15/09/2023
Watchtower Study, Are You Prepared for the Great Tribulation?, Week of September 11-17, 2023, Comments and Practical Answers.
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Watchtower Study, Are You Prepared for the Great Tribulation?, September 11-17, 2023, Comments and Responses.
“Be ready” (MAT. 24:44).
1. Why is it good to prepare before a disaster strikes?
It's good because those who are prepared have a better chance of surviving and helping others. And this can make a big difference.
We know that preparation is a lifesaver and, for example, when disasters occur, people who are well prepared are the ones who have the best chance of surviving and also helping others.
Yes, here is a comment that makes us think: a humanitarian organization in Europe says that good preparation can make a big difference; it shows us the importance of always being prepared.
2. Why should we prepare for the great tribulation? (Matthew 24:44).
We must prepare for the great tribulation because it will begin suddenly and we do not want it to take us by surprise. On the contrary, we want to follow Jesus' advice to be prepared to survive and to be able to help other people to do so too.
In Matthew 24:44 Jesus warns us that we must always be ready and prepared so that the great tribulation does not take us by surprise, since we do not know the day or the hour, but we do know that it will come suddenly. Hence, Jesus' warning so that we do not allow ourselves to become absorbed in the daily activities of life and become distracted.
Well, because the great tribulation is going to begin suddenly, we are already warned by Jesus, so we have to follow this advice in order to survive.
And that preparation will not only have the effect that it will be easier for us to survive but we will also be better prepared to help other people achieve it too.
3. Why do we need endurance, compassion, and love to be prepared for the great tribulation?
When it is our turn to carry the harsh message of condemnation and other people turn against us, we will need the endurance to obey Jehovah and trust that he will protect us. We will also need compassion to help our brothers and meet their needs if they lose their possessions or if they are left with nothing. And of course, we will need love if during Gog of Magog's attack we have to live in a very small space with our brothers. Consequently, only if we have endurance, with passion and love can we survive the great tribulation. Hence, the importance of being prepared from now on with everything we need.
If at that moment we are asked to preach but the content of our message is a message of condemnation because it is not going to be easy, then we will need the first quality which is endurance because we want to obey Jehovah always and trust that he will protect us in that difficult moment.
Another quality that we are also going to need is compassion because we are living in very difficult times and they are going to get even more difficult, so we have to be compassionate with our brothers when they go through needs to give them what they need.
Yes, we are also going to need love because we may find ourselves in the situation of having to live in a very small space with our siblings for a while and if we do not have deep love, it will be quite difficult.
In the paragraph he mentions Ezekiel 38:12 and we saw that in the book of pure worship he mentioned to us that these nations are trying to plunder our wealth, and the greatest wealth we have in love, love for our brothers and by doing harm to them. Well, we are all going to suffer, but now is the time where we have to show that love and we are preparing for when it comes.
4. What indicates that we should strive for more endurance, compassion, and love?
Luke 21:19 encourages us to have more endurance. Colossians 3:12 encourages us to have more compassion, and 1 Thessalonians 49:10 does encourage us to have more love. Therefore, all these words are telling us that we must continue cultivating the qualities of endurance, compassion and love, even if we were already demonstrating them.
Yes, in the paragraph three texts are reflected, that of Luke Colossian and the first Thessalonians, which are addressed to people who already had these qualities. This is a point of reflection for us as well because if this was directed to brothers of antiquity who already They have these qualities, this makes us think that, apart from having them and cultivating them, we also have to fight to preserve them and also to make an effort to ensure that this does not decline.
Precisely because we will see examples of how they cultivated these qualities of the first Christians and how we today can imitate them.
Yes, in Luke 21:19 Jehovah encourages us and tells us that with their endurance they will save their lives so that we can endure since it has to be a continuous action since this world in which we live is getting worse and worse, so we should never to stop holding on at any time.
CULTIVATE ENDURANCE
5. What did the first Christians do to endure?
To endure, these early Christians meditated on examples of endurance from the Hebrew scriptures, such as Job. They also reached out to Jehovah to ask for strength, and they never lost sight of the fact that Jehovah would reward him for his endurance.
