00:00:02 Greetings, and welcome to JW Broadcasting®.
00:00:07 Here are a few highlights from this month’s program.
00:00:11 Samuele was torn between his career and the truth.
00:00:16 How did he resolve this conflict,
00:00:18 and what steps did he take to reach his spiritual goals?
00:00:22 Perhaps you’ve been impatient with someone
00:00:25 because they’re not handling a situation the way you would.
00:00:29 In a new dramatization,
00:00:31 Neeta and Jade learn how to cultivate patience.
00:00:37 In this episode of Our History in Motion,
00:00:40 we’ll see how conventions strengthen the unity
00:00:43 and love among Jehovah’s people.
00:00:46 This is JW Broadcasting for November 2022!
00:01:09 In our broadcast for this month,
00:01:11 we’re going to discuss the quality of patience.
00:01:17 Think of how many situations we encounter
00:01:19 that require patience:
00:01:21 waiting in rush-hour traffic,
00:01:24 dealing with a difficult coworker,
00:01:26 raising a child, overcoming marital problems,
00:01:30 coping with the illness of a loved one,
00:01:34 or maybe coping with an illness of our own.
00:01:38 Clearly, all of us face situations
00:01:41 that require us to display a measure of patience each day.
00:01:47 If we don’t have patience, we can become frustrated,
00:01:51 tired, and discouraged.
00:01:54 But no matter what our circumstances are,
00:01:57 all of us can develop this quality.
00:02:00 How do we know?
00:02:02 Because according to Galatians 5:22,
00:02:06 patience is an aspect of the fruitage of God’s spirit,
00:02:09 and with its help,
00:02:11 we can make this quality an integral part of our personality.
00:02:17 For this to happen, let’s now answer two important questions.
00:02:22 First, How can being patient
00:02:25 help us to express our love for Jehovah?
00:02:28 And second, How can being patient improve
00:02:32 our relationship with others?
00:02:35 Let’s start with our first question:
00:02:37 How can being patient help us to express our love for Jehovah?
00:02:42 Let’s consider what is stated in 1 Corinthians chapter 13.
00:02:47 This chapter gives us a description of how love manifests itself.
00:02:52 Please follow along as I read verse 4:
00:02:56 “Love is patient and kind.
00:02:59 “Love is not jealous.
00:03:01 It does not brag, does not get puffed up.”
00:03:05 Of all the many qualities that stem from love,
00:03:08 did you note which one is listed first?
00:03:11 Patience.
00:03:13 It is an integral aspect of love.
00:03:17 We need both love and patience in order to be successful
00:03:21 and ensure we’re on the right course, which includes pleasing Jehovah.
00:03:27 If we think of situations where a lack of patience was a factor,
00:03:32 we can usually identify where a lack of love was evident.
00:03:38 Take, for example, God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel.
00:03:43 In Psalm 106,
00:03:45 written many years after Israel’s deliverance from Egypt,
00:03:48 the psalmist indicates that they continued acting with a similar disposition.
00:03:54 Despite that,
00:03:56 Jehovah extended patience to them for many years.
00:04:01 Please follow along as I read Psalm 106:7, 8:
00:04:07 “Our forefathers in Egypt
00:04:09 “did not appreciate your wonderful works.
00:04:12 “They did not remember your abundant loyal love,
00:04:17 “but they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea.
00:04:20 “But he saved them for the sake of his name,
00:04:23 to make his mightiness known.”
00:04:26 And what was the result?
00:04:29 Let’s read verse 13:
00:04:31 “But they quickly forgot what he did;
00:04:35 they did not wait for his counsel.”
00:04:40 How sad!
00:04:42 The people “did not wait.”
00:04:47 They were not patient.
00:04:49 And that highlights that they did not appreciate
00:04:52 Jehovah’s patience and loyal love.
00:04:55 Love for God should have caused them
00:04:57 to think about the consequences of their actions.
00:05:00 They should have remembered how Jehovah cared and provided for them.
00:05:04 That should have moved them to be patient
00:05:07 and wait on Jehovah’s direction.
00:05:09 But time and again,
00:05:11 their actions showed that they really didn’t love Jehovah as they should have.
00:05:16 And it cost them.
00:05:18 They eventually tested Jehovah’s patience to the limit
00:05:21 and, as a nation, lost his favor.
00:05:25 What can you and I learn from their example?
00:05:29 Never would we want to become independent of Jehovah,
00:05:32 trusting in our own thinking
00:05:34 and not patiently waiting for Jehovah’s counsel
00:05:37 to direct the decisions we make.
00:05:40 Think about how well we’ve been guided recently regarding the pandemic,
00:05:45 natural disasters,
00:05:48 and the organizing of our ministry.
00:05:50 Even if we didn’t fully understand
00:05:53 or even fully agree with all the decisions,
00:05:57 our love for God helped us to take the time
00:06:00 to think about Jehovah’s care for us and trust him.
00:06:06 By doing so, we learn that if we’re patient
00:06:09 and submit to Jehovah’s direction,
00:06:12 we won’t go off course
00:06:14 and we’ll benefit ourselves and others.
00:06:17 And in doing so,
00:06:19 we ultimately express our love for Jehovah.
00:06:26 Let’s now answer the second question:
00:06:29 How can being patient improve our relationship with others?
00:06:33 If we go back to 1 Corinthians 13:4,
00:06:37 the study note states:
00:06:39 “Patience is a quality that Jehovah and Jesus
00:06:43 “constantly show in their dealings with humans.
00:06:46 “As imitators of Jesus and Jehovah,
00:06:49 Christians are to show patience to others.”
00:06:53 So if Jehovah and Jesus are patient with us,
00:06:58 it would follow that we imitate their example and be patient with others.
00:07:04 Let’s start with the greatest example, Jehovah.
00:07:08 Think about the patience he’s shown
00:07:11 in waiting to bring an end to this system.
00:07:14 Jehovah has a fixed day and hour when that will take place,
00:07:19 and he’s patiently waiting until that arrives.
