luke 12:15:
00:31:57 “Then he [that is Jesus] said to them:
00:32:01 “‘Keep your eyes open and guard [now notice]
00:32:05 “‘against every sort of greed,
00:32:08 “‘because even when a person has an abundance,
00:32:12 “‘his life does not result
00:32:14 from the things he possesses.’”
00:32:17 Now, what makes it a challenge, though,
00:32:20 for us to “guard against every sort of greed,” as Jesus counseled?
00:32:24 Well, our three great enemies.
00:32:26 In fact, let’s discuss each of these
00:32:29 and how it makes it a challenge.
00:32:31 Now, first, our imperfect flesh.
00:32:33 At Genesis 8:21, Jehovah said:
00:32:36 “The inclination of the heart of man
00:32:38 is bad from his youth up.”
00:32:41 And one form of badness is greed.
00:32:44 This tendency toward greed becomes manifest very early.
00:32:49 For example, we see little toddlers
00:32:51 grab things and hold them tightly.
00:32:55 “Mine, mine, mine.”
00:32:59 That greed is starting to manifest, isn’t it?
00:33:02 When people look at a little toddler,
00:33:04 they may say, “What a cute little boy,”
00:33:07 or “He has his mother’s eyes and his father’s nose.”
00:33:12 But they never invariably say:
00:33:16 “Look at that little toddler.
00:33:18 What an unselfish little toddler!”
00:33:21 No, it takes a lot of effort —doesn’t it?—
00:33:23 to teach that little one to be unselfish like Jehovah.
00:33:27 But now, what about our second great enemy, Satan?
00:33:30 What was Satan’s downfall?
00:33:32 It was greed.
00:33:34 He allowed a greedy desire for something
00:33:37 that belonged to Jehovah alone to develop in his heart.
00:33:41 And what was that greed for?
00:33:43 Worship.
00:33:45 And he wants his downfall to be our downfall.
00:33:49 He wants to ensnare us in greed.
00:33:52 So he tries to magnify, intensify,
00:33:55 our wrong tendency to be greedy.
00:33:58 And if you think about it, how was Satan
00:34:01 able to entrap the perfect woman, Eve?
00:34:04 He entrapped her in greed.
00:34:07 He got her to crave, desire,
00:34:10 what belonged to God alone.
00:34:13 In effect, he said to her:
00:34:15 ‘Eating of all the trees of the garden minus one tree
00:34:20 ‘is not good enough.
00:34:22 ‘You should crave that one tree
00:34:24 that has not been given to you.’
00:34:27 In fact, let me, please, illustrate
00:34:29 how greedy Satan made Adam and Eve
00:34:34 —how greedy they were.
00:34:36 I’d like for you to imagine that you have guests staying in your home,
00:34:39 and you say, “Now, I really want you
00:34:41 to make yourselves at home while you’re here.”
00:34:44 You take them into the kitchen;
00:34:46 you open the refrigerator and say:
00:34:48 “There are all kinds of food here
00:34:50 “in the cabinets —the pantry—
00:34:52 “everything you could imagine that you would want to eat.
00:34:55 “It’s yours. Help yourself.
00:34:57 Don’t even ask.”
00:34:59 But then you pull out one little drawer, and you say:
00:35:03 “Now, I’ve set aside some items for a later occasion.
00:35:07 “Please, this is very important.
00:35:09 “Do not eat from this one drawer.
00:35:11 “But you’ll find other items just like
00:35:13 “in this drawer in the pantry and the cabinets.
00:35:16 You’ll have everything you need.”
00:35:18 Now, would that be overly restrictive?
00:35:20 Would that be an unloving arrangement with your guests?
00:35:23 It’d be very generous, wouldn’t it?
00:35:26 And, in effect, that’s the arrangement Jehovah made with Adam and Eve.
00:35:29 But now, back to the illustration: If you came into the kitchen
00:35:32 and you found your guests eating
00:35:35 out of that one drawer that you had not given them,
00:35:39 you’d be very upset, wouldn’t you?
00:35:41 And you’d probably view it as stealing,
00:35:44 and you likely would put the thieves out of your house.
