Kingdom Proclaimers Report

Reaching All Sorts With the Truth

THE apostle Paul was a zealous proclaimer of God’s Kingdom. He did not allow opposition to interfere with his commission to preach “the good news.” (1 Corinthians 9:16; Acts 13:50-52) Paul urged others to follow his example.—1 Corinthians 11:1.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are known worldwide for their determined preaching efforts. Indeed, they speak to others both in “favorable season” and in “troublesome season” to fulfill their God-ordained work of ‘making disciples.’ (2 Timothy 4:2; Matthew 28:19, 20) Even in lands where they experience opposition, honesthearted ones are being reached with the all-important message about God’s Kingdom, as the following experiences illustrate.

◻ On an island in the western Pacific where the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses is under ban, a 12-year-old boy found himself surrounded by bad associates at school. Many of his classmates routinely smoked cigarettes, read pornographic literature, harassed teachers, and engaged in fighting. The situation got so bad that the boy asked his father if he could transfer to another school. The father, however, reasoned with his son against such an idea, since he felt that the students’ conduct in the other schools nearby would be no different. Yet, how was he to help his son?

The father remembered having a book for young people in the house. It was a gift from a relative who was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. So he looked for the book, and upon finding it, he passed it on to his son. It was entitled Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work.a The boy found the chapter “How Can I Cope With Peer Pressure?” to be especially helpful. Not only did it teach him the importance of maintaining self-respect but it also taught him how to say no tactfully when others attempted to pressure him into following an unwise course. By applying the Scriptural principles found in the book, the young man learned how to cope successfully with peer pressure.

Noticing these and other positive changes in his son, the father decided to read the book. Impressed by the practical advice found in the book, the father asked Jehovah’s Witnesses for a home Bible study. Later, other members of his family joined him in the study. The result? The boy, his younger brother, his father, and two of the boy’s grandparents are now Jehovah’s Witnesses.

◻ In the same land, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses were imprisoned because of their strict obedience to Bible principles. However, they did not let their situation deter them from speaking out boldly about God’s Kingdom. They approached a prison official and received permission to commemorate the Lord’s Evening Meal there. How happy they were when 14 prisoners expressed interest in the Bible and joined the Witnesses for this important event! Following their release, some of them continued to study the Bible and associate with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In more than 25 countries, Jehovah’s Witnesses suffer as a result of bans or various forms of opposition or persecution. Like the apostles, however, they continue “without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.”—Acts 5:42.

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