-
Study to Be FruitfulThe Watchtower—1953 | August 1
-
-
much time and energy. If we use it on nonessentials there is no time left for Kingdom fruitfulness. If we branch off into excessive viewing of television or movies or too many week-end jaunts or other pleasure pursuits that rob us of our time and energy, these branches that bear no fruit should be pruned off, cut out of our lives, so that in this time of opportunity we will not waste time in unfruitfulness. (Eph. 5:16, NW) This will make us more mature. And just as a tree produces more fruit as it reaches maturity, so also will it be with us.
As far as the preaching work is concerned, now is the time of summer, now is the time of harvest, now is the time for fruitfulness unto salvation. (Jer. 8:20) In winter the sap does not flow and fruit does not form. Trees that have produced no fruit by the time of Armageddon will be withered by fiery judgments. There will be no added season given for opportunity of belated fruit bearing. So now is the time to study and work and prepare for surviving Armageddon’s storm.
The root system of some big trees spreads over three acres and reaches far underground to get food and water. Not only does this root system feed the tree, but it also anchors it against uprooting by gales. Just so we must sink our minds deep into God’s Word, not only for spiritual food and drink but also to anchor us against windy worldly wisdom and stormy persecutions. Thus we can bear Kingdom fruit both “in favorable season, in troublesome season”. (2 Tim. 4:2, NW) Then when Armageddon comes and those who have sown the wind reap the whirlwind and are uprooted from the land of the living, we with our roots deep in God’s Word shall be able to stand upright in his sight and bear fruit to his praise forever in the new world.—Hos. 8:7; Heb. 13:15.
-
-
Studying The WatchtowerThe Watchtower—1953 | August 1
-
-
Studying The Watchtower
SOME will dismiss the Watchtower magazine with the words, I have the Bible and that is all I need. Yet they attend church and listen to sermons. Why bother? Why do they not stay at home and read their Bible, if that is all they need? Because few understand what they read in the Bible. They seek clarification by going to hear sermons. But is not a printed sermon as good as an oral one? Better, in fact, since they can refer to it frequently for careful study? The articles in The Watchtower may be viewed as printed sermons, and they merit careful and frequent study.
Taken alone The Watchtower would be of little value. Taken along with the Bible it is invaluable. It is a timesaver. The Bible, for example, has texts on a certain subject scattered here and there throughout its hundreds of pages. We do not have time to read the Bible through from cover to cover to learn what it says on this one subject. Surely every time a new subject arises we cannot read the entire Bible to take into our view all the texts relating to that topic. However, within the few pages of a Watchtower article many texts on certain subjects are brought together. Truly it is a timesaver.
Not only does this method save time, but it makes for systematic teaching, for rapid
-