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Punctuality—A Godly Quality JW Broadcasting September 2017

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Punctuality—A Godly Quality

JW Broadcasting September 2017

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Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................... 1

2. Punctuality—A Godly Quality ................................................ 1

3. Peter Zak .............................................................................. 11

4. Dramatization – Acting Promptly ......................................... 17

5. Wildfire in Alberta ................................................................ 19

5.1 Remain Loyal convention .............................................. 21

6. Music Video – Let’s Take the Leap ...................................... 23

7. Brazil Games ....................................................................... 24

8. Knock Knock Video ............................................................. 27

8.1 Summary ....................................................................... 28

9. Greetings from Uganda ....................................................... 29

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1. Introduction

Welcome to JW Broadcasting! Here is what we can look forward to on the program this month. Why do we need to be quick to address problems when they arise? We will highlight the benefits. And our music video will encourage us to reach out to expand our ministry. We will also find out how our brothers and sisters reached out to the visitors that came to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last year. This is the September program of JW Broadcasting! The theme selected for my comments this month is “Punctuality—A Godly Quality.” Samuel F Herd.

2. Punctuality—A Godly Quality

You might remember the opening paragraph in a 1990 Watchtower article on the subject of punctuality. It said that an elder’s closest friends jokingly called him Armageddon. Why? They replied: “We know he’s coming, but only God knows when!”

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The elder had a problem with punctuality. Punctuality has nothing in common with procrastination. To procrastinate means “to intentionally put off the doing of something that should be done.” The saying, “Tomorrow is the busiest day of the year” reflects the human tendency to procrastinate. How appropriate then is the inspired encouragement concerning the present —today. Galatians 6:10 says: “As long as we have the opportunity, let us work what is good toward all.” “As long as we have the opportunity” does not sound like procrastination to me. No, the Bible encourages just the opposite —punctuality. Punctuality refers to the characteristic of being prompt in keeping appointments. Punctuality is a godly quality. In fact, Matthew 6:33 prioritizes our pursuit of Kingdom interests. It says: “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” It said to ‘seek the Kingdom first,’ not second, not third or fourth —first. When we put the Kingdom first in our life, we do not put it off in favor of some trivial pursuit.

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If it is time for a Christian meeting, we are there well before it starts. Perhaps you have heard some say: “At least I made it to the meeting. Better late than never!” But the godly way is: “Better never late!” Jehovah is a punctual God. He sets the example for us. When Jehovah decided to destroy the ungodly world in a deluge, he said to Noah at Genesis 6:14: “Make for yourself an ark.” Then, at Genesis 7:4, Jehovah told Noah to enter into the ark and informed him: “For in just seven days, I will make it rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights.” What happened? A “better late than never” attitude? No, that is not acceptable to Jehovah. Instead, Genesis 7:10 says: “And seven days later the floodwaters came upon the earth.” Right on time. Punctuality is a godly quality. By means of a prophecy in Daniel chapter 9, Jehovah indicated hundreds of years in advance when Jesus would fulfill his role as Messiah and Savior. When did Jesus present himself for that role? “Better late than never?”

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No, precisely on time in 29 C.E., Jesus was anointed as Christ. In fact, Romans 5:6 says: “Christ died for ungodly men at the appointed time.” Jehovah is punctual. What about in our time? The Bible tells us to keep in expectation of Jehovah’s future day of judgment. When will it happen? Well, to us it may seem that it has delayed. But what do we know about Jehovah? He is punctual. And so it is that Habakkuk 2:3 tells us: “For the vision is yet for its appointed time, “and it is rushing toward its end, “and it will not lie. “Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it! “For it will without fail come true. It will not be late!” Punctuality is Jehovah’s way. Unlike the elder cited earlier, this Armageddon will be on time. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 was specifically discussing what happens at Christian gatherings. In verse 26, he said: “When you come together, . . . Let all things take place for building up.”