00:35:47 So that illustrates how Jehovah felt and how Jehovah reacted.
00:35:52 But what a protection being content
00:35:54 with what was rightfully hers would have been to Eve!
00:35:59 But now, what about our third great enemy—the world?
00:36:03 We are relentlessly surrounded
00:36:07 by Satan’s world and his spirit, called “the spirit of the world.”
00:36:12 We could say that Jehovah breathes holy spirit
00:36:16 to influence his people to act like him and to be unselfish.
00:36:20 But Satan, in effect, exhales
00:36:24 the stinky spirit of the world
00:36:27 that makes people act like him in being greedy.
00:36:32 And one way Satan’s world promotes greed for material things
00:36:36 is by relentless advertising.
00:36:40 People are constantly bombarded with advertisements.
00:36:44 For example, here’s just an example:
00:36:46 They may bring out a shiny, new car;
00:36:50 it has about 12 coats of wax on it.
00:36:53 They have all these spotlights shining on it.
00:36:56 They bring in a camera from all different angles
00:36:59 and, about this time, a scantily clothed woman
00:37:02 comes strolling out to that automobile.
00:37:05 And you don’t even notice it, but there’s
00:37:07 soft music playing in the background.
00:37:09 As she opens the door and gets in,
00:37:12 a crescendo is reached in the background music.
00:37:16 You’re made to feel like,
00:37:18 ‘You poor, poor loser
00:37:22 if you don’t have that car.’
00:37:25 They don’t talk about the heavy payments you’re going to have to make
00:37:27 or how many meetings you’re going to have to miss to make those payments.
00:37:30 ‘You poor loser if you don’t have that car.’
00:37:34 And similar advertising methods are used very often
00:37:39 in promoting many other gadgets and material things.
00:37:43 So, obviously, we have to fight hard against the spirit of the world
00:37:47 so that we don’t allow it
00:37:49 to nurture greed in our hearts.
00:37:53 In fact, if we’re not careful, our love for Jehovah
00:37:56 could be squeezed out
00:37:58 by love for money and love for material things.
00:38:01 And if this happens,
00:38:03 rather than conquering the world as Jesus did,
00:38:06 the world will have conquered us.
00:38:10 Now, it admittedly is a great challenge
00:38:14 to fight these three great enemies and avoid,
00:38:17 as Jesus counseled, “every sort of greed.”
00:38:20 But now, think of that—Jesus indicated
00:38:24 there’s not just one sort of greed, one kind of greed.
00:38:27 Greed can take on various faces, or manifestations,
00:38:31 but we’re to guard against all of them.
00:38:33 What would you say is the antidote
00:38:35 that can immunize us against the poison of greed?
00:38:40 Well, is it not contentment?
00:38:43 For example, one sort of greed we talked about,
00:38:47 greed for material things
00:38:49 —well, contentment will immunize us
00:38:52 against this terrible form of greed.
00:38:55 We’re familiar with 1 Timothy 6:8:
00:39:00 “So, having food and clothing,
00:39:03 “[and the footnote adds “shelter.”]
00:39:06 we will be content with these things.”
00:39:10 So contentment really protects us.
00:39:12 And, in effect, that’s what Jehovah was telling Baruch;
00:39:15 he was telling him: ‘You have what you need.
00:39:18 ‘Stop storing up great things, or seeking great things.
00:39:21 Be content with what you have and do more important things.’
00:39:25 And then he gave a powerful reason why Baruch should do this.
00:39:29 Jehovah told him at Jeremiah 45:5:
00:39:32 “For I am about to bring a calamity on all flesh,”
00:39:37 so if “you get the mastery over” this,
00:39:39 “I will grant you your life as a spoil.”
00:39:44 Well, the same applies to us, doesn’t it?
00:39:47 Jehovah is soon going to bring a calamity on all flesh,
00:39:51 and so we need to be content with what we really need
00:39:54 and ‘seek first the Kingdom.’
00:39:56 We’re just ‘temporary residents,’ aren’t we?
00:39:58 That’s what 1 Peter 1:17 says.
00:40:01 Now here’s an illustration about a temporary resident.
00:40:05 I’d like you to imagine
00:40:07 that we rent a venue for our regional convention.
