The content displayed below is for educational and archival purposes only.Unless stated otherwise, content is © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
You may be able to find the original on wol.jw.org
Video above © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
00:01 Over 100 years ago, 00:04 on October 31, 1916, 00:07 Brother Charles Taze Russell 00:10 was traveling on a train 00:12 as part of a lecture tour 00:13 across the United States. 00:15 Quite unexpectedly, 00:17 and at the young age of 64, 00:21 Brother Russell died. 00:23 For years, he had been traveling continually. 00:27 You know, it’s been said that Brother Russell covered 00:31 more than a million miles. 00:33 Now, of course, some of you may have accomplished that feat, 00:36 but at that time, of course, we were not talking about air travel. 00:40 Brother Russell had to accomplish that by train and ship 00:44 and goodness knows what other means —quite an accomplishment! 00:47 In addition to that, he had delivered 00:50 more than 30,000 sermons, lectures, and talks. 00:55 He had written books and other material 00:58 totaling over 50,000 pages. 01:01 Yet, despite all of the privileges that he had enjoyed 01:05 —his tremendous Bible knowledge 01:07 and the powerful way that Jehovah had used him— 01:11 in just a moment he was gone. 01:15 It really illustrates the truth of what James says here 01:19 at James 4:13, 14. 01:22 Let’s read this together, 01:25 James 4:13. 01:28 It says: “Come, now, you who say: 01:30 “‘Today or tomorrow we will travel 01:32 “‘to this city and will spend a year there, 01:34 “and we will do business and make some profit,’ 01:38 “whereas you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. 01:43 “For you are a mist that appears for a little while 01:46 and then disappears.” 01:48 Well, that’s true. 01:50 You see, really, no matter what privileges we may enjoy 01:54 —how skilled a teacher we may be, what knowledge we’ve accumulated— 01:58 we are all just like 02:00 ‘a mist appearing for a while and then disappearing.’ 02:04 Well, this is an idea 02:06 that occurs over and over again in the Scriptures 02:09 and, really, with the purpose 02:11 of encouraging all of us 02:13 to take a close and sober and serious look 02:18 at the way that we use our lives. 02:20 And even more importantly, 02:22 how we use them to serve Jehovah. 02:25 In Luke chapter 12, 02:27 you’ll remember that Jesus taught an illustration regarding a rich man. 02:31 Do you remember this? 02:32 Let’s open our Bibles and read it together, 02:34 Luke 12:16. 02:38 Now, just before we read it, you’ll remember that the purpose 02:41 of Jesus giving this illustration was to emphasize the importance 02:45 of being rich toward God. 02:47 Now, let’s read what he says here in verse 16: 02:50 “The land of a rich man produced well. 02:53 “So he began reasoning within himself, 02:56 “‘What should I do now that I have nowhere to gather my crops?’ 03:00 “Then he said, ‘I will do this: 03:03 “‘I will tear down my storehouses and build bigger ones, 03:06 “‘and there I will gather all my grain and all my goods, 03:10 “‘and I will say to myself: 03:12 “‘“You have many good things stored up for many years; 03:16 take it easy, eat, drink, enjoy yourself.”’ 03:21 “But God said to him, ‘Unreasonable one, 03:25 “‘this night they are demanding your life from you. 03:29 “Who, then, is to have the things you stored up?’ 03:33 “So it goes with the man who stores up treasure for himself 03:37 but is not rich toward God.” 03:41 Well, what was the problem with this man? 03:44 In the 2007 Watchtower, August 1st issue, 03:48 this illustration was discussed. 03:50 And The Watchtower said that “the rich man’s plan 03:55 “provided [really] only a false sense of security. 03:59 “Practical as it might have seemed [to him], 04:02 “it left out one vital element—God’s will. 04:07 “The man was only thinking about himself, 04:09 “how he would be able to take his ease 04:12 “and eat, drink, and enjoy himself. 04:15 “He thought that because [he had] ‘many good things,’ 04:19 he would also have ‘many years.’” 04:22 Isn’t that an interesting point? 04:24 You see, he thought the abundance of things that he possessed 04:27 would somehow equate to the length of his life. 04:30 But The Watchtower went on to say: 04:32 “Too bad for him, things did not work out that way. 04:36 “Just as Jesus said earlier, ‘even when a person has an abundance 04:41 his life does not result from the things he possesses.’” 04:46 Well, that brings us back to James chapter 4. 04:49 Let’s go back there again, 04:52 and look at what verse 15 says. 04:54 See, after commenting on how a life is just like a mist appearing, 04:58 then verse 15 says: 05:00 “Instead, you should say: ‘If Jehovah wills, 05:04 we will live and do this or that.’” 05:08 You see, the Bible makes it clear that we should never ever develop 05:12 overconfidence —overconfidence in anything— 05:15 in our position, our knowledge, our wisdom, our wealth. 05:19 But instead, you see, have complete confidence in Jehovah. 05:24 Really, our only hope, 05:27 our only confidence is with Jehovah. 