Again Welcome to our Christian Life and Ministry meeting this week's reading was from Psalms 135 through to 137 which helps us to see ways in which Jehovah uses his great power not just as a magnificent display but also personally in our own behalf in our gems we're going to be looking at the shortened form of Jehovah's name which is J why is that expression used so often in the Scriptures well keep an ear out for the explanation of that in our spiritual gems part tonight our apply yourself to the field field Ministry uh part of
the meeting will also help us in various circumstances in the ministry one interesting example tonight is how would you reply to someone who says Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christians so let's look out for that in our meeting tonight as well our living as Christians meeting will include the Local needs part and that will be the governing body update number eight so we're looking forward to that and some very good reminders there for us and then in our congregation Bible study we'll continue our study of bearing thorough witness about God's kingdom uh and how we can
gain some valuable lessons and experiences from our first century brothers and sisters and this week we're be going to be looking at the Apostle Paul and now he's reached the Region of Macedonia what's he going to do to encourage the brothers and sisters from that location we we'll get our meeting underway uh our Treasures from God's word part now is is going to be handled by brother bck and we look forward to the theme our Lord is greater than all other gods thanks brother Bic many people today put their trust in other humans that's true
why do they do that well they may Think this human is king or queen of the country or has a lot of power or can help them but something else that people many people put trust in today and that is false gods and what a shame for those false gods that don't mean anything that people put their trust in such things today but as people who believe fully in God's word who should we put our trust in and why we're going to look at some Verses in in Psalms in this part tonight and let's have
a look first of all in Psalms one Psalms 135 and verses 5 and 6 and in talking about Jehovah God it says for I will know that Jehovah is great our Lord is greater than all other gods Jehovah does everything he pleases to do in heaven and on Earth in the seas and all the de dep s so what do we learn about Jehovah God From that verse there in verse 5 where is Jehovah God on the scheme of things why he's greater than all other gods isn't he that all false gods of course are
nothing compared to Jehovah God that he is great and when we think about Jehovah's greatness verse six mentions that Jehovah does everything he pleases now sometimes that may not sound real good to us as humans when powerful Humans do things they just please it doesn't mean good for others does it but Jehovah God does good it mentions there about heaven and on Earth so some of the things he's done because he's all powerful and he created everything he created the literal Universe we think about all the planets Stars various galaxies and various parts move around
without bumping into each other Jehovah God has made this happen and we live upon a beautiful Earth where we're very appreciative of but when we think about Jehovah making such things as even the weather patterns and other things such as this why what else is Jehovah able to do well at times we know in history when we look at the history of God's of the Bible it shows us that Jehovah at times has changed the weather for a reason if you have your Bibles there let's have a look at Exodus chapter 9 and verse 24
because back in the days of ancient Egypt when they're going through some plagues but one of their plag plages affected their weather and in Exodus 9:24 it says talking about this plague it says there was hail and there was fire flashing in the midst of the hail it was very heavy there had never been any like it in the land since Egypt had become a nation and so someone may think well we've had hail before even in here in Sydney we have hail but this was something different not only it was heavier than what they'd
ever seen before but the previous verses which were not looking at show that this hail was coming because of Jehovah's word that on a certain time this hail was going to happen and in fact gave people warning so Jehovah God has control over the weather even at times of scriptures talk about various droughts that happen not just accidentally But for example we won't look at the verse but in First Kings 17 we have Elijah bringing the news to the king there Ahab that there's going to be a drought and of course that drought came wasn't
just a weather pattern the way it work but it became because of Jehovah God and what he wanted to happen few years later of course Jehovah God turned the drought around and allowed rain to happen in the land of Israel So Jehovah God being Supreme Being is able to do many great things but when we think of those even in the world today that do great things according to human accomplishments something that they don't always are able to do or don't always have and having a look at another verse in Psalms Psalms 135 and verse
14 let's read that together and there it says for Jehovah will defend his People and He will feel compassion for his servants and so that's something Jehovah's done we often think about in ancient times can we have the picture up on the the screen so one time that Jehovah defended his people we know was The Parting of of the Red Sea and when we think about this occasion why did Jehovah do such a thing well he wanted to defend his People didn't he if he hadn't have done this what would have happened to the Israelites
he also as it mentions there in Psalms 135 as well that he had compassion for his servants so Jehovah God had feelings for his people too and so that's why as Exodus 14 when it gives the account it says how the Israelites just walked through on dry ground that Jehovah was able to rescue them on this occasion so what great Power Jehovah has but at the same time he cares for his people and he shows compassion compassion to them by destroying their enemies on that occasion but now we may think about such things well we
we all get uh we all feel different things when we read about that account such as the one in Exodus to do with The Parting of the Red Sea but we may think well those things are a long time Ago what about today how does Jehovah help us today in our everyday life perhaps we're not going through things like the Israelites did waiting at the Red Sea to see if they're going to live or not but we could be going through other things perhaps we're going through Health situations which bring us much pain and and
suffering perhaps we've lost loved ones or love one in death or maybe Someone close to us isn't serving Jehovah God anymore and so the same God that parted the Red Sea he cares for us today in things that we're going through and looking at another verse in Psalms 136 and verse 23 let's read that it says talking about Jehovah he remembered us when we were low for his loyal love endures forever yes Jehovah God remembers us what does He do though how do we know he remembers us well he's able to give us support and
he's able to give us Comfort no matter what we're going through and we receive benefit from this you see he always is able to give us a secure place of dwelling so that we feel safe even though maybe in a physical way we may not not feel safe but we can still safe it can feel like Jehovah's arms are around us helping us or even lifting us Up if we even feel too W too weak to move on our own feet and as mentioned there in that verse about Jehovah's loyal love for us how long
