They Are Acting on What They Are Learning

“SIX months! What if the end of this system comes in three?” This is what a father of four small children in Florida seriously asked when Jehovah’s witnesses told him about their free six-month home Bible-study course. This man’s wife had obtained from them the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. Both he and his wife had been up late each night examining its contents.

So when the Witnesses called back at their home and offered to help them learn the Bible’s message, the couple asked to study twice a week. This was arranged, with each study lasting several hours due to their eagerness to learn. And this man had formerly opposed the Witnesses, not allowing them in his home!

In Tennessee a woman began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses, using the Truth book, and was thrilled at what she was learning about God. During her studies she would say, “This is just wonderful! Anyone could understand this.” Her joy was so great that one day during her study she called to her husband and said: “Honey, I wish you would come in and sit with us in this study. I have never learned so much in all my life.”

A mother in Iowa told the Witness who was helping her what happened one morning: “My husband was in the bathroom shaving when I studied my lesson. Every few minutes I was running into the bathroom to read parts of the lesson to him. Finally he just had to turn off his shaver and listen.” She told her husband that she was reading ahead in the Truth book. Her reason? “I have to find out what is going to happen to me!”

Yes, many thousands of sincere persons are rejoicing over the fine things they are learning from the Bible by means of the Truth book. “I have found the truth!” is what many have said after a short period of study. They have come to appreciate that only the Bible’s truth can lead to eternal life. Even more amazing is the rapidity with which Bible truth is affecting the lives of many of these persons.

LIVES ARE BEING CHANGED

As honest-hearted ones learn Jehovah’s requirements for life, they quickly make the necessary adjustments in their lives to conform to his will. Often this means making some drastic changes in their thinking and habits.

In explaining why he liked studying the Bible with the Truth book, one man in Texas said he appreciated the way it showed him what changes were needed in his life. Did he respond and make those changes? Yes, for he said, “I stopped smoking and I started using cleaner language.”

In South Carolina a teacher was studying for her master’s degree. When she began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses, she realized that her church was not teaching her what the Bible taught. Since she wanted to do God’s will, she officially served notice on her pastor that she was breaking all her ties with the church. She also decided to give up seeking a master’s degree, for she said it was not really going to do her any good. She decided to master the knowledge that could lead her to eternal life. All this despite her husband’s opposition.

Even folks who studied the Bible with the Witnesses for years without acting on what they learned are now taking a decisive stand to serve Jehovah. One family in the southern United States who had studied with the Witnesses for three years had done very little about what they had learned. But when they were told about the new six-month Bible-study arrangement, they were visibly touched. Now for the first time a real sense of urgency struck them. They could not bear the thought of having all connections with Jehovah’s people severed. So they sent a letter of withdrawal to the Baptist church because they knew that they were not being taught the Bible’s truth there. They began attending all the Bible meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses and sharing with others the things they learned.

For a certainty, God’s truths, which these persons are learning, are moving them to transform their lives to conform to the divine will.—Rom. 12:2.

THEY ARE EAGER TO LEARN MORE

Persons who begin studying the Bible with the Witnesses also take time to read other publications provided by the Witnesses. However, there are some who are so eager to learn that they will do extensive reading. Such ones realize that, although the Truth book gives them a basic knowledge of the Bible’s teachings, there is a great deal more to learn about Jehovah’s purposes.

A Witness in California writes about such an individual: “I certainly can say I had never seen anyone hunger and thirst for God’s Word as much as this girl did. When we had just studied a few chapters in the Truth book, she could see that Jehovah’s witnesses had a great deal of truth, and, in addition to our study, she wanted to read everything she could get her hands on so as to get a better understanding of the Bible. She ended up reading almost everything in my library, including most of my bound volumes [of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines] of some ten years.”

Another Witness in Alabama writes about a mother whom she was helping: “Each week I returned to have the study and I would leave each issue of the Watchtower and Awake! magazine. I must say that I have never seen anyone read so much. She read every magazine and then wanted me to bring her other literature. If she saw a book advertised on the back of the magazines, she wanted it. I could see that she really wanted knowledge of the Bible.”

A New York woman who began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses was not at first particularly interested. But soon she had a great desire to read everything published by the Watch Tower Society. The Witness who called on her reports that if she did not bring this woman a book a week, the woman would reread those that she had, many of them two or three times.

Obviously, these persons are not content with just a basic knowledge of God. They are anxious to learn as much as they can in order to press on to spiritual maturity.—Heb. 6:1.

ATTENDING THE MEETINGS OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

When persons who love God begin to study the Bible with his witnesses it is not long before they want to assemble with them at their meetings. This has been especially true of many of those who have taken advantage of the six-month home Bible-study arrangement.