05:30 Now, this applies not just to our view of life itself 05:34 but, really, also to our view of all of our activities. 05:38 You see, in that verse in James chapter 4, 05:42 it says that it’s not just about our life 05:44 but about whether we will do this or do that. 05:47 So it really applies to all 05:49 of the different things that we do every day. 05:52 Recently, we’ve been hearing reports 05:56 of increasing persecution in various lands, including Russia. 06:01 Now, when we hear those reports, 06:03 perhaps we begin to think right away 06:06 that this is something that could only happen in a faraway land. 06:10 You see, in countries like the United States and Canada 06:13 (those who are listening to this program), 06:15 perhaps we have the attitude that, well, 06:19 this freedom of worship that we enjoy 06:22 is always going to be here, and it will never change. 06:26 But it’s interesting to consider what happened in one case 06:29 in 1972 in the country of Singapore. 06:33 On January 12, 1972, 06:37 a missionary who was serving at the branch, 06:40 received a letter suddenly —hand delivered to him— 06:44 saying that he was banished from the country 06:47 and must leave within two weeks. 06:49 Now, this brother had been serving there peacefully 06:52 for 23 years; 06:55 everything was going along very smoothly. 06:58 Two days later, the Kingdom Hall was padlocked, 07:01 all the literature was banned in the country, 07:05 the bank accounts that belonged to the branch 07:08 and to the congregation were all seized. 07:11 Well, suddenly and very unexpectedly our work 07:16 and all of our activities had been banned in that country. 07:20 Well, now, what do we learn from this? 07:22 Is it to teach us that we should live in some kind of morbid fear 07:27 that our work is going to be banned at any moment? 07:31 Well, what’s the real reality of what happened in Singapore? 07:35 How did those unexpected events 07:38 affect our brothers in that land? 07:41 Well, they were not broken. 07:43 Looking to Jehovah with complete confidence, 07:46 they continued to find ways to worship Jehovah. 07:50 And Jehovah has blessed their efforts 07:52 right up until this present day. 07:56 So, brothers, it’s true, 07:58 as James chapter 4 teaches us, 08:00 life in this system is really filled with uncertainty. 08:05 But if we have made Jehovah our confidence 08:09 and if we are truly rich toward God, 08:12 then, really, whatever may come, 08:15 whatever situation may befall us 08:17 —even our untimely death— 08:21 we are completely and totally safe with Jehovah. 08:26 And he is the One —because we’ve made him our confidence— 08:29 who will care for us in every way.
00:01 Over 100 years ago, 00:04 on October 31, 1916, 00:07 Brother Charles Taze Russell 00:10 was traveling on a train 00:12 as part of a lecture tour 00:13 across the United States. 00:15 Quite unexpectedly, 00:17 and at the young age of 64, 00:21 Brother Russell died. 00:23 For years, he had been traveling continually. 00:27 You know, it’s been said that Brother Russell covered 00:31 more than a million miles. 00:33 Now, of course, some of you may have accomplished that feat, 00:36 but at that time, of course, we were not talking about air travel. 00:40 Brother Russell had to accomplish that by train and ship 00:44 and goodness knows what other means —quite an accomplishment! 00:47 In addition to that, he had delivered 00:50 more than 30,000 sermons, lectures, and talks. 00:55 He had written books and other material 00:58 totaling over 50,000 pages. 01:01 Yet, despite all of the privileges that he had enjoyed 01:05 —his tremendous Bible knowledge 01:07 and the powerful way that Jehovah had used him— 01:11 in just a moment he was gone. 01:15 It really illustrates the truth of what James says here 01:19 at James 4:13, 14. 01:22 Let’s read this together, 01:25 James 4:13. 01:28 It says: “Come, now, you who say: 01:30 “‘Today or tomorrow we will travel 01:32 “‘to this city and will spend a year there, 01:34 “and we will do business and make some profit,’ 01:38 “whereas you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. 01:43 “For you are a mist that appears for a little while 01:46 and then disappears.” 01:48 Well, that’s true. 01:50 You see, really, no matter what privileges we may enjoy 01:54 —how skilled a teacher we may be, what knowledge we’ve accumulated— 01:58 we are all just like 02:00 ‘a mist appearing for a while and then disappearing.’ 02:04 Well, this is an idea 02:06 that occurs over and over again in the Scriptures 02:09 and, really, with the purpose 02:11 of encouraging all of us 02:13 to take a close and sober and serious look 02:18 at the way that we use our lives. 02:20 And even more importantly, 02:22 how we use them to serve Jehovah. 02:25 In Luke chapter 12, 02:27 you’ll remember that Jesus taught an illustration regarding a rich man. 02:31 Do you remember this? 02:32 Let’s open our Bibles and read it together, 02:34 Luke 12:16. 