Prophesying with God’s Loyal Organization

THE psalmist David was at all times loyal to his God Jehovah. Well could he pray: “O do guard my soul, for I am loyal. Save your servant—you are my God—that is trusting in you. I laud you, O Jehovah my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify your name to time indefinite.”—Ps. 86:2, 12.a

Surely all dedicated Christians want to be minded even as David was, loyal to Jehovah. However, we may not forget that loyalty to God also means being loyal to his organization. Does God have an organization? Yes, even as he had one in the days of ancient Israel and in apostolic times, so it is reasonable to conclude that he would have a visible organization on earth today. In fact, many religious organizations claim to be God’s church or organization. How, then, can we identify which one truly is?

In the same way that the Jews in the days of the apostles were able to identify God’s loyal organization. How was that? By its having God’s holy spirit poured out upon it and giving proof of it by all flesh in it prophesying—sons and daughters, men slaves and women slaves. One and all, Luke tells, were speaking about the magnificent things of God as the result of the outpouring of God’s spirit at Pentecost.—Acts 2:1-18.

Of all that claim to be God’s organization today, which one meets this requirement? There is only one possible answer: the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses. As their 1962 Yearbook shows, they count as their numbers only those who prophesy and that about the “magnificent things of God.” During 1961 there were 884,587 ministers throughout the world in 185 different lands and islands of the sea that shared in prophesying each month, and a peak for the year of 965,169.

Loyalty to God’s organization requires that we prophesy all we can, as effectively as possible and where we can do the most good. We may not hold back in any of these respects. We must take the quality of our prophesying seriously, ever seeking to become more able ministers. Nor may we content ourselves with but one hour a month if we can devote ten hours to prophesying. Ten hours a month is only one hour every three days, and surely we can find that much time for prophesying. And if we can do more, loyalty requires that we do more, even going to places where there is a greater need for witnesses if we are able to do so.

The Yearbook contains many interesting experiences had by Christian ministers as they engaged in prophesying from house to house and on return visits. It also tells of how effective incidental witnessing can be, that is, prophesying as opportunity affords, as at one’s place of business, while in a hospital or when at school. Are we always alert to opportunities, or better, to make opportunities to prophesy about the “magnificent things of God”?

If we appreciate the great privilege it is to prophesy with God’s loyal organization, we will find ways to do so regardless of what obstacles may face us. Are we bedfast because of illness? Still, we can write letters or, if unable to write, dictate them for someone else to write down and send out as does one arthritic victim in the southern United States who can move nothing but her head. One invalid in Germany who is almost completely paralyzed kept writing letters as her form of prophesying and one day was rewarded by having the pleasure of meeting a stranger who, as the result of her letters, is now a witness of Jehovah. No question about it, all who feel like David, who said, “I will glorify your name to time indefinite,” can find opportunities to do so.—Ps. 86:12.

As we thus make use of our opportunities to prophesy about the “magnificent things of God” let us remember that loyalty also requires us to make known God’s judgments. We must announce the doom of Christendom regardless of how unpopular it may make us; even though we be called “apostles of hate.” And as the prophet Zechariah foretold, we must make known these judgments even against a member of our own family or a close friend if we find that such a one has erred from the faith and is becoming an apostate.—Zech. 13:1-6.

Truly many and varied are the ways in which dedicated Christians can, may, should and must show their loyalty to God by prophesying with his loyal organization. During the month of March readers of The Watchtower are urged to share in this prophesying by offering this magazine to others on a subscription basis.

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