Transcripts: Broadcasts

Transcript: JW Broadcasting. June 2024: 155th Gilead Graduation
(David Schafer. Helper to the Teaching Committee)
David Schafer: We are happy to welcome you to JW Broadcasting for June 2024. On March 2024 students from around the world were delighted to graduate from the 155th class of Gilead. Students came from five continents represented more than twenty countries and spoke over thirty-five languages. What parting encouragement did members of the Governing Body, the Gilead Instructors and others give to the graduates? What intriguing talk themes were developed? Which countries were featured in the latest edition of the inside story? Let’s find out. Enjoy part one.
Kenneth Cook: Well, you seem excited, and you should be, and we’re happy for you. The graduation program today will benefit every listener but even so please note that this program has been prepared with your class in mind. When the day is over, you’ll look back and recall a program that honored Jehovah and that confirms his love for you as well as our love for you. During the past five months of your schooling, you were asked to draw out important Bible principles from many different accounts, true. And so many of those accounts focused on servants of God who, with his help, well they succeeded in doing his will. And you no doubt agree more than ever before with what the Apostle Paul wrote at Philippians 4:13 where he said, “For all things I have the strength through the one who gives me power.” And you know who that one is, Jehovah. And he provides that power for us by means of his son. And he gave you the power to succeed in this school and you did, and that’s a blessing you must never forget. He helped you and he will always help you. For example, in the future when you face a task or challenge that seems very large, very daunting, you can remember how he helped you at this time. Keep in mind scriptural examples like David. From his youth, David, remembered his need for Jehovah’s help, didn’t he? At Psalm 71:5,17 he said “For you are my hope, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah. I have trusted in you since my youth. O God, you have taught me from my youth. And until now I keep declaring your wonderful works”. Well, isn’t that how you feel as Jehovah has helped you along through the years? And now as he helped you through this schooling and you’re at the point of graduation, and what a thrilling day for you, one that you’ll never forget. So, like David, he had the gratitude to remember Jehovah’s help, so do we. David had the faith to trust in Jehovah’s help and so do we. And we see those good qualities in you, and we love you for it. That’s why you’re confident to face whatever things are ahead of you as well. So, use your Gilead training in the branches where you will serve. Jehovah will love you for it and the dear brothers and sisters will absolutely love you for it. So now we’re going to enjoy a series of encouraging talks that for all of us, as mentioned earlier, will strengthen our faith, build up our trust in God and highlight the wonderful purpose, his wonderful purpose that we support. So, first of all in the program let’s give our attention to Brother Jonathan Smith, he serves as a helper to the Service Committee, who will discuss the theme: What do I need to do?
Jonathan Smith: What do I need to do? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Well, if you’re like me, you ask yourself that question every day, sometimes several times a day. What do I need to do next? But there’s a little bit more to that question and maybe you haven’t asked yourself this in a while. What do I need to do to inherit everlasting life? And maybe that’s a question you asked when you were first studying the Bible, and rightly so. Or maybe during your course of your Gilead training you asked yourself that question a number of times. Well in the Bible there were two men who asked Jesus that same exact question. Both of them ask Jesus that question in the last six months of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Though it was the same question the answers were different. Let’s look at the first one. Luke 10:25 “Now look! a man versed in the Law stood up to test him and said Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit everlasting life?” Well Jesus very astutely understands that this man is already versed in the law. He probably already has an idea, but it seems his motive may be more to test Jesus than get an answer. So, what does Jesus do? Jesus lets him answer his own question in verse 26 “What is written in the Law? How do you read?” In verse 27 the man gives an amazing answer. In one sentence this man sums up the entire Mosaic Law. He does it exactly the same way that Jesus had done so on two different occasions. Well, Jesus, no doubt impressed, he said to him in verse 28 “You answered correctly; keep doing this and you will get life”. Good lessons here for us. When we’re talking to people about the Bible and our ministry, sometimes we may detect they have a little knowledge, flip the question back to them. What do you think? Or better yet, what do you read? Another thing we can do is found in verse 28, commend a person if they give a correct response. Let them know that you think everlasting life is within their reach. But this man has another motive surface now. He moves from testing Jesus to wanting to prove himself righteous. In verse 29 he says, “Who really is my neighbor?” Now being Jewish and being versed in the Law he’s already got an idea on this one too, doesn’t he? He’s probably thinking is Jesus going to tell me what I want to hear, that my neighbors are my Jewish friends, perhaps in my village, especially those who follow the Law. Well, if so, that question would be a little limited, wouldn’t it? Who really is my neighbor isn’t really the best question. So how does Jesus get around this motive that he’s got of proving himself righteous and yet correct his viewpoint on a neighbor? Well as you know there’s a beautiful parable here, the neighborly Samaritan where Jesus describes a situation here in verse 33, 31,32. A man is going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, falls victim to robbers, they strip him, beat him, leave him half dead. But by coincidence a priest goes down that road but passes by on the opposite side. The same thing happens with a Levite, passes by on the opposite side. These are men who have responsible positions in God’s organization. How callous, how insensitive. Good lesson here for us. We may have responsible assignments in Jehovah’s organization. Never allow that to cause us to become callous to another person’s needs, even putting our down time, so to speak, ahead of our caring for someone. Well, you’ll notice that the Samaritan is very different, 33, 34.
