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00:00:01 Welcome to JW Broadcasting. 00:00:05 This is my friend Saki Marais, 00:00:07 a helper to the Writing Committee of the Governing Body. 00:00:10 He’s here to help me discuss the gifts we present to Jehovah God. 00:00:15 Saki, can you tell us what the program is all about? 00:00:19 It would be my pleasure. 00:00:21 We’ll meet Sister Lillian Barnes. 00:00:24 Regardless of our age, we can learn from her example 00:00:27 of loyal endurance. 00:00:30 What Bible counsel for young ones continues to motivate her 00:00:34 to serve Jehovah whole-souled? 00:00:37 We’ll go to the United States branch 00:00:39 in Wallkill, New York, 00:00:41 to see how they produce Braille Bibles. 00:00:45 How has the revised New World Translation in Braille helped 00:00:49 these brothers and sisters give their gifts to God? 00:00:54 And why is physical cleanliness 00:00:56 an important part of our clean worship? 00:01:01 We’ll find out in this dramatization 00:01:04 from the Principles for Daily Living series. 00:01:08 This is the April 2019 edition 00:01:11 of JW Broadcasting. 00:01:33 This month I’d like to talk about “Presenting Your Gifts to God.” 00:01:37 We certainly have every reason to consider this topic. 00:01:41 Well, why is that? 00:01:43 It’s because Jehovah gives us so much. 00:01:45 James 1:17 says: 00:01:48 “Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, 00:01:53 coming down from the Father of the celestial lights.” 00:01:57 For example, Jehovah allows us to enjoy the gift of life, 00:02:02 even though our first parents tried to take that from us. 00:02:07 He’s provided us with a variety of foods. 00:02:11 The environment is just right to support life. 00:02:15 He’s given us his precious Word, the Bible, 00:02:18 so that we can come to know him and his purposes. 00:02:23 And the greatest “perfect present” Jehovah has given us is the ransom. 00:02:28 Jehovah sacrificed a great deal to arrange for Jesus 00:02:32 to buy back for us the hope of everlasting life. 00:02:36 This was at no obligation on Jehovah’s part. 00:02:40 It was totally a gift of love. 00:02:43 Please read with me 1 John 4:9: 00:02:47 “By this the love of God was revealed in our case, 00:02:51 “that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world 00:02:54 so that we might gain life through him.” 00:02:57 What a gift of love from Jehovah, our God! 00:03:01 What does that move us to do? 00:03:03 Maybe you’ve had the experience of a close friend or family member 00:03:07 unexpectedly giving you a valuable gift. 00:03:11 Immediately, what are you thinking? 00:03:14 You are probably trying to think of what you can give in return. 00:03:19 How much more so would we want to ‘present our gifts to God’ 00:03:24 so as to show our sincere appreciation for all he’s done! 00:03:29 Let’s consider some possible gifts 00:03:32 that Jehovah would be pleased to receive from us. 00:03:36 Many of you in our viewing audience 00:03:38 have been moved to give your life to Jehovah, 00:03:41 dedicating yourself to do his will. 00:03:44 That’s commendable! 00:03:46 That’s what Romans 12 urges us to do. 00:03:50 However, there are some of you listening 00:03:53 who have thought about this way of giving back to Jehovah, 00:03:57 but you haven’t yet taken this vital step. 00:04:01 Notice the appeal the apostle Paul makes 00:04:03 at Romans 12:1: 00:04:05 “Therefore, I appeal to you by the compassions of God, brothers, 00:04:09 “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, 00:04:13 “holy and acceptable to God, 00:04:15 a sacred service with your power of reason.” 00:04:20 Your life is precious. 00:04:22 Presenting your body, your whole soul, 00:04:24 to God is one of the best gifts you can give to him. 00:04:29 This involves our sacred service to Jehovah 00:04:32 —that’s for sure. 00:04:34 But what about the daily activities of life? 00:04:37 Some of you do housework on a daily basis. 00:04:41 Others of you have school to attend and homework to do. 00:04:45 Many of you perform secular work. 00:04:48 There’s shopping to do. 00:04:50 Others enjoy using a small percentage of their time 00:04:54 to engage in some type of recreation or entertainment. 00:04:59 Once you’re dedicated and baptized, 00:05:02 this is all part of your gift to Jehovah. 00:05:06 Please consider with me 00:05:08 Colossians 3:23, 24. 00:05:12 After discussing a whole list of daily activities of life, 00:05:17 what does Jehovah tell us? 00:05:19 Colossians 3:23, 24: 00:05:22 “Whatever you are doing, 00:05:24 “work at it whole-souled as for Jehovah, 00:05:28 “and not for men, 00:05:30 “for you know that it is from Jehovah 00:05:32 you will receive the inheritance as a reward.” 00:05:36 It’s true that a Christian’s day-to-day activities 00:05:39 are not part of his sacred service. 00:05:42 However, the fact that Paul urges us 00:05:46 to work “whole-souled as to Jehovah” 00:05:50 makes us think of our entire course of life. 00:05:53 Yes, our life course can become a gift presented to God. 00:05:58 For example, do we act and dress with proper decorum at all times? 00:06:04 Understandably, we don’t wear a suit and tie or a dress 00:06:08 for every activity of life. 00:06:11 But in “whatever you are doing,” 00:06:14 is your behavior and dress a gift to Jehovah? 00:06:19 If while engaging in any activity, 00:06:22 we’d be embarrassed to identify ourselves as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 00:06:27 then can we really claim to be presenting 00:06:30 a gift to Jehovah in our daily life? 00:06:33 What other gifts are in our possession that we can present to God? 00:06:38 What about godly morality? 00:06:41 Keeping your dedicated body clean morally 00:06:44 is a gift to Jehovah. 00:06:47 Did you notice what Romans 12:1 said? 00:06:50 It said that the bodies we present to Jehovah 00:06:54 should be “holy and acceptable to God.” 00:06:59 If we give in to temptation unrepentantly, 00:07:03 that could be likened to asking Jehovah 00:07:07 to give our gift back; 00:07:09 we’re taking back our dedicated life from him. 00:07:14 Worse yet, it is tantamount to taking the gift away from Jehovah 00:07:18 and giving that precious gift to Satan. 00:07:22 That does not make sense. 00:07:25 Keep clean morally. 00:07:27 It’s a precious gift presented to God. 00:07:31 It’s true, when we’re dedicated and baptized, 00:07:34 there are other gifts that we’d be expected 00:07:37 to present to Jehovah on a regular basis. 00:07:41 One of the most obvious ways 00:07:43 is mentioned here at Hebrews 10:23. 00:07:47 Did you already guess what this gift to Jehovah would be? 00:07:52 Hebrews 10:23: 00:07:57 “Let us hold firmly the public declaration of our hope without wavering, 00:08:02 for the one who promised is faithful.” 00:08:05 The public declaration of our hope 00:08:08 is a gift to those we speak to, 00:08:11 but it’s also considered a gift extended to Jehovah. 00:08:16 In fact, Hebrews 13:15 calls our preaching work 00:08:20 “a sacrifice of praise, 00:08:23 “that is, the fruit of our lips 00:08:26 that make public declaration to his name.” 00:08:29 Israelites used to regularly offer 00:08:33 the best of their animals or grain 00:08:36 as sacrificial gifts to Jehovah. 00:08:39 Sharing in the ministry formally or informally 00:08:42 is a gift to God. 00:08:45 Regularly attending our Christian meetings 00:08:47 and participating in them 00:08:49 is part of our worship and pleases Jehovah. 00:08:54 We are familiar with Hebrews 10:24, 25. 00:08:58 It speaks of our custom of meeting together. 00:09:01 And for what purpose do we meet? 00:09:05 If I was there in your home with you, 00:09:08 how would you answer? 00:09:10 You might quickly say, 00:09:12 “I go to the meetings to be built up and to be encouraged spiritually.” 00:09:16 Well, no doubt you do. 00:09:19 But at Hebrews 10:24, 25, 00:09:22 the purpose of attending is expressed 00:09:24 in a totally different way. 00:09:28 Instead of going with the sole intent of being encouraged, 00:09:33 verse 24 says 00:09:35 we are to “consider one another 00:09:39 “so as to incite [others] 00:09:41 to love and fine works.” 00:09:44 Verse 25 says 00:09:46 we are to be “encouraging one another.” 00:09:51 We should attend our meetings with the goal of being a gift to others. 00:09:56 Encouraging others is the goal. 00:10:00 We do this by our sincere interest in others 00:10:03 before and after the meeting. 00:10:06 Do you come to the Kingdom Hall early 00:10:08 to encourage others? 00:10:10 When in the traveling work, years ago, 00:10:13 my wife and I drove in to the parking lot 00:10:16 and got out of our car. 00:10:18 Two brothers approached us and warmly said: 00:10:22 “Brother and Sister Herd, we were waiting for you. 00:10:26 We are so happy to have you with our congregation this week.” 00:10:32 Were they elders, ministerial servants, or pioneers? 00:10:37 No, they were two little preteenage boys! 00:10:43 That boost gave us a fine start 00:10:45 for a special week of activity. 00:10:48 We also encourage others by participating in the meetings. 00:10:53 What an encouragement to the whole congregation! 00:10:57 Of course, if we all go to the meetings 00:11:00 with that goal and motive, 00:11:03 what will be the result to us individually? 00:11:07 We all will come away built up 00:11:11 and encouraged spiritually. 00:11:14 But we must never forget 00:11:16 that being at our Christian meetings and participating, 00:11:19 including singing the songs 00:11:22 and saying “Amen” to the prayers, 00:11:26 is actually worshipping Jehovah. 00:11:29 You are presenting a gift to him at every meeting you attend. 00:11:35 From ancient times until now, 00:11:37 Jehovah’s faithful servants have contributed materially 00:11:41 to the support of true worship. 00:11:44 That’s presenting a gift to God as well, 00:11:47 and we thank all of you for your support. 00:11:51 The Governing Body is able to provide so much 00:11:54 for the benefit of the worldwide brotherhood 00:11:57 because of your generosity. 00:12:00 Thank you. 00:12:02 Thank you very much! 00:12:05 What about you Christian parents? 00:12:08 What gift can you present to Jehovah? 00:12:10 Your children! 