Loyal Support for Christ’s Brothers

 Kenneth Godburn: Loyal Support for Christ’s Brothers (Matt. 25:40)

Well, our text is taken from Jesus’ illustration about the sheep and the goats. So let’s open our Bibles to Matthew chapter 25 and consider features of this illustration that teach us about our King, Jesus.

Now, he directed this illustration to those who have the hope of living forever here on the earth. The events are yet future. Verse 31 describes when they take place. It says: “When the Son of man comes in his glory, . . . then he will sit down on his glorious throne.” He does that to judge all the people on the earth.

Now, the basis for that everlasting judgment, either everlasting life or everlasting destruction, has to do with how individuals treat Christ’s brothers. And as we know, the primary way that we can support Christ’s brothers has to do with the preaching work. That’s a need that they all have. But the illustration also applies to the individual support that we might render to individual members of the anointed.

Now, Jesus presents this illustration in a way that encourages us to provide loyal support to Christ’s brothers. So let’s consider two things. First, how does Jesus in this illustration show his love and concern for the anointed? And second, how does he demonstrate that he wants all of us, anointed and other sheep, to succeed?

Well, let’s consider the first point: how this illustration teaches us about Jesus’ care for the anointed. Jesus makes it clear that he is concerned about each one of them. Take a look at verses 35 through 40 of the illustration.

Jesus says: “‘For I became hungry and you gave me something to eat; ‘I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. ‘I was a stranger and you received me hospitably; naked and you clothed me. ‘I fell sick and you looked after me. ‘I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words: “‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ‘When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked and clothe you? ‘When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “In reply the King will say to them, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

Now, the dialogue that Jesus uses here in this illustration, first with the sheep and then later with the goats, emphasizes his care for all of the anointed. The parable lists six things that they face, situations that they may encounter, and Jesus has that list repeated four times. He mentions it twice, and he has the sheep and the goats both repeat it. Clearly, Jesus is concerned with what is happening with the anointed. He knows that since the last days began, they have been the object of Satan’s wrath. Revelation 12:17 says that Satan is waging war against them because they “have the work of bearing witness [to] Jesus.” So Jesus knows what they face as a group, but he’s also concerned about what they deal with individually.

Notice verse 40 and then verse 45. Jesus uses the expression “the least of these my brothers” or “these least ones.” Now, the study note says in verse 40 for the plural term “brother” that it “can refer to both men and women.” And by stating “the least of these,” Jesus showed that he wasn’t just focusing on those who have heavy theocratic responsibilities. No, he was aware of what was going on with all of his brothers, even those who may have been insignificant to others. Jesus views what happens even to these ones as though it happened to him. Jesus thus dignifies all of his brothers. He doesn’t focus on their privileges; he focuses on their relationship with him.

And he emphasizes this further in the wording of this illustration. Notice, again, verse 40 and verse 45. Do you see the expression: “Truly I say to you”? That was an expression that Jesus used to demonstrate the absolute reliability or truthfulness of what he said. So Jesus wanted all of the anointed to know that he cared about them. He was aware of what they were dealing with. And that’s good for us to know because it lets us know that whatever we do in behalf of the anointed, Jesus is aware of it and he considers it as done just to him.

Now, that brings us to the second thing that we learn: Jesus wants us to succeed. He wants the anointed to succeed. He demonstrated that he knew what they were facing, but he also emphasized that they would get the help that they need. There would always be righteous people here on the earth to help them. And that applies not just to the preaching work. We know that there are millions of people supporting the preaching work, supporting branch operations and Kingdom Hall construction projects, providing financial support. But it also applies to the individual needs that they might have.

If they get sick, if they’re persecuted, if they get rejected, if they’re worried about their family members —whatever need that they have— Jesus’ words indicate that there will always be individuals who will provide support. The anointed will always have what they need to succeed.

Jesus wants the other sheep to succeed too. Notice how he described what they would need to do. He described it as giving a drink, feeding, clothing, visiting the sick. Now, these are all things that a righthearted person would want to do, find happiness in doing. These are things that Christians are obligated to do. What’s the point? Jesus didn’t describe what we needed to do in grandiose terms, as though we had to climb a mountain or travel some great distance. No, he used simple, everyday things —things that all of us can do. And doesn’t that describe the preaching work? Well, all of us can engage in the preaching work no matter where we are. And doing good to Christ’s brothers would not depend on where we serve.

Verse 32 says that Jesus is evaluating people of “all the nations” all over the planet. And it’s good for us to remember that here at Bethel. You know, we greatly appreciate our privileges of service. We know that we’re having a big share in supporting the preaching work, and we know that Bethel also gives us a unique opportunity at times to assist anointed brothers personally, helping individuals in the ways that Jesus described. And we cherish those privileges.

But the reality is we don’t all have the same opportunities to render such aid directly. A lot may depend on what our particular assignment is or what the needs are, and our work here at Bethel may change. Yet, according to Jesus’ illustration, doing good to the least of Christ’s brothers does not depend on where we serve. Jesus doesn’t want us to be discouraged about what we can’t do. He wants us to focus on what we can do. And no matter where we are and no matter who we are, we can all do something for Christ’s brothers. And when we do, our King considers it as though it were done to him.

So this illustration deals with a weighty topic —the everlasting destiny of billions of people. But the way that Jesus delivers this information draws us closer to him. We see his deep concern for the anointed, and that encourages them, and it also gives us motivation to loyally support them. And Jesus also demonstrates that he wants us all to succeed —anointed and other sheep. Now, as we approach the Memorial, there’ll be even other opportunities for this illustration to be important for us.


https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtMorningWorship/pub-jwbvod24_37_VIDEO

Endurance—Essential to Stay in the Truth

 Joel Dellinger: Endurance—Essential to Stay in the Truth (2 Tim. 4:7, 8)

I’d like to invite you to open up your Bible with me, please, to 2 Timothy chapter 4, as we’ll read verses 7 and 8, which gives us a little context around our day’s text. As you may recall, at the time Paul was writing to Timothy, around the year 65 C.E., Paul was in a Roman prison, he was in chains, and he was facing an imminent death. The question we could ask, Was Paul enduring his trials successfully? Well, let’s read together 2 Timothy chapter 4 beginning in verse 7.