00:07:22 He’s bound himself to his own timetable.
00:07:26 Now rest assured,
00:07:28 Jehovah is well aware of how we feel as his servants.
00:07:33 He knows that we wish the end of this system to come as soon as possible
00:07:38 and that we long to see the fulfillment of all his promises.
00:07:42 And he longs to fulfill them.
00:07:45 But he will not become impatient
00:07:49 and act before his appointed time.
00:07:53 Why should we appreciate Jehovah’s patience in that regard?
00:07:57 Please follow along as I read 2 Peter 3:15:
00:08:05 “Furthermore, consider the patience
00:08:07 “of our Lord as salvation,
00:08:10 “just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you
00:08:13 according to the wisdom given him.”
00:08:16 Isn’t that a powerful point?
00:08:19 Jehovah’s patience is the means for our salvation.
00:08:26 Think about the number of people who are learning the truth every year.
00:08:30 Even during the pandemic,
00:08:32 when we weren’t able to engage in our typical house-to-house witnessing,
00:08:35 tens of thousands of individuals still got baptized worldwide.
00:08:41 Perhaps some of those included your Bible students,
00:08:44 family members, close friends,
00:08:48 or maybe even you yourself.
00:08:51 And think about this:
00:08:53 If Jehovah had impatiently brought the end of this system
00:08:57 5, 10, or 20 years ago,
00:09:02 would you have learned the truth?
00:09:05 So we appreciate that Jehovah
00:09:08 is still patiently waiting for his day to arrive
00:09:12 and has allowed so many to attain to repentance
00:09:15 and develop a relationship with him.
00:09:19 How should this affect our relationship with others?
00:09:23 Perhaps it can help us to be more patient with a progressive Bible student
00:09:27 who still may be struggling with a problem.
00:09:30 Or maybe it’s still difficult for some of our relatives to see us
00:09:34 as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and to adjust to our beliefs and lifestyle.
00:09:40 But in imitation of Jehovah’s patience,
00:09:43 we won’t give up on them.
00:09:46 And, of course, reflecting on Jehovah’s patience should move us
00:09:50 to continue to have a full share in the ministry,
00:09:54 earnestly looking for those who are “rightly disposed for everlasting life”
00:09:58 and helping them to love Jehovah and serve him.
00:10:02 Then they too can benefit from Jehovah’s patience,
00:10:05 just as we have.
00:10:09 We can also learn from the example of Jesus.
00:10:13 He demonstrated tremendous patience when his disciples
00:10:16 were arguing among themselves as to who was the greatest.
00:10:20 This apparently happened on a number of occasions.
00:10:23 And no doubt, it saddened Jesus to hear this.
00:10:27 But Jesus was patient with them.
00:10:30 He showed empathy for them.
00:10:33 He knew how much the culture and the environment
00:10:36 in which they had been raised affected their thinking and attitude.
00:10:41 That knowledge caused him to react kindly.
00:10:45 Note one beautiful example.
00:10:48 Please read with me Mark chapter 9
00:10:51 —Mark 9:33, 35:
00:10:56 “And they came into Capernaum.
00:10:59 “Now when he was inside the house,
00:11:02 “he put the question to them:
00:11:04 ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’”
00:11:07 Well, we know the answer.
00:11:09 They had been arguing about who among them was the greater.
00:11:14 Look at verse 35:
00:11:16 “So he sat down and called the Twelve and said to them:
00:11:20 “‘If anyone wants to be first,
00:11:22 he must be last of all and minister of all.’”
00:11:27 Did you note what Jesus did?
00:11:30 He patiently waited for the right time
00:11:33 to correct them kindly.
00:11:36 He didn’t make a scene on the road.
00:11:38 Verse 33,
00:11:40 he waited until “he was inside the house,”
00:11:44 verse 35, ‘sitting down.’
00:11:49 He calmed the situation.
00:11:52 He didn’t push them.
00:11:54 Instead, he led them patiently by instruction
00:11:58 and by example.
00:12:01 What a great example in avoiding becoming provoked
00:12:05 and, instead of acting immediately,
00:12:08 waiting for the right time to address matters,
00:12:12 even when our patience is tested!
00:12:17 What else can we take away from Jesus’ example of patience?
00:12:21 If you’re a parent,
00:12:23 can you imitate the way that Jesus dealt with his apostles?
00:12:27 It may be frustrating if your children don’t respond immediately to your counsel
00:12:31 or if they’re slow in correcting their shortcomings.
00:12:34 Or perhaps you’re an elder
00:12:37 and someone you’re trying to help may be slow
00:12:39 in responding to Bible-based counsel.
00:12:42 But remember Jesus’ example.
00:12:45 He never gave up on his apostles.
00:12:48 He kept looking for the good,
00:12:51 expressing confidence in them,
00:12:53 and he patiently repeated lessons that they needed
00:12:57 so that they could draw closer to Jehovah.
00:13:00 If we do the same, not giving up,
00:13:04 our patience may eventually be rewarded as well.
00:13:08 So to review:
00:13:10 How can being patient help us to express our love for Jehovah?
00:13:14 It stops us from running ahead of Jehovah,
00:13:18 demonstrating our loyal love for him.
00:13:21 Waiting patiently for Jehovah’s direction and guidance
00:13:23 ensures that our course is pleasing to him.
00:13:28 And second, How can being patient improve our relationship with others?
00:13:33 It helps us to avoid acting rashly
00:13:36 and to look for the good in others
00:13:38 and express confidence in them.
00:13:43 Hopefully, this discussion will help us appreciate
00:13:46 the benefit of displaying patience in our lives.
00:13:49 With the increasing pressures of these last days,
00:13:52 we’ll need to display patience more than ever before!
00:13:56 Imitating the patience of Jehovah and Jesus
00:13:59 will help us keep the right attitude.
00:14:02 We won’t become overly discouraged or overwhelmed
00:14:05 by the present wickedness in this system
00:14:08 or even be impatient about when it will end.