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Then, at 1 Corinthians 14:40, he concludes by saying: “But let all things take place decently and by arrangement.” Look at the words again. When speaking about Christian meetings, he said: ‘Let things take place decently.’ In Greek, it literally means “well-behavedly.” Paul also used a Greek word translated here “by arrangement.” The literal meaning of the Greek word is “according to order.” If we are to be well-behaved, according to order at our meetings, what would be one aspect of that? Being punctual —on time— for the start of the meeting. While the lack of punctuality affects all cultures to one degree or another, it is true that some cultures are more punctual than others as a whole. A missionary reported that in one town where he served, his wife would be the only person in the audience when he announced the opening song at the beginning of the meeting. But when he announced the closing song, 70 people would be there. On the other hand, in a Western European country, about a thousand people were asked: “If you were invited to dinner at 7:00 p.m., “should you arrive five or ten minutes early, or five or ten minutes late, or exactly on time?” The majority responded that “courtesy requires scrupulous respect for the host and arriving at the exact minute.”

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Each culture would likely think that the other is extreme. However, being punctual is more than a matter of regional preference. It is a godly quality that true Christians of every culture want to cultivate. Punctuality must become a habit —a way of life. It is similar to some countries that do not have a habit of good hygiene, or cleanliness. That may be true, but it is expected that Jehovah’s people in those lands will excel in good hygiene and clean habits. In the same way, no matter what our background, culture, or upbringing, it is expected that we as imitators of our God will develop the godly habit of being punctual. What helps us to be punctual? The Bible encourages advance planning. Proverbs 21:5 says: “The plans of the diligent surely lead to success, but all who are hasty surely head for poverty.” So being punctual is not just a matter of hastily fulfilling an obligation or an appointment. It involves thinking in advance about our responsibilities. Yes, planning to be prepared for them and to be prompt in carrying them out. Well, what are some activities that we would want to be punctual in fulfilling?

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It can be the everyday things in life, such as arriving at work or at school on time; being punctual for appointments, such as a visit to the doctor or dentist; arriving at the designated time when invited to another’s home for a meal. What is our habit like when it comes to these areas of life? Even more important is punctuality when attending our Christian meetings and assemblies. This means being present before the opening song and prayer. The apostle Paul quoted from Psalm 22 when he wrote Hebrews 2:12. Of Jesus he said: “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you with song.” If that was true of Jesus, it is a great incentive for us to participate in singing the first song with our congregation. And the opening prayer is important for us. In ancient times, Jehovah called the temple his “house of prayer.” It’s true that the opening prayer requests Jehovah’s guidance and holy spirit on the program, however, it also prepares our minds and hearts to receive the information to be considered. Of course, there may be times when one is unavoidably late in arriving at a meeting. Public transportation may be delayed or our car may break down. That’s understandable on occasion.

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But what is our habit? In the past, it was suggested that we consider arriving 15 or 20 minutes before a meeting started. One brother with six siblings said his father made a goal of being at the Kingdom Hall 20 minutes before the program began. That certainly took advance planning. His father’s byline for meeting attendance was: “If you’re 5 minutes early, then your 15 minutes late.” In most cases, the whole family arrived 20 minutes before the meeting for wholesome association. Another opportunity for punctuality is arriving on time for a meeting for service. This is challenging for some. However, with a little advanced planning, we can be successful. Punctuality is particularly important since the actual meeting is only about ten minutes long. If we’re late, not only is it disruptive but it could force the one taking the lead to redo the arrangements made for the group. And speaking of our ministry, what is an opportunity to be punctual every month? Yes, you guessed it, turning in our field service report at the end of the month. Do you have a way of reminding yourself of this? In some lands, it is almost as if it is a custom for the start of a wedding talk to be delayed.

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Often this is because of mistakenly gauging how much time the bride needs to get dressed and made up for her grand appearance. However, being considerate of those invited should move those involved to allow extra time to complete the task of preparation. A 1990 Watchtower commented on being punctual in starting a wedding. The very next sentence stated: “You may like to have your egg boiled for just so many minutes.” I am not sure exactly how that applies to a wedding, but I think we get the point, don’t we? We should have calculated the timing in advance so that the ceremony begins on time. Do we have yet another example of being punctual, not procrastinating? How about when there is a difference between you and a fellow believer or a family member? Of course, if it is simply a minor issue because of imperfection, often the best thing to do is forgive and forget. But if it was more serious or we cannot simply let it go, what should we do? We need to settle the matter and restore the peace. When should we take this step? Do not procrastinate. If we do, the problem may fester and get worse.