Paul says: “I have fought the fine fight, I have run the race to the finish, I have observed the faith. From this time on, there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me as a reward in that day, yet not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his manifestation.”

Well, what a courageous, positive outlook for a man who knew he was about to die! Paul was convinced that his endurance in Jehovah’s service had been well worth the effort. He knew the truthfulness of what Jesus had earlier said at Matthew 24:13, that “the one who has endured to the end [whether it be the end of his life or the end of the system of things] will be saved.”

Well, like Paul, each of us has a race we need to finish. So we might ask the question, How are we doing? Well, all of us are running. We’re closer to the finish line than when we started. That’s great news. But are we getting tired—tired of this pandemic, tired of bad news, tired of seeing our friends and family members suffer in various ways as this wicked system of things comes to a close?

This morning, to strengthen us to not give up or give out, I thought it would be good for us to first consider the meaning of Scriptural “endurance,” and then we’ll discuss a comforting assurance from our God of loyal love, Jehovah.

First, in the Scriptures, what is endurance? Well, the Greek noun denotes “courageous, steadfast, or patient ‘endurance’ that does not lose hope in the face of obstacles, persecutions, trials, or temptations.” It’s a beautiful quality. The related verb often has the sense of remaining instead of fleeing, standing one’s ground, persevering. Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will in chapter 17 gives a beautiful description of this quality. You may wish to read it later, but it pointedly states this in one sentence: “Without endurance, we cannot stay in the truth.”

Well, why is endurance—this beautiful, precious quality that we need to continue cultivating—so important for all of us, regardless of how many years we’ve been running in the race? Well, think of an illustration. Think of literal runners in a marathon. At the start, all of the runners worked hard to qualify. That’s excellent. But what happens to a runner who gives up anywhere before crossing the finish line? Is he any better than a person who gave up much earlier in the race or a person who didn’t even try to join the race? No. The results for tiring out or giving up are the same—disqualification. We would lose out on the reward.

Well, what’s the point? All of us—regardless of how long we’ve been running, regardless of how tired we may be right now—need to be determined to run to the finish with Jehovah’s help. You know, this thought reminded me of a comment that I heard from Brother Mancoca. If you’ve read the theocratic history of Angola in the Yearbook, then you’ve read about Brother João Mancoca. His faithfulness during periods of intense persecution is something we all wish to imitate. Brother Mancoca is still alive. He’s 95 years of age. He’s a faithful and energetic brother supporting the Branch Committee there in Angola. Several years ago, we had the privilege of meeting him when he was 88 years of age. I was giving him an encouraging visit, but it turned out to be much more encouraging for me, I’m sure, than it was for him.

In discussing his past faithfulness, it was interesting his comment. He said this. He said, “It’s not what I was that matters; it’s who I am that matters.” Yes, Brother Mancoca and you dear elderly brothers and sisters who are in the race and who have been in the race, you understand endurance. You know that it means striving forward, moving forward, maintaining a strong hope and a positive view, no matter how many the trials or how difficult they are. Well, that’s our goal—isn’t it?—all of us, to endure to the end.

I invite you now to open up your Bible with me to 1 Corinthians 10:13. Here we find a very comforting assurance. We’ve read it before. But as we discuss it and analyze it for just a few moments, I’d like you to think about it not only for yourself, but think about someone in your family or in your congregation who would benefit by having this reminder shared with them. And perhaps during the weeks to come, we can think about others who need the encouragement that this scripture provides.

First Corinthians 10:13—it reads: “No temptation has come upon you except what is common to men. But God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”

Well, how would you summarize the assurance given in God’s inspired Word? It’s this: No matter what trials may yet arise in our life before we get to the finish line, Jehovah will sustain us if we trust in him.

We might notice in the reading two fundamental truths that serve as the foundation for this comfort. First, did you notice in the beginning part of verse 13, it says that the trials we face are “common to men”? What does that mean? Well, that means that anything we’re going through now—stresses, anxieties, difficulties—is common to the human experience. As a result, they’re not beyond our capacity to bear up as long as we rely on Jehovah God.

In the context of these words in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, particularly in verses 6 to 11, we note that Paul refers to the tests that the Israelites faced in the wilderness. Now, think of the tests they faced. None of those trials while walking in a wilderness for 40 years were beyond human experience or, in other words, beyond the ability of faithful Israelites to bear up under. Interestingly, Paul says four times that some of them disobeyed. Yes, sadly, some Israelites gave in to wrong desires, not because their trials were just too much for their weak human souls to bear; nor was it because Jehovah had failed them. No, it was because some of them failed to rely on God.

What’s the second fundamental truth in this verse? Well, we read that “God is faithful.” Well, we know that to be true, don’t we? Our experience with Jehovah has proven him to be faithful in supporting us in all previous tests we’ve faced. Indeed, the record of God’s dealings with his people demonstrates that he’s abundant in loyal love (as we discussed last evening), abundant in loyal love to those who obey him. Like Joshua, we look back at the record that we’ve experienced with Jehovah and the record that his people since the time of Israel have experienced with Jehovah, and what do we know? We know with all our heart, with all our soul, that “not one word out of all the good promises that Jehovah . . . has [made] . . . has failed.”

What does that mean?

Jehovah will be faithful to us today and tomorrow as we face tests and temptations.

So two points we can take away:

First, Jehovah will not allow any trial to develop to a point where it would make it impossible for us to bear, and second, he will make the way out for us.