(Artwork: Samaritan crouched over man on the ground. Now, at night inside the Inn, the Samaritan cares for the man wrapped in bandages)
He’s traveling this road, he’s moved with pity, he approaches him, bandages the wounds, pours oil and wine on them. Mounts the poor man on his own animal, brings him to an Inn, takes cares of him, evidentially all that day. The next day, verse 35, he takes out two denarii, two days wages, gives them to the Inn Keeper, says take care of him, whatever you spend besides this, I will repay you when I return.
(Artwork: Inside the Inn, the man sleeps. Through the open door, outside the Inn, the Samaritan gives the Inn Keeper coins)
Two days wages, evidently, he spent everything that he had because he was going to have to come back to give the Inn Keeper more. All for a man who was a Jew who’d likely, under normal circumstances would not even greet him. Well Jesus then asked another question, but this time Jesus changes the man’s question. Not who is my neighbor but who of these three seems to you to have made himself neighbor to the man who fell victim to the robbers? Isn’t that a better question? It isn’t, who is my neighbor, how can I make myself a neighbor? Well, the man gets the point, and he answers correctly again. He doesn’t say Samaritan, maybe he can’t go that far, but he says the one who acted mercifully. Now Jesus says go and do the same yourself, and the account ends there, on a positive note. Well, we learn a lot don’t we about talking with people in our ministry and even in our day-to-day conversations at work, with our brothers and sisters. When others have a question, never belittle the question, right, simply help them to come to the right conclusion. We never want to criticize someone for a motive that may not be the best. Just kindly respond, maybe a parable, an illustration will help them get the point. Well now, this isn’t the only time Jesus had to deal with that question as I mentioned. Let’s go to another occasion and this time we’re going to go to Luke 18 and verse 18 and here we find that this man is not well versed in the Law but he’s a ruler and the Bible says that he is very rich, and, in another Gospel, it also says that he’s young.
(Artwork: Man on bended knee before Jesus and two disciples)
Rich and young and a ruler. Not always the best combination. But notice here in verse 18 the conversation starts at him running up to Jesus, on bended knee “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?” Well Jesus can’t let this one go. You don’t want to call Jesus something that should be only true of Jehovah, that is a title of being a Good Teacher. So, he gives him a gentle correction there in verse 19. And then in verse 20 Jesus describes of course some of the Ten Commandments. But the man in verse 21 says “All these I have kept from my youth on”. In other words what else am I lacking? Well after hearing this, Jesus acknowledges that there actually is something lacking. In verse 22, one thing, “Sell all the things you have, distribute the proceeds to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens; and come be my follower”. Well, that’s almost too much for him to take and Mark’s account tells us at this point Jesus felt love for the man because he clearly saw that he was sincere. But although he was sincere in his question, he couldn’t do it, could he? When he heard this, he became deeply grieved for he was very rich. Mark says he had many possessions.
(Artwork: Jesus and two disciples watch the troubled man walk away)
Well, we learn a few things from this parable, don’t we? We learn that sometimes people that have good motives don’t always have the qualities. In this case he was simply too attached to his things and that prevented him from gaining one of the best privileges he could have possibly had in following Jesus. So, from these two accounts we learn some things. First of all, we learn that we can learn from a Samaritan. Have you ever learned from a Samaritan? I know I have. One day many years ago I was driving down the road and I had a flat tire, and I had a spare tire but the tools, I didn’t have. So, this is before the days of cell phones. I walked up to the nearest house, I said “Can I use your phone, please, to call a tow truck?” And the man said, “Well why?” “I need to change my tire”. He says, “I’ll help you.” He comes out of his house, gets his tools and in no time changes my tire. As he’s doing so, I’m thinking to myself “He’s of another religion, he’s of another culture, another racial background, he’s changing my tire.” As I’m driving away, I’m thinking “Jehovah taught me something today from a Samaritan.” So, what do we learn? It’s not such a bad idea occasionally to ask this question, is it? Two men were wise to do so, unfortunately at least one of them didn’t follow through. But occasionally if we say to Jehovah, please, what do I need to do to inherit everlasting life? We can be sure that Jehovah will answer that prayer, maybe through personal study or Bible reading, or it might even be through a Samaritan.”