Well, one of the ways in which they were strengthened was by meditating on examples of endurance from the Hebrew scriptures. In the letter to James, the example of Job is reflected. He was a model of endurance with his patience and faithfulness, but we see how it was rewarded. greatly for Jehovah, so for these Christians to meditate on how both Job and other prophets achieved it because it surely helped them to endure and see that Jehovah was always going to be with them.
Another way was for the Christians to pray to Jehovah asking them for courage to be able to endure and we see how the difficulties they faced were not few because apart from the difficulties of life they also had to face difficulties for their faith, they were persecuted by the Roman leaders also had difficulties through the Jewish leaders, then also in the congregation itself there was apostasy, the family are difficulties that we also face and in this way it is important that we will ask Jehovah for help to be able to endure these situations.
Acts 4:29 to 31 shows us how they asked Jehovah for strength to continue proclaiming and says that they made a heartfelt prayer and then it says that Jehovah immediately helped them and they began to proclaim.
And we also have the example of Peter and John when they faced the Sanhedrin who forbade them to speak about Jesus and in the end they accepted them but they came out happy because they had been considered worthy of suffering for the sake of Christ.
Something that Hebrews 10:36 tells us is that we all have the need to endure because if we do, we know that just like those first Christians, we will also have a reward for having been able to endure.
6. What can we learn from what Merita did to withstand the opposition?
Merita had violent opposition from her family. So, to endure, she meditated on the examples of endurance that appear in the Bible and in our publications. She studied Job's story of endurance and it led her to reflect that her problems were much smaller and that she did know what the origin of these problems was. So, like Job, she would not give up his integrity either. From this we can learn that if we have the habit of meditating on the Bible's examples of faith, like Job and Merita, we will also be cultivating the endurance necessary to face our personal trials.
And what part of the Bible did he study? Well, the example of Job, that many things had happened to him, something that I really like is that if we went through difficulties, as it merits that that family position would not be once, I did not meditate once, but rather he had the habit, having That habit will help us endure when we have those difficulties.
And it was a sincere and deep study of this book because she herself said that she thought about the cause of her problems and that reminds us that it can also help us that when we study a biblical story we can try to see how to apply what we are reading in our lives. and thus learn the lessons that will help us endure what happened to this sister.
And why does it help us when we meditate on ancient and current examples of endurance, because, as happened to this sister, it really helps us to relativize our problems, to realize that we are not alone, that we are not the first servants of Jehovah to go through This test we are neither currently nor will we be in the future and that if we see how Jehovah helped them he will also help us.
Well, she says that when she thought about Job this man did not know why he was suffering but that she realized clearly logically when she had the Bible that the works that she was going through were smaller than those that Job had gone through and that she knew who the Because of the problems he did know who was behind it.
7. Even if you are not going through a difficult test right now, what is good for you to learn now?
It is good to learn now the habit or custom of turning to Jehovah to face day-to-day problems, because that will also make us do so in the future when things get worse. Furthermore, we will be much more convinced that Jehovah knows exactly when and how to help us, and that will lead us to trust him absolutely, and consequently to have more endurance.
Well, in order to always seek Jehovah's guidance, we must have the habit of turning to Jehovah in our daily lives and so when things get worse we will have forged a great friendship with Jehovah and thus we will be convinced that he knows how to help us and can do it.
Yes, I really like the first treasure 5:17 says pray continually So we are learning now from trials that brothers have gone through, if perhaps we reach this situation we can pray continually, cast the burden on Jehovah constantly.
Philippians 4:6 is also mentioned and I like the part that says rather in any situation, make your requests known to Jehovah, that is, it says any situation, they do not say difficult situations or in the worst situations but in any situation, then if we get used to it as the paragraph in any situation, even if it does not seem important, always ask for guidance and pray to Jehovah to make good decisions because the moment we have worse situations we will be used to it.