Yes, Jehovah, in various ways, can either remove trials or help us to endure trials with joy, with hope, with determination, so that all of us can, with his help, cross that finish line.

Well, may these thoughts today move us to run with endurance another day in Jehovah’s service, and may we be determined to help others to do the same as we encourage and upbuild one another.

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtMorningWorship/pub-jwb-116_3_VIDEO

Don’t Miss Clear Evidence

 Mark Noumair: Don’t Miss Clear Evidence (Isa. 8:10)

Our Scripture text and article highlight the importance of submission and why we should submit to Jehovah. Of course, we find it a pleasure to submit to Jehovah because we love him. That’s why we submit to Jehovah.

But there is that occasion when submitting to Jehovah is difficult. It’s hard. Perhaps we have to take a firm stand in front of opposers. We have to stand up for Jehovah. That means we stick out from the world. That’s hard.

Or perhaps we have to change something in our personal life to bring our life more in harmony with Jehovah’s will and standards. That’s hard.

Or perhaps we want to give wholehearted support to an organizational adjustment or arrangement that we don’t fully understand. That may be hard.

So, what can help us? Confidence that God is with his people. If we know that God is with his people, with us, then we know he will bless us. Each time we’re going to make any adjustment in our life or submit to Jehovah’s way of doing things, we’re going to get a blessing.

Can we have such confidence? Absolutely. In fact, we can say that Jehovah gives us signs, or solid evidence, that he is with us.

For example, let’s open our Bibles to Isaiah chapter 7. Let’s go back in time and review this historical account in Isaiah chapter 7. The background is in verses 1 and 2, during the days of King Ahaz. Let’s see what we can learn.

“Now in the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, the king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, came up to wage war against Jerusalem, but he could not capture it.

“A report was made to the house of David: ‘Syria has joined forces with Ephraim.’ And the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people began to tremble, like the trees of the forest shaking in the wind.”

Well, it’s true; the situation was terrifying. Both the king of Israel and the king of Syria joined forces. They declared war on Judah. Why? They wanted to dethrone Ahaz as the king and replace him with another man, perhaps one who was not in the line of David.

Well, what a triumph that would be for Satan if he could install his own diabolical dynasty on the throne in Jerusalem! Would Jehovah allow that?

What did Ahaz do? What effect did it have on him? Did he show faith and confidence in Jehovah? He began to tremble in fear. Verse 2 says tremble in fear, “like the trees of the forest shaking in the wind”—no faith at all.

So, what does Jehovah do? Well, verse 11, Jehovah continued speaking to Ahaz: “Ask for a sign from Jehovah . . . ; [make it] as deep as the Grave or as high as the sky.”

‘Ahaz, just ask for a sign. I want to help you.’ And what does Ahaz say? ‘No, I’m not going to ask for a sign.’

So Jehovah says: ‘What? You’re not going to ask for a sign? Well, I’m going to give you a sign.’ And that’s in verse 14: “Therefore, Jehovah himself will give you a sign:

“Look! The young woman will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel.”

Jehovah assures Ahaz that He will protect the line of David, not just with words, notice, but with a sign. ‘You’re going to have this son. You’re going to see a boy named Immanuel.’

And that name is not just random. The name means something. The name means “With Us Is God.” ‘Ahaz, with us is God. I’m not going to allow the covenant that I made with David to be broken. Ahaz, I don’t tell lies,’ Jehovah says. ‘I don’t tell lies to David’ (Psalm 89:35)—a sign.

What happens? Verse 16, Jehovah gets more specific: “Before the boy knows how to reject the bad and choose the good, the land of the two kings whom you dread will be completely abandoned.”

So, notice, that’s exactly what happened. The birth of Immanuel held true, and before the boy was old enough to know between good and bad, those two kings, Pekah and Rezin, were killed. They were out of the picture.

Why? Because God is with his people. That’s the lesson: Immanuel.

Jehovah goes further, chapter 8 and verse 10. And what a warning this is for all of us and for all of those who want to try to oppose Jehovah’s way of doing things!

Notice chapter 8 and verse 10. There’s no conspiracy that can win or somehow interrupt Jehovah’s purpose.

Verse 10 says: “Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted! Say what you like, but it will not succeed, for God is with us!”—a warning to all those who oppose Jehovah.

In the days of Hezekiah, you had the Assyrians—185,000 Assyrians. ‘Fine! Camp out near Jerusalem; you’re going to die.’—185,000 died.

Why? Because clearly God is with his people and the royal line of David. No conspiracy will succeed.

So, what does this mean for you and me? What does this mean for us? Does it have meaning? Can we have confidence that God is with us today?

Now let’s open our Bibles to Matthew 1:23, Matthew 1:23. Here we have now the angel speaking to Joseph about the birth of Jesus.

But notice what he says in verse 23: “‘Look! The virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, ‘and they will name him Immanuel’ [there it is again], which means, when translated, ‘With Us Is God.’”

Do we see the connection? The name Immanuel comes up again, and this time it represents Christ Jesus—his role, his leadership, his rulership—the title given to Jesus.

Do we see the connection? The prophecy about Immanuel is completely fulfilled in Jesus. He rules as our heavenly King.

And because of the blessing and the protection of his rulership, we have every reason to declare with confidence today, “With us is God.”

Do you see the signs? Do you see the evidence that Jehovah is giving us to prove he is with us? Do you see Jesus living up to that wonderful name, Immanuel?

For example, several weeks ago, we had a report from the Writing Committee. And despite the obstacles of the past year—do you recall that report?—the work in the Writing Department, Art Department, MEPS, Text Processing, and Translation Services didn’t stop.