00:40:10 Now, you may do a few things
00:40:12 to make the stay more comfortable in that venue.
00:40:16 For example, you may do thorough cleaning;
00:40:19 you might do some touch-up painting;
00:40:22 you might repair some broken toilets or light fixtures.
00:40:25 But you would never paint and plaster the entire stadium inside and out.
00:40:30 You wouldn’t rip up the seats and put all new seating in.
00:40:34 You wouldn’t tear out the parking lot and put in a new parking lot
00:40:38 because you know you’re just a temporary resident.
00:40:41 You’re going to vacate that place after the weekend.
00:40:44 Now, unlike the illustration, we don’t know exactly when we’re going to vacate,
00:40:48 but we know it’s soon.
00:40:49 So we keep it simple.
00:40:51 We’re just temporary residents.
00:40:53 Another sort of greed is greed for prominence.
00:40:56 But being content
00:40:58 with how generous Jehovah has been in giving us so many privileges
00:41:02 will protect us from this greed.
00:41:04 It would’ve protected Korah in Moses’ time.
00:41:07 Another sort of greed is greedy sexual desire.
00:41:11 If we’re single or married,
00:41:13 being content with what rightfully belongs to us
00:41:18 will really be a protection.
00:41:20 It would have protected David from his sin with Bath-sheba.
00:41:25 Or there are other sorts of greed, such as gluttony and drunkenness.
00:41:30 But the antidote for all of these is contentment
00:41:35 —contentment with what is rightfully ours
00:41:38 that Jehovah has given to us.
00:41:40 And if we are successful in guarding against every sort of greed,
00:41:44 then we’ll be on hand to enjoy the marvelous time
00:41:49 when Jehovah will open his hand
00:41:52 and satisfy every proper “desire of every living thing.”
00:41:58 Full-time service is a special way to serve Jehovah
00:42:02 with a joyful heart.
00:42:04 But what happens to your joy when you suddenly face a serious trial?
00:42:09 Jay and Elaine Humer, you have been through this.
00:42:12 Thank you for being here today
00:42:14 to share your personal experience with us.
00:42:18 You’ve enjoyed full-time service for over 40 years,
00:42:21 many of those years in the traveling work.
00:42:24 Yes, we’ve had the wonderful privilege of both pioneering
00:42:27 and serving in the traveling work for 30 years now.
00:42:30 And we really feel that Jehovah has been very kind to allow us to serve him this way.
00:42:35 I remember when I first filled out my application
00:42:39 for regular pioneering back in 1972,
00:42:41 and I thought this was my gift to Jehovah—my sacrifice.
00:42:45 But after the many years
00:42:47 of the blessings and the privileges
00:42:49 and how Jehovah helped us through some very difficult times,
00:42:53 what I thought was my gift to Jehovah turned out to be his gift to me.
00:42:58 This is very encouraging. Thank you.
00:42:59 Now, you mentioned “difficult times.”
00:43:02 Is there anything in particular you can think of?
00:43:05 One of the hardest things that we faced was about 20 years ago
00:43:08 when we experienced seven deaths in just a six-month period.
00:43:12 This really was difficult because five of those seven were family members.
00:43:17 Jay’s father died,
00:43:19 my aunt Alma (who brought me into the truth) died, and my father died.
00:43:23 So it just seemed like one layer on top of another.
00:43:27 We can hardly imagine how you must have felt.
00:43:30 Now, after such a Job-like experience,
00:43:33 what did you do in order to regain your joy and happiness?
00:43:36 Well, it didn’t occur automatically.
00:43:38 We kept focused, of course, on serving the friends
00:43:43 and working with them, and that kept our thoughts
00:43:45 from constantly circling around our losses.
00:43:47 We also thought about the resurrection.
00:43:49 We focused on the resurrection hope
00:43:51 and, as we did, it became like “the helmet of salvation,”
00:43:54 protecting our hearts and our thoughts from the grief that we were going through.
00:43:59 And then, of course, we shared our hope with others,
00:44:01 and that helped us to have it more deeply engraved on our own hearts as well.
00:44:06 Thank you.