00:14:12 Instead, we’ll stay on the right course:
00:14:16 keeping busy, working to develop a closer relationship with Jehovah,
00:14:21 and keeping active in our ministry,
00:14:23 helping others to learn about Jehovah
00:14:25 and benefit from his patience.
00:14:27 May all of us keep working
00:14:30 to make the quality of patience a dominant part of our personality.
00:14:34 As we do,
00:14:36 we will demonstrate how much we value and appreciate this wonderful quality
00:14:41 and bring all praise and honor to Jehovah!
00:14:47 To give Jehovah their best,
00:14:49 some of our brothers give up lucrative and prestigious careers.
00:14:53 Making this decision may take time and patience
00:14:57 as we’ll see in our first video.
00:15:07 I played in the Series A, which is the top league in Italy.
00:15:12 I was on the National Youth Team,
00:15:15 and I went all the way up to the Men’s National Team.
00:15:20 Just the fact that you are good
00:15:22 at your job is gratifying,
00:15:24 and then there is also the financial aspect.
00:15:29 My mom and dad were Jehovah’s Witnesses,
00:15:33 and so was my older brother.
00:15:36 At a certain point,
00:15:39 I felt conflicted,
00:15:43 especially when I decided to draw closer to the truth.
00:15:49 It was no longer a “family” thing.
00:15:52 In time, something started to develop in me
00:15:55 —a fire, a small fire.
00:15:57 Gradually, I came to the point of dedication to Jehovah,
00:16:02 although I still played.
00:16:05 But maybe —not maybe, definitely—
00:16:09 I wasn’t giving Jehovah my best, my energy.
00:16:14 I was fitting my spiritual life around my work life
00:16:21 and not the other way around.
00:16:24 I excused myself, saying:
00:16:27 “I’m just working.
00:16:28 “It’s a profession.
00:16:32 “Yes, it’s time-consuming,
00:16:35 but it’s of short duration because athletes retire earlier.”
00:16:42 The closer I drew to Jehovah,
00:16:46 the stronger my inner conflicts became.
00:16:54 The circuit overseer who served the area I was associated with helped me.
00:17:01 I had known him since I was a child.
00:17:05 When we met again, the first thing he asked me was,
00:17:09 “Are you happy with what you are doing?”
00:17:15 It seems like a simple question, right?
00:17:19 But this question went deeper.
00:17:27 I’m very grateful to him and his wife for all the time they devoted to me.
00:17:33 They were very busy,
00:17:35 but even on their day off or in the evenings
00:17:38 after long days of activity,
00:17:41 they spent time with me.
00:17:43 In time, I moved to different cities and changed to various teams.
00:17:47 So he entrusted me, so to speak,
00:17:50 to two other families.
00:17:53 They poured themselves out for me,
00:17:56 sacrificing their time,
00:17:59 without ever making me feel bad for what I did.
00:18:03 With regard to decisions about basketball,
00:18:07 they never told me what to do.
00:18:09 I had to reach that decision on my own,
00:18:12 whether I should continue playing or not.
00:18:16 It was their way of life that corrected me, so to speak.
00:18:22 Their example
00:18:24 —their lifestyle, the priorities they set,
00:18:29 and the joy they had in doing what they did—helped me.
00:18:36 It was more their example
00:18:40 than their words.
00:18:43 It helped me understand
00:18:45 what I really wanted from my life.
00:18:51 I started in 1995
00:18:54 and continued until April 2008
00:18:58 when I played my last match.
00:19:03 I, let’s say, made a cut and quit playing basketball.
00:19:08 I’m glad I made it.
00:19:10 Sometimes I say to myself:
00:19:13 ‘If only you’d done it earlier!
00:19:16 If only you’d had the courage earlier!’
00:19:20 I had the privilege of serving as a regular pioneer
00:19:23 for two and a half years.
00:19:26 I was asked if I would like to apply for Bethel service.
00:19:33 And to my surprise, I was invited to the Italy branch
00:19:37 and served there for five years.
00:19:40 A few months after leaving Bethel,
00:19:42 I had the privilege of attending the School for Kingdom Evangelizers.
00:19:48 It was wonderful!
00:19:51 This sport —basketball—
00:19:54 it’s great, it’s thrilling, it’s exciting,
00:19:57 but it’s not the source of true happiness.
00:20:01 It’s true that the world can give you a measure of satisfaction,
00:20:06 but everything comes at a cost.
00:20:12 But it took me a long time to understand this.
00:20:16 Knowing that I am giving Jehovah my best
00:20:20 has made me happy.
00:20:24 Yes, there is a team,
00:20:26 a large one, and we all play for Jehovah.
00:20:29 And its goal is beautiful, it’s exciting,
00:20:32 and its success is sure.
00:20:37 Samuele said he wished he had given up basketball earlier
00:20:41 to pursue spiritual goals.
00:20:43 From that we learn that decisions to spend time on personal interests
00:20:47 take away from time we should give to Jehovah.
00:20:51 The sooner we appreciate Jehovah’s patience,
00:20:54 the sooner we enjoy the blessings which make us truly rich.
00:21:00 We are happy that Jehovah exercised patience with Brother Podestà
00:21:03 and helped him to regain his balance.
00:21:07 If you’re facing a career decision,
00:21:09 be assured that when we focus first
00:21:13 on serving Jehovah and teaching others his Word,
00:21:16 we’re happier!
00:21:19 Samuele was influenced by the patience and good example of loving brothers.
00:21:25 When we see how others are handling situations,
00:21:28 we may not be as patient as we’d like to be.
00:21:32 That’s what happens to Neeta and Jade in the following dramatization.
00:21:36 How do they learn to be more patient with each other?
00:22:18 You’re late!
00:22:20 Hmm?
00:22:21 I said, “You’re late.”
00:22:23 Sorry.
00:22:57 You work here now?
00:23:00 Yeah, just a— Just a few weeks.
00:23:03 You look great.
00:23:09 Um, what can I get you?