It didn’t even slow down. Bible translations in 2019, 33 were released; in 2020, 33 were released. Add the comments from Wednesday about a country that is now having more and more Bible studies and an increase in interested ones and baptisms—these are more than just updates.

These are more than just statistics. Do we see them as evidences that “with us is God” and that he is backing us up in our undertakings? That’s what we want to understand.

No, we’re not perfect. We’ll get there at the end of the Thousand Year Reign. But compare the leadership and rulership of Immanuel, Christ Jesus, with the world’s leadership. Look what we have. It’s wonderful to contemplate.

So, what’s the lesson for you and me? Don’t miss the clear evidence that God is with us. Keep your spiritual vision sharp and clear.

So here’s a tip. After reading a portion of the Bible, ask yourself: ‘How did Jehovah keep his word in this situation? How does this show God is with us today?’

Then take that knowledge and assimilate it into your own life and personal circumstances. Build your confidence in the situation that you are in.

So, what have we learned?

(1) When we know that God is with us, we are convinced that he will bless us every time we have to bring ourselves into submission to Jehovah.

And (2) in Ahaz’s day, Jehovah assured him that He would protect the line of David, not just with words, but with a sign: a boy, Immanuel, “With Us Is God.”

Today, Jesus, in his role as Immanuel, rules as our heavenly King. And because of the blessing of his rulership, we have every reason to declare with confidence: “With us is God.”

The sign of Immanuel is all around us. The question is, do we see and appreciate the evidence?

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtMorningWorship/pub-jwb-117_3_VIDEO

Give Jehovah Glory—2025 Year text

 David H. Splane: Give Jehovah Glory—2025 Year text

Well, I don’t have to tell you that many people today are totally self-absorbed. They spend a lot of time on the Internet—a lot of time on social media talking about themselves and talking about their own accomplishments.

And that’s in contrast with Jehovah’s people because Jehovah’s people are concerned with giving God glory. And this is in line with what we read at Psalm 96:8.

Now, this is the only text we’re going to read during this talk, and I am going to have a look at three words in the phrase that we’re going to be reading. So, please, let’s look it up. I’ll give you a moment to find it. If you’re like me, sometimes it takes a little while to find things in the Bible.

Psalm 96:8—and it’s just the first clause, the first phrase, that we’re going to look at. It says: “Give Jehovah the glory due his name.”

“Give Jehovah the glory due his name.”

Now, what were the circumstances during which these words were first spoken? They were first spoken on a very happy occasion—a special, spiritual occasion. They were first spoken—they’re part of a song, and that song was first composed by David when he was bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem. So you can imagine the joy with which these words were spoken. And finally, eventually, that song became part of the theocratic songbook that the Israelites used when they were praising Jehovah.

Now, we’re going to focus on three words in this phrase that I just read—“glory,” “due,” and “name.”

“Give Jehovah the glory due his name.”

Now, when you think of the word “glory,” what comes to your mind? If you’re like me, you probably think of a blinding light, a light that’s so intense that you have to shield your eyes. And you might think of the words of the apostle John when he wrote that “God is light.” And so you might ask yourself, ‘How could an imperfect person like me give God glory?’

Well, it all comes together when we appreciate what the Scriptures mean by “glory.” Now, let’s be really simple. “Glory” in the Scriptures means “anything that makes someone or something impressive.”

I’m going to repeat that. In the Scriptures, “glory” means “anything that makes someone or something impressive.” Now, with that simple definition in mind, we realize that we can bring glory to God in our preaching work when we tell others how wonderful Jehovah is, how impressive he is.

We have many reasons to boast in our God. Our God is merciful and compassionate. Our God is empathetic. When we feel hurt, he feels hurt. Our God is humble. He shows concern for widows and orphans and others who are often neglected by society.

We also bring glory to Jehovah when we give him credit for our accomplishments. David did that. Remember what David said? “By God’s power I can scale a wall.”

But we can give glory to God without saying a word. Think of the heavens. What does the Bible say about the heavens? “There is no speech, and there are no words; their voice is not heard.” And yet, what does the psalm continue to say? “The heavens are declaring the glory of God.” We can’t help but be impressed by Jehovah’s creation.

Well, so much for glory.

“Give Jehovah the glory due [due] his name.” Now, we give someone his due when we give him what’s rightfully his. And Jehovah has an absolute right to receive glory from men. We’re reminded of what the 24 elders said as recorded at Revelation 4:11. They said: “You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory.”

“Give Jehovah the glory due his name.”

What about God’s name? Well, we were thrilled when we first learned that God has a name. And that prompted some of us to study the Bible and come into the truth. Now, if learning that God has a name had that effect on you, don’t you think that it could also have that effect on people in your territory?

Have you asked people in your territory recently, “Would you like to see God’s name in the Bible?” or “Have you ever seen God’s name in the Bible?” That could lead to some very interesting discussions.

A missionary is serving in a country where most of the people believe in God. They’re either Catholic or Muslim, but they all believe in God. They don’t know much about Him, but I like the way he reasons with them. He says: “When you want to become friends with someone, the first thing you do is introduce yourself. You tell him your name, he tells you his, and you become friends. Well, we all want to be friends of God. So a good first step is to find out his name.” And then he reads God’s name in the Bible.

We give God glory when we defend his name and his reputation. But what does the name mean? Well, many scholars say it means “He Causes to Become.” And we know that Jehovah can cause us to become whatever he wants us to be.

So think about what we heard earlier in this program today. If he wants us to become a missionary, if he wants us to work in construction, if he wants us to be a special pioneer or to serve at Bethel, then Jehovah can give us the strength and he can give us the ability to do that. And all we have to do is put our trust in him.

Now, like the heavens, we can sometimes give God glory without saying a word. How? By our fine conduct. How many unbelievers have come into the truth, sometimes after being violently opposed for years, because of the conduct of their Christian mate and children? How many unbelievers have been impressed by the way we take care of one another and others when disaster strikes?