00:44:06 So now, may we learn from you what you did in practical terms?
00:44:11 The most difficult of all was about four years after that
00:44:16 when our beloved nephew Christopher
00:44:18 was killed in an auto accident at the age of 17.
00:44:21 He and his parents had lived with us in the same house
00:44:25 for a number of years before we went on the road.
00:44:27 And we always looked at Christopher like the son
00:44:29 that we would never have on this side of Armageddon.
00:44:31 So his death was particularly tragic.
00:44:35 It was excruciating for all of our family members, especially his parents.
00:44:40 Christopher was on his way to the Kingdom Hall
00:44:42 to meet his papa and his grandmother for field service,
00:44:46 and his car hit a patch of ice and slid into an oncoming car.
00:44:51 He died instantly.
00:44:53 This was so difficult for us.
00:44:55 Our hearts were broken, and our spirits were nearly crushed.
00:44:59 It actually rendered me speechless,
00:45:01 even to beg for the “groanings unuttered” became very difficult.
00:45:06 I didn’t speak to Jehovah for three days,
00:45:09 but I was listening.
00:45:11 What do you mean by “listening”?
00:45:14 I remember when we were all together as a family,
00:45:17 and my sister just happened to say that Christopher had been cremated.
00:45:21 We were there making arrangements for the funeral,
00:45:24 and it just hit me so hard.
00:45:27 It was just—it just hit hard enough
00:45:30 that I fell down, and I just cried.
00:45:33 I laid there on the floor, and I thought,
00:45:36 perhaps, maybe Mary felt this way when she said:
00:45:39 ‘Lord, if you’d only been here this wouldn’t have happened.’
00:45:44 But as I laid there, I could hear my sister say:
00:45:47 “Go get her Bible.
00:45:48 Read her her favorite scripture.”
00:45:50 And so Jay did.
00:45:51 He turned to Psalm 91, a psalm that I had already memorized,
00:45:56 and now I began to hear Jehovah’s voice.
00:45:59 So was this listening to Jehovah a onetime occurrence?
00:46:04 No, by no means.
00:46:06 I really had to now do my research.
00:46:08 So I searched for every article on the resurrection,
00:46:12 I searched for every scripture on comfort,
00:46:14 and I meditated on the artwork —the pictures in the publications.
00:46:19 I remember one particular scripture that really touched my heart.
00:46:23 It was from Psalm 56:8.
00:46:26 And there it said: “You keep track of my wandering.
00:46:30 “Do collect my tears in your skin bottle.
00:46:33 Are they not recorded in your book?”
00:46:36 And I thought about Jehovah taking such notice of us
00:46:40 —keeping track, watching over, even collecting every tear
00:46:44 and recording each of them.
00:46:46 That truly made me draw close to Jehovah.
00:46:50 So you continued to listen to Jehovah
00:46:54 by looking at comforting material from the publications.
00:46:56 Was there any specific article you thought of?
00:47:00 There was an article.
00:47:02 It was about a delicate flower
00:47:04 that had been bent over after a rainstorm
00:47:07 —the kind of cloudburst that would send humans and animals running for shelter,
00:47:12 but not this flower.
00:47:14 Here it was intact,
00:47:16 bent over but unbroken and still rooted.
00:47:19 I thought about us in that same way.
00:47:22 The article said that we can no more avoid losing a loved one
00:47:27 than this flower could uproot itself and run for cover.
00:47:30 It had to endure.
00:47:32 But the article spoke a great deal about hope and about faith.
00:47:36 Hope is our anchor, and hope is our preserver of our spirituality.
00:47:41 And faith —James 1:3 stated there that faith—
00:47:46 when it succeeds, we’re able to endure.
00:47:50 And so that’s exactly what happened.
00:47:52 It softened the grief.
00:47:54 And so like this flower, we too would stand up and smile one day.
00:47:58 And we did.
00:47:59 I remember the first time I smiled inside, and I thought,
00:48:03 ‘Oh, Jehovah, you truly are a healer of hearts.’
00:48:07 So did you do something else?
00:48:09 Now I started looking for some of the artwork in the publications.