02:38 Now, just before we read it, you’ll remember that the purpose 02:41 of Jesus giving this illustration was to emphasize the importance 02:45 of being rich toward God. 02:47 Now, let’s read what he says here in verse 16: 02:50 “The land of a rich man produced well. 02:53 “So he began reasoning within himself, 02:56 “‘What should I do now that I have nowhere to gather my crops?’ 03:00 “Then he said, ‘I will do this: 03:03 “‘I will tear down my storehouses and build bigger ones, 03:06 “‘and there I will gather all my grain and all my goods, 03:10 “‘and I will say to myself: 03:12 “‘“You have many good things stored up for many years; 03:16 take it easy, eat, drink, enjoy yourself.”’ 03:21 “But God said to him, ‘Unreasonable one, 03:25 “‘this night they are demanding your life from you. 03:29 “Who, then, is to have the things you stored up?’ 03:33 “So it goes with the man who stores up treasure for himself 03:37 but is not rich toward God.” 03:41 Well, what was the problem with this man? 03:44 In the 2007 Watchtower, August 1st issue, 03:48 this illustration was discussed. 03:50 And The Watchtower said that “the rich man’s plan 03:55 “provided [really] only a false sense of security. 03:59 “Practical as it might have seemed [to him], 04:02 “it left out one vital element—God’s will. 04:07 “The man was only thinking about himself, 04:09 “how he would be able to take his ease 04:12 “and eat, drink, and enjoy himself. 04:15 “He thought that because [he had] ‘many good things,’ 04:19 he would also have ‘many years.’” 04:22 Isn’t that an interesting point? 04:24 You see, he thought the abundance of things that he possessed 04:27 would somehow equate to the length of his life. 04:30 But The Watchtower went on to say: 04:32 “Too bad for him, things did not work out that way. 04:36 “Just as Jesus said earlier, ‘even when a person has an abundance 04:41 his life does not result from the things he possesses.’” 04:46 Well, that brings us back to James chapter 4. 04:49 Let’s go back there again, 04:52 and look at what verse 15 says. 04:54 See, after commenting on how a life is just like a mist appearing, 04:58 then verse 15 says: 05:00 “Instead, you should say: ‘If Jehovah wills, 05:04 we will live and do this or that.’” 05:08 You see, the Bible makes it clear that we should never ever develop 05:12 overconfidence —overconfidence in anything— 05:15 in our position, our knowledge, our wisdom, our wealth. 05:19 But instead, you see, have complete confidence in Jehovah. 05:24 Really, our only hope, 05:27 our only confidence is with Jehovah. 05:30 Now, this applies not just to our view of life itself 05:34 but, really, also to our view of all of our activities. 05:38 You see, in that verse in James chapter 4, 05:42 it says that it’s not just about our life 05:44 but about whether we will do this or do that. 05:47 So it really applies to all 05:49 of the different things that we do every day. 05:52 Recently, we’ve been hearing reports 05:56 of increasing persecution in various lands, including Russia. 06:01 Now, when we hear those reports, 06:03 perhaps we begin to think right away 06:06 that this is something that could only happen in a faraway land. 06:10 You see, in countries like the United States and Canada 06:13 (those who are listening to this program), 06:15 perhaps we have the attitude that, well, 06:19 this freedom of worship that we enjoy 06:22 is always going to be here, and it will never change. 06:26 But it’s interesting to consider what happened in one case 06:29 in 1972 in the country of Singapore. 06:33 On January 12, 1972, 06:37 a missionary who was serving at the branch, 06:40 received a letter suddenly —hand delivered to him— 06:44 saying that he was banished from the country 06:47 and must leave within two weeks. 06:49 Now, this brother had been serving there peacefully 06:52 for 23 years; 06:55 everything was going along very smoothly. 06:58 Two days later, the Kingdom Hall was padlocked, 07:01 all the literature was banned in the country, 07:05 the bank accounts that belonged to the branch 07:08 and to the congregation were all seized. 07:11 Well, suddenly and very unexpectedly our work 07:16 and all of our activities had been banned in that country. 07:20 Well, now, what do we learn from this? 07:22 Is it to teach us that we should live in some kind of morbid fear 07:27 that our work is going to be banned at any moment? 07:31 Well, what’s the real reality of what happened in Singapore? 07:35 How did those unexpected events 07:38 affect our brothers in that land? 07:41 Well, they were not broken. 07:43 Looking to Jehovah with complete confidence, 07:46 they continued to find ways to worship Jehovah. 07:50 And Jehovah has blessed their efforts 07:52 right up until this present day. 07:56 So, brothers, it’s true, 07:58 as James chapter 4 teaches us, 08:00 life in this system is really filled with uncertainty. 08:05 But if we have made Jehovah our confidence 08:09 and if we are truly rich toward God, 08:12 then, really, whatever may come, 08:15 whatever situation may befall us 08:17 —even our untimely death— 08:21 we are completely and totally safe with Jehovah. 08:26 And he is the One —because we’ve made him our confidence— 08:29 who will care for us in every way.