Kenneth Cook: Well, we thank you very much Brother Smith for that warm and practical talk. Let’s now give our attention to Brother Paul Gillies who serves as a helper to the Co-ordinators Committee, who will discuss the theme, The Gift of God”.
Paul Gillies: Jehovah is the most generous Person in the universe. He is the Giver of “every good gift and every perfect present.” And no doubt you Gilead students have thanked Jehovah many times for the numerous spiritual gifts that you have received over the past five months. I recall what one of you said in your introduction, “Gilead is an undeserved gift.” What I would like to ask you now is, “Have you experienced over these five months “‘the gift of God’ that’s mentioned at Ecclesiastes 3:12, 13?” Let’s have a look at these verses together. Ecclesiastes 3:12, 13: I have concluded that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good during their life, also that everyone should eat and drink and find enjoyment for all his hard work. It is the gift of God.” So, this verse offers a very simple formula for enjoying life if we’re blessed with good health. There is nothing better than to eat and drink and find enjoyment for hard work. Why is that? Because it is “the gift of God.” Now, as explained in verse 12, the work which produces feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction is, you’ll note, “to do good,” that is, good deeds on behalf of others. As Jesus said: There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” Proverbs 8:30 also tells us that as “a master worker,” Jesus rejoiced, or as the Hebrew word for rejoice implies, he had a good time. Yes, he had a good time working with his Father over billions of years, creating the universe. Now, we may be a long way from being classed as a master worker, but all can enjoy the satisfaction that comes from doing good work in Jehovah’s service. And don’t you find that it’s this feeling itself that is a gift from God? Now, if you’ll turn with me to Ecclesiastes chapter 5, verses 18 and 19 expand on this thought. Ecclesiastes 5:18, 19: This is what I have seen to be good and proper: that one should eat and drink and find enjoyment for all the hard work at which he toils under the sun during the few days of life that the true God has given him, for that is his reward. Also, when the true God gives a man riches and material possessions along with the ability to enjoy them, he should take his reward and rejoice in his hard work. This is the gift of God.” Now, in effect, the Bible writer wisely recommends two things here: (1) Work diligently from day to day and (2) enjoy what you have right now. Now, when we recognize that our prosperity is a gift from God, we get a lot of personal enjoyment from what we possess. And did you notice that twice in these verses, this “gift of God” is described as a “reward” from Jehovah to us? Isn’t that a beautiful thought that Jehovah chooses to reward us for our hard work? And I’m sure you agree that Gilead has added an abundance of spiritual treasures to your possessions. In the coming years, you will find enjoyment again and again when you recall an explanation of a verse that you discovered during your personal study or that you gleaned from one of your instructors during a class lesson. Like travellers abroad, you have collected priceless souvenirs. Now, if you’re still in Ecclesiastes chapter 5, let’s have a look at verse 20 because this verse explains how “the gift of God” can affect our outlook on life. It says: For he will hardly notice (or as the footnote says, ‘remember,’ he will hardly notice) the passing days of his life, because the true God keeps him preoccupied with the rejoicing of his heart.” “Time flies” is a very common refrain here at Bethel. And isn’t that so true? When we enjoy our work, we hardly notice that our days, weeks, years, even life itself seems to fly by. Therefore, the advice is to savor the moment. As one famous quote says, “Yesterday is the past; tomorrow is the future; but today is a gift, and that is why they call it the present.” And there are benefits to being busy. “The gift of God” can help us to protect our mental well-being. When we are preoccupied with interesting work, we don’t become unduly concerned with the brevity of life and its problems and uncertainties. Rather, we get so much enjoyment from doing good, like Jesus having a good time, that the negative aspects of life tend not to dominate our thinking. You see, we become joyful at heart. So, enjoy that feeling. It is a gift from God. Now, the past 20 weeks of schooling was hard work, wasn’t it? Your minds were stretched. Yet hasn’t time flown by since you introduced yourselves to us on November 6 of last year? Well, now it’s time to relax, to eat and drink (in moderation, of course) with your family and friends as you reflect on your Gilead experience. So now is the time to savor the reward from Jehovah. The same wise writer also suggested a good balance between work and rest when he wrote at Ecclesiastes 4:6: Better is a handful of rest than two handfuls of hard work.” Now think about that. A workaholic has no time or energy left to participate in restful activities that are designed to refresh and rejuvenate us. So, we have to be modest about work, especially when we really love our assignments. The Bible encourages a balanced view. Work hard and enjoy the rewards. We may thoroughly enjoy our work, but we must remember that work is even more enjoyable if we take time to relax and reflect with pleasure on that work. Now, since it’s likely that many of you will receive