So we think about the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. When people ‘see our fine works, they give glory to our Father in heaven.’

Jehovah is also glorified when his servants respond to the leading of his spirit in their Christian life, when they become more humble, more loving, more trustworthy. Now, if you’re an appointed man, have the elders found you to be more reasonable, more tactful, more yielding over the years? When they see those changes in us, our brothers and sisters don’t fail to give credit to Jehovah God, and Jehovah God is praised.

So in 2025, let’s give serious thought to ways we can give God glory. And to remind us, those words, the words of Psalm 96:8, are going to be posted in our Kingdom Halls as our yeartext. So, what’s the yeartext again? Psalm 96:8: “Give Jehovah the glory due his name.”

[Applause]

Now, there’s a poem entitled “Give Jehovah Glory.” And I’m going to read it to you. We don’t usually do poetry in our publications because it’s too hard to translate, but this is a good one, and I’m going to read it to you. It’s entitled “Give Jehovah Glory.”

“Who is like you, O Jehovah, 

High on your heavenly throne?

 How could I ever repay you 

For all of the love you have shown? 

When I look up to the heavens, 

Power and glory I see. 

Who then am I, O Jehovah, 

That you would show favor to me?

My life is yours, O Jehovah. 

May all I do bring you praise. 

Gladly I’ll speak of your goodness 

And tell of your glorious ways. 

Serving you, Great God, Jehovah, 

Fills me with honor and pride. 

You are my strength and my glory.

Forever may you be my Guide.

Oceans and valleys below me,

Sun, moon, and stars up above

Fill me with joy and with wonder

And show me your unending love.

Majesty, wisdom, and beauty:

These are the things that I see.

How could I not give you glory

For making it all come to be?”

[Applause]

Those words were composed for a very happy occasion, a spiritual occasion. They’re part of a song, an original song that was composed specially for this annual meeting. And guess what?

Guess what? We are going to sing that song at the conclusion of this meeting.

I said to the Governing Body, “Are you sure?” And they said, “Oh, yes!” They have tremendous confidence in your musical ability.

Now, just so you know, the Governing Body has decided that from now on a new original song based on the yeartext is going to be featured at each annual meeting.

[Applause]

The brothers in music services are busy working on the one for 2026.

Now, during the past two months, the music team and Translation Services all around the world have been working feverishly to translate, record, and mix the song. And as a result of their efforts, when this talk is released on October 14, the song will be released simultaneously with the English in over 400 languages.

So let’s see how those words sound when they’re put to music.

Now, remember, we’re going to be singing this song at the conclusion of the meeting, and we don’t want anybody just moving the lips with no sound coming out. There is a reason why we call it a song.

So pay attention and enjoy “Give Jehovah Glory.”

You sure are an encouraging group with all of this applause! You know that’s why we’re going overtime.

Well, now, if you’re listening in in your room, when the time comes to sing, be sure to join in. Remember, the Lord is listening, so don’t think that just because you’re in private that you shouldn’t join in.

Now, we all want to join in, and this is a way we can give additional glory to Jehovah.

So in 2025, let’s pay special attention to ways we can give God glory. He certainly is worthy.

Jonathan Smith: Better Days Ahead

Jonathan Smith: Better Days Ahead (Eccl. 7:10)

Well, today’s Scripture text at Ecclesiastes 7:10—it might be good to read it in its entirety. It says here: “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ for it is not out of wisdom that you ask this.”

Now, it is possible that a person who reads this verse, perhaps for the first time, might disagree with this statement. For example, based on his own personal experience, an older person might remember the days when he was younger, he was healthier, he was stronger, he had energy to accomplish virtually anything he wanted to do, his memory was sharper. And now that he’s getting older, he’s forgetful, he’s tired, and he’s grumpy. He may say that the former days were better than the present.

Or perhaps we know of someone who had to leave Bethel or perhaps another form of special full-time service and now they long for the days that they served at Bethel or perhaps pioneered or did missionary service. Well, what if (another example is) we are transferred to a different department at Bethel? Now we’re struggling to learn a new assignment, we’re trying to adapt to a different routine, and our overseer is just not the same as our former overseer. Well, we might think that the former days were better than the present, possibly.

So, what will help us to understand Ecclesiastes 7:10 a little better? Well, let’s take our first example of the older person. *The Watchtower* from which our text is taken says that older ones who show humility will have a realistic view of the way things were in the past. So how does that realistic view help? Well, although we recognize that some things were better in the past, we see many things are better now. For example, although a person may have had more energy and strength when they were young, most often as a person ages they learn to work smarter, not harder. So to make a blanket statement like, “Why were the former days better than these?” isn’t realistic. It isn’t “wisdom,” as the scripture says.

In addition to helping us be realistic, Ecclesiastes 7:10 helps us to be content. How so? Well, if we constantly view the past as being better, will we be content with the present? It’s not likely. We will probably live in a constant state of discontent, wishing that we could go back in time. But is that realistic, and does that make us any happier? No, it’s not wise.

But Ecclesiastes 7:10 can also help us in a more sobering way. An article in our 2018 *Meeting Workbook* said: “When we experience difficulties, it is easy to long for ‘the good old days,’ perhaps the days before we came into the truth. When doing so, we often exaggerate the joys and minimize the problems of the past.” And that is what the Israelites did after they left Egypt.

How did the Israelites do that? Well, the account referred to here in this reference is Numbers 11:5, 6. Let’s take a look at that—Numbers 11:5, 6. Here the Israelites said: “How fondly we remember the fish that we used to eat without cost in Egypt, also the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic! But now we are withering away. We see nothing at all except this manna.”