00:23:13 I tried texting, you know,
00:23:15 after you ended it.
00:23:20 Chai latte, that was your favorite.
00:23:24 Jade, you were my favorite.
00:23:36 Ollie, you know why I had to . . .
00:23:41 I know.
00:23:45 I know.
00:23:46 But I want to study your religion.
00:23:50 That’s why I texted.
00:23:54 Well, I got a new phone, and I didn’t— I didn’t see them.
00:24:00 OK, but how about I leave you my number,
00:24:04 and we can meet up.
00:24:07 Come on.
00:24:10 And that’s when you walked away.
00:24:12 Tell me you walked away.
00:24:17 He gave me his number.
00:24:19 What?
00:24:21 No.
00:24:23 Jade!
00:24:24 He said he wants to study.
00:24:26 Yeah, he wants to study you.
00:24:30 We can’t read hearts.
00:24:33 I think I can read yours.
00:24:40 He was sweet,
00:24:43 and if he wants to know the truth . . .
00:24:49 I— I can’t even believe this.
00:24:55 What does it say?
00:24:58 It says low battery.
00:25:01 No, not that, this—2 Corinthians 6:14.
00:25:09 “Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers.”
00:25:13 There was no yoking. I haven’t yoked.
00:25:16 But this opens the door to the yoke.
00:25:19 I’m not stupid!
00:25:20 You act like I don’t know this.
00:25:23 No. You act like you don’t know this.
00:25:35 That’s a lot of backstory.
00:25:38 You asked what happened.
00:25:41 I thought you’d like, you know, sum it up in a word or something.
00:25:45 Anyway, now you know.
00:25:51 So are you going to call him then?
00:25:55 I don’t think so.
00:25:56 Why not?
00:25:59 Because I don’t think its religion that he’s interested in.
00:26:04 I could’ve told you that.
00:26:30 I made you a cup.
00:26:38 Thanks. You’re amazing.
00:26:42 Listen.
00:26:45 I’m sorry.
00:26:50 I know I came on strong.
00:26:53 No, you were right.
00:26:58 But I could have been more patient.
00:27:01 I reacted too quickly.
00:27:05 I know you know what the right thing to do is.
00:27:10 I should have given you more time to talk it out.
00:27:17 I called Brother Davies
00:27:20 and gave him the background
00:27:23 and said, “If he’s really interested, he’ll have a study.”
00:27:28 Then I deleted Ollie’s number.
00:27:33 I knew it.
00:27:35 I knew you’d do the right thing.
00:27:38 Well, sometimes.
00:27:43 But I should’ve been more patient,
00:27:46 and I should have heard you out.
00:27:50 It’s just
00:27:53 not what I wanted to hear in the moment.
00:27:57 So we’re good?
00:27:58 Always.
00:28:02 Now, no more apologizing until I finish this coffee;
00:28:05 it’s too painful.
00:28:10 It’s so nice.
00:28:19 Haven’t we enjoyed the journey of Neeta and Jade
00:28:23 from when they first appeared in our convention videos
00:28:25 up to these latest episodes?
00:28:28 They’ve encountered situations we can all relate to:
00:28:32 Jade progressing from Bible student
00:28:35 to Bible teacher,
00:28:37 learning to reject falsehoods about Jehovah’s people,
00:28:40 and refining qualities like patience.
00:28:44 Neeta has grown as a disciple-maker
00:28:48 and as a caring spiritual sister.
00:28:51 The encouraging lesson for us:
00:28:54 Keep growing as a spiritual person.
00:29:00 Putting on “the new personality” isn’t easy.
00:29:03 It can seem insurmountable for those in the grip of an addiction.
00:29:08 We’ll see this in our next video.
00:29:11 What helps Takeei break free from compulsive gambling?
00:29:18 Dad left us when I was around five years old.
00:29:24 Then when I was 15, we found out Mum had cancer,
00:29:30 and she passed away six months later.
00:29:33 She was only 39.
00:29:36 My two younger brothers were still in elementary school,
00:29:40 so I woke up early,
00:29:42 did the milk rounds, worked in a factory during the day,
00:29:45 and went to school at night.
00:29:49 My life was super busy then.
00:29:53 My life became significantly easier after marriage.
00:29:58 Since my wife did the housework, all I needed to do was work.
00:30:04 Before I was so busy
00:30:06 that I never really got to have any fun.
00:30:11 One day, a friend took me to a betting shop
00:30:15 for horse racing,
00:30:20 and to my surprise, I got lucky.
00:30:25 I was surprised that you can buy a ticket
00:30:29 and then you get all this money in your hands.
00:30:33 So that’s how it started.
00:30:39 It gradually became worse, to the point
00:30:42 that I would get off of the night shift
00:30:44 and go straight to the races.
00:30:47 I loved gambling more than eating and sleeping.
00:30:55 On my way home, images of my wife and children
00:30:58 would come to my mind,
00:31:00 and I had this nagging feeling
00:31:03 that I really should be getting my life together.
00:31:06 When I was broke, I would go to the pawn shops.
00:31:11 I pawned our camera and even my wife’s jewelry.
00:31:17 My wife started studying the Bible,
00:31:20 and to try and make my wife and children a little happy,
00:31:24 I also agreed to a study.
00:31:28 Before I started gambling, I liked growing vegetables.
00:31:34 You know, everything a vegetable needs,
00:31:37 all the instructions to grow,
00:31:38 is in this tiny seed
00:31:41 that is one or two millimeters in size.
00:31:43 I knew that couldn’t just happen by chance.
00:31:49 I was convinced
00:31:51 that there must be a God.
00:31:54 Through my Bible study,
00:31:57 I learned that this God is Jehovah,
00:31:59 and that made me really happy.
00:32:02 ‘I found you!’ That’s how I felt.
00:32:05 However, it was really difficult to quit gambling.
00:32:09 You know, many times I wanted to quit,
00:32:13 and I would pay back my loans
00:32:15 but then take out some more again.
