Weekend Meeting | United State | October 19-20 2024 |

Again we give you a warm welcome to minowa uh weekend meeting uh today uh brother Smith visiting us from the Chester congregation will be developing the theme acquiring a heart of wisdom brother Smith you have our attention have you ever lost it or find yourself in a situation where you felt so exasperated or irritated that you reacted in a rash way and it was manifested either in something you said Or something you did you know each day we all face trying situations and we're all put to the test because of all that we're dealing with

in with our imperfection with the imperfections of others and all these different things can causes to lose self-control and one thing that many have noticed is that this really becomes an issue when it involves other people have you ever noticed that usually when we're making a decision regarding Finances or health you know we don't always get too emotionally uh tied up into the situation but when it comes to people it's different for example some on our secular jobs May treat us unfairly in school might be ridiculed someone in our family who may be a non-witness

May oppose us or sometimes even in the congregation sadly but due to imperfection we may have situations we have to deal with in which it could really just seem to push us over the Edge but in most cases as Jehovah's people we do the right thing we go straight to the scriptures we research the Publications and we determine how we should react in a given situation and then after we do this we apply it and we do just so but have you ever had a situation which you approach it the matter with that knowledge knowing

how to apply wisdom but yet you turn around and do just the opposite has that ever happened To you I mean it does you know the prophet Moses was one who faced many such situations I mean think about it this man had deal was so many people after they left the uh Egypt it was about 3 million people Moses basically had to listen to most of their complaints and he was irritated and many times but Moses always kept his cool so to speak uh he did the Bible even speaks of him being the meekest of

all men during that Time but even with Moses there was one occurrence in which he really lost control you might recall that uh Brothers if you can put the first image up here was a situation in which the people of Israel and Moses was out in the middle of nowhere and they had no water no water so they started complaining against Moses you you brought us out here to die of thirst you should have left us back in Egypt and they kept complaining and Complaining and murmuring and it got to the point where Moses started

to take it personal now Jehovah told him what to do told him how to handle this how to supply water um but when Moses was at this point he was so irritated and exacerbated by the people that he lost control and what did he do the scripture says he struck that rock twice and he said here you rebels I'll give you water but Moses there he reacted in a rash way and as You can see Illustrated in the picture it became about him it wasn't about Jehovah it was about him and the way he reacted

was improper and because of that act that one act he lost privileges in Jehovah's organization thank you for the picture Brothers yes Moses was disappointed by the people he was disappointed by their reaction and because of that he reacted accordingly now Moses frustration can be noted in the 90 of Psalms please turn in With me this is uh the Psalms written by Moses under inspiration and we can just sense his frustration regarding situations like this the 90 of Psalms and we're going to consider verse 10 and notice how he describes it he says the span

of our life is 70 years or 80 if one is especially strong but they are filled with trouble and sorrow they quickly pass by and away we fly so Moses recognized that life today is short and often brings unexpected Troubles in one way or the other he realized that his own imperfections the imperfections of others and the way this whole system is set up can just make life difficult and every time we look around we're dealing with a difficult situation that's testing our self-control so the question is what would help one to deal with such

situations well Moses realized what he needed notice what he says here let's go back to the same Psalms but let's skip Over to verse 12 and notice what he says in his prayer to Jehovah he says teach us how to count our days so that we may bring May acquire a heart of wisdom so you notice what he prayed for he wanted to be able to acquire a heart of wisdom he needed a heart of wisdom see Moses wanted to make the best of the short life he had and that's the same thing we want

to do Moses wanted the ability to make decisions wise decisions not only when It involved his head his intellect but also when it involved his heart so no matter what decision he has to make no matter what situation he has to deal with he would do what is wise in Jehovah's eyes but he realized he needed Jehovah's help in order to do this so just as it was with Moses it's the same with us there are tough situations that occur in our lives that normally we will handle with v we go straight to the Publications

And into the Bible Bible principles and we just deal with it we have no problem doing the right thing but then disappointment and frustration come and our hearts can be clouded with emotion and wisdom is not always the thing that's directing our steps when this happen so thus we too need a heart of wisdom do we not but the question is how can we acquire a heart of wisdom what's needed well first we need to understand what Moses was talking talking about when he used the term heart see here he was not referring to the

muscle that circulates the blood throughout our bodies but he was talking about something different see the word heart occurs about a thousand times in the Holy scriptures and in most cases it is used it's it's in a figurative sense see it represents or symbolizes something else now what is this well we all understand that this heart this figurative heart reflects our Feelings and desires that guide our actions and often you might hear someone describe it as the seed of motivation and this is true but the Bible indicates that it includes much more than just feelings

much more um when we look through the scriptures the the Bible describes it as being consumed with anger or his heart filled with fear torn by grief or elated with joy it can be proud it can be humble it can be loving it can be hateful one reference work Refers to it as the interior of man as manifesting himself in all his various activities in his desires affections emotions passions purposes his thoughts perceptions imaginations his wisdom knowledge skill his beliefs and his reasonings his memory and his Consciousness so when you consider what the scriptures say

about the heart and all the ways it describes it it really helps us to appreciate that this figure of heart represents who we are on the Inside that's why in 1 Peter the 3rd Chapter verse4 is spoken of as the secret person of the heart so th we can acquire a heart of wisdom by allowing Jehovah God's thinking to shape the person we are on the inside and guide our actions so when we approach different situations or different things uh that happen in our life we think God's thoughts we use his knowledge use his wisdom

in order to determine what we Should do and we act on it because it's not just something we know but it's something that is a part of us because it's not enough just to have it here but we need to have it in here as well but this wisdom we're talking about is is something that has to be acquired see it's not something that just automatically happens over time we may say well I've been in the truth for 40 plus years so I I have it no it doesn't work that way it grayhead and is

an Indication of it but that doesn't mean we have that heart of wisdom actually acquiring This Heart of wisdom requires time and effort and the Bible describes this for us please turn with me to the next scripture in Proverbs the 2 chapter that's Proverbs Chapter 2 and let's consider a few verses starting with verse one it says my son if you accept my sayings and treasure up my Commandments by making your ear attentive to wisdom And inclining your heart to discernment moreover if you call out for understanding and raise your voice with discernment if you

keep seeking for it as for silver and you keep searching for it as for Hidden Treasures then you will understand the fear of Jehovah and you will find a knowledge of God so did you take did you notice how acquiring this knowledge and this wisdom is described here how we should approach this it takes a lot of work doesn't it it's Something we need to seek for as as it was silver for example if someone told you in your backyard there was a treasure there's a lot of money buried in the in the Box how

would you go about finding it if you knew it was true would you go out there with a spoon no I mean shovel Backle you bring whatever you can because you know there's a treasure under there you want to get to it and that's what the Bible is telling us we need to really put forth the effort in Order to acquire this this wisdom this knowledge that we need and of course where do we find this at Jehovah's spiritual Temple we are what we eat so if we feed spiritually on feed on spiritual things it

would help us to develop a spiritual a spiritually healthy heart so when we think about the spiritual Feast that's below before us that we can use in order to acquired This Heart of wisdom what's on the table well the main Course is the Bible of course and as the scripture describes this the Seeker must spend time in a study of God's word it's not just daily Bible reading you just have to really study God's word learn his commands his laws his reminders uh study his counsel consider the history of Jehovah's dealings with mankind how he's

dealt with the people of Israel as a nation his his Christian congregation how he has dealt with individuals how he approach situations That's what we want to know we we want to come to know God and Jesus we need to learn their qualities and then as we learn them then we're able to imitate their thinking and actions but there are other things on the table other Provisions from the organization such as bible-based Publications attending meetings assemblies and conventions watching JW Broadcasting and once we we consume all of this and then we apply what we learn

then we're able to walk And wisdom so here's the question what kind of guests are we at Jehovah's table do we take advantage of everything even the vegetables I mean sometimes the vegetables is not the most exciting part of the meal but we need it to be healthy right and sometimes for us and spiritually speaking that could be prophecy it it it it could be the Deep things that we find in the Bible do we take advantage of all of it really dive Into the meal also do we buy out time to feed regularly are