Well, through the rose-colored lens of nostalgia, they remembered the fish and the melons and the vegetables but not the hard slavery that made their lives miserable every single day. So they actually viewed the former days as better. In fact, looking back at the past actually blinded them to all that Jehovah was doing for them right then in the present—for example, the manna.

The manna appeared every morning simply out of nowhere in the middle of a wilderness. The Israelites didn’t have to plow the ground, they didn’t have to plant any seeds, they didn’t have to water, and harvesting was as easy as just picking it up off the morning dew. Evidently, the manna was also a perfect food, satisfying all of their dietary needs in one easy meal. And it was tasty. The Bible says: “It tasted like an oiled sweet cake.” Not bad.

Well, manna provided another advantage that perhaps the Israelites didn’t think about. Remember that they never knew when that miraculous cloud was going to lift and suddenly the whole camp was going to have to follow that cloud to another location. Can you imagine? Even if you did bring some watermelon seeds with you from Egypt and you managed to plant a few and you started watering them, and all of a sudden—what happens?—the cloud lifts and the whole nation begins to depart long before you get to harvest your watermelons.

Well, we can see that manna was actually a perfect solution in every way. And yet, by looking back at the past, the Israelites were blinded to all that Jehovah was doing for them in the present.

So, what lessons do we learn from Ecclesiastes 7:10? Well, looking back at what seems to be “the good old days” produces discontent with the present, and discontent can lead us to feeling ungrateful for all that Jehovah is doing for us now. For the Israelites, that ingratitude also led to unfaithfulness and spiritual disaster ultimately.

In this regard, note this comment from the 2012 *Watchtower*. It says: “Although it is not wrong to meditate on the lessons we have learned from past experiences or to savor cherished memories, we need to maintain a balanced, realistic view of the past. Otherwise, we could accentuate our dissatisfaction with our present circumstances.” Yes, realistically, some things in the past may have been good. Perhaps we did have better health, but it wasn’t perfect health. And we may have enjoyed certain theocratic privileges or maybe we had an excellent relationship with our work overseer in the past, but can any privilege or any relationship that we have now compare to the privileges that we’re going to enjoy in the future? Not at all.

As our *Meeting Workbook* mentioned: “How much better it is to count our present blessings and to focus on future joys under [God’s] Kingdom!” And isn’t it true also that the challenging things that we may deal with now often refine us? They make us better Christians. So if we avoid viewing the past through the blurry lens of nostalgia and if we cultivate contentment with the present and we keep our eyes focused on the Kingdom and the real life, well, we’ll be happier and also more likely to remain faithful. As Ecclesiastes 7:10 reminds us, the better days are not behind us, but they’re actually just ahead.

Don’t Let Your Life Go Up in Smoke

 Don’t Let Your Life Go Up in Smoke

Do you smoke?

Are you tempted to?

Maybe to fit in?

Deal with stress?

Or maybe you’re just curious.

Whatever the reason, you should know what smoking can do to you.

At Romans 12:1, the Bible tells you to use “your power of reason.”

So instead of just following the crowd, be smart enough and think for yourself.

Tobacco companies spend billions of dollars trying to convince people to smoke.

And many people fall for it without thinking of the consequences.

For example, smoking can ruin your health and even the way you look.

The Bible says to “cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit.”

But smoking does the opposite!

Smokers are more likely to die from cancer, heart attacks, and other diseases.

And you know, it doesn’t just affect you.

Secondhand smoke hurts those around you.

But what about vaping?

Is it safer?

Not on your life!

After being promoted as a safe alternative to smoking, vaping was implicated in dozens of deaths and thousands of users got very sick.

And, just like smoking, you could get addicted.

Who really benefits if you take up vaping?

So, what will you do if someone invites you to smoke?

Try simply saying: “No, thanks. I don’t smoke.”

If that doesn’t work, try something like, “I checked out the risks, and it’s not for me.”

But what if you’re already addicted?

It might feel like there’s no way out.

But you can break the habit.

First, if you vape or smoke, ask for help, if possible, from someone who has successfully quit smoking.

Second, avoid people and places that feed the urge.

And one more thing—pray.

If you pray intensely for help before you give in, you can quit with God’s help.

A Bible writer said at Psalm 18:29: “By God’s power I can scale a wall.”

Yes, even if you struggle with addiction, you can win the fight.

Resist the temptation to use tobacco in any form.

You’ll be healthier, happier, and breathe easier, knowing your life isn’t going up in smoke.

Beware of Trusting in What Fails!—Wealth

 Beware of Trusting in What Fails!—Wealth

So are you going to talk to any Career Day people?

Uh, I don’t think so.

Look, I know you’ve got a part-time job lined up, and you’re going to pioneer.

Yeah, so?

So the video-production people are here.

I’m sure they have part-time.

Yeah, I still don’t know.

Look, Dennis, you’re good at it.

Besides, they do corporate videos—nothing bad.

Come on, just talk to them.

All right, I’ll check it out.

I hear you.

Eventually you want to work part-time to pursue other passions.

Well, I’d like to start part-time.

It’s doable, but after you’re established.

After a few years of hard work and dedication, you’ll be able to pick your own jobs, and you’ll even get to set your own schedule.

Yeah, that makes sense.

Hey, thanks so much for your time.

One second, before you leave, just so you know,

here’s what you can make in your first year.

My advice? Try not to get too caught up in the sacrifice.

Think about the payback.

Thanks.

Money.

No—wealth.

Proverbs 23:4, 5:

“Do not wear yourself out to gain wealth.

“Stop and show understanding.

“When you cast your eyes on it, it is not there,

“for it will surely sprout wings like an eagle and fly off into the sky.”

Hey, are you ready to go?

Yeah, ready.

So did you talk to anybody?

Yeah.

Did you learn anything good?

I did.

Well, tell me.

How to Manage Your Money

 How to Manage Your Money

— a Whiteboard Animation

Hey there!

You both landed jobs, eh?