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What kind of a priority did Jesus establish for restoring peace between fellow believers? At Matthew 5:23, 24, note his clear indication of punctuality: “If, then, you are bringing your gift to the altar “and there you remember that your brother has something against you, “leave your gift there in front of the altar, and go away. “First make your peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift.” Did you pick up on the timing that Jesus recommended for reconciliation? He said: “[First] First make your peace with your brother.” It is a high priority and should be treated as such. But remember the scripture we shared earlier, Proverbs 21:5? This principle should be implemented. The last part of the verse warns us not to be “hasty.” Hasty is not synonymous with punctuality. Instead, the first part of the verse indicates we should prepare or plan the visit first. Then follow through without procrastinating. It said this approach will “lead to success.” What is the success we are seeking? Jesus did not say to justify our position or to point out the flaw in the other person’s words or actions.

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No, he said you would be successful if you “make your peace with your brother.” Punctuality is a godly quality that we should strive to cultivate. Another aspect of punctuality is ending an assignment on time. In the interest of punctuality, let’s move on to the next segment of our program. Thank you, Brother Herd. You are teaching by example —we appreciate that! And— On the subject of punctuality, we wanted to share an example of how ingrained a problem can become if we let it fester.

3. Peter Zak

Meet Brother Peter Zak. As he relates his story, look for ways punctuality, or promptly addressing matters, could have helped him to minimize the effects of the problem. I was born in Poland, and when I was about five years old, my family immigrated to Canada. I feel that from a young age I really loved Jehovah. I had a good relationship with him. I enjoyed going in field service; I enjoyed the congregation. But like all youths, I had my distractions, you could say. And for me, in particular, it was video games.

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I remember in the beginning even my parents would set some rules. But as I kept progressing in that game and I started participating in tournaments, I started getting recognized and admired. It started becoming a temptation. People would go to download my previously played games to study my techniques and my strategies. I was interviewed by different websites. People wanted to be on my team. I could see that this world was slowly dragging me in. For example, there was a huge tournament that I participated in. I finished very well —received many prizes. And then after that tournament, there was another tournament, even bigger, with huge prizes —cash prizes— a competition for all the best players in the world. At this time, also, the website was growing. We were just sponsored to produce our own tournament with cash prizes for the players. So I really thought that this would be an opportunity for me to maybe have a career and maybe to support myself in the future if I wanted to pioneer. And I thought that this was a realistic goal.

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But as the website also kept progressing and as I got more involved with it, I realized that what I was exposed to was very, very, dangerous —very harmful. They were immoral, wicked, improper things. I was going to the meetings, and I was going in service; but at the same time, all my other time was spent on this video game. But it was only slowly, over time, I started realizing that it was having a very negative effect on my spirituality. I noticed that when I was in service, I would think only about the video game. When the service was over, I would rush home to play the video game. Even at meetings— I would attend all my meetings, but I would sit there and nothing was coming in. I went there in person, but my mind wasn’t there. So that also started bothering me. And at this time, my older brothers —who were always a good example to me— they quit playing games. They were making improvement in the congregation; they were having privileges, working hard for the brothers and sisters in our congregation. I could see they were so happy. They had the real joy and satisfaction. But for me, I didn’t; I was always feeling empty inside.

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I needed to change. And I remember, in particular, one day at the back of the Kingdom Hall, the brother—an elder—who studied with me and my two brothers approached me; and he very reasonably talked to me about my future. He also helped me see my brothers and how they stopped, and they were so happy. And I could see the difference. I was serving two masters at the same time, but I was really losing out with Jehovah. So I knew I had to make drastic changes in my life. Up until then, I did try a few times to stop playing video games. And it worked for a couple of days, but I got right back into it. I lacked self-control. So I realized that for me— If I wanted to stop this, I needed to make a complete stop of everything. So I prayed about it. I asked Jehovah for help and for strength to give me the courage to take this action. We took down the website, deleted the games, stopped playing the games, and just made a clean sweep—clean stop. And I knew I needed that. Right after, I felt like a load was lifted.

