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POWERFUL BY

FAITH! 2021 Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses

SATURDAY AFTERNOON TRANSCRIPT

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Table of Contents SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION—PART 1...................................................................................................... 3

SYMPOSIUM: HOW OUR BROTHERS ARE SHOWING FAITH IN AFRICA, ASIA, EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA, OCEANIA &

SOUTH AMERICA VIDEO … ......................................................................................................................................... 4 SYMPOSIUM: ENTER THE DOOR TO ACTIVITY IN FAITH ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

David Schafer, Teachingl Committee: —Learn a New Language ............................................. 12 Samuel Herd, Governing Body: —Move to Where the Need Is Greater ......................... 16 Mark Noumairs, Teaching Committee: —Apply for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers......... 19 Robert Luccioni, Publishing Committee: —Assist With a Theocratic Building Project .................. 21 Gajus Glockentin, Publishing Committee: —Set Something Aside for Jehovah’s Work .................. 24

SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION—PART 2.................................................................................................... 28

FEATURE BIBLE DRAMA -“DANIEL: A LIFETIME OF FAITH – PART I” ................... 29 DAVID SPLANE, GOVERNING BODY - "PUT UP A HARD FIGHT FOR THE FAITH!"……………..……………47

Powerful by Faith! Saturday

2021 Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses Afternoon

Jude 3 “Put up a hard fight for thefaith”

Saturday Afternoon Session—Part 1

Session Chairman

Good day, brothers and sisters! We will begin this convention session by enjoying another music-video presentation. This video highlights the power that faith can have in our lives. Please enjoy the video.

Our opening song expresses our joy in practicing true worship. Let’s sing song number 24, entitled “Come to Jehovah’s Mountain.” That’s song number 24.

Genuine faith moves us to action. This can be seen in the lives of our brothers and sisters earth wide. Please enjoy the following video that features experiences from six different regions. Let’s see how our brothers are showing faith.

Powerful by Faith! Saturday 2021 Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses Afternoon

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SYMPOSIUM: How Our Brothers Are Showing Faith in …

Narrator- “Through faith they defeated kingdoms, “brought about righteousness, “obtained promises, “stopped the mouths of lions, “quenched the force of fire, “escaped the edge of the sword, “from a weak state were made powerful, “became mighty in war, routed invading armies.” Faith in Jehovah has allowed ordinary people to do extraordinary things. This

kind of faith is still active today and still has the power to help us through any difficulty. So let’s travel across the globe and see how deep reliance on Jehovah has helped many overcome their unique trials. As we visit each land, we’ll enjoy a story of faith shared both from the perspective of close friends as well as the individuals involved. Now to our first destination.


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Zamani &, Nonhlanhla Mqathuseli – (Construction Servants): South Africa is full of contrasts and diversity.

Big, modern cities mix with poorer remote areas. For many volunteers in Kingdom Hall construction, this presents wonderful opportunities but also unique challenges that require faith in Jehovah. An example of that is our young friend Namhla. My wife and I really appreciated the

faith she showed to make herself available and to keep her joy in her assignment. Namhla Simanga (South Africa): I’m the only Jehovah’s Witness in my family. What my mother desired the most for me was to grow up, go to college and, in time, get a high-paying job. My congregation was busy building a Kingdom Hall, so I would sometimes also go to help.

I wanted to see and feel the joy that those brothers were having building Kingdom Halls. My mom didn’t like it when she heard that I was going to help with Kingdom Hall construction. She felt that I was wasting my time. When I arrived on-site, everything I did was for the first time. I didn’t have skills, and I had never done this work before. It is not easy. Sometimes I get tired—mentally exhausted and even physically exhausted. Sometimes it’s difficult to even read the Bible. I just want to wash up and go to sleep

Zamani & Nonhlanhla Mqathuseli (Construction Servants): It was important for Namhla to find her spiritual balance because her spirituality was more important than working hard on-site. Namhla Simanga (South Africa): I realized that I needed to be really determined because my spirituality was not the same as before. I saw that I needed to make a change. I made it a priority to read the Bible first and to think about the things I read. I also made sure that I was regular in going out in the ministry. Prayer helped a lot because prayer is the best way for me to tell Jehovah things that concern me. I have seen for myself how Jehovah God has sustained me.

Zamani & Nonhlanhla Mqathuseli (Construction Servants): We’ve seen that she is much more balanced.

Namhla Simanga (South Africa): My mom would phone and ask, “Namhla, how is the project going?” And then she would say, “If this makes you happy, then I am also happy.” At first, I had my fears, but faith made me confident that Jehovah God would always be there to support me in everything I do.


Shannon Slattery (Elder): Canada is a diverse country—both the landscape and, because of immigration, the people

and their languages. In order to share Bible truth with these ones, many brothers are learning a new language, like my friend Shaquille. When Shaquille got invited to Bethel, I had the privilege of serving at the Canada branch at the time. So it was such a

pleasure to see this young man who had all these wonderful goals and to see one by one Jehovah opening those doors to him. He had made a promise to Jehovah as a young person Shaquille Greaves (Canada): I want to help those that don’t have anyone to help them. Jehovah saw good in me, and he invested in me, and he was very patient with me, and I saw it through every brother and sister who sincerely reached out to

help me. Meditating on Jehovah’s qualities—you want to imitate him. You want to show the kindness that he has shown toward you and toward others. So in a foreign language, I feel like there is a giant opportunity to do that. I started to learn Punjabi, and I never regretted it. It changed my service to Jehovah. There was a time period in my Bethel service when I was really, really sick, and it was a kind of sickness where I didn’t know why it was happening. No doctor could tell me why it was happening. It affected my physical appearance, and it seemed liked torment throughout each and every day. A lot of times, I would have rather not been seen. So serving in a foreign language now when you’re one of the people who is spiritually supposed to be strengthening others, but you’re going through a hard time yourself, was a massive challenge for me.

Shannon Slattery (Elder): I think all of his friends just really appreciated the faith that he had to overcome that. And even though it was a very low point in his life, he really hung on to Jehovah. Shaquille Greaves (Canada): If I’m in this assignment and I’ve seen that Jehovah has blessed me, what would lead me to conclude that he’s going to stop? Shannon Slattery (Elder): He couldn’t sleep; he just couldn’t continue at Bethel either.

Shaquille Greaves (Canada): I had left Bethel. But still, my health was decreasing, and it was getting really bad. And it was getting to the point that doctors expressed concern about maybe an organ failing and things like that. But they did not give me any way out. I had no way out.

Shannon Slattery (Elder): He kept making progress even though there were certainly some really difficult times for him.

Shaquille Greaves (Canada): I had to take a realistic approach toward my new situation, and I had to figure out, “OK, how am I going to put Kingdom interests first “while materially taking care of myself “and hopefully figure out why I’m sick and if I can do anything about it?” Shannon Slattery (Elder): In the end, he decided to stick with the foreign language. And something I really learned from Shaquille is that he really took the Scriptures and made it personal. He would read it as if he was the person in the Scriptures, and he would meditate on it, and now he could see how, even though he didn’t know the answers, Jehovah would help him through his difficult times.


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Shaquille Greaves (Canada): So, what am I going to do? I’m going to live up to what I promised to Jehovah

Narrator- Today, he serves with his wife in the Punjabi field. He’s a loving shepherd, and he even instructs Punjabi-language classes.

Cristobal De Dios (Circuit Overseer): In Indonesia, people work very hard. They seek stability through a secure job. This can have

a powerful influence on the brothers and sisters because they may feel that they can’t expand their ministry. When I met the Jatmikos, they were working toward pioneer service. When they started, I asked them, “Would you like to be used more fully by Jehovah?”

Kristantiyo & Mardha Jatmiko (Indonesia): I was confused. We felt that the pioneer service itself was already a big accomplishment. Cristobal De Dios (Circuit Overseer): I encouraged them to think about the School for Kingdom Evangelizers.

Kristantiyo & Mardha Jatmik (Indonesia): I had never imagined applying for SKE. It was tempting. I wanted to be used by Jehovah, but what would happen to us after graduation? Where would we be assigned? What would be our assignment? We needed more faith, so we prayed a lot about that. Jehovah answered my prayers through the brothers and sisters in the congregation.

Cristobal De Dios (Circuit Overseer): Mardha had a prestigious job. She was even being offered many scholarships so that she could pursue higher education and further advance her career.

Kristantiyo & Mardha Jatmiko (Indonesia): The brothers and sisters never criticized Mardha’s work choice. Rather, they showed us the joys of serving Jehovah more fully. When I was still deciding what to do, some of them asked me about my spiritual goals and what I could see myself doing. Thinking about such questions convinced me to choose SKE.

Cristobal De Dios (Circuit Overseer): They were invited to attend the school. They had to leave their jobs, their house, and the comforts of the place and city where they lived. They were assigned to a small congregation. They had to pray even more to ask Jehovah God for guidance and direction. Now they’re serving in the traveling work, caring for a circuit.

Kristantiyo & Mardha Jatmiko (Indonesia): We are fully convinced that it was not due to any greatness on our part but because of Jehovah’s help. If we want to be used by Jehovah and if we want to serve him, Jehovah can use us in many different ways.


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Kini Lagavakatini (Circuit Overseer): Fiji is a beautiful place. However, one thing that is common here is poverty. That is the

situation Sister Bakata faces. Aliveta Bakata (Fiji): My husband was a hard worker. While we were out in the water, he cried out from the mangroves. When I went and found him, I knew that it was a stroke. I had to take on both roles as husband and wife. I would farm; I would fish. It was a difficult life. Kini Lagavakatini (Circuit Overseer): One day, a sister was

sick. Even though Sister Bakata faced challenges, if there was any washing or cleaning needed for the sick sister, she was happy to go and help with that too. I think back to when a cyclone hit Kadavu—Cyclone Keni.

Aliveta Bakata (Fiji): I was scared by the damage it did to our house. Our outdoor kitchen was blown off. When I heard about the things that happened to the brothers, I felt so sorry for them. Their roofs were blown away, and the walls had fallen down.

Kini Lagavakatini (Circuit Overseer): Just think about what Sister Bakata did. She had 20 Fijian dollars. That is the only money she had, but she decided to give all of that to the brothers.

Aliveta Bakata (Fiji): I didn’t have any other way to help them. Jehovah is “the God of love.” Like it says at 1 John 4:8, his main quality is love. Because of that love, I gave the money from the bottom of my heart.

Kini Lagavakatini (Circuit Overseer): I learned that even though we are poor, we can still be generous to assist our brothers.

Aliveta Bakata (Fiji): The more I gave, the more Jehovah gave back to me. Till today, we’ve always had what we’ve needed.

(Sister Bakata serving food to her husband)


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Narrator- In Peru, like many places around the world, our brothers and sisters need to work hard. Benjamín and Doris have to make good use of their resources in order to provide for their family.

Benjamín & Doris Vargas (Peru): We want to give our children a spiritual heritage. We want them to be able to serve Jehovah by watching how we are doing it. We watch a lot of videos that help us. We often remember the video

about Abilio and Ulla. They also had three children. They moved to another place and grew up in a very nice, spiritual atmosphere. They are serving Jehovah now as adults. So we asked ourselves, ‘Could we move to another place where the need is greater?’ Daniel Guillen Flores (Circuit Overseer): It takes faith to go to an unfamiliar place. Benjamín & Doris Vargas (Peru): One video on jw.org that helped us a lot was about the family from England who moved to Ecuador. First, they went for one month. So we said that we should also go visit first. Going to another country would have

been exciting and would have been super, but our economic situation wouldn’t allow us to go that far. We took a trip together with our children to visit a territory that had a need called Calango. It takes about an hour and a half to get there. They liked the geography of the area and all the vegetation. There were many things that captured their attention. (Youngest Vargas Boy): The things that I like in Calango are playing and preaching. Benjamín & Doris Vargas (Peru): We were unable to move to the city of Calango because of the economic situation that the people face there. It’s hard to get a job there. So for that reason, we decided to travel to Calango on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and work the other days here in Pachacamác. We have felt that Jehovah is helping us because he has made it possible to work here. And the money that we earn in those days allows us to be with our brothers there. We needed to know how to keep things simple. We learned that from the videos on jw.org. (Oldest Vargas Boy): The hard work that they do proves to me that they really love Jehovah. Daniel Guillen Flores (Circuit Overseer): They fully trust that Jehovah is our Father. He is the Dad. And we know that Dad always comes through for his children. And that faith is something that

greatly motivates them. Benjamín & Doris Vargas (Peru): The videos on jw.org had given us the push that we needed. We needed those videos in order to take action and move to another area.


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Narrator- Across Russia, our brothers have successfully faced decades of persecution and ban. The Budenchuks, like so many families there, still face these challenges today. Tatiana Budenchuk

(Russia): On June 12, 2018, at 5:30 a.m., armed men burst into our home. They threw my husband to the floor and handcuffed him. Eventually, they sent my husband to a pretrial detention facility for 11 months. It was frightening just imagining certain things

Vera Porezanova (Friend of the Budenchuks) She didn’t find it easy and shed many tears. Tatiana Budenchuk (Russia): I was really worried about how I would care for the children and how I would fulfill their needs spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Prayer calmed me down because I wanted, of course, to react very emotionally to

everything—to the injustice that we were facing. When the court hearings were going on, brothers and sisters would come. It was such a support—so strengthening! On September 19,

2019, the court convicted my husband and sent him to a prison colony for three and a half years. In January 2020, a new disaster hit us. At 1:00 a.m., our house burned to the ground. We stood there near

the house, and my son, Yegor, suggested saying a prayer. I don’t remember the prayer, but afterward I felt calmer. Then cars started coming to the house. It was our brothers and sisters. I was frozen, shaking from the cold, and they dressed me like a small child. They brought us hot tea, food—everything of the highest quality. Just one month after the fire, when they took my husband to the prison colony, officers there beat him up. When I found out about it, it was so hard for me because I didn’t know how to help my husband or how he was feeling. Vera Porezanova (Friend of the Budenchuks): Tanya copes with hardships very courageously. Tatiana Budenchuk (Russia): I prayed to Jehovah, sometimes all night. It felt as though Jehovah gave me painkillers to dull my pain. My husband, Aleksey, tries to take care of us. In the pretrial detention facility, for example, each day he wrote letters of encouragement to us, which we read together as a family. Husband Aleksey Budenchuk (letter): My dear family: Remember the qualities that we need right now—endurance, courage, calmness and, most important, faith. I like the thought that after winter, summer always comes; after the night, the day arrives; and after the darkest days, there will definitely come a sunny one. Tatiana Budenchuk (Russia): Throughout all these trials, having a good spiritual schedule and reading the Bible has given me strength. Also, we prepare for meetings and participate in the ministry. I was really afraid to do it, but this situation has helped me to see Jehovah’s support. I


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have realized that even in my circumstances, I can still help others. We know that Jehovah has already given us his support, and we believe that he will continue to support us.