And we also have to know that we are not alone, that no matter what happens, Jehovah is with us whenever we ask for his help. Psalm 27:1 is quoted at the end, where I made it very clear that Jehovah is our light and our salvation, and then he raises The question is, who am I going to be afraid of? If we are on Jehovah's side, we don't have to be afraid of anything.
8. How does Mira's example demonstrate that holding on in the present will help us hold on in the future? (James 1:2-4; see also image).
Mira's example demonstrates that enduring current trials with Jehovah's help strengthens faith in him. And that faith is what will allow the person to face the following tests with confidence and determination. Sister Mira reflected on how Jehovah had helped her in the past and that helped her stay faithful and not lose hope. This has helped her endure in the present, but more importantly, it is preparing her to endure the great tribulation. As James 1:2,4 says, faith of proven quality produces endurance.
James 1:2, 4 helps us see that trials strengthen our faith and that we can even endure them with joy as we see that they produce in us the fruit of endurance. This is a kind of training or refinement that will help us faithfully face and endure the great trials that the great tribulation will bring in the near future. In the image we can see a sister meditating on all that Jehovah has done to help her endure. This helps her to be determined to continue enduring each new trial that comes her way, trusting even more in Jehovah.
Yes, we see that this Sister says that sometimes she thought that no one had as many problems as her, but that she starts thinking about, meditating on the years that she has been serving Jehovah. She says that she has been serving Jehovah for 20 years and that she thinks that she is not going to throw away all of them. Those years of service and that she has had many battles have been able to endure with the help of Jehovah so it is worth thinking that she can also continue doing so to prepare her for the future.
So it is nice that we meditate when we go through trials and difficulties How Jehovah helps us because that will be fresh in our minds and when in the future we may have to face difficulties in the great tribulation we will remember how on other occasions Jehovah helped us. helped and at that time will do the same.
And that process is what we have read in Santiago when he says that tests make endurance complete its work and that is like when a sword is subjected to fire, perhaps at the moment it may be softer and more moldable, but once it is When it gets cold it is much stronger, because that is what happens when we face trials our faith also strengthens.
ILLUSTRATION
The image we have on the screen is very inspiring because it is what the sister has perhaps done. She has read the Bible and perhaps she has read the promises of Jehovah and now she is meditating on her own life. How she has seen it in her hand. I have seen her hand. Jehovah helps her in complicated situations and now, despite perhaps being in a hospital bed or confined due to illness, she has a more positive and optimistic outlook.
Yes, we can also meditate on the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5 where he spoke about how we should be happy and we were persecuted because of his name or because people spoke ill of us, precisely following him and perhaps that is what has happened to many of us. Of us have spent our entire lives carrying the name of Jehovah, serving Jehovah and sometimes being the object of ridicule for going against the grain, so as has been said until now, everything that has happened to us has made us stronger and we have lasted until now. Now we are not going to give up.
A sister in a hospital bed with the Bible open in her lap.
ENDURANCE: With each test we endure we become stronger to face the next one. (See paragraph 8).
SHOW COMPASSION
9. How did the congregation at Antioch in Syria show compassion?
The brothers of the Antioch congregation of Syria showed compassion to the Christians of Judea in a time of great famine. When they found out about the situation, they felt compassion for what their brothers were going through and then they took action and decided to send help to each one according to their own possibilities, regardless of the distance.
Well, when they found out that their brothers in Judea were going through a time of great famine, they felt that compassion, which made them take action. It says that they each sent help according to their possibilities, although they were far away, but they did everything possible to help them following the first advice from John 3:17 and 18, since they had the means to be able to help their brothers, they showed that compassion because otherwise the love of God would not be reflected in them as it says, they loved not with words or lips but with deeds and actions. TRUE.
And they acted even before it happened because in Acts 11:27 to 30 it is mentioned how it was a prophet who announced that this was going to happen that a time of great famine was going to come and they immediately took action and decided to send them help so that perhaps It would even reach them before they started to feel hungry, so their attitude was really great.