does that last just a little while well no it says it endures forever so Jehovah God is able to help us forever and as his people were able to receive that benefit so this part was talking about our Lord is greater than all other gods that's True but things that other gods don't have either they don't have compassion for their people they don't defend their people they don't help their people do they and many other the things that Jehovah is able to help us with every day in giving his support no matter what things we're
going through thank you brother bck for helping us to see how our Lord is greater than all other gods well now we come to our spiritual gems and all are Welcome to participate in this part of the meeting as we invite brother Shane Samui to the platform again our reading was taken from Psalm 135 to 137 thank you welcome to our spiritual James this evening brothers and sisters uh to get us started now who would like to read our first scripture Psalm 135 verse 1 and 5 thank you our sister toin praise Jo praise the
name of Jehovah Offer praise you Servants of Jehovah for I will know that Jehovah is great our Lord is greater than all other gods thank you for the fine reading our first question why is the expression jar often used in the Bible thank you sister yangi the expression CH is a poetic abbreviated form of the Divine name Jehovah in the Bible it is of using uh context that evoke strong emotional responses such as praise joy and Gratitude so each single syllable makes it particularly suitable for using songs prayers and expression of in or Thanksgiving thank
you for the fine comment our sister uh R yes um this um praise J you people depending on what translation uh people have in their Bible could appear as hallelujah or Allelujah but uh this is also um used not just humans but also with angels in Heaven as we can see from Revelation where repeatedly punctuate this Angel repeatedly punctuate the praise of Jehovah with this expression praise J thank you sister Mara for the fine comment yeah so as you all mentioned the expression jar is often associated with strong emotions like praise song and prayer and
is often d uh used during celebrating Victory Deliverance or recognizing Jehovah's power so we move on to our second question what spiritual James from this week's Bible reading would you like to share with us thank you our sister Psalms 137 verse6 says let my tongue stick to my pallet if I do not remember you if I do not Place Jerusalem above my greatest reasons for rejoicing the psalmist here expresses the heartfelt attitude of some of the Israelite captives and while they were waiting for salvation they kept the visible organization of Jehovah alive in Their hearts
and some like Ezra and Nehemiah proved by their actions that it was their Chief cause for rejoicing also we can follow their examples while we wait for this system to end to by keeping the kingdom hope alive in our hearts and by proving by our action that God's rulership is also our chief cause for rejoicing thank you for the fine comment our brother at the back there please in Psalm 1353 it reminds us to Praise J because Jehovah is good so this highlights that Jehovah does many good things for us and one way we can
um show our love and worship is by singing praises to his name thank you Ellie our brother filimon please in Psalm 137 the Exile worshippers showed how much they loved the Zion which was Jehovah's organization as that time they said in the verse one we wept when we remember Zion and in the verse Five if I forget you let my right hand be forgetful this word show How Deeply they were attached to Jehovah organization this encouraged me to stay close to Jehovah organization today to do that I need to learn more about how Jehovah using
the his organization now and that will help me to to stay closely connected to Jehovah organization nice comment thank you brother fimon now sister cder in Psalms 136 the important aspect Of loyal love is mentioned 26 times and as we read through that chapter we appreciate the many ways in which Jehovah shows loyal love to his people without let up his loyal love endures forever asures us that Jehovah does not quickly give up on his servants instead he attaches himself to those who serve him and he sticks with them especially in times of distress so
knowing this helps us to cope with our trials because Jehovah is always by our side thank you DAV our sister here please chapter3 6 verse1 where he says jeah your life in Judah forever here is the sir for one thing Jehovah forgiveness of sin is permanent Jehovah does not bring up era of the past for which a person has been pardon since all have fall have seen and fall short of the glory of of God each of us should be grateful theer Lo your life endure forever thank you sister B brother Ste n Please in
uh Psalm 135 and verse 6 says Jehovah does everything he pleases to do and it just made me think of the contrast we think within Human Society there is some very powerful Rich individuals that basically can do what they please within our society and how do they choose to use that power they abuse it and take advantage of others and do cruel things how does Jehovah do as he pleases he chose to rescue us to give his son as a ransom and provide a Beautiful hope so aren't we happy to have such a loving God
thank you brother Steven sister samuelu in in chapter 135: 15 to 18 for the longest time people have been serving false Idols that have no true feelings as the scriptures mentioned these man-made Idols cannot speak they cannot hear cannot see and is practically non-living however unlike those who work worship these false Idols verse 14 describes the type of God we Serve with true emotions it says for Jehovah would defend his people and He will feel compassion for his servants and how grateful and appreciative we are to be serving a true living and compassionate God like
Jehovah thank you uh sister Cox throughout Psalms 136 as it was mentioned Jehovah's low love is described as enduring forever and I thought it was interesting that this endurance of his love has two aspects The first is that we enjoy his love forever in the future in the paradise but importantly now the other aspect is something we enjoy today and Jehovah knows that we make many mistakes but he promises not to even call back to his mind our past errors if we're repentant and this is a long- lasting display of his loyal love so we
can appreciate that we benefit from his love now and into the future as well thank you our sister Simon the back there Please similar to Christine's comment um Psalms 135:5 onwards it just talks about the idols of the nation of silver and gold um the work of human hands and it just made me think who are the idols that we have now who have been made by humans or propped up in society and celebrities came to mind and then verse 16 um a mouth they have but they cannot speak verse 17 ears they have but
they cannot hear these verses just kept going on With very um very good similarities between Idols back then and Idols now um and the point though is was Verse 18 the people who make them or idolize them in this case will become just like them so we can make Idols of anything or many things today but it should be our goal to make sure we're B balancing admiring someone for their god-given abilities um or idolizing these ones thank you for the comment our last comment brother Simone here please Psalm 137: 8 and9 and this again
was where the Israelites were in captivity so the events of the Babylonian captivity and the way that they went about it were very fresh in their mind and they're saying here a daughter of Babylon who was soon to be devastated happy will be the one who rewards you with the treatment you inflicted on us happy will be the one who seizes your children and dashes them against the Rocks so in the great of fulfillment Today we see that Babylon the great will be destroyed but who's the one that's going to be happy well Jehovah is
