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“Taking Pleasure in the House of My God”The Watchtower—1969 | May 1
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pleasure in the house of God by such works as honoring Jehovah with your valuable things, by maintaining spiritual cleanliness, by attending and participating in Christian meetings and by joyfully praising Jehovah all day long. Let your attitude toward Jehovah, his worship, and the house of God, be like that of David, who declared: “One thing I have asked from Jehovah—it is what I shall look for, that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold the pleasantness of Jehovah and to look with appreciation upon his temple.”—Ps. 27:4.
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Have You Invited Your Marriage Mate?The Watchtower—1969 | May 1
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Have You Invited Your Marriage Mate?
IN MARRIAGE unions where both partners are dedicated Christians, there is no difficulty about what to do when assembly time comes around. But what of the situation where one is not dedicated to God? This is a question that must be faced this year by many married couples. To the Christian mate, attendance at one of the international assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses is vital for spiritual health and welfare. But what about the undedicated mate? Must it be taken for granted that there will have to be a separation for a few days? Why? Is there no alternative?
The dedicated Christian would dearly love to have the other partner go along. But is that love strong enough to extend a frank, warm invitation? Perhaps that is all that is needed. The large assemblies of Jehovah’s people are, in a sense, quite different from local Kingdom Hall gatherings. That is, most of those assembling have never met one another before. So an undedicated mate would be at no disadvantage. Both marriage partners could make new acquaintances together.
At these large conventions the location lifts matters out of the familiar locale of one’s hometown. It lends a note of newness, of interest, to the experience. And at these assemblies the variety of race, nationality and background represented is always fascinating. So there are reasons why an undedicated mate might be willing to come along. Have you invited your marriage mate?
LOVE FINDS THE WAY
Of course, a Christian, though deeply attached to a marriage mate, still has to keep in mind the primary obligation to Jehovah God, the One who instituted marriage in the first place. Worship of God must always take first place—ahead of all else. And the undedicated mate should see the propriety of this, if he or she is animated by genuine love for the other mate. Such mate can appreciate how unwise it would be to challenge God’s right to have first claim on his creatures.
Nevertheless, genuine love should prompt marriage partners to be reciprocal in their dealings with each other. There can be give and take on both sides, without compromising the position of either one. Indeed, concessions graciously made to each other really give evidence of the bond of love that exists between them. So it is not at all impossible that the undedicated mate might consent to attend one or more sessions of the assembly, such as the public lecture or some of the realistic Bible dramas that are enacted on the platform.
The dedicated partner, on the other hand, would not want to insist on the other mate’s being at all sessions of the assembly program. There would surely be recognition of the fact that one who is not as yet deeply concerned about God’s kingdom and its activities would be interested in other things such as sight-seeing, shopping or some form of relaxation. But at least, if husband and wife travel to the assembly city together and see each other night and morning, it is much better than being completely separated for a few days.
Even the undedicated mate can observe that the other partner to the marriage is greatly upbuilt mentally and spiritually from having enjoyed the associations at the assembly. This cannot but reflect on the physical life too. A marriage mate who is spiritually happy can be expected to develop and maintain a good disposition—a boon in any marriage partnership.
ADVANTAGES TO BOTH
A married couple, under these circumstances, may find it advantageous to combine a brief vacation with attendance at the assembly. What an array of subjects both will be able to talk about for weeks to come—conversations in which both are interested, their having been through the experiences together! A vacation of this kind affords opportunity to enjoy together hours that are relatively free from everyday concerns. Both mates need such a refreshing change from the daily routine.
In this way there would be time for sight-seeing, shopping and various other forms of relaxation. At the same time the few days of the assembly would be a fine opportunity for both to give some care to their spiritual need. And who knows? If the undedicated mate decides to sit in on one or more of the assembly sessions, he or she is just as likely to derive benefit as anyone else. The discussions of God’s Word, the Bible, are always hope-inspiring, upbuilding, comforting, and they are powerful in the way of molding people’s thinking, bringing a fresh outlook on life.
It is a fact that undedicated mates often appraise the Kingdom work and those associated in it on the basis of a few persons they have met in their own home district. An assembly offers the opportunity to observe personally how Jehovah’s witnesses are drawn together from all walks of life and unified in the one unselfish work of performing God’s will. Housewives, businessmen, tradesmen, professional men and women, farmers—all can be found at the large assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses. No need to take anyone’s word for it. There they can be seen, row on row, as the audience fills up the auditorium or grandstand.
A WARM INVITATION
Why not, then, invite your marriage mate to this year’s international assembly, even if he or she professes little interest in the Bible at this time? Even if such partner agreed to attend but one session of the assembly, would not that be a source of satisfaction, a cause for gratitude? And be encouraged by reports that show how undedicated persons have been deeply impressed through attending only one assembly. One friendly, undedicated man, for example, wrote to Witnesses who were guests at his home during an assembly: “The manner in which you conducted yourselves, the happiness, the fact that you did not preach at me all the time, the talks at the convention, the conduct of the people there—I believe it was all this that made me come to the conclusion that this is a pretty fine thing.”
The public lecture, on the subject “The Approaching Peace of a Thousand Years,” is specially suited to newly interested ones and even those who profess to have little interest. Your marriage mate, though undedicated, is likely to find that from one quarter to one half of the audience at this particular session is made up of persons not professing to be Jehovah’s witnesses.
There are others, too, who might be invited to come along. What about those relatives and acquaintances who have shown themselves to be favorably disposed toward the Kingdom message? A weekend visit to the convention might be something they would really enjoy. But the invitation should be given well in advance so that they will have time to make their plans. And it may aid them to reach a favorable decision if you can mention some other interesting things to do or see while visiting the assembly city. What is true of these friends is true also of your own mate. Help them to have an enjoyable time, so that they will want to come to some future assembly too.
You love your marriage mate. No need, then, to take it for granted that he or she will not want to accompany you to the assembly city. Why not open the door? A cordial invitation may suffice. But whatever the outcome, you will have the satisfaction of having tried.
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Keep Faith Growing by God’s WordThe Watchtower—1969 | May 1
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Keep Faith Growing by God’s Word
What causes the faith of some to stop growing and even to wither and die?
God’s Word says that “faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.” (Heb. 11:1) Many point to materialism as the cause of failure to have such faith. Others say that it is pleasure-seeking, and still others that it is fear that causes faith to stop growing but instead to wither and die. While such things may be involved in causing the faith of some to weaken, when one looks a little closer one finds that this condition is basically due to a failure to keep on feeding on God’s Word.
Yes, “faith follows the thing heard,” and to be a fine minister one must be “nourished with the words of the faith.” One must pay “more than the usual attention” to God’s Word if one would not drift away. This is what the Thessalonian Christians did, and for this reason the apostle Paul could write them: “Your faith is growing exceedingly.”—Rom. 10:17; 1 Tim. 4:6; Heb. 2:1; 2 Thess. 1:3.a
How can one check to see that his own faith keeps on growing exceedingly by God’s Word?
Just as a home requires continual maintenance if it is to be kept in good repair and serve its owner well, so with one’s faith. To keep on growing exceedingly in faith one must keep testing whether one is in the faith.’ (2 Cor. 13:5) How can this be done? By asking oneself such questions as: “Am I or my family studying less? Do I find my explanations of Bible subjects a little hazy in understanding? Is my public ministry a hurried, get-it-over-with program? Has Bible truth become
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