00:32:18 My wife’s relative said to me,
00:32:21 “Only death can cure you.”
00:32:26 So I had this conviction that the Creator exists,
00:32:29 yet on the other hand, I was deep into gambling.
00:32:34 I knew Jehovah saw it all, and I hated myself.
00:32:40 I attended a circuit assembly for the first time.
00:32:47 ‘Put away the old personality, and put on the new personality.’
00:32:52 As I was reading those words from the Bible,
00:32:55 I felt that was about me.
00:32:58 When I asked myself, ‘Hey, what’s happening to my life right now?,’
00:33:03 I saw how horrible and ugly
00:33:06 my mindset was.
00:33:09 I felt tears well up.
00:33:13 I knew this was Jehovah talking to me,
00:33:15 and I felt determined to do something about it.
00:33:22 I couldn’t do it on my own,
00:33:25 so I prayed to Jehovah from the bottom of my heart, saying:
00:33:30 “I really want to stop, no matter what.
00:33:35 “I want to hate gambling and not just avoid it.
00:33:39 Please give me this feeling of hate.”
00:33:42 I prayed like this every day.
00:33:48 Since then,
00:33:51 I have felt zero desire to gamble.
00:33:56 There was one time during work when I passed by a racetrack.
00:34:01 I loved bicycle racing before,
00:34:04 but now I felt this deep revulsion.
00:34:10 I knew
00:34:16 my prayers were answered.
00:34:20 I felt Jehovah’s patience
00:34:22 and so much appreciation
00:34:26 for
00:34:30 how he allowed me in,
00:34:33 knowing who I was.
00:34:43 If I had continued that path,
00:34:45 I’m sure my family would have broken apart.
00:34:49 My relatives are all surprised at me.
00:34:53 I’m sure those trying to stop gambling have many concerns,
00:34:57 but as long as you have that desire to pour out those feelings to Jehovah
00:35:02 and jump into his arms,
00:35:04 he’ll take you in.
00:35:06 He won’t leave you.
00:35:09 I really want them to know Jehovah
00:35:11 as that kind of Person.
00:35:17 How encouraging!
00:35:19 If you’re fighting an addiction, don’t give up!
00:35:23 Pour your heart out to Jehovah and ask for his help.
00:35:27 Don’t be discouraged if you suffer setbacks.
00:35:30 Jehovah will be patient with you,
00:35:33 as he was with Takeei.
00:35:36 Did you notice that our brother’s addiction began subtly?
00:35:40 If only he had detected the early warning signs!
00:35:45 How can we remain alert
00:35:48 and safeguard our heart?
00:35:51 Let’s find out in this Bethel morning worship
00:35:53 with Brother David Splane, a member of the Governing Body.
00:35:58 Solomon had three horrible half brothers
00:36:04 —Amnon,
00:36:06 Adonijah, and Absalom.
00:36:10 They were a lot older than he was,
00:36:12 but Solomon didn’t try to imitate them.
00:36:15 And he didn’t allow himself to be stumbled
00:36:17 by their bad conduct, as if to say,
00:36:20 ‘Well, if that’s the kind of people they have around here,
00:36:22 I want nothing to do with Jehovah’s Witnesses.’
00:36:25 No, Solomon followed his own path.
00:36:29 He developed a strong personal relationship with Jehovah God.
00:36:34 And remember what the Bible says about Solomon in the beginning?
00:36:39 Jehovah loved him.
00:36:41 Isn’t that nice?
00:36:43 Wouldn’t you love it if that were said about you?
00:36:46 I would.
00:36:47 Jehovah loved Solomon,
00:36:50 and Jehovah blessed Solomon in many ways.
00:36:53 For example, while Solomon was faithful, Israel was at peace.
00:36:58 In fact, Solomon said: “Jehovah my God has given me rest [all around].
00:37:02 “There is no one opposing me
00:37:04 and nothing bad [is] happening.”
00:37:10 So it was only after Solomon became unfaithful
00:37:13 that resisters were raised up in Israel.
00:37:17 Not only was Israel at peace when Solomon was at peace with God,
00:37:22 but Israel was rich.
00:37:24 Solomon had no financial problems.
00:37:26 The Bible says that the silver was as common as the stones.
00:37:31 But when Solomon started drawing away from Jehovah,
00:37:34 Jehovah withdrew his blessing.
00:37:37 So that prosperity didn’t last even during Solomon’s reign.
00:37:41 Insight tells us
00:37:44 that there was a drain on Israel’s economy.
00:37:47 Solomon was still spending money as if it were going out of style,
00:37:51 but he didn’t have the income that he once had.
00:37:54 And so, even materially, Israel suffered.
00:37:58 And Rehoboam did not inherit the wealth from Solomon
00:38:01 that Solomon had had at the peak of his reign.
00:38:05 Now, as our comment points out, for much of his reign,
00:38:08 Solomon did a lot of good things.
00:38:11 But is it possible that right from the beginning,
00:38:15 as involved as Solomon was in theocratic projects,
00:38:20 there was a little red flag
00:38:22 that something wasn’t quite right?
00:38:26 It’s possible.
00:38:28 Now, as our comment points out, when Solomon became king,
00:38:32 he was a young man, but he was a young married man.
00:38:37 In fact, when he became king,
00:38:38 Solomon had probably been married for a couple of years already.
00:38:41 He had a little boy. He was a daddy.
00:38:44 He had a little boy—one-year-old Rehoboam.
00:38:49 But who was his wife
00:38:51 —probably his first wife?
00:38:53 She was an Ammonitess.
00:38:58 Ammonitess—what do we remember about “Ammonitess”?
00:39:02 Oh, yes, Deuteronomy chapter 23
00:39:09 and verse 3.
00:39:13 Now, remember, when Solomon gets married, King David is still alive.
00:39:17 David is probably at the wedding.
00:39:20 Now, here’s what Deuteronomy 23:3 says:
00:39:24 “No Ammonite
00:39:26 “or Moabite may come into the congregation of Jehovah.