probably going to use the political elements of this system of things to be able to bring about babylon's end but that's not going to necessarily make them happy because they're praising Jehovah but rather Jesus is the one that's going to be happy in bringing about Jehovah's Vengeance and we can be happy too because these children that Are going to be dashed against the rocks are all the teachings of Babylon the great they're all going to go and they're all going to be destroyed by Jesus Direction so we can be very happy about the Fulfillment of
this scripture and so we can do our part now by breaking down the works of the devil and and exposing babylon's false teachings but Jesus is really going to finish the job very nice comment oh well thank you very much for your nice preparation and Your nice comment this evening brothers and sisters we pass on to our chairman thanks brother samuelu for helping us with our spiritual gems and for all who had a part in the um in the this part of the meeting tonight as well well now we come to our Bible reading and
that's going to be handled for us by Brother Steven Ben and we'd like you now to all follow along with brother Ben as he uh reads for us from Psalm 135: 1 through to 21 Praise Jah praise the name of Jehovah offer praise you Servants of Jehovah you who are standing in the house of Jehovah in the court Courtyards of the House of our God praise Jah Jehovah is good sing praises to his name for it is Pleasant for Jehovah has chosen Jacob for himself Israel for his special property for I will know that Jehovah
is great our Lord is greater than all other gods Jehovah does everything he pleases To do in heaven and on Earth in the seas and all the depths he causes clouds to ascend from the ends of the Earth he makes lightning for the rain he brings wind out of its storehouses he struck down the firstborn of Egypt both man and Beast he sent signs and miracles among you o Egypt against pharaoh and all his servants he struck down many nations and killed Mighty Kings sihon the king of the amorites OG The king of Bashan and
all the kingdoms of Canaan he gave their land as an inheritance an inheritance to Israel his people oh Jehovah your name endures forever oh Jehovah your Fame endures for all generations for Jehovah will defend his people and He will feel compassion for his servants the idols of the nations are silver and gold the work of human hands And mouth they have but they cannot speak I but they cannot see ears they have but they cannot hear there is no breath in their mouth the people who make them will become just like them as as will
all those who trust in them oh House of Israel praise Jehovah oh House of Aaron praise Jehovah oh House of Levi praise Jehovah you who fear Jehovah praise Jehovah May Jehovah be praised from Zion The one residing in Jerusalem praise jar thank you very much brother Ben we really appreciate your reading as always a strong sense of calm we know that you have a very good grasp of what you're reading as well and you can convey the sense of that reading to your audience so we really commend you for that and tonight you were looking
at enthusiasm and just some nice comments here in the um in our teaching brochure it mentions in the summary to stimulate And motivate your listeners by speaking with Zeal everybody of course has different levels of zeal so we don't expect that same level to come from all of our brothers and sisters but just in line with their personality and we noticed that you did that I thought there were three things that really or four things that really stood out you really hit praising jar you mentioned that his name endures that you'll feel he'll feel compassion
for his people and Then you mentioned all the different houses praising Jah and then he said anyone that loves Jehovah praise Jah so you really hit those points very nicely and I thought it time it it tied in quite well with one of the cautionary notes really in the uh teaching brochure it says express enthusiasm primarily when teaching main points and motivating your listeners to take action do not Tire your listeners by projecting expecting a high level of enthusiasm Throughout your presentation it can become tiring not only for you but for all of us if
that happens so you did that really nicely brother Ben we appreciate your warm and enthusiastic delivery well now we move into our apply yourself to the field Ministry meeting and uh we start with starting a conversation and so Sister Sarah Tech Mariam and her householder is Sister Ashley Lim and Sister Sarah is going to exchange contact information with a Person who shows interest based on how I love people make disciples lessen 2.4 thank you so much for that coffee it was perfect oh thanks I actually got a few orders wrong today so I'm glad you
like yours don't worry about it we all have those days but you're doing a great job oh you're so kind thank you no worries I come here often and always it's so busy but I don't think so I seen you before here oh yeah I'm new I just moved from Melbourne a few weeks ago Really that's awesome I have some friend from Melbourne as well so it feels so different here right how you settle in it's definitely different um and honestly I don't know if I made the right decision by moving um I don't know
anyone here and I'm a bit bored oh that's be must be very tough but I completely understand like missing friends you know I have my favorite book in uh Proverbs 18 24 says um there's a friend who stick like a brother so when You have friend like a family it's very hard like it's natural to miss them even though I have friend a lot of friends here great friends but sometimes I miss my old friend bom as well oh that's a nice thought um is that quite from the Bible oh yeah it's from the Bible
are you familiar with the Bible uh not really but um I had a coworker that was a Jehovah's Witness and she would talk to me about the bible really yeah oh I'm one of CH witness too oh really that's Awesome um do you know there's a br called um enjoy life um forever or something yeah I do that's one of my favorite book you know it's helped people to learn about the bible message and also how can you have how to have happy life and how to become good friends and also to understand the God
promises in the future as well yeah that's what she said too um and I thought it was really interesting um but we didn't get time to to finish the Brochure before we left oh well if you like I could share more about it sometimes if I can give you a link online as well you can check it out and have free time oh yeah I would love that um but I can see a ton of customers coming through so I should get back to work uh but it was really nice to chat with you yeah
I'm sorry it's all right uh if you are working tomorrow maybe I can stop or maybe I can give you my phone number so when I have free time You can call me oh yeah um that sounds great my number is 04 mhm oh thank you I'll save it and I give you a call so you can save mine too I'm Sarah by the way I'm Ashley oh I nice to meet you Ashley maybe I'm looking forward to chat again with you again oh yeah same here I'll give you a call um I could really
use a friend thanks very much s Sarah we appreciated that and appreciate that you followed through on that instruction to Exchange your cont information although your householder has a very short phone number but we'll work that out later so you were looking at how love people make disciples lesson 2.4 and so uh that's the topic of naturalness and we know of course that it's not always a realistic situation but we do our best to try and convey a realistic situation we can see that what you did there was exactly what the brochure says and that