Consider the policeman in Oregon who was at first opposed to his wife’s studying with the Witnesses and going to their meetings. When he and his family moved to another town he allowed the Witnesses to come and discuss the Bible with him. After hearing about the Truth book and the value of the study course offered to him, as well as the marvelous blessings before him, he said that he would “like to have lessons in the Bible.”

At the conclusion of his first Bible study, he asked about what went on at the Kingdom Hall. The Witness invited him to come. He replied: “Oh, I intend to, this Sunday!” He and his family came and they have missed only one meeting in over three months.

The former opposer in Florida who was mentioned at the beginning of this article started to attend some meetings with his wife and their four small children two weeks after their first study of the Bible at home. They did this despite opposition from their neighbors. After they had completed seven chapters in the Truth book, they decided to arrange their affairs to attend all the meetings, preparing for them and participating in them as well.

As for the mother in Alabama who read every magazine and wanted the books advertised on the back of them, she too did not take long to begin attending meetings. During her fourth study, she asked the Witness who was helping her about the meetings. The Witness explained them and invited her to come. The following Sunday she came and brought her husband and two children. Up until this time her husband had not been sitting in on his wife’s study, but now his interest was aroused. Arrangements were made to include him in the family Bible study.

A restaurant chef in New York was acquainted with the Bible truth for about eighteen years but did nothing about it. His work also kept him from attending meetings on Sundays. However, when he started studying the Truth book, he began to realize that he wanted to do something about what he knew was God’s truth. He now had the courage to ask his employers for Sundays off. If they could not accommodate him, he would have to leave. At first they ignored his request, but then they realized that he meant it. Knowing that they would be the losers if he left, they consented. Yes, his determination to serve God won out.

Truly, the thousands who are beginning to associate with God’s servants in their meetings are being blessed. They are experiencing the love and unity that Jesus said would identify his followers.—John 13:35.

TELLING OTHERS WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING

Persons who appreciate the Bible’s good news cannot keep it to themselves. They find themselves talking to others about it. This has been the case with thousands who are studying the Bible with the aid of the Truth book.

In Oregon a young Witness began studying the Truth book with one of her schoolmates. After the second study the girl asked the Witness if she could accompany her in the preaching work. She has gone out every week since. In fact, she even arranged to get out of school every week to share in this work. She had signed up for a class that required her to do community service. So she told her teacher that she would go from door to door and tell about God’s kingdom. Not only is she allowed time in the afternoon to do this work, but she also gets credit for it. She has expressed her desire to go into the full-time preaching work instead of going to college.

A father of three children in California did not hold back from telling others about Jehovah. When the Witness talked to him about the qualifications required to preach, he insisted that he not be held back, as he felt the urgency and obligation to Jehovah to tell others about what he was learning in his Bible study. He met the Scriptural requirements and so, after having seven studies, he went out into the preaching work and enjoyed it.

A Methodist Sunday school teacher in Tennessee clearly saw the need to be a witness to others, but her church had no program for doing this. She began to study the Bible with the Witnesses. After completing the first chapter in the Truth book, her reply to the review question about what we must do to please God was, “We have to bring accurate knowledge to all sorts of men.” This sincere woman has been directed to where she can fulfill her heartfelt desire.

Others have spoken or written to their relatives. Their words have aroused the interest of many others in the Bible. They see the need to talk about the magnificent things of God.

BAPTISM—A STEP THEY HAVE GLADLY TAKEN

Many of the individuals who began studying the Bible with the Truth book soon appreciated that baptism is a divine requirement to please God. Actually, there were some who wanted to get baptized without fully knowing the responsibilities it brings. All they knew was that God required this, and they wanted to please him. They were encouraged to wait until they learned more, and they were baptized as soon as they qualified.

Consider what the Witness in California wrote about the woman mentioned earlier who read almost all the bound volumes of ten years back: “It had not been three months since our first Bible study, and an assembly was coming up. The woman felt she should be baptized to symbolize her dedication that she had already made. I thought, ‘Three months, that is too soon!’ But then I thought, ‘She has read the Truth book as well as the other literature; she is going from door to door and conducting Bible studies. She is attending all the meetings, but still three months is not very long.’ The presiding minister of our congregation reviewed her on the basic requirements, and not only did she know the answers but she also knew the scriptures to the answers. Well, needless to say, she was baptized.”

How thrilling it is to see so many sheeplike persons acting on what they are learning from the Holy Word of God! What a joy it must bring to Jehovah to see so many responding to his invitation to learn about him and serve him forever in happiness!

Are you studying the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses? If not we would like to encourage you to do so. If you are, are you acting on what you are learning to be God’s truth? Think about what one woman wrote to the Watch Tower Society about Jehovah’s witnesses: “I am glad that there are people who are willing to help teach others to learn the Bible. Yes, who are always ready to help others answer their questions that are so important to them. The world needs more people like these.”

Will you help fill this need by sharing in the most important work of Bible education? If you do, you will find the great happiness that comes from acting on what you are learning!