we at our meetings are we doing regular Bible reading in Ephesians the 5th chapter verse 15- 16 when it use the Expression buyout time it's it's really helping us to appreciate that we have to take time away from something else maybe something else we really enjoy in order to spend time feeding at Jehovah's table and then third do we take time to properly digest it all through Meditation so whether we're studying the Watchtower whether we're reading the Bible or preparing for the midweek meeting do we take time to ask ourselves questions such as what does

this teach me about Jehovah how can it grow my appreciation for him how can I use this information to benefit others in the congregation in the ministry and how can I use it to benefit me see we have to take time to ponder what we learn otherwise it would just be Stuck up here but we need it here because as we we discuss we can't just react from what we know we we have to use what we are on the inside in order to conquer difficult situations that we find ourselves in so if we take

time to feed at Jehovah's table table and Savor the meal then we will become embued or saturated with Godly wisdom and then we're able to develop that spiritually healthy heart friends this is so important for All of us why because we all will face disappointing situ ation and sometimes even within the Christian congregation and for some those are the worst hype because when things happen on the outside we reason on it differently don't we we we may say well you know I I expect that from them they don't have the truth so of course that's

what I expect but when it happens among our brothers and sisters or within organization there might be the tendency To think well wait a minute this is not what I expect I expect it much better but we have to realize that we're all imperfect so things are going to happen see sometimes some come into the congregation expecting everything to be just marvelous they do or they paint such a Rosy picture of the organization and the people in it that these Bible students come in feeling that this is Almost Heaven these are people here who don't

need the next thousand years to Grow Perfection because they just that far away from it that's not a good idea it's that's really not the proper view so we have to understand things are going to happen so how do we respond to disappointing situations well our imperfect tendency may be to rack rashly and that can lead us to doing what's described here in Proverbs the 19th Chapter please turn there with me that's Proverbs um let's See 19 and verse two and three it says a person without knowledge is not good and the one who acts

rashly is sinning it is a man's own foolishness that distorts his way and his heart becomes enraged against Jehovah now how can this happen that a person can become enraged against Jehovah the God he knows well it's how we view certain things for example someone might feel if Jehovah allows things like this to Happen in this congregation he just doesn't want to be part of it or they may feel as long as he's in that congre ation I just don't want to go back there or they may even allow disappointing situations that cause them to

slow down spiritually they may be around the truth they're still going out in service but they're not growing and when you approach them and ask them you know how can we help you to grow the first thing say well I just can't get over What they did or what he said or she said so when we express ourselves in that way and I'm sure none of us do that but it happens what are we saying we may feel well I'm expressing rage against those men or women but we're actually expressing rage against Jehovah God himself

now why is that because if we're taking it out in organization I mean who's in charge I mean Jesus is the head of the congregation him and Jehovah are in Control and they're not going to fix everything just just like that before you know the the end comes but there's some things that's going to be allowed to happen but when we express ourselves in that way we're actually taking it out on those who are in control and that's Jehovah God and Christ Jesus and of course none of us would want to be in a situation

where we are expressing rage against je Jehovah God himself see Wisdom can Safeguard us when we Face disappointment it can help us to avoid making poor decisions that may damage our relationship with Jehovah for example let's just consider how a heart of wisdom can help us to cope with two challenges and if first one is when disappointed by fellow Believers see we must accept the fact that it's unrealistic to expect perfection in the Christian congregation in Ecclesiastes the 7th chapter verse 20 it says for There is no righteous man on Earth who always does good

and never sins it just does not exist the Apostle Paul was an excellent example for all of us because he had to deal with this even among his fellow full-time servants in second Timothy the 4th chapter he talks about demons and what he states there that demons is that demons had forsaken him because he loved the present system of things now it's apparent that demons may not have become apostate but he may have Fell into loving material things worldly pleasures or even fear of martyrdom he could have noticed took note of what Paul was doing

and realized he's on a path to of Destruction he's going to lose his life and I just can't handle that we don't know what it is but but we do know that at a time when Paul needed him the most demons abandoned him this is a fellow full-time worship a fellow fellow full-time servant and let's consider another Example please put up the next image Brothers we see this image of these two sisters and Paul encouraged them to be of the same mind when he wrote the congregation he he brought it out in his letter and

he even urged the elders to assist him so Yoda and CI who had striven side by side with him in the ministry but now they had a conflict between themselves and Paul heard about it it was many miles away thank you Brothers For the picture have you ever been let down by someone you were close to or someone you looked up to see Paul did not allow imper imperfect humans to cause him to draw away from Jehovah well how did he prevent it well let's turn to Hebrews the third chapter and and he gives us

some insight in what helped him and what we all need to do Hebrews the 3rd Chapter in verse 12 he says beware beware Brothers for Fear there should ever develop in one of you a wicked heart lacking Faith by drawing away from the Living God so Paul remained faithful to the Christian congregation faithful to Jehovah God in Christ Jesus and what helped him he protected his heart because he realized if we develop a wicked heart especially behind situations like these then what's going to happen we're going to draw away from Jehovah and sadly on occasion

this happen so that's why he gives the Warning to these brothers he took care of his heart he applied his heart to wisdom so what's the lesson here well we need to avoid the tendency to focus on a f false of others and just let that just consume us uh just to give you an example let's look at image here the next image let's say a brother neglects to assist with Hall cleaning and we just become irritated by it and then we start to begin to list all the other things that we don't like about

this brother I Mean we never see a vacuum in his hand and if we do it looks like a king you know and and when he conducted a Bible study a couple of weeks ago I'd raised my hand three times he never called on me he never even noticed me and then also when he had his talk last Sunday he went overtime so we listen to all these things oh I don't even want to get started on his family but you see how we can start going down that road thank you for the picture Brothers

we Start going down that road and start focusing just on the negative things so if we find ourselves in a similar situation it'd be good to reflect on this this fact Jehovah sees our imperfections as well as that of our brother yet in spite of these imperfections he still loves our brother and he still loves us so we basically have to see our brothers through Jehovah's eyes with his wisdom we need to imitate his love and Keep a positive view of our brothers let's consider another challenge when disappointed by unfulfilled expectations you know at times

we've had wrong expectations and you go back over the decades and Jehovah's people we expected certain things I mean how many of us here have been in the truth more than 30 years quite a few right so how many of us who've been in the truth more than 30 or 40 years expected to still be In this system you know and sometimes we we wonder when is it coming what's happening so we we may have this expectation in our minds but it doesn't work out that way and that's just one example there's some who have

expected infallibility in our Publications yeah they expect everything in our Publications to be inspired so when they see an adjustment then they struggle with that uh because they're like well if they change their view of The scriptures now I mean how do I know what in this article is something I can trust today and at times some may even question those things so why does all of this happen why why do we have these these uh why why do we have these adjustments so to speak well in PR Proverbs the 4th chapter verse 18 it

help us to appreciate that the light will get brighter as the end draws near see understanding of Bible truth continues To get clearer it's like starting a journey 4:00 a.m. in the morning you can barely see anything you're just keeping your eyes in a road but as the light continues to uh expose more things the Sun starts to shine brighter what happens you start to notice things and that's the journey we are on spiritually we have the truth but we have to understand as we get closer to the end our understanding will become clearer and

they will be adjustments see the Bible is inspired but that's it our Publications are not so we need to deal with that un un you know unfulfilled expectation if this is something we struggle with something else some expect all direction that comes from the organization to make sense you know here's an adjustment or here's something new and then we say you know that makes sense oh yes that makes so much sense but then here's the direction and We're like wait a minute that's different and for the last couple of year years we've noticed so many

different things and some may have had to struggle with it a little bit to try to adjust to the New Direction so we have to understand it's not always going to make sense to us that sometimes we may have some questions so how should we react well let's turn to John the 6th chapter because here's a situ where Jesus made some statements and it seemed To be it was concerning to quite a few even his Apostles but many didn't stick around notice what happens in verse 66 because of this many of his disciples went off