was to be patient and not to feel that You must introduce a Bible truth immediately in fact you found a topic and then you found a scripture that you're able to just mention and see what the householder was going to say about it and that's a really good method that's a good way of being able to witness informally because it helps us to see what the householder's attitude is toward the Bible and you actually had a very nice experience that ensued so we thank you very much for for putting into Practice those points and demonstrating
that for us Sister Sarah now we have uh following up and this is the setting here is in the house to house ministry we have brother Ellie ASF techam area and his householder is going to be Denzel Papa and Ellie ASF is also going to demonstrate how he can invite a person to a meeting thanks very much El hey Denzel it's nice to see you again how have you been since we last talked oh hi Alie good to see you too I've been Okay I guess but honestly I'm still struggling with the whole vaping thing
I understand Enzo it's not easy to break free from something like that but did you happen to check out the website I shared with you the one that discusses what I should know about smoking and vaping yeah I did I found it really useful the experiences and the extra information helped me understand just how harmful vaping can be that's why I really want to stop but honestly my Friends make it almost impossible yes you're right it's hard when the people around us don't support the changes we're trying to make you know what the Bible actually
highlight this it's in Proverbs 13:20 where it says walk with the wise and you will become wise this scripture really highlights um how our friends and associations can really influence us yeah that's so true friends can really shape who we are yes you're right Denzel and I Understand how challenging it must be for you but you know I truly admire how much you want to make his change and you know taking the steps to um to stop this bad habit takes a lot of strength thanks Ellie I really appreciate that but honestly I feel stuck
every time I try to stop they pull me right back in it's just easier to give in and I don't even know where to find friends or who actually cares about me or making better Choices I'm really glad you shared this with speed Denzel because you know learning feeling this way so many people feel like they can't find true friends who really want the best for them especially in a world where so many friendships are surface level or sometimes could be harmful that's exactly how I feel and that's why I wanted to come up and
follow up our talk together cuz this weekend at our weekly meeting I think you find a very Encouraging talk it's going to be about where and how we can find strong and Lasting friendships that sounds amazing that's exactly what I need right now but honestly I don't think I'd fit in with people like that I understand why I might feel dis danzel but I can assure you you find people there just like you and me people who just want to make positive changes people who love God and people who value meaningful Friendships I never thought
about about it like that it's true denel what's so beautiful about meeting is how diverse it is people for ages backgrounds or just who love God and who want to build strong friendships together that does sound really good I think it's exactly what you're looking for if you want it's this Saturday we can sit together if you like okay sounds good progress uh here in the Kingdom Hall and At our meetings it's certainly it's fine to behold so we really appreciate what you what you're able to accomplish and uh how you're following through with uh
the the teachings and the instructions that come through from our Publications we can see that so beautifully demonstrated here on the platform tonight you were looking at the love people make disciples lesson 9 point4 under empathy and point 4 is thinking about the interested person and we Certainly were able to get that picture as you continued in your discussion asking the household how they were going with that problem that they were experiencing but then giving some very pointed and practical uh instruction for the householder to follow so that the householder didn't feel left in the
Lurch and that's exactly what our loved people make disciples brocher says why does he need to hear the truth and how would studying the Bible make his daily Life and his future better so you identified a problem and you thinking along the lines of what's going to make this better is how the Bible is going to improve this person's life you weren't there just to listen and give some empathy you were there to give some practical instruction in life you did that of course you gave that empathy and that was nice to see but I
just like it when you mentioned it's hard when friends make it difficult so you Acknowledge the household as feelings you said I understand how challenging this is for you and I'm glad that you shared this with me and that's why I wanted to tell you about a meeting that's coming up so they were really good ways of showing interest in the householder without applying uh pressure on the householder but showing that you are very interested in that person's welfare both now and in the future so really well done thank you Elas now we're up to
the uh part explaining your beliefs this is a demonstration based on our frequently asked questions about Jehovah's Witnesses publication article 7 and so we have brother fman as our student and brother jce an as our householder the theme is are Jehovah's Witnesses Christians thanks brother fman hi jce it's it's really nice to see you again I really want to commend you for the love you show for the truth and the spiritual Progress you're making in our Bible study oh thank you Danny um look but there's a slight small problem unfortunately um I'm sorry to say
this but I'm thinking of discontinuing the Bible study uh what's wrong guys uh well my family and my friends are saying the je of us witness are not Christians they don't even believe in Jesus Oh J uh I can understand how you're feeling cuz actually when I first started studying the Bible my family had similar Misconceptions about have as Witnesses and sometimes when we studying the Bible it can be really hard especially when those who are close to us try to discourage us from studying the Bible but don't give up jce it's it's it's it's
worth pursuing and persevering in studying the Bible especially when we go through difficult times and rest assured Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians and we do believe in Jesus and we do love Jesus Too but just don't take my word for it Jas you need to convince yourself about these matters so let's have a see what uh what Jehovah's witness's beliefs are and if they're in harmony with the Bible and the teachings of Jesus okay let let's do that all right well first I'd like to send you a a link it's to one of our articles and
it covers that exact topic are Jehovah's Witnesses Christians thanks uh wait uh well okay I've got that okay okay then well let's Begin by reading uh 1 Peter 2:21 which says Christ suffered for you leaving a model for you to follow his steps closely so yes Jehovah's Witnesses do follow closely the teachings and behavior of Jesus Christ and like Jesus our main focus is the sanctification of Jehovah's name and the Vindication of his sovereignty even if that means have to suffer persecution shame and even death well I didn't know that uh being a Christian would
require a suffering oh Jas don't be discouraged uh Jehovah doesn't cause our suffering he helps us through our trials he he helps us by comforting us he can strengthening us and he helps us to endure for our trials let's have a look at our next point there uh how Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the key to Salvation so in Acts 4:12 it says there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved so we believe that as an Expression of God's love and undeserved kindness Jesus