00:39:30 “Even to the tenth generation,
00:39:32 “none of their descendants
00:39:34 may ever come into the congregation of Jehovah.”
00:39:39 What part of “never” did Solomon not understand?
00:39:45 And so could that mean that even before he became king,
00:39:49 Solomon had a casual view of Jehovah’s laws on marriage?
00:39:54 It’s possible.
00:39:56 Well, why do we say “possible”?
00:39:59 Well, without being dogmatic,
00:40:01 Insight says that there may have been exceptions for foreign women
00:40:04 like Ruth the Moabitess.
00:40:07 But Insight also says
00:40:10 that Solomon’s Ammonite wife
00:40:13 possibly contributed to his apostasy.
00:40:15 In any event, why was the first wife
00:40:19 a foreign woman and an Ammonitess to boot?
00:40:25 Now, if Solomon had married a nice Jewish girl
00:40:29 (just one)
00:40:31 and ‘rejoiced with the wife of his youth,’
00:40:34 don’t you think that the history of Israel would have been much different?
00:40:37 I think it would have been.
00:40:40 Well, let’s take a moment to think about the women Solomon did marry
00:40:44 —pagan women.
00:40:47 Now, you may have relatives who are not in the truth;
00:40:50 you love your relatives, and you go visit from time to time.
00:40:54 But how long is it before you run out of things to talk about?
00:40:58 Because we just don’t have the most important thing in common—the truth.
00:41:04 So we have to ask:
00:41:06 Why was Solomon so comfortable with these pagan women?
00:41:11 What did he talk about?
00:41:13 Well, you can be sure he wasn’t studying The Watchtower with them.
00:41:17 But what was he doing?
00:41:18 What was the attraction to these foreign women?
00:41:21 Was it their humility?
00:41:24 their modest dress?
00:41:27 their “chaste conduct”?
00:41:30 their “quiet and mild spirit”?
00:41:33 Or was it mainly physical?
00:41:36 Let’s be blunt.
00:41:38 Solomon was attracted to the wrong kind of woman.
00:41:44 And there may have been early warning signs.
00:41:48 Speaking of “red flags,” when Solomon began marrying many women,
00:41:52 did a prophet or a priest ever approach him
00:41:55 and give him some counsel?
00:41:57 Did they ever read Deuteronomy 17:17, which applied directly to the king?
00:42:03 Deuteronomy 17:17
00:42:06 —it says about the king:
00:42:08 “Neither should he take many wives for himself,
00:42:12 so that his heart may not go astray.”
00:42:16 Well, if he did receive that counsel, he certainly didn’t apply it.
00:42:20 And if he didn’t receive that counsel, we wonder, ‘Why not?’
00:42:25 Well, what’s the application?
00:42:28 Today, we may be very busy in Jehovah’s organization,
00:42:32 but we have to be alert to any red flags
00:42:36 that despite outward appearances, all is not well with us.
00:42:41 A single brother is a regular publisher.
00:42:45 He’s a regular meeting attender.
00:42:47 But on his nights off, he likes to go to nightclubs,
00:42:51 and he’s comfortable in that atmosphere.
00:42:54 He isn’t shy about striking up conversations with worldly people,
00:42:58 and he loves to dance.
00:43:00 Well, there are no sisters there, so he dances with worldly women.
00:43:04 What’s the attraction?
00:43:07 He is busy in the congregation,
00:43:09 but there’s something there that isn’t quite right.
00:43:14 A young pioneer brother loves to flirt.
00:43:17 Several young sisters think he’s interested only in them.
00:43:21 The attention makes them feel special.
00:43:25 A ministerial servant
00:43:27 spends a lot of time talking to a married woman.
00:43:31 When he was asked about it, he justifies it and says: “We’re just friends.
00:43:35 We’re just talking.”
00:43:37 Famous last words.
00:43:40 A fine young sister is offended
00:43:43 when an older sister approaches her and points out that her skirts and jeans
00:43:47 are too tight, too revealing.
00:43:51 Well, all of these are red flags.
00:43:55 We need to examine ourselves from time to time to see whether,
00:43:58 no matter how many privileges we have,
00:44:00 something isn’t quite right.
00:44:05 When it comes to choosing a mate,
00:44:07 Solomon’s example can be instructive to us.
00:44:11 Now, what qualities do we value in a marriage mate
00:44:14 —spiritual qualities?
00:44:16 Or is it merely the physical
00:44:18 and we hope that the spiritual will catch up later?
00:44:22 A younger sister is getting acquainted with a young brother.
00:44:25 He is really good looking and has a great personality
00:44:28 and gets along with everybody.
00:44:30 But how is he doing spiritually?
00:44:32 Does he have a good schedule for theocratic activities, and does he stick to it?
00:44:37 For example: If you mention an article in a recent magazine,
00:44:41 does he often say, “I must have missed that one”?
00:44:45 If that’s what happens, it’s a bad sign.
00:44:49 Does he make spiritual activities a priority in his life?
00:44:53 If he doesn’t do that while he is single,
00:44:55 what makes you think that he’s going to do it after you get married?
00:44:59 Will you change him, or will he change you?
00:45:05 As our comment reminds us, Solomon enjoyed many privileges.
00:45:10 But he apparently felt that some of God’s laws just didn’t apply to him.
00:45:13 Why not?
00:45:14 Well, we don’t know.
00:45:15 Could it be what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes:
00:45:19 ‘The king does whatever he wants’?
00:45:22 Maybe so.
00:45:24 Solomon multiplied horses and acquired many wives for himself.
00:45:29 So, what’s the lesson for us?
00:45:31 No matter how long we’ve been in the truth,
00:45:34 no matter how many privileges we have,
00:45:36 no matter how much Jehovah has used us,
00:45:38 we can’t afford to let down our guard.
00:45:42 We must guard our heart,
00:45:45 and we mustn’t ignore any red flags
00:45:48 that might indicate that all is not well.