to the things behind and would no longer walk with him so you notice the response they're like no this doesn't make sense so I'm gone I'm out of here and that's what they did but notice what happens in verse 67 he says so Jesus said to the 12 you do not want to go also do you Simon Peter answered him Lord whom shall we go away to you have sayings of everlasting life isn't that a beautiful response now at that point they may have not understood what Jesus was talking about but they realized that this

was the truth this was Jehovah's son they were convinced of that and they remain patient and they got the answers that they long for so we must do the same we must trust in Jehovah and we need to trust In Those whom he trust and if we Do that and realize that we don't want to go back to the darkness of the world then it can help us even when we find ourselves maybe concerned with some of Direction friends we have to admit that this can be truly difficult at times and this is especially difficult

when in involves things that are dear to us such as our family sometimes even personal decisions regarding our health you know or Foods we may eat sometimes when we this is really a struggle for some but We need to be determined to use each day of our life in a way that pleases God by acquiring a heart of wisdom so no matter what situation we would find ourselves in no matter what decision we must make we would do what is wise in Jehovah's eyes that's what we want to do so in summary we need to

do three things feed regularly at Jehovah's table and we need to savor the meal meditate so that we are imbued or saturated with his Godly wisdom and number two we need to accept The fact that we will have to handle disappointment even among Jehovah's people but we want to focus on the positive we want to see our brothers and see the organization as Jehovah sees it and react with Godly wisdom and number three we need to imitate Moses example not the one when he struck the Rock and St yelling at the people but a different

one let's go back let's go to James the first chapter James the first Chapter and we will see how it shows us what Moses finally did verse five it says so if any one of you is lacking in wisdom let him keep asking God for he gives generously to all and without reproaching and it will be given him so Moses in the 90 of Psalms was asking Jehovah for wisdom he was begging Jehovah to help him to acquire heart of wisdom we do well to imitate his example see if we are to endure trials with

joy we must first ask Jehovah in prayer for The wisdom we need to make good decisions but James said we should keep asking God did you notice that and he gives generously see it applies to us no no matter how long we've been in the truth none of us are going to reach that Plateau where we feel well oh okay I have it now I have all the wisdom I need no we need to keep asking for it and then Jehovah will give it to us so may we all remember that prayer of Moses at

the 90 of Psalms it's essential that we Humbly maintain this Viewpoint we need to check our hearts each day and pray for our heart bringing in wisdom see this will really be to our advantage friends because if we acquire heart of wisdom now then we will be able to remain loyally in Jehovah's organization looking forward to the time when we will find infallibility and Perfection among Jehovah's people and his new [Applause] system we want to thank Jehovah first For the spiritual banquet and brother Smith for your excellent presentation thank you for showing us how we

can acquire that heart of wisdom allowing Jehovah's thinking to mold us and to guide us and to keep seeking his knowledge and uh benefiting from all the provisions he gives us thank you we invite all in in attendance uh to join us next weekend next Saturday for the following theme you will reap what you sow now we'll invite brother Layman to Conduct the Watchtower for us oh there he is very good friends let's introduce our watcht our lesson by standing and singing Together song number 44 a beautiful song A Prayer of the lonely one to

our Watchtower lesson this morning at study article 32 entitled Jehovah wants all to repent the theme text is 2 Peter 3:9 which says Jehovah does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance Rep so clearly repentance is necessary to avoid destruction which raises some interesting questions that will be addressed in our lesson today what is repentance why is it necessary and how Jehovah helped all kinds of people to repent we look forward to your comments on this very important subject our reader today is brother bradle let's follow along with paragraph

one when we do something wrong it is vital that we repent in the Bible a Person who repents changes his mind about a certain kind of behavior stops behaving in that way and is determined not to repeat it here's our first question what is involved in Repentance sister roses start us off it's a heartfelt regret of a former way of life and you pray to Jehovah that you're sorry and you try not to ever repeat it again that's a great start and sister Augustas and in harmony with that comment repentance isn't just an intellectual exercise

where we know we did something wrong but we need to feel that in our heart because we hurt Jehovah we sinned against him and we need to do everything in our power to fix that and when we feel that way we're going to take the necessary action to to completely change our course and be determined to do the right thing from now on yes that's well said sister Vaner and our opening scripture helps us to appreciate how important it is that um this is not just for a few but it U mentions that this is

uh Jehovah's U promise his patience his desire is that all of us come to attain to repentance so how are all of us involved in such an important detail brother rabinowski interestingly it's um it's the the desire because when you say the last sentence says it's determined not to repeat it does doesn't say it will Never do it again because we're still imperfect so but determination it's important not to repeat it so it's also comforting for those maybe that struggled in the past with things and just keeps coming back keeps coming back back so doesn't

mean that Jehovah doesn't treat it as repentant but the termination has to be there yes what a God we worship and the final Point sister REITs please and in the glossery under Repentance it has Matthew 3:8 uh cited and it says therefore produce fruit that befits repentance so we see that genuine repentance it produces that fruitage that it talks about there and that fruitage is the changed course of action thank you for that detail I think we picked all the meat off of that bone let's go to paragraph two every human alive needs to learn

about repentance why because we all sin Daily as descendants of Adam and Eve each of us has inherited sin and death not one of us is exempt even outstanding men of Faith such as the Apostle Paul struggled against sin does this mean that we should be miserable all the time because of our sins no Jehovah is merciful and he wants us to be happy consider the experience of the Jews in nehemiah's day Jehovah did not want them to be grief stricken over past sins but wanted them to be joyful in their Worship of him Jehovah

knows that repentance leads to happiness so he teaches us about it if we repent of our sins we can be confident that our merciful father will forgive us I neglected to mention that our reader will be covering Nehemiah 89-11 so please listen and Nehemiah who was then the governor Ezra the priest and copius and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the People this day is Holy to Jehovah HOV your God do not mourn or weep for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law he said to

them go eat the choice things and drink what is sweet and send portions of food to those who have nothing prepared for this day is Holy to our Lord and do not feel sad for the joy of Jehovah is your stronghold and the Levites were calming all all the people saying be quiet for this day is Holy and do not feel Sad thank you our question on two why do we all need to learn about repentance uh brother Gerson we all need to learn about it because we all need it because we all sin every

day we commit sins even ones we don't know about and the whole reason is because we've got sin in us from Adam and Eve when Adam committed his sin he hadn't had any kids yet so when he had kids he just passed sin onto the kids we're all his descendants therefore we Commit sins every day and we need to repent yeah sadly true sister fer we know that Jehovah is merciful and he wants us to be happy so this repent repentance helps us feel happy and receive God's forgiveness which is fundamental to our relationship with

Jehovah that is a great Point uh brother Duhan the account in Nehemiah 8 is very interesting because right before the passage here it's something we often Highlight about good teaching putting meaning in the reading but um Nehemiah in reading the law to the people it's what would have hit them to realize oh we were doing wrong we need to repent in the context of it putting meaning into it meant that he had to paraphrase some things from Hebrew to Aramaic because the people didn't understand so he had to explain the law that finally hit their

hearts and got them to realize oh we haven't been complying so it kind of Reminds me of us studying this article we know what the word repentance means but we need to have it explained to us so that we really understand it that's a gem of a point uh sister Schuster and even those that we look up to that we admire those in ancient days like Paul and even modern day examples none of us can get around the fact that we've sinned and Paul makes that very clear there in Romans chap uh 7: 21 when

he says that he wants to do what's right But really what's present is what is bad thank you for tying in the scripture uh sister crook it's also interesting to notice the people's reaction uh in nehemiah's day as the law was being read to them it says there in verse 9 that they were weeping as they heard the law and that's because their hearts as has already been mentioned uh were touched by this they saw the imperfections in themselves and were so disappointed in themselves but Jehovah goes on to say don't do that be joyful

in your worship of me at this occasion so it's one thing yes we know we need to change we know we need to repent but we also need to find joy in our worship to Jehovah yes we do uh sister Duan to continue with um um Vicki's comment it was really Joy is the goal to serve Jehovah joyfully and we know that Joy means that we understand and feel Jehovah's approval but we can't have Jehovah's approval if we're not doing what he asks so repentance is the key to Joy yes how reassuring is that brother