00:12:12 When you do your best to ‘bring your children up 00:12:15 in the discipline and admonition of Jehovah,’ 00:12:18 you are preparing a gift to your God. 00:12:21 Think of the number of brothers 00:12:23 taking the lead in the organization at this time. 00:12:27 Some are Governing Body members, helpers, 00:12:31 Branch Committee members, circuit overseers, 00:12:35 elders, and ministerial servants. 00:12:38 Where did so many of these come from? 00:12:42 Hundreds of thousands were children of Christian parents. 00:12:46 The parents followed the admonition of Ephesians 6:4. 00:12:52 There are thousands more brothers and sisters 00:12:55 that have been raised in the truth by godly parents 00:12:58 who are spearheading the work in the ministry, 00:13:02 in Bethel service, 00:13:04 on construction projects, and in relief work. 00:13:08 We thank you, parents, for all that you’ve done 00:13:11 and the precious gifts you have offered up to Jehovah 00:13:15 and his organization. 00:13:17 And what about the older ones in our congregations? 00:13:20 I’m 84 years young with eternity in view. 00:13:25 But at some point, we start to admit that we’re getting old. 00:13:30 We start to feel that we’re getting old. 00:13:34 We start to look like we’re getting old. 00:13:38 Some of us find ourselves slipping physically or even mentally. 00:13:43 Are we becoming less and less valuable to Jehovah? 00:13:47 Is our gift now tarnished by age? 00:13:52 We might begin to think so, 00:13:54 but that’s not at all how Jehovah views older ones 00:13:58 who have dedicated themselves to him, 00:14:01 possibly many decades ago. 00:14:04 A tarnished gold coin 00:14:06 has as much value as a shiny new one. 00:14:11 Proverbs 16:31 instructs us 00:14:13 that “gray hair is a crown of beauty 00:14:17 when it is found in the way of righteousness.” 00:14:21 It’s not so much the color of the hair that Jehovah admires. 00:14:26 Instead, it’s the life of self-sacrifice 00:14:29 that gray hair represents. 00:14:31 Jehovah views older ones 00:14:34 who are still found in the way of righteousness 00:14:37 as precious gifts to him. 00:14:41 Why do pieces of antique furniture often cost 00:14:44 much more than a brand new piece of furniture? 00:14:48 Or why is an older bottle of fine wine 00:14:52 often more expensive than a newer vintage wine? 00:14:57 Age brings value to a gift. 00:15:01 You older ones have wisdom and experience 00:15:06 that others in the congregation can benefit from. 00:15:11 It’s not that you need to be holding the microphone 00:15:14 and waxing eloquent on every paragraph at a meeting, 00:15:18 but modestly sharing your experience 00:15:21 and wisdom with others on a personal basis 00:15:24 can be so helpful and encouraging. 00:15:28 Jehovah loves you older ones. 00:15:31 So even if you’re bent with age in your mind, 00:15:36 stand tall as a precious gift presented to Jehovah. 00:15:41 May all of us, young and old, 00:15:45 consider how we can enhance our gifts presented to Jehovah. 00:15:50 If we have not yet dedicated our life to God, 00:15:53 is it time to seriously consider this gift? 00:15:58 Can we enhance our gift 00:16:00 by more closely monitoring our view of Christian morality? 00:16:04 What we look at or think about 00:16:07 could compromise our gift to God. 00:16:10 How about our ministry or attendance and participation at the meetings 00:16:15 or contributing materially 00:16:17 to the worldwide work? 00:16:20 You parents, 00:16:22 do your best to package 00:16:25 the gift of your children 00:16:27 so that they will be useful to Jehovah. 00:16:31 And you older ones, 00:16:33 never forget that when it comes to wisdom and experience, 00:16:38 you only get better with age. 00:16:41 Jesus is the best of Jehovah’s servants. 00:16:45 He’s been around the longest. 00:16:49 Let’s meet a sister who’s applied the counsel 00:16:53 to serve God from her youth on. 00:16:56 Sister Lillian Barnes is from Jamaica. 00:16:59 Her gifts to Jehovah may have changed with age, 00:17:03 but what she gives to him today 00:17:06 is in no way less valuable. 00:21:29 “Remember, then, 00:21:31 “your Grand Creator 00:21:32 in the days of your youth.” 00:21:34 That was Sister Barnes’ determination. 00:21:37 Lillian is now 108 years old 00:21:40 and has been baptized for nearly 82 years. 00:21:44 Her beautiful example shows the contentment 00:21:48 that comes from serving God whole-souled at any age. 00:21:53 To give Jehovah our best, 00:21:55 we need God’s Word to know how to worship him. 00:21:59 That’s why Jehovah’s organization works hard 00:22:02 to make the Bible available to as many people as possible. 00:22:07 At the United States branch in Wallkill, New York, 00:22:11 they are producing Braille copies 00:22:13 of the revised New World Translation. 00:22:16 What does it take to make a good quality Braille Bible, 00:22:21 and how are Braille readers using this beautiful gift? 00:22:28 In 2013, our English-printed Bibles 00:22:31 were revised and, shortly thereafter, 00:22:34 the Braille Bibles were approved 00:22:36 to be revised in English and Portuguese. 00:22:38 We knew it was going to be a large job. 00:22:41 We were having problems 00:22:42 with the pages either tearing 00:22:44 or coming completely out of the Bible. 00:22:47 We tried changing the paper to see if that would be a simple solution, 00:22:50 and we had a brother who is blind come in and help us. 00:22:55 We were able to test the paper in the machine and actually walk it 00:22:58 right over to the brother, and he gave us immediate feedback 00:23:01 on adjustments to the machine 00:23:03 or if it wasn’t working at all. 00:23:07 During our testing, we tried about 25 different types of paper, 00:23:11 but we ended up coming back to the idea 00:23:15 that the binding was the best way to find a durable solution. 00:23:18 The result is that the durability 00:23:20 is 400 percent stronger than it was before. 00:23:23 You can pick up an entire book 00:23:26 by holding just one page. 00:23:29 In the Literature Production Office, 00:23:31 we have ones who receive 00:23:32 the requests for the Braille Bibles, 00:23:34 we have ones who will review these requests 00:23:36 as they come into the system, and then we have 00:23:39 a separate set of brothers who make sure that all the materials are here on time. 00:23:43 We get our orders from the office, 00:23:45 and then the office 00:23:46 will tell us how many to make 00:23:48 —maybe the specific volume number. 00:23:50 Braille Bibles come 00:23:52 from the Wallkill printery on the Braille production floor. 00:23:55 Right at the end of the machine, we have a Braille paper roll. 00:23:58 We make sure that there’s nothing wrong with that roll, 00:24:01 and then it gets fed into the machine 00:24:03 where it creates Braille on both sides of the page. 00:24:05 And after that, it gets cut and punched. 00:24:08 We gather it and do some quality inspection. 00:24:11 We’ll bind it together; we’ll rivet each section into a binder 00:24:15 that has been prelabeled with a volume number, 00:24:17 do an inspection on it, pop it in a box, and then send it out the door. 00:24:22 To produce the English Bible in Braille takes about four and a half hours, 00:24:26 which then breaks out into 28 volumes, 00:24:28 and the Portuguese Bible in Braille takes closer 00:24:31 to five and a half hours, and that breaks out into 32 volumes. 00:24:35 We did not start production with Genesis, 00:24:38 because we wanted the brothers and sisters to be able to receive the volume 00:24:41 that would be on the congregation Bible reading schedule 00:24:43 at our midweek meetings. 00:24:45 So as we receive the files for each volume, 00:24:49 it’s being printed and sent out to our brothers and sisters. 00:24:53 It’s important to me to be able to read God’s Word 00:24:56 rather than just listening 00:24:58 because I am a visual person. 00:25:01 So the eyesight is gone, but I’m still visual. 00:25:04 I learn better from reading than I do from listening. 00:25:08 In my mind when I’m listening, 00:25:10 my mind wanders, 00:25:11 but when I’m reading, I can stop 00:25:13 and meditate on what I’m studying. 00:25:16 That helps me with my relationship with Jehovah. 00:25:19 It has helped me a lot, 00:25:20 because a lot of things 00:25:21 I don’t have to look up 00:25:22 because it’s in plain English. 00:25:24 They have so many things in this new Bible 00:25:27 that I can use, like the outline. 00:25:30 I can get that outline and find something fast. 00:25:34 It has the appendix, the word index, 00:25:36 and the glossary. 00:25:38 During the time of the Memorial, 00:25:39 I was able to read the events of the last week of Jesus’ life. 00:25:44 I really enjoy reading with one hand 00:25:49 and pulling the other hand down 00:25:51 and reading the footnotes. 00:25:56 I can participate more in the midweek meeting. 00:25:58 For instance, in the section “Digging for Spiritual Gems,” 00:26:02 the brothers always get someone from the audience to read the scriptures. 00:26:07 So once I got the new Bible, 00:26:09 I could raise my hand and volunteer to read, 00:26:12 and so the whole meeting opened up. 00:26:16 The revised edition 00:26:18 helps me be more effective at the meeting, 00:26:22 and it helps me to find 00:26:25 exactly what I need. 00:26:28 Before the revision, when he’d have a part on the meeting, 00:26:31 he would have to get his Brailler out and have me dictate one sentence at a time 00:26:35 so he could type it all out —what he was going to use in his part. 00:26:38 So this is nice because he has 00:26:41 the right wording that all the friends have. 00:26:44 I like to carry it from house to house, 00:26:46 so I can only take the one volume because they’re huge. 00:26:49 But whatever the initial call is, I can take that scripture 00:26:54 and see if the householder will let me read a scripture for them. 00:26:58 It means so much to be able to read the Scriptures and to do personal study. 00:27:03 I am very thankful for all the work our brothers have done up in Wallkill. 00:27:07 I really appreciate the effort 00:27:10 that they’ve all gone through, because that’s a lot of work. 00:27:15 In Jehovah’s organization, they care for everyone. 00:27:19 I was so thankful that they had the Braille Bible for the blind. 