new and enjoyable privileges, which will increase your workload, this is good and timely advice from the Scriptures, is it not? Now, may I invite you to turn to 2 Timothy 1:6. Because this verse conveys another positive dimension to the expression “the gift of God” as you look to future assignments. It says: For this reason, I remind you to stir up like a fire the gift of God that is in you through the laying of my hands on you.” Now if you look at the study note, it says this: The gift that Paul here mentions seems to involve a gift of holy spirit the imparting to Timothy of some special ability that helped him to fulfill his assignment.” Now, of course, Gilead students do not have scholastic abilities conferred upon them by God, do they? One of you even said in your introduction, “We’re just ordinary Bethelites living extraordinary lives.” Now, while that may be true, nevertheless, Gilead training has perhaps helped you to discover and nurture hidden talents that you never knew you had, true? Your instructors may have noticed if you didn’t. All of us who enjoy service privileges like Timothy need to treasure our “gift of God.” Service privileges are expressions of Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, not a reward for months of study. In fact, all of our energies, our abilities, our talents may be viewed as gifts from Jehovah. And they have the purpose of doing good toward other people. Now, if that’s our outlook and that’s our motive, we will thoroughly enjoy our assignments. You notice too in this verse that Paul reminded Timothy “to stir up like a fire the gift of God” that was in him. No doubt you are fired up and you are ready to work hard in your assignments. But again, as explained in the study note, “‘stirring up like a fire’ implies continuous action; one scholar suggests . . . ‘to keep the fire burning at full flame.’” So, we’re encouraged to put our heart and energy into our assignments. Be fired up, but don’t burn out. The fire will continue to burn at full flame if we always remember to balance work and rest. So yes, the days of our life quickly pass. It’s a fact of life now, but only for now. In the new world, we will enjoy work to the full. The joy of living will get better and better, especially when we’re in perfect health. We will enjoy the pleasure also of consuming unpolluted food and drink. So, enjoy life. Enjoy life with your family and friends. Enjoy all that you have now. Enjoy your assignments. Put your heart into them but be balanced. The simple formula from Ecclesiastes will carry on for billions and billions of years, even forever. “Eat and drink and find enjoyment for all your hard work because it is “the gift of God.”
Kenneth Cook: Well, thank you very much, Brother Gillies. We certainly view that talk as a gift, or present. We appreciated it. Now Brother Edward Aljian, who works in the Writing Department, will present the next part entitled “A Problem and a Solution.””
Edward Aljian: Well, you brothers and sisters from the 155th class of Gilead are not only about to graduate but will soon be heading toward your assignments, which we know you’ll enjoy. But life being what it is, you know that problems occasionally arise. And one problem you might personally encounter somewhere down the road is difficulty understanding an adjustment to an organizational or theocratic arrangement. It could be a change in our preaching methods, or in congregation operations, or in branch procedures, or something like that. Now, normally we appreciate these organizational refinements in harmony with Isaiah 60:17. And yet our publications and even the Bible itself acknowledge that at some point any one of us might find it hard to make that transition from the way we had been doing something to the way we’re now instructed to do it. Now, why would we find it difficult? Because it affects us personally? It changes where we serve or what we do? Maybe that. Maybe not that. Maybe it’s just that mentally we’re finding it hard to grasp the sense behind the change. We’re loyal; we’re going to cooperate. But our brain keeps saying: ‘Why are we going in this direction? It seems to me we should be going in that direction instead.’ Well, if we have been given new direction and mentally, we’re strongly inclined otherwise, then we have a problem, but we also have a solution. And that’s in Philippians chapter 3. Can we go there? Now, here Paul discusses a problem that existed back there in some congregations. Now, was it a big problem in Philippi? Apparently not. But anticipating that it might be a problem for some individuals there, Paul addresses it right here at Philippians 3:15, 16. He says: Therefore, let those of us who are mature be of this mental attitude, and if you are mentally inclined otherwise in any respect, God will reveal the above attitude to you. At any rate, to the extent we’ve made progress, let us go on walking orderly in this same course.” What is Paul talking about? A major organizational adjustment, the shift from the Mosaic Law to Christianity. And Paul, for one, understood it. He was not mentally inclined otherwise. He left behind his attachment to the Law; any personal advantages that it was bringing him, maybe along the lines of prominence, prestige among the Jews. He left it all behind. That was Paul. But it took some Jewish Christians years to grow to the point where they could leave that Law behind and fully adopt all aspects of Christianity. Why did it take them so long? Now, it’s easy for us to say: Well, they were stubborn. They had a bad attitude.” And some of