00:48:14 And one particular picture I found was of a shepherd
00:48:18 who had gone into a bramble bush and rescued a lamb.
00:48:22 He was lost.
00:48:23 He pulled him out, threw him over his shoulders, and held onto him.
00:48:27 And I thought, ‘What a safe place to be —such security!’
00:48:31 I decided to take the picture
00:48:33 and to print it out and just enlarge it a little bit.
00:48:37 But what I didn’t see on the publication page,
00:48:41 I saw when I enlarged it, and there were scratches on the shepherd’s face.
00:48:46 And I thought about what that shepherd had gone through
00:48:48 to go in the bramble bush and pull him out.
00:48:51 And then, I thought about Jehovah as our Great Shepherd
00:48:54 and the lengths that he went through to rescue us,
00:48:58 even at the cost of pain for himself.
00:49:01 Now I was listening and drawing close, back to Jehovah.
00:49:05 So, then, what did you do with these articles and the pictures?
00:49:10 So now I decided to print them all out
00:49:12 —the articles, the pictures, and the scriptures—
00:49:17 and I displayed them on my desk for quite some time.
00:49:20 But then I put them in a big envelope (or like a file),
00:49:23 and I thought that was Jehovah’s sympathy card to me.
00:49:28 We knew that we had to do something so as not to be swept away by our grief.
00:49:32 It’s been said that grief is an arduous journey, but one that we cannot avoid.
00:49:36 It’s not a place where we live but a passage, as it were.
00:49:40 And we know that even though grief never goes away, it does change over time.
00:49:44 That’s because Jehovah made our hearts to heal.
00:49:47 And so, in time, that’s what we did.
00:49:49 Yeah, we sure did.
00:49:50 It’s not about the lack of faith; it’s simply the price of love.
00:49:54 We loved Christopher, and we miss him.
00:49:57 It wasn’t like we were leaving him behind.
00:49:59 Sometimes that’s how you feel when you lose a loved one.
00:50:02 But in reality, we know that Christopher is in Jehovah’s memory.
00:50:06 And as the righteous God, Jehovah never forgets his loyal ones.
00:50:09 Christopher was one of them.
00:50:11 So we’re confident that we’re going to see him again.
00:50:14 And that’s what helps us not to be, as it were,
00:50:17 always looking in the rearview mirror
00:50:19 but looking ahead to the time when we will be with him in Paradise.
00:50:24 You know, Jehovah truly kept his promises, and he carried us through that storm.
00:50:29 He gathered up the pieces of our broken hearts and sealed them.
00:50:33 And even though this happened 17 years ago,
00:50:36 sure, we still have cracks in our hearts.
00:50:39 But we know for a certainty that those one day will disappear as well
00:50:43 in the Paradise when we welcome him back home.
00:50:46 And so, Jehovah truly proved to be my stronghold,
00:50:50 my Father, and my Friend in a profound way.
00:50:54 We learned that Jehovah truly does love us, cares for us, and protects us.
00:50:59 And because he is such a good Father,
00:51:02 our joy has come back and we have had such a rich life.
00:51:06 So in all the years that we’ve had the privilege of serving our God,
00:51:10 we’ve always found that no matter what we give Jehovah,
00:51:12 no matter what sacrifices we make for him, he always gives us more.
00:51:16 You cannot out generous the most generous Person in the universe.
00:51:20 And so, just as he has blessed us all these many years,
00:51:23 we are confident that he will continue to bless us
00:51:26 as we transition to our next assignment.
00:51:29 Thank you so much for sharing your personal experiences with us.
00:51:33 And may Jehovah continue to be with the two of you
00:51:36 as you now continue your full-time service as special pioneers.
00:51:41 And may you be able to apply the principles that you have just mentioned
00:51:45 so that Jehovah can continue to “guard your hearts.”
00:51:50 Thank you.
00:51:51 As we discussed earlier,
00:51:53 happiness does not depend on our circumstances
00:51:56 but on our thoughts and our outlook.
00:52:00 And we can influence our thoughts by what we picture in our mind’s eye.
00:52:04 We’ll see that beautifully brought to life
00:52:07 in our new music video entitled
00:52:10 The New World to Come.