Vera Porezanova (Friend of the Budenchuks): Their example of courage and steadfast faith in the face of difficulties and trials proves that we can also remain faithful. We too can make Jehovah happy and continue to serve him without becoming discouraged.

Tatiana Budenchuk (Russia): We have learned to trust more in Jehovah and not to panic when a difficult situation arises. These difficulties have made me stronger, helped me to overcome many of the fears I used to have, and strengthened my faith and my desire to help others.

Narrator- As we have seen, our brothers the world over continue to show strong faith. How did they do it? A regular study of God’s Word, time spent in deep meditation, and seeking His direction in prayer. What did this allow them to accomplish? Through faith, our brothers handled theocratic building assignments; learned foreign

languages; attended theocratic schools; though poor, remained generous; served where the need was greater; and preached despite persecution. And Jehovah knows we can do the same. Yes, if we let faith move us to action, those actions will strengthen our faith.

Session Chairman

Those experiences warm our hearts and move us to imitate the faith of our brothers and sisters. What are some ways in which we can do so? The following symposium will discuss five opportunities to show our faith, and it will help us to overcome obstacles that could hold us back. Each speaker will introduce the one to follow. Brother David Schafer, a helper to the Teaching Committee, will present the first talk entitled “Enter the Door to Activity in Faith—Learn a New Language.”


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SYMPOSIUM: Enter the Door to Activity in Faith…

David Schafer, Teaching Committee - Learn A New Language

Can you see faith? Turn with me, please, to Mark chapter 2, and notice what the Bible says about this. In this account, Jesus is teaching in a crowded house in Capernaum, and in Mark 2:2-5 he tells us: “And so many gathered “that there was no more room, not even around the door, “and he began to speak the word to them. “And they brought him a paralytic carried by four men. “But they could not bring him right to Jesus because of the crowd, “so they removed the roof above Jesus, “and after digging an opening, “they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic was lying. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic: ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’” So, yes, faith can be seen. It’s seen in the way we act. Like other invisible things, faith is measured by its effects. In fact, James 2:26 says that “faith without works is dead.” The question is, Can others see my faith? What effect is my faith producing in me? Turn with me, please, to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. One effect that faith has on people is that it moves them to expand their activity in Kingdom service. Notice how the apostle Paul expressed this at 1 Corinthians 16:9: “Because a large door that leads to activity has been opened to me, but there are many opposers.” Paul took advantage of such opportunities to show his faith. Has Jehovah opened the door to activity for you? In this symposium, we’re going to discuss five ways in which a temporary opportunity leading to great activity and making disciples might present itself. This could be in the form of learning a new language, moving to where the need is greater, applying to attend the School for

Kingdom Evangelizers, assisting with a theocratic building project, or donating generously to support the Kingdom work. Now, why is faith needed to seize such opportunities, and what blessings do we receive when we do? First, why is faith needed to learn a new language in order to make disciples? Turn with me, please, to Zechariah chapter 8—Zechariah chapter 8. It takes faith to discern that current events are fulfilling Bible prophecy. It takes faith to understand how we can act in harmony with God’s purpose as revealed in that prophecy. Zechariah 8:22 says: “And many peoples and mighty nations “will come to seek Jehovah of armies in Jerusalem and to beg for the favor of Jehovah.” And verse 23 says: “This is what Jehovah of armies says, “‘In those days ten men “‘out of all the languages of the nations “‘will take hold, yes, they will take firm hold of the robe of a Jew, “‘saying: “We want to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you people.”’” “Ten men”—people who recognize that the only way to gain Jehovah’s approval is to associate with those who already have it. The “Jew” is also referred to here as “you people.” Which people? Obviously, not the people who refuse to pronounce God’s name or those who remove it altogether from their Bible translations. No. This refers to those who worship Jehovah by name—spirit-anointed Christians, “the Israel of God” referred to at Galatians 6:16. And because ten can represent earthly completeness, the “ten men” represent all men and women who have the hope of living forever on earth. Now, notice that they come


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not simply from all the nations but from “all the languages of the nations” in order to learn Jehovah’s requirements. Now, how will they hear the voice of the “Jew” in their language? That might just be your door to activity. Now, some might hesitate to learn a new language. Perhaps they hold back because of the time and energy that are required. Others feel that they lack the ability. And while it’s true that before making any decision we need to calculate the expense, the question here is one of faith. Can the God who gave ability to Bezalel, who made the sun stand still for Joshua, and who gave power to Samson also give you the ability, time, and energy to help those who are begging for the favor of Jehovah? Remember, Matthew 17:20: “If you have faith the size of a mustard grain, . . . nothing will be impossible for you.” And according to Philippians 2:13, holy spirit can give us even “the desire” to preach to those who speak another language. Is that spirit drawing you

now? Remember, too, that through his organization, Jehovah provides much help for those who are learning a new language. JW.ORG contains reading material, audio recordings, and videos in more languages than any other website. Then, we have the JW Language app and language classes arranged by the branch office. When faith motivates us to make sacrifices to serve Jehovah, he will help us to succeed and he will reward us with many blessings. For instance, a couple in their 60’s kept finding Chinese people who accepted their invitations to attend congregation meetings. So they decided to learn Chinese, and within ten years, they studied with 112 Chinese people. OK, but with so many languages, how do I know which language to start learning? Zechariah 8:22, who is ‘begging for the favor of Jehovah’? You can learn about the needs in your area by consulting with the elders and the circuit overseer. In the following video, note how one couple responds to a need in the field


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(in a small gathering in an apartment, Elliott and his wife Corrine hand Gabriel a carryon suitcase) Gabriel: “Oh, honestly, you shouldn’t have.” Elliott: “You’re going to need it.” (Later that evening Elliott and his wife sitting in their living room) Gabriel’s leaving to serve where the need is greater made us feel like we had missed the chance to expand our ministry. Corrine: “Why don’t we start now? We’re not getting any younger.” Elliott: “Yeah. We could ask the circuit overseer for advice on his next visit, but I’m worried he’s going to say we should . . . . . .” (remembered when they ask the circuit overseer on what he recommends) Brother Lindstrom (Circuit Overseer): “join the new language group. It’s a big need in our circuit.” (in a couch, Elliott and Corrine converse with electronic gadget and bible on hand) We’ve never felt like the right people to serve in a foreign language. Brother Lindstrom shared Zechariah 8:23 with us, which helped us see how we could have a hand in helping “men out of all the languages of the nations” learn about Jehovah. (they hold hands, bow their heads and prayed to Jehovah) (Dictionaries and flash cards on the table, they were reading books and taking notes…) Learning was a struggle at first. But with Jehovah’s help, we made progress—slowly. (they test each other with flashcards and they give each other a high five) Corrine: “Yes! You did it!” (at the meeting in a small room, Corrine raises her hand high and reads a short comment. Elliott smile and nods then hold her hands) Even though the language was a challenge, loving our new family was not. (daytime in the ministry, Elliott and Corrine approach a trailer home with a tract on his hand, Elliott hesitates, she pats him on his shoulder then he knocks on the open door. A man came out) Elliott: “a Oh, um, uhh.” (he nervously introduce himself in a foreign language, looked for someone, the man converse with him in a foreign language and went back inside) Elliott: “I don’t—I don’t understand.” (Elliott and Corrine exchanged puzzled look. The man came back at the door with his grandmother)

Man (householder): “Say again what you say.” Elliott: “Uhm, uh.” (he introduce himself again. The man’s grandma smiled and invited them inside their home) Man (householder): Come. Elliott: “OK. Oh, thank—thank you!”

(At the watchtower meeting, the grandma sits with Corrine as Elliott’s conducts the meeting) It’s true, we aren’t getting any younger. And that’s why we’re so glad we took the chance to expand our ministry.


Did you notice how Elliott and Corrine showed

faith and how they were blessed? They talked to their circuit overseer, who revealed a big need in a foreign-language group in their circuit. He then showed them Zechariah 8:23. They read that scripture again later, and they prayed about it together, and then came the measurable effect of their faith. They put forth great efforts to learn. Then, with humility and courage, they used their new language skills at the meetings and in the ministry, and they were able to help those who were ‘begging for the favor of Jehovah.’ That’s how it works. Simple? No, but if we invest the time and effort to learn a new language in order to do more for Jehovah, we can be confident that Jehovah will bless us with a rewarding ministry. As a couple from Britain said: “The ministry in the foreign-language field “is one of the most exciting we have experienced during our 40 years of Kingdom service.” Why did they do it? Because people who are seeking Jehovah need to hear his

requirements for life in words they can understand. During a meeting held in Vietnamese, a man stood up and said with tears in his eyes: “Thank you, thank you for the efforts “you are making to learn my difficult language. “I am so grateful to learn many wonderful things from the Bible in my old age.” After attending a circuit assembly in his native Albanian, a man in his 70’s living in New York City, said: “This is the best day of my life!” He made arrangements that very day to start studying the Bible with a pioneer who had learned his language, and within just a few years, he began serving as a ministerial servant. These are blessings for exercising faith. Faith is measured by the way we act. Could you enter this door to activity in faith? Brother Samuel Herd, a member of the Governing Body, will now consider the next talk of this symposium, “Enter the Door to Activity in Faith—Move to Where the Need Is Greater.”


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Samuel Herd, Governing Body: —Move to Where the Need is Greater

Moving to serve where the need for Kingdom preachers is greater can be intimidating. Before moving, we cannot know all the details of what our life will be like. However, the Bible can give us the wisdom to successfully meet any challenges we face after moving. We must put faith in it. Faith can motivate us to seize opportunities to serve Jehovah. Please locate Hebrews 11:8-10. Abram’s willingness to leave what was comfortable and familiar and move to a new land when he was in his 70’s was a powerful demonstration of faith. Let’s read Hebrews 11:8-10: “By faith Abraham, when he was called, “obeyed by going out to a place “he was to receive as an inheritance; “he went out, although not knowing where he was going. “By faith he lived as a foreigner in the land “of the promise as in a foreign land, “living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, “the heirs with him of the very same promise. “For he was awaiting the city having real foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” He didn’t even know where he was being assigned, but he went. Based on his faith, he knew that the real life was not back home. It was not in his new assignment. He looked for the fulfillment of future promises. Did Abraham and Sarah face any difficulties along the way? Yes, they did. Unexpected circumstances were thrust upon them. But did Jehovah see them through? Find Genesis 20:3-7. To protect his life, Abraham called Sarah his sister. So the king of Gerar felt he could take her as his wife. This was a difficult time for Abraham and Sarah. Did Jehovah work things out? Let’s read Genesis 20:3-7: “Afterward, God came by night “to Abimelech in a dream and said to him: “‘Here you are as good as dead because of the woman “‘whom you have taken, since she is married “and belongs to another man.’

“However, Abimelech had not gone near her. “So he said: ‘Jehovah, “‘will you kill a nation that is really innocent? “‘Did he not say to me, “She is my sister,” “‘and did she too not say, “He is my brother”? “‘I did this with an honest heart “and innocent hands.’ “Then the true God said to him in the dream: “‘I know that you did this with an honest heart, “‘so I held you back from sinning against me. “‘That is why I did not allow you to touch her. “‘Now return the man’s wife, “‘for he is a prophet, and he will make supplication “‘for you and you will keep living. “‘But if you are not returning her, “‘know that you will surely die, you and all who are yours.’” Jehovah will be with us too if we act in faith to expand our ministry. We will get through the surprises and enjoy the rewards of reaching out in this way. Although we cannot know all the challenges that we may encounter, we can take practical steps to choose a location and prepare to make adjustments. Do you remember Jesus’ words at Luke 14:28? He indicated that a person who wanted “to build a tower” would first “calculate the expense to see if he has enough to complete it.” That was practical. And we can do the same when contemplating relocating to where the need is greater. We can get a taste of the blessings we will experience by participating in preaching campaigns organized by the branch office or working seldom-worked territory. Might you have the circumstances to move where the need is greater? If you’re interested in serving in another land, do careful research and speak to your congregation elders. They can forward your letter to the branch office of the country that interests you. If you’re unable to move to another land, what is another option? You can, through your elders, write to the local branch office for information about congregations that have a


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need. Your circuit overseer can provide information about nearby congregations that may need help. In the following video, note how

one brother overcame his fear of serving where the need is greater.

(Gabriel packs on his new carryon) If you had told me two years ago that I’d be moving to where the need was greater, I would have laughed. It all started when they announced a special preaching campaign. (Two years ago, in a kingdom hall…) My friend Samuel encouraged me to apply with him.

Samuel: So, what do you think?

Gabriel: Uh, yeah, no, but you enjoy that.

Samuel: I know you’re going to love it. That’s why I got you a form as well, all right? We can do this!

Gabriel: OK.

(In his kitchen, staring at the wall while thinking) I knew I could do more, but I was comfortable. I like doing things on my own terms. But really, I was afraid of the unknown. I needed to examine my heart.