them did. There were some, for example, who wanted to hold on to parts of the Law just to avoid persecution. So, you had things like that going on. But think also of this: Prior to Christianity, the Mosaic Law was Jehovah’s arrangement for worship. So, there must have been some Jewish worshippers who before becoming Christian were very loyal to the Mosaic Law. And being of the loyal sort, what do you think they did? Just obey the Law. No. They’d have taken it further. They’d have worked hard to cultivate a strong appreciation for the Law, a deep love for the way different features of the Law reflected Jehovah’s personality, his ways, his thinking. Perhaps some invested years bringing their appreciation up to that high level. And now that they had, the Law suddenly goes out of effect. Now you can appreciate why it might have been hard for some loyal ones to process this change mentally. Could something like that happen today? Yes, it could. Maybe you’re taught years ago, “This is how we preach, and this is why,” right? Or “This is how the congregation handles certain situations, and this is why.” Or “This is how we view certain branch procedures, and this is why it is the very best way.” Now, being of the loyal sort, what did you do? You made it all your own, not just the arrangement itself but the reasoning behind the arrangement. If somebody came along and challenged it, you loyally defended it. And maybe it took you years to bring your appreciation up to that high level, but loyally you did. And now that you did, the arrangement changes and maybe even the reasoning behind the arrangement. Well, like some of those early Jewish Christians, your very loyalty to a previous theocratic arrangement might make it hard to grasp immediately the wisdom behind the new adjustment. Well, like we said, that’s the problem. What’s the solution? What can we actually do about it? Well, three things, and all three are right there in the verses we just read. First, be patient. What did Paul say there in verse 15? “Therefore, let those of us who are mature be of this mental attitude, and if you are mentally inclined otherwise . . ., God will reveal the above attitude to you.” So, if you’ve made an earnest endeavor, a prayerful endeavor, to get the sense behind the change and for now you just can’t, set it aside. Be patient because the day will come (maybe sooner but maybe later), when the pieces finally fall into place for you, and you grasp the wisdom behind the adjustment. Now number two: Walk orderly. What does that mean? The study note for verse 16 explains that walking orderly has to do with moving forward unitedly as Christians. So, in the context of what we’re talking about right now, walking orderly means supporting the new arrangement without resisting, without complaining, because what does complaining and resisting do? It’s walking disorderly. It’s promoting disunity. So no, we walk orderly; we support the arrangement. Now, number three: Stay busy in your theocratic routine, because there in verse 16, Paul encourages all of the Philippians to keep making “progress.” Now, the same is true of all of us. Certainly, there are many aspects of the truth that we do appreciate, we do understand, and we’re making progress. Good. Put your mind and heart there, right? Rather than continuing to obsess over something that you just can’t understand for now, stay busy in your assignment and stay absorbed in your weekly spiritual routine. It brings immediate contentment. Let’s review. If we ever have a problem understanding an adjustment to a theocratic arrangement, we also have a solution: Philippians 3:15, 16. Be patient, walk orderly, and stay busy in our theocratic routine. Now, I would like to conclude by illustrating that last point, the value of staying busy in our theocratic routine because it is the solution not just to what we’re talking about right now, but it is the solution to several situations in life. Now, the illustration is one that I heard several years ago at a Gilead graduation program. How about that? One of your instructors told us about the old steamboats that used coal for fuel, right? So upstairs you had the captain and the crew. Downstairs you have these men busy shovelling coal into the ship’s boiler, right? Now, imagine one of these workers puts his shovel down and he approaches a coworker and says: Hey, did I just detect the ship starting to make a left turn? That does not seem right to me. It seems that at this point of the trip, we should be moving straight forward, not changing direction. I wonder if the captain really knows what he’s doing. You know what? I’m going to go upstairs and have a word with the captain.” Now, at this point, the speaker stopped describing the scene. He just leaned forward close to the microphone, and he simply said, “Shovel the coal.” Well, that’s you and me, right? That’s you and me, we are shovelling the coal. We’re busy doing the work Jehovah assigned us to do. That’s what we’re absorbed in. We let Jehovah take care of Isaiah 60:17 ‘the copper, the gold, the silver.’ We take care of the coal by staying absorbed and busy in our theocratic routine. And then as Jehovah navigates his organization, he’ll also navigate us to the right attitude to contentment and to that most wonderful adjustment of all, from this system to life in the new world.
Kenneth Cook: Well, we thank you very much, Brother Aljian, for that three-part solution to a very realistic problem. Now one of your instructors, Brother Richard Chilton, will talk about the subject entitled “Have You Ever Been Fooled?”
