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!"#2!"#2N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 2N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 2

You CanBe a SuccessfulSingle Parent!

!"#2AVERAGE PRINTING 41,042,000PUBLISHED IN 84 LANGUAGES

YOU CAN BE A SUCCESSFULSINGLE PARENT!

3 You Can Succeed!

4 Seek Out Support

5 Be a Good Communicator

7 Set Sound Priorities

8 Set Clear Boundaries

9 Establish Good Moral Values

10 Look to God for Help

11 Was It Designed?The Haltere of the Fly

12 The Bible—A Book of AccurateProphecy—Part 7

16 The Common Loon—A Bird to BeHeard

18 Young People AskHow Can I Deal With Stress?

21 They Never Gave Up on Me

24 The Bible’s ViewpointFlaunting—Is It Worth the Price?

26 Medieval Masters of Mechanics

28 A Key to Understanding the Bible

29 Watching the World

30 For Family Review

32 What Children Need From Parents

Awake! November 2012 3

THESE are just some of the expressionsAwake! received from dozens of single

parents who responded to an internation-al survey. Many of the single parents, most-ly mothers, expressed a desire for the sup-port that only a loving mate could provide.�Nevertheless, their frank expressions also re-veal that they have adapted well to their situ-ation.

What has helped these single parents bothto adapt and to succeed in their difficult role?In the following articles, we will considermany of their practical and honest expres-sions, as well as some of the key principlesthat have helped them along the way. If youare a single parent, we hope that these articleswill help you not only to succeed in your de-manding role but also to do so with joy andcontentment. To be sure, that can be a bigchallenge in today’s rapidly changing and un-certain world.�

The articles will focus on six areas. Howsingle parents can

1. Get more support

2. Communicate more effectively withtheir children

3. Set sound priorities

4. Set clear boundaries of behavior

5. Establish wholesome values

6. Give God a place in their family

� Worldwide, by far the majority of single parents are wom-en—a fact that is reflected in this series of articles.� Many of the principles in this series of articles may also be

helpful to families with both parents.

You Can Succeed!“I am very happy whenmy two girls cuddle meunexpectedly and say, ‘Welove you, Mommy.’ ”—ANNA,

A SINGLE MOTHER IN POLAND.

“I often have the satisfac-tion of seeing my childrenshow their appreciation forthe things I do for them.Sometimes they give melittle gifts, like a picturethey’ve drawn. This morethan repays me for any effortI make.”—MASSIMO, A SINGLE

FATHER IN ITALY.

“Sometimes when I amemotionally down, oneof my sons will put hisarms around me, kiss me,and tell me how muchhe loves me.”—YASMIN,

A SINGLE MOTHER IN SOUTH

AFRICA.

!"#$ THIS JOURNAL IS PUBLISHED for theenlightenment of the entire family. It

shows how to cope with today’s problems. It reportsthe news, tells about people in many lands, examinesreligion and science. But it does more. It probes beneaththe surface and points to the real meaning behindcurrent events, yet it always stays politically neutral anddoes not exalt one race above another. Most important,this magazine builds confidence in the Creator’s promiseof a peaceful and secure new world that is about toreplace the present wicked, lawless system of things.

This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwide Bible educa-tional work supported by voluntary donations. Unless otherwise indicated, Scrip-ture quotations are from the modern-language New World Translation of the HolyScriptures—With References.Awake! (ISSN 0005-237X) is published monthly by Watchtower Bible and TractSociety of New York, Inc.; L. Weaver, Jr., President; G. F. Simonis, Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483, and by Watch Tow-er Bible and Tract Society of Canada, PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4.Periodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Awake!, 1000 Red Mills Road,Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. � 2012 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsyl-vania. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada.

Vol. 93, No. 11 Monthly ENGLISH

4

The challenge. “My greatest challenges,”says Alina, who has two young boys, “aretiredness and a constant lack of time.”Alina’ssituation is the norm for single moms. That iswhy many single parents build a support net-work—a group of people on whom they cancall for help without embarrassment.Suggestions. Look for support from trustedrelatives and friends. Why not make a list ofpeople whom you can call on for help, wheth-er for child care, transportation, home main-tenance, or emotional support? And keep thelist current. Also see what assistance is avail-able through governmental and nongovern-mental agencies.

Renata, who is one of Jehovah’s Witness-es, has received much help from fellow Chris-tians. “They are always there to help me,”she says. “When my two nine-year-old girlsand I came down with the flu, I could notprepare meals. As soon as the congregationheard about this, someone came every daywith food.” Such kindnesses call to mind thewords found in the Bible at 1 John 3:18: “Lit-tle children, let us love, neither in word norwith the tongue, but in deed and truth.”

Can the noncustodial parent help? If the oth-er parent, usually the father, has legal accessto the children and is responsible and willingto help, why not share some of the load withhim? After all, children need to spend timewith their dad.�

Train your children to help. When you giveyour children tasks appropriate to their age,you help both yourself and them. Work teach-es children to be responsible, and a goodwork ethic will be invaluable later in life.� Christian parents should apply Bible principles in the best

way they can under the circumstances and consider what isin the children’s best interests. Court decisions should be re-spected.

1 Seek Out Support

“We have wonderful friends inour local congregation. They areloving and supportive. They feellike real family.”—LIZAAN, A MOTHER

OF TWO TEENAGERS.

Look for support from trustedrelatives and friends

LANGUAGES: Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Bislama, Bul-garian, Cebuano, Chichewa, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional)� (audioMandarin only), Chitonga, Cibemba, Croatian, Czech,� Danish,� Dutch,�� En-glish,�� Estonian, Ewe, Fijian, Finnish,� French,�� Georgian, German,�� Greek,Gujarati, Hebrew, Hiligaynon, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Iloko, Indonesian,Italian,�� Japanese,�� Kannada, Kinyarwanda, Kirghiz, Kirundi, Korean,�� Latvi-an, Lingala, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malagasy, Malayalam, Maltese, Myan-mar, Norwegian,� Polish,�� Portuguese,�� Punjabi, Rarotongan, Romanian,Russian,�� Samoan, Sepedi, Serbian, Sesotho, Shona, Silozi, Sinhala, Slovak,Slovenian, Spanish,�� Swahili, Swedish,� Tagalog,� Tamil, Thai, Tok Pisin, Tongan,Tsonga, Tswana, Turkish, Twi, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Xhosa, Yoruba, Zulu

� CD also available. � MP3 CD-ROM also available.� Audio recordings also available at www.jw.org.

WOULD YOU WELCOME MORE INFORMATION OR A FREE HOME BIBLE STUDY?Please send your request to Jehovah’s Witnesses, using one of the addresses below. For acomplete list of addresses, see www.jw.org/contact. America, United States of: 25 ColumbiaHeights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483. Australia: PO Box 280, Ingleburn, NSW 1890. Britain: TheRidgeway, London NW7 1RN. Canada: PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Germany:65617 Selters. Guam: 143 Jehovah St, Barrigada, GU 96913. Jamaica: PO Box 103, Old Har-bour, St. Catherine. Japan: 4-7-1 Nakashinden, Ebina City, Kanagawa-Pref, 243-0496. Puer-to Rico: PO Box 3980, Guaynabo, PR 00970. South Africa: Private Bag X2067, Krugersdorp,1740. Trinidad and Tobago: Lower Rapsey Street & Laxmi Lane, Curepe.


The challenge. “My challenge,” says Cris-tina, “is not just being with my daughter butbeing present mentally and emotionally de-spite all my other responsibilities and mytiredness.”Suggestions. Create an environment of opencommunication. “I try to set the example,” saysElizabeth, a mother of five, “and my childrenopen up to me. I also encourage them to com-municate with one another and never to go tobed angry with a sibling. What is more, theyknow that I do not tolerate ‘the silent treat-ment’—their refusing to talk to one another.”