00:45:52 Theocratic conventions are a spiritual highlight of every year.
00:45:57 They play an important role in fostering unity
00:46:00 and love among Jehovah’s people.
00:46:03 In this episode of Our History in Motion,
00:46:06 let’s explore how conventions
00:46:08 have become an essential part of modern-day worship.
00:46:13 Good morning, brothers and sisters!
00:46:16 How delightful it is to be gathered together
00:46:18 for this spiritual occasion!
00:46:23 Jehovah’s Witnesses love gathering at conventions
00:46:26 to learn, worship, and sing together.
00:46:30 But large conventions like these,
00:46:32 with tens of thousands meeting together,
00:46:35 weren’t always a part of our modern-day worship.
00:46:38 How did they get started?
00:46:40 Let’s find out in this episode
00:46:42 of Our History in Motion.
00:46:53 The very first large assembly of Jehovah’s people
00:46:56 was actually held thousands of years ago
00:46:59 when the Israelites gathered with Moses at Mount Sinai
00:47:03 for spiritual instruction.
00:47:05 After that, the Israelites attended three festivals each year.
00:47:10 And just like today’s conventions,
00:47:12 those gatherings brought people together from different tribes
00:47:16 to praise Him as one big family.
00:47:19 In modern times,
00:47:21 our first conventions were held in the late 1880’s.
00:47:24 But they weren’t exactly what we’d think of as conventions today.
00:47:29 With just a few hundred in attendance,
00:47:31 they were really just big meetings that brought the Bible Students together
00:47:35 to commemorate the Lord’s Evening Meal.
00:47:38 And they were all held in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
00:47:44 But that changed in 1893
00:47:47 with the opening of the Chicago World’s Fair.
00:47:50 The fair drew millions of people.
00:47:52 And with the railroads offering discounted rates to Chicago,
00:47:56 the Bible Students saw it as a perfect opportunity
00:47:59 to invite the brothers and sisters for a five-day convention.
00:48:04 About 360 attended
00:48:07 —a small crowd by today’s standards.
00:48:11 But early conventions like this one
00:48:13 helped the Bible Students see just how upbuilding it was
00:48:17 to meet with fellow believers from other areas.
00:48:21 Eventually, conventions became an annual event.
00:48:26 Some were held outdoors or in a tent,
00:48:29 like the 1908 convention at Put-in-Bay,
00:48:32 a summer resort on Lake Erie, Ohio.
00:48:35 This convention was ten days long!
00:48:39 And it was the largest up to that time,
00:48:41 with an estimated 3,500 or more in attendance.
00:48:46 It was a chance for brothers and sisters, young and old,
00:48:49 to be spiritually refreshed, spend time together,
00:48:53 laugh together, eat together,
00:48:55 and build true bonds of friendship and love.
00:49:01 The world then suffered the devastating effects of World War I
00:49:05 and the deadly 1918 influenza pandemic
00:49:08 that had taken an estimated 50 million lives.
00:49:12 But that did not stop God’s people.
00:49:15 Our bonds of love became even more evident
00:49:18 in 1919 at Cedar Point, Ohio.
00:49:21 This was the first major convention held
00:49:24 after Brother Rutherford and his associates
00:49:26 had been released from prison.
00:49:29 Thrilled to finally gather together safely,
00:49:32 the Bible Students just kept coming and coming
00:49:35 until the entire program had to be moved outdoors,
00:49:38 with some 7,000 in attendance.
00:49:44 Just three years later, in 1922,
00:49:47 Cedar Point was the location of an even more exciting convention,
00:49:52 with an average daily attendance of about 10,000.
00:49:58 It energized God’s people to go on preaching with renewed vigor.
00:50:05 Many conventions in the years that followed
00:50:07 helped unite God’s people in even more powerful ways,
00:50:11 like the unforgettable one held in Columbus, Ohio, in 1931.
00:50:17 Imagine stepping into the Coliseum at the Fair Grounds,
00:50:21 there are 15,000 in attendance,
00:50:24 and the place is packed.
00:50:27 Your program has two large letters printed on the front:
00:50:31 JW.
00:50:33 For the first two days of the convention,
00:50:36 everyone is trying to guess what those letters mean.
00:50:39 Just Watch?
00:50:41 Just Wait?
00:50:43 Finally, Brother Rutherford steps on stage.
00:50:46 Near the end of his talk, he presents a resolution
00:50:50 that climaxes with the words:
00:50:53 “We desire to be known as and called by the name, to wit,
00:50:58 Jehovah’s witnesses.”
00:51:05 In the 1940’s,
00:51:07 World War II had left many countries devastated and divided,
00:51:13 but Jehovah’s Witnesses were growing in number and in unity.
00:51:17 In 1946,
00:51:19 they gathered in Cleveland, Ohio,
00:51:22 for the “Glad Nations” Theocratic Assembly,
00:51:25 and the name
00:51:26 couldn’t have been more appropriate.
00:51:29 It was a true international convention
00:51:32 with 55,000 delegates
00:51:35 from 33 different nations.
00:51:38 Some even camped in tents and trailers to be there.
00:51:41 Tent cities were a common sight
00:51:44 during big conventions of this era.
00:51:47 With our spiritual family continuing to grow,
00:51:51 conventions during the 1950’s
00:51:53 were held around the world
00:51:56 even in places where resources were limited.
00:52:00 A landmark example
00:52:02 of just how international
00:52:04 conventions had become
00:52:06 was the incredible
00:52:07 1958 Divine Will International Assembly
00:52:11 in New York City,
00:52:12 which was attended
00:52:14 by more than a quarter of a million people
00:52:17 from 123 lands.
00:52:20 This was the largest international convention
00:52:23 ever held in one city,
00:52:25 filling Yankee Stadium
00:52:27 and, just four blocks away, the Polo Grounds.
00:52:30 The greatest assembly of true Christians ever held
00:52:33 is opening this day.
00:52:34 We are certain that Jehovah is with us
00:52:37 and that we are here by divine will.