Richard Chilton: Well, this day has finally arrived, and you’ve made it. And now for some of you, it is a return trip home. For others, you’re off to a new home. But no matter where you’re going, one thing is for sure, and that is all of you, all of you, are about to begin a new chapter in your life. Now, while that realization can spark feelings of excitement, it can also spark a little anxiety as well. Questions may be swirling in your mind: ‘Who really am I now? Will I be able to fulfil all that will be expected of me? Can I really do this?’ If you find any of these feelings bubbling up inside of you, then remember this: You are not alone. Throughout time, faithful servants of God have had those same feelings. Let’s take a closer look at one of them by turning to the Bible book that bears his name, Jeremiah. In Jeremiah chapter 1, notice what he says beginning in verse 4. He said: The word of Jehovah came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I sanctified you. I made you a prophet to the nations.’” Now, was Jeremiah flattered by the fact that Jehovah saw such potential in him? Quite the opposite. Notice his response in verse 6: But I said: ‘Alas, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah! I do not know how to speak, for I am just a boy.’” In other words, ‘I don’t think I’m qualified for what you’re asking me to do.’ But notice what Jehovah does in verse 9: Then Jehovah stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. And Jehovah said to me: ‘I have put my words in your mouth.’” Jehovah was reassuring Jeremiah: ‘Don’t worry. I’ve got this and you.’ Well, the nervous prophet accepted his assignment and, admittedly, it was not always easy. At times he met with fierce opposition. He was mobbed, imprisoned, left to die in the mud at the bottom of an empty cistern. Clearly, he went through a lot, and at one point, he even thought about quitting. Notice what he says in chapter 20, chapter 20, the middle of verse 8. He said: For me the word of Jehovah has been the cause of insults and jeering all day long. “So I said: ‘I am not going to make mention of him, and I will speak no more in his name.’” Like Jeremiah, we too may have our moments when we feel like giving up is the answer. But let’s read on in the middle of verse 9: But in my heart it (the message that he had been proclaiming) became like a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was tired of holding it in; I could no longer endure it.” Now, what happened here? Despite the hardships, clearly the boy had become the bold prophet of Jehovah. But my question to you is, how did that happen? Jeremiah himself tells us in verse 11. He says: Jehovah was with me like a fearsome warrior.” And with the fearsome Warrior at his side, Jeremiah went from being unable to speak to being unable to hold it in. He experienced a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree change, and he knew exactly who was responsible for it. He tells us in our theme scripture text for this talk in the same chapter, chapter 20, verse 7. He said: You have fooled me, O Jehovah, and I was fooled. You used your strength against me, and you prevailed.” Jehovah had fooled Jeremiah in a positive way. When Jeremiah reached what he thought was his limit, Jehovah proved stronger than Jeremiah’s weaknesses and empowered him to continue. He was able to make the one-eighty because he, first of all, accepted the assignment. Secondly, he trusted in Jehovah. And third, he allowed time for God’s spirit to work on him. And if you think Jeremiah was an isolated case, think again. Moses did the one-eighty. He went from a man “slow of speech” to becoming a mighty leader of an entire nation. Jonah did the one-eighty. He went from a man running away from his assignment in the opposite direction to becoming a bold preacher to the Ninevites. Peter did the one-eighty. He went from denying the Christ three times to becoming the rock that Jesus always knew he could be. So, what about you? Have you ever been fooled by Jehovah? I’d like to read to you a few words that I recently received from a Gilead graduate. She said this: When we heard the news that we were being assigned to a country that had its fair share of poverty, instability, and sickness, I felt like saying to Jehovah: ‘Are you sure you want to send me there?’ I don’t like bugs, and I’m scared of being sick.’ When the date of our departure came, I still remember all the tears I shed when saying goodbye to my home and friends.” Well, she accepted their assignment. Time went by. Several years later, she and her husband received a new assignment to serve in a different country. Notice what she says next: If I thought leaving the United States was the hardest thing I would ever do, “I was completely fooled because the sadness I felt when I had to leave those new friends was indescribable. I had never cried so much in my life.” She goes on to sum up her experience this way. She said: Jehovah taught me a lesson in the most loving way. Before Gilead, I was putting myself in a box the what-I-can-do box. But I wasn’t thinking that the Person who knows best where I fit is Jehovah. It’s as if he said, “‘You’re not only going to adapt to your new assignment, ‘you’re going to love it so much you will never want to leave.’ “And that’s exactly what happened. “I came to truly love the people in our assignment, and I can honestly say that these past few years have been some of my happiest. Now I’m not so afraid of change as before. I just trust in Jehovah, trusting in the process.” Amazing, isn’t it? She too made the one-eighty. She had been fooled by Jehovah just like Jeremiah. And she came out stronger and happier as a result. Why did that happen? Because when we are fooled by Jehovah, three significant things happen. First, we draw closer to him. Second, we discover new joys that perhaps we never saw coming. And third, we open the door to receiving additional training from Jehovah. In conclusion, just love the people. Then they will love you. Then you will love your assignment. Be willing to walk through the doors wherever they take you. With the fearsome Warrior by your side, you cannot fail. Always welcome the chance to be fooled by Jehovah because it means that you’re about to experience something pretty magnificent. And guess what? It has been tailor-made just for you.