has given laid down his perfect human life as a ransom sacrifice so that granted granted ing everybody the opportunity for everlasting life isn't that good so now let's move on to our next point there it says when people Become Jehovah's Witnesses they get baptized in the name of Jesus we we do this because we're following the command at Matthew 2818 and 19 specifically more 19 but see we Recognize Jesus in our relationship with God and we acknowledge too that uh Jesus everything that Jesus has done for us and we accept to his authority so that's
what we do when we get baptized and we also when we pray we offer prayers in jesus' name well we do that because this is the only way that God said is acceptable for us to approach him and so we do believe what Jesus says there at um Says the at John 1562 that so no matter what we ask the father in my name he may give to you and we also believe too that Jehovah appointed Jesus as head over every man as First Corinthians 11:3 goes on to say so Jesus is the head of
the congregation and has the authority to oversee all the activities of Jehovah's people worldwide case there many many more ways to prove that Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians however in many ways we are Different to the religious groups that are called Christian how about we discuss those differences next time we meet and based on your love for the truth you'll be able to make an informed decision on whether Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians and if you'd like to continue studying the Bible how does that sound okay well that sounds very fair like to express our appreciation brother
Ferman for your part it was really well Done um tonight you were looking at study 12 with from our teaching brocher warmth and empathy and the summary says speak with genuine emotion and show your listeners you care and I think you did it quite nicely brother Danny I I noticed it right from the outset you had a lot of emotion in your voice when you said what's wrong jce is everything okay um you said rest assured Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians you had a very kind and calm tone and you mentioned to Jace not to be
discouraged and you said that in a kind way as well in fact I noticed that you use Jason's name frequently and that's important for us because if we're being empathetic we have to acknowledge the other person uh their name uh their feelings and many other things besides so you did that quite nicely tonight Danny um there's some very good counsel in our uh uh teaching brochure thinking about our listeners choosing our words carefully And showing our interest but just one of the uh other points that it mentioned and I again I I commend you for
doing this tonight brother Danny it says that don't force or exaggerate emotions and what's what's one way we can do that well it says while reading or talking Express the feelings indicated in the passage but don't draw undue attention to yourself since emphasize in consonants can result in a cold and clipped delivery draw out vowels to warm Up the tone of your voice you notice that when we do that empathy and warmth can come quite naturally if we clip the vals that sentence would sound like this would sound since emphasizing consonant can result in a
cold clip delivery draw out vals to warm up the tone of your voice you see a huge difference can't we but when we draw out the vows and not and not clip consonants then we're actually helping our audience to see that we have empathy and and warmth and Feeling toward them so thanks very much brother Ferman thanks again to all of our students tonight really well done we do appreciate the effort that you put into preparing and delivering your material well now we've reached our living as Christians meeting and to introduce that we have song
number 10 it's entitled praise Jehovah our god let's sing that song now with enthusiasm song number 10 now we come to our local needs part and Uh we have a real treat in store we invite you now to view our monitors for a presentation of the governing body update number eight we always appreciate our governing body updates don't we always learn and are reminded of something new or exciting uh even serious matters like our dear brothers in uh and sisters in erria and how we can be uh conscious of those ones and pray to for
Jehovah's help to be extended to them well now we Come to our congregation bible study this week will be a consideration of chapter 21 and it's the first seven paragraphs and the Box on page 166 and now we'd like to invite brother niil harp to come to the platform to conduct and our reader will be brother Andrew Bulls we have a lovely section from this study or chapter tonight I am clean from the blood of all men this is chapter 21 and the focus of this chapter Paul's Zeal in the ministry and his coun to
Elders tonight we will learn in what sense was Apostle Paul clean from the blood of all man and also how can everyone especially the elders imitate the Apostle Paul Let's uh start our discussion and we'll ask brother Andrew Wilson to read paragraphs 1 to three please Paul is in a crowded upper chamber in Traz he speaks at length to the brothers since this is the last meeting he will be with them it's now midnight there are quite a few lamps burning in the room adding to the Heat and perhaps contributing to a smoky atmosphere seated
at one of the windows is a young man ticus as Paul is speaking uus falls asleep and tumbles out of the third story window as a position Luke is likely Among the first to rush outside and examine the young man there's no question about his condition uus is picked up dead but then a miracle occurs Paul throws himself on the young man and says to the crowd stop making commotion for he is alive Paul has raised udcus back to life that incident demonstrates the power of God's holy spirit Paul could not rightly be blamed For
the death of udcus still he did not want the young man's death to Mar this important occasion or to stumble anyone spiritually by resurrecting ticus Paul left the congregation comforted and fully invigorated to carry on their Ministry clearly Paul took a very responsible view of the lives of others we are reminded of his words I am clean from the blood of all men let us consider how Paul's example can help us in this Regard thank you brother question a describe the circumstances surrounding the death of yuk uus sister Benji Bernard please yes we we learned
that Paul stayed seven days ministering and spiritually building up the Christian Brothers in trogus uh and the night before leaving he assembled a uh with with them and prolonged his speech until midnight as mentioned in Acts 20:7 and a young man in attendance named uh Yus who was seated at the third story window was overcome by sleep and tumbled to his death thank you the question B what does Paul do and what does this incident show about Paul you may answer the first part if you like hi well the the account tells us that Paul
threw himself on the young man in order to bring him back alive and so uh It really shows that um Paul didn't want this uh this terrible thing that happened a ticus falling out and and and dying to um distract uh you know his the theme of his speaking to encourage the brothers and sisters there thank you Father Davis and it also shows the power of um of Jehovah to be able to uh it was Jehovah that raised this poy not poor Really thank you very much brother Nicholson yeah just uh adding to that comment
