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00:01 None of us like to contemplate 00:04 being in a serious accident or receiving news 00:08 that we have a very serious illness 00:10 that may even be life threatening. 00:13 When the blood issue also arises, at such times, 00:18 of course we’re all determined that we’re going to keep our integrity. 00:23 But we also feel the need for comfort and for support 00:28 so that we can remain faithful. 00:31 Now, Jehovah never promised for this period of time 00:35 that we would receive miraculous healing. 00:38 But he did promise that we would receive something very significant. 00:42 Would you open your Bibles with me? 00:44 Let’s look together at Psalm 41:3. 00:52 It says: “Jehovah will sustain him on his sickbed; 00:56 during his sickness you will completely change his bed.” 01:02 Well, now, The Watchtower, back in 2008, the September 15 issue, 01:06 just made a nice little comment on this verse. 01:09 It said: “David did not expect Jehovah 01:11 “to perform a miracle and remove [his] sickness. 01:15 “Rather, David felt certain that Jehovah would ‘sustain him’ 01:20 “—that is, give him support and strength 01:24 while he was lying on his sickbed.” 01:26 Well, that’s what Jehovah has promised. 01:29 He’s promised that he’s going to provide us with the support and the strength 01:33 that we need so that we can keep our integrity. 01:37 Well, Hospital Information Services (HIS) here in Brooklyn, 01:41 the Hospital Information Desks at each of the branches, 01:44 and the Hospital Liaison Committees (HLC) 01:47 have been very powerful tools in the hand of Jehovah 01:52 to provide this support and strength 01:55 when the blood issue arises. 01:57 Did you know that now worldwide 02:00 there are some 1,700 —that is 1,700— 02:04 Hospital Liaison Committees with over 13,000 members? 02:11 This is not easy work. 02:13 The vast majority of these brothers are not physicians; 02:18 they’re not connected to the medical community in any way. 02:21 Often, they have to get up in the middle of the night 02:24 to go to the hospital. 02:26 Sometimes they deal with very confrontational situations. 02:30 Usually all of the situations that they deal with are emotionally charged. 02:36 Their work is very seldom seen by others. 02:40 They are not in the spotlight. 02:42 Well, when we reflect on the work of these wonderful brothers 02:47 who are willing to accomplish this work 02:51 of giving assistance and support and help to our brothers, 02:55 we can’t help but think of this scripture in Jeremiah chapter 23, 03:01 where Jehovah says— 03:03 Jeremiah 23:4: 03:07 “‘And I will raise up over them shepherds 03:10 “‘who will really shepherd them. 03:12 “‘They will no longer be afraid or be terrified, 03:16 and none will be missing,’ declares Jehovah.” 03:20 Well, that’s exactly 03:22 what the Hospital Liaison Committee brothers do. 03:26 They are wonderful shepherds who are there to help the brothers 03:30 to have the information and the assistance they need 03:33 so that they can maintain their integrity. 03:36 I recall one experience when I was working 03:38 with the Hospital Information Desk in Canada. 03:41 A sister in a northern Canadian city, 03:45 she had been very, very seriously injured. 03:47 She had to be airlifted to a larger center 03:52 where she would be able to receive more intensive care. 03:55 A Hospital Liaison Committee member was immediately notified; 04:00 he went to the hospital. 04:02 And so, as soon as the aircraft landed 04:04 and the sister was being taken off and wheeled into the hospital, 04:08 there the brother was waiting in the hallway. 04:11 And so, when he approached her lying on the stretcher, 04:15 the sister was trembling with fear. 04:18 Well, when he looked down at her, 04:21 she looked up and she said, “Are you a doctor?” 04:24 And he said, “No, I’m your brother.” 04:28 Well, immediately the sister 04:32 —this huge sigh of relief because now there was someone 04:37 who could give her the practical help that she so much needed. 04:41 Well, what are some of the ways 04:43 that this arrangement does provide practical support? 04:47 Well, I’m not sure if you know this, 04:49 but at 89 branch offices around the world 04:53 —including the United States and Canada— 04:55 we have brothers who are on call 04:57 24 hours a day, seven days a week 05:00 to answer calls from Hospital Liaison Committee members 05:04 and also from doctors 05:06 who request assistance 05:08 on how to treat Jehovah’s Witnesses without the use of blood. 05:11 This is an amazing arrangement. 05:15 When I worked with HIS, 05:17 I recall many times in the middle of the night, 05:19 we would receive calls from a brother or a sister 05:22 or from an HLC or from a doctor 05:25 about someone who was desperately in need of assistance. 05:28 And the organization had provided such wonderful tools. 05:32 For example, a database has been assembled 05:37 of literally thousands of medical articles 05:40 from respected medical journals. 05:43 Now these articles can be sent to a doctor or to a medical team, 05:48 and they explain very specifically 05:51 what can be done to address a situation 05:54 without the use of a blood transfusion. 05:57 Often, when a doctor receives an article like that 06:00 —he sees it’s from one of his peers, it’s been published in a respected journal— 06:04 he is much more willing to cooperate. 06:07 And also, he sees in a practical way what can be done. 06:12 But even better, each Hospital Information Desk 06:16 maintains a list of consulting doctors. 06:19 Now, these are very well-respected physicians 06:23 who are not afraid to confer with other doctors 06:26 and explain to them how even very complex, very difficult cases 06:31 can be managed without the use of blood. 06:34 I recall one time in the middle of the night, 06:37 we received a call about a sister who had just given birth, 06:42 and she had lost a significant amount of blood. 06:45 The doctor managing her case was very interested in receiving help. 06:50 Well, we called a very, very well-respected professor 06:55 of obstetrics and gyneocology in Canada 06:57 who was always willing to provide assistance. 07:00 Well, I started off the call by saying, 07:03 “I’m so sorry to call you so late at night.” 07:07 Well, the doctor said: “Please don’t apologize, Mark. 07:11 I’m always happy to do anything I can to help the sisters.” 07:15 Well, of course, he was not a Witness himself. 07:19 But he viewed those dear ones as his own sisters, 07:24 and he was willing to help them. 07:26 Well, such courageous and skilled physicians all around the world 07:31 have done so much to help our brothers. 07:34 And the tools just keep on improving. 07:38 Many of you may know 07:40 that now we have a section for medical professionals 07:44 on our jw.org website. 07:46 Now, I’ll reiterate: 07:48 This is not a site or an area for Jehovah’s people; 07:52 it’s specifically designed for medical professionals. 07:56 But that area, 07:58 although it’s only recently been established, 08:00 is already having a wonderful effect. 08:03 Let me relate this experience. 08:06 A sister wrote this into the branch. 08:08 She said: “Recently my husband took me to the emergency room, 08:12 “and we discovered I had a mass of some sort near my appendix 08:16 “and that a huge and possibly messy surgery 08:19 “was needed to discover the problem. 08:21 “When I told the surgeon that was assigned to me 08:23 “that I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 08:26 “he became agitated when I reinforced 08:29 “my nonnegotiable stand. 08:31 “He never became rude or harsh, 08:33 “but I could tell that he was very troubled. 08:36 “My husband left to make a phone call to the brothers. 08:40 “Five minutes later, a resident came to tell me 08:43 “that the surgeon had just gone to the jw.org website 08:47 “and was downloading information. 08:50 “We had never mentioned the website. 08:52 “How he knew or who told him, we’ll never know. 08:55 “But ten minutes later, he came back with copies of the information. 08:59 “He had read it, he had marked the pages, 09:03 “and he went over everything with my husband and me. 09:06 “Then he took my hand, and he smiled. 09:09 “He asked if I was ready, 09:11 “and he promised to do his very best for me. 09:14 “He said he too had made 09:16 “some nonnegotiable decisions with God in his lifetime. 09:21 “He saw me about 12 hours after the surgery, 09:24 “and I teased him about being a trouble. 09:27 “He said, ‘No, it was extraordinary.’ 09:31 “We know he meant what he had just learned 09:34 “about the Hospital Liaison Committee 09:36 and Jehovah’s provision for information for His people.” 09:40 The sister concluded by saying, 09:43 “I have never felt such a wave of peace from Jehovah 09:47 in all my years in the truth.” 09:49 Well, Jehovah did not promise us 09:53 miraculous healing at this time, 09:55 but he did promise that he would provide us 09:58 with support and strength when we are sick. 10:02 What a beautiful gift Jehovah has given his people 10:06 through the fine work of the Hospital Liaison Committees! 10:10 Truly, this has been a strengthening aid for us 10:14 “to keep abstaining from . . . blood.”
00:01 None of us like to contemplate 00:04 being in a serious accident or receiving news 00:08 that we have a very serious illness 00:10 that may even be life threatening. 00:13 When the blood issue also arises, at such times, 00:18 of course we’re all determined that we’re going to keep our integrity. 00:23 But we also feel the need for comfort and for support 00:28 so that we can remain faithful. 00:31 Now, Jehovah never promised for this period of time 00:35 that we would receive miraculous healing. 00:38 But he did promise that we would receive something very significant. 00:42 Would you open your Bibles with me? 00:44 Let’s look together at Psalm 41:3. 00:52 It says: “Jehovah will sustain him on his sickbed; 00:56 during his sickness you will completely change his bed.” 01:02 Well, now, The Watchtower, back in 2008, the September 15 issue, 01:06 just made a nice little comment on this verse. 01:09 It said: “David did not expect Jehovah 01:11 “to perform a miracle and remove [his] sickness. 01:15 “Rather, David felt certain that Jehovah would ‘sustain him’ 01:20 “—that is, give him support and strength 01:24 while he was lying on his sickbed.” 01:26 Well, that’s what Jehovah has promised. 01:29 He’s promised that he’s going to provide us with the support and the strength 01:33 that we need so that we can keep our integrity. 01:37 Well, Hospital Information Services (HIS) here in Brooklyn, 01:41 the Hospital Information Desks at each of the branches, 01:44 and the Hospital Liaison Committees (HLC) 01:47 have been very powerful tools in the hand of Jehovah 01:52 to provide this support and strength 01:55 when the blood issue arises. 01:57 Did you know that now worldwide 02:00 there are some 1,700 —that is 1,700— 02:04 Hospital Liaison Committees with over 13,000 members? 02:11 This is not easy work. 02:13 The vast majority of these brothers are not physicians; 02:18 they’re not connected to the medical community in any way. 02:21 Often, they have to get up in the middle of the night 02:24 to go to the hospital. 02:26 Sometimes they deal with very confrontational situations. 02:30 Usually all of the situations that they deal with are emotionally charged. 02:36 Their work is very seldom seen by others. 02:40 They are not in the spotlight. 02:42 Well, when we reflect on the work of these wonderful brothers 02:47 who are willing to accomplish this work 02:51 of giving assistance and support and help to our brothers, 02:55 we can’t help but think of this scripture in Jeremiah chapter 23, 03:01 where Jehovah says— 03:03 Jeremiah 23:4: 03:07 “‘And I will raise up over them shepherds 03:10 “‘who will really shepherd them. 03:12 “‘They will no longer be afraid or be terrified, 03:16 and none will be missing,’ declares Jehovah.” 03:20 Well, that’s exactly 03:22 what the Hospital Liaison Committee brothers do. 03:26 They are wonderful shepherds who are there to help the brothers 03:30 to have the information and the assistance they need 03:33 so that they can maintain their integrity. 03:36 I recall one experience when I was working 03:38 with the Hospital Information Desk in Canada. 03:41 A sister in a northern Canadian city, 03:45 she had been very, very seriously injured. 03:47 She had to be airlifted to a larger center 03:52 where she would be able to receive more intensive care. 03:55 A Hospital Liaison Committee member was immediately notified; 04:00 he went to the hospital. 04:02 And so, as soon as the aircraft landed 04:04 and the sister was being taken off and wheeled into the hospital, 04:08 there the brother was waiting in the hallway. 04:11 And so, when he approached her lying on the stretcher, 04:15 the sister was trembling with fear. 04:18 Well, when he looked down at her, 04:21 she looked up and she said, “Are you a doctor?” 04:24 And he said, “No, I’m your brother.” 04:28 Well, immediately the sister 04:32 —this huge sigh of relief because now there was someone 04:37 who could give her the practical help that she so much needed. 04:41 Well, what are some of the ways 04:43 that this arrangement does provide practical support? 04:47 Well, I’m not sure if you know this, 04:49 but at 89 branch offices around the world 04:53 —including the United States and Canada— 04:55 we have brothers who are on call 04:57 24 hours a day, seven days a week 05:00 to answer calls from Hospital Liaison Committee members 05:04 and also from doctors 05:06 who request assistance 05:08 on how to treat Jehovah’s Witnesses without the use of blood. 05:11 This is an amazing arrangement. 