Roga just one more thing in connection with Paul and how he felt about his sins in verse 24 he expresses miserable man that I am so if all we did was dwell on all of our in Perfections and all of our sins that's what would be the outcome we would be miserable if we did that but Paul went on to say but who will rescue me so in other words we are rescued so Now we don't have to dwell on that negative constantly but in order to be rescued we have to understand repentance thus our

article uh brother uh Lopez right here in the front Psalm 8411 says that Jehovah will not hold back anything good from his servants and repentance is a good thing it's a gift from Jehovah repentance allows us to be happy it allows us to be at a clean standing with him and it Helps us to become his friend which is also a very good gift of his and on that note we'll end let's go to paragraph three let us learn more about repentance in this article we will consider three aspects first we will learn what Jehovah

taught Israel about repentance then we will focus on how Jehovah reached out to sinners in order to lead them to repentance finally we will discuss what Jesus followers learned about Repentance our question on three what will we consider in this article and let's go to zoom and sister Mahan first we will learn what Jehovah taught Israel about repentance second how Jehovah reached out to sinners in order to lead them to repentance and third what Jesus followers learned about repentance thank you that was well covered let's look at our first subheading now what Jehovah taught Israel

about repentance paragraph 4 when Jehovah organized the Israelites into a nation he made a covenant a formal agreement with them if they kept his laws he would protect and bless them regarding those laws he assured them now this Commandment that I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you nor is it beyond your reach but if they rebelled against him for example by choosing to to worship other gods he would withdraw his Blessing and they would suffer yet even then they could still regain God's favor they could return to Jehovah their God and

listen to his voice in other words they could repent if they did so Jehovah would draw close to them and bless them once more number four what did Jehovah teach the nation of Israel about repentance sister bre Eisen well first in the Covenant that Jehovah did with them he says um if you Keep my laws I will protect you but if you don't then that is when I will withdraw my blessing and then bad things may happen to you you may suffer but if they did that um in Deuteronomy 30 uh 1:3 says that I

says I have a uh in front of you the blessing and the curse clearly shows that if they decided to turn back back to Jehovah Jehovah will definitely welcome them back yes a clear path let's go to zoom and Brother Rice yes a little more on that scripture In Deuteronomy chapter 30 Jehovah says that they could return to Jehovah and he would show in Mercy but then in verse 20 it shows that what something would be required something would be required of them to have God's favor when it says that they would have to love

Jehovah listen to his voice and then sticking to him they would endure for a long time so it's not just a simply saying I'm sorry I I won't do it again but they'd have Have to follow up with works and sincere repentance would be shown yes that's so important and brother Corino it's also interesting too how it's not Jehovah who punishes us when when the choice is made to leave him it's um Satan and his system that punishes us it's it's it's he scrapes us up he bruises us and scars us it's just a matter

of um when when we've had enough of Satan's system and choose to Come back to Jehovah's protection so again it's not Jehovah who who um um scars us it's he quite literally doesn't have a mean bone in his body but um it's it's just a matter of choosing to stick with Jehovah and remaining under his protection that way he can um prevent us from facing the scars that Satan wants to give us yeah we just need to listen and sister def Francis just to expound on that it's so true because in Deuteronomy where it brings

Out here um Jehovah tells them now this Commandment that I am that I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you nor is it beyond your reach and again at verse 16 it says all Jehovah is asking is that you love him walk in his ways keep his Commandments his statutes his judicial decisions so again it's the same it applies for us today too and again Jehovah knows we are imperfect and as long as we repent he is a loving God yes thank you for Connecting the dots let's go to paragraph five Jehovah's

chosen people repeatedly rebelled against him in addition to practicing idolatry They carried out other degraded practices as a result they suffered but Jehovah did not give up on his wavered people he sent prophets again again and again to urge his people to repent and return to him and again let's listen to our reader at 2 Kings 17713 and 14 Jehovah kept warning Israel and Judah through All His prophets and every Visionary saying turn back from your Wicked Ways keep my Commandments and my statutes according to all the law that I commanded your forefathers and that

I sent to you through my servants the prophets but they did not listen and they remained just as stubborn as their forefathers who had not shown faith in Jehovah their God thank you our question how did Jehovah show that he did not give up on his people sister de Francis you have to raise your hand High we see that even after many of Jehovah's people rebelled against him he has never abandoned them and he won't abandon us an example of this is when Jehovah saw that some of his people were rebelling against him but he

still sent prophets to them so they would return to him clearly you understand uh sister Layman a very fine point we learned in Pioneer School was to go to the back of the Bible under A6 there's a chart of prophets and kings and uh as you scale your eyes or scroll your eyes down on this chart you see some scattered through history but there are seven prophets that are concentrating in the period of time right before the destruction of Jerusalem and that showed Jehovah's sincere effort to bring his people back Before he destroyed it thank

you for sharing that and uh sister Austin I appreciated in the the scripture that it was not just one or two prophets but it was all His prophets every Visionary and um so they were all expressing the same message from Jehovah Jehovah is reaching out to you to repent but they were able to expressed it in different ways that might appeal to the hearts of different types of people as we'll see in the next paragraph yes thank you for Weding our appetite on that sister laferty today today Jehovah is still reaching out to those who

are repenting or want to find him a personal brief personal experience on this a family member of mine had been disassociated for many years and in a moment of Despair prayed to Jehovah to show her the way and that evening a woman came to her home and gave her a track no one had given her anything or left anything in her door For 10 years and Jehovah answered that prayer she did not come back but he still is trying to help those ones who come to him even in that moment of Despair when she had

lived such a terrible life he tried to help her that is heartwarming isn't it paragraph six Jehovah often used His prophets to warn and correct his people for example God said through Jeremiah return o Renegade Israel I will not look Down angrily on you for I am loyal I will not stay resentful forever only acknowledge your guilt for you have rebelled against Jehovah by means of Joel Jehovah said Return to me with all your hearts he had Isaiah declare make yourselves clean remove your evil Deeds From My Sight stop doing bad and by means of

Ezekiel Jehovah asked do I take any pleasure at all in the death of a wicked Person do I not prefer that he turn away from his ways and keep living I do not take any pleasure in the death of anyone so turn back and live Jehovah takes Delight in seeing people repent because he wants them to keep living forever so Jehovah does not just wait passively for sinful people to change before he offers them help let us see some other examples of this see in this paragraph let's put the Picture collage up that's associated with

it thank you our question how did Jehovah use His prophets to teach his people the importance of repentance sister gusterson he repeatedly Sent His prophets to that Nation um warning them correcting them imploring them to turn around and I specifically like the question Jehovah had Ezekiel asked the people do I take any pleasure at all in the death of a wicked person he didn't say the death of An imperfect person an imperfect person who's going to make mistakes they're going to need the um forgiveness loving the extended by Jehovah but a wicked person is someone

who actively strives to do wrong but Jehovah's exhortation was made even to that kind of person um demonstrating the kind of love that he had for his people and he really wanted them to repent and turn around yes so true sister Pernell and in Jeremiah 3:13 um Jehovah says only acknowledge your guilt for you have rebelled against Jehovah your God so when Jehovah gave this warning for Jeremiah to deliver he still viewed himself as their God which would have really touched their heart reminding them um who their God is and that he is ready for

them to return to him yes that's good reasoning uh brother bre heisen yeah I like that word Renegade uh they were called Renegades and a Renegade is uh simply means a deserter from One Faith cause or allegiance to another so they were on a course and then they abandoned it yes very interesting sister faring and I love how the paragraph highlighted that Jehovah didn't just wait passively for a sinful people to change Jehovah could have told them well they have the law so they know what they have to do if they want to come back

to me but instead he used all these prophets to relate to Them and I loved in Jeremiah how he said I will not look down angrily on you for I am loyal so he wasn't just waiting for them he was giving them heartfelt petitions to come back and really reach their heart yes enjoyed that point brother laugh Danny I especially enjoyed the message that Ezekiel shared as we learned in looking at the account of Nehemiah Man was created with the ability to feel remorse for doing wrong and they knew What Jehovah's standards were so an

individual could have remorse have a heartfelt desire to change actually change and start to doing good but what they didn't know and what the prophets taught them was uh the example is in Ezekiel 18:32 so turn back and live man was not created knowing that repentance would save their lives it was Jehovah who had to teach them that this inner feeling these combined emotions and intellect Could lead them to life if they would just take advantage of it that's a gem of a point brother Schuster thinking it's important to keep in mind the comment sister