Mom and Dad will be proud!

First payday?

What are you going to do with all that money?

Hmm.

Everybody needs it.

Of course, every job has its difficulties and inconveniences.

But our hard-earned money can give us the power to buy and do lots of things.

It can help us meet our physical needs and can buy other things that we might want.

There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind about money.

Keep money in its place.

No, we’re not talking about a physical place like a bank.

Keep your priorities straight.

Be ‘rich with God,’ the Bible says.

Take time to get to know him, to be his friend.

He’ll help you be content with what you have.

You’ll be happier—whether you have a lot or a little—and you’ll make him happy too.

At Proverbs 23:5, the Bible says that money can “sprout wings like an eagle and fly off into the sky!”

So it’s important to learn now how to take care of your money so that when you need it, it’s there to take care of you!

First, make a plan for your money, otherwise called a budget.

Make a list of the things you need and how much each costs.

Good.

Now, add a few things you want and how much each costs.

Add it all up.

Now, compare that with how much money you’ll earn each week.

Hmm.

Are these things so important that you need to spend most, or all, of your money on them?

You might need to put off some of those wants because it’s also good to save some money.

You know, put money away for a time when you’ll need it.

At Ecclesiastes 9:11, the Bible says “time and unexpected events” can overtake any of us.

It’s smart to have something set aside for yourself just in case you need it or to help someone else.

Or you may need something that costs more than you can earn in a week, or a month—even a year.

So each week, save some money so that—wait.

What?

You don’t want to wait?

Oh, credit.

Well, you could do that.

But credit carries a cost called interest, and it can really add up.

When you lose track of the things you buy on credit, you can easily end up paying much more for everything you buy.

Sometimes it can take years and years and years to pay off credit-card debt.

So have a plan for your money, stay within your budget, save for the unexpected, and avoid unnecessary debt so you can spend more time getting to know God.

Now that’s how to manage your money!

Your Donations Have Power

Your Donations Have Power

Jehovah appreciates the effort made by his worshippers each day to show their love for his Son, Jesus.

In his statement recorded at John 14:23, Jesus himself made this point clear:

“If anyone loves me, he will observe my word, and my Father will love him.”

It is truly beautiful to observe how you have embraced his word. You are tirelessly devoting time and physical power to advance the work of preaching about the Kingdom.

As loyal friends of Jesus and Jehovah, you have also shown steadfast support for the Kingdom through your monetary donations. Within your means, you have given generously.

Jehovah highly esteems these powerful gifts, which are expressions of love for what his Son is doing.

The brothers of the Governing Body have asked me to express their deep appreciation for the love you have shown. We want to reassure you that your donations have a powerful impact.

Since June 2020, the article series “How Your Donations Are Used” has chronicled this power. Each one tells a story highlighting how donations are being used to further the Kingdom work.

Have you ever wondered what happened after the article was published?

In the following video, notice how your donations continue to have a powerful effect.

After an indigenous community opposed the freedom of worship of our brothers in Ecuador, the constitutional court heard a court case regarding this fundamental issue: Should the indigenous communities respect international human rights?

The court accepted our reasoning and decided yes!

With the loving support through the donations from our brotherhood and Jehovah’s blessing on this issue, the court ruling is available and has already been used for legal argument in other similar cases and in other parts of the world.

This court decision was a great victory for our brothers and sisters around the world. But if we think about the community where the opposition arose, we can see the encouraging progress.

The community was surprised by the size of the organization behind this small group of local publishers. The more the community got to know Jehovah’s Witnesses, the more they respected and valued us. Now instead of experiencing opposition, our brothers enjoy a peaceful relationship with the community.

For example, the congregation of 53 publishers enjoyed a Memorial attendance of 106 in 2024.

Because of the tremendous growth, Africa has about the same need for new Kingdom Halls and major renovations as all the other continents combined. The cost of construction in Africa continues to be a challenge.

In Tanzania, for example, where about 25 million Tanzanians live on less than $2 (U.S.) a day, building a new Kingdom Hall can cost over $50,000 (U.S.). Thanks to the donations of local publishers, along with those from the global brotherhood, publishers are able to enjoy new and renovated Kingdom Halls in all parts of the world.

Here in Mafinga, we benefited from a renovation of our Kingdom Hall. It is a place of worship that is respectable. Now we even get the videos easily.

Truly, it has given a very good witness in the community and has attracted many to the meetings. We thank Jehovah for this provision of support through our worldwide brotherhood.

Translating the Bible takes many years. Therefore, it requires thousands of hours of work by the translators. Through the donations made by the brothers and sisters, we use a translation tool developed by the organization. This tool helps us to translate the Bible in a clear and understandable way.

In certain remote areas, access to the Bible is a big challenge. In Tombe, for example, a congregation had only one Bible to share among all the publishers, and that translation of the Bible was difficult to understand.

After the release of the Kiluba New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in 2018, we had an increase of more than 20 percent of publishers in just one year. It is clear that the Word of God in Kiluba has had a big impact on our brothers and sisters.

We are confident that seeing the impact of your donations strengthens your faith.

But what if you have little materially? Perhaps you wish you could give more.

If that is how you feel, remember what the Bible says about our gifts to Jehovah: “It is especially acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what a person does not have.”

Your generosity with what you have is what shows how much you love the Christ. And rest assured, your donations are meaningful, appreciated, and they have power.

It is our prayer that you will continue to see the power that your love of the Christ has on your brothers.

Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do.

Why Be Honest?

Everyone likes to win.  

But can you win if you’re always honest?  

Nobody likes a cheater.  

But sometimes it can seem like dishonesty works.  

So why should you be the only one not to do it, especially if no one gets hurt?  

The problem is, dishonesty costs more than it pays.  

And once you start going down the path of dishonesty, it’s really hard to stop.  