Kenneth Cook: Well, we thank you too, Brother Chilton. We really appreciated how you highlighted aspects about Jeremiah, a very real and human example for us. And now we have one of your instructors (another one), Brother Trent Lippold, who will talk on the interesting subject entitled ‘Oil to Machinery.’
Trent Lippold: He wrote about one quarter of the Christian Greek Scriptures. That’s almost as much as the apostle Paul. His name is only mentioned three times, and there are scarcely four words that are used to describe him. The physician Luke is one of the most familiar names of whom we know almost nothing about. In a world of people trying to look important, Luke shows us what is important. Let’s see what we can learn from the physician Luke. The first mention of him, the first description of Luke, is found in the book of Colossians at chapter 4, verse 14. And the apostle Paul describes him there as “the beloved physician.” Physician, we focused on that when we considered the Gospel of Luke. Luke uses medical terms as he writes, but Luke was more than just a physician by occupation. Luke was a physician in spirit. He had the heart of a physician, the heart of a healer. Let’s look at an example. Turn with me, please, to the book of Luke chapter 4, Luke 4:38, 39. Verse 38 says: After leaving the synagogue, he (that’s Jesus) entered into Simon’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering with a high fever, and they asked him to help her. So, he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Instantly she got up and began ministering to them.” There we have a mention in verse 38, Luke noted that she had “a high fever.” But look a little closer. What made an impression on Luke? Was it just the high fever? The verse says: Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering with a high fever.” Matthew didn’t say that. Mark didn’t say that. Luke noticed. Look at another example at Luke 22:44, Luke 22:44. The account is in the garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus was there praying. But notice what Luke wrote, what caught his attention in verse 44: But he was in such agony that he kept praying more earnestly; and his sweat became as drops of blood falling to the ground.” The physician Luke noticed the condition, that “his sweat became as drops of blood.” But look again. It says that “he was in such agony that . . . his sweat became as drops of blood.” Jesus’ condition, his agony, is what caught Luke’s attention, not just the physical condition, the medical condition. You see, Luke records Jesus as someone who saw men as they were. He saw men without distinction. He saw men, and he loved them all. Luke shows Jesus as someone whose heart goes out to everyone for whom life is an unequal struggle. That made an impression on Luke. Think of Luke’s Gospel, the things that are uniquely recorded in Luke. It’s only Luke who tells us about the aged Elizabeth and Zechariah. Luke tells us about Anna and Simeon. Luke tells us about the widow of Nain, the woman bent over for 18 years, the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with her tears, the Samaritan leper, the rich tax collector Zacchaeus, the condemned thief who hung beside Jesus. Jesus’ attitude toward these people appealed to Luke. And Luke shared Jesus’ view. For Luke, too, men of all sorts are in the embrace of God’s mercy. And this attitude of heart and mind made Luke beloved, “the beloved physician.” And no doubt that spirit reduced the friction among those who were traveling with Paul and preaching in the first century. Now, the second description of Luke is found at Philemon 24. And there Luke is described as a ‘fellow worker.’ Open with me to the book of Acts, Acts chapter 16. And we’ll read beginning in verse 8, Acts 16:8. It says: So they (this is Paul, Timothy, Silas, and his traveling companions) passed by Mysia and came down to Troas.” And that’s where Paul had the vision, and he was told to “step over into Macedonia.” And look at verse 10: As soon as he (that’s Paul) had seen the vision, we tried to go into Macedonia.” Verse 11 says: So we put out to sea from Troas.” Here’s our introduction to Luke. Luke never praises himself. He never writes about himself. We only trace Luke’s travels with Paul by the change of a pronoun from “they” to “we.” Now, this was on the second missionary tour, on which Luke joined Paul here at Troas. And he travelled on to Philippi with him. And look at what made Luke a fellow worker; look at what we can learn from him. This is in verse 13, when they arrived in Philippi. Verse 13 says: On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate beside a river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.” And this now is the account of Lydia, where Lydia embraces the truth, the Kingdom message. But did you notice it said, “we went outside”? Luke went with them. It said, “we thought there was a place of prayer.” Luke was involved in the thinking process, in the discussion, in the decision about where to go, and Luke was involved in speaking to them. Luke was a participant, not simply along for the ride, not a fellow traveller, not just a chronicler. Luke was a fellow worker. And there’s a beautiful lesson for us and for you: Be a participant. Be an example. Get involved in the assignments you are given. Now, it may be that Luke stayed in Philippi from 50 to 56 C.E. We don’t know, but perhaps he did because he joined Paul again in 56 C.E. on the third missionary tour from Philippi. What did he do in Philippi? We don’t really