FY made about uh the penultimate sentence in paragraph 6 it really sets the U tone for the next few lessons in our watcht some of the organizational adjustments that are being made and that is Jehovah does not wait just passively for sinful people to change before he offers them help and We'll see how that's going to be developed in the coming weeks yeah we're exciting to look at that uh brother Costa and I love the lesson that we learn about Jehovah and his own feelings towards us his own qualities um because these people that we're

describing here these ones had done the worst thing in Jehovah's eyes that they could have done they left Jehovah but they started they were worshiping other gods it was the worst so likewise today we can realize That there's nothing that we can ever feel we we can't reason to ourselves you know what I've done something so bad Jehovah will never get over it he will never forgive me for what I've done we're learning to a lot about Jehovah here these people have done the worst he's he's sending these prophets these loved ones to his people

that he still calls his people to bring them back that's amazing to me yeah incredible and our visiting brother right here on the Aisle I appreciate Jehovah's reminder to us in these examples that he's not like uh us imperfect people we we sometimes might get worried when we do make a mistake um maybe I won't be forgiven maybe uh they'll still hold this against me but Jehovah is saying I won't hold these things against you I prefer that you turn away from doing these things he's reminding us that that we don't have to have those

anxieties in our mind when going to him and asking for Repentance and that he'll always be willing to forgive us may we never forget that we need to move on to paragraph seven notice what Jehovah taught his people by means of a real life example that of Gomer the wife of the Prophet hosia after committing adultery she left HOSA for other men was she beyond help Jehovah who can read Hearts told HOSA go once again love the woman who is loved by another man and is committing Adultery just as Jehovah loves the people of Israel

while they turn to other gods note that hosa's wife was still involved in a course of serious sin yet Jehovah told HOSA to reach out to her and offer forgiveness and Reconciliation similarly Jehovah had not given up on his obstinate people even though they were caught up in terrible sins he still loved them and contined to reach out and help them to repent and Change their ways does this example suggests that Jehovah The Examiner of Hearts will reach out to an individual who was still involved in serious sin and try to lead that one to

repentance let us see on paragraph 7 You may wish to comment on the footnote but here's our question using the account of the Prophet HOSA and his wife what did Jehovah teach his people our visiting sister please right Here it said in the paragraph hosea's wife was still caught up in this course of serious sin but he didn't give up on her he saw the whole picture and that's why he had Hosea reach out for forgiveness so it's similar with ones today Jehovah examines hearts and motives and never gives up on his people thank you

sister Kino and sister Harris and the example also shows us how how um even when they people are Involved in serious sin Jehovah will reach out to them um to help them so that they can change their ways so um it's a good example because uh you know a wife who is committing adultery and still in the midst of it and um you know it's it's a good example that Jehovah Won't Give Up on on those who are involved in serious sin and help them to um change their ways yes for sure and uh brother

leaw in Proverbs 16 and verse 2 the the Statement there helps us understand why uh hosia reaching out to Goomer at this stage was so important it says all of a man's ways seem right to him so somebody may be uh entrenched in a course that they don't even realize is wrong like Jehovah said to Jonah about the ninevites they don't know their left hand from the right hand and so in the same way reaching out at that point how life-saving that can be to help somebody realize that something they think might Even be right

is is improper and correct yes that's for for sure and sister tacket but as the footnote brings out that that this case is unique and it's not showing that Jehovah requires an an innocent victim of of adultery to remain with their their mate that's committing the adultery but he even um had his son make a provision for such victims of adultery to seek divorce so it's it's a a unique situation that Jehovah used to show how he deals with his people thank You for bringing that in Clarity uh brother Divine we had talked earlier about

how important repentance was but in this case Goomer had not repented and yet Jehovah still asked Jia reach out to her see if you can reach your heart remember that thought uh brother laugh Danny so that leads us to the Cliffhanger question at the end of the Paragraph is it a appropriate to reach out to those who are still involved in sin oh the hair in the back of my neck is standing up uh brother brick heisen yeah it's nice that Jehovah sees not just people not what they are but what they could be if

they were change and and improve so when we see people that don't do what's right or ourselves what can we be what could they be yes only Jehovah knows number uh our subheading how Jehovah leads Sinners to Repentance number eight Cain was adman Eve's first son he inherited sinful Tendencies from his parents Additionally the Bible says of him his own Works were Wicked perhaps that explains why Jehovah did not look with any favor on Cain and on his offering when he offered up a sacrifice instead of changing his ways Cain grew hot with anger and

was dejected what did Jehovah do next he spoke to Cain know that Jehovah reasoned Kindly with Cain offering him hope and warning him against the danger of sin sadly Cain refused to listen he did not let Jehovah lead him to repentance after that negative response did Jehovah stop trying to lead other Sinners to repentance far from it again follow brother Bradley with Genesis 43-7 after some time Cain brought some fruits of the land as an offering to Jehovah but Abel brought some firstlings of his flock including their Fat while Jehovah looked with favor on Abel

and on his offering he did not look with any favor on Cain and on his offering so Cain grew hot with anger and was dejected then Jehovah said to Cain why are you so angry and dejected if you turn to doing good will you not be restored to favor but if you do not turn to doing good sin is crouching at the door and its craving is to dominate you but will You get the Mastery over it let's put the artwork up with associated with this paragraph here's our question how did Jehovah reach out to

Cain in order to lead him to repentance sister uh Basel looking not Jehovah he reason kindly with Cain so he was offering him that hope and he was um warning him about all the dangers of sin so sadly that Cain refused to listen listen to all this but um he he did not give up Jehovah did not let him lead to repentance yes what a bad example you was Sister faring along with that Jehovah asked Cain three questions why are you so angry if you turn to doing good will you not be restored to favor

and will you get the Mastery over it Jehovah was really reasoning with Cain which means something well thought out or well presented he was genuinely giving him the benefit of the doubt and an Opportunity for him to respond yes well analyze brother Morales and um kind of going along with that um Cain being Adam and Eve's firstborn um aside from them he was the first Jehovah uh tried to correct and lead to repentance and Cain didn't listen Jehovah knowing everyone after that would also be sinful he could have just given up there and said that

all humans are just at Lost Cause but he didn't and he keeps trying to continue Leading people uh to repentance and that's the reason we're all here sitting here today yes it is let's take a moment on the picture what strikes you about this illustration sister Smith what struck me is um you can see Kane he's got that club in his hand he's ready to walk and or run to find his brother but you see the light behind him as Jehovah is is talking to him one last time and and asking him these questions But

we can also see he turns and he's already in a position to run the other way but he keeps going but he didn't let Jehovah lead him back to repentance it's powerful scene isn't it uh Sister Hardy and as the examiner of Hearts Jehovah knows exactly what Cain's plan is he sees him holding his weapon and still Jehovah reaches out to him and if Cain would have turned around and repented Jehovah would have welcomed him back at this point amazing isn't it We'll take one more comment sister sa Hill and the account there in Genesis

4:9 when Jehovah asks him where his brother is after all this after he killed his brother he has the gall to say I do not know am I my brother's keep deeper so he really was his heart was strongly against what Jehovah loves and he did not love his brother he did not love what it was right so he was the first human murderer so his father was Satan what a black mark on him paragraph Nine Jehovah dearly loved King David he even called him a man agreeable to my heart but David became involved in