in line with what we just watch regarding those that are in videos and things not giving undue um admiration to them Paul really emphasized that that stop this commotion he's alive it was like this it's just all happened it's all everyday stuff let's go keep having a chat and so the focus was on Jehovah and not on on Paul himself here Thank you brother uh Simon and it's a nice point there toward the end of paragraph three that Paul took a very responsible view of the lives of others and that really sets the tone for
our discussion because the theme there I'm clean from the blood of all men Paul took every um man that he encountered as that and their life as being very important uh important enough to be concerned about resurrecting this Individual and also about preaching and encouraging others as well thanks a lot brother krupi yeah we could imagine um the commotion that would have continued uh if Paul hadn't have acted and really it's the power of God's holy spirit that's underscored here um so the net result was was that Paul then leaves the congregation comforted and no
doubt fully Invigorated witnessing uh someone being raised from the dead would certainly have strengthened their faith rather than uh putting a real damper on the the situation and and then Paul leaving under a different circumstance so we see the positive outcome brought about by the action of Paul and God's holy spirit importantly thank you very much in a similar way the resurrection hope today invigorate us keep us spiritually alive pressing on in our ministry the Point about the Paul I am clear from the blood of all man what did Paul do to become clear of
the blood of all man sister K well it wasn't because pored blood in Warfare or he had eaten blood he is clean from the blood of all men before God because he had not withhold the love saving message to the people around him exactly that helps a lot in our ministry uh we should view our ministry Seriously uh lives are at stake brother Lim please yeah and and Paul actually understood that this preaching work uh was actually uh included him becoming guilty of of of of becoming blood guilty actually so it's not just about doing
God's Will and and obeying his commands but we can actually become blood guilty if we don't take this message seriously the preaching work thank you let's move to the first Subheading he began his journey to Macedonia if we can ask a volunteer to read first acts 21 and two if you can have a reader act 20 1 and two uh sis Carmen when the Uproar had subsided Paul sent for the disciples and after he had encouraged them and said farewell he began his journey to Macedonia after going through those regions and giving many words of
encouragement to the ones There he arrived in Greece thank you let's ask brother Wilson now to read paragraph four as discussed in the preceding chapter Paul had been through a harrowing ordeal his ministry in ephes had stirred up quite a commotion indeed the silver Smiths whose livelihood depended on the worship of Artemis had taken part in a riot when the Uproar had subsided acts 20:1 Relates Paul sent for the disciples and after he had encouraged them and said farewell he began his journey to Macedonia what harrowing ordeal had Paul been through s Rani like in
the paragraph it says in um when Paul was doing his ministry in Ephesus it was quite a commotion because those silver SMS made the idols of emus and uh and with Paul preaching he they didn't like it so they did they taken Part in the ride so it was quite a commotion back then thank you other Gary bck so after this right subsided what did Paul do did he say well I think I'll just take it easy no he was concerned for the brothers so he sent for the disciples and he wanted to be able
to encourage them before he left thank you very much what a Wonderful example despite his problems he's still thinking about the brothers the congregation let's read now paragraph five and six brother Wilson please on the way to Macedonia Paul stopped in the sea port of troz and spent time there Paul hoped the Titus who had been sent to Corinth were joining there however when it became evident that Titus was not coming Paul went on to Macedonia perhaps spending a Year or so giving many words of encouragement to the ones there Titus finally joined Paul in
Macedonia bringing good news regarding the Corinthians response to Paul's first letter this moved Paul to write another letter to them which we now know as second Corinthians it's noteworthy that Luke uses the words encouraged an encouragement to describe Paul's visits to the brothers in Ephesus And Macedonia how will these words Express Paul's attitude toward fellow Believers in contrast with the Pharisees who looked on others with contempt Paul viewed the Sheep as fellow workers Paul maintained that attitude even when he had to give them strong counsel thank you brother Wilson question a how long may Paul
have been in Macedon and what did he do for the brothers There sister malania Paul went on to Macedonia perhaps spending a year or and also when he was there in Acts 20:2 he says there after going through those regions and giving many words of encouragement to the ones there he arrived in so he gave them many words of encouragement that's very nice and while he was there he what news did he receive from Titus mother sister Maria Mik well Titus has actually joined him now and he actually gave a good report about the Corinthian
brothers and sisters and so this moved brother Paul to um write another letter the second letter of second Corinthians well let's consider now this letter and two other letters in the Box Paul's letters from Macedonia and we ask brother Wilson to read the whole box pleas in his second letter to the Corinthians Paul says that when he Arrived in Macedonia he was anxious about his brothers in Corinth however Titus brought him good news from Corinth and Paul was comforted it was then in about 55 CE that Paul wrote 2 Corinthians in which he indicates that
he was still in Macedonia one of the things on Paul's mind during this period was the completing of the collection for the holy ones in Judea he was also worried about the Presence in Corinth of false Apostles deceitful workers it is possible that Paul's letter to Titus was written from Macedonia sometime during the years 61 to 64 CE after being released from his first Roman captivity Paul visited the island of Cree he left Titus there to correct certain problems and make congregation appointments Paul asked Titus to make beat him in Nicopolis there were a number
of cities of this name in the ancient Mediterranean area but it seems most likely that Paul was referring to the necropolis in Northwest Greece the apostle was probably working in that general area when he wrote to Titus Paul's first letter to Timothy also belongs to the period between his two imprisonments in Rome from 61 to 64 CE in the introduction to this letter Paul indicates that he asked Timothy to Remain in Ephesus while he himself went to Macedonia from there it seems Paul wrote this letter to give Timothy fatherly advice encouragement and Direction on certain
procedures to be followed in the congregations thank you brother Wilson the first paragraph what moved Paul to write the second letter to the Corinthians brother Higa well we know that uh Apostle Paul of course has been through a lot of uh terrible experiences up until this point so no doubt the brothers were very concerned about him and uh he wanted to comfort them and let them know that um uh he was okay he had been ex he had been um doing well despite and so he he wrote this letter to encourage them thank you very
much brother krupi yes so that um first second letter Was triggered by uh he's he was anxious about these brothers and then Titus comes back and gives a report to him about the response to Paul's first letter which was very encouraging they'd uh taken the council to heart and it was um producing good outcomes so uh Paul was encouraged then to uh write another letter to his Corinthian brothers and sisters by way of further encouragement and counsel that's lovely and uh first 2 Corinthian chapter 75 To7 describe the relationship between Paul and the Corinthians do