00:52:42 But what unified God’s people at conventions like this one
00:52:46 wasn’t simply gathering together in large numbers.
00:52:49 It was the spiritual content:
00:52:52 riveting talks,
00:52:54 practical symposiums, new releases
00:52:57 and, starting in the 1960’s,
00:53:00 Bible dramas on stage in full costume.
00:53:04 Those spiritual gifts
00:53:06 along with the joy of meeting new friends and uniting with old ones
00:53:10 have made assembling together a true blessing.
00:53:15 But it hasn’t always been easy.
00:53:18 In the country of Georgia,
00:53:20 where Witnesses had faced severe opposition,
00:53:23 plans were set to hold
00:53:25 the 2006 “Deliverance at Hand!” District Convention
00:53:29 in the Tbilisi Philharmonic concert hall.
00:53:31 But the hall management canceled the contract
00:53:35 just one week before the convention!
00:53:39 With just days before the opening session,
00:53:42 an army of determined brothers and sisters
00:53:45 turned two plots of farmland into a convention site
00:53:49 —harvesting the potatoes planted on the property,
00:53:52 building a stage and benches for seating,
00:53:55 and installing sound equipment.
00:53:59 When it was time for the first session, everything was ready
00:54:03 and more than 17,000 attended
00:54:05 either on site or by telephone tie-in.
00:54:09 Not only did the convention come off without a hitch
00:54:12 but the attendees were overwhelmed with another unexpected blessing
00:54:17 —the New World Translation in Georgian—
00:54:20 unifying them even further
00:54:22 with their brothers and sisters around the world.
00:54:26 In modern times like these,
00:54:28 special and international conventions
00:54:31 have been held in far-flung places around the world.
00:54:34 And when it was impossible to meet in person,
00:54:37 we’ve even met online!
00:54:41 From Poland to Korea,
00:54:43 from Australia to South Africa,
00:54:45 conventions were, and still are,
00:54:48 joyful spiritual occasions
00:54:50 for all of God’s people.
00:54:52 They motivate and encourage us,
00:54:54 unite us as brothers and sisters
00:54:57 and, most important,
00:54:59 draw us closer to Jehovah.
00:55:08 When we gather as a united spiritual family,
00:55:11 it’s a shout of praise to Jehovah.
00:55:15 It’s also powerful evidence that we are a loving brotherhood.
00:55:20 Of course, we have to promote unity every day,
00:55:23 especially when someone has hurt our feelings and our patience is tested.
00:55:28 But with Jehovah’s help,
00:55:30 we can become friends again,
00:55:34 which is the appealing title of our new music video.
00:55:37 Before we watch it, we want to show you a feature
00:55:41 that may help you benefit more from the broadcast.
00:55:45 Subtitles are available in a number of languages.
00:55:49 If a video has subtitles for your language,
00:55:52 you’ll see this icon at the bottom of your screen.
00:55:55 Click the icon to turn subtitles on and off.
00:56:09 Now, please enjoy the music video Friends Again.
00:56:37 For much too long, I’ve held it in. It weighs me down and clouds my sight.
00:56:47 This grudge I’ve held since I was hurt, I’ve held it close.
00:56:56 That’s just not right. That’s never right.
00:57:00 But now it’s time to find a way, To find a way to let it go,
00:57:11 To just forgive and make amends, Be close again, be friends again.
00:57:35 Whatever hurt I might forgive, Whatever wrong that I let go,
00:57:45 I realize they don’t compare With God’s free gift—the love he shows.
00:57:55 What love he shows!
00:57:58 But now it’s time to find a way, To find a way to let it go,
00:58:08 To just forgive and make amends, Be close again, be friends again.
00:58:19 I’ll make the first move. I won’t delay, not one more day.
00:58:30 It’s time for both of us To be OK.
00:58:38 We’ll be OK.
00:59:04 Jehovah loves the two of us. He wants to see our friendship grow.
00:59:15 When I forgive, my heart is light. So I’ll forgive and let it go.
00:59:25 Just let it go.
00:59:27 But now it’s time to find a way, To find a way to let it go,
00:59:38 To just forgive and make amends, Be close again, be friends again,
00:59:49 Be close again, be friends again.
00:59:54 I’ll make the first move.
01:00:13 Our program has focused on the beautiful quality of patience.
01:00:18 We learned to be patient with the way others handle situations.
01:00:22 We saw how Jehovah is patient with us
01:00:25 as we free ourselves from destructive habits
01:00:28 and how our patience and love reassures others too.
01:00:33 For this month’s video postcard,
01:00:35 we travel to Guatemala in Central America.
01:00:39 What aspects of Jehovah’s creation do you enjoy?
01:00:43 jungles?
01:00:45 beaches?
01:00:47 mountains? rain forests?
01:00:50 Guatemala has them all!
01:00:53 It even has volcanoes —lots of volcanoes!
01:00:57 Southern Guatemala has a string of 27.
01:01:02 The first missionaries arrived in 1945.
01:01:05 By 1958,
01:01:07 there were more than 700 Witnesses in three circuits.
01:01:11 Difficulties arose in the 1980’s when the government
01:01:14 organized armed civilians to patrol communities.
01:01:18 Some of our brothers were threatened with death
01:01:20 if they did not join the civil patrols.
01:01:23 But they stood firm!
01:01:26 Today, about 40,000 publishers
01:01:29 serve in more than 850 congregations.
01:01:33 Their preaching methods are as diverse as the geography.
01:01:37 Guatemala’s official language is Spanish,
01:01:40 but more than 20 indigenous languages are also spoken there,
01:01:45 including Mam.
01:01:47 More than 500 publishers in 20 congregations
01:01:50 share the good news in the Mam language.
01:01:54 These brothers and sisters are among the 49 publishers
01:01:57 in the Ostuncalco Mam Congregation in Quetzaltenango.
01:02:03 They send you their love and greetings.
01:02:07 From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
01:02:10 this is JW Broadcasting.