05:15 When I worked with HIS, 05:17 I recall many times in the middle of the night, 05:19 we would receive calls from a brother or a sister 05:22 or from an HLC or from a doctor 05:25 about someone who was desperately in need of assistance. 05:28 And the organization had provided such wonderful tools. 05:32 For example, a database has been assembled 05:37 of literally thousands of medical articles 05:40 from respected medical journals. 05:43 Now these articles can be sent to a doctor or to a medical team, 05:48 and they explain very specifically 05:51 what can be done to address a situation 05:54 without the use of a blood transfusion. 05:57 Often, when a doctor receives an article like that 06:00 —he sees it’s from one of his peers, it’s been published in a respected journal— 06:04 he is much more willing to cooperate. 06:07 And also, he sees in a practical way what can be done. 06:12 But even better, each Hospital Information Desk 06:16 maintains a list of consulting doctors. 06:19 Now, these are very well-respected physicians 06:23 who are not afraid to confer with other doctors 06:26 and explain to them how even very complex, very difficult cases 06:31 can be managed without the use of blood. 06:34 I recall one time in the middle of the night, 06:37 we received a call about a sister who had just given birth, 06:42 and she had lost a significant amount of blood. 06:45 The doctor managing her case was very interested in receiving help. 06:50 Well, we called a very, very well-respected professor 06:55 of obstetrics and gyneocology in Canada 06:57 who was always willing to provide assistance. 07:00 Well, I started off the call by saying, 07:03 “I’m so sorry to call you so late at night.” 07:07 Well, the doctor said: “Please don’t apologize, Mark. 07:11 I’m always happy to do anything I can to help the sisters.” 07:15 Well, of course, he was not a Witness himself. 07:19 But he viewed those dear ones as his own sisters, 07:24 and he was willing to help them. 07:26 Well, such courageous and skilled physicians all around the world 07:31 have done so much to help our brothers. 07:34 And the tools just keep on improving. 07:38 Many of you may know 07:40 that now we have a section for medical professionals 07:44 on our jw.org website. 07:46 Now, I’ll reiterate: 07:48 This is not a site or an area for Jehovah’s people; 07:52 it’s specifically designed for medical professionals. 07:56 But that area, 07:58 although it’s only recently been established, 08:00 is already having a wonderful effect. 08:03 Let me relate this experience. 08:06 A sister wrote this into the branch. 08:08 She said: “Recently my husband took me to the emergency room, 08:12 “and we discovered I had a mass of some sort near my appendix 08:16 “and that a huge and possibly messy surgery 08:19 “was needed to discover the problem. 08:21 “When I told the surgeon that was assigned to me 08:23 “that I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 08:26 “he became agitated when I reinforced 08:29 “my nonnegotiable stand. 08:31 “He never became rude or harsh, 08:33 “but I could tell that he was very troubled. 08:36 “My husband left to make a phone call to the brothers. 08:40 “Five minutes later, a resident came to tell me 08:43 “that the surgeon had just gone to the jw.org website 08:47 “and was downloading information. 08:50 “We had never mentioned the website. 08:52 “How he knew or who told him, we’ll never know. 08:55 “But ten minutes later, he came back with copies of the information. 08:59 “He had read it, he had marked the pages, 09:03 “and he went over everything with my husband and me. 09:06 “Then he took my hand, and he smiled. 09:09 “He asked if I was ready, 09:11 “and he promised to do his very best for me. 09:14 “He said he too had made 09:16 “some nonnegotiable decisions with God in his lifetime. 09:21 “He saw me about 12 hours after the surgery, 09:24 “and I teased him about being a trouble. 09:27 “He said, ‘No, it was extraordinary.’ 09:31 “We know he meant what he had just learned 09:34 “about the Hospital Liaison Committee 09:36 and Jehovah’s provision for information for His people.” 09:40 The sister concluded by saying, 09:43 “I have never felt such a wave of peace from Jehovah 09:47 in all my years in the truth.” 09:49 Well, Jehovah did not promise us 09:53 miraculous healing at this time, 09:55 but he did promise that he would provide us 09:58 with support and strength when we are sick. 10:02 What a beautiful gift Jehovah has given his people 10:06 through the fine work of the Hospital Liaison Committees! 10:10 Truly, this has been a strengthening aid for us 10:14 “to keep abstaining from . . . blood.”