(Gabriel sits on his desk with a bible in hand) When I read about Abraham’s faith at Hebrews 11:8, it’s like the words jumped off the page. “He went out although not knowing where he was going.” Who better to be in control of my life than Jehovah?

(Grinning, he showed Samuel his application. A door was opened to me. I just needed to go through it. And what I experienced changed my life.

Samuel: “Let’s do it, man.”

(Samuel and Gabriel went preach to a Latin American country – they preached to local folks, rode a canoe, tried native delicacies) The results of the campaign were incredible! And the experience pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Samuel: “All right, Gabriel is going to try some food. Try, try, try! Go on, go on, give it a try, Gabriel! It’s good, yeah”

Gabriel: “really good!”

(At home, Gabriel arranged his digital photos with a warm smile ) I saw the ministry in a new way, and I wanted to do more. So I calculated the cost and worked with my local elders to write to the branch office.

(At the kingdom Hall , he showed Elliott his letter for the branch) When I heard back with some suggestions, I prayed about it and did research before choosing. There were many unknowns, but I couldn’t wait! It was hard to say goodbye to my friends, but I was ready for whatever Jehovah had in store for me.

Did you notice how faith was shown and what blessings resulted? The young brother admitted he was in a comfort zone. Another brother

invited him to join in a special preaching campaign. Our brother was hesitant to reach out. However, he read about Abraham. What did he


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conclude? He said, “Who better to be in control of my life than Jehovah?” He thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the special campaign. It fired him up! And the next thing we know, he is relocating to another congregation that needed help. Although you will need to make sacrifices and you may face unexpected challenges, you will gain many blessings, drawing ever closer to Jehovah. There is no need to worry about the good things you may be denied temporarily.

Jehovah knows what you presently need and will supply it to you on time. Luke 12:31 advises: “Keep seeking [God’s] Kingdom, and [all the] things [you need] will be added to you.” As a single person or as a family, consider if you can move to where the need is greater. Brother Mark Noumair, a helper to the Teaching Committee, will now consider the next talk of this symposium, “Enter the Door to Activity in Faith—Apply for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers.”


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Mark Noumair, Teaching Committee: —Apply for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers

Proverbs 10:22 states: “It is the blessing of Jehovah that makes one rich, and He adds no pain with it.” Jehovah blesses those he loves with gifts of divine approval, guidance, and spiritual prosperity. And when we enter ‘a door of Kingdom activity’ in faith, we are putting ourselves in line for a rich blessing from Jehovah. One of those doors is the School for Kingdom Evangelizers. Now, what just came to your mind when you heard that? Did you think: ‘Well, that’s a great school if you have special circumstances to apply for it,’ or ‘I’m too old for that,’ or ‘I’m too young for that,’ or ‘I’m already serving where the need is great; I’m needed here,’ or ‘They could send me anywhere after the school, and I’m not really comfortable with that’? Those are honest feelings—and understandable. But we want to be careful that feelings don’t turn into stumbling stones that would prevent us from receiving a blessing from Jehovah. Let’s use Timothy as an example of one who entered ‘a door of Kingdom activity’ and received Jehovah’s rich blessing. Timothy received a personal invitation from the apostle Paul to expand his ministry. At first glance, the two men probably looked nothing alike. So imagine that scene. Paul was older, a man of experience. Timothy was young, probably in his late teens or early 20’s. Paul was bold in his speech, tireless in his ministry, and resilient to opposition. Yet, on the other hand, the Scriptures indicate that young Timothy was perhaps shy, hesitant, and lacked self-confidence. What stumbling stones could have existed in Timothy’s mind as he pondered Paul’s invitation? Well, let’s open our Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 3 and read verses 10 and 11, and we’ll find out—2 Timothy chapter 3, and we’re going to read verses 10 and 11. Now, notice that Paul wrote this to Timothy many years later, but let’s see what we can learn—verse 10: “But you have closely followed my teaching, “my course of life, “my purpose, my faith, my patience,

my love, my endurance, “the persecutions and sufferings “such as I experienced in [now notice] Antioch, in Iconium, [and] in Lystra.” Now, where was Timothy from? Lystra. The young man likely witnessed how Paul suffered ruthless beatings in Lystra at the hands of opposers. Can you feel Timothy’s possible hesitation as he now looks at Paul extending his hand out to him, perhaps even eyeing the scars of Paul, and Paul says, “Come with me”? Timothy had to wonder: ‘If I go with you, it’s not going to be easy. Will I suffer as you suffered?’ Another possible stumbling stone for Timothy was the fact that he was already serving in a capable way in the newly formed congregation in Lystra and “was well-reported-on by the brothers.” And now Paul was asking him to leave it all, including his family and friends. Timothy could have reasoned: ‘They need me; my mother needs me; my grandmother needs me here. Maybe I can join Paul in a few years when I gain more experience.’ And perhaps yet another stumbling stone for Timothy could have been the fact that he did not know where his assignment would take him. Lystra was a small, rustic town secluded in a valley. He knew the people, the landscape, the food, the language, the culture. Timothy knew that accompanying Paul meant venturing into the unknown. He had to wonder: ‘Am I really ready for this? ‘I have a weak stomach, and it’s already feeling weaker just thinking about going with Paul.’ Can you see yourself in Timothy? He no doubt had some real concerns before accepting Paul’s offer. But what did Timothy’s faith allow him to see? Well, let’s read again Paul’s words at 2 Timothy, this time verse 11, but verse 11b - 2 Timothy 3:11b: “I endured these persecutions.” And now note this: “And the Lord rescued me from them all.” Timothy witnessed firsthand how Jehovah rescued and strengthened Paul. So, yes, in faith Timothy did enter the door of activity, and he had worked together with Paul for


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many years. But think of the blessings he received because of his decision to join Paul. He observed how Paul navigated through each trial and how Paul kept his inner peace. Timothy saw not just the inconveniences or the sufferings of Paul, but he had observed Paul’s stabilizing joy. And he witnessed how Jehovah helped him each step of the way. With

Jehovah’s help, Timothy stretched beyond his somewhat shy, hesitant nature to reach his full potential as a zealous overseer in support of the truth. Now, in the following video, note what reasoning helped Gabriel decide to apply for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers.

At our convention, they had the meeting for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers. My friend Anton asked if I was going to go. Anton: Hi, Gabriel. Gabriel: Oh, hi, Anton. Anton: Are you coming? Gabriel: Uh, to what? Anton: The SKE meeting. Gabriel: Oh, uh, no. I wasn’t planning on it, but all right, yeah, sure. I’ll go. Anton: OK, then, and afterward, I can . . . (looking at his sandwich)

(At the SKE meeting , he sat right next to Anton) I went, but I felt conflicted. I thought, ‘I already have an assignment, one that I love.’ But I didn’t fully understand the incredible privilege of attending SKE. I asked the circuit overseer a few more questions. And it felt like, this is it! It seemed right, and all I had to do was apply online.

(On a video call with Elliott) Gabriel: But that was months ago. Elliott: So, what’s holding you back? Gabriel: I feel like Jehovah led me here, and I’ve never been happier. But

now another door has opened, and the fear is back. Elliott: It doesn’t matter how far you’ve come. Fear of the unknown can be overwhelming. Sometimes you need a reminder that Jehovah is leading you in the right direction. Here’s one to keep in mind—Philippians 4:13. Read it, and just think about how far Jehovah has taken you. (Gabriel nods.)

(Later, he lounges on his bed, he picks up his Bible and turns to Philippians 4:13) Gabriel: “For all things I have the strength through the one who gives me power.” (he rest his Bible on his chest and grabs his photo album, the cover says “Best Life Ever,” he looks at photos on his preaching trip with Samuel in a Latin American country, a smile forms on his face) Jehovah is in control. What was I so afraid of?

(Daytime, Anton and Madeline, his wife help Gabriel pack boxes. Gabriel lifts the green carryon from the top of the cabinet, he looks around and sighs) Gabriel: I’m bringing too much. Anton: Well, SKE is for two months. Madeline: Oh, you’re just alike you two, bringing every last thing with you. (Anton eyes on the green carryon, then picks it up…) Gabriel: Can I—can I leave this with you? It’s been on a few adventures, but it’s still great for traveling. Anton: Really? Gabriel: Yeah, please. Who knows, you might need it sometime soon (Madeline smiles at her

husband as he takes the carryon bag from Gabriel)


Did you notice how faith was shown? Gabriel

was in fear of the unknown. But Philippians 4:13 touched his heart, stirred his feelings, and helped him to trust in Jehovah and move forward in faith and apply for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers. If you choose to enter through the door of SKE, you will receive specialized training so that you can be used more fully by Jehovah and his organization. Remember, it’s not a leap of faith with no idea of how things might turn out. It

is an informed decision with a guaranteed outcome of blessings from Jehovah. Will you trust that Jehovah will help you every step of the way? If so, like Timothy, you will experience firsthand how “the blessing of Jehovah . . . makes . . . rich.” Brother Robert Luccioni, a helper to the Publishing Committee, will now consider the next talk of this symposium, “Enter the Door to Activity in Faith—Assist With a Theocratic Building Project.”

Robert Luccioni, Publishing Committee: —Assist With a Theocratic Building Project

Would you like to assist with a theocratic building project? You may see reports regarding branch construction and renovation or the need for new Kingdom Halls and remote translation offices (RTOs), and this may cause you to wonder if you could have a share. Well, that is a wonderful goal. Now, as we’ve considered in this symposium, it takes faith to do more for Jehovah. Likewise, faith is required to share in a theocratic building project. Now, why is that? Well, generally, there are two concerns: (1) We may lack experience. We may feel that we do not have construction, design, engineering, or real estate experience, and thus we may feel inadequate to assist with a Local/Design Construction Department (LDC) or other project. Or (2) we may also realize that to begin assisting, generally, we do so on a temporary basis. Therefore, we may have concerns about leaving our job or our family for a period of time to assist. Well, if you can relate to those concerns, then, no doubt the example of Nehemiah will build your faith. Turn, please, to Nehemiah 1:2, 3—Nehemiah 1:2, 3: “At that time Hanani, one of my

brothers, “arrived with other men from Judah, “and I asked them about the remaining Jews who had escaped the captivity, “and also about Jerusalem. “They replied: ‘Those remaining there in the province “‘who have survived the captivity are in a terrible situation “‘and in disgrace. “‘The walls of Jerusalem are broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’” Nehemiah here is presented with a need. What would he do? Would he say: ‘Oh, I hope those skilled brothers help that situation one day.’ Look at chapter 2 and verse 5: “I then said to the king: “‘If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor with you, “‘send me to Judah, to the city where my forefathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.’” Yes, Nehemiah was moved; he wanted to help. He saw an opportunity and demonstrated his faith. He took the initiative. Now, did it take faith for Nehemiah to take this step? Well, no doubt it did. But why do we say that? Well, first off, what was Nehemiah’s work assignment? Was he the head of the king’s construction project? Was he the leading architect or engineer or a city planner? No. No, rather, he


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was the cupbearer to the king. You can picture him saying: ‘Well I don’t have the experience ‘to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. ‘I wouldn’t even know where to start. Maybe I best leave that to somebody else.’ No, rather, he saw the need; he had the circumstances to help, and he acted on that need. Nehemiah did not let his possible lack of experience hold him back. That took faith. Now, what about the fact that this was only a temporary assignment? Well, Nehemiah, again, was willing to leave this prestigious position as the cupbearer to the king. When you think about it, he could have wondered whether his replacement would take over his position permanently. Would his nice job be there when he returned from Jerusalem? Well, Nehemiah showed faith that Jehovah had loyal love and would remember him. Notice his words at Nehemiah 1:5: “I said: ‘O Jehovah, the God of the heavens, “‘the great and awe-inspiring God “‘who keeps his covenant and shows loyal love to those who love him and keep his commandments.’” Yes,

Nehemiah was confident that Jehovah would show loyal love. Jehovah would work things out. What was the result of Nehemiah’s faith? Well, although at first Nehemiah was not known as a builder, Jehovah used him in a mighty way to accomplish his will. And Nehemiah contributed to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in significant ways. What’s the lesson? Well, the lesson is that we need faith if we are going to assist with a theocratic building project. Now, primarily, we need brothers and sisters who have a strong relationship with Jehovah and a willing spirit. Those are the qualities we need. Construction or technical skills can be learned. Strong faith will give us the confidence that if we are invited, Jehovah will make us equal to the task and help us to develop the skills that are needed, and faith will also help us to trust that Jehovah will care for us when our assignment is over. In the following video, note how Sarah found the courage to assist in a theocratic building project.


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(At Anton’s house, Anton’s drilling on the wall, Madeline arrives with Sarah) Madeline: “Hi, darling, we’re back.” When I learned that I was invited to work for a few weeks on the upcoming construction project, I was thrilled. But that excitement quickly turned into anxiety because of what I had to do. (Sarah sits on the office hallway, anxious…) I prayed to Jehovah for weeks to give me the strength to have the conversation with my employer. Employer: “All right, Sarah, come in! So?”

Sarah: “I wanted to, first of all, say thank you for taking the time to meet with me,” . . . I began to explain about the construction project and how I had been invited to volunteer. . . . and I would really like the time to . . . Employer: “So you want time off during the busiest time of our year?”

Sarah: “Well, yes, but . . . “ Employer: “It’s your choice, but under no circumstances will I hold your position.”

(In a lunch room, Sarah eats alone and fiddles at her salad) Suddenly, this beautiful privilege felt like a huge risk. Was I making my life more complicated by doing this?

(Night time, at home, she opens her Bible , a notebook and pen rests on her desk) I read the account about the people in Nehemiah’s day. Their willing spirit demonstrated faith, and Jerusalem’s walls were built by people who “put their heart into the work.”