00:52:12 Take a moment now and picture the scene. Up ahead on the path are what seem to be
00:52:21 Children laughing at play In a world free of the fears we once faced.
00:52:30 And taking care of this beautiful earth Are a people that live by our Father’s words:
00:52:39 “Until the moon is no more”— There is the peace we have been waiting for.
00:52:50 We will feel His love Under the rule of His Son
00:52:59 In the new world to come.
00:53:10 Hope is a fire in our hearts.
00:53:14 Hope is an anchor that holds us firm.
00:53:18 Hope is a light that shines like the sun
00:53:22 As we see ourselves there
00:53:27 In the new world to come.
00:53:38 Take a moment now and think of a place
00:53:42 By the mountains and rivers or wide open plains.
00:53:47 It’s a place to call home.
00:53:51 And now walking in through your front door,
00:53:56 There is someone that you know
00:54:01 Holding out his open arms in hopes
00:54:05 Of a tearful embrace—
00:54:09 Feels like forever since you’ve been face-to-face.
00:54:15 Even death won’t stop
00:54:20 Our God’s outstretched love
00:54:24 In the new world to come.
00:54:35 Hope is a fire in our hearts.
00:54:40 Hope is an anchor that holds us firm.
00:54:44 Hope is a light that shines like the sun
00:54:48 As we see ourselves there
00:54:52 In the new world to come.
00:55:03 And ev’ry word from His mouth
00:55:08 Will do all for which He sent it out.
00:55:12 Jehovah’s will for this earth is
00:55:17 Fulfilling ev’ry living things’ last wish.
00:55:50 Hope is a fire in our hearts. Hope is an anchor that holds us firm.
00:55:59 Hope is a light that shines like the sun As we see ourselves there
00:56:07 In the new world to come, In the new world to come,
00:56:16 In the new world to come, In the new world to come.
00:56:36 You’ll probably want to listen to that song again and again.
00:56:40 Or you might even want to sing it yourself.
00:56:43 Our hope is one of the things we want to focus on.
00:56:48 And this will have an effect on us;
00:56:51 it will contribute to our being joyful.
00:56:55 Let’s conclude this month’s program with a visit
00:56:58 to a truly beautiful part of the earth:
00:57:01 Martinique.
00:57:03 This island in the eastern Caribbean
00:57:05 measures just 50 miles (or about 80 kilometers)
00:57:09 by 22 miles (or 35 kilometers).
00:57:13 Yet, Martinique, nicknamed the Island of Flowers,
00:57:16 has stunning geographic diversity, with beaches,
00:57:20 forests, rivers,
00:57:23 sugarcane plantations, and rugged mountains.
00:57:28 The highest point is Mount Pelée,
00:57:30 infamous for causing the deadliest volcanic eruption
00:57:33 in the 20th century.
00:57:36 When Pelée erupted in 1902,
00:57:39 nearly 30,000 people died because they ignored the warnings.
00:57:44 This tragedy is often discussed by our brothers in the ministry.
00:57:47 Today, more than 4,700 publishers
00:57:50 in 62 congregations
00:57:53 share the good news in eight languages,
00:57:55 including French, English, French Sign Language,
00:57:59 Arabic, and Creole of Martinique.
00:58:03 They conduct more than 4,500 Bible studies
00:58:06 —nearly one per publisher.
00:58:08 Over one million tourists visit this beautiful island every year
00:58:13 —many by cruise ship.
00:58:15 This presents a unique preaching opportunity.
00:58:18 The city of Le Marin hosts 55,000 boaters annually.
00:58:23 Here our brothers preach
00:58:25 “sailboat to sailboat.”
00:58:28 This is the city of La Trinité.
00:58:30 A Creole of Martinique congregation
00:58:33 was formed here two years ago.
00:58:35 Today, the congregation has 91 publishers
00:58:39 and 10 regular pioneers.
00:58:41 They preach in the countryside, the foothills,
00:58:45 wherever people can be found.
00:58:48 Our brothers and sisters in La Trinité, Martinique,
00:58:51 send you their warm Christian love and greetings.
00:58:55 From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
00:58:58 this is JW Broadcasting!