00:27:24 That’s what draws me closer to Jehovah 00:27:27 —being able to study his Word and look the scriptures up. 00:27:31 The new Bible is personal to me. 00:27:34 I feel like it was a personal answer to a prayer. 00:27:37 Jehovah supplied it because that’s the main thing I wanted to read, 00:27:41 and I am so thankful to Jehovah. 00:27:48 Like these brothers and sisters, 00:27:51 treasure the gift of God’s Word. 00:27:54 We pray that Jehovah continue to bless the efforts 00:27:58 to make the revised New World Translation 00:28:01 available in more languages and formats. 00:28:05 With the Bible and Christian publications, 00:28:08 we’re equipped to do all we can in the preaching work. 00:28:12 That desire to ‘fully accomplish our ministry’ 00:28:16 is captured in this month’s original song 00:28:20 “All I Can Give.” 00:28:34 O heavenly Father, I want to give all I can give. 00:28:44 My desire is to please you and love you as long as I live. 00:28:55 I’ll help those who listen to find in your Word what they need. 00:29:06 To preach and to teach is the way I can really succeed. 00:29:16 As I praise you, Jehovah, my faith’s getting stronger each day. 00:29:27 I’ll reflect on my dedication. I’ll walk in your way. 00:29:37 O heavenly Father, to you I give praise, 00:29:43 Determined to serve you in so many ways. 00:29:48 My heart is wide open as long as I live. 00:29:55 Jehovah, I’ll love you and give you all I can give. 00:30:28 Whole-souled devotion and love for my brothers I’ll show. 00:30:39 Volunteering to play my part is the best way I know. 00:30:50 I’m happier when I am giving than when I receive, 00:31:00 When I’m taking the time to help others who may be in need. 00:31:11 As I praise you, Jehovah, my faith’s getting stronger each day. 00:31:20 I’ll reflect on my dedication. I’ll walk in your way. 00:31:32 O heavenly Father, to you I give praise, 00:31:37 Determined to serve you in so many ways. 00:31:43 My heart is wide open as long as I live. 00:31:50 Jehovah, I’ll love you and give you all I can give. 00:32:00 O heavenly Father, to you I give praise, 00:32:06 Determined to serve you in so many ways. 00:32:11 My heart is wide open as long as I live. 00:32:17 Jehovah, I’ll love you and give you all I can give. 00:32:33 In what ways did you see the brothers and sisters 00:32:37 giving all they could in the ministry? 00:32:40 They witnessed at every opportunity. 00:32:42 They preached door to door, in public witnessing, 00:32:46 at businesses, informally, and in remote areas. 00:32:50 They used our Teaching Toolbox, including videos, 00:32:54 to reach people in a language they really understood. 00:32:58 The ministry is an important way 00:33:01 we imitate Jehovah’s love for people. 00:33:04 We also want to imitate Jehovah’s holiness. 00:33:08 Brother Herd explained why we strive to stay morally clean. 00:33:13 But what about keeping physically clean? 00:33:16 That’s not always easy for busy Christians. 00:33:19 In this dramatization, 00:33:21 see how Grayson gives his son 00:33:23 the loving counsel on cleanliness that he needs. 00:33:33 I graduated from high school that summer 00:33:36 and wanted to start regular pioneering. 00:33:39 That’s my dad, Grayson. 00:33:44 Dad was having car trouble that morning 00:33:46 and needed a ride to work, so I gave him one. 00:33:53 OK, my car was a little messy and smelly. 00:34:03 I mean, it was winter, and my car is pretty old anyway. 00:34:06 So why bother? 00:34:08 When I get a new car, then I’ll keep it clean. 00:34:12 But he was making a big deal out of nothing. 00:34:20 That morning was not good. 00:34:33 I thought it was over. 00:34:36 But later that evening, Dad brought it up again. 00:34:40 But this time, it went better. 00:34:44 He showed me a picture of his first car. 00:34:47 It looked pretty old too. 00:34:49 He said that while our home or car may not be 00:34:52 fancy or luxurious, it should be as clean and presentable 00:34:56 as circumstances allow. 00:34:59 I still didn’t see what the big deal was. 00:35:02 Then, he explained that Jehovah is a clean God, 00:35:05 and from ancient times, he has always required 00:35:07 that his people be a clean people. 00:35:11 Under the Mosaic Law that Jehovah gave to Israel, 00:35:14 cleanness and worship were inseparable. 00:35:19 It specified that priests were required 00:35:21 to wash their hands and feet 00:35:23 before offering sacrifices to Jehovah. 00:35:25 While in an unclean state, an Israelite 00:35:28 could not have any part in worship, 00:35:30 or it could mean death. 00:35:36 I said, “I’m not an Israelite, 00:35:39 and we’re not under the Mosaic Law anymore.” 00:35:42 He said, “True, but it gives us insight 00:35:45 into Jehovah’s thinking.” 00:35:47 The Law emphasized that cleanness 00:35:48 was required of all those who worshipped him. 00:35:52 And as Malachi 3:6 tells us, 00:35:55 ‘Jehovah has not changed.’ 00:35:59 Then, he said something that really stuck with me, 00:36:03 “Besides, it’s not all about us.” 00:36:07 Then, he gave me a scripture to look up. 00:36:10 It was 2 Corinthians 6:3, 4: 00:36:14 “In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, 00:36:18 “so that no fault may be found with our ministry; 00:36:22 “but in every way 00:36:24 we recommend ourselves as God’s ministers.” 00:36:42 I realized that things like our appearance, 00:36:44 our homes, and our cars 00:36:47 —these can all be a silent witness to Jehovah in themselves. 00:36:51 It made sense to me now. 00:36:54 It’s not all about us. 00:36:56 I knew what I had to do. 00:37:05 Not only did I clean my car, but later that year, 00:37:09 I was able to turn in my application for pioneering. 00:37:15 And I’m glad for the lesson I learned from my dad. 00:37:19 It’s not all about us. 00:37:23 Even in little ways, 00:37:25 we can reflect favorably on the God we love. 00:37:31 What made Grayson’s counsel effective? 00:37:36 Although he reacted to sitting in the dirty car, 00:37:40 he waited until he was calm to give counsel. 00:37:45 He based what he said on God’s standards in the Bible. 00:37:49 And it took humility for his son to see that his cleanliness 00:37:53 could affect how others view Jehovah’s clean people. 00:37:58 Humility helps us to accept correction, 00:38:01 but it can do even more. 00:38:03 It was the topic of this Bethel morning worship, 00:38:07 wherein Brother Mark Noumair asks why humility 00:38:11 was such an important lesson for Jesus’ apostles 00:38:16 and why it still is for us today. 00:38:20 It is interesting that Peter gives counsel 00:38:22 about cultivating humility. 00:38:25 Let’s turn the clock back 00:38:26 and learn why the quality of humility 00:38:28 was indelibly etched 00:38:30 in the mind and heart of Peter. 00:38:32 Let’s open our Bibles to Luke chapter 22. 00:38:36 In Luke chapter 22, 00:38:38 we’ll find Jesus getting ready for that final Passover in 33 C.E. 00:38:43 And in Luke 22, starting in verse 8, 00:38:46 it is Thursday afternoon, Nisan 13, and what happens? 00:38:51 Verse 8: “Jesus sent Peter [there he is] 00:38:55 “and John, saying: ‘Go and get 00:38:58 the Passover ready for us to eat.’” 00:39:01 ‘Get it ready, Peter and John.’ 00:39:04 Verse 9: “They said to him: ‘Where do you want us to get it ready?’” 00:39:08 They understood the instructions: Get it ready. 00:39:12 Jesus said to go into Jerusalem, 00:39:14 and you’ll find the man with the earthenware jar. 00:39:17 Verse 12: “And that man 00:39:20 “will show you a large, furnished upper room. 00:39:23 Get it ready there.” 00:39:25 Verse 13: “So they left and found it just as he had told them, 00:39:30 and they prepared for the Passover.” 00:39:34 Get it ready; prepare the Passover. 00:39:38 What would that include? 00:39:41 Bread, wine, oil for the lamps, 00:39:46 lamb, a towel, a basin, water. 00:39:51 Basin and water 00:39:53 —they knew how important washing feet was. 00:39:56 They witnessed when Jesus reproved Simon the Pharisee 00:40:00 with the statement: Simon, “you gave me no water for my feet.” 00:40:04 ‘Simon, you gave me no water. 00:40:08 You missed the mark on this one.’ 00:40:10 So as they stared at that basin and water, 00:40:14 as they prepared and got the room ready, 00:40:18 did they look at each other and wonder: 00:40:22 ‘Who’s going to wash the feet? 00:40:24 Who’s going to do it?’ 00:40:25 They had a golden opportunity to apply all the things that Jesus 00:40:29 had been teaching them for three and a half years on humility. 00:40:32 This was the time. 00:40:34 After three and a half years, conduct yourself as a lesser one. 00:40:37 Don’t lord it over others. 00:40:39 You want to serve others and not be served. 00:40:41 This was it; this was the time. 00:40:43 They could have showed Jesus that they got the point; they got it. 00:40:47 They had time to think about it and time to pray about it. 00:40:50 It was Thursday afternoon, 00:40:53 but now we progress and let’s see what happens. 00:40:57 Let’s now progress to the evening, and it’s Nisan 14. 00:41:01 Let’s pick up the account in John chapter 13. 00:41:05 They got the room ready, they followed the instructions, 00:41:09 and now let’s go to John 13 and get John’s vantage point from this. 00:41:13 He was there; he was with Peter getting it ready. 00:41:17 So now it’s 98 C.E., and John is writing this information. 00:41:22 He had time to reflect and to think about this for years, 00:41:26 and now look what he says in verse 3: 00:41:30 “So Jesus, 00:41:32 “knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands 00:41:37 and that he came from God and was going to God.” 00:41:40 Knowing these things —he understood that. 00:41:43 He sat back and said: ‘Jesus knew who he was; he knew all things. 00:41:48 ‘He had the full understanding of his dignity. 00:41:51 ‘He knew that he had been entrusted with all things. 00:41:54 ‘He knew. 00:41:55 ‘He knew he was the second greatest personage in the universe. 00:41:58 ‘He knew he was “the firstborn of all creation.” 00:42:01 ‘He knew he had shared with his Father in creating all things. 00:42:04 He had knowledge of all this —knowing all these things.’ 00:42:08 John sits back; he writes this. 00:42:11 And then knowing this, 00:42:13 verse 4 is the contrast: 00:42:17 ‘He got up from the evening meal and laid aside his outer garments. 