you have a comment on the Scripture it shows how brother Simon pleas yeah Paul talks there about when he got to catch up with Titus it really brought him a great deal of comfort because uh he saw how through titus's words the brothers were encouraged and that the council that Paul gave them in these first letter had really reach their Hearts and they were showing genuine concern for one another there was a case of wrong doing that they corrected there were other matters organizationally that they uh they would have improved upon and so uh of
course along with all of that they took Paul's Council on board about true love and so they were able to then demonstrate that and obviously that convinced Titus who then conveyed that to Paul and in verse S it says not only by his presence but also by the Comfort He received because of you as he reported reported back to us about your longing for me your deep sorrow and your Earnest concern for me so I Rejoice even more so there's some very encouraging things that came out of that first letter that enabled Paul to WR
the encouraging second letter certainly and uh this spirit that corrian showed willing Spirit obedience and that's what we can see in our congregation we take this opportunity to Compliment you for the fine loving Spirit you are showing Let's uh consid a second letter uh why was Paul's letter to Titus important what's happening when sister Higa yes Paul Paul was concerned about uh the presence of um um false apostles who are deceitful workers uh they were disguising themselves as Apostles of Christ but uh and so um this was uh what he wants to actually mention as
well Thank you very much and the last letter the first letter to Timothy what direction and encouragement did Paul give Timothy brother Pablo valerino well you also during this period I mean and also from Macedonia while uh timoy was um sorry Paul writes a letter to uh give Timothy fatherly advice encouragement and Direction on certain procedures to be followed in the Congregations thank you brother valerino no doubt those letters they are still very important to us today let's move back to paragraphs five and six the question be What attitude did Paul maintain toward his fellow
believers brother mlan First Corinthians 3:9 there Paul speaks about these fellow Believers as being his fellow workers so Paul viewed them the same as himself and even if we look at 2 Corinthians 2:4 that even when Paul had to give them strong counsel he still maintain this same attitude um as well so it was an attitude of encouragement he encouraged these ones thank you let's uh consider the last paragraph paragraph 7even bar please today congregation elders and circuit overseas strive to imitate Paul's example even when giving reproof they have the goal of strengthening those needing
assistance overseers empathetically seek To encourage rather than condemn one exper circuit overse here put it this way most of our brothers and sisters want to do what is right but they often struggle with frustrations fears and the feeling that they are powerless to help themselves overseas can be a source of strength to such fellow Believers thank you brother Wilson can we have a reader for Hebrews chter 12: 12-13 Is second place therefore strengthen the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and keep making straight Paws for your feet so that what is lame may
not be put out of joint but rather may be healed thank you a question on seven how can Christian overseas today imitate all's example uh brother Sky Christian overseers today can imitate Paul's example by encouraging Instead of condemning those who need assistance and strengthening some people just need some encouragement to push push forward and overseers can be a source of encouragement and strength to push forward to help those fellow Believers and help them serve Jehovah to the best of their ability thank you uh sister R and the experience of a circuit Overseer really highlights that
same spirit that overseers try to imitate um uh given by Paul and recognize that brothers and sisters mostly want to do what's right uh but often we we struggle with fears and frustrations and um the power a powerless feeling when something goes wrong thank you uh sister Barnett and uh we know that our um overseers um they continue to help our Fellow Believers to fight against Satan's snares and they help making straight paths for us as mentioned in Hebrews 12 12 to 13 that's lovely brother Simon yeah the scripture that ended the last paragraph of
2 Corinthians 2:4 but the beautiful words that Paul wrote for out of much tribulation and anguish of heart I wrote you with many tears not to sadden you but to let you know the depth of love I have for you so there's the Challenge uh for elders circuit overseers the ones who want to give this councel uh it's not only to give the counsel but it's to show that love and that Council should actually spring from a heart full of love for Jehovah sheep and for our brothers and sisters thank you brother Simon just keep
in mind always our dear brothers who the overseas in the congregation their concern exactly as Paul's concern conern to help us to keep worshiping Jehovah and always to be United in the preaching work what a wonderful and nice study seven paragraphs but full of points we can take away two points to remember first Paul was clear from the blood because he was faithful to the preaching work he delivered the life saving message to everyone and what a wonderful example the brothers the Corinthians Apostle Paul what important is always to to be United in our worship
To Jehovah and to show obedient spirit so we can benefit from the direction we receive whether from the overseas or from the branch or the society thank thank you very much for your lovely comments we will invite the chairman back to the platform thank you brother har for taking us through this week's uh assign congregation Bible study material we appreciate the loving and warm way in which you did that and we thank you too Brothers and sisters for your fine comments and your meaningful share uh in the congregation Bible study well uh we come to
time for our review we'll have A Brief Review as stirring meeting tonight reminding us of ways that Jehovah demonstrates his power not only toward all creation or toward his people as a group but also toward us as individuals and so that was a very heartwarming thought wasn't it that came out of our material from from this week's reading Especially from Psalm 135 did you get that point about the shorten form of Jehovah's name being jar and why it's used so often remember the that uh term is usually linked with the more moving emotions of praise
and song and prayer and int treaty and it's generally found where the subject theme dwells Upon A rejoicing over Victory or Deliverance or where there's an acknowledgement of God's Mighty hand and power so it's an interesting uh point to Remember when that term jar is used and what did you take away from the governing body update number eight wasn't that really exciting and encouraging of course it was very serious for us too to consider our dear brothers and sisters in arrae and to keep praying uh that Jehovah s continues to sustain them but it's also
exciting for us to know too about the Ramapo project and how that's received that approval now it's moving ahead and just That point too wasn't that interesting to keep in mind that praise needs to be directed toward Jehovah and not unduly unwittingly toward our brothers and sisters because uh it can affect our brothers and sisters we all want to serve Jehovah humbly and modestly and not have praise directed to us we learn every day don't we to redirect the praise back to Jehovah God and from our congregation Bible study we're looking forward now to seeing
Paul's activities In the region of Macedonia we already saw just how much he covered uh when he was there in a very short time so we're looking forward to seeing other events uh at in his time there in Macedonia so next week the reading is from Psalm 138 to 139 with the theme of how we can keep uh nervousness and shyness under control with Jehovah's help uh so please enjoy covering that material uh in your personal and family worship next week we'll explain why in a Few moments okay song number 90 is entitled encourage one
another so that's the closing song for tonight we encourage you all to stand and sing uh this song Together encourage one another and when then after that we'll have brother Michael Cox senior close our meeting in prayer summary of assignments let us be better teachers start conversations house to house use a tract To start a conversation how to preach God's word house to house with respect and humility when preaching God's word word house to house it is important to remember that the primary goal is not just to deliver a message but to establish a genuine
and respectful connection with the person we are speaking to the way we approach others is crucial as we represent Jehovah's character and the love he has for all People regardless of their prior knowledge or faith one of the most important aspects of preaching is avoiding the impression of superiority preaching should be based on an exchange of ideas not an imposition when speaking with someone we must remind ourselves that every person has their own journey and experiences it is not about showing that we know more but about sharing what we have learned with the humility of
Knowing we are no better than others in fact Jehovah teaches us to be humble as Proverbs 11:2 States when presumptuousness comes dishonor will follow but wisdom is with the modest ones instead of highlighting superiority we should speak modestly recognizing that we are all learning and growing when sharing God's word we must always treat the person with the utmost respect this includes listening carefully to their thoughts concerns and Viewpoints we should not interrupt or make the other person feel that their opinion is irrelevant James 1:19 reminds us everyone should be quick to listen listen slow to
speak practicing this gives the other person an opportunity to express themselves showing that we value their perspective rather than imposing our beliefs we can ask open-ended questions like what do you think about this or have you ever considered this point this approach Fosters respectful Dialogue rather than a one-sided conversation regarding the content we share it is essential to present it clearly without complicating or overwhelming the person with too much information at once preaching should not be a monologue but an exchange when discussing biblical topics it is advisable to be simple and focused instead of covering
too many topics we can concentrate on one and ensure that the person understands it well pausing To ask if anything is unclear shows our willingness to clarify any doubts remember our goal is to help not to impress with knowledge as 1 Peter 3:15 States but sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts always ready to make a defense before everyone who demands of you a reason for the hope you have but doing so with a mild temper and deep respect next assignment explain your beliefs roleplay why don't Jehovah's Witnesses go to war Jehovah's Witnesses Like
many other Christians follow the Bible's teachings regarding War the primary reason we do not participate in Wars is that the Bible clearly instructs us to refrain from violence and guides us toward a peaceful and loving way of life let us delve into why we follow this principle first it is crucial to highlight that the Bible establishes that God's servants should not participate in war as a direct command from him Isaiah 2:4 States He will render judgment among the Nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples they will beat their swords into plowshares and their Spears
into pruning shears Nation will not lift up sword against Nation nor will they learn War anymore this prophecy points to a future where Wars will cease and Nations will disarm Jehovah's Witnesses understand that living by Divine principles means being committed to peace and avoiding Involvement in war the gospels also reinforce this stance through Jesus teachings in Matthew 26:52 when Peter tried to defend Jesus with a sword Jesus told him return your sword to its place for all those who take up the sword will perish By The Sword this command shows that Jesus's followers must avoid
violence as it goes against the principles he taught furthermore Jesus emphasized that his disciples are no part of the world Implying that they should remain neutral in political and Military matters John 1716 says they are no part of the world just as I am no part of the world Jehovah's Witnesses therefore do not engage in Wars protests or military service because their loyalty lies with God's kingdom not worldly Affairs loving one's neighbor is another fundamental principle that leads us to reject war in John 13:34-35 Jesus said I am giving you a new commandment that you
love one another just as I have loved you you also love one another by this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love among yourselves Christians follow Jesus's example by loving even their enemies making violence incompatible with their faith as first John 3:10 to12 reminds us true Christian love Fosters Brotherhood and mutual respect not Conflict historically early Christians also abstained from war according to the Encyclopedia of religion and War early Christians did not support Wars or serve in the military because they recognized that such actions contradicted the command to love one's
neighbor historian Edward Gibbon noted in the history of the decline in and fall of the Roman Empire that it was impossible for Christians to be soldiers without renouncing a more sacred Duty Jehovah's Witnesses adhere to this biblical principle prioritizing peace and love over Earthly loyalties next assignment make disciples what some say knowing Jesus benefits us the path to a relationship with God the Bible highlights the fun FAL importance of learning about Jesus and understanding the mission God entrusted to him knowing Jesus is essential for our spiritual life as he paved the way for us to
draw closer to Jehovah and have a personal relationship with him this not only provides Direction in this life but also gives us the hope of everlasting life in John 146 Jesus said I am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me this statement underscores the indispensable role of Jesus in bringing us closer to God he not only shows us the path to Jehovah but also embodies the truth that helps us understand our Purpose and the life Jehovah desires for us without knowing Jesus and his sacrifice we
would not have access to friendship with God or the spiritual blessings he offers additionally John 173 says this means everlasting life they're coming to know you the only true God and the one whom you sent Jesus Christ this declaration emphasizes that everlasting life is tied to knowing Jehovah and Jesus it is not just about a General awareness of who Jesus is but understanding his mission and the sacrifice he made for Humanity by knowing Jesus and following his example we gain the promise of everlasting life which offers hope for the future thus knowing Jesus not only
benefits Us by teaching us to live according to God's principles but also opens the door to everlasting life Jesus is not just a historical figure but the means through which we access the truth life and a Close relationship with Jehovah