Do not tune your children out. “When myson was small,” writes Lyanne, “he was sucha chatterbox that I tuned him out a lot. Then,when he became a teenager, he stopped com-municating, and I realized that I had made ahuge mistake. I worked really hard—too hard,in fact—to break down the wall. I spoke aboutthis with an elder in my congregation. He ad-vised me to relax and to ease gently into con-versations with my son. I took his advice, andslowly things began to improve.”

Be patient. There is “a time to keep quietand a time to speak,” says Ecclesiastes 3:7.“When my children didn’t feel like talking,”says Dulce, a mother of three, “I made sure

that they knew I was available when they wereready to talk.” Yes, instead of forcing commu-nication, warmly and patiently invite it. Thisis the course the Bible recommends. “A per-son’s thoughts are like water in a deep well,but someone with insight can draw them out.”—Proverbs 20:5, Good News Translation.

Be “swift about hearing, slow about speak-ing.” (James 1:19) Lizaan, quoted in the pre-ceding article, says: “I had to learn to bite mytongue when my children came with a prob-lem. I also had to learn not to be too quick tooffer advice but to speak calmly when dealingwith upsetting issues.” Leasa, a mother of twoboys, writes: “I have not always been a mod-el listener. At times, my sons’ issues seemedtrivial to me, so I had to learn to be more un-derstanding.”

2 Be a GoodCommunicator

“I have learned to listen, listen, listen.It does not matter how tired I am.”—MIRANDA, SOUTH AFRICA.

Try to be available when your childis ready to talk

“Let your utterance be always with gra-ciousness.” (Colossians 4:6) “In order not tohinder our communication,” says Lyanne,“I have had to make a conscious effort to stayas calm and relaxed as possible, even when se-rious matters come up.”

If you fail to make a conscious effort tostay calm, you may lose your temper andshout, which can be harmful in more ways

than one! (Ephesians 4:31) For example,shouting at a child may stifle communicationand foster problem behavior. “A child is likea seashell,” says Heidi, who has a teenagedaughter. “If you speak kindly and lovingly,the child will open up. If you shout and belit-tle him or her, the ‘shell’ closes and commu-nication stops. To remind me of this fact, Ihave a picture of an open seashell on our re-frigerator.”

Know your children. “My two sons are quitedifferent,” says Yasmin, quoted earlier. “Oneis talkative; the other is reserved. With thequiet one, I learned that it’s best not to con-front him directly. Instead, I talk to him whilewe are engaged in something else, such as aboard game, or while he is talking about atopic that interests him. In that setting, I tact-fully ask how he feels about a matter.”

What if a boy feels awkward talking to hismother about certain personal things, as didMisao’s adolescent son. “You just don’t un-derstand me,” he said. She sought help froma mature, trustworthy male in her congrega-tion. “He has become my son’s mentor, andnow my son has a calm heart,” says Misao.

Do not confuse the role of parent with thatof friend. “I made my teenage daughter myconfidant,” says Iwona, a mother of two. “Al-though I knew it was not right, I fell intothat trap and had to correct my mistake.” Al-though you want to have a warm relationshipwith your child, remember that you are theparent, the authority figure. When you main-tain your dignity and show your maturity andstability, you make it easier for your childrento honor you and to heed the Bible’s com-mand: “Children, be obedient to your par-ents.”—Ephesians 6:1, 2.

“Love [your] children.” (Titus 2:4) Childrenneed love as much as they need food anddrink! So regularly reassure them of your love—in word and deed! They, in turn, will feel notonly more secure but also more willing to talkwith you and obey you.

Maki, a single mother of two, writes:“Sometimes when I have come homefrom work so tired that I thought I couldnot go on, I have found some food and acard at the door. One card said, ‘Welcomehome. You must be tired.’ My tears justflowed, and I thanked God.” If you know asingle parent who is working hard to carefor her children, why not commend her forher efforts and offer to help when youcan?� For example, every now and then,offer to babysit her children or to takethem to school.

Single parents often struggle with loneli-ness. So why not invite a single-parentfamily to come for a meal occasionally oron an outing with your family. Single-parent families need an “extended fami-ly,” and you may be able to help fill thatneed. Also, if there is a father in your fam-ily, a single mother’s children will benefitfrom having a good male role model.

Why not list the single parents you knowand discuss with your family what youmight be able to do to help them?

1. ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

2. ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

3. ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

4. ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

5. ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

� Since most single parents are women, this series ofarticles uses mostly feminine pronouns.

Can You Help a SingleParent?


The challenge. “The greatest challenge,”says Miranda, a mother of two boys, “is to bea working mother who is responsible for pro-viding everything—physically, mentally, emo-tionally, and spiritually—without the help of amarriage mate.”Suggestions. Decide what is truly important toyou and your children, and make these thingsyour priorities.

Stick to your priorities, and learn to man-age your time and finances accordingly. Toillustrate: Your children’s health is impor-tant, so use your hard-earned money to buynutritious food. That’s better than spending

your resources on medical bills. Before youshop, prepare a shopping list. This will pro-tect you from wasteful impulse buying. “I liketo cook,” says Roberto, who lives in the Unit-ed States with his four children. He adds:“I learned to focus on needs—not wants—andnot on needs in general, but on what we real-ly needed each day.”

Dispose of things you never use—books,clothes, gadgets. As one single mom wrote:

“Stuff equals stress. The more stuff you have,the more you have to clean, repair, and main-tain. The key to simplifying your life is to sim-plify your stuff.”

Train your children to tidy up every night.Don’t let your home get out of control. Suchdomestic discipline teaches your children totake responsibility for their room and even forthe home. Of course, your good example willadd weight to your words.

Although you may be very busy, you mustspend time with your children—not just briefperiods of so-called quality time but as muchtime as you can give them. Your children needyour time and attention.—Deuteronomy 6:7.

Have at least one meal together each day,and make mealtime a pleasant occasion.Says Colette, a mother of three: “We decidedthat the evening meal, when everyone was athome, would be a time of emotional and spir-itual exchange. That meal has been and stillis a special occasion in our family life.”

3 Set Sound Priorities

“I was always tired—thinking abouthow to balance my job, child rearing,our spiritual routine, householdchores, and rest.”—YOKO, JAPAN.

Use your hard-earnedmoney to buy nutritiousfood. That’s better thanspending your resourceson medical bills

Have at least one meal togethereach day

8 Awake! November 2012

The challenge. The Bible foretold that in“the last days,” children in general would be“disobedient to parents.”—2 Timothy 3:1, 2.Suggestions. Recognize that “children needstructure and schedules to thrive.” (The SingleParent Resource, by Brook Noel) Child andfamily psychologist Barry G. Ginsberg states:“Relationships are better and less stressfulwhen boundaries are clear.” He added: “Themore explicit our boundaries, and the moreclearly they are expressed, the easier relation-ships become.” How can you set clear bound-aries?

Be firm, and be true to your word. (Matthew5:37) An Australian study revealed that chil-dren often misbehave when parents are un-able to say no and when they constantly givein to their children. As the Bible says: “A boy[or girl] let on the loose will be causing hismother shame.”—Proverbs 29:15.

Do not let feelings of guilt over your situa-tion as a single parent cause you to be a per-missive parent. “At times, my first reaction isto feel sorry for my two sons because theyare being raised in a home without both par-ents,” says Yasmin, quoted earlier. But as weshall see, she did not let her feelings, whichwere by no means bad, override her goodjudgment.

Be consistent. “Predictability and consisten-cy in the application of discipline may be im-portant for the prevention of behavioral andemotional difficulties in children,” says the

American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. Yasminstates: “I sat down with my boys, and we dis-cussed discipline. When they do wrong, I tryto be consistent. That said, I have learned tolisten first and then explain in a calm mannerhow their action has affected the family. Onlythen do I carry out the previously determineddiscipline.”

Be reasonable; do not discipline in anger.While you need to be firm for what is right,you also need to be flexible when the situationwarrants it. “The wisdom from above”—thatis, from God—is “reasonable,” says James 3:17. Reasonable people do not act rashly or inthe heat of anger. Nor do they always go cold-ly ‘by the book.’ Instead, they think first, per-haps even praying about a matter, and thenthey are able to act more calmly and appropri-ately.

Consistency, firmness, and reasonableness—along with your good example—will en-able you to set boundaries that will makeyour home a true refuge for your children.

4 Set ClearBoundaries

“Raising children alone is not easy—especially when they reach theteenage years and feel the world’spressure to rebel against theirparents.”—DULCE, SOUTH AFRICA.

Be firm, and be true to your word


The challenge. Peer pressure at school andthe waning morality in the world exert apowerful influence on families. To resistthis negative influence, children need whole-some values. Otherwise, it is unlikely thatthey will become responsible, principled,well-mannered adults.Suggestions. Many single parents, includingthose quoted in this series of articles, lookto the Bible for guidance, recognizing thatit contains the unsurpassed wisdom of God.Consider, for example, what the Bible saysabout the most important principle of all—showing genuine love.

“Love is long-suffering and kind. Love isnot jealous, it does not brag, does not getpuffed up, does not behave indecently, doesnot look for its own interests, does not be-come provoked. It does not keep account ofthe injury. It does not rejoice over unrigh-teousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bearsall things, . . . hopes all things, endures allthings. Love never fails.”—1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

When parents display that kind of love,their children thrive. Colette, mentioned ear-lier, who lives in France, wrote: “I often toldmy children that I loved them. I also toldthem that they are gifts from God and that assuch they needed good care. They, in turn,had to be polite and respectful toward me andtheir [noncustodial] father. These principleshelped to establish a climate of trust and re-spect in our home.”—Psalm 127:3.

Anna, who lives in Poland, wrote: “Whenmy children have disagreements, I remindthem of Jesus’ words that what we want oth-ers to do to us, we should do to them.”(Mat-thew 7:12) Roberto, mentioned earlier, facesan issue common to many single parents.He comments: “The children are confrontedwith two sets of values—yours and those ofthe other parent. In upholding Bible values,I know I won’t be the favorite parent that dayor week.” Moreover, he says: “The other par-ent may give gifts to the children in hopes thatthey develop a preference for that one. Suchpressures are hard to resist, but good commu-nication with the children helps.”

It is not always easy to live by Bible stan-dards, but the results are well worth the effort!Says Sarah, a single parent in South Africa:“I am glad that my children have been raisedwith Jehovah’s guidance. Yes, we’ve had ourchallenges, but God has always been there forus.”

5 Establish GoodMoral Values

“Earlier in my life, I did not live byBible standards and found it difficultto train my children. But now it ismuch easier because I have the Bibleto help me.”—ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA.

Wise parents teach their childrenthe wholesome values found inthe Bible

IN TODAY’S increasingly secular world,people in general give little thought to God.

Yet, our Creator is interested in us and wantsus to succeed in life. His feelings are well ex-pressed at Isaiah 41:10: “Do not be afraid, forI am with you. . . . I will really help you.”

In the preceding article, we consideredhow God helps us by means of the whole-some values found in the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16) But the Bible is much more than a guide.It reveals God’s wonderful personality andhis love for us. Hence, as many Christian par-ents—single and married—have discovered,when we apply Bible teachings, we actuallyexperience God’s goodness.

Robert, Austria: “Jehovah God is a better fa-ther or mother than any one of us. He knowswhat our children need, and he knows how toprotect them. So I often pray to him with mydaughter.”

Ayusa, Japan: “It brings me joy to see myson show his confidence in Jehovah’s support

when he says, ‘Jehovah is with us, so every-thing will be all right.’ ”

Cristina, Italy: “When a problem seems be-yond my ability to solve, I pray to Jehovah,leaving it in his hands. Instantly, I feel an in-ner peace, knowing that the problem will getsorted out in the best way.”

Laurentine, France: “I can confirm that Je-hovah has blessed me as a single parent. Hereally does come to the rescue of the afflictedand the fatherless or motherless.”

Keiko, Japan: “God is impartial. He wantsto show his tender care to all families, wheth-er they have two parents or just one.”—Acts10:34.

Reflecting God’s compassion and concernfor us, Jesus Christ said: “Come to me, all youwho are toiling and loaded down, and I willrefresh you . . . , for I am mild-tempered andlowly in heart, and you will find refreshmentfor your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-30) To besure, Jesus and his heavenly Father, JehovahGod, want us to feel secure under their lovingcare. At Psalm 34:8, we read: “Taste and seethat Jehovah is good.” Yes, God wants you tosee for yourself that his advice works, that hehas your best interests at heart. Will you ac-cept his fatherly invitation?

6 Look to Godfor Help

“When my husband walked out on meand the children, I petitioned God to sup-port us. He answered my prayer. We havelacked nothing essential. He has bothhelped us and guided us.”—MAKI, JAPAN.

I Was Moved by MyMom’s ExampleNo matter how busy or tired she was, shewould stop whatever she was doing to cometo my bedside to pray with me. Her prayershelped me to realize that I could actually be-come a friend of Jehovah God.—Amanda,U.S.A.

Do you look to God for help in raisingyour children?


˘ Why is the common housefly able toperform complex and precise aerobaticmaneuvers? When hit by a gust of wind,why can the insect quickly right itself andmaintain its course? The answer involves,in part, two tiny appendages called hal-teres, one located behind each wing.�

Consider: A haltere is like a tiny drum-stick with a knob on the end. During flight,the halteres swing up and down at thesame frequency as the wings but in theopposite direction. Scientists have discov-ered that halteres serve as an ingenioustype of gyroscope, helping flies to remainstable during flight.�

With their clubbed ends, halteres“beat in one particular direction, like the

� Halteres are found on two-winged insects, such as flies,mosquitoes, and gnats.� Gyroscopes commonly consist of a frame supporting a

disk that spins rapidly about its axis. The disk tends tomaintain its axis of spin despite external movement, mag-netic fields, or gravity. Therefore, gyroscopes can be used tomake highly useful compasses.

pendulum of a clock,” says the Encyclo-pedia of Adaptations in the Natural World.If, during flight, a fly abruptly turns, wheth-er intentionally or because of a suddengust of wind, “the stem of the haltere willtwist,” states the encyclopedia. “This twist-ing is detected by a dense cluster ofnerve endings attached to the haltere, andthe information is fed to the brain so thefly can take the appropriate action to stay. . . on course.” As a result, flies are highlyagile and hard to catch.

Engineers see countless applications ofhaltere-inspired technology in such thingsas robots, micromechanical flying insects,and space vehicles. “Who would havethought a small, unlovely creature like thefly could teach us so much?” wrote aero-space researcher Rafal Zbikowski.

What do you think? Did the gyroscopichaltere of the fly come about by evolution?Or was it designed?

WAS IT DESIGNED?

The Haltereof the Fly

Without halteres, this housefly(left) and the crane fly wouldquickly crash to the ground

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DO YOU feel incensed when corrupt gov-ernments oppress and exploit their cit-

izens? Does it offend your sense of justicewhen big business fattens the rich at the ex-pense of the poor? Are you angered when re-ligious leaders fleece their flocks or teach out-right falsehoods? If so, you may be pleased tolearn that the Bible too condemns these evils.This article will consider (1) Bible prophe-cies that foretell the end of all wickedness andwicked people and (2) the reason why theseprophecies merit our full trust.

The End of Wickedness

The preceding article in this series consid-ered the composite sign Jesus gave, which in-

dicates the nearness of the end of the presentworld. That sign includes a global procla-mation of the good news of God’s Kingdom—God’s government that will soon rule theentire earth. (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 24:3, 14)When that proclamation work is finished,“the end will come,” said Jesus. You may besurprised to learn that the first thing that Godwill remove will be false religion, which mis-represents him. In the Bible, false religion issymbolized by a harlot named “Babylon theGreat.”—Revelation 17:1, 5; see the box “Iden-tifying Babylon the Great,” on page 13.��

Prophecy 1: “[Babylon the Great’s] plagues willcome, death and mourning and famine, and

THE BIBLEA BOOK OF ACCURATE PROPHECYPA

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

“The EndWill Come”

This eight-part series in “Awake!” is examining anoutstanding feature of the Bible—its prophecies,or predictions. The articles will help you to answerthese questions: Are Bible prophecies merely thework of clever humans? Do they bear the hall-mark of divine inspiration? We invite you to weighthe evidence.


she will be completely burned with fire,because Jehovah God, who judged her,is strong.”—Revelation 18:2, 8.��

Fulfillment: The Bible reveals that athis appointed time, God will move theworld’s political powers to turn againstBabylon the Great and destroy her.They will “make her devastated andnaked” and “eat up her fleshy parts.”(Revelation 17:16) In other words, theywill expose her shameful character andplunder her immense wealth. Her de-struction will be quick and so com-plete that not a trace of her will remain.—Revelation 18:21.

The political rulers may think thattheir deed was of their own making.However, the fulfillment of this amaz-ing prophecy will confirm that Bab-ylon’s end was an act of God. He willhave “put it into their hearts to carryout his thought.”—Revelation 17:17.��

Prophecy 2: “In the days of those kingsthe God of heaven will set up a kingdom.. . . It will crush and put an end to allthese [man-made] kingdoms, and ititself will stand to times indefinite.”—Daniel 2:44.��

Fulfillment: Having disposed of falsereligion, God will turn his attention toother organizations—political and com-mercial—as well as to wicked people.(Proverbs 2:22; Revelation 19:17, 18)Like a landlord who evicts destructivetenants, God will “bring to ruin thoseruining the earth.” He will destroythose who fill it with violence and sex-ually degrading practices.—Revelation11:18; Romans 1:18, 26-29.

Who will survive? The Bible an-swers: “The meek ones themselves willpossess the earth, and they will indeed

How do we know that the symbolic womannamed Babylon the Great, described in theBible book of Revelation, pictures all falsereligion? Consider the evidence:

˘ She could not be a literal woman becausethe imagery in Revelation is in the form of“signs,” or symbols.—Revelation 1:1.

˘ Babylon the Great sits on waters, whichrepresent “peoples and crowds and nations.”(Revelation 17:1, 5, 15) A literal woman can-not do that. False religion, however, gets itssupport from its huge membership.

˘ This symbolic woman is a “great city thathas a kingdom over the kings of the earth.”In other words, she is organized and has inter-national influence.—Revelation 17:18.

˘ A spiritual harlot, Babylon the Great formsalliances with “the kings of the earth.” More-over, these mourn her destruction. (Revelation17:1, 2; 18:9) So she cannot be a politicalentity.

˘ The commercial leaders also mournher destruction. (Revelation 18:15) Hence,she cannot be a secular commercial power.

˘ The Bible describes the blending of theworship of God with a love for the world asspiritual adultery. (James 4:4) Babylon theGreat fits that profile. Also, she promotesspiritism, a religious practice.—Revelation 18:23.

˘ The ancient city of Babylon, after whichBabylon the Great is named, was a profound-ly religious city.—Isaiah 47:1, 12, 13; Jeremiah50:1, 2, 38.

Thus, we can say with confidence thatBabylon the Great pictures the combined falsereligions of the world.

IDENTIFYINGBABYLON THE GREAT


find their exquisite delight in the abundanceof peace.”—Psalm 37:11; 72:7.

Can we trust Bible prophecies? Can we besure that God will terminate wickedness andsuffering and preserve the righteous? Yes!

Bible Prophecies Are Trustworthy

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that JehovahGod is the Author of the Bible and that every-thing he has promised he will do. (2 Timothy3:16) Is this belief reasonable?

If you had a lifelong friend who truly lovedyou and never lied to you, would you believehim if he promised to do something good foryou and if what he promised was within hismeans? Undoubtedly you would. God is evenbetter than any human friend we may have.“God never tells a lie!”—Titus 1:2, Contempo-rary English Version.

God does not approve of blind faith, orcredulity. Accordingly, he inspired the Biblewriters to record many prophecies that onlyhe, the Almighty, could fulfill. A number ofthose prophecies and their amazing fulfill-ment were discussed in the first six install-ments in this series of articles. (See the box“Fulfilled Bible Prophecies,” on page 15.) Wecan be confident, then, that God will fulfillthe predictions that involve our future, includ-ing those mentioned in this article.

Yes, the Creator will bring an end to falsereligion, oppressive rulership, and the greedycommercial world. Would you like to learnmore about what will happen after thoseevents occur? The next issue of Awake! willhelp you. It will contain the final article inthis series.

God’s Kingdom will bring an end to all falsereligion, corrupt governments, and greedycommerce


FULFILLED BIBLEPROPHECIES

Below is a list of the many remarkable Bibleprophecies that were discussed in the first sixinstallments of this series. As those articlesshowed, these prophecies proved to be accurate!

PROPHECIES ABOUTABRAHAM AND HISDESCENDANTS

˘ The descendants ofthe faithful man Abrahamwould become a great na-tion, later called the nationof Israel.—Genesis 12:1, 2.

˘ Abraham’s descen-dants would return to theland of Canaan after livingin a foreign land for fourgenerations.—Genesis 15:13, 16.

˘ Abraham’s descen-dants would take posses-sion of “the entire land ofCanaan.”—Genesis 17:8.

˘ Because the Israelitesrebelled against God, hewould allow them to beconquered and taken cap-tive.—Jeremiah 25:8-11.

˘ God would restore theJews to their homelandafter they spent 70 years incaptivity.—Jeremiah 25:12;29:10.

˘ The Babylonian worldpower would be over-thrown, and in time Bab-ylon would become rubble.—Isaiah 13:19, 20.

PROPHECIES ABOUTTHE MESSIAH AND HISFOLLOWERS

˘ The Messiah, or Christ,would stem from the familyline of King David.—Isaiah9:7.

˘ The future Messiahwould be born in Bethlehem.—Micah 5:2.

˘ The Messiah wouldappear 483 years after “thegoing forth of the word torestore and to rebuild Jerusa-lem.” That word was given in455 B.C.E.—Daniel 9:25.

˘ Before his execution, theMessiah would be severelyflogged.—Isaiah 50:6.

˘ The Messiah would beexecuted as a despised crim-inal, yet he would be buriedwith “the rich class.”—Isaiah53:9.

˘ Christ’s followers wouldspread his message through-out Judea, Samaria, and therest of the known world.—Acts 1:8.

˘ Christians would bepersecuted.—Mark 13:9.

˘ Deceitful and oppressiveindividuals would infiltratethe Christian congregation,causing many to becomeapostate.—Acts 20:29, 30;2 Peter 2:1, 2.

PROPHECIES ABOUTTHE LAST DAYS

The time of the end wouldbe marked by

˘ Worldwide preachingof the “good news of[God’s] kingdom.”—Mat-thew 24:14.

˘ Warfare, even ona global scale.—Matthew24:7; Revelation 6:4.

˘ Food shortages.—Matthew 24:7.

˘ Great earthquakes.—Luke 21:11.

˘ Terrible diseases.—Luke 21:11.

˘ Hatred and violence.—Matthew 24:10, 12.

˘ Greedy, self-centeredpeople and money lovers.—2 Timothy 3:1-5.


THE eerie wail of the common loon is asound few people forget.� Conveying the

solitude of the wilderness, the cry can beheard at remote freshwater lakes and riversin Canada, Europe, and the northern UnitedStates.

A handsome waterbird, the loon is thestate bird of Minnesota, U.S.A., and it ap-pears on Canada’s dollar coin—the loon-ie. The bird is migratory, however, and win-ters mostly in coastal areas farther south.What makes the common loon a bird to beheard?

Wails, Hoots, Tremolos, and Yodels

Loons have some impressive vocalizations.Their haunting wail is heard in the evening orat night and carries for miles. A less intensecall is the hoot, which is used to keep in touchwith mates, chicks, and other loons on the� Also called great northern diver and great northern loon.

same lake. The tremolo is an alarm signal. De-scribed as “insane laughter,” the tremolo isthe only call that loons make in flight.

The yodel is a male-only call and “seems tobe associated with territorial defense,” saysthe journal BirdWatch Canada. “Each malehas his own characteristic yodel,” and“the heavier the loon, the lower the pitch.”Moreover, when a male “changes territory, hechanges his yodel,” and “it makes its yodel asdifferent as possible from that of the previousresident,” the journal states.

Attractive, Adroit, and Awkward

The loon has a very dark, almost black,iridescent-green head, with red eyes and along, pointed black bill. Its general plumagechanges according to the season.

Having large webbed feet, loons are ef-ficient predators, powerful swimmers, andadroit divers. In fact, they may dive as deep

THE COMMON LOONA BIRD TO BE HEARD


as 200 feet (60 m), occasionally staying sub-merged for several minutes at a time!

The loon’s takeoffs and landings, however,are not its strong points! Because of itsweight, the bird needs a “runway” to get air-borne, and it may flap and run along the wa-ter for hundreds of yards (m) before tak-ing off. Hence, loons prefer large bodies ofwater. When landing, the loon comes in athigh speed with legs stretched out behind, asthough its “undercarriage” had failed. It thenhits the water on its belly and skims along un-til coming to a stop.

Although well-suited for swimming, theloon’s big webbed feet and their locationway back on its body make walking—andeven standing—awkward. Hence, loons buildtheir nests where they can easily slip into thewater.

Both parents take turns incubating theeggs (usually two), which are olive colored

and camouflaged with dark spots. They hatchafter an average of 29 days. When they aretwo days old, the chicks can swim and evenmake short dives. When they need to rest,they simply hitch a ride on a parent’s back.After two or three months, when the youngare able to fly, they leave their parents.

The loon’s enemies include eagles, gulls,raccoons, and—worst of all—humans. Leadfishing weights and oil spills poison thebirds. Chemical pollution from acid rain re-duces the fish stocks on which loons de-pend. Waves from moving boats swamp theirnests. And lakeshore development sendsthe reclusive loon away from its breeding hab-itat.

That said, the loon population remainshealthy. Hence, this dashingly handsome birdwith its inimitable calls and amusing waysshould enchant bird lovers for many years tocome.

LOON FACTSLength: About three feet (1 m)from bill tip to outstretched feet

Wingspan: Up to 55 inches(140 cm)

Weight: An average of about9 pounds (4 kg) but may go to near-ly 14 pounds (6.3 kg)

Bone structure: A number of solidbones (unlike normally hollow

avian bones), which add weight buthelp in diving

Flying speed: About 75 miles perhour (120 km/h) during migration

Diet: Preferably fish but also cray-fish, frogs, leeches, salamanders,shrimps, snails, and other aquaticanimals

A loon chick resting onits parent’s back

A common loonvocalizing

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HANDLING stress is like pulling a heavyshipping container. A large truck can

haul it across the country with ease. But acar cannot. Pulling such a load even a shortdistance could ruin a car’s engine. The samecould be true of your “engine” if you’re over-whelmed with stress.

Is the situation hopeless? Not at all! Tokeep from burning out, you’ll need either tolighten your load or to get a more powerful“engine.” Actually, you can do both. Let’s seehow.

Lighten Your Load

THE CHALLENGE: Overscheduling.“Someone will ask me to help out with some-

thing or to socialize when I really have thingsthat I need to do. I just don’t want to let anyonedown.”—Karina.�THE REMEDY: Learn to say no.

“Wisdom is with the modest ones,” saysthe Bible. (Proverbs 11:2) Modesty, or accept-ing your limitations, empowers you to say nowhen the load will be too heavy for you tocarry.

Of course, saying no isn’t always an option—for example, when your parents remind youabout your chores! But if you let everyone addto your load, you’ll eventually give out. Eventhe biggest trucks have a load limit.

Tip: If it’s hard for you to turn down some-one outright, try saying, “Let me get back toyou.” Then, before giving a definite reply, askyourself, ‘Can I really afford to invest the timeand energy needed for this activity?’� Some names in this article have been changed.

YOUNGPEOPLEASK

How can I deal with stress?

How much stress are you under?Mark the meter below to indicatethe amount.

I’m drowningin stress

I’m at my limit

I can handle it

Stress? I don’t evenknow what that is


THE CHALLENGE: Procrastination.“If a task seems difficult, I’ll put it off. But

then I’ll worry about the fact that I still have todo it. When I finally start on it, I have to rush,which stresses me out.”—Serena.THE REMEDY: Get started—even if you don’tfinish now.

“Do not loiter at your business,” advisesthe Bible. (Romans 12:11) Confronting ahard task is bad enough, so why add to theload by procrastinating? That just keeps it be-fore you longer!

To create incentive, make a to-do list.Break down big tasks into manageable sizes.

“I love lists,” says a young woman named Car-ol. “Usually I put the things I dislike the mostfirst, and then as I check them off, it gets eas-ier. Before you know it, you can move on tothe things in your life that are more fun!”

Cut out the clutter! When you haveto rifle through chaos to find yourhomework or clean clothes to wear,you raise your stress level. For aless hectic morning, set aside fiveminutes to tidy up before goingto bed

WHAT YOUR PEERS SAY

Patricia—When I’m stressed, sports, such as jogging, cycling,or gymnastics, help me to calm down. Also, I share my feelingswith my parents or my best friend—people whom I can trustand who understand me. Having their support really helps.

Zachary—I’ve noticed that I tend to worry too much, which stressesme out and only makes the situation worse. So I try to considerthe bigger picture. How do my problems compare with those of otherswho might not even have a place to live or food to eat?

Gregory—Something that helps me to manage my stress levelis a daily planner. It helps me to be organized and up-to-date oneverything I need to do. That way, I never fall behind. I can politelyand honestly accept or decline responsibilities based on theamount of free time I have.

Hailey—If I know I have chores to do, I make a schedule the night before,noting the time at which I need to have each task done. For example,when I clean the house, I set a goal to have the kitchen cleaned bya certain time, the bedrooms done two hours later, and so on. It worksreally well!

Tip: If you struggle to get started on a task,set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and beginworking on it right away. When the alarmgoes off, you’ll have 10 or 15 minutes of thejob completed. Now that you’ve started, youmight be surprised at how much easier it is todo more on the task.

Get a More Powerful “Engine”

˘ Take care of your body. Experts agreethat a healthful diet, regular exercise, andproper sleep will help you to get more done.�Don’t worry—taking care of your body isn’tall that complicated. A few simple steps willget you started. Take sleep, for example. Trythe following.

1. Get enough sleep. Set regular times to goto bed and to get up, at least on school daysand workdays.

2. Allow yourself enough time to unwind.Don’t exercise within three hours beforegoing to bed, and avoid heavy snacks and caf-feine as bedtime nears.

3. When it’s time to go to bed, try to makeyour bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable.� For tips on diet and exercise, see chapter 10 of the book

Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, Volume 1,published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

˘ Connect with others. Don’t hesitate toturn to your parents and friends for assis-tance. Will that really help? Yes, for stud-ies show that emotional support reduces thedamage that increased stress can cause toyour heart, blood vessels, and immune sys-tem.

Those findings agree with the Bible, whichsays: “Anxious care in the heart of a man iswhat will cause it to bow down, but the goodword is what makes it rejoice.” (Proverbs 12:25) When “anxious care” weighs you down,true friends can offer you a “good word” ofencouragement, which may be just what youneed to make it through.

Do you still need help in coping withstress? See the following chapters in the bookQuestions Young People Ask—Answers ThatWork, Volumes 1 and 2, published by Jeho-vah’s Witnesses.VOLUME 1

Chapter 18: How Can I Cope With Stress atSchool?

Chapter 21: How Can I Manage My Time?

VOLUME 2

Chapter 26: How Can I Control My Emotions?

Chapter 27: Why Do I Feel That I Have to BePerfect?

Beginning with the January 2013 issue of Awake!“Young People Ask” articles will be found exclusivelyonline at www.jw.org

WHY NOT ASK YOUR PARENTS?

What kind of stress do you face inyour life? What methods of coping withstress have you found to be the mosteffective?

Make sure your “engine”can handle your load



IWAS born in 1943 in Rubottom, Oklahoma,U.S.A. Throughout my childhood, violence

was my way of life. During my senior year inhigh school, I began to drink. Since my fatherwas a violent alcoholic, my drinking led to anodd type of friendship with him. We went todances and other social events together justto drink and fight.

I married in 1966, and my wife, Shirley,and I had two children, Angela and Shawn.Nevertheless, I continued abusing alcohol. Tosupplement my income, I began to grow andsell marijuana. I also worked as a bouncer atlocal bars, which afforded me the opportunityto satisfy my thirst for alcohol and violence.At that point in my life, I was not afraid ofanybody or anything, and I cared little aboutthe feelings of others.

“Don’t Bring Anybody to Talk to Me!”

Shirley’s cousin moved to Californiawhere, after studying the Bible, he becameone of Jehovah’s Witnesses. On his return toOklahoma, he shared what he had learnedwith Shirley, who quickly recognized the ring

of truth. After a thorough study of the Bible,Shirley too decided to become a Witness, andshe was baptized in 1976. I wanted nothing todo with her religion. “Don’t bring anybody totalk to me!” I said. “It’s not going to work.”

Shirley never compromised her loyalty toBible principles, and she continued to showlove for me. In fact, before she and the chil-dren would leave to attend Christian meetingsat the local Kingdom Hall, she would kind-ly invite me to go with her. Likewise, Angelawould say, “Dad, we wish you’d go with us.”

Because of my involvement with illegal ac-tivities, I often carried a pistol. Moreover, Iwould disappear for days at a time, whichcreated marital tension. Upon my return Iwould try to smooth things over with Shirleyby attending a few meetings. The Witnessesalways treated me kindly, and their teachingsseemed to make sense.

In time, a congregation elder offered tostudy the Bible with me. I accepted his of-fer. Unfortunately, though, what I learnedhad little effect on me—primarily because

They Never GaveUp on Me

AS TOLD BY KEITH LYONS

I loved alcohol and violence.

Then one day I received some tragic

news that caused me to reexamine

my life. Let me explain.


I continued associating with my old friends.Aware of this, the elder shared with me someBible principles about the dangers of bad as-sociation. (1 Corinthians 15:33) Even though

his advice was based on the Bible, I took of-fense, stopped studying, and became evenmore involved with my former activities. Howmy foolish pride hurt Shirley and the chil-dren!

“We Still Love You”

In 1983, I received some tragic news. Mynephew, whom I had grown quite fond of,had died. This affected me deeply, movingme to reflect on my life. I could see that Iwas hurting my marriage and my family—yes,all that I considered worthwhile. This sober-ing realization was my turning point. At mynephew’s funeral, an elderly Witness namedJohn kindly put his arm around me and said,“I just want you to know that we still loveyou.” That was the encouragement I need-ed! I called John the next day and said that Iwanted to resume my study of the Bible, hop-ing that this time I would make some ratherbelated changes.

During our first study, we discussed prayerand I told John that I would give it a try. Thenext day I began searching for honest work,but without results. While driving in my pick-up, I prayed out loud, “Jehovah, if you wantme to stay in this area, you had better findme a job.” Then I thought, ‘This is silly—driv-ing down the road talking to myself.’ Clear-ly, my faith in God as the “Hearer of prayer”had a long way to go—as did the quality of my

prayers! (Psalm 65:2) Amazingly, though, Ireceived a job offer the very next day!

Thereafter, I began to pray more often andin earnest. Time and again, I saw Jehovah’sblessing. I had always believed in God, butthese experiences helped me to see the truth-fulness of 1 John 5:14, which says: “No mat-ter what it is that we ask according to his will,he hears us.” Realizing the power of prayerincreased my love for Jehovah and boostedmy confidence in his guidance.—Proverbs 3:5, 6.

When I began to attend Christian meetingsagain, the Witnesses warmly welcomed me.Moreover, I began to appreciate that they real-ly did “love one another intensely from theheart,” and this moved me deeply. (1 Peter1:22) I also began to appreciate the truth of

Realizing the power of prayerincreased my love for Jehovahand boosted my confidencein his guidance

With my wife, Shirley


Proverbs 13:20, which states: “He that is walk-ing with wise persons will become wise, buthe that is having dealings with the stupid oneswill fare badly.”

For years I had caused hardship and painto my family, but now I was trying to bepeaceable as well as a better husband, father,and communicator. I began to apply the Bi-ble’s counsel that “husbands ought to be lov-ing their wives as their own bodies” and thatfathers should “not be exasperating [their]children, so that they do not become down-hearted.”—Ephesians 5:28; Colossians 3:21.

Understandably, the changes I was mak-ing had a wonderful effect on my family. Be-cause of this, Jesus’ words at Matthew 5:3rang loud and clear: “Happy are those con-scious of their spiritual need.” At last, I hadfound true happiness!

In June 1984, my daughter, Angela, was in-terviewed at an assembly of Jehovah’s Wit-nesses. She described the kind of person Ionce was and then spoke about the chang-es I had made. She finished by saying howthrilled she was to see me sitting in the frontrow among those who would be baptized thatday.

How thankful I am that Jehovah does notgive up on people like me! I am also verygrateful to Shirley and our children for notgiving up on me. A genuine Christian, Shir-ley loyally applied the admonition at 1 Peter3:1: “Wives, be in subjection to your own hus-bands, in order that, if any are not obedientto the word, they may be won without a wordthrough the conduct of their wives.” Her loy-alty, patience, and fine conduct through allmy wayward years kept the door open for meuntil I finally came to my senses.

Since my baptism, I have often used herexample to encourage others who have un-believing mates not to give up on them.“When the time is right,” I tell them, “Jeho-vah can use the power of his Word, the Bible,and your good conduct to help your marriagemate change—even if at first that may seemunlikely.”

After becoming one of Jehovah’sWitnesses, I occasionally crossedpaths with former acquaintances.One of those was a woman commonlyknown as Big Rose. She had numer-ous tattoos and a reputation as a drugaddict and an alcoholic. She was alsoknown to settle disputes with firearms.How surprised I was when one dayI saw her enter our Kingdom Hall toattend her first meeting!

Rose immediately recognized me,for I used to frequent the bar she onceowned. She told me that during herlast prison stay, she had studied theBible with the Witnesses and, like me,had made major changes in her life.Now she too was free of her addic-tions and former ways. Determined toserve the true God, she was baptizedin 1990. When she died in 2005, I washonored to give her funeral talk.

Big Rose Enteredthe Kingdom Hall

1.1matchesF.2.2matchesB.3.3matchesA.4.4matchesE.5.5matchesC.6.6matchesD.7.3,600.8.D.

ANSWERSTOPAGES30AND31


IN ORDER to be admired, some peopleflaunt their designerwear or other fan-

cy belongings. In one Asian land, for ex-ample, the “newly rich love luxury products—imported French handbags, Italian sportscars—and even more, they love to show off[their wealth],” says an article in The Wash-ington Post.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with en-joying the fruitage of one’s labor. The Biblesays: “Every man should eat and indeed drinkand see good for all his hard work. It is thegift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:13) But is it wiseto flaunt, or parade, our possessions? Whatdoes the Bible say?

“The Rich Have Many Friends”

When the rich or those who pretend to berich flaunt their belongings, what kind offriends might they attract? The Bible givesus a clue in this wise saying about humannature: “No one likes the poor, not eventheir neighbors, but the rich have manyfriends.”—Proverbs 14:20, Good News Transla-tion.

The implication is this: The “many friends”of the rich are friends, not so much of thepeople themselves, but of their wealth. Theirso-called friendship is rooted in self-interest,as is their flattering speech. The Bible calls

such speech “a false front for covetousness,”or greed.—1 Thessalonians 2:5.

So ask yourself, ‘What kind of friends doI want? Friends who love me for what I haveor true friends who love me for what I am?’The Bible shows that our behavior can con-tribute to the kind of friends we attract.

“Wisdom Is With the Modest Ones”

Another problem associated with showingoff wealth is well illustrated in the Bible ac-count of King Hezekiah, who lived in an-cient Jerusalem. On one occasion Hezekiahshowed “all that was to be found in his trea-sures” to dignitaries from Babylon. Evidently,his great wealth impressed the visitors. How-ever, it may also have excited their greed. Af-ter they left, God’s prophet Isaiah bravely toldHezekiah that one day all his treasure would“actually be carried to Babylon.” Nothingwould be left. Those words came true! Yearslater the Babylonians returned and hauledoff all the riches that belonged to Hezekiah’sfamily.—2 Kings 20:12-17; 24:12, 13.

Likewise today, people who flaunt theirwealth may risk losing it, or at least some ofit. A report on crime and safety in Mexicostated: “Ostentatious displays of wealth aremagnets for thieves in Mexico City.Wearing expensive jewelry, watches, and dis-

THEBIBLE’SVIEWPOINT Flaunting—Is It

Worth the Price?

“Slipping into a pair of designer jeans or designer anythings

can raise the insecure from the doldrums of nothingness to

the fantasy level of ‘I’m somebody, and if you don’t believe me,

just look at my label!’ ”—Psychologist Chaytor D. Mason.


plays of large amounts of cash draw unwant-ed attention.” How much better to heed theBible’s advice not to “brag about” one’s rich-es. (Jeremiah 9:23) “Wisdom is with the mod-est ones,” says Proverbs 11:2.

See the Good Qualities in Others

Instead of having an egotistical ‘look-at-me’attitude, a modest and humble person de-lights in the good qualities and strengths ofothers. Philippians 2:3 states: “There mustbe no room for rivalry and personal vanityamong you, but you must humbly reckon oth-ers better than yourselves.” (The New EnglishBible) At Galatians 5:26, we read: “Let us notbecome egotistical, stirring up competitionwith one another, envying one another.”

Similarly, people with godly wisdom knowthat unselfishness and mutual respect are thepillars of true friendship and that such friend-ship does not fail when wealth fails. Instead,it grows stronger with time. “A true compan-ion is loving all the time,” states Proverbs 17:17. Above all, a wise person strives to pleaseGod. He knows that God is not impressedwith outward appearance but looks at “the se-cret person of the heart”—what we are on theinside. (1 Peter 3:4) Hence, he works hard tocultivate the appealing qualities that charac-terize what the Bible calls “the new personal-

ity.” (Ephesians 4:24) Some of those qualitiesare mentioned at Micah 6:8: “What is Jeho-vah asking back from you but to exercise jus-tice and to love kindness and to be modest inwalking with your God?”

True, in today’s world modesty is anythingbut acclaimed, which is no surprise to Biblestudents. How so? When discussing “the lastdays,” the Bible foretold that humans, by andlarge, would be “greedy, boastful, . . . conceit-ed . . . , and swollen with pride.” (2 Timo-thy 3:1-5, GNT) In that social setting, peoplewho flaunt their goods should feel perfectly athome. God, however, encourages us to “keepaway from such people,” lest we become likethem.

HAVE YOU WONDERED?

˘ What personality traits please God?—Micah 6:8.

˘ How should we view the good qualitiesand strengths of others?—Philippians 2:3.

˘ Why should prevailing attitudes towardflaunting not surprise us?—2 Timothy 3:

1-5.

Do you want friendswho love you for whatyou have or friends wholove you for whatyou are?


AUTOMATION has taken over industry—es-pecially the routine and repetitious tasks.

But when did automatic, programmable devicesfirst appear on the scene? Was it just a couple ofcenturies ago during Europe’s industrial revolu-tion? You may be surprised to learn that auto-matic machines were invented much earlier.

During the early part of the era known asthe golden age of Islamic science, from the 8thto the 13th century C.E. and beyond, MiddleEastern scholars translated into Arabic scien-tific and philosophical texts that preserved theworks of such renowned Greeks as Archimedes,Aristotle, Ctesibius, Hero of Alexandria, andPhilo of Byzantium.� Having these and othersources, the Islamic Empire—which stretchedfrom Spain across North Africa and the MiddleEast to Afghanistan—possessed the knowledgethat made it possible for them to make automat-ic machines.

Those machines, says historian of technolo-gy Donald Hill, could “continue working forlong periods—hours, days or even longer—with-out human intervention.” Why? The engineershad invented effective control mechanisms thatmade automation possible. The machines usedwater from elevated tanks to provide a steadysupply of energy. Automatic switching openedand closed valves or changed the direction ofwater flow. The machines also had feedback sys-tems, as well as what Hill calls “precursors offail-safe devices.” Consider some examples.� Regarding the translation work undertaken by Arabic schol-

ars, please see “How Arabic Became the Language of theLearned,” in the February 2012 issue of Awake!

MEDIEVALMASTERSof Mechanics

The three Banu Musa—Arabic for “sonsof Musa”—lived in ninth-century Baghdad.They drew on the works of their Hellenisticforerunners Philo and Hero, as well asChinese, Indian, and Persian engineers, tomake over 100 devices. According toscience writer Ehsan Masood, these in-clude water fountains that changed theirpatterns at intervals, clocks with visualgimmicks, and vessels that served drinksautomatically and replenished themselvesusing clever combinations of floats, valves,and siphons. According to historian ofscience Jim Al-Khalili, the sons of Musaalso built rudimentary life-size automatons—a “tea girl” that actually served tea and aflute player, “possibly the earliest exampleof a programmable machine.”

These automatic systems had much incommon with modern machines. However,“they used mainly water under pressurerather than electronics, but many of theoperating principles are the same,” saysscience writer Ehsan Masood.

The Ingenious Banu Musa


The story of man’s ingenuity is truly amaz-ing! Yet, that story is more than just interestinghistory. It also gives us a sense of perspective.At a time when many boast about modern tech-nology, we are reminded of just how much weowe to the brilliant and fertile minds that pre-ceded us.

Waterwheels, such as thesein Hama, Syria, were builtthroughout the medievalIslamic Empire

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Al-Jazari’s two-pistonsuction pump

Al-Jazari’s 13th-centurymanuscript illustratinghis Elephant Clock

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In 1206, Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari completed his work,sometimes translated Com-pendium on the Theory andPractice of the MechanicalArts. It has been called “astudy in systematic machinedesign.” Some of al-Jazari’stechnology went far beyondthat published by the BanuMusa, and his descriptionsand diagrams are so detailedthat modern engineers canrecreate his devices.

Al-Jazari’s book illustrateswater-raising devices, waterclocks, candle clocks, waterdispensers, musical automa-tons, and a pump that con-verted the rotary motion of awaterwheel into the back-and-forth movement of a pistonthat pumped water with greatforce. Historians give al-Jazari

the credit for designing hydrau-lic pumps three centuries be-fore the same basic design ap-peared in the West.

Al-Jazari also producedwhimsical, yet functional,clocks. The one illustratedhere has been reconstructedin a Dubai shopping mall.The timing mechanism is aperforated bowl that sits in awater reservoir inside the ele-phant’s belly. The bowl be-

comes full in 30 minutes andthen sinks, triggering a seriesof actions that utilize ropesand balls that are releasedfrom the “castle” on the ele-phant’s back. When the half-hour cycle ends, the waterbowl is automatically refloated,and the process starts over.This device and other automat-ic machines attributed to al-Jazari have earned him the ti-tle “father of robotics.”

Al-Jazari—“Father of Robotics”


Have you heard people say that? Yet, did youknow that it is possible to examine the Bible insuch a way that it actually sheds light on itself?The secret is this: If the surrounding verses donot make the meaning of a particular state-ment clear, compare that statement with othersin the Bible that discuss the same subject. Inthis way, we let the Bible, not personal opinion,guide our thinking.

Consider, for example, the Bible’s teachingon the condition of the dead. Below are sixpassages taken from different parts of theBible. Notice how they form a harmonious pic-ture.

˘ “The dead praise not the LORD, neither anythat go down into silence.”—Psalm 115:17.�

˘ “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sonof man, in whom there is no help. His breathgoeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in thatvery day his thoughts perish.”—Psalm 146:3, 4.

˘ “The living know that they shall die: but thedead know not any thing.”—Ecclesiastes 9:5.

˘ “The grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee . . . The living, the living,he shall praise thee, as I do this day.”—Isaiah 38:18, 19.

� The scriptures are taken from the King James Version.

˘ “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”—Ezekiel 18:4.

˘ Concerning the recent death of his friendLazarus, Jesus Christ said: “Our friend Laza-rus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake himout of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, ifhe sleep, he shall do well. . . . Then said Je-sus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”—John 11:11-14.

Do you see the harmony in these verses?Yes, contrary to popular beliefs, the Bible teach-es that the dead are actually dead. They are notalive in heaven or somewhere else but are in adeep sleep, as it were, not conscious of any-thing. Hence, they cannot praise God or eventhink.�

The main point is this: When we examine theBible by subject, its basic teachings becomeclear. Of course, this approach, which Jehovah’sWitnesses use, calls for effort. (Proverbs 2:1-5)But that is true of most things that are reallyworthwhile.

� The Bible teaches that the dead who are in God’s memory willbe ‘awakened,’ or resurrected, at God’s appointed time in the fu-ture.—See Job 14:14, 15; John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15.

A Key toUnderstanding

THE BIBLE

“How do you know that your

interpretation of the Bible is

correct? It can be interpreted

in all kinds of ways!”


Risks of “Heading” in SoccerIn soccer, ball control with the head—or “head-

ing”—is part of the game. However, recent studies us-ing advanced imaging techniques and cognitive testshave raised concerns over the safety of repeatedlyheading a soccer ball. According to researchers atthe Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York,U.S.A., the practice “increases the risk for brain inju-ry and cognitive impairment.” Detectable injury wasobserved among amateurs who headed the ball morethan 1,000 to 1,500 times a year—which amounts tojust “a few times a day for a regular player.”

Hybrid Vehicles More Dangerousto Pedestrians

“Advocacy groups have raised pedestrian safetyconcerns for HEVs [hybrid electric vehicles],” statesa U.S. Department of Transportation report. “Theirconcern is that HEVs seem relatively quieter and maynot emit the sounds that pedestrians and bicyclistsrely on for warning as [a] vehicle approaches them

on the street or at an intersection.”Indeed, while performing cer-

tain maneuvers, “the HEVwas two times morelikely to be involvedin a pedestrian crash”than conventional ve-hicles, says the report.The National Highway

Traffic Safety Admin-istration has thus pro-

posed that hybrid and elec-tric cars be required to emit

some kind of noise while mov-ing at low speed.

WATCHING THE WORLD

In Germany, about 33 per-cent of children born in2010 were born out ofwedlock, compared to only15 percent in 1993.—

¨ARZTE

ZEITUNG and THE LOCAL, GERMANY.

According to 2010 censusdata, 69.4 percent of chil-dren in the United States livewith two parents, 23.1 percentlive with their mother only,3.4 percent live with their fa-ther only, and 4.1 percent donot live with a parent.—U.S. CENSUS

BUREAU, U.S.A.

Natural disasters cost theglobal economy an estimated$380 billion (U.S.) in 2011.The Japanese earth-quake was the “costli-est disaster of all time,with losses of $210 billion—not including the nuclearincident at Fukushima.”—NEW

SCIENTIST, BRITAIN.

Worldwide, the mostfrequently stolen fooditem is cheese. Just over3 percent of the world’s retailsupply is lost every year, mainlyas a result of shoplifting andemployee theft.—CENTRE FOR

RETAIL RESEARCH, BRITAIN.

FOR FAMILY REVIEW

Match the Picturesto the Text

Read Genesis 1:1-31. Draw a line connectingeach picture to the matching Bible verses.(The pictures are not in the correct order.)

˘ “FOR FAMILY REVIEW” answers on page 23

1. Verses 3-5

2. Verses 6-8

3. Verses 9-13

4. Verses 14-19

5. Verses 20-23

6. Verses 24-31

A

B

C

D

E

F

FOR DISCUSSION: How do we know that thecreative days were not 24-hour days? CLUE: ReadGenesis 2:4; Psalm 90:4. What do you learnabout Jehovah from his creative works? CLUE:Read Psalm 115:16; Romans 1:20; 1 John 4:8;Revelation 4:11.

FAMILY ACTIVITY: Plan a field trip as a family.Visit a zoo, garden, or planetarium to learndetails about your favorite animals, plants, orplanets. Next, share with your family what youhave learned about Jehovah from studying hiscreation.

To print out additional copies of “ForFamily Review,” go to www.jw.org


Collect and Learn Cut out, fold in half, and saveJO

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J O N A T H A N

PROFILE Though heir to the throne andlikely 30 years older than David, Jonathansupported David as God’s king-designate.(1 Samuel 23:15-18) He even risked hislife to protect David from Saul, Jonathan’sjealous father. (1 Samuel 20:1-42)Jonathan’s example of humility teachesus to be happy for others who receivegood things from God.

QUESTIONS

A. Jonathan was the eldest son of ��.

B. True or False? Jonathan’s father threwa spear at Jonathan.

C. Whom did Jonathan especially love,and why?

ANSWERS

A. King Saul.—1 Samuel 14:47, 49.

B. True.—1 Samuel 20:33.

C. David. He saw David’s courage andlove for Jehovah as he fought Goliath.—1 Samuel 17:1–18:4.

Peoples and Lands7. Our names are Pyae Sone Aung, aged 11, and HsuMyat Yadanar Lwin, aged 7. We live in Myanmar. Abouthow many of Jehovah’s Witnesses live in Myanmar? Isit 3,600, 6,300, or 10,000?

8. Which dot shows where we live? Circle it, draw a dotwhere you live, and see how close you are to Myanmar.

Children’sPicture SearchCan you find these pictures inthis issue? In your own words,describe what is happening ineach picture.

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˘ Children today are exposed to anunprecedented amount of violence aswell as morally degrading practices.Hence, as never before, our little onesneed moral and spiritual guidance.Where can parents turn for help intraining their children? Many success-ful parents have turned to the Bible,recognizing that its guidance onlife and moral values remains un-surpassed.

In order to help parents teachtheir children, Jehovah’s Witnesseshave prepared the book Learn Fromthe Great Teacher. The 48 chaptersin the book include the following:“Obedience Protects You,” “Why WeShould Forgive,” “Why We Should NotLie,” “Help to Overcome Our Fears,”and “Why We Need to Work.”

You may request a copy of this256-page, beautifully illustrated book,which has the same page size as thismagazine. Simply fill in the accompa-nying coupon and mail it to an appro-priate address listed on page 5 of thismagazine.

What ChildrenNeed From Parents

Q Without obligation,I request a copy of thebook shown here.Indicate which language.��

Q Please contact meconcerning a free homeBible study.

Name ��

Address ��

��

City ��

Province/State �� Postal/ZIP Code ��LEARN FROM THE

GREAT TEACHER

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