00:42:22 ‘Taking a towel, he wraps it around his waist. 00:42:25 ‘After that, he puts the water into the basin 00:42:28 ‘and starts to wash the feet of the disciples 00:42:30 and dry them off with the towel that was wrapped around him.’ 00:42:33 Knowing who He was, 00:42:35 John said He did this. 00:42:38 But not only does John reflect on who Jesus was, 00:42:43 no, he reflects on why Jesus did it. 00:42:46 Why did he do it? 00:42:47 That’s what John was interested in, 00:42:50 and we get that answer back in verse 1, 00:42:54 where John says why: 00:42:56 ‘Because he loved his own that were in the world; 00:43:00 he loved them to the end.’ 00:43:03 John said He “loved them to the end.” 00:43:06 What does that mean? 00:43:07 He wanted to instill in them qualities that would help them conquer the world, 00:43:11 qualities that would strengthen the Christian congregation, 00:43:15 qualities such as unselfish love and humility. 00:43:18 He loved them to the end. 00:43:20 He never gave up on them. 00:43:22 They had their weaknesses, but he did not give up. 00:43:26 Now, for Peter, some 30 years later, 00:43:29 he’s thinking about humility. 00:43:31 John, some 60 years later, 00:43:34 after the lesson Jesus taught about humility, 00:43:36 it’s echoing loud and clear in his mind and heart. 00:43:40 However, the fact remains that neither of them 00:43:44 had the humility at the time to apply what Jesus 00:43:48 had been teaching them for three and a half years. 00:43:51 Now, after John finished his writing, he sat back; 00:43:56 he was under inspiration; he finished that writing. 00:43:59 Did he sit back, reread what he just wrote, 00:44:02 and perhaps say to himself: 00:44:05 ‘I wish I could have written 00:44:08 ‘that after Jesus washed the feet of one or two of his disciples, 00:44:13 ‘I got up and washed the feet 00:44:17 ‘of the rest of my brothers? 00:44:19 ‘I took that towel, and I imitated the Christ? 00:44:24 Or, Peter and I got up?’ 00:44:27 But the point is, they didn’t. 00:44:30 What can we learn? 00:44:32 Don’t allow valuable lessons that Jesus teaches us 00:44:35 to echo in our minds and hearts 00:44:38 only after we missed the opportunity to apply them. 00:44:42 So in a practical setting for us serving here at Bethel: 00:44:47 ‘Even though I know I have the seniority 00:44:52 ‘—I have full knowledge of my seniority— 00:44:54 ‘will I get up and fight the attitude of entitlement? 00:44:59 ‘I know I have authority entrusted to me as the overseer; 00:45:04 ‘I am the overseer; I know that. I have full knowledge of that. 00:45:09 ‘Fine, will I get up 00:45:11 ‘and roll my sleeves back and do the grunt work? 00:45:14 ‘Or do I just find pleasure in giving orders? 00:45:17 ‘I know I have a wonderful privilege of service; 00:45:21 ‘I know that; others know it too. 00:45:23 Fine, but will I get up to train others?’ 00:45:27 Brother Jackson reminded us of this at the last Gilead graduation 00:45:32 when he said to treasure your privileges, but don’t hoard them. 00:45:36 That means we have to get up. 00:45:38 It takes humility to train others to take our place. 00:45:43 ‘As a brother or a sister, 00:45:46 ‘I know I have more experience than the other person in my job. 00:45:51 ‘I know I have the experience; I know that. 00:45:54 ‘I have more experience than my workmate. 00:45:57 ‘Fine, but will I get up in all humility 00:46:02 ‘and share information that I have 00:46:05 ‘with others to make their job easier? 00:46:08 Or will I hold the knowledge I have hostage?’ 00:46:12 If we get up in all humility and do these things, 00:46:16 then we can say that Jesus’ humble act, as recorded here in John 13, 00:46:21 has made a lasting and indelible impression 00:46:24 not only on Peter and John but on me. 00:46:28 What a powerful lesson! 00:46:31 Humility will improve the way 00:46:34 we carry out our theocratic assignments. 00:46:38 It honors our fellow workers, and it promotes unity. 00:46:43 Unified servants of God get things done. 00:46:47 In Peru, 00:46:49 local brothers worked with international servants and volunteers 00:46:53 to complete two new Assembly Halls. 00:46:56 In this report, 00:46:58 hear what the brothers learned from working together 00:47:02 and how the new Assembly Halls 00:47:04 are being used to glorify Jehovah. 00:47:27 I suppose whatever we give to Jehovah 00:47:29 is little in comparison with what he gives to us. 00:47:32 And like Malachi 3:10 says, you know, 00:47:34 we just have to ‘bring in the tenth part.’ 00:47:36 That’s really all that Jehovah is asking, 00:47:38 but he pours out a blessing. 00:47:40 And part of those blessings from Malachi 3:10, 00:47:43 I consider to be the friendships that we’ve gained. 00:47:47 For me, my favorite thing is the people. 00:47:49 It’s always just getting to work 00:47:52 with your brothers every day. 00:47:54 The personalities shine through, even with language differences. 00:47:58 You just make friends, and you just get this taste 00:48:00 of what the new world is going to be like. 00:48:03 Side by side with our brothers, 00:48:05 we’ve made parent figures and brother and sister figures, 00:48:08 and everybody just becomes part of such a solid family. 00:48:14 Working along with the local brothers and sisters 00:48:17 made it clear to me 00:48:19 that we really are in the organization 00:48:21 that Jehovah is directing today. 00:48:26 What I have seen is how Jehovah’s spirit 00:48:29 operates in his organization. 00:48:32 There were many international servants here 00:48:35 from various countries, 00:48:37 with different personalities, 00:48:40 along with our local brothers with their distinct customs. 00:48:44 But when it was time to work, we were as one. 00:48:48 There wasn’t a big guy, a little guy, 00:48:52 someone more intelligent, or less intelligent. 00:48:54 We all formed one united team. 00:48:58 The language definitely was an issue for me. 00:49:02 At first I thought, 00:49:04 ‘Will I really be able to work with the brothers?’ 00:49:07 Since I didn’t understand the language, 00:49:10 how could I explain the work that had to be done? 00:49:17 Really, if you go in there with a good attitude 00:49:19 and you’re just having a good time working with your brothers, 00:49:21 you’re not going to have too much of a problem. 00:49:23 Smiles —they cross borders. 00:49:33 The Chiclayo dedication program 00:49:35 was held April 9, 2016, 00:49:38 and the Trujillo Assembly Hall 00:49:40 was dedicated shortly thereafter, 00:49:43 on July 31. 00:49:50 All present marveled with appreciation 00:49:53 at seeing the facilities, 00:49:55 their own new Assembly Hall. 00:50:01 Before, we had to work a lot, 00:50:03 maybe up to 15 days beforehand 00:50:06 to prepare a completely inappropriate site. 00:50:09 Not anymore. 00:50:10 Now the brothers only need to maintain it 00:50:12 and simply arrive in order to enjoy their assembly. 00:50:17 I’m sure that this new Assembly Hall 00:50:19 will strengthen the spirituality 00:50:21 of our dear brothers and sisters. 00:50:24 If I can say something about the video monitors: 00:50:27 They’ve revolutionized Jehovah’s method of teaching. 00:50:32 We get so much more out of the talks now 00:50:34 because we can see 00:50:35 the gestures of the brothers. 00:50:37 It really touches the heart. 00:50:39 It’s so amazing! 00:50:42 I remember more than 25 years ago, 00:50:45 I prayed to Jehovah and said, 00:50:47 “Jehovah, please, permit me at some point to see 00:50:51 an Assembly Hall here.” 00:50:53 And now Jehovah let me 00:50:55 be part of the buying process, 00:50:57 of getting the documentation, 00:51:00 and of being part of the construction. 00:51:02 And I remember, and I say, 00:51:04 “Jehovah answered my prayer.” 00:51:09 Well, it affected me 00:51:12 seeing the construction progress 00:51:15 because when we first arrived 00:51:17 at our project in Chiclayo, 00:51:19 you know what the brothers had 00:51:21 and what they were using as an Assembly Hall. 00:51:24 And then to see the finished project 00:51:26 that we see now, 00:51:28 I’m so happy for the brothers and sisters. 00:51:31 It’s so beautiful, clean, neat, and tidy. 00:51:34 It’s like, in reality, for where it is, 00:51:37 it’s a little jewel within that whole city 00:51:39 to me when I see the completed project. 00:51:43 And I know that brothers do just love to be able to care for that place, 00:51:48 to be able to worship Jehovah there, and to be with their brothers and sisters. 00:51:52 There’s nothing that will ever compare 00:51:55 with this wonderful experience we’ve been able to have. 00:51:59 It’s been great! 00:52:08 We’ve enjoyed a wonderful program. 00:52:10 Our videos showed us so many of the ways 00:52:13 we can present our gift to Jehovah. 00:52:17 I agree. 00:52:19 We saw our brothers, young and old, 00:52:21 give their best in the ministry, 00:52:24 in the congregation, at Bethel, 00:52:27 and on construction projects. 00:52:29 And we heard good counsel to be humble, 00:52:33 morally clean, and physically clean. 00:52:37 And to conclude our program, 00:52:39 we have greetings from our brothers and sisters in Chad. 00:52:44 Chad is located in north-central Africa. 00:52:47 With the Sahara Desert in the north, 00:52:50 most of Chad’s more than 13 million people 00:52:54 live in the fertile southern regions. 00:52:57 Fewer than a thousand brothers live and preach 00:53:00 in this vast field dotted with remote villages. 00:53:04 The capital city is N’Djamena. 00:53:07 Five congregations are busy spreading the good news 00:53:10 in the city and its surrounding area. 00:53:13 One of these, just south of the capital, is the Walia Congregation. 00:53:19 They preach regularly along the Logone River, 00:53:22 where they often meet people traveling from faraway areas. 00:53:27 Their busy activity also helped to establish 00:53:30 a new congregation in nearby Koundoul. 00:53:33 The brothers in Koundoul and Walia 00:53:36 send us their heartfelt Christian love and greetings. 00:53:41 We pray for Jehovah to bless 00:53:43 their gifts of brotherly affection and self-sacrifice. 00:53:47 Thank you for joining us. 00:53:49 From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 00:53:53 this is JW Broadcasting.