And I really like the words recorded in first John 3:17 when it says that if someone has the possessions of this world and sees that his brother is in need but refuses to show him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? And the truth is that it is of no use to us to lament and be saddened by the needs that we see that our brothers are going through. If that were the case and we did nothing for it, then of course we would not show our love and Jehovah will not be very happy with it either. we.
Acts chapter 27 verse 30 it is said that they did it according to their possibilities, sometimes because we think that we have no possibility of helping our brothers, but as the saying goes, also, those who want, those who can, Jehovah, as the speech said, are content with Very little that we can give but it shows our condition of heart.
10. In what ways can we show our compassion when our brothers are in an emergency situation? (See also the image).
We can show compassion for our brothers by making ourselves available to the elderly, also by donating to the world work, and by praying for those who are suffering. We have examples of this in the relief work during the Covid-19 pandemic, in humanitarian aid and spiritual consolation and in the reconstruction of meeting places and the homes of the brothers that have been destroyed or damaged by natural disasters. .
We can make ourselves available to the elderly and the note says that those who wish to participate in Relief work must fill out the DC50 application or the a19 application and then wait to be invited to participate and this is something that already we can do.
In fact, it is mentioned that in 2020 alone, more than 950 Relief committees were formed to help those affected by the covid-19 pandemic and we are grateful that many brothers who have filled out these applications because they have brought humanitarian aid have given comfort. spiritual have repaired homes and also places of worship but since we cannot all do it, we can contribute through our donations and also by praying for these brothers.
Second Corinthians 8 from 1 to 4 caught my attention especially verse 4 because it talks about the congregation, how the Macedonian congregation was poor but nevertheless they still gave with joy but verse 4 says because they insisted that we grant them the honor to give with kindness, then it is an honor it is a privilege to help Jehovah within his organization by helping the brothers either with a small donation in the box or physically going if we are called to a place of help.
ILLUSTRATION
As we see in the Enlightenment, when a calamity or disaster occurs, we can demonstrate our compassion in many ways and according to our possibilities.
A brother who is working on a construction project.
COMPASSION: When disaster strikes, we can demonstrate our compassion. (See paragraph 10).
11. How do we honor our Heavenly Father when we show compassion?
When we show compassion with our actions we honor Jehovah, because these actions bear an evident testimony to all who see us. An example of this is the contractor who was sought to budget for the reconstruction work of a Kingdom Hall when Hurricane Dorian struck. The contractor said that he would provide the machinery, labor and materials for the reconstruction, because he was very impressed by how the Jehovah's Witnesses treated others. This demonstrated that our acts of compassion honor Jehovah and encourage those who are not Witnesses to know our beloved Heavenly Father.
Because the people around us can notice what we do in Jehovah's people and then also feel motivated to do their part as well.
Yes, and this contractor, after seeing how volunteers built a kingdom hall after a hurricane, what a positive response he had, I want to do something for you, I give you machinery, I give you materials, so people who see how we behave can do those people who want to know to Jehovah so we can do much to give glory to Jehovah with our actions.
12. Why does showing compassion now prepare us for the great tribulation? (Revelation 13:16, 17).
The Bible predicts that those who do not support human governments will have problems now and during the great tribulation. And since Jehovah's Witnesses remain neutral, there will surely be brothers who will need help to cover their basic needs. Therefore, if we already show compassion in this sense, we will be better prepared to continue showing it during the great tribulation.
Revelation 3:16-17 reminds us that in our daily lives, Jehovah's Witnesses constantly face tests of integrity. So we need more and more courage and endurance to resist the pressure of receiving the mark of the governments of this world. Hence, showing compassion from now on prepares us for the great tribulation.
Because in apocalypse it is clearly explained that our loyalty will be tested in an intense way and how the governments will then persecute us when we refuse to support them, then it will be time to show compassion for our brothers that perhaps the time will come when we need and help them cover all their most basic needs.
Yes, that is why the text of Matthew 25:34 to 40 at the end of the part is telling us when we did these things and then it says when one of these least of my brothers did it to me, they did it to me, that is, we have to strive for what that Jehovah is indicating to us and that we are showing compassion precisely to our organization to other brothers.