(The next day, smiling, Sarah enters her employer’s office) I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to serve Jehovah in that way. Sarah: “This is my resignation letter.” (Scowling, her employer shakes her head)

(At a theocratic building project, Sarah is enjoying the company of fellow witnesses) I had to have faith that Jehovah would bless my decision. I’m not sure what the future holds when I get back, but I know Jehovah will take care of me. For now, I’m going to focus on putting my heart into the work.

Can you relate to when Sarah went to meet her employer or how she struggled with the decision of what to do? Well, how did Sarah resolve her concerns? Well, remember, she examined the example of Nehemiah and others, and this gave her courage to act and, as a result, she enjoyed many blessings. Well, many of our brothers and sisters have made the same choice. For example, one couple had to give up their apartment and resign from their secular employment to help with a project. Now, they said they did feel some anxiety as the end of their six-month

assignment neared, but they trusted that Jehovah would help them, and help he did. When they returned, they called their former employer. Not only did he offer them their job back, but it was with better terms. And they said that within one week of returning back, they had found a new apartment. In another example, the LDC Department invited a brother to work for a few months on a project. Now, at the time, he was working full-time with a major company. He had good benefits, a good salary, a company car, housing. He requested a leave of absence.


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They denied his request. Our brother decided to take the LDC assignment anyway. He was fired from his job. So, what would he do after he completed his assignment? Well, he was actually able to find a part-time job that has allowed him to stay in full-time service, and now he is a pioneer. He and his wife are pioneers, and he’s serving as a remote volunteer for a branch construction project. Similar stories are repeated over and over. Jehovah foretold that during these last days “a great crowd” would worship him acceptably, and the fulfillment of that prophecy has created an urgent need for more Kingdom Halls, Assembly Halls, branch facilities, and RTOs. Now, we understand that the pandemic has limited theocratic building projects to some extent at this time. However, there is still much work to do now and on into

the future. So if your health and circumstances permit, make yourself available. You can do so by filling out the A-19 and DC-50 applications. Your elders can help you to access these on jw.org. So if assisting with a theocratic building project is your goal, you can be confident that you too will become powerful by faith. Take that leap. You will enjoy Jehovah’s support and many, many blessings. Now, Brother Gajus Glockentin, a helper to the Publishing Committee, will consider the final talk of this symposium, “Enter the Door to Activity in Faith—‘Set Something Aside’ for Jehovah’s Work.”

Gajus Glockentin, Publishing Committee: —Set Something Aside for Jehovah’s Work

There is no other organization that compares to Jehovah’s organization. Everything the organization provides and helps with is free of charge. But Jehovah invites all of us to give to him or contribute our material resources according to what we personally decide. Now, why is this “giving” a matter of faith? Could it be that we hold back because (1) we might fear that if we are generous, we might not have enough for our own needs? To think this way is understandable. Life is unpredictable, and nobody knows what the future holds and what our material needs might be tomorrow. Or could it be that we hold back because (2) we feel that our personal contribution is so small and, therefore, insignificant? Maybe we have very little materially because we live in a poor country, or we struggle to cover our expenses for other reasons. So we see that

our giving really depends on how we connect this with Jehovah. Our view of Jehovah and our friendship with Jehovah needs to influence our actions, and this requires faith. Therefore, let us briefly look at these two concerns that might impact our generosity and how faith can help us. Now, the first concern was the uncertainty of our own future needs. Please, let us open our Bible to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. Here in our theme scripture, the apostle Paul provides a principle to follow when we consider donations. This is 1 Corinthians 16, and we’ll read verse 2: “On the first day of every week, “each of you should set something aside according to his own means, so that collections will not take place when I arrive.” So the apostle Paul encouraged Christians to plan ahead to give. In other words, Paul wanted them to consider


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their circumstances and to decide on a certain contribution amount. Paul was convinced that this would not result in their lacking material necessities. He himself had experienced the help from Jehovah, and he knew that God would care for them. Generous giving would further allow Jehovah to care for them in a generous way. Do we now see how planning ahead is an expression of our faith? When we do this, we are putting Jehovah to the test in a good way. We want to experience how it feels when Jehovah sees us setting the right priorities and, in turn, becomes our Protector and our Rewarder. Dear brothers and sisters, you are displaying this kind of faith. Many of you set something aside so that you can contribute when you come to the Kingdom Hall. Others consider their expenses and their financial means, and they decide to regularly donate electronically. Even when circumstances have not allowed you to donate the way you have done in the past, you still find a way to give your contribution to Jehovah. Jehovah promised to care for our needs. Do we really believe that? If we do, our faith will help us to give generously. There was a second concern that might hold us back from giving generously. We might consider our circumstances and feel that the contribution we can make is so small that it makes no difference. Do you still have 1 Corinthians 16:2 open? What did we read there? Let us read it again, 1 Corinthians 16:2: “On the first day of every week, “each of you should set something aside according to his own means.” Did you notice that Paul did not

specify a certain minimum amount? And later, he mentioned the Macedonian Christians—they were in deep poverty. Yet, they begged for the privilege of giving. They were happy to give even beyond their means because they were giving to Jehovah. Being poor meant that they individually could not give much, and yet they understood that giving materially is an expression of our worship. Many of you brothers and sisters are like those in Macedonia—you have very little. And yet, we see your faith by your contributing generously according to your circumstances. No matter how small the amount might be, you imitate our generous God, Jehovah. And you experience what one sister described in a letter. She wrote, “All these years I’ve been unable to give but small amounts of money at the Kingdom Hall.” Yet she continued, “Jehovah God has given me back much more than I have given.” Even our young children can learn to set something aside and give to Jehovah. Here at Warwick, we occasionally receive notes and letters from these young ones who want to give to Jehovah, and they tell us how they appreciate what the organization is doing, especially the videos. This really touches our hearts, and we can only imagine how happy it must make Jehovah. Jehovah loves us for giving the best that we have. He values even our small contributions. Even small donations do make a difference and are noticed by Jehovah. He sees our faith in action. In the following video, note what moved one couple to greater acts of generosity.


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(Anton and Madeline helped in a disaster area) When a disaster struck in the north of the country, we immediately answered the call for help. Seeing our brothers and sisters in need was heartbreaking. (Along with other volunteers they received instructions from their team leader).

(In a distribution center, they prepare boxes of food, Anton and Madeline closely working together). But what really touched our heart was the spirit of the local brothers and sisters. They were like the Macedonians. They didn’t have much, but they gave generously from the heart. (A local sister brough a large bag of tomatoes. Madeline was

so touched – looked kindly at the older sister, and exchanged looks with Anton. (They arrived home, Anton pulls the green carryon Gabriel gave them) When we got home, Madeline and I resolved to show the same kind of spirit. (Anton sits on the patio while Madeline brings some juice to drink. She sits down next to him. Anton shows his cellphone and she puts on her glasses then smiles at him) First, our appreciation led us to review our contribution to the worldwide work. Anton: “I’ve come up with this figure. Is this right?” Madeline: “Yeah.” Anton: “Let’s just thank Jehovah.” (Holding hands they bowed their heads in prayer). We looked for ways to be generous to those around us.

(They bring bags of food to an elderly sister, a wide smile spreads on the elderly sister’s face, she warmly embraces Madeline). We discovered that we had the means to give more, so we didn’t hold back.

(Night time on their patio, they hold a gathering with friends including Sarah, they laugh and chat as they sit around the table filled with food). (Daytime on the patio, Anton and Madeline watching a video on jw.org) And then, our congregation was invited to help with a special preaching campaign. . . . reach as many as possible with the good news. Anton: “Do you think we could do a bit more? Could we push ourselves a bit further? “ Madeline: “I’d really like to.” (Anton and Madeline both nod their heads) It was within our power to help, and that’s exactly what we did!

(Madeline pulls the carryon that Gabriel gave beyond the hallway to the front door) Madeline: “I’m bringing too much?” Anton: “No, of course not” (Smiling, Anton looked around their apartment then switches off the

light).


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Did you notice what role faith played in this couple’s giving? For example, they put their faith in Jehovah’s promise to care for them in times of need, and so they sat down and reconsidered their ability to generously give. Prayerfully, they decided on their contribution. In line with our theme, they “set something aside.” Additionally, they shared materially with their brothers and sisters—food items, and a nice meal. They realized what a blessing it is to be used by Jehovah in caring for others. Brothers and sisters, we live in the most exciting time in history with never-to-be-repeated opportunities to demonstrate our faith. The apostle Paul compared this with ‘a large door that opened up.’ Please, think for a moment. Has a door to activity opened for you to learn a new language? Or does it look more like the door leads you to move to where the need is greater? Did this symposium remind you of the door that is open for you to receive training at the School for Kingdom

Evangelizers? Or did it direct you to the door for assisting with a theocratic building project? And maybe this concluding part has reminded all of us of our privilege of generously supporting the Kingdom work by making donations, even if they are small. What door is open to you so that you are able to expand your ministry? Don’t feel bad if you hesitate to enter—this is normal. And yet, please, do not delay entering unnecessarily. Don’t think you can always reach out later. For we all do not know what our life will be like tomorrow. In other words, the door to wonderful blessings that is open today might be closed tomorrow. So be courageous and enter the door to activity in faith. And like many of your brothers and sisters who have already made these steps in the past, you will have no regrets. Let us all demonstrate our faith by doing all that we can for our Friend and God, Jehovah, and we will enjoy a rich life now, and we’ll be blessed with unending life in the future.

Session Chairman

Thank you, brothers, for those practical suggestions on expanding our activity. Let’s sing a song that reflects our desire to do all we can in Jehovah’s service. Song number 84 is entitled “Reaching Out.” That’s song number 84.


Jude 3 “Put up a hard fight for the faith”

Saturday Afternoon Session—Part 2

Session Chairman

This convention program will be translated into more than 450 languages. This work is supported by branch offices around the globe. Each of us has an opportunity to show appreciation for the spiritual blessings we have received in our own language. One way we can do this is by making voluntary gifts in accord with our circumstances. Donations can be made online at donate.jw.org.

Whether young or old, we face tests of faith. Changing circumstances can bring new challenges. How can we meet each test with unwavering faith? We invite you to put yourself in the scene as you watch the drama Daniel: A Lifetime of Faith—Part I


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Feature Bible Drama: “Daniel: A Lifetime of Faith – Part I”

617 BCE

(Thick fog slowly dissipates over trees settled landscape. The Babylonian General marches through military camp. He enters the tent and slightly bows)

Babylonian General: My king. King Nebuchadnezzar: General. Babylonian General: We’ve starved them out, but Jehoiachin still refuses to meet.

King Nebuchadnezzar: Negotiations don’t concern me, General, but your incompetence does. Finish it, or you’ll not find me as forgiving as the gods. Babylonian General: Yes, my king. (The General looks down and quickly departs. King Nebuchadnezzar glowers and breathes heavily)

DANIEL – A LIFETIME OF FAITH PART I

(Daytime in Jerusalem, crowds gathered around Jeremiah the prophet) Jeremiah: This is what Jehovah of armies says, ‘Because you did not obey my words, ‘all this land will be reduced to ruins, ‘and this land and its inhabitants ‘will have to serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.’

(young Daniel somberly stares ahead as the crowd disperses).

(Daniel enters their home) Hushim (Daniel’s mom): Daniel! Where have you been? It’s almost sundown! Daniel: Sorry, Jeremiah was speaking today, and I, uh—I stopped by

the temple on the way home. Hushim : Well, we’re almost ready. (Daniel’s little sister puts bowls on the table. Across the room, his gray-bearded Father wraps a small scroll with a string by the light of an oil lamp. Daniel grabs a stool and sits down next to him). Daniel’s Father: You were at the temple again today. Daniel: I was.


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Daniel’s Father: “To gaze upon the pleasantness of Jehovah… Daniel: and to look with appreciation upon his temple.” Daniel’s Father: I have something for you (he hands Daniel the small scroll) so you can always have Jehovah’s words with you. (Daniel unrolls the scroll, looks at it and smiles)

Daniel: Thank you, Papa. (Daniel’s smile fades) Daniel’s Father: What’s wrong? Daniel: What’s going to happen to us? Daniel’s Father: What always happens to Jehovah’s faithful servants. Have no fear, Jehovah is our shield. Hushim: Dinner’s ready. (The family sits around a wooden table filled with earthenware vessels of different shapes and sizes. Using their hands, they eat flat bread, beans, dried fruits and almonds. They chat and chuckle together). Daniel’s Little Sister: Did you see our old neighbor at all? Hushim: No, I didn’t see him at all today. Speaking of strange, I saw our neighbor Eli the other day. Daniel’s Little Sister: Eli is always getting into trouble. (Chucles) Daniel’s Father: Let’s sing. Son, pick a psalm.

Daniel: “Jehovah is my light and my salvation.” Daniel’s Little Sister: You always choose that one (Daniel’s little sister’s grin reveals her missing tooth). Daniel’s Father: Hushim. Hushim: (sings) “Jehovah is my light “and my salvation. Whom should I fear?” (Later that evening, Daniel sits at a table with several scrolls unrolled in front of him. His father points to a line on the scroll as he stands behind Daniel with his hand on his son’s shoulder. Daniel notices his mother caress his sister head who is asleep in her arms).

(Pale pink clouds on a morning sky, Daniel exits quietly. In bed, his sister wakes up as he passes by her room) Daniel’s Little Sister: Daniel! Stay and play? Daniel: I’ve got to go with Papa. Daniel’s Little Sister: When you come back, do you want to play Noah’s ark? Daniel: Sure. And who will you be?

Daniel’s Little Siter: I’ll be a lion. (She swipes her hand like a lion’s paw) Daniel: Hmm. Then I’ll be an elephant. (He swings his arm like an elephant’s trunk, both chuckles).