00:00:01 Welcome to JW Broadcasting. 00:00:05 This is my friend Saki Marais, 00:00:07 a helper to the Writing Committee of the Governing Body. 00:00:10 He’s here to help me discuss the gifts we present to Jehovah God. 00:00:15 Saki, can you tell us what the program is all about? 00:00:19 It would be my pleasure. 00:00:21 We’ll meet Sister Lillian Barnes. 00:00:24 Regardless of our age, we can learn from her example 00:00:27 of loyal endurance. 00:00:30 What Bible counsel for young ones continues to motivate her 00:00:34 to serve Jehovah whole-souled? 00:00:37 We’ll go to the United States branch 00:00:39 in Wallkill, New York, 00:00:41 to see how they produce Braille Bibles. 00:00:45 How has the revised New World Translation in Braille helped 00:00:49 these brothers and sisters give their gifts to God? 00:00:54 And why is physical cleanliness 00:00:56 an important part of our clean worship? 00:01:01 We’ll find out in this dramatization 00:01:04 from the Principles for Daily Living series. 00:01:08 This is the April 2019 edition 00:01:11 of JW Broadcasting. 00:01:33 This month I’d like to talk about “Presenting Your Gifts to God.” 00:01:37 We certainly have every reason to consider this topic. 00:01:41 Well, why is that? 00:01:43 It’s because Jehovah gives us so much. 00:01:45 James 1:17 says: 00:01:48 “Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, 00:01:53 coming down from the Father of the celestial lights.” 00:01:57 For example, Jehovah allows us to enjoy the gift of life, 00:02:02 even though our first parents tried to take that from us. 00:02:07 He’s provided us with a variety of foods. 00:02:11 The environment is just right to support life. 00:02:15 He’s given us his precious Word, the Bible, 00:02:18 so that we can come to know him and his purposes. 00:02:23 And the greatest “perfect present” Jehovah has given us is the ransom. 00:02:28 Jehovah sacrificed a great deal to arrange for Jesus 00:02:32 to buy back for us the hope of everlasting life. 00:02:36 This was at no obligation on Jehovah’s part. 00:02:40 It was totally a gift of love. 00:02:43 Please read with me 1 John 4:9: 00:02:47 “By this the love of God was revealed in our case, 00:02:51 “that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world 00:02:54 so that we might gain life through him.” 00:02:57 What a gift of love from Jehovah, our God! 00:03:01 What does that move us to do? 00:03:03 Maybe you’ve had the experience of a close friend or family member 00:03:07 unexpectedly giving you a valuable gift. 00:03:11 Immediately, what are you thinking? 00:03:14 You are probably trying to think of what you can give in return. 00:03:19 How much more so would we want to ‘present our gifts to God’ 00:03:24 so as to show our sincere appreciation for all he’s done! 00:03:29 Let’s consider some possible gifts 00:03:32 that Jehovah would be pleased to receive from us. 00:03:36 Many of you in our viewing audience 00:03:38 have been moved to give your life to Jehovah, 00:03:41 dedicating yourself to do his will. 00:03:44 That’s commendable! 00:03:46 That’s what Romans 12 urges us to do. 00:03:50 However, there are some of you listening 00:03:53 who have thought about this way of giving back to Jehovah, 00:03:57 but you haven’t yet taken this vital step. 00:04:01 Notice the appeal the apostle Paul makes 00:04:03 at Romans 12:1: 00:04:05 “Therefore, I appeal to you by the compassions of God, brothers, 00:04:09 “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, 00:04:13 “holy and acceptable to God, 00:04:15 a sacred service with your power of reason.” 00:04:20 Your life is precious. 00:04:22 Presenting your body, your whole soul, 00:04:24 to God is one of the best gifts you can give to him. 00:04:29 This involves our sacred service to Jehovah 00:04:32 —that’s for sure. 00:04:34 But what about the daily activities of life? 00:04:37 Some of you do housework on a daily basis. 00:04:41 Others of you have school to attend and homework to do. 00:04:45 Many of you perform secular work. 00:04:48 There’s shopping to do. 00:04:50 Others enjoy using a small percentage of their time 00:04:54 to engage in some type of recreation or entertainment. 00:04:59 Once you’re dedicated and baptized, 00:05:02 this is all part of your gift to Jehovah. 00:05:06 Please consider with me 00:05:08 Colossians 3:23, 24. 00:05:12 After discussing a whole list of daily activities of life, 00:05:17 what does Jehovah tell us? 00:05:19 Colossians 3:23, 24: 00:05:22 “Whatever you are doing, 00:05:24 “work at it whole-souled as for Jehovah, 00:05:28 “and not for men, 00:05:30 “for you know that it is from Jehovah 00:05:32 you will receive the inheritance as a reward.” 00:05:36 It’s true that a Christian’s day-to-day activities 00:05:39 are not part of his sacred service. 00:05:42 However, the fact that Paul urges us 00:05:46 to work “whole-souled as to Jehovah” 00:05:50 makes us think of our entire course of life. 00:05:53 Yes, our life course can become a gift presented to God. 00:05:58 For example, do we act and dress with proper decorum at all times? 00:06:04 Understandably, we don’t wear a suit and tie or a dress 00:06:08 for every activity of life. 00:06:11 But in “whatever you are doing,” 00:06:14 is your behavior and dress a gift to Jehovah? 00:06:19 If while engaging in any activity, 00:06:22 we’d be embarrassed to identify ourselves as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 00:06:27 then can we really claim to be presenting 00:06:30 a gift to Jehovah in our daily life? 00:06:33 What other gifts are in our possession that we can present to God? 00:06:38 What about godly morality? 00:06:41 Keeping your dedicated body clean morally 00:06:44 is a gift to Jehovah. 00:06:47 Did you notice what Romans 12:1 said? 00:06:50 It said that the bodies we present to Jehovah 00:06:54 should be “holy and acceptable to God.” 00:06:59 If we give in to temptation unrepentantly, 00:07:03 that could be likened to asking Jehovah 00:07:07 to give our gift back; 00:07:09 we’re taking back our dedicated life from him. 00:07:14 Worse yet, it is tantamount to taking the gift away from Jehovah 00:07:18 and giving that precious gift to Satan. 00:07:22 That does not make sense. 00:07:25 Keep clean morally. 00:07:27 It’s a precious gift presented to God. 00:07:31 It’s true, when we’re dedicated and baptized, 00:07:34 there are other gifts that we’d be expected 00:07:37 to present to Jehovah on a regular basis. 00:07:41 One of the most obvious ways 00:07:43 is mentioned here at Hebrews 10:23. 00:07:47 Did you already guess what this gift to Jehovah would be? 00:07:52 Hebrews 10:23: 00:07:57 “Let us hold firmly the public declaration of our hope without wavering, 00:08:02 for the one who promised is faithful.” 00:08:05 The public declaration of our hope 00:08:08 is a gift to those we speak to, 00:08:11 but it’s also considered a gift extended to Jehovah. 00:08:16 In fact, Hebrews 13:15 calls our preaching work 00:08:20 “a sacrifice of praise, 00:08:23 “that is, the fruit of our lips 00:08:26 that make public declaration to his name.” 00:08:29 Israelites used to regularly offer 00:08:33 the best of their animals or grain 00:08:36 as sacrificial gifts to Jehovah. 00:08:39 Sharing in the ministry formally or informally 00:08:42 is a gift to God. 00:08:45 Regularly attending our Christian meetings 00:08:47 and participating in them 00:08:49 is part of our worship and pleases Jehovah. 00:08:54 We are familiar with Hebrews 10:24, 25. 00:08:58 It speaks of our custom of meeting together. 00:09:01 And for what purpose do we meet? 00:09:05 If I was there in your home with you, 00:09:08 how would you answer? 00:09:10 You might quickly say, 00:09:12 “I go to the meetings to be built up and to be encouraged spiritually.” 00:09:16 Well, no doubt you do. 00:09:19 But at Hebrews 10:24, 25, 00:09:22 the purpose of attending is expressed 00:09:24 in a totally different way. 00:09:28 Instead of going with the sole intent of being encouraged, 00:09:33 verse 24 says 00:09:35 we are to “consider one another 00:09:39 “so as to incite [others] 00:09:41 to love and fine works.” 00:09:44 Verse 25 says 00:09:46 we are to be “encouraging one another.” 00:09:51 We should attend our meetings with the goal of being a gift to others. 00:09:56 Encouraging others is the goal. 00:10:00 We do this by our sincere interest in others 00:10:03 before and after the meeting. 00:10:06 Do you come to the Kingdom Hall early 00:10:08 to encourage others? 00:10:10 When in the traveling work, years ago, 00:10:13 my wife and I drove in to the parking lot 00:10:16 and got out of our car. 00:10:18 Two brothers approached us and warmly said: 00:10:22 “Brother and Sister Herd, we were waiting for you. 00:10:26 We are so happy to have you with our congregation this week.” 00:10:32 Were they elders, ministerial servants, or pioneers? 00:10:37 No, they were two little preteenage boys! 00:10:43 That boost gave us a fine start 00:10:45 for a special week of activity. 00:10:48 We also encourage others by participating in the meetings. 00:10:53 What an encouragement to the whole congregation! 00:10:57 Of course, if we all go to the meetings 00:11:00 with that goal and motive, 00:11:03 what will be the result to us individually? 00:11:07 We all will come away built up 00:11:11 and encouraged spiritually. 00:11:14 But we must never forget 00:11:16 that being at our Christian meetings and participating, 00:11:19 including singing the songs 00:11:22 and saying “Amen” to the prayers, 00:11:26 is actually worshipping Jehovah. 00:11:29 You are presenting a gift to him at every meeting you attend. 00:11:35 From ancient times until now, 00:11:37 Jehovah’s faithful servants have contributed materially 00:11:41 to the support of true worship. 00:11:44 That’s presenting a gift to God as well, 00:11:47 and we thank all of you for your support. 00:11:51 The Governing Body is able to provide so much 00:11:54 for the benefit of the worldwide brotherhood 00:11:57 because of your generosity. 00:12:00 Thank you. 00:12:02 Thank you very much! 00:12:05 What about you Christian parents? 00:12:08 What gift can you present to Jehovah? 00:12:10 Your children! 00:12:12 When you do your best to ‘bring your children up 00:12:15 in the discipline and admonition of Jehovah,’ 00:12:18 you are preparing a gift to your God. 00:12:21 Think of the number of brothers 00:12:23 taking the lead in the organization at this time. 00:12:27 Some are Governing Body members, helpers, 00:12:31 Branch Committee members, circuit overseers, 00:12:35 elders, and ministerial servants. 00:12:38 Where did so many of these come from? 00:12:42 Hundreds of thousands were children of Christian parents. 00:12:46 The parents followed the admonition of Ephesians 6:4. 00:12:52 There are thousands more brothers and sisters 00:12:55 that have been raised in the truth by godly parents 00:12:58 who are spearheading the work in the ministry, 00:13:02 in Bethel service, 00:13:04 on construction projects, and in relief work. 00:13:08 We thank you, parents, for all that you’ve done 00:13:11 and the precious gifts you have offered up to Jehovah 00:13:15 and his organization. 00:13:17 And what about the older ones in our congregations? 00:13:20 I’m 84 years young with eternity in view. 00:13:25 But at some point, we start to admit that we’re getting old. 00:13:30 We start to feel that we’re getting old. 00:13:34 We start to look like we’re getting old. 00:13:38 Some of us find ourselves slipping physically or even mentally. 00:13:43 Are we becoming less and less valuable to Jehovah? 00:13:47 Is our gift now tarnished by age? 00:13:52 We might begin to think so, 00:13:54 but that’s not at all how Jehovah views older ones 00:13:58 who have dedicated themselves to him, 00:14:01 possibly many decades ago. 00:14:04 A tarnished gold coin 00:14:06 has as much value as a shiny new one. 00:14:11 Proverbs 16:31 instructs us 00:14:13 that “gray hair is a crown of beauty 00:14:17 when it is found in the way of righteousness.” 00:14:21 It’s not so much the color of the hair that Jehovah admires. 00:14:26 Instead, it’s the life of self-sacrifice 00:14:29 that gray hair represents. 00:14:31 Jehovah views older ones 00:14:34 who are still found in the way of righteousness 00:14:37 as precious gifts to him. 00:14:41 Why do pieces of antique furniture often cost 00:14:44 much more than a brand new piece of furniture? 00:14:48 Or why is an older bottle of fine wine 00:14:52 often more expensive than a newer vintage wine? 00:14:57 Age brings value to a gift. 00:15:01 You older ones have wisdom and experience 00:15:06 that others in the congregation can benefit from. 00:15:11 It’s not that you need to be holding the microphone 00:15:14 and waxing eloquent on every paragraph at a meeting, 00:15:18 but modestly sharing your experience 00:15:21 and wisdom with others on a personal basis 00:15:24 can be so helpful and encouraging. 00:15:28 Jehovah loves you older ones. 00:15:31 So even if you’re bent with age in your mind, 00:15:36 stand tall as a precious gift presented to Jehovah. 00:15:41 May all of us, young and old, 00:15:45 consider how we can enhance our gifts presented to Jehovah. 00:15:50 If we have not yet dedicated our life to God, 00:15:53 is it time to seriously consider this gift? 00:15:58 Can we enhance our gift 00:16:00 by more closely monitoring our view of Christian morality? 00:16:04 What we look at or think about 00:16:07 could compromise our gift to God. 00:16:10 How about our ministry or attendance and participation at the meetings 00:16:15 or contributing materially 00:16:17 to the worldwide work? 00:16:20 You parents, 00:16:22 do your best to package 00:16:25 the gift of your children 00:16:27 so that they will be useful to Jehovah. 00:16:31 And you older ones, 00:16:33 never forget that when it comes to wisdom and experience, 00:16:38 you only get better with age. 00:16:41 Jesus is the best of Jehovah’s servants. 00:16:45 He’s been around the longest. 00:16:49 Let’s meet a sister who’s applied the counsel 00:16:53 to serve God from her youth on. 00:16:56 Sister Lillian Barnes is from Jamaica. 00:16:59 Her gifts to Jehovah may have changed with age, 00:17:03 but what she gives to him today 00:17:06 is in no way less valuable. 00:21:29 “Remember, then, 00:21:31 “your Grand Creator 00:21:32 in the days of your youth.” 00:21:34 That was Sister Barnes’ determination. 00:21:37 Lillian is now 108 years old 00:21:40 and has been baptized for nearly 82 years. 00:21:44 Her beautiful example shows the contentment 00:21:48 that comes from serving God whole-souled at any age. 00:21:53 To give Jehovah our best, 00:21:55 we need God’s Word to know how to worship him. 00:21:59 That’s why Jehovah’s organization works hard 00:22:02 to make the Bible available to as many people as possible. 00:22:07 At the United States branch in Wallkill, New York, 00:22:11 they are producing Braille copies 00:22:13 of the revised New World Translation. 00:22:16 What does it take to make a good quality Braille Bible, 00:22:21 and how are Braille readers using this beautiful gift? 00:22:28 In 2013, our English-printed Bibles 00:22:31 were revised and, shortly thereafter, 00:22:34 the Braille Bibles were approved 00:22:36 to be revised in English and Portuguese. 00:22:38 We knew it was going to be a large job. 00:22:41 We were having problems 00:22:42 with the pages either tearing 00:22:44 or coming completely out of the Bible. 00:22:47 We tried changing the paper to see if that would be a simple solution, 00:22:50 and we had a brother who is blind come in and help us. 00:22:55 We were able to test the paper in the machine and actually walk it 00:22:58 right over to the brother, and he gave us immediate feedback 00:23:01 on adjustments to the machine 00:23:03 or if it wasn’t working at all. 00:23:07 During our testing, we tried about 25 different types of paper, 00:23:11 but we ended up coming back to the idea 00:23:15 that the binding was the best way to find a durable solution. 00:23:18 The result is that the durability 00:23:20 is 400 percent stronger than it was before. 00:23:23 You can pick up an entire book 00:23:26 by holding just one page. 00:23:29 In the Literature Production Office, 00:23:31 we have ones who receive 00:23:32 the requests for the Braille Bibles, 00:23:34 we have ones who will review these requests 00:23:36 as they come into the system, and then we have 00:23:39 a separate set of brothers who make sure that all the materials are here on time. 00:23:43 We get our orders from the office, 00:23:45 and then the office 00:23:46 will tell us how many to make 00:23:48 —maybe the specific volume number. 00:23:50 Braille Bibles come 00:23:52 from the Wallkill printery on the Braille production floor. 00:23:55 Right at the end of the machine, we have a Braille paper roll. 00:23:58 We make sure that there’s nothing wrong with that roll, 00:24:01 and then it gets fed into the machine 00:24:03 where it creates Braille on both sides of the page. 00:24:05 And after that, it gets cut and punched. 00:24:08 We gather it and do some quality inspection. 00:24:11 We’ll bind it together; we’ll rivet each section into a binder 00:24:15 that has been prelabeled with a volume number, 00:24:17 do an inspection on it, pop it in a box, and then send it out the door. 00:24:22 To produce the English Bible in Braille takes about four and a half hours, 00:24:26 which then breaks out into 28 volumes, 00:24:28 and the Portuguese Bible in Braille takes closer 00:24:31 to five and a half hours, and that breaks out into 32 volumes. 00:24:35 We did not start production with Genesis, 00:24:38 because we wanted the brothers and sisters to be able to receive the volume 00:24:41 that would be on the congregation Bible reading schedule 00:24:43 at our midweek meetings. 00:24:45 So as we receive the files for each volume, 00:24:49 it’s being printed and sent out to our brothers and sisters. 00:24:53 It’s important to me to be able to read God’s Word 00:24:56 rather than just listening 00:24:58 because I am a visual person. 00:25:01 So the eyesight is gone, but I’m still visual. 00:25:04 I learn better from reading than I do from listening. 00:25:08 In my mind when I’m listening, 00:25:10 my mind wanders, 00:25:11 but when I’m reading, I can stop 00:25:13 and meditate on what I’m studying. 00:25:16 That helps me with my relationship with Jehovah. 00:25:19 It has helped me a lot, 00:25:20 because a lot of things 00:25:21 I don’t have to look up 00:25:22 because it’s in plain English. 00:25:24 They have so many things in this new Bible 00:25:27 that I can use, like the outline. 00:25:30 I can get that outline and find something fast. 00:25:34 It has the appendix, the word index, 00:25:36 and the glossary. 00:25:38 During the time of the Memorial, 00:25:39 I was able to read the events of the last week of Jesus’ life. 00:25:44 I really enjoy reading with one hand 00:25:49 and pulling the other hand down 00:25:51 and reading the footnotes. 00:25:56 I can participate more in the midweek meeting. 00:25:58 For instance, in the section “Digging for Spiritual Gems,” 00:26:02 the brothers always get someone from the audience to read the scriptures. 00:26:07 So once I got the new Bible, 00:26:09 I could raise my hand and volunteer to read, 00:26:12 and so the whole meeting opened up. 00:26:16 The revised edition 00:26:18 helps me be more effective at the meeting, 00:26:22 and it helps me to find 00:26:25 exactly what I need. 00:26:28 Before the revision, when he’d have a part on the meeting, 00:26:31 he would have to get his Brailler out and have me dictate one sentence at a time 00:26:35 so he could type it all out —what he was going to use in his part. 00:26:38 So this is nice because he has 00:26:41 the right wording that all the friends have. 00:26:44 I like to carry it from house to house, 00:26:46 so I can only take the one volume because they’re huge. 00:26:49 But whatever the initial call is, I can take that scripture 00:26:54 and see if the householder will let me read a scripture for them. 00:26:58 It means so much to be able to read the Scriptures and to do personal study. 00:27:03 I am very thankful for all the work our brothers have done up in Wallkill. 00:27:07 I really appreciate the effort 00:27:10 that they’ve all gone through, because that’s a lot of work. 00:27:15 In Jehovah’s organization, they care for everyone. 00:27:19 I was so thankful that they had the Braille Bible for the blind. 