If a lie seems to succeed, your next one is often right around the corner.  

You might think it’s not that bad to tell just part of the truth.  

But it’s a lie if it misleads those who deserve to know the full story.  

And what’s wrong with exaggerating a little to make friends?  

Appearing to be someone you’re not is just another kind of lie.  

As you keep going, it all seems OK until you find there’s a totally different version of you and he’s taking over.  

Lies never let you rest.  

Keeping track of them is harder than just remembering the truth.  

Sooner or later, you’ll face the real cost of dishonesty.  

The Bible says at Proverbs 21:6 that any benefit we get from lying “is like a vanishing mist.”  

You could lose your family’s trust and respect.  

You could lose your friends.  

And a lifetime of dishonesty can have bigger consequences.  

On top of all that, dishonesty has a hidden cost: It changes how you feel about yourself.  

But you can choose to be honest and see for yourself how it pays.  

When you’re tempted to take the easy, dishonest way out, say no.  

The results of your hard work will be truly yours.  

Earn your family’s trust and respect with the whole truth.  

There may be consequences, but you can learn from your mistakes and make friends with those who like you for who you really are.  

Being honest pays in ways dishonesty never will—in your family, with your friends, and with yourself.

How to Be a True Friend

Izak Marais: How to Be a True Friend (Prov. 17:17)

Our text today says that “a true friend ... love[s] at all times.” So, what is a true friend? Jesus helps us to understand this at John 15:12-14. Here he says: “This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his life in behalf of his friends. You are my friends if you do what I am commanding you.” You see those two elements there? One is to give our “life in behalf of [our] friends” and the other one is to love as Jesus loves us.

Now, giving our life for our friend, that is big. It’s a big challenge. But before we can develop that kind of love, we need to learn something else. Let us turn to 1 Peter chapter 1, where this is explained by Peter very well, 1 Peter 1:22. He says this: “Now that you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth with unhypocritical brotherly affection as the result, love one another intensely from the heart.” Do you see what that other element is? “Unhypocritical brotherly affection.”

This intense love is not a cold, reasoned love for our brothers in general (something that we have for all our brothers), but we reserve warm, personal affection (brotherly affection) only for those who are close to us. You see, it would be kind of hypocritical to say, “I will give my life for my brother, but I cannot be nice to him.” Intense love requires effort. We need to expand our heart, widen it out, to include not only those whom we like but also those whom we maybe don’t like so much.

Now, does this mean that we have to be close friends with everyone? Well, Jehovah and Jesus know that it is impossible for us to be close associates with everyone and to spend all our time entertaining people. That is not what brotherly affection means. Brotherly affection means that we change on the inside. We expand our heart to embrace all the friends of Jesus. Now, don’t lose heart. Jesus set the standard. He knows that we can succeed and that we will succeed.

What we would like to do now is discuss how we can develop intense love by means of forgiveness and by means of prayer. So let’s take forgiveness first. First Peter 4:8 says this, 1 Peter 4:8. He says: “Above all things, have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

Now, we’re imperfect, and the reality is that we are going to fail our friends at some time and that they will fail us. And what could be the result? Well, hurt feelings. But let’s also read here Proverbs 18:19. Here at Proverbs 18:19, it says: “A brother offended is more unyielding than a fortified city, and there are disputes like the bars of a fortress.”

Well, when our feelings are hurt, we tend to put up defenses “like the bars of a fortress.” So how can we remove that bar of a fortress? Well, for one thing, an apology will go a long way. But we might say: “Well, I’m hurt; my brother offended me. Why do I have to apologize? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Well, if we want the friendship to continue, we have no choice. And the longer we put it off, the worse it gets. Let’s take the example of Jesus. Peter denied Jesus three times. He even swore that he was no friend of Jesus. Now, Jesus was right there hearing all of this. But afterward, Jesus removed those barriers. He opened the way for them to be reconciled. After his resurrection, an angel spoke to the women, and he told them: “Go, tell his disciples and Peter.”

So he singled Peter out; he gave him a special invitation. And Jesus met with Peter. Can you imagine how Peter feels to this day about that friendship that Jesus reestablished with him? And not only did he reestablish that friendship, but he used him in many powerful ways.

So, what do we learn from this? It is not realistic to expect too much from our friends. We’re all imperfect. Don’t give up on your friend. Forgive. Open the door of your heart wide. Forgiveness is essential if imperfect people are going to have lasting friendships.

Now, the second one is that of prayer. At 1 Peter 4:7, it says (the second part): “Be vigilant with a view to prayers.” So practically, how do prayers help us to acquire brotherly affection? Well, we have brothers coming from all over the world, and their culture might be quite different from ours, and we may find it difficult to understand the thinking of some. Their behavior may be strange or unusual, not quite what we expected to happen.

We may even feel, ‘Well, he’s not really my kind of person.’ Well, take the matter in prayer to Jehovah. Mention the brother’s name, explain the problem as we see it, and then ask for Jehovah to help you.

What will Jehovah do? Jehovah will help us to change how we feel about our brother. And Jehovah can give us “the desire and the power” to change our attitude. So pray and pray again until we begin to see our brother as Jehovah sees our brother.

‘If Jehovah loves my brother, who am I to withhold my friendship? Jehovah’s judgments surely are better than mine.’ So then in summary, two important ways to be a friend: (1) Forgive as Jehovah has forgiven us, and (2) pray that Jehovah will open our hearts wide.

So why do we need real friends now? Well, our text for today says it’s “a brother who is born for times of distress.” The time of the greatest distress the world has ever seen is upon us.

Will we be true friends then? Only if we are true friends now. Have intense love for all of Jesus’ friends, and they will trust you when it matters. And this friendship—we will be friends not only through Armageddon but to all eternity.

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/LatestVideos/pub-jwbvod24_40_VIDEO