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Crowds Screaming Outside: Jehoiachin has surrendered! Jehoiachin has surrendered! Babylonian Soldiers: Household of Eber, tribe of Judah, open up at once! All of you outside! Daniel’s Father: Now! It’s happened. Gather your things. We have to go. Daniel’s Little Sister: Go? Go where? (their father steps closer) Daniel’s Father: We don’t live here anymore. (then rushes off) Hushim, grab our bags. (Daniel’s sister jumps into his arms, he hugs her tightly as he caresses the back of her head)

(The sunshine’s on jagged desert hills. Babylonian soldiers on horses and on foot lead a caravan of Israelites along dusty trails. With downcast faces, the Israelites carry their meager belongings. Daniel’s family huddles together. A golden cup falls from a wagon and rolls close to Daniel. A soldier picks up the cup and scowls at Daniel who stares at the cup. The soldier places the cup back on the wagon next to other golden vessels). (The sun rises then sets painting the sky yellow and orange. Wind blows on desert dunes).

BABYLONIA DISTRICT

A THREE-DAY JOURNEY FROM THE CAPITAL

(Palm trees stands on flat roof houses as wind blows sand across the desert. Outside, Hushim and her daughter bake flatbread in on oven)

Daniel’s Little Sister: I hate this place! (Hushim stares at her) Hushim: Let’s go inside.

(As the family attends to chores at home, a group of soldiers on horses and chariots gallop kicking up dust. They approach Daniel’s house and knock three times. Startled, Daniel’s family looks up) Babylonian Soldiers: Open up! All four—outside! Check the back

room. By the order of the king, you are coming with us (Daniel’s father slowly walks to the door. When he opened, Babylonian soldiers stormed-in. The

Chief Court Official Ashpenaz stares at Daniel). Ashpenaz: Daniel, of the tribe of Judah—You will receive training in the house of the great King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel: But this is my family. Ashpenaz: Princes and nobles belong in the palace. Daniel’s Father: He’s not a prince; he’s just a boy.

(Hushim rushes to grab Daniel’s bag). Hushim: Daniel! Daniel’s father: Please, I will go if it’s a servant you seek. Ashpenaz: No! I’m taking the boy. Hushim: Daniel! Daniel’s Father: Wait! Can we say goodbye? Ashpenaz: Make it quick. (Daniel’s mother and sister tightly embraced him. His Father puts the small scroll in Daniel’s bag and hugs him).


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Daniel’s father: Be strong, my son. Jehovah is with you. (Daniel’s father puts his arm around Hushim as they watch their son leaves with the Babylonian soldiers).

(Massive city walls surrounded by water. A ziggurat stands tall behind the walls. In a bustling market place, people buy and sell clothing, jewelry and food. Soldier escorts Daniel and other Israelite boys into the city). Mishael: Daniel!

Daniel: Mishael. (they embraced) Have you seen anyone else? Azariah: You didn’t think we’d let you come here alone, did you?

Daniel: Azariah! Hananiah! (Daniel embraced Azariah and Hananiah) Hananiah: This is Chislon and Ahitub. Daniel: Nice to meet you. Babylonian Soldiers: Move along. (As they continue, Daniel notices a stand of small idols) Ahitub: So where are we going? Hananiah: The palace, I guess. Ahitub: So like Joseph in Pharaoh’s house? Hananiah: No, like Joseph in the dungeon. Chislon: Doesn’t seem so bad to me. (A seductive woman locks eye with Azariah, he quickly looks away Ahitub: Wait! Chislon, look! If you don’t say something, I will. Chislon: Hello. Seductive Woman: Hi. Babylonian Soldier: Move! Seductive Woman: Come back again sometime. (The woman and Chislon shared a fruity smile then she hand him a pomegranate). (As they entered the palace, solid double doors shut behind them. They gaze at soaring walls of glazed bricks depicting lion striding around the base. As the boys continue in the palace, Daniel and Azariah hesitate. Azariah pets Daniel on the arm then follows them. They entered their dormitory led by oil lamps on each bed. With somber faces, they put down their belongings).

Babylonian Soldier: These are the Jewish boys that Ashpenaz summoned.

(Ashpenaz phases in front of them). Ashpenaz: You have been chosen because you are wise, but you are lacking. You will learn our writing and our language. You will be given new names, and at the end of three years, you will serve the great King Nebuchadnezzar. Today, you are foreigners—tomorrow,

the gods willing, Babylonians.


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(Chislon smirks, Daniel looks back at Azariah).

(Later at the dormitory, the boys unpack their bags. An idol on the wall catches Daniel’s attention, he approaches it). Chislon: Meshach. You look like a Meshach. (Chislon tosses the pomegranate to Mishael). Daniel: Our new names sound like their gods.

Azariah: New names, new language—Soon they’ll want us to worship their gods. Ahitub: Calm down. My father had idols, and he worshipped Jehovah. Chislon: Did you see the same city I did? It’s the center of the world. We’ll even eat from the king’s table. Mishael: What do Babylonians eat? (A large roasted pig is placed on the serving table) Ashpenaz: His servants are given only the best. (A woman in the banquet hall, places a platter of shellfish on a table that has pork and other meats)

Daniel: We can’t eat from this food. Chislon: Why are you making a big deal out of this? Daniel: Because it’s unclean. Ashpenaz: Is there a problem? (The boys turn to Ashpenaz and turn to Daniel). Daniel: Our, uh, our God doesn’t allow us to eat such foods. Ashpenaz: You fear your God?

Daniel: I do. (Daniel nods). Ashpenaz: Well, I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. (Ashpenaz swaggers over to Daniel). He insists on these selections to maintain your strength and vitality. What if he should see you looking worse in appearance than the other youths?

You would make me guilty before the king. I must obey the king. So must you (Daniel looks down as Ashpenaz hovers over him) —all of you! (Ashpenaz turns to depart. Daniel and Chislon exchange glances). When dinner is served, I expect you to be hungry. (With arms folded, Ashpenaz stumps off). (Back on their dormitory, the boys sits on their beds and rummage to their belongings. Daniel looks at his small scroll. Chislon opens the lid of a trunk by his bed and throws a sack into it).

Chislon: You don’t speak for us! (Chislon scowls at Daniel). Daniel: You’re right. You can make your own choice. Chislon: Didn’t you hear him? We don’t have a choice. This is a new land with new laws.

(Ahitub abruptly rises to his feet) Ahitub: So what if some of the food is unbled? It’s just food! Hananiah: But Jehovah commanded us not to eat blood. Chislon: That’s your interpretation. (Azariah stands up face to face with Chislon). Azariah: “You must not eat . . . any blood at all.” What’s to interpret in that? Daniel: Maybe we should all take a moment and pray. Chislon: Pray. Here. (Chislon smirks at Daniel).


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Ahitub: What’s the point? Jehovah is in Israel. We’re in Babylon now. Mishael: Don’t you believe that Jehovah is here too? Daniel: Jehovah said that we’re his witnesses. What will people say about Jehovah if we give in and break his laws? (A courtier enters) Courtier: Your meal is ready. (Chislon averts his eyes from glaring at Daniel and follows Ahitub. Daniel, Azariah, Hananiah and Mishael stayed). Courtier: Did you hear me? (Daniel approached the courtier).

Daniel: Thank you. But if we eat those foods, we’ll disobey our God. (His three friends stand behind him). Courtier: Do you want to starve? Daniel: No, of course not, but He forbids us from eating blood and

food that he calls “unclean.” Please, test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Courtier: Vegetables? (Azariah steps forward). Azariah: Just give us ten days. Daniel: And then deal with your servants according to what you see. (With straight face, the Courtier with a straight face, walks out of the room).

(In the banquet hall, a woman brings a platter of cucumbers and other vegetables to the table. Daniel moves the vegetable platter in front of him and his three friends.)

Daniel: Here you go, thanks to Jehovah. (They bowed their heads, prayed then eat the vegetables. A boy next to Daniel offers him a platter of meat) Other Boy Sitting Next to Daniel: You need to try this meat. It’s amazing! (Daniel puts his hand up to refuse. Across them is Chislon and Ahitub’s table, other boys eat the meat from the platter and drinks wine. Ahitub’s aims for the meat, takes a piece then continues to eat from the platter. Chislon looks around, bites his lip and squirms on his seat. Chislon grabs a piece of lobster, eats it then looks over at Daniel eating bread. Daniel somberly stares at Chislon and Ahitub eating meat).

Other boy sitting with Ahitub and Chislon: You need to try this meat. It’s amazing! Have you seen anything like this before? Another Boy on their Table: Oh! Really! Yes! Oh, wow! (Eats it) Yes!

(In a hallway, Daniel and his friends walked by Chislon and Ahitub who are with two Babylonian boys. Daniel drops his gaze as he passes Chislon. Chislon hesitates and then looks back at Daniel).


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TEN DAYS LATER

(In their dormitory, Daniel and his three friends play a board game.)

The Courtier storms in and approaches them. Their expressions grow serious) Courtier: Ashpenaz has summoned you. (Chislon, Ahitub and anorther boy observes from a distance). Daniel and his three friends followed the Courtier out of the room. They line

up in front of Ashpenaz) Courtier: My lord, these young men are of royal . . . Ashpenaz: I know who they are. (With a piercing gaze, he approaches them, he closes in at each boy as he phases in front of them) We’ve been watching you—all of you. You don’t bow to our idols, you pray only to

your God, and you are not eating our foods. Courtier: They insisted that their God would not . . . Ashpenaz: Somehow, you look healthier than the others. Continue giving them the diet they’ve requested. (The Courtier nods, Azariah hides a smile, the boys have turned to

leave) Ashpenaz: And Belteshazzar, (Daniel turned around and slowly walks back to Ashpenaz, their eyes meet) your future is bright. Don’t waste it. (Daniel nods, look down then depart with the Courtier and his friends).

THREE YEARS LATER

King Nebuchadnezzar: Bring in the next group. (Ashpenaz escorts the Israelite boys down a torch lit hallway. In the throne room, the Israelites boys bowed their now bearded faces to King Nebuchadnezzar).

Mishael: The total rations would be fifteen kurru, two pānu, and five sūtu.

(With a tall golden crown, the King noded at Mishael). King Nebuchadnezzar: Correct. (The King locks eye on Chislon) How much interest may a merchant charge on money and grain? (Daniel side eyes Chislon) Chislon: It would be 40 percent, my lord.

King Nebuchadnezzar: Forty percent? Have you learned only to be a thief the past three years? And you, Meshach (Mishael’s Babylonian name)? Mishael: The rate is 20 percent.


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King Nebuchadnezzar: Very good. Which star of Enlil is brightest in the Urgula constellation? (Chislon turns his head to Ahitub who pensively stares ahead then shake his head because he doesn’t know the answer. With arms folded, the King rolls his eyes to Ahitub and then points to Azariah) Do you

know? Azariah: It is the Lugal star. King Nebuchadnezzar: Impressive. There is a tower that is high but, nonetheless, has no shade. What is it? (The King raises his eyebrows at Ahitub) Ahitub: Your ziggurat? King Nebuchadnezzar: Hopeless. (Hananiah steps forward) King Nebuchadnezzar: You can solve the riddle? Hananiah: It is sunlight, my lord. King Nebuchadnezzar: Correct. My wise men teach that the gods are responsible for everything. If that’s so, why do the good suffer and the evil prosper?

Wise Man #1: (Whispered) No one has been able to answer . . . (The King hold his hand up to silence one of his wise men. Daniel swallows hard..) Daniel: As you say, O king, ‘the wise do not always have the food, ‘nor do

the intelligent always have the riches, ‘nor do those with knowledge always have success, ‘because time and unexpected events overtake them all.’ (Ashpenaz nods for approval) King Nebuchadnezzar: Who wrote those words? Daniel: Solomon. King Nebuchadnezzar: Famed for his wisdom.

Daniel: But its source was his God, our God, Jehovah. (Chislon’s head droops) King Nebuchadnezzar: Take them away. (As the King gestures for them to leave, Chislon hesitates) Chislon: When should we return? King Nebuchadnezzar: You won’t! Go back to your

families. You’ve proven worthless. (As they turned their backs to depart)

King Nebuchadnezzar: Belteshazzar (Daniel’s Babylonian name), no—not the four of you. We have more to discuss. I do not know your God, but you’ve proven to be ten times better than any priest or conjurer that I’ve met. (With hands folded, three of the wise men glance at the King). Ashpenaz will arrange for you to serve in the palace with my wise men. Maybe your gifts were wasted in Jerusalem, but here they will be put to use.

(Daniel and his three friends follow Ashpenaz out of the throne room).


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SEVEN YEARS LATER

607 B.C.E.

(Fire rages at the city of Jerusalem at night. At the King’s bedroom, the King looks out his window as he converses with his Chief Bodyguard, Arioch) Arioch: The victory in Jerusalem is complete. Our forces are now preparing to besiege Tyre.

King Nebuchadnezzar: They should remember what happened to Zedekiah. The gods are with us! (Arioch nods)

(The next morning, an Israelite man, Jerah, runs to the city straits. Daniel sits on a desk and writes on a scroll. He looks up as Jerah rushes in) Daniel: Jerah, what is it? Jerah: It’s about Jerusalem. (He hands Daniel a letter on papyrus. Daniel unfolds the letter and looks at it. His face contorts with grief ) Jerah: Where are you going? Daniel: To see my family.

(Daniel on a horse dash through the desert. As Daniel approaches his family’s home, he looks through a barred window. He sees his family sitting close together around the table smiling and warmly conversing.

Hushim: This year, we’ve had to make do. (Hushim’s smile fades as she seen Daniel enter, she rushes to Daniel and hug him tightly) Daniel. (Daniel’s father stands up and slowly approaches them. His now grown sister beams, puts her hand in her mouth in

disbelief. Daniel fights back tears as his mother feels his beard on her hand.). Hushim: Come, eat. (Daniel stands motionless) What’s wrong? Daniel: It’s Jerusalem. (Hushim glances at her husband) They tore down the walls; they torched its towers. (With downcast eyes, his Father presses his lips together) Many died. And they burned down Jehovah’s house! Daniel’s Father: Why didn’t our people listen? Did they think Jehovah couldn’t see what they were doing? Daniel: As long as our temple existed, our people had hope. (Hushim wipes away her tears with her hand).