know. Typically, it’s quiet about Luke, but we can assume he must have just been a busy fellow worker there in Philippi, no sparks flying, just a busy fellow worker. He joined Paul again in 56 C.E. From Philippi, he travelled with him to Jerusalem. He was in Jerusalem for the trouble in the temple. He travelled with him to Caesarea, where Paul was a prisoner, and continued on with Paul to Rome, where Paul was a prisoner. Luke, however, was not a prisoner, but he accompanied Paul. How comforting that must have been for Paul to have his fellow worker with him! When you think about Paul and his countless beatings, the scourging, the stoning, the shipwrecks, they must have all taken a toll on him physically, not to mention the “thorn in the flesh” he had to deal with. One of his traveling companions was Timothy, with “frequent cases of sickness.” How relieved they must have been to have Luke the physician with them! So, Luke is an example of long-continued devotion to the Kingdom work and of unshaken constancy to Paul and his associates. And, in fact, this warm feeling of a fellow worker (Luke being a fellow worker) is perhaps best summed up in the final mention of Luke, and that’s at 2 Timothy 4:11. Among Paul’s final words, he says: Luke alone is with me.” Of all his fellow workers, perhaps there were none dearer or few dearer than Luke. You see, Luke’s writing contained the least possible mention of himself. Yet, we do not doubt that he was eminently useful to Paul and to all those around him. To be sure, he enabled Paul to do much more than would have otherwise been possible for him. He kept himself out of sight. In his Gospel, it is Christ who shines. In the book of Acts, it’s the Kingdom preaching work that shines. And I wonder if the silence in the Scriptures in direct reference to Luke is intentional. It certainly teaches us something. Few other so prominent servants have so little mention. And therein lies the lesson from the life of Luke: Be an example of a servant who with lowliness of mind finds your service in serving others. There was already one Paul. Luke stays in the background. With the spirit of a true servant, he did not need the light of publicity to stimulate him. He was not the machine; he was the oil. Finally, if the only three words used to describe you are “beloved fellow worker,” your training here at Gilead will have been a success. And you, like Luke, will be oil to machinery.
Kenneth Cook: Well, we thank you very, very much, Brother Lippold. We appreciated how you highlighted the example of Luke and how you applied that interesting theme to his example ‘Oil to Machinery.’
David Schafer: Such thought-provoking and encouraging talks! We hope you enjoyed Part 1. Be on the lookout for Parts 2 and 3, which will be available on jw.org later this month. Our program would not be complete without visiting our brothers and sisters in another beautiful country.
(Everything Brother Schafer says in the dialog, at the same time is being shown in the video)
This month, we visit Haiti, which means “Land of Mountains.” Haiti is a tropical island located in the Caribbean Sea and has beautiful white sand beaches, rivers, waterfalls and, yes, majestic mountains. Haiti’s culture and language are unique in character. Many speak French, but the mother tongue of most people is Haitian Creole, an expressive language that combines French words with West African grammar. The population reflects a colorful blend of African and European traits and cultures. Haitians love to dance, sing, laugh and, of course, they enjoy tasty foods such as tonmtonm. Tonmtonm is breadfruit mashed very fine and often eaten with an okra sauce. Haiti has a rich theocratic history. Records don’t show exactly when the good news first reached Haiti. But as early as February 1887, Zion’s Watch Tower listed Haiti among the places from where people sent in letters of interest about the good news. The first Watch Tower missionaries arrived in Haiti in 1945. One of them was Roland Fredette, who later became the first branch overseer. Hardworking and adventurous missionary sisters, such as Gloria Hill, Naomi Adams, Helen D’Amico, and Frances Bailey, made valuable contributions to the preaching activity in the 1950’s. The Haitian people show a keen interest in the Word of God. Today there are over 17,000 active publishers. These zealous and happy publishers preach in Haitian Creole, American Sign Language, or Spanish. And thanks to the availability of braille publications in Haitian Creole, those who are blind are also learning the truth. This mountainous country does not intimidate our loyal preachers of the good news. During the summer season, brothers and sisters of all ages head into seldom-worked territories. And although Haiti has faced economic challenges and suffered recent natural disasters, our brothers and sisters are positive and focus their attention on encouraging others to look to the future without fear. The city of Cap-Haïtien is in the northern part of the island, and that is where you’ll find the 113 publishers of the Morne-Rouge Congregation. They would like to send you, their greetings.
(Congregation stand outside the Kingdom Hall, smile and wave)
They want you all to know that they love you very much. And we say in Haitian Creole: Nou renmen nou tou,” which means “We love you too.” From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is JW Broadcasting!
(Logo: Black capital letters inside a white box. Copyright 2024 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania)