The Study Watchtower, "Article 52", Week of February 20 to 26, 2023, Let's help those who are going through difficulties, Answers.

The Study Watchtower, "Article 52", February 20-26-2023, Let's help those who are going through difficulties, Answers.

"Do not stop doing good to those who should do it if it is within your power to help them" (PROV. 3:27).

1. What does Jehovah often do to answer the prayers of his servants?

Jehovah can move the hearts of his servants to answer the plea of ​​a brother in a time of need. In other words, Jehovah can use any of our brothers, including ourselves, so that we can help others.

When someone who loves Jehovah begs for help, our God often uses the elders and other servants of his to be a source of great comfort for that brother. It is not right to think that only the elderly have to help, since Jehovah expects us all to help, especially as the Bible says in James chapter 1, true worship or true religion cares for and helps widows and orphans. Which means that all of us in Jehovah's organization can help. So Jehovah is aware of all the times that you and I have made those sacrifices to help our brothers. And of course we don't go around blowing the trumpet in front of others.

WHEN OUTBREAKS ARISE

2. Why can it be difficult to help siblings when outbreaks occur?

Well, because perhaps we want to visit the brothers at home, but now we can't, it's not safe to do so, perhaps we would like to invite them to eat, help them, but it's not possible either, perhaps we really want to help or give, but our family is also going through situations. So there are many things that come together in one moment.

Here the thematic text Proverbs 3:27 says, do good to those to whom it should be done, especially if it is in our power to do it, since as the text Proverbs 19:17 mentions, the one who shows compassion to the needy does a Loan to Jehovah and he will repay you, so we have good reason to be generous.

But sometimes something impressive happens, many times those who have the most are the ones who give the least, sadly this reminds us of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and although some say, that is just a parable, it makes it clear to us, what is the point of view of Jehovah and this Biblical principle, leaves us the lesson that God Jehovah, Jesus and the angels, do not look favorably on those people who do not have the habit of giving to others and this is so because Jehovah wants his servants to be generous as they are.

3. What does the example of the elders of the Desi congregation teach us? (Jeremiah 23:4).

Well, there he mentions that they had a nice relationship with the brothers of the congregation, they shared with the brothers, they preached together and there was a friendship, it was not a relationship like that of a Superior and the inferior local brothers, they were not like policemen in charge to the brothers, it was not like that, the relationship was a beautiful coexistence that existed between them. If we have elders like this, let us thank Jehovah for having these treasures and appreciate them.

4. Why were the elders able to help Desi, and what is the lesson?

There was a friendship between the elders and the brothers, there was not a superiority and inferiority complex, they were friends of the brothers. Therefore, the brothers trusted them and the lesson for the elderly is to make an effort to be friends with the brothers and be aware of them, and this will help to be emotionally united when there is an epidemic outbreak. They should not wait for an outbreak or a crisis to arrive to remember the brothers, if due to an outbreak they cannot visit them, they can use other ways to contact the sheep.

5. How can the elders know the needs of the brothers, and how can they help them?

What they should not do is assume or imagine, but rather ask prudent questions, such as: Are your basic needs well covered? Do they have to eat, do they have food at home? Do they have medicines? Do you need us to give you a hand to manage any government aid? 

The Sister says that they helped her in a material sense, but also in an emotional and spiritual sense, she says that the elders prayed with her, she does not remember the words they said, but she does remember the peace that she felt when the elders were praying with her, it was as if Jehovah were reminding her that she was not alone. So Jehovah blesses and is aware of all those elders who helped the sheep in the previous outbreak, they are treasures, they are true gifts from Jehovah and that his reward will come from above either in this system or in the one to come.

6. How can we help each other in the congregation? (See photos).

As the paragraph says, the first to help are expected to be the elderly, but they are not the only ones, Jehovah asks all of us to help each other, down to a small detail, as it says here the children can make a card, a drawing to encourage a brother, the youth might volunteer to run an errand, others might prepare a meal and leave it, others might even take up a collection to help give encouragement.

And this is interesting, the elders also need encouragement, they give of their time and energy so that the congregation stays together, that is why we should be grateful to them and we show it by example: with a message of gratitude, generally the work they do goes unnoticed, here among men, but not before Jehovah, before Jesus Christ and before the Angels. They are aware of all those sacrifices.

And we see here an image, the brother who leads a part of the meeting is happy to hear the comments of those present in the Kingdom Hall, but also of a sick brother who has a type of Probe in his nose, we can see it there and he participates and we see there that he takes care of his personal grooming, he even has his tie on and is giving his comments.

ILLUSTRATION

And we see here an image, the brother who leads a part of the meeting is happy to hear the comments of those present in the Kingdom Hall, but also of a sick brother who has a type of Probe in his nose, we can see it there and he participates and we see there that he takes care of his personal grooming, he even has his tie on and is giving his comments.

Picture series: 1. A brother leads a face-to-face meeting at the Kingdom Hall. He uses the tablet to see a sick brother who has connected by video conference. 2. The older brother who has connected from his house raises his hand to make a comment. He breathes with the help of a tube that is connected to an oxygen tank. The brother who leads part of the meeting is happy to hear the encouraging comments from the many present in the Hall and from a sick brother who has to participate by videoconference. (See paragraph 6)

IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

7. What can be the effects of an emergency situation?

It can cause a person's life to turn 180 degrees in the blink of an eye, perhaps losing their material possessions, their home or even a loved one and this also happens to our brothers. So an emergency, as we have seen, can be a natural disaster, an earthquake, a tsunami, floods, fires, it changes anyone's life.

8. What should elders and parents do before an emergency situation?

The paragraph encourages us to prepare, the elders are encouraged to help the brothers to be prepared for an emergency situation, and they can do it by making sure that the whole congregation knows what to do to stay safe and contact them. practical reminders on local needs are important.

Parents in family worship can talk about what each one should do in an emergency situation, if they and their children are ready they are more likely to remain calm in those moments, and it is a less traumatic experience, less painful and The most important thing is that they get out alive.

9. What do the elderly have to do before and after an emergency situation?

Here it specifically mentions that Group Superintendents should not wait for an emergency to have the correct or updated contact information for the brothers in their group. Rather, they are encouraged to have that list from now on and be up to date, so in case of an emergency they can contact each brother and assess their needs, then pass this information on to the coordinator of the body of elders, who will contact the superintendent of circuit, after making sure that they are alive, they will take care of them by giving them lodging and food and other types of procedures mentioned in the paragraph.

10. Why is it so important for the elders to take care of the sheep? (John 21:15).

It is important because memories can return again and again, whether it is of a loved one who passed away, material losses, dangerous situations experienced that were traumatic. Memories and pain can wake up again, maybe even dream it. But this does not mean that they lack faith, it is a normal reaction. So our brothers also need that understanding and that empathy and in the case of the elderly, Jehovah will expect them to have these qualities, since it is part of the responsibility that God entrusted to them.

This is something important since the branch even said that if there was an inactive person they should be attended to and taken care of. The elders or pastors of the congregations throughout the world are not working for men, it is a job for Jesus Christ, for his sheep. So it is a serious responsibility, since this means more than standing on a lectern and giving speeches, but it means taking care of the sheep, taking care of them, that is what Jehovah and Jesus Christ expect of the elderly.

The elders have the responsibility of spiritually and emotionally supporting the brothers. When a disaster occurs, they must ensure that each brother is safe, has food, clothing, and shelter. It is likely that the victims will need spiritual and emotional follow-up for many months.

11. What help will families need for a while?

They need practical reminders that Jehovah and their brothers love them. Elders can help families maintain their spiritual activities such as prayer, study, attendance at meetings, and preaching work. They can also encourage parents to help their children. children to keep in mind that there are things that a catastrophe cannot destroy and that is also very important.

12. What can the congregation do to help with relief efforts? (See photo).

Some, faced with this situation, have offered their homes for a time to accommodate the affected brothers or to accommodate those who participate in relief work, others offer to help with their vehicle and are going to distribute food and other products. basic. 

And if the situation has occurred far away, one can also get involved, and we do it by praying for the brothers and supporting the Relief work with donations, here he mentions the world work, but many times when a disaster arises it is not that the branch immediately makes a disbursement economic to help the brothers, since the first thing they do, according to the Organized book, is to delegate the tasks or expenses of Relief to the circuit, and if the circuit cannot, they delegate it to the neighboring circuit and so on until the brothers The locals practically have to solve the need, because they are the ones who are going to administer the donations to help there in the affected area. This is very important to mention in order to understand that the work carried out by our brothers who are leading the way is not easy at all.

ILLUSTRATION

And we see here an image of a married couple bringing food to a family that experienced an emergency situation and they are in a temporary shelter, we see the faces, the reactions, surely someone gave a patio and they installed tents, surely all removable, and those days are spending there they are like a nightmare. We can see there that the empathy, the affection with which the brothers arrive, not only arrive and leave him lying and goodbye, but we see there that they are doing it with love, not just to get out of trouble.

A couple brings food and other things to a mother and her child, who are in a temporary shelter. If a disaster occurs in the area where we live, can we offer to help? (See paragraph 12).

BEFORE PERSECUTION

13. What difficulties do brothers face in places where our work is prohibited?

The persecution complicates the life of the brothers more than it already is, they have economic problems, illnesses, they lose their loved ones and perhaps the elderly do not have freedom of movement to visit or talk calmly with the affected brothers, perhaps even the lines telephone or messaging are intervened.

14. How do elders show that they trust in Jehovah?

When the work is restricted, the elders are encouraged to learn to train and delegate to others from now on, but above all to lean on Jehovah. 

They show it by trusting that Jehovah will help them meet the needs of the brothers, well, without a doubt, the branch is also involved, they are on the lookout, getting involved in helping to follow up, in giving support to our brothers. It is something that Jehovah is also aware of how they are. The support that we all give and when we say all we mean the brothers in the branch, the brothers who direct the world work, the brothers who keep the accounts. Jehovah is aware of what they have done to help the sheep affected by all these situations.

15. What must we do to stay together in times of persecution?

It is not that we have to wait for the persecution to come, from now on we should be at peace with our brothers. It is very important more than ever to be at peace with others, if one is the problem we must be willing to change our attitude, if others are the problem, let us pray for them and hopefully they manage to change in time.

Our fight is against spiritual forces, not among ourselves, not against our brothers, let's forgive the mistakes of the brothers and we don't give the brothers reasons to have to forgive us. Let's take the initiative to support each other. Jehovah expects what is mentioned in Psalm 133:1 that we dwell in unity and Titus 3:14 says that we have to learn to do good works in order to help in cases of urgent need so that we are not unproductive people.

16. According to Colossians 4:3, 18, what can we do for the brothers who are being persecuted?

We can pray for them, for their families and for those who take risks to give them spiritual, physical and legal help. Let's never underestimate the power of our prayers and if we are close to them, we can support the family and brothers in whatever way possible, not be ashamed. of them, not to be one of those who run away or abandon others, as many abandoned the apostle Paul.

17. How can we now prepare for persecution?

We do not want to fall into unnecessary anxiety, tormenting ourselves thinking about bad things that could happen, but rather to strengthen our friendship with Jehovah and help our children and family to do the same, teach them that we can vent to Jehovah. 

There the paragraph cites a 2019 magazine, which specifically encourages us to remember that Jehovah loves us and that he will never leave us, such is the point that we could even lose our lives in this system, but Jehovah is not going to abandon us, nothing can separate us of God's love, reading the Bible daily with the aim of getting closer to God, praying often, convincing ourselves that the promises of the Kingdom will be fulfilled, not missing meetings, memorizing texts that strengthen us, learning Kingdom songs and preparing ourselves in family worship.

ILLUSTRATION

A couple with their two children during family worship. The boy is commenting on a detail from the video "Daniel, a man of faith." How can he prepare his family for persecution now? (See paragraph 17).

18. What future awaits us?

The future that awaits us is that our father Jehovah and our Lord Jesus Christ have reserved for their faithful sheep. At this time Jehovah knows those who belong to him. Jehovah is, as it were, separating his little sheep, valuable sheep, beloved sheep, Holy sheep, sheep of integrity, sheep that are characterized by giving to help others, then for all those faithful sheep Jehovah has a new world, a paradise, in the one that we will no longer live moments of crisis that fill us with anxiety of pain of depression. Finally we will enjoy what Jehovah wanted for us from the beginning, perfect and eternal Peace.

HOW CAN WE HELP OTHERS TO FEEL PEACE IN THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS?

When an epidemic outbreak arises.

As we saw being friends with the brothers from now on, knowing them well, having an updated contact list, asking prudent questions, being interested in helping to see what they need, and not only receiving help from us, we also give thanks, we can make a thank you card to our brothers, prepare meals to share with them and encourage each other.

In an emergency situation.

In the case of the elderly, they must be prepared to remind the congregation of practical points to be ready for such a situation. Let them know what to do, as they shouldn't wait for disaster to have a contact list. 

And some offer their homes to accommodate those affected or those who are in relief work, others help by joining teams to deliver food and other products, and as we have seen, pray for the victims and give donations specifically or primarily to the affected circuit, because from there it will be used to give to those affected.

Faced with persecution.

The elders were encouraged to learn to train and delegate and above all to lean on Jehovah and we also saw the importance of being at peace with the brothers, fighting against spiritual forces not against our brothers, forgiving them and not giving them reasons to forgive us , or not hurt them, pray for them for their families and give all the material help that is within our reach, and we must not underestimate the power of prayer.