Hushim: As long as Jehovah exists, we have hope. Daniel: But he’s rejected us because of our unrighteousness. Daniel’s Father: He hasn’t—not everyone. Jehovah told Ezekiel that in his

eyes you are as righteous as Noah and Job. (Daniel’s eyes brightened). Daniel: He said that? Daniel’s Father: He did. (Daniel’s father nodded) Daniel: If Jehovah cares so much, then why are we in exile? Why

can’t we go home? Why can’t we be together?


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Daniel’s Father: You are home, Son. (the family embraces Daniel tightly then his Father faces him with his hands on Daniel’s shoulder), I don’t have all the answers. Stay close to Jehovah. You will be blessed.

(Daniel nods and exhales slowly. His parents rob their arms around him)

(Nighttime at the King’s bedroom, wind blows the curtains, he stirs in his sleep – dreaming - flashes of himself crownless, an immense bright image, a fireball crushes the feet… the king wakes sweating and sits up. He jumps out of bed, grabs his crown and robe and runs out of the room).

King Nebuchadnezzar: Call the wise men!

(In the throne room, he approached his wise men). King Nebuchadnezzar: I had a dream, and I’m agitated. I need to know what I dreamed. Wise Man #2: O king, may you live

on forever. Relate the dream to your servants. Wise Man #1: We will tell the interpretation. King Nebuchadnezzar: No! If you don’t make the dream known to me along with the interpretation, you’ll be dismembered, and your houses will be turned into public latrines. But if you do tell me the dream and the interpretation, you will receive gifts and a reward and great honor.

(The wise men huddle together while the king stands behind his throne.) Wise Man #1: We’ve got to buy some time so we can consult the spirits. Wise Man #2: The scrolls will tell you what the dreams say. Wise Man #3: We need to come up with a plan. Wise Man #4: He wants us to tell him the dream!

Wise Man #1: Yes. No one has ever asked this before. Wise Man #2: Can we do it? Wise Man #4: What do we do? Wise Man #1: If you can buy us some time, we can consult the spirits. (Ashpenaz observes them and then looks at the King). King Nebuchadnezzar: You’ve agreed to tell me something false and deceitful until the situation changes. Wise Man #1: Deceitful? King Nebuchadnezzar: Deceitful! (The King comes eye to eye with the wise men) Wise Man #1: There is not a man on earth who can do what the king demands. What the king is asking is difficult. No one exists who could tell this to the king except—except the gods. (The King grabs the wise man’s garment, the man puts his hands up and surrender, the King pushes him and strides back towards his throne).


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King Nebuchadnezzar: Arioch, seize them! Babylonian Soldiers: Down! Down! King Nebuchadnezzar: Kill them! Arioch: Call the wise men! Hurry! Go, go, go! By the order of the king,

round them up! (in his room, Daniel looked around, he stands up and looks out the window. Jerah runs to Daniel’s room) Daniel: Jerah. Jerah: You’re in danger. Daniel: Why? What happened? Jerah: I didn’t hear everything, but the wise men angered the king. Everyone is to be executed by dawn. Daniel: Bring Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah here. I’ll try to learn more. (Daniel hurries off. In the palace hallway, he sees Arioch and soldiers with spears)

Arioch: Yes—Chaldean, Egyptian, Jewish—all the wise men. (Arioch runs up to Daniel) Daniel: Arioch? Arioch: Belteshazzar, you shouldn’t be

here. Daniel: Why is there such a harsh order from the king? Arioch: He had a dream, and no one can tell him what it is. Flee now! If you escape before dawn, you might survive. (Arioch runs off) (Daniel slowly walks down a dark hallway. He stops just outside the throne room, he hears the King being agitated) King Nebuchadnezzar: Tell me why I asked for them and you haven’t brought them? Why aren’t the gods talking to them? I want them and all of their families brought here. I want to look into the whites of their eyes and ask them why. Hang them without their skins! Let the gods look

down on their flesh, and then throw their bodies in the Euphrates. (Daniel close his eyes and slowly bows his head. After opening his eyes, he peaks inside the throne room and spots Ashpenaz. Daniel waved at Ashpenaz to

him) Daniel: (whispered) Ashpenaz. King Nebuchadnezzar: What good are wise men without wisdom? Ashpenaz: What are you doing here? Daniel: I need to speak with the king. Ashpenaz: You need to go! Daniel: Please, let me speak with him! (Ashpenaz hesitates then nods) Ashpenaz: My lord, this is Belteshazzar.

Daniel: O king, interpretations belong to my God, Jehovah. He knows your dream and what it means. King Nebuchadnezzar: Well, where is your God? Where? Daniel: I believe that he—I know that he will reveal it to me. Please, give me time. (The King breathes heavily with a frozen gaze)


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(Daniel returns to his room). Daniel: We have until morning. Hananiah: To do what? Daniel: To reveal the dream to the king. (Hananiah exhaled, his shoulders droop. Azariah stands, arms folded)

Azariah: Well, how much of the dream has Jehovah revealed to you? Daniel: Well, nothing yet. (Daniel phases). Mishael: But Jehovah revealed that he would interpret it, right? (Mishael turns his head to Daniel).

Daniel: Not exactly. Hananiah: Daniel, how do you know this is even going to happen? (Daniel shrugs at Hananiah) Daniel: Well, I can’t be sure. Mishael: You’d better be sure! (Daniel looks at Mishael) Daniel: His name is at stake. If he reveals the dream, it proves that he’s the true God! Azariah: If? (Azariah’s head droops at Daniel’s stare. Azariah walks toward Daniel) What can we do to help? Daniel: Pray. Pray that Jehovah have mercy on us. (That starry night, Daniel kneels on the floor of his roof chamber. He faces a window with his head bents on his folded hands)

Daniel: O Jehovah, surely you didn’t bring us here just to die. What will people say? We told them that you are the God of the heavens, the only God who can reveal secrets. Please, vindicate yourself. (After he prayed, he heard a loud thunder. He looks up and tears fall from his face. A beam of light shines through the window. Daniel’s eye widened). Daniel: Jerah!

(The yellow sun slowly rises above the horizon. Arioch rushes into the throne room followed by Daniel and his three friends. They bow their heads before the King). Arioch: I have found a man from the

exiles of Judah who can make known the interpretation to the king. King Nebuchadnezzar: I know who he is. (Daniel steps forward) Can you really make known to me the dream that I saw and its interpretation? (Daniel looks down. Everyone in the room – all the wise men, soldiers, his friends stare at him ) Daniel: There is a God in the heavens who is a Revealer of secrets, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what is to happen in the final part of the days. This is your dream: (In the dream, dark clouds loom over the king. Lightning lights up the sky. He climbs up a mountain of jagged rocks. The king’s tiny figure faces the giant feet)


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You saw an immense image. (As his eyes scan the image, his mouth drops open). That image was standing in front of you. (A beam of light travels down the image) You yourself are the head of gold. But after you another kingdom will rise, inferior to you. Then another kingdom, a third one, of copper, that will rule over the whole earth. As for the fourth kingdom, it will be strong like iron. The kingdom will be divided. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be passed on to any other people.

(Lightning strikes a mountain, a boulder emerges from the mountain that pulverizes the feet. The blast hurls the king on its back).

It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms. (The images crushes down and crumbles, a dust cloud emerges blanketing everything. Clouds dissipates and the air clears, the king fights for his balance among the debris. A mountain rises cause the rocks to tumble and an avalanche)

And it alone will stand forever. (The snowy mountain stands above clouds). The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy. (In the throne room, the king rises from his throne, takes out his crown, bows down and prostrates himself to Daniel. In imitation of the king, everyone in the room bows low before Daniel and his

three friends) King Nebuchadnezzar: Quick! Bring a fine robe and a necklace of gold. (One servant puts a robe on Daniel) Burn incense before him. (Another servant places a small container expelling smoke at Daniel’s feet. Daniel and his friends look around wide eyed. The king rises to his feet as do the wise men and soldiers and then puts on his crown) Truly your God is a God of gods

and a Lord of kings and a Revealer of secrets. May your God be honored by the honor I give you. You are now ruler over all the province of Babylon.


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(With mouth wide open, Daniel looks back at his friends). Daniel: O king, these servants also worship the God in the heavens. May they too be appointed to administer the province? (The king gestures to Arioch). King Nebuchadnezzar: Make the necessary arrangements. You have proven far superior than these so-called wise men. (Daniel throws them a glance) I now appoint you their chief prefect. (Startled, the wise men shift their glance from the king to Daniel). (At Daniel’s room)

Mishael: Did you hear Nebuchadnezzar? When he said, “Your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings.” Azariah: Jehovah answered your prayer. Daniel: Jehovah answered our prayers. (The four friends exchanged hugs and pat each other on the back) Hananiah: What’s going to happen next?

Mishael: Can we go back to Jerusalem? Daniel: I don’t know what happens next, but as long as we stay close to Jehovah . . . He will always be with us as long as we have faith in him. (A room in a Babylonian temple, four wise men face idols, smoke ascends in front of an idol - Bel)

Wise Man #4: There’s nothing in the stars about kingdoms crushing kingdoms. Wise Man #2: Of course not. It’s a trick! Wise Man #3: But how did he know the dream?

(The king storms in) King Nebuchadnezzar: Amar-Utu! Amar-Utu, what message from the gods? Wise Man #1: I have examined a sheep’s liver. Your future is bright. Wise Man #3: The stars of Shabatu, the giant, speak only of your grandeur. King Nebuchadnezzar: And I’m the head of gold. Jehovah said so. Wise Man #1: Your dream revealed many good things. But this Belteshazzar, he’s a Jew—He’s a clever Jew, to be sure, but he couldn’t interpret dreams before he came to Babylon. He first had to be educated here and given a Babylonian name, a name that honors our great god Bel. Bel used this young captive to reveal great things to you—Bel, not Jehovah, who you defeated in Jerusalem.

(In the king’s bedroom, he stirs in his sleep at night – dreaming – flashes of angel in the heavens, a massive tree, the trunk is chopped down… the king’s eyes opened wide, he vaults up in bed. He rest his hand on his forehead).

(In the throne room, a seated man takes notes) King Nebuchadnezzar: So the tree is my enemies. Who is it after the seven times pass over? (the man looks at the wise men) Wise man #1: Then it is you again, O great king.

(The king rolls his eyes). King Nebuchadnezzar: You are fools. (Daniel slowly approached the throne). At last—Belteshazzar, chief of the magic-practicing priests, all of the other wise men are unable to make the interpretation known to me. But you are able to do so. (The king


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stands up and locks eyes with Daniel). Explain to me the visions I’ve seen in my dreams. Daniel: What did you dream? King Nebuchadnezzar: I saw a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height, it was enormous—it was enormous. And the tree grew and became strong, and its top—And its top reached the heavens, reached the heavens, (The king gestures emphatically) and the tree grew and became strong. . . . holy one . . . (Daniel’s darting eyes lowered) Chop down the tree! And I saw a watcher . . . Chop down the tree! . . . with a banding of iron and of copper. (Daniel raises his gaze and narrows his eyes. The king sits and leans forward. His piercing gaze fixed on Daniel) So who’s the tree? (Daniel looks at the king and closes his eye tightly then furrows his brows and shakes his head) Daniel: O my lord, may the dream apply to those hating you and its interpretation to your enemies. The tree that you saw that grew great and became strong, whose top reached the heavens and was visible to all the earth, which had beautiful foliage, abundant fruit, and food for all, beneath which the beasts of the field would dwell and on whose branches the birds of the heavens would reside,

(Elephants are like the size of ants compared to the tree) it is you, O king.

(An angel descends from the clouds) And the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from the heavens who was saying: “Chop down the tree and destroy it, (another angel, ax on hand, surpass the first and chops

down the tree. A giant dust cloud emerges from the fallen tree)

“but leave the stump with its roots in the ground “with a banding of iron and of copper. “And let the dew of the heavens make it wet, “and let its portion be “with the beasts of the field until seven times pass over it.” (The sky clears) This is the interpretation, O king; it is the decree of the Most High. You will

be driven away from among men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field, and you will be given vegetation to eat just like bulls, and you will become wet with the dew of the heavens, and seven times will pass over you until you know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that he grants it to whomever he wants. But because they said to leave the stump of the tree with its roots, your kingdom will be yours again after you come to know that the heavens are ruling. (Daniel stands tall and head raised high) Turn away from your sins by doing what is right and from your iniquity by showing mercy to the poor. It may be that your prosperity will be extended. (The king glowers and breathes heavily) (Sunlight shines into Daniel’s roof chamber as he pensively stares ahead. However, the king leads his wise men into a dim lit palace hallway)


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King Nebuchadnezzar: Does Belteshazzar know when this will happen? Wise Man #1: No. But your wise men doubt that his interpretation can be trusted. Look at the facts: Egypt’s gods told the Egyptians that they would

defeat us. Wise Man #2: Yet, you destroyed them. (The king’s slowly robs his hand together) Wise Man #1: So why should the God of the Jews be given any more credit? Look at what you’ve done. The gods are with you. You have made Babylon the greatest kingdom on earth. Belteshazzar wants you to grovel like a slave—you. A strong king means a strong kingdom. (Wise men leads a classroom) Wise Man #2: Let us continue with our discussion of the stars of Enlil. Now, the Lugal star is the brightest star in the Urgula constellation. Wise Man #1: The stars are reliable, unlike the gods of defeated nations.

(A wise man spots Daniel as he walks in the classroom) Wise Man #1: Go back to Jerusalem. Oh, you could if there was anything left of it. (The student’s sneer at Daniel).

(In Daniel’s office, he sits on a desk and person an open scroll. He looks up as four wise men strut in. They surround him) Wise man #1: Has Jehovah revealed anything new? It’s been ten months and still no sign of this supposed insanity. Daniel: I trust my God. Wise man #4: Yes, as we do when we read the stars. But we still shape the message.

Wise Man #1: You will be held responsible for the words, and when a wise man speaks lies, well . . (Daniel stands up) Daniel: I spoke only what Jehovah revealed. Wise Man #4: Have you forgotten what happened when some couldn’t interpret the dream image? A death sentence followed. Wise Man #2: And that was a flattering interpretation, that the king was a head of gold. This time, you’ve said he’ll go mad, and nothing has happened. Daniel: It will happen. Wise Man #1: Maybe, maybe not. But your words are against the king. Wise Man #3: It’s treason. Wise Man #1: And no one can protect you from that. (He closes in on Daniel and stares at him with big baggy eyes. Daniel swallows hard as he watches them leave. He sits down and lets out of breath, his shoulders droop). (With a down cast face, Daniel walks down the city streets. Troubled of what the wise men was telling him…) Wise man #1: Ten months. Nothing has happened. …But your words are against the king. Still no sign of this supposed insanity… Wise Man #3: It’s treason. Wise Man #1: And no one can protect you from that.


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(In Daniel’s roof chamber, he stares somberly at the window and wraps his arms around himself. He remembers hi father wrapping the small scroll with a string at his home in Jerusalem. He also recalls exchanging smiles with his father as they examine a large scroll by the light of an oil lamp. Back at the present, Daniel sits by his desk with a large scroll in front

of him. He notices the small scroll tied with a string and picks it up. He remembered his father’s words) Daniel’s Father: So you can always have Jehovah’s words with you. (He unties the scroll and gently unrolls it then read) Daniel: “Instruct me in your way, O Jehovah.” “Do not hand me over to my adversaries, “for false witnesses have risen up against me, “and they threaten me with violence. “Where would I be if I did not have faith “that I would see Jehovah’s goodness in the land of the living?” (flashbacks from previous scenes, he remembered asking the Courtier) Daniel: Please, test your servants for ten days. (After 10 days, result of trusting in Jehovah) Ashpenaz: Somehow, you look healthier than the others. Continue giving them the diet they’ve requested. King Nebuchadnezzar: I do not know your God, but you’ve proven to be ten times better than any priest or conjurer I’ve met. Arioch: He had a dream, and no one can tell him what it is. (He also remembered the result of trusting in Jehovah to reveal and interpret the immense image – the king understood the dream and prostrates himself to Daniel ) Azariah: Jehovah answered your prayer. (Back to present, Daniel reads the scroll) Daniel: “Hope in Jehovah; “be courageous and strong of heart. Yes, hope in Jehovah.” (At the temple in Babylon) King Nebuchadnezzar: Prepare a sacrifice to Bel. (Three wise men approach an altar then at the palace roof, the king, his son and his wise men raise

silver cups) King Nebuchadnezzar: To the gods. Wise men: To the gods. Prince Belshazzar: To the gods King Nebuchadnezzar: This city is the jewel of the world. Look at the Ishtar Gate, the gardens, the ziggurat so high it

reaches the gods themselves. Wise Man #3: No one would question that. (The king shoots a steely glare at his wise men) Wise Man #1: It’s odd that only twelve months ago one of your servants dared to suggest that you’d go insane. King Nebuchadnezzar: Is this not Babylon the Great that I myself have built for the royal house with my own strength and might and for the glory of my majesty? (Wind blows dark clouds swirl. They look up)


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Jehovah’s Voice: “To you it is being said, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, “‘The kingdom has gone away from you, “‘and from mankind you are being driven away. “‘With the beasts of the field your dwelling will be, “‘and you will be given vegetation “‘to eat just like bulls, “‘and seven times will pass over you, “‘until you know that the Most High “‘is Ruler in the kingdom “‘of mankind and that he grants it to whomever he wants.’” (The king’s body cramps up, his hands crawl like paws) King Nebuchadnezzar: No! Stop! Stop! Stop! Prince Belshazzar: Father! Father! (Wide eyed, his son staggers off. The king tumbles down on floors and wobbles like a beast) (The orange sun rises over a raging sandstorm then dust cloud dye everything fiery orange. In the dim palace, the king’s son resides on the throne)

Prince Belshazzar: When you and your wise men have failed consistently, how can you claim Daniel to be a fraud? Wise Man #1: This was a trick. Daniel conspired against your father. Prince Belshazzar: A trick? Then how did he make it happen? (The wise men looks down) Everything he has said

has come true, which is quite different from our history with you. My father trusted you, and I trusted you, and you were all wrong. Either you failed or Marduk did. Either way, . . . (Everyone looks when the door opens, wind blows in. Four men enter, faces covered by cloths. As they remove their coverings, the King’s son notices that the men are Daniel and his three friends. Heads held high, they slowly walk by towards the throne. Ashpenaz and Arioch light up as they see them. The king’s son lean forward and look Daniel in the eyes. Prince Belshazzar: Tell me: Who is this God in the heavens, Jehovah?

Daniel face illuminates

Session Chairman

What a thrilling drama! And there’s much more to learn from the life of Daniel. We will enjoy Part II during the final session of this convention. Like Daniel, we encounter some who oppose and misrepresent us. How can we prevent our faith from being undermined? Please pay close attention to Brother David Splane of the Governing Body as he delivers the talk “Put Up a Hard Fight for the Faith”


David Splane, Governing Body: “Put Up a Hard Fight for the Faith!”

“Put up a hard fight for the faith”! Now, those are the words of Jude, the half brother of Jesus, and it’s important to consider them in their context. So let’s do that. Please turn to Jude 3, and then leave your Bibles open because we’re going to consider another verse in Jude, and this will help us to get the point that Jude was making. At Jude 3, he says: “Beloved ones, “although I was making every effort to write you “about the salvation we hold in common, “I found it necessary to write you to urge you to put up a hard fight for the faith.” Now, Jude himself had been “[putting] up a hard fight for the faith.” Consider this: Just three years earlier, his own fleshly brother James was stoned to death at the order of High Priest Ananias. That was an open attack on God’s people, and it must have been very painful to Jude and to others. But here is something interesting: Jude is not warning his brothers about High Priest Ananias or about persecution. He has something else in mind, a different type of attack, and this is a sneaky one. Let’s look at verse 4, and we’ll see why he wrote his letter. Notice that the very first words are “my reason is.” ‘So this is what I have in mind when I’m writing you brothers.’ “My reason is that certain men have slipped in among you who were long ago appointed to this judgment by the Scriptures.” So Jude is talking about false brothers who are presenting a real danger to the congregations—in some ways, a greater danger than outright persecution. And did you notice what Jude said about those false brothers? They had “slipped in.” They were sneaky. Well, that was true back then, and it’s true today, as we’ll see. And, brothers, this is a very serious matter that we’re considering today. Think of this: Was the

Christian congregation brought down by persecution in the second and third centuries? It wasn’t. It was brought down by false brothers and apostate teachings. And so the Devil can use an outright attack. He can use persecution to try to batter the structure of the Christian congregation. But sometimes he uses rot from within, a subtle means to attack us. But whatever method he uses, we have to fight. Our faith is involved, and our faith is worth fighting for. It’s a gift from Jehovah. We have to hold on to it. It’s a product of his holy spirit. So we have to put up a hard fight for our faith. So in this talk, we’re not going to discuss persecution. We’re going to discuss two of the subtle means Satan uses to weaken our faith: apostasy and negative reports about Jehovah’s Witnesses in the media. So first, let’s talk about apostasy, and we’ll call it spiritual poison. Now, think about poison. What’s the best way to avoid being poisoned? Well, we have to recognize poison when we see it, and then avoid it. And the same principle applies to teachings that could destroy our faith. And that’s not always easy. No, not many of our brothers and sisters would deliberately get involved with apostates, but it could happen without our realizing it. We receive letters at times from brothers and sisters who are troubled by something they saw on a web page, an accusation, a rumor about the Society, or about the organization. And the problem is, they had no idea that apostates were behind it. It’s tricky because the apostates don’t advertise, “You are now on an apostate web page.” They often pose as sincere Witnesses who just have questions or concerns. And some who aren’t really apostates can cause just as much trouble as the apostates


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do by their negative talk and criticism. Brothers, we need to be on the alert. This is serious. Suppose that out of curiosity you get into a discussion forum with individuals who claim to be Jehovah’s Witnesses. Now, maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. You don’t know. You’ve never met them. And someone starts asking questions: “What did you think of last month’s broadcast? Did you really find it encouraging?” or “Do you think the brothers who write Watchtower articles “are living in the real world? I wonder if they realize just how hard it is out here.” And then a few others join in with their own negative comments. Now, you don’t know whether these individuals are apostates or just brothers and sisters who are in serious spiritual trouble. But does it matter? How does it make you feel? When you leave the forum, do you feel upbuilt, determined to expand your ministry, more convinced than ever that Jehovah has an organization that you love and that you’re delighted to be a part of? Do you feel honored to be a part of that organization? Or does the experience leave you sad, uneasy, uncomfortable? Now, someone might say, “I need to get involved in that forum so that I can help those people.” They shouldn’t be together. Even if they aren’t apostates, they’re not good for one another. Staying in that forum to “help someone” is like holding his hand while he drinks poison and then having some yourself so that he doesn’t have to drink alone. We need to follow the advice recorded at Romans 16:17. Now think about this imaginary forum that we just described in the light of Romans 16:17. Remember, there are all kinds of negative talk flying around in this forum; you don’t know who’s behind it. And here’s what it says at Romans 16:17: “Now I urge you, brothers, to keep your eye “on those who create divisions “and causes for stumbling “contrary to the teaching that you have learned and avoid them.” Now think about that forum. Does it create divisions? Yes. Is it a cause for stumbling? Could be. Is it contrary to what we have learned? Do we even have to answer that question? Now, whether it’s intended or not, the effect will be to weaken our faith. So, what do we do? What does Paul tell us to do here at the end of verse 17? He says: “Avoid them.” Now, I’d like to say a kind word to some who may be involved in discussion forums. You

may like to use this medium to blow off steam, so to speak. Maybe there are little things in the congregation that are happening that you wonder about or decisions the elders have made that you wonder about, and so you write. You get involved in the forum, and you blow off steam, and after that, you feel better. But what about others in the forum? How do they feel? Wouldn’t you feel awful if negative comments you made were responsible for someone leaving the truth? I know you wouldn’t want that to happen. So please, please, be careful about what you say. Now, another person might say: “Well, I can see where those warnings about apostates apply to so-and-so. “He’s weak, but don’t worry about me. I’m spiritually strong. I can handle it.” That’s like a weight lifter thinking that he can drink a vial of poison and it won’t hurt him because he’s so big and strong. We are not so strong, so spiritual, so intelligent that we can’t be affected by the poison of apostate ideas. Now, when might we feel pressured to read something that the apostates have written? Consider this scenario: The unbelieving husband of your Bible student sends his wife a link to an apostate web page and says, “Here, you better look at this and see what you’re getting into.” Well, your student is concerned, and she wants you to take a look and tell her what you think. Well, that’s not an option. Paul says: “Avoid them.” That doesn’t mean reading apostate literature or searching social media to see what they’re saying about us. So, what do you say to your student? You might say something like this: “I can imagine that this is very upsetting for you, “and you certainly do need to know what you’re getting into. “I have a suggestion. “We have nothing to hide. “When you’re at the meetings, listen carefully “to what the brothers are saying. “Watch how we interact with one another. “Take note of how the organization is financed. “Get to know the elders and their wives. “Introduce yourself to the circuit overseer and his wife when they come. “Visit world headquarters or the branch. “I’ll come with you. I’ll help you. “And I want you to get really acquainted with the organization. “And if you do, I’m sure you’ll soon realize that what these people are saying about us isn’t true.” Well, maybe you can think of a better answer, but you get the idea. Just a few drops of poison in a drink are enough to cause serious harm. And apostates


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often mix a few truths with lies. Do you remember Eliphaz, one of Job’s false comforters? Some of what he said was true. Let’s turn to Job 5:13. Job chapter 5 (I’ll give you a moment) and verse 13. See if what I read sounds familiar: “He catches the wise in their own cunning, so that the plans of the shrewd are thwarted.” “He catches the wise in their own cunning.” Does that sound familiar? Why, yes. The apostle Paul said the very same thing at 1 Corinthians 3:19. In fact, in the marginal reference, we see (in the little a in the middle there) 1 Corinthians 3:19. Paul may even have been quoting Eliphaz. So that was a truth. But how did Jehovah feel about Eliphaz’s argument overall? Let’s turn to Job 42:7 and see how Jehovah felt about it. Job 42:7: “After Jehovah had spoken these words to Job, “Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “‘My anger burns against you and your two companions, “‘for you have not spoken the truth about me as my servant Job has.’” A few grains of truth were mixed in with falsehoods, and at least some of what Eliphaz said was inspired by the demons. How do we know that? He admitted it. Notice Job 4:15-17. I’ll give you a moment. This is interesting. At Job 4:15-17, Eliphaz says: “A spirit passed over my face; “the hair of my flesh bristled. “It then stood still, but I did not recognize its appearance.” Let’s stop there for a

second. “I did not recognize its appearance.” So he didn’t know whom he was talking to, just like someone in a discussion forum may not know whom he is talking to. Let’s continue; he says: “A form was in front of my eyes; there was a calm, “and then I heard a voice: “‘Can a mortal man be more righteous than God? Can a man be cleaner than his own Maker?’” Does it surprise you that a demon would get involved in the debate between Job and the false comforters? It shouldn’t. This was no small debate. It was a big issue. Satan had challenged Jehovah in the presence of all the angels that no man would keep his integrity under test. That demon was using Eliphaz to demoralize Job and weaken his faith. This was something that Job had to fight for, and Job fought back. Apostates are more active in some places than they are in others. So if there’s a lot of apostate activity in your area, people in the territory may be listening and they may challenge you when you meet them in the ministry. So how should you handle it? Don’t try to argue with the apostates; don’t read their comments. Ask the elders or other experienced publishers for suggestions on how to answer the householders. Well, how poisonous are apostate teachings? Let’s find out as we watch the following video


Bettie Sullivan (United States): When I was in my 40’s, I was divorced, I had three younger kids at home, I was working three jobs, and I had drifted away from the congregation. I had an acquaintance who was telling me that I was in a cult and that I needed to look at some information that he had.

As I was reading this literature, I saw through it to an extent, but when you’re drifting away, you’re looking for a reason not to believe. One Sunday morning, I rode by the Kingdom Hall, and I said to myself, ‘Oh, they’re all in there waiting for Armageddon.’ Immediately when I thought that thought, I said to myself: ‘Well, at least they feel good about themselves. How do you feel?’ And the answer was I felt terrible. I realized that a relationship with Jehovah—that’s our most precious possession. I had to get back. I was just so happy to be back under Jehovah’s wings and have that peace of mind. How loving Jehovah is! He wants to help us. And what better helper could we have? He’s the best in the universe.

Alexandre Oliveira De Aquino(Brazil): When I was about 30 years old, a fellow employee saw that I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was trying to access jw.org. He told me about someone he knew in another country who could prove to me that Jehovah’s Witnesses didn’t have the truth. That made me curious, and little by little, I was persuaded to

look at apostate material. Those apostate doubts that I was reading kept going deeper and deeper into my heart. I stopped reading the publications, I stopped going to the meetings, and as a result, my spiritual routine was dead. So I thought I’d try to find truth elsewhere. And I looked for something out there that was in accord with what I knew the Bible taught. But I couldn’t find anything. I actually said a prayer; I supplicated Jehovah that he would really show me the way to the truth. And he took away this feeling of emptiness, spiritually speaking. So I began to use Jehovah’s name. Speaking about Jehovah became a wonderful joy and a great pleasure to me. And the result was that my ministry was very productive. And it’s an amazing joy to be able to help someone come to love Jehovah. Justin Ochoa(United States): I was born and raised in the truth, chose to dedicate myself to Jehovah at the age of 16, but I began to associate with people who had either formerly been associated with the truth or were very loosely associated with Jehovah and his organization, and that’s really where the apostasy began to take root. I began to feed my mind with different philosophies, different ideas. I even studied different religions. And, you know, I told myself that I was doing that academically, but it started to influence the way that I thought and felt about things. Eventually, the elders reached out to me. I was very combative with those brothers. I even made the accusation that Noah’s ark was a fairy tale, that it was part of mythology. Eventually, by skillful use of the Scriptures and just reasoning with me, the elders got me to realize that I had been ‘carried off’ or that I had been ‘taken captive’ by human philosophy, by the deceptions and the empty reasoning of men. I started to study the Bible with sincerity. I wanted it to affect my mind and my heart, and I wanted it to effect change in my behavior. Now as I did that, I felt Jehovah blessing those efforts. He began to help me to rebuild that relationship with him.


Now let’s consider the second challenge we face: negative reports about Jehovah’s Witnesses in the media. Now, here’s a good principle to follow—Proverbs 14:15. I’ll give you a moment. At Proverbs chapter 14 and verse 15, it says: “The naive person believes every word, but the shrewd one ponders each step.” Some people believe everything they read in the newspaper or see on TV. Do you? Should you? Consider this: Now, you’re working from door to door, and you meet a householder who says: “You Jehovah’s Witnesses are terrible people. You let your children die. You don’t accept medical treatment.” Well, you ask the householder, “Do you know any Jehovah’s Witnesses personally?” “No.” “Then where did you get the idea that we let our children die and don’t accept medical treatment?” The householder says: “I have it on good authority. I read it in the newspaper.” Well, if it’s in the newspaper, it must be true, right? Not necessarily. Remember this: Reporters have a deadline to meet, and a reporter may not have the time or the inclination to check the facts. Or the reporter may have written a balanced article, but then the editor changes it. Maybe the editor doesn’t like Jehovah’s Witnesses, or he’s been misinformed about us. Now, it’s bad enough if people in the world believe everything, they read in the newspaper but, brothers, let’s not be among them. Let’s not be naive; let’s consider things carefully. Similarly, sometimes there’s a TV program about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Now, a few of these programs are balanced and fair. Many or, I daresay, most are not. And when they’re not, you’ll often find that the producers started out with a negative view of Jehovah’s Witnesses and then they looked for information to support their prejudice. So whom did they turn to? Apostates and the clergy. From them, they got suggestions for people to interview. And we know what those people would say. At the very last minute, they may ask the brothers for a comment just to give an appearance of fairness, but the program wasn’t designed to be fair. It was designed to be unfair. It was slanted against Jehovah’s Witnesses. Now let’s be clear. Some

news organizations are very conscientious about their reporting, and they want to present both sides of an issue. And where Jehovah’s Witnesses are concerned, they do so at their cost. If a newspaper publishes anything positive about us, the churches will push back. ‘Our parishioners are upset. ‘They subscribe to your newspaper, and they don’t like reading favorable things about Jehovah’s Witnesses.’ The message: ‘If it ever happens again, you’re going to lose subscribers.’ Now, this matter of Jehovah’s people being the subject of malicious reports isn’t new. Think about the days of Queen Esther. Wicked Haman brings a bad report to King Ahasuerus. ‘The Jews don’t obey our laws. They’re a danger to society.’ Does Ahasuerus check the facts? Does he demand proof? No. Ahasuerus is naive; he allows himself to be taken in by Haman. Well, there are a lot of modern-day Hamans today, and they use similar tactics. As a result, some government officials are taken in. They believe the slanderous accusations of the apostates. Now, if they just took the time to check the facts, they’d see that they’re being lied to, but they don’t check the facts. Now again, it’s bad enough, brothers, when government officials are taken in by false reports, so don’t you be taken in. Have you ever heard the expression “trial by media”? It works like this: Someone is charged with a crime, and the case is widely publicized in the media, and the media presents the case in such a way that everyone who hears about it thinks the man is guilty. Of course, to avoid a lawsuit for slander or libel, these media reports are very carefully worded, and we need to understand what the wording means. Here’s a good principle to keep in mind—Job chapter 12 and verse 11. It’s amazing how many principles we can draw from the book of Job for this talk. At Job 12:11, this is Job speaking and he says: “Does not the ear test out words as the tongue tastes food?” “Does not the ear test out words?” What does that mean? Does it mean that if we learn that apostates are going to be featured on a TV program, we should watch it to see if what they say is true? No. It basically means to consider the source of the words. If they are the words of apostates, why would we believe


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them? Now, think of it this way: You have a bottle on your shelf that’s marked “poison.” Do you need to open it up and take a swig to see if it really is poison? Believe what the label says. Now, for the purpose of this discussion, let’s consider another way we can test out words—and that is to pay attention to what the words mean. Remember, we talked about media reports and how these are very often carefully worded to avoid a lawsuit. So suppose a report indicates that someone has been charged with a crime or that he’s being investigated. All right, you have two words: charged and investigated. It doesn’t mean he’s guilty. Or suppose that someone is convicted and put in jail. Well, that would apply to our young brothers in Korea, wouldn’t it? They were convicted and jailed. And what was their crime? They refused to kill someone. Did they do anything wrong? Or if someone is found guilty by man, as Jesus was, it doesn’t mean that he’s guilty in the sight of God. So, brothers, we really have to think about these things. We may read that a person or an organization was sued and then settled out of court. Does settling out of court mean that they were guilty? Not necessarily. Now, in this country and others, court cases are often handled by a jury. Now, who are on the jury? Ordinary citizens with no legal training. But not only that, these ordinary citizens don’t always have access to all the facts because the judge and lawyers decide which facts will be shared with the jury, so it’s unlikely that the whole truth will ever come out in court. Actually, neither side probably wants the whole truth to come out in court. Now, sometimes attorneys deliberately withhold information that would be prejudicial to their clients. And, in addition, the juries have prejudices like everyone else, and some of them just can’t set their prejudices aside. I’ll tell you an actual experience. Some time ago, a lawyer told me about a case he had. There was a case of medical malpractice by a doctor. There was a jury. And at trial, the doctor was clearly shown to be in the wrong, but the jury didn’t give the patient a penny. The lawyer was confused. So after the trial, he approached two of the jurors and asked, “If you don’t

mind, tell me which part of the testimony you didn’t believe.” The jurors replied: “Oh, we didn’t get that far. “The doctor was cute, and we didn’t want him to have to pay anything.” With deep thinkers like that, no wonder many lawyers try to settle their cases rather than bring them to a jury. But someone will say: “No, I don’t believe in settling out of court. I believe in justice and truth.” So that brings up the question, Is it wrong to settle a matter before it goes to trial? Or is it Scriptural? Let’s let Jesus answer that question. Turn to Matthew 5:25, 26. It’s interesting that Jesus should mention this with all the important things that Jesus taught. Matthew 5:25, 26: “Be quick to settle matters “with your legal opponent, “while you are with him on the way there, “so that somehow the opponent may not turn you over to the judge, “and the judge to the court attendant, “and you get thrown into prison. “I say to you for a fact, “you will certainly not come out of there until you have paid over your last small coin.” Now, this is interesting. Think about the Mosaic Law. Was there any provision in the Mosaic Law to throw someone in jail if he couldn’t pay a debt? That wasn’t the way. If he couldn’t pay, he’d have to work it off or a family member would have to work it off. So when Jesus talks about prison and a judge, he’s obviously referring to what a Gentile judge would do. Now, you couldn’t necessarily expect justice from him. Why might he rule against our brother? Well, maybe he got paid under the table by the other party. Or maybe he was prejudiced against the race or the religion of the other party. Now notice, Jesus didn’t say that the man should settle only if he was guilty. So, brothers, let’s not be naive; don’t believe everything you read. Just because an article is called a news report doesn’t make it true, and an editorial is someone’s opinion—and that someone may be wrong. And TV producers may have their own agenda, prejudice, and viewpoint. So, what do we say in conclusion? Our faith is under attack, and we have to fight. And Jehovah gives us what we need to fight with. One of the things he gives us is good associations. Satan will try to lure us away from good associations. He’ll try to weaken


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our faith by getting us involved in bad associations without our knowing it, but Jehovah provides good association in the congregation. These are people we know. These are people we love. These are people who have our best interests at heart. Keep in mind the principle we find at Proverbs 13:20: “The one walking with the wise will become wise, but the one who has dealings with the stupid will fare badly.” You know the members of your congregation; you know that they are wise; you know that they have your best interests at heart. But if you get involved in a forum, you might not know whether you’re walking with wise persons or not—at least not at first. So be careful. If the conversation turns negative, get out. Satan is behind the twisted teachings of apostates. He is “the father of the lie.” And those who lie are doing exactly what their father does. The apostates have nothing to offer us, brothers. All they have to offer is hate. All they have to offer is criticism and negative talk. But, oh, how upbuilt we feel when we’re with those who love Jehovah! So Jehovah provides us with good, wholesome associations. He also provides us with his Word of truth, and an accurate knowledge of the truth is the best defense against apostasy. Read the Bible every day and meditate on it. Pay attention to the words; pay attention to what they mean. Be like the Beroeans referred to at Acts chapter 17 and verses 10 and 11. Let’s read that. Acts 17:10, 11: “Immediately by night the brothers sent both Paul and Silas to Beroea. “On arriving, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, “for they accepted the word with the greatest eagerness of mind,

“carefully examining the Scriptures daily “[carefully examining the Scriptures daily] to see whether these things were so.” Now, Paul compares the Beroeans with the Thessalonians. What do we know about the Thessalonians? They didn’t have YouTube in those days, but at one point, the Thessalonians apparently heard a rumor that “the day of Jehovah” had arrived. Who circulated the rumor? An apostate? Maybe. But maybe it was just someone who had heard the rumor and passed it on without checking it out. Have you ever done that—passed on a report without checking the facts? I think all of us have to admit that we’ve been guilty of that at one time or another. But now, how did the Thessalonians react? They were alarmed. They were “quickly shaken from [their] reason.” We mustn’t let that happen to us. When you hear something, check it out; don’t just circulate it; don’t just believe it; check it out. Colossians 2:6, 7—the last scripture we’ll read during this talk. Now, here Paul explains how we can avoid being quickly shaken from our reason. Let’s read this final scripture. Colossians 2:6, 7: “Therefore, just as you have accepted Christ Jesus the Lord, “go on walking in union with him “[you do that, and you’ll be walking with a wise one, certainly], “being rooted and built up in him “[and then notice this] and being stabilized in the faith, just as you were taught.” If we’re “stabilized in the faith,” we won’t be quickly shaken by unfounded accusations by apostates or the media. False rumors are often spread during wartime. Brothers, this is war. We need to put up a hard fight for the faith as if our life depended on it—because it does!


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Session Chairman

Thank you, Brother Splane, for that insightful talk. This session has helped us to safeguard our faith and to act in faith. What can we look forward to in the next two sessions? The Scriptural theme is Matthew 21:21, which says in part: “If you have faith . . . , it will happen.” The next session begins with a symposium highlighting women of strong faith. And we eagerly anticipate the public Bible discourse “Have Faith in the Good News.”

Now let’s sing together song number 38, which draws attention to our source of power, Jehovah God. This song is entitled “He Will Make You Strong.” After the song, you may have your local concluding prayer. Again, that’s song number.

video source: https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_publication/91/CO-r21_E_04_r720P.mp4

https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_publication/91/CO-r21_E_04_r720P.mp4

aaaaaaaa powerful by faith!

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