FEEL MORE LOVE FOR YOUR BROTHERS
13. What did the first Christians do to love each other even more? (Romans 15:7).
The Bible gives us the example of the congregation of Rome, which was made up of very different Christians and with different cultural, religious and social backgrounds. So to still show each other love, what they did was welcome each other with pleasure. That is, showing the kindness and hospitality of someone who receives a friend in his house and includes him in his circle of friends.
We have an example of this in the apostle Paul, who asks Philemon to kindly receive the slave Onesimus, who had run away from home. There is also the example of Priscilla and Aquila, who gladly welcomed Polos and took them with them. These examples teach us that like the Christians of the first century, we must not let differences divide us. On the contrary, we must show each other even more love.
The words that Paul wrote to the Romans help us cultivate the proper attitude toward our fellow believers. In biblical times the custom was that when a person invited his friends home, he would tell them how happy he was to have them there, and that is the same attitude with which Christ has welcomed us into the congregation. Therefore, it should be the same attitude that we show to others.
Although it was a congregation made up of very different Christians, they followed the advice that the apostle Paul had given them to receive each other with pleasure, that is, with kindness or hospitality, so they did not let the differences they had divide them, but on the contrary.
One of these examples are those of Aquila and Priscilla who, despite having much more knowledge about the scriptures than Apollos, left behind both prejudices and pride in order to receive him with pleasure and take him with them.
And I also like the example that is mentioned that when Philemon the apostle Paul recommends that they receive him because in Philemon 17 he says if you consider me your friend, receive him kindly as you would receive me, we know that Onesimus had escaped but nevertheless he He urges you to receive him in a friendly manner when he returns, so it is a wonderful way for us to do the same when sometimes we don't know how to do it.
Here the example of Priscilla and Aquila, they were a very close couple, they got along very well and surely had a lot of knowledge, however here Apollos appeared and he, however, has other qualities, he was brave and he was eloquent, so when they heard him in the synagogue, well They took him aside and instructed him, so they all benefited.
ILLUSTRATION
A couple and a young man visit an older brother, and they all have a very pleasant time together.
LOVE: We need the love of all brothers. (See paragraph 15).
14. How did Anna and her husband express their love?
Ana and her husband were missionaries in West Africa, but after being sent to another country in the region, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and they could no longer meet in person with the brothers of the congregation. So to express her love for the brothers, Ana and her husband contacted them through video calls to tell them that they really wanted to meet them. For her part, the brothers of the congregation began to call Ana and send her messages about her. Ana says that the love they showed her in good and bad times reached her heart, and encouraged her to continue showing her love.
Well, just when the Covid-19 pandemic began, this couple had received a new assignment in another congregation, so they could no longer meet with the new congregation. What did they do? They got in touch by videoconference to tell each of them how much that they loved them, so that is a very good example for us to avoid in any way if we feel that desire to convey to our brothers that we love them very much.
And to put it in some way, Ana explains that she carried in her heart all the love that the brothers had shown throughout her life to her and her family in good and bad times, it is like that love had charged her batteries and then Now she had her batteries charged and enough to be able to show it to the other siblings. This teaches me that it is important that I make an effort when dealing with the siblings to show them my love because without a doubt that will help them. a lot to them and perhaps they can encourage other brothers in other congregations.
15. What does Vanessa's example teach you about love for siblings? (See also the image).
Vanessa had trouble getting along with some of the brothers in her congregation, and because their personalities irritated her, but instead of pushing them aside, she decided to spend more time with them. Through that, she discovered the things that Jehovah likes about those people. Now that her husband has been appointed circuit overseer and they have to get together with many more brothers, Vanessa finds it easier to get along with others and even she likes the diversity. This example teaches me that to show love to our brothers I must strive to see them as Jehovah sees them.
Well, it is not necessary that all our friends are identical copies of ourselves, they do not have to be our age or our same tastes.
And the truth is that all congregations are made up of brothers with different backgrounds or personalities, but without prejudice, sometimes we can form opinions in advance about the brothers, so what the paragraph recommends is that we strengthen our ties with the brothers. because surely we are sure that they do have much better qualities than something that can irritate us.
16. Why will love be essential during the great tribulation? (See also the image).
During the great tribulation we may have to follow instructions such as those in Isaiah 26:20. Hence, it will be essential that we stay United, do not endure and show true love. If we do this, Jehovah will protect us, and if we do not, we may not be able to survive.
Well, because Jehovah is going to safeguard us precisely because of the congregation for the brothers that we have around us and that is why we must feel love for them because they are the ones who are going to be there with us in those difficult moments.
The paragraph at the end says that it is not enough to put up with our brothers, we must truly love them and if we see in the image those brothers who are in that small room, then we see them all with smiling faces because they show love to each other, they are not there. with quarrels or problems with each other because if the situations are already complicated, if now we have problems with any of those brothers, even more so, we must demonstrate that love for all our brothers.
And some of the brothers that we see in the photo and who are living together during the great tribulation because they had previously invited each other to eat and had forged close ties despite being older, others younger, and this is what has made them forge that bond of friendship and love and that when difficult times come they can help each other.
And we have all the brothers in the previous photos who at the time showed endurance or showed themselves with passion or showed love and affection and that is what has allowed them to endure the great tribulation and enter the new world that God he promises us.
ILLUSTRATION
In the Illustration we see that the brothers stayed together during the great tribulation and thanks to the love they showed, Jehovah protected them and they were able to survive Armageddon and move on to the New World. It is possible that we will have to be in the inner rooms with brothers with whom we do not get along well now. Hence, the importance of cultivating unity and love among everyone now, since this prepares us to be united and to show love to each other during the great tribulation.
Series of images: 1. The brothers in the three previous photographs meet with more Witnesses in a basement during the great tribulation. 2. Later, the brothers who were in the basement come out of the great tribulation. If we remain united with our brothers during the great tribulation, Jehovah will protect us, just as he has promised. (See paragraph 16).
PREPARE NOW
17. What can we do during the great tribulation if we prepare now?
If we prepare now we can stay calm and help others during the great tribulation. With endurance, we will face the challenges that arise and with compassion we will be willing to do everything in our power to help our brothers and meet their needs. With the love we already feel for them, we will manage to stay united. And as a reward, Jehovah will bless us with eternal life in the New World.
Well, if we are well prepared, we will be able to endure better to face any challenge, we will be willing to help our brothers and through love we will stay more united.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
What can you do to have more endurance?
To have more endurance, we should meditate on the examples of endurance that we find in the Bible and in our publications, and we can also vent to Jehovah frequently through prayer.
Well, we have seen characters like Job meditate on frequent, quality prayer and remember that every time we show endurance, no matter how little, we are laying a brick that builds the wall of our faith, so test after test this wall will be built. higher and will protect us in the future.
And another thing that will also help us to have endurance is to meditate on the reward in the promise that Jehovah has for all of us who prove to be faithful to him.
In what ways can you show compassion to others?
We can show our compassion when we learn that brothers are going through an emergency situation. We could act quickly in the following ways: Making ourselves available to the elderly, donating to the world work, and praying for those who are suffering.
Well, by making ourselves available to our brothers, for example when a disaster occurs, if we fill out the DC50 or A19, we can collaborate in the relief efforts or, failing that, with donations and our prayers.
What can you do to love your siblings more?
What we can do is welcome them with pleasure, including them in our circle of friends. Usually, that will make them treat us kindly too.
What we can do is follow Paul's advice as the brothers followed in the past to gladly receive our brothers, which means receiving them with hospitality and kindness, and another very important thing is to see our brothers despite the difference we may have as Jehovah sees them.
Watchtower Study, Are You Prepared for the Great Tribulation?, Week of September 11-17, 2023, Comments and Practical Answers.
Watchtower Study, Are You Prepared for the Great Tribulation?, Week of September 11-17, 2023, Comments and Practical Answers.
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