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I had all this time now I could spend, and I was spending it more in the ministry and in the congregation. So, soon after, I started auxiliary pioneering and then regular pioneering. I started doing a lot more in the congregation. I could see how happy I was. It was bringing me real joy —satisfaction. So I remember after pioneering for a few years, I started learning a foreign language. It was challenging, but it was exciting. I moved to another city to expand my ministry; then I moved to another country. And I remember just studying with people as a need-greater and just seeing them progress and seeing how they made changes in their lives and how they started having a relationship with Jehovah. And that I was being used to help them to get to that point was such an amazing feeling. Now I have the privilege of serving at Bethel. And I can see Jehovah’s hand in my life, and also I’m able to give every day to him. This is the joy that I was looking for. So I would definitely encourage all young ones to really test out Jehovah.

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It’s like Ecclesiastes 12:1, my favorite scripture growing up. Just give to Jehovah; test him out; give him your everything. And you will see that you’ll have no regrets. You’ll have true satisfaction from serving him. When should Peter have considered limiting his preoccupation with video games? Video and computer games in themselves are not wrong unless they are about things Jehovah hates. But did you notice that Peter explained that there was a point when the games became a temptation? That is, the games were no longer merely occasional entertainment but started to become the center of his life. That was the warning for him to sit down and review how much time and effort he should be spending on video games. But he didn’t. He did not address the matter promptly. As a result, he later had to admit that all he thought of, even at the meetings or in the ministry, was video games. Despite the mistake, Peter wisely applied the words of Matthew 5:30: “Also, if your right hand is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you.” While he did not need to literally cut off his mouse-clicking right hand, he got rid of anything that caused the temptation in the first place.

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If you are a parent, you have a responsibility to help your children address any concerns that may arise. You need to know what they are doing, and then lovingly guide them based on Biblical principles.

4. Dramatization – Acting Promptly

Acting promptly when you sense a problem is building up is equally important in other aspects of life. This dramatization highlights how we can do so when married. We do have good friends in our congregation, but there is so much work! Why is Jessica so upset? OK, maybe I should’ve asked before turning down that dinner invite, but she knows how busy I am. I’ve got elder’s meetings, work, pioneering. But she just says we never do anything fun anymore. Maybe she’s right. Sometimes even when we’re together, we’re not really together. Our lives are filled with spiritual activities but our family worship hasn’t exactly been regular. Maybe I fooled myself into thinking that because we’re busy doing things for Jehovah, it’s OK to skip it sometimes. We argued again tonight and then went to bed angry —something we said we’d never do.

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The next morning I told Jessica how sorry I was, and she admitted that she felt bad too. We decided to research Ephesians chapter 4 that night for family worship. One article mentioned: “How sad it would be if marriage mates spoke to each other with less respect than . . . total strangers!” That really struck us. Then we read Ephesians 4:31, 32: “Put away from yourselves every kind of malicious bitterness, “anger, wrath, screaming, and abusive speech, “as well as everything injurious. “But become kind to one another, “tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave you.” We both promised to work on making our words and tone more loving and kind. We also studied the Bible accounts of Aquila and Priscilla, who were a beautiful example of what it means for a married couple to be “one flesh.” They were together at home, at work, and in the ministry. That’s when we realized we needed to draw closer as a couple. Since then, we do as much as we can together. We’re still busy in spiritual activities, but they’re never an excuse to neglect our relationship. And now we aren’t just marriage mates; we’re once again best friends. As this dramatization and the example of Peter Zak showed, whenever you sense a problem, address it!

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Do not procrastinate. Be punctual. At times, world events may highlight the importance of being punctual.

5. Wildfire in Alberta

In May of last year, a wildfire overtook the Canadian city of Fort McMurray, in the province of Alberta. The brothers and sisters there benefited from promptly following the direction they had received from their local congregations. There was a local needs part, and we try to do it every year, and this year it was at the perfect time because the next week we had the fire. And when the brother was reviewing, he was saying it was a high fire-hazard year, so be prepared. And it was nice that the brothers were so obedient and took that to heart and were ready. It happened so quickly, from being fine and safe to ‘We got to get out of here.’ We started to hear the municipality saying there are mandatory evacuations for different neighborhoods. So within noon, two o’clock, four o’clock, 90,000 people are in motion. When you were standing outside, you could hear the helicopters going, the sirens going. The smoke was so thick and intense.