Gross sins including adultery and murder according to the Mosaic law David deserved to die yet Jehovah kindly stepped in he sent his Prophet Nathan to visit the king even though David had not yet shown any sign of repentance Nathan used an illustration designed to touch David's heart deeply moved David David Repented he wrote a heartfelt Psalm that Reveals His repentant spirit that Psalm has comforted countless Sinners and motivated them to repent are we not glad that Jehovah lovingly LED his beloved servant David to repentance number nine how did Jehovah lead David to repentance sister Rich

Jehovah LED David to repentance by sending one of his prophets Nathan to Talk to David Nathan used an illustration designed to touch David's heart David was deeply moved and he repented that's a nice complete comment uh sister costek we really see an example of what it's like when Jehovah is our friend in this example of King David being Jehovah's friend how Jehovah loved David even though he fell so far far into sin even by human law he should been killed but yet Jehovah was there for him helped Him bring him back to his senses and

then David realized how he had hurt Jehovah his friend and that's when things changed but what an example for us to really feel that Jehovah is that close to us he can be that close of a friend to us remarkable and our visiting brother on the aisle over or against the wall rather and we see the contrast between what how Cain responded and David and it when Jehovah LED David To repentance and it worked because in Psalm 51 we see comments from David where he said against you you alone I have sinned uh create in

me even a pure heart oh God and put within me a new spirit a steadfast one so it's evident from that Psalm 51 that David clearly had a change of mind accompanied by Heartfelt regret over his wrong actions contrast couldn't be greater let's go to paragraph 10 Jehovah hates sin and he does not Condone it in any form however he knows that we are all sinners and out of love for us he chooses to help us to fight against sin he is always trying to help even the worst of Sinners to repent and draw close

to him how comforting it is to know that as a reflect on Jehovah's patience and forgiveness we are determined to stay faithful to him and to be quick to repent when we sin let us now consider how the Christian Congregation was further taught about repentance paragraph 10 how do you feel about Jehovah's patience and forgiveness in dealing with sinful humans and let's go to zoom and the Rish home you're still not unmuted yet I'm sorry I couldn't get it unmuted um it it talks about how that Jehovah knows we're Sinners but when in the Psalm

51 that David wrote he understood that Jehovah finds pleasure in truth in The inner person and he says teach my innermost self true wisdom Purify Me So if we reflect on Jehovah's patience and forgiveness and we're determined to stay faithful in the inner person uh Jehovah will be quick to respond when we repent he will let's stay on zoom and listen to Sister Marte yes um I feel privileged to serve such a merciful god and I feel that I'm not worthy of his love and yet he saw me um when I was very little and

whether I Had a name or reputation that did not matter to him and I pray that I always live up to his standards and not make him pain on account of my actions we certainly relate to that let's look at our next subheading now what jesus' followers learned about repentance 11 and 12 in the first century CE the time had come for the Messiah to arrive as mentioned in the preceding article Jehovah used both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ to teach people how important it is to repent throughout his ministry Jesus taught his listeners

about his father's forgiving nature Jesus did so in a striking way when he gave the parable of the lost son that young man chose to pursue a sinful way of life for some time yet he came to his senses and returned home how did the father respond Jesus said that while the son Was still a long way off his father caught sight of him and was moved with p pity and he ran and embraced him and Tenderly kissed him the son intended to ask if he could become a servant in his father's household but his

father called him this son of mine and restored him to his place in the family the father said he was lost and has been found when Jesus lived in heaven before coming to Earth he had surely seen his father show such compassion toward Countless repentant Sinners what a heartwarming and reassuring picture Jesus painted of our merciful father Jehovah let's display the artwork for these two paragraphs and here's our question what did Jesus teach his listeners about his father's forgiving nature uh sister Watkins or that's sister Watson well what I really appreciated um About um Luke

15 11-32 and even the artist rendition is that when a repentant sinner even turns his direction towards Jehovah Jehovah runs all the way to come get that person uh to bring them back and um in Luke the father celebrated that's what Jehovah does when we come back have we ever been on the other end where we've been disciplined or disfellowshipped we've all been sinful but the feeling it feels like when you just make a turn and Jehovah comes and he he grabs you Embraces you it's very special it's beautiful isn't it sister beam and I

noticed that word tenderly how the father embraced him and Tenderly kissed him no doubt his son what he could see was already in pain so by treating him tenderly he was careful to that not to add any more pain that's a nice detail sister uh uh Vickers and I like that um the paragraph Kind of mention that this isn't just a story but it's an illustration of how Jesus saw Jehovah show such compassion toward countless repentance repentant Sinners while he was in heaven and so the father illustrates how Jehovah feels and it's just so comforting

for us to think that while we're just thinking about making steps to come back to Jehovah he's already running to meet us yes that's it and uh sister to Francis and this picture really shows so Much emotion it depicts the father from jesus' Parable with open arms walking towards his son he's even slightly slouched ready to lift him into his embrace it shows the father had been prepared to forgive his son for a long time just as Jehovah is always ready to forgive us that picture captures it doesn't it Sister Walker and the illustration also

shows the um deep extent of the that father's forgiveness because the son was willing To come back and just be like a Hired Hand or a slave in in his father's household but um the father said get the robe get the best one clothe him with it and put a ring on his hand sandals on his feet so he made him a full-fledged he welcomed him back full-fledged as a member of the family rather than um having him um feel below everyone else he uh really welcomed him back and wholeheartedly and it shows what Jehovah's

when he forgives he forgives Completely yeah imagine that brother of Ramirez and again going back to the illustration I really appreciated the the father's position there he could have been busy with the activities of the day the the land that he had attend to but the account says that he caught sight of his son while he was still far away so it didn't catch him by surprise that the son was there he was attentively looking for his son same thing with Jehovah he is always looking For us to be able to repent uh so he

he's constantly wanting us to return back yeah you know I love that point too the in that big household who was the first one that saw the boy coming wasn't one of the farm hands it was the dad Jehovah 13 and 14 please the Apostle Peter learned a great deal from Jesus about repentance and forgiveness Peter often needed forgiveness and Jesus extended it generously for example after Peter Denied knowing his Lord three times he felt crushed by his own guilt but after Jesus was resurrected he appeared to Peter apparently in private no doubt on that

occasion Jesus lovingly forgave and reassured his repentant Apostle having had firsthand experience Peter could Now teach others about repentance and forgiveness sometime after the Festival of Pentecost Peter gave a discourse to a Crowd of unbelieving Jews explaining to them that they have put the Messiah to death yet he lovingly urged them repent therefore and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out so that seasons of refreshing may come from Jehovah himself Peter thus shows that repentance moves a sinner to turn turn around to change his wrong way of thinking and acting and to

pursue a new course one pleasing to God the Apostle also show that Jehovah would blot out their sins Or caused their sins to disappear and decades later Peter assured Christians Jehovah is patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance what a beautiful hope for Christians when they commit sins even serious ones in these two paragraphs we have some artwork so let's display that and you may also want to comment on the Study note for Mark 16:7 but here's our question what did the Apostle Peter

learn about repentance and what did he teach others about it sister Gan oh no yes that is Sister gist he understood the power of being a recipient of forgiveness from Jehovah um the weight of his sin when he denied um Jesus three times it likely questioned him in the days that followed and he spent his time feeling that weight and the gravity of his sin so when Jesus Actually came to him privately and reassured Peter that he had been forgiven how that really was a gem to Peter and I just admire the confidence that he

he now turns around and tells his fellow Jews that you too will also be forgiven for having killed Jesus Christ just repent of your sins they are going to be blotted out so it how wonderful that would be to feel that refreshing feeling from Jehovah and you can continue your service to Jehovah Yeah what an emotional scene and uh sister Rodriguez I also appreciate the point in Mark 167 uh Peter was able to see that Jehovah and Jesus didn't call him back just once but multiple times uh during his resurrection the angel said tell the

disciples and Peter so he was mentioned by name he was acknowledged by Jesus and he was able to see that Jesus was fighting for him in that relationship to be restored so true and brother Rodriguez let's keep it in the family that scripture in uh Matthew chapter 26 at the end you could feel the pain in Peter it says he went outside and wept bitterly and then in the picture it's depicted probably the mo the one of the lowest points in his life and then when he's telling the congregation in Acts chapter 3 you could

feel like he's been healed he says seasons of refreshing and so when true repentance is shown for These ones that Jehovah is searching for that's what they have the uh the Outlook to gain the the refreshment that comes from Jehovah uh searching for them and welcoming them back yes what an example and let's go to zoom and we have sister Winslow and years later then the Apostle Peter wrote the words that are so familiar to us there at second Peter 3:9 about Jehovah not Desiring anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to Repentance

and we often use that scripture Through The Years um appealing to people in the world in our Bible studies of of what Jehovah's attitude is but really uh that scripture and the context there uh in Peter shows that Peter was speaking to the Christian congregation Peter those inspired words are addressed to Jehovah's people that he does not desire any one of us uh to be destroyed but to to be repentant and and as the paragraph also says it made Me think of that Peter assured Christians and then quotes those words yeah Peter spoke from experience

didn't he uh sister velia and so really this whole article is showing us into Jehovah's heart and when we see um the picture there on the left Jehovah saw this there's no other human in the picture but Peter repenting but Jehovah saw that and so people today that are sinning U maybe in a serious way if they are going to Jehovah in this Fashion Jehovah sees that and so the heart is always what Jehovah is reaching for what a nice point and please brother and the this topic was kind of touched on with David as

well but we think about these mistakes that were made if we had had a hand in getting Jesus killed or if we had denied Jesus three times would we think Jehovah will forgive everybody else except for me because this is just too you know too bad of a of a mistake but we're thankful To have these examples in the Bible recorded for us so that we can we can learn and and these Christians I'm sure were also thankful to have Peter to um share his experience so that they could recognize that that these sins aren't

Beyond forgiveness and that these mistakes Jehovah is always still ready and willing to forgive yeah it's so reassuring and uh sister Townsen and looking at that picture of Jesus uh of uh Peter he had just told Jesus that Even if he had to die he would never disown Jesus so I'm sure that was heavy on his mind at that time too yeah his weaknesses were on display for all and brother javet and we notice here Act 3:19 uh that's actually the second time that this verse has been referenced uh in the article I think it

was mentioned earlier back in paragraph one and to me it seemed to make a a point of reminding us that uh at Times we can equate or we can place sin and repentance in the same vehicle that they're one and the same um but that's really not how it works uh when it comes to sin uh with that of course is associated with sadness that's in one vehicle uh but then when it comes to repentance we see this word that we're reminded of it's refreshing it's positive it's completely separate and these two vehicles they move

in Completely different directions so we never want to feel that when we sin um that all of a sudden just because we're sorry about it and we repent that the sin stays in the same V vehicle with us no as as the paragraph brings out it disappears so and that's how Jehovah views it uh what we need to do is we need to keep that in mind and make sure that it disappears uh from us and to do our best to move forward stay in that positive refreshing vehicle of Repentance that's an interesting illustration you're

obviously in the transportation business see uh Brother Wolf it is Jehovah's purpose that the universal family be United and to be at peace and when Peter committed this wrong he definitely was not at peace with Jesus but his repentant attitude in Jesus welcoming him back because of that brought that situation back into a peaceful family for Peter and likewise For all of us our repentant attitude gets us into that peaceful relationship with our family what a powerful point Point our next paragraphs please 15 and 16 few people have ever needed to repent and be forgiven

more than Saul of Tarsus he was a vicious persecutor of Christ beloved followers most Christians likely viewed him as a lost cause Beyond any hope of repentance yet the resurrected Jesus was far above such flawed human reasoning He and his father saw good qualities in Saul Jesus said this man is a chosen vessel to me Jesus even used the miracle to lead Saul to repentance after becoming a Christian Saul later known as the Apostle Paul often expressed his appreciation for the way he had been shown kindness and mercy The Grateful Apostle taught God in his

kindness is trying to lead you to repentance when Paul heard about a scandalous problem regarding immorality In the Christian congregation in Corinth how did he handle it he did so in a way that teaches us a great deal about Jehovah's loving discipline and about the importance of showing Mercy we will consider that account in Greater detail in the following article and again father follow along with the reading of the last scripture there 1 Timothy 1:1 12-15 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our lord who imparted power to me because he considered me faithful by assigning

me To a Ministry although formerly I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man nevertheless I was shown Mercy because I acted in ignorance and with a lack of faith but the undeserved kindness of Our Lord abounded exceedingly along with faith and the love that is in Christ Jesus this saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners of these I am Foremost thank you so much for reading brother Bradley your serious tone reflected the seriousness of this material today our question on 15 and 16a

how did the Apostle Paul learn about forgiveness please the sister fiser Paul's Paul's example here is one that helps us see that really no one is beyond forgiveness if they repent so here firsthand we know that he felt the relief of being forgiven and Jesus even Said this man is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name so a complete turnaround so Paul certainly felt the love of Jesus and Jehovah in a special way yes he did Brother Morales we learned from a few examples in this article how Jehovah will reach out to a

sinner even before they've shown repentance and here was Saul he was on his way he was vicious at the time now he was on his way to take his persecution further and get letters to Damascus and continue ripping Christians out of their homes and that's when Jesus used him so to any other onlooker it would be crazy no not not this man but Jehovah and Jesus see our good qualities see the heart and even then they can uh Jehovah can draw a repentant one to him yeah sees that heart sister Lopez paragraph mentions that some

of the first century Christians might have viewed him as the last cause but as we see later on that's not how he viewed Himself and he didn't as verse 14 of 2 Timothy 1 it mentions the undeserved kindness of Our Lord abounded exceedingly he didn't believe that Jesus sacrifice wasn't enough to cover the weight of his sins and he was ready to share that with others because he realized just how amazing this forgiveness was yeah he learned his lesson and brother Roga and so to have someone like the Apostle Paul make the statement in verse

15 that this is trustworthy and it deserves our full accept acceptance that Christ came into the world to save Sinners that just carries so much weight with it because we know his past course we know the repentance that was needed and the Forgiveness that was needed and he was confident that Jesus was was able to do that for him TI it all together doesn't it uh sister sa Hill in verse 13 he explains why he acted that way and it was because he was In ignorance and lacked Faith so Jesus of course then helped them

gain the knowledge and have the faith but before that he was molded as a Pharisee so he had that mindset of uh to to be the personality he was and then he was also in Study Bible said he was in close association with high priest kaius and he was a very arrogant and um uh fanatical man this the account says so he was molded by this fanatical person who led the um execution of Jesus Christ So he had to change from all of that mindset but and and have the mind of Christ but of course

Jehovah's Spirit helped them to do that yes no wonder he had such a black heart uh sister gas and to help illustrate just how um how much care of Jehovah and Jesus have toward those who are even deep into sin um acts 7 uses the word ravage he wasn't just harassing the congregation ravage means to devastate or destroy something or to cause Grievous damage but yet Jehovah and Jesus looked looked at this person to and saw Into the Heart they evaluated him as worthy of a second chance so we can see just how much they

care and Jesus introduced himself to Salvia a miracle and sent someone to heal him personally so that much care while somebody is still mid sin um Jehovah and Jesus love us very much yeah he was a bad actor wasn't he let's look at our review questions uh recap our lesson the first one is what did Jehovah Teach Israel about repentance uh sister Holman please that even if they rebelled against Jehovah and turned to worshiping other gods and he had to withdraw his Blessing they could still demonstrate repentance by returning to him and listening to him

and then they could again experience his Blessing yes and that's sister heggy isn't it all I was right well even a blind squirrel finds a nut Once in a while um brother lafy so we also see in a big picture that Jehovah uh didn't give up uh this is about 240 years of teaching and uh trying to bring people into his Viewpoint his attitude of sin and repentance of course our second question how has Jehovah LED Sinners to repentance uh sister Mulla we have many examples of Jehovah sending prophets to help the nation of Israel

