PJ54
Well-known member
*** Text for Sunday, May 22, 2022 ***In the first century, the message that Jesus preached offered hope to all mankind. He commanded his followers to continue the work he started, to give a witness “to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Of course, they could not do this work in their own strength. They would need holy spirit—“the helper” that Jesus had promised them. (John 14:26; Zech. 4:6) Jesus’ followers received the holy spirit at Pentecost 33 C.E. With the help of that spirit, they immediately began to preach, and in a short time, thousands accepted the good news. (Acts 2:41; 4:4) When opposition arose, the disciples did not give in to fear but turned to God for help. They prayed: “Grant to your slaves to keep speaking your word with all boldness.” They were then filled with holy spirit and kept “speaking the word of God with boldness.”—Acts 4:18-20, 29, 31. w20.10 21 ¶4-5
I must . . . declare the good news of the Kingdom of God . . . , because for this I was sent.—Luke 4:43.
Moving Ahead with Jehovah’s Organization?
Jehovah surely is a God of organization and order. The physical heavens as well as the armies of the invisible realm give testimony to that, as the May 2014, Watchtower, article asserts. The instances of Noah and his family, as well as Moses and the Israelites, and the original Christian
e-watchman.com
Moving Ahead with Jehovah’s Organization? Part 1
March 9th, 2014
Jehovah surely is a God of organization and order. The physical heavens as well as the armies of the invisible realm give testimony to that, as the May 2014, Watchtower, article asserts. The instances of Noah and his family, as well as Moses and the Israelites, and the original Christian society, are also examples of how God promoted organization among his people.
In view of the above-cited examples, the next Watchtower article poses the question: Are You Moving Ahead With Jehovah’s Organization?
As a brief overview the article focuses on the attack of Gog of Magog upon God’s people in the final part of the days and God’s response to it. The prophecy in the 38th chapter of Ezekiel indicates there will be earthly survivors of that war, who obviously parallel that “great crowd” in Revelation, who are said to “come out of the great tribulation” – meaning, they survive it.
The article presupposes that the Watchtower Society is Jehovah’s organization and that it will be instrumental in guiding Jehovah’s Witnesses to the salvation God provides then. Surely none of Jehovah’s Witnesses doubt that. But since this is undoubtedly an issue that involves our very lives, let us consider the questions: First, is the Watchtower Society Jehovah’s organization? And secondly: If so, will it be a reliable guide, an ark of salvation for Jehovah’s Witnesses during the tempest of Jehovah that is destined to come upon the world in the immediate future?
In our limited capacity as imperfect earthlings most people tend to think that the way things are in the present is the way they will always be. But Jehovah exists outside the human realm, far above even the heavens of the heavens. He not only can foresee the future he can make it happen. In fact, the very name YHWH in Hebrew literally means “He who causes to become.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses are blessed to have faith in God’s promise of a future world, a bright new world beyond the blackness of a great tribulation that will exterminate most of the people presently living.
And the very existence of a dynamic evangelical society at this critical juncture in world history; one modeled after the original congregation; a society devoted to proclaiming God’s long-lost name and his purpose to create a new world; a unique brotherhood composed both of those whose hope is to rule with Christ and those who hope to be his earthly subjects, indicates that the Watchtower Society is as advertised – Jehovah’s organization.
But the more pertinent question is if the Watchtower Society will still be Jehovah’s organization in the future?
The vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses are incapable of even considering such a question to be valid, much less so are they inclined to reason upon it or accept the scriptural answer to it. And for that reason, the Watchtower Society must go.
That may sound like an irrational statement. And no doubt Jehovah’s Witnesses – particularly the leadership of the Watchtower Society – will scoff at the mere suggestion that Jehovah is determined to dispose of “Jehovah’s organization,” but it is certain as the coming of Christ.
To appreciate why that is the case Jehovah’s Witnesses merely have to reason upon the great universal issues that we are privy to; namely, God’s sovereignty and our integrity to it. And we know it is God’s purpose to completely settle the challenges raised by the Slanderer.