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Both the left and the right were all in flames; it was totally in flames. Ugh, it was chaotic. People running to their cars, seeing and looking at the big cloud of smoke approaching them and just the fright in their eyes. It just came to mind: During the local needs, the brothers said, “If in case of an emergency, you have to follow directions. “Listen to the local authorities and listen to your local elders.” Each elder for the field service groups had to care for a small amount of people. I was calling all the brothers and sisters that I could to find out where they were and if they were safe. Every group overseer knew exactly where everybody in his group was at all times. One brother came to help my wife and the kids to evacuate while I was at work. So I felt very indebted to this brother —that he acted in my behalf to get my family to a safe place. To see the brothers OK and calm, it makes me calm. It’s all gone, and it went away overnight. If we are to put our trust in such things— Where are they now? Although we’ve lost all this, our relationship with Jehovah —we haven’t lost that. We can’t salvage nothing . Yeah.

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Everything is gone. Gone—everything is gone. Yeah, this is our basement. People are always asking us, like, “Did you lose your home?” And we’re like, “Yeah, we did.” Seeing how quickly things can go, how things can disappear, it helps you appreciate the things that are most important. And not only do we have our own lives but we still have our brothers and sisters there with us. When we escaped and moved to Edmonton, which is about a four-and-a-half-hour drive from here, the friends opened their homes to us in the middle of the night —2:30 a.m. — and welcomed us. They gave us food; they gave us clothing; they gave us a place to stay. That kind of hospitality really touched our heart. We realized that we hadn’t missed anything.

5.1 Remain Loyal convention

Some of the friends, we haven’t seen them since the disaster occurred and to meet the friends again —you know, about a month and a half after the disaster— at the convention was really, really encouraging. We see brothers that are working with different departments here at the convention and also with the disaster relief committee who have no home to go back to.

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Yet, they’re so concerned about someone else that they don’t even think about what they’ve really lost. Although we’ve lost everything materially, we have everything spiritually. What is gone is gone. What is important is our lives and our relationship with Jehovah. The local needs part proved very helpful for our brothers and sisters in Fort McMurray. The part included direction about having a “go bag” and keeping the gas tanks of their vehicles full. Because of the distance to the nearest town and the heavy traffic during the evacuation, having a full tank of gas proved to be very timely advice. Instead of procrastinating, our brothers and sisters in Alberta followed the direction, to their benefit. Although our circumstances may not be as extreme, we all experience challenging situations every now and then. The need to be punctual always applies. For example, there is no need to wait for perfect circumstances before expanding our ministry. For some, expanding our ministry could mean taking the leap into full-time service.

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6. Music Video – Let’s Take the Leap

Two families did just that in this music video entitled Let’s Take the Leap. To serve full-time, That’s been our goal. It opens up More ways to serve whole-souled. So if not now And if not here, This chance might slip away And disappear. Let’s take the leap; Let’s not hold back. Let’s not give in to doubt; Let’s not miss out. We’ll go in faith, Not looking back, not behind. Let’s look ahead With peace of mind. Jehovah knows; Jehovah sees. Before we ask, He knows the needs of each. Though it might seem Beyond our reach, Let’s put our trust in him And take the leap. Let’s take the leap; Let’s not hold back. Let’s not give in to doubt; Let’s not miss out. We’ll go in faith, Not looking back, not behind. Let’s look ahead With peace of mind. So let’s go through This open door. Things left behind Will be replaced and more, Not only now But all that God has in store— The life to come Forevermore.

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Let’s take the leap; Let’s not hold back. Let’s not give in to doubt; Let’s not miss out. We’ll go in faith, Not looking back and not behind. Let’s look ahead With peace of mind. Let’s take the leap; Let’s not hold back. Let’s not give in to doubt; Let’s not miss out. We’ll go in faith, Not looking back and not behind. Let’s look ahead With peace of mind. Let’s take the leap. Expanding our ministry in whatever form can bring us great joy as servants of Jehovah. Even if your circumstances today do not allow you to enter the full-time service, there is plenty to do.

7. Brazil Games

Our brothers and sisters in Brazil experienced an opportunity to make special efforts in their preaching work when the Olympic and Paralympic Games were held there in August and September of 2016. Close to 15,000 athletes from approximately 205 countries were present along with many visitors. More than one million tourists were present at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and among them were around 410,000 foreigners.