repent and he also singled out Individuals to repent from their actions such as Cain and King David so he has shown that he loves us all on a very personal level and he wants everyone to be saved and repent for our sins yes he does let's get our last question what did Jesus followers learn about repentance sister Bradley they learned from U Jesus how essential it was and how it was a part of his um father's qualities and he taught this to them um in the parable of the lost son Where he showed that Jehovah

was ready to forgive this sinner and uh was ready to take action to bring him back into his household powerful indeed and uh brother Sereno Peter's firsthand experience with uh the Forgiveness of his leader Jesus was powerful and it was personal uh they attended to him personally Jesus did so when we repent uh we can feel that love and forgiveness from Jehovah in a very personal way that's a great note to end On friends I want to commend you for your willingness and the wonderful comments that you made obviously this is a subject close to

all our hearts and you're helping to sound it down so that we have a better appreci appreciation for the God we worship keep it up because we've got a few more weeks to go in this same wonderful subject that concludes our meeting for today before we say our closing song our speaker wasn't able to stay with us so Brother wein righ will be saying our closing prayer but to close our meeting let's stand and sing together song 33 an old favorite throw your burden on Jehovah [Music] in 2 Peter 3:9 the Apostle Peter highlights one

of Jehovah's most profound and comforting qualities his patience the verse says Jehovah is not slow concerning his promise as some people think slowness is but he is Patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain repentance this passage invites us to reflect on the deep love that God feels for Humanity and his sincere desire for everyone to have the opportunity to change their ways before the day of judgment arrives far from being an impatient or Hasty god Jehovah displays a patience that is intimately connected to his love

And mercy some may think that Jehovah's delay in intervening in human Affairs implies some sort of negligence or lack of Interest however this verse refutes that idea Peter assures us that Jehovah's promise to bring a new system of things has not been forgotten or indefinitely postponed Jehovah is not slow as some might think in reality his sense of time is different from ours and what may seem Like a long wait to us is simply a necessary part of his perfect purpose from Jehovah's perspective the context of 2 Peter 3 clarifies that the day of Jehovah

will come like a thief unexpectedly but in the meantime Jehovah remains faithful to his promise this assurance that Jehovah will fulfill what he has said should encourage us and give us hope especially when we Face a world filled with suffering and Injustice we know that although Deliverance has not yet arrived Jehovah's patience serves a specific purpose Jehovah's patience is not mere passive waiting on the contrary it is an expression of his love the reason why God has not yet brought final judgment is that he desires to give everyone the opportunity to repent and be saved

through the centuries this patience has allowed millions of people To come to know him and change their lives to Jehovah human life has immense value and he does not want anyone to be destroyed This Love For Humanity is a distinctive characteristic of Jehovah as our heaven father it is important that we understand the reason for his patience it is not a sign of indifference toward evil or a lack of power to act on the contrary Jehovah is fully aware of the injustices and suffering that occur in This world but his love for us moves him

to wait to give more time so that more people have the opportunity to know him and repent he knows that every human being has the capacity to change and in his love he desires for everyone to take advantage of that opportunity the verse also teaches us something essential repentance is the key to avoiding destruction Jehovah is waiting giving People time to change their ways and turn back to him this repentance is not just a simple apology for past mistakes it involves a deep change in a person's heart and life it means recognizing that we have

failed to meet Jehovah's high standards and making a sincere effort to correct those errors and live according to his commands this opportunity for repentance is a gift that Jehovah offers to everyone no matter how far someone has Gone in their errors as long as they are willing to change Jehovah is willing to forgive this concept of repentance teaches us about Jehovah's infinite Mercy he does not seek destruction but but rather the Redemption of his creatures this is a fundamental aspect of his patience his desire for everyone to have the opportunity to choose the path of

Life although Jehovah's patience is great we should not interpret this as a Reason to delay our response to his invitation Peter mentions in this chapter that the day of Jehovah will come like a thief unexpectedly and when that happens there will be no more time to repent Jehovah's patience has a limit and that limit is defined by the Fulfillment of his purpose therefore we must wisely use the time we have now to draw closer to him strengthen our relationship with him and help others do the Same this sense of urgency should not be driven by

fear but rather by love and gratitude toward Jehovah he has given us the opportunity to live in his service and find refuge in his goodness appreciating this opportunity helps us maintain the right attitude and make adjustments in our lives that better reflect his will during this period of his patience as Jehovah's servants we have a Special responsibility during this time of patience we are not only called to repent and live in harmony with Jehovah's principles but we also have the privilege of helping others find the path to Salvation the fact that Jehovah is waiting in

this sense we are collaborators with Jehovah in his purpose of saving as many as possible we must be aware that this Privilege of preaching and teaching is an integral part of Jehovah's patience he is giving us time not only for our own repentance but also so that we can carry the message to others each day that passes without the end coming is another day we can use to make more disciples and help others come to know Jehovah hov's goodness two Peter 3:9 reminds us that Jehovah is not slow but patient because he loves humanity and

desires for all to Attain repentance this time of waiting is a demonstration of his infinite mercy and love it gives us the opportunity to repent improve our relationship with him and help others do the same however we should not take his patience as an excuse to delay our service to him rather we should see it as an invaluable opportunity to change and draw closer to Jehovah before his day Arrives let us make the most of this time and show our gratitude for his Patience by living according to his principles and carrying his message of Salvation

to others repentance is a fundamental step in the spiritual life of a Believer according to the Bible this act of recognizing our sins and turning away from them opens the door to a series of blessings and significant transformations in our relationship with Jehovah first and foremost repentance leads us to Divine forgiveness scripture assures Us in 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins Jehovah is faithful and just to forgive them and cleanse us from all unrighteousness this forgiveness is an undeserved gift that restores our relationship with God by repenting we not only admit our

mistakes akes but also seek the restoration of our communion with the Creator this act of confession is essential as it allows us to experience God's grace in its purest form following repentance the Bible teaches that we must embark on a process of spiritual renewal and transformation Romans 12:2 instructs us not to conform to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds this involves a change of attitude and behavior that reflects our decision to follow Jehovah transformation is not instantaneous it is a continuous journey of growth and spiritual maturity by allowing the

Holy Spirit to work in our lives we begin to see changes in our priorities desires and actions aligning them with Jehovah's will reconciliation with God is another crucial aspect that follows repentance in 2 Corinthians 5:18 we are reminded that God has given us the ministry of reconciliation after repenting we can Approach Jehovah with confidence knowing that we have been forgiven and restored this sense of reconciliation allows us to experience the peace that surpasses all understanding it frees us from the weight of guilt and invites us to live in the light of the restored relationship we

have with God it is a relationship that despite our failures is based on Jehovah's unconditional love true repentance Translates into a change in our daily lives acts 26:20 mentions that Paul preached that people should turn to God and perform Deeds worthy of repentance this change in behavior is a natural response to the forgiveness and Grace we have received as we grow in our relationship with Jehovah Our Lives become reflection of his love and Justice we strive to act in ways that please God seeking to do good and avoid sin this commitment to a transformed Lifestyle

is tangible evidence that repentance has had a real impact on our being furthermore repentance calls us to ongoing spiritual growth in 2 Peter 3:18 we are encouraged to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ this growth is nourished by the word of God prayer and fellowship with other believers studying the Bible allows us to better understand Jehovah's nature and his purpose for our lives through Prayer we maintain constant communication with God which strengthens and guides us on our spiritual journey the community of Believers also plays a crucial role in

this growth as we share our experiences encourage one another and support each other in faith finally repentance drives us toward a life of service Galatians 5:13 reminds us that you were called to Freedom only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for The flesh but through love serve one another once we have been forgiven and transformed we feel the desire to share that same Grace with others we become instruments of Jehovah seeking opportunities to serve our neighbors and carry the message of Hope to those around us this service is not only an act of

obedience but also a way to express our love and gratitude to Jehovah for what he has done in our lives in conclusion After repentance the Bible reveals a path filled with promises and blessings from Divine forgiveness to spiritual renewal reconciliation with God and growth in faith each step is essential in our journey as Believers by living according to these principles we not only experience the fullness of life that Jehovah desires for us but also become beacons of light for those who have yet to find their way to him