00:27:24 That’s what draws me closer to Jehovah 00:27:27 —being able to study his Word and look the scriptures up. 00:27:31 The new Bible is personal to me. 00:27:34 I feel like it was a personal answer to a prayer. 00:27:37 Jehovah supplied it because that’s the main thing I wanted to read, 00:27:41 and I am so thankful to Jehovah. 00:27:48 Like these brothers and sisters, 00:27:51 treasure the gift of God’s Word. 00:27:54 We pray that Jehovah continue to bless the efforts 00:27:58 to make the revised New World Translation 00:28:01 available in more languages and formats. 00:28:05 With the Bible and Christian publications, 00:28:08 we’re equipped to do all we can in the preaching work. 00:28:12 That desire to ‘fully accomplish our ministry’ 00:28:16 is captured in this month’s original song 00:28:20 “All I Can Give.” 00:28:34 O heavenly Father, I want to give all I can give. 00:28:44 My desire is to please you and love you as long as I live. 00:28:55 I’ll help those who listen to find in your Word what they need. 00:29:06 To preach and to teach is the way I can really succeed. 00:29:16 As I praise you, Jehovah, my faith’s getting stronger each day. 00:29:27 I’ll reflect on my dedication. I’ll walk in your way. 00:29:37 O heavenly Father, to you I give praise, 00:29:43 Determined to serve you in so many ways. 00:29:48 My heart is wide open as long as I live. 00:29:55 Jehovah, I’ll love you and give you all I can give. 00:30:28 Whole-souled devotion and love for my brothers I’ll show. 00:30:39 Volunteering to play my part is the best way I know. 00:30:50 I’m happier when I am giving than when I receive, 00:31:00 When I’m taking the time to help others who may be in need. 00:31:11 As I praise you, Jehovah, my faith’s getting stronger each day. 00:31:20 I’ll reflect on my dedication. I’ll walk in your way. 00:31:32 O heavenly Father, to you I give praise, 00:31:37 Determined to serve you in so many ways. 00:31:43 My heart is wide open as long as I live. 00:31:50 Jehovah, I’ll love you and give you all I can give. 00:32:00 O heavenly Father, to you I give praise, 00:32:06 Determined to serve you in so many ways. 00:32:11 My heart is wide open as long as I live. 00:32:17 Jehovah, I’ll love you and give you all I can give. 00:32:33 In what ways did you see the brothers and sisters 00:32:37 giving all they could in the ministry? 00:32:40 They witnessed at every opportunity. 00:32:42 They preached door to door, in public witnessing, 00:32:46 at businesses, informally, and in remote areas. 00:32:50 They used our Teaching Toolbox, including videos, 00:32:54 to reach people in a language they really understood. 00:32:58 The ministry is an important way 00:33:01 we imitate Jehovah’s love for people. 00:33:04 We also want to imitate Jehovah’s holiness. 00:33:08 Brother Herd explained why we strive to stay morally clean. 00:33:13 But what about keeping physically clean? 00:33:16 That’s not always easy for busy Christians. 00:33:19 In this dramatization, 00:33:21 see how Grayson gives his son 00:33:23 the loving counsel on cleanliness that he needs. 00:33:33 I graduated from high school that summer 00:33:36 and wanted to start regular pioneering. 00:33:39 That’s my dad, Grayson. 00:33:44 Dad was having car trouble that morning 00:33:46 and needed a ride to work, so I gave him one. 00:33:53 OK, my car was a little messy and smelly. 00:34:03 I mean, it was winter, and my car is pretty old anyway. 00:34:06 So why bother? 00:34:08 When I get a new car, then I’ll keep it clean. 00:34:12 But he was making a big deal out of nothing. 00:34:20 That morning was not good. 00:34:33 I thought it was over. 00:34:36 But later that evening, Dad brought it up again. 00:34:40 But this time, it went better. 00:34:44 He showed me a picture of his first car. 00:34:47 It looked pretty old too. 00:34:49 He said that while our home or car may not be 00:34:52 fancy or luxurious, it should be as clean and presentable 00:34:56 as circumstances allow. 00:34:59 I still didn’t see what the big deal was. 00:35:02 Then, he explained that Jehovah is a clean God, 00:35:05 and from ancient times, he has always required 00:35:07 that his people be a clean people. 00:35:11 Under the Mosaic Law that Jehovah gave to Israel, 00:35:14 cleanness and worship were inseparable. 00:35:19 It specified that priests were required 00:35:21 to wash their hands and feet 00:35:23 before offering sacrifices to Jehovah. 00:35:25 While in an unclean state, an Israelite 00:35:28 could not have any part in worship, 00:35:30 or it could mean death. 00:35:36 I said, “I’m not an Israelite, 00:35:39 and we’re not under the Mosaic Law anymore.” 00:35:42 He said, “True, but it gives us insight 00:35:45 into Jehovah’s thinking.” 00:35:47 The Law emphasized that cleanness 00:35:48 was required of all those who worshipped him. 00:35:52 And as Malachi 3:6 tells us, 00:35:55 ‘Jehovah has not changed.’ 00:35:59 Then, he said something that really stuck with me, 00:36:03 “Besides, it’s not all about us.” 00:36:07 Then, he gave me a scripture to look up. 00:36:10 It was 2 Corinthians 6:3, 4: 00:36:14 “In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, 00:36:18 “so that no fault may be found with our ministry; 00:36:22 “but in every way 00:36:24 we recommend ourselves as God’s ministers.” 00:36:42 I realized that things like our appearance, 00:36:44 our homes, and our cars 00:36:47 —these can all be a silent witness to Jehovah in themselves. 00:36:51 It made sense to me now. 00:36:54 It’s not all about us. 00:36:56 I knew what I had to do. 00:37:05 Not only did I clean my car, but later that year, 00:37:09 I was able to turn in my application for pioneering. 00:37:15 And I’m glad for the lesson I learned from my dad. 00:37:19 It’s not all about us. 00:37:23 Even in little ways, 00:37:25 we can reflect favorably on the God we love. 00:37:31 What made Grayson’s counsel effective? 00:37:36 Although he reacted to sitting in the dirty car, 00:37:40 he waited until he was calm to give counsel. 00:37:45 He based what he said on God’s standards in the Bible. 00:37:49 And it took humility for his son to see that his cleanliness 00:37:53 could affect how others view Jehovah’s clean people. 00:37:58 Humility helps us to accept correction, 00:38:01 but it can do even more. 00:38:03 It was the topic of this Bethel morning worship, 00:38:07 wherein Brother Mark Noumair asks why humility 00:38:11 was such an important lesson for Jesus’ apostles 00:38:16 and why it still is for us today. 00:38:20 It is interesting that Peter gives counsel 00:38:22 about cultivating humility. 00:38:25 Let’s turn the clock back 00:38:26 and learn why the quality of humility 00:38:28 was indelibly etched 00:38:30 in the mind and heart of Peter. 00:38:32 Let’s open our Bibles to Luke chapter 22. 00:38:36 In Luke chapter 22, 00:38:38 we’ll find Jesus getting ready for that final Passover in 33 C.E. 00:38:43 And in Luke 22, starting in verse 8, 00:38:46 it is Thursday afternoon, Nisan 13, and what happens? 00:38:51 Verse 8: “Jesus sent Peter [there he is] 00:38:55 “and John, saying: ‘Go and get 00:38:58 the Passover ready for us to eat.’” 00:39:01 ‘Get it ready, Peter and John.’ 00:39:04 Verse 9: “They said to him: ‘Where do you want us to get it ready?’” 00:39:08 They understood the instructions: Get it ready. 00:39:12 Jesus said to go into Jerusalem, 00:39:14 and you’ll find the man with the earthenware jar. 00:39:17 Verse 12: “And that man 00:39:20 “will show you a large, furnished upper room. 00:39:23 Get it ready there.” 00:39:25 Verse 13: “So they left and found it just as he had told them, 00:39:30 and they prepared for the Passover.” 00:39:34 Get it ready; prepare the Passover. 00:39:38 What would that include? 00:39:41 Bread, wine, oil for the lamps, 00:39:46 lamb, a towel, a basin, water. 00:39:51 Basin and water 00:39:53 —they knew how important washing feet was. 00:39:56 They witnessed when Jesus reproved Simon the Pharisee 00:40:00 with the statement: Simon, “you gave me no water for my feet.” 00:40:04 ‘Simon, you gave me no water. 00:40:08 You missed the mark on this one.’ 00:40:10 So as they stared at that basin and water, 00:40:14 as they prepared and got the room ready, 00:40:18 did they look at each other and wonder: 00:40:22 ‘Who’s going to wash the feet? 00:40:24 Who’s going to do it?’ 00:40:25 They had a golden opportunity to apply all the things that Jesus 00:40:29 had been teaching them for three and a half years on humility. 00:40:32 This was the time. 00:40:34 After three and a half years, conduct yourself as a lesser one. 00:40:37 Don’t lord it over others. 00:40:39 You want to serve others and not be served. 00:40:41 This was it; this was the time. 00:40:43 They could have showed Jesus that they got the point; they got it. 00:40:47 They had time to think about it and time to pray about it. 00:40:50 It was Thursday afternoon, 00:40:53 but now we progress and let’s see what happens. 00:40:57 Let’s now progress to the evening, and it’s Nisan 14. 00:41:01 Let’s pick up the account in John chapter 13. 00:41:05 They got the room ready, they followed the instructions, 00:41:09 and now let’s go to John 13 and get John’s vantage point from this. 00:41:13 He was there; he was with Peter getting it ready. 00:41:17 So now it’s 98 C.E., and John is writing this information. 00:41:22 He had time to reflect and to think about this for years, 00:41:26 and now look what he says in verse 3: 00:41:30 “So Jesus, 00:41:32 “knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands 00:41:37 and that he came from God and was going to God.” 00:41:40 Knowing these things —he understood that. 00:41:43 He sat back and said: ‘Jesus knew who he was; he knew all things. 00:41:48 ‘He had the full understanding of his dignity. 00:41:51 ‘He knew that he had been entrusted with all things. 00:41:54 ‘He knew. 00:41:55 ‘He knew he was the second greatest personage in the universe. 00:41:58 ‘He knew he was “the firstborn of all creation.” 00:42:01 ‘He knew he had shared with his Father in creating all things. 00:42:04 He had knowledge of all this —knowing all these things.’ 00:42:08 John sits back; he writes this. 00:42:11 And then knowing this, 00:42:13 verse 4 is the contrast: 00:42:17 ‘He got up from the evening meal and laid aside his outer garments. 00:42:22 ‘Taking a towel, he wraps it around his waist. 00:42:25 ‘After that, he puts the water into the basin 00:42:28 ‘and starts to wash the feet of the disciples 00:42:30 and dry them off with the towel that was wrapped around him.’ 00:42:33 Knowing who He was, 00:42:35 John said He did this. 00:42:38 But not only does John reflect on who Jesus was, 00:42:43 no, he reflects on why Jesus did it. 00:42:46 Why did he do it? 00:42:47 That’s what John was interested in, 00:42:50 and we get that answer back in verse 1, 00:42:54 where John says why: 00:42:56 ‘Because he loved his own that were in the world; 00:43:00 he loved them to the end.’ 00:43:03 John said He “loved them to the end.” 00:43:06 What does that mean? 00:43:07 He wanted to instill in them qualities that would help them conquer the world, 00:43:11 qualities that would strengthen the Christian congregation, 00:43:15 qualities such as unselfish love and humility. 00:43:18 He loved them to the end. 00:43:20 He never gave up on them. 00:43:22 They had their weaknesses, but he did not give up. 00:43:26 Now, for Peter, some 30 years later, 00:43:29 he’s thinking about humility. 00:43:31 John, some 60 years later, 00:43:34 after the lesson Jesus taught about humility, 00:43:36 it’s echoing loud and clear in his mind and heart. 00:43:40 However, the fact remains that neither of them 00:43:44 had the humility at the time to apply what Jesus 00:43:48 had been teaching them for three and a half years. 00:43:51 Now, after John finished his writing, he sat back; 00:43:56 he was under inspiration; he finished that writing. 00:43:59 Did he sit back, reread what he just wrote, 00:44:02 and perhaps say to himself: 00:44:05 ‘I wish I could have written 00:44:08 ‘that after Jesus washed the feet of one or two of his disciples, 00:44:13 ‘I got up and washed the feet 00:44:17 ‘of the rest of my brothers? 00:44:19 ‘I took that towel, and I imitated the Christ? 00:44:24 Or, Peter and I got up?’ 00:44:27 But the point is, they didn’t. 00:44:30 What can we learn? 00:44:32 Don’t allow valuable lessons that Jesus teaches us 00:44:35 to echo in our minds and hearts 00:44:38 only after we missed the opportunity to apply them. 00:44:42 So in a practical setting for us serving here at Bethel: 00:44:47 ‘Even though I know I have the seniority 00:44:52 ‘—I have full knowledge of my seniority— 00:44:54 ‘will I get up and fight the attitude of entitlement? 00:44:59 ‘I know I have authority entrusted to me as the overseer; 00:45:04 ‘I am the overseer; I know that. I have full knowledge of that. 00:45:09 ‘Fine, will I get up 00:45:11 ‘and roll my sleeves back and do the grunt work? 00:45:14 ‘Or do I just find pleasure in giving orders? 00:45:17 ‘I know I have a wonderful privilege of service; 00:45:21 ‘I know that; others know it too. 00:45:23 Fine, but will I get up to train others?’ 00:45:27 Brother Jackson reminded us of this at the last Gilead graduation 00:45:32 when he said to treasure your privileges, but don’t hoard them. 00:45:36 That means we have to get up. 00:45:38 It takes humility to train others to take our place. 00:45:43 ‘As a brother or a sister, 00:45:46 ‘I know I have more experience than the other person in my job. 00:45:51 ‘I know I have the experience; I know that. 00:45:54 ‘I have more experience than my workmate. 00:45:57 ‘Fine, but will I get up in all humility 00:46:02 ‘and share information that I have 00:46:05 ‘with others to make their job easier? 00:46:08 Or will I hold the knowledge I have hostage?’ 00:46:12 If we get up in all humility and do these things, 00:46:16 then we can say that Jesus’ humble act, as recorded here in John 13, 00:46:21 has made a lasting and indelible impression 00:46:24 not only on Peter and John but on me. 00:46:28 What a powerful lesson! 00:46:31 Humility will improve the way 00:46:34 we carry out our theocratic assignments. 00:46:38 It honors our fellow workers, and it promotes unity. 00:46:43 Unified servants of God get things done. 00:46:47 In Peru, 00:46:49 local brothers worked with international servants and volunteers 00:46:53 to complete two new Assembly Halls. 00:46:56 In this report, 00:46:58 hear what the brothers learned from working together 00:47:02 and how the new Assembly Halls 00:47:04 are being used to glorify Jehovah. 00:47:27 I suppose whatever we give to Jehovah 00:47:29 is little in comparison with what he gives to us. 00:47:32 And like Malachi 3:10 says, you know, 00:47:34 we just have to ‘bring in the tenth part.’ 00:47:36 That’s really all that Jehovah is asking, 00:47:38 but he pours out a blessing. 00:47:40 And part of those blessings from Malachi 3:10, 00:47:43 I consider to be the friendships that we’ve gained. 00:47:47 For me, my favorite thing is the people. 00:47:49 It’s always just getting to work 00:47:52 with your brothers every day. 00:47:54 The personalities shine through, even with language differences. 00:47:58 You just make friends, and you just get this taste 00:48:00 of what the new world is going to be like. 00:48:03 Side by side with our brothers, 00:48:05 we’ve made parent figures and brother and sister figures, 00:48:08 and everybody just becomes part of such a solid family. 00:48:14 Working along with the local brothers and sisters 00:48:17 made it clear to me 00:48:19 that we really are in the organization 00:48:21 that Jehovah is directing today. 00:48:26 What I have seen is how Jehovah’s spirit 00:48:29 operates in his organization. 00:48:32 There were many international servants here 00:48:35 from various countries, 00:48:37 with different personalities, 00:48:40 along with our local brothers with their distinct customs. 00:48:44 But when it was time to work, we were as one. 00:48:48 There wasn’t a big guy, a little guy, 00:48:52 someone more intelligent, or less intelligent. 00:48:54 We all formed one united team. 00:48:58 The language definitely was an issue for me. 00:49:02 At first I thought, 00:49:04 ‘Will I really be able to work with the brothers?’ 00:49:07 Since I didn’t understand the language, 00:49:10 how could I explain the work that had to be done? 00:49:17 Really, if you go in there with a good attitude 00:49:19 and you’re just having a good time working with your brothers, 00:49:21 you’re not going to have too much of a problem. 00:49:23 Smiles —they cross borders. 00:49:33 The Chiclayo dedication program 00:49:35 was held April 9, 2016, 00:49:38 and the Trujillo Assembly Hall 00:49:40 was dedicated shortly thereafter, 00:49:43 on July 31. 00:49:50 All present marveled with appreciation 00:49:53 at seeing the facilities, 00:49:55 their own new Assembly Hall. 00:50:01 Before, we had to work a lot, 00:50:03 maybe up to 15 days beforehand 00:50:06 to prepare a completely inappropriate site. 00:50:09 Not anymore. 00:50:10 Now the brothers only need to maintain it 00:50:12 and simply arrive in order to enjoy their assembly. 00:50:17 I’m sure that this new Assembly Hall 00:50:19 will strengthen the spirituality 00:50:21 of our dear brothers and sisters. 00:50:24 If I can say something about the video monitors: 00:50:27 They’ve revolutionized Jehovah’s method of teaching. 00:50:32 We get so much more out of the talks now 00:50:34 because we can see 00:50:35 the gestures of the brothers. 00:50:37 It really touches the heart. 00:50:39 It’s so amazing! 00:50:42 I remember more than 25 years ago, 00:50:45 I prayed to Jehovah and said, 00:50:47 “Jehovah, please, permit me at some point to see 00:50:51 an Assembly Hall here.” 00:50:53 And now Jehovah let me 00:50:55 be part of the buying process, 00:50:57 of getting the documentation, 00:51:00 and of being part of the construction. 00:51:02 And I remember, and I say, 00:51:04 “Jehovah answered my prayer.” 00:51:09 Well, it affected me 00:51:12 seeing the construction progress 00:51:15 because when we first arrived 00:51:17 at our project in Chiclayo, 00:51:19 you know what the brothers had 00:51:21 and what they were using as an Assembly Hall. 00:51:24 And then to see the finished project 00:51:26 that we see now, 00:51:28 I’m so happy for the brothers and sisters. 00:51:31 It’s so beautiful, clean, neat, and tidy. 00:51:34 It’s like, in reality, for where it is, 00:51:37 it’s a little jewel within that whole city 00:51:39 to me when I see the completed project. 00:51:43 And I know that brothers do just love to be able to care for that place, 00:51:48 to be able to worship Jehovah there, and to be with their brothers and sisters. 00:51:52 There’s nothing that will ever compare 00:51:55 with this wonderful experience we’ve been able to have. 00:51:59 It’s been great! 00:52:08 We’ve enjoyed a wonderful program. 00:52:10 Our videos showed us so many of the ways 00:52:13 we can present our gift to Jehovah. 00:52:17 I agree. 00:52:19 We saw our brothers, young and old, 00:52:21 give their best in the ministry, 00:52:24 in the congregation, at Bethel, 00:52:27 and on construction projects. 00:52:29 And we heard good counsel to be humble, 00:52:33 morally clean, and physically clean. 00:52:37 And to conclude our program, 00:52:39 we have greetings from our brothers and sisters in Chad. 00:52:44 Chad is located in north-central Africa. 00:52:47 With the Sahara Desert in the north, 00:52:50 most of Chad’s more than 13 million people 00:52:54 live in the fertile southern regions. 00:52:57 Fewer than a thousand brothers live and preach 00:53:00 in this vast field dotted with remote villages. 00:53:04 The capital city is N’Djamena. 00:53:07 Five congregations are busy spreading the good news 00:53:10 in the city and its surrounding area. 00:53:13 One of these, just south of the capital, is the Walia Congregation. 00:53:19 They preach regularly along the Logone River, 00:53:22 where they often meet people traveling from faraway areas. 00:53:27 Their busy activity also helped to establish 00:53:30 a new congregation in nearby Koundoul. 00:53:33 The brothers in Koundoul and Walia 00:53:36 send us their heartfelt Christian love and greetings. 00:53:41 We pray for Jehovah to bless 00:53:43 their gifts of brotherly affection and self-sacrifice. 00:53:47 Thank you for joining us. 00:53:49 From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 00:53:53 this is JW Broadcasting.