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In an effort to teach these ones about the Bible, Jehovah’s Witnesses engaged in a special public witnessing campaign. To reach as many people as possible, we set up 268 carts, not only where the games were held but also throughout the city of Rio de Janeiro. That way, we were able to reach people from even faraway islands like Vanuatu, which is one of the islands of the Pacific. Delegates from that island picked up publications from our witnessing carts. We made efforts to put the stands and carts as close as possible to the places where the brothers would work. Thanks to Jehovah, we were able to get a strategic location near the entrance to the arenas, which we didn’t think would be possible. We planned to have 1,500 volunteers, but we got 4,000 volunteers. We asked for help from other cities, other states, and also from foreign-language congregations. So for us, this was beyond our expectations. During the Olympics, more than one million people passed through the harbor here. And thanks to Jehovah, we were able to set up more than 40 carts in the immediate harbor area and placed almost 20,000 pieces of literature.

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To refill the carts, we used a quadricycle that picked up the publications at the support hub and took them to the brothers at the carts. The media provided extensive coverage with more than 26,000 press professionals involved, and security was also reinforced with more than 22,000 military personnel. The work of our brothers certainly did not go unnoticed. We were at the cart when suddenly a police car full of officers stopped in front of us. I was worried they were going to ask us questions or make us leave. But then they got out of the car and came towards us. And one of them picked up the Bible Teach book, and without saying anything to us, he told the others: “Didn’t I tell you I was going to find them here? “You can take these publications; they’re free. These books will teach you amazing things!” This campaign helped to overcome prejudices, both with the authorities and people in general, because they were able to see the international scope of our work. And this became especially clear when it came to the officials because they allowed the brothers to put the carts as close as possible to the arenas where the games were being held. In all, more than 85,000 publications in more than ten languages were distributed by means of the 268 carts scattered throughout the city.

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Over a year of planning went into preparing for this event, and it produced excellent results. Our international preaching work was made known to thousands present at the Olympic Games, and most important, it gave a great shout of praise to our God, Jehovah.

8. Knock Knock Video

We wanted to share a portrayal of life as a Witness back in the early 1900’s. This unique dramatization about the endurance needed as a Kingdom proclaimer was previously shown to delegates at some international conventions held in one city in 2014. This is a gift video that we received. The title is Knock! Knock! Where are the dead? Would you wish that question answered according to man’s theory or to have the answer as pointed out in the Bible? You will say that man’s answer would be only a guess. And yet there is no truth more clearly taught in the Bible than that of the resurrection of the dead. If the dead are to live again, then they must be resurrected, and God has provided that there shall be a resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a guarantee that all who have died must be awakened out of death and given a knowledge of the truth.

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All mankind were born in sin, and the death of the perfect man Jesus provided the purchase price for the right of man to live again, and in due time Jesus will awaken them out of death. All of the dead in God’s due time shall be awakened out of death. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; “and there shall be no more death, “neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” The resurrection will bring boundless joy to those who obey God under Christ’s Kingdom. The obedient ones on earth during the reign of Christ will be given everlasting life on the earth in complete happiness and joy. Jehovah’s way is always right and true. Learn that way and live. The word “resurrection” means “a standing up again” to life. If, as claimed by the clergy, the dead are alive in purgatory or some other place, then it follows that there could be no resurrection; and yet there is no truth more clearly taught in the Bible than that of the . . .

8.1 Summary

The brother was blessed for his perseverance in the ministry. His attitude showed that he felt the urgency of the message. As God’s people, we do not procrastinate.

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Instead, we are prompt; we are punctual! Yes, being punctual is a godly quality.

9. Greetings from Uganda

We would like to conclude the broadcast with greetings from Uganda —specifically the town of Fort Portal, in western Uganda. The 120 publishers there preach to almost 60,000 people who live in Fort Portal. They conduct approximately 300 Bible studies. There are two congregations —one English and one Rutoro— and also two rural groups some 60 kilometers, or approximately 37 miles, away. Brothers are taking turns visiting the two groups and supporting them in the field ministry. In the past, the main challenge was the lack of literature in the Rutoro language. However, thanks to increased translation efforts, the number of publishers has increased dramatically. As a result, a Rutoro congregation was formed in 2014. Next, a remote translation office was established in 2015. And as of February of this year, the publishers receive the study edition of The Watchtower in Rutoro. We love our brothers and sisters in Fort Portal very much. And they send their love to all of God’s people worldwide.

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This is JW Broadcasting from the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses.