STUDY ARTICLE 29
You Ready for the Great Tribulation?
“Prove yourselves ready.”—MATT. 24:44.
SONG 150 Seek God for Your Deliverance
WETIN WE COMING LEARN? a
1. Why it good to prepare before bad things happen?
IF WE prepare before bad things happen, it can save our life. For example, when bad thing happen, it can be easy for the people who prepare to survive and help other people. One organization in Europe that can try to help people say: “When you prepare good, it can save you and other people life.”
2. Why we must prepare for the great tribulation? (Matthew 24:44)
2 The “great tribulation” will start the time people not expecting it. (Matt. 24:21) Normally, people can’t know before time that bad thing coming happen. But the great tribulation will be different because we know it coming. About 2,000 years ago, Jesus warn his disciple them to get ready for that day. (Read Matthew 24:44.) If we prepare, it will be easy for us to go through that hard time and help other people to go through it too.—Luke 21:36.
3. How enduring, having sorrowful heart, and showing love will help us to be ready for the great tribulation?
3 Let look at three quality them that can help us to be ready for the great tribulation. Wetin we will do if Jehovah organization tell us to preach the strong judgment message and other people start going against us? (Rev. 16:21) To obey Jehovah that time, we will need to endure and trust that he will protect us. Wetin we will do if our brother them loss some or all of their material thing them? (Hab. 3:17, 18) We will need to get sorrowful heart for our brother and sister them. It will help us to give them the thing them they need. When the nation them attack us and we force to live together with our brother and sister them for some time, wetin we will do? (Ezek. 38:10-12) We will need to show strong love for them. It will help us to go through that hard time.
4. How the Bible show that we must continue learning how to endure, get sorrowful heart and show love?
4 The Bible encourage us to continue working hard to endure, get sorrowful heart for people and show love. Luke say: “By your endurance you will preserve your lives.” 21:19Colossians 3:12 say: “Clothe yourselves with . . . compassion.” And 1 Thessalonians 4:9, 10 say: “You yourselves are taught by God to love one another. . . . But we urge you, brothers, to go on doing so in fuller measure.” They write all this verse them to Christians who use to show this quality them in their life. But still they suppose to continue learning how to show this quality them. We must do the same thing. To help us do it, let talk about how the Christian them way back show each of this quality them. Then we will see how we can follow their example and prove that we ready for the great tribulation.
WETIN WILL HELP YOU TO ENDURE?
5. How the Christian them way back endure the problem them they were facing?
5 The Christian them way back needed to endure. (Heb. 10:36) They were having the same problem them most of the people were having that time. But they face other problems because they were Christians. The Roman government and the religious leaders for the Jews use to treat plenty of them bad. On top of that one, their own family them started treating them bad. (Matt. 10:21) Also, some people were trying to divide the congregation with their false teachings. So they needed to fight hard so that the false teachings can’t affect them. (Acts 20:29, 30) But still they remain faithful and endure. (Rev. 2:3) How? They use to think about people them in the Bible who endure, like Job. (Jas. 5:10, 11) They pray for strength. (Acts 4:29-31) And they focus on the blessing they will get if they endure.—Acts 5:41.
6. Wetin you learn from what Merita do to endure the problem she was facing?
6 We too can endure if we always study and think good-good on the example of people in the Bible and in our publication them that endure. That what one sister, who name Merita in Albania do. She was able to endure the bad treatment her family gave her. She say: “When I study the story about Job, it really touch my heart. He suffer bad way. Even though he never knew who was causing the problem but still he said: ‘Until I die, I will not do anything to disobey God!’ (Job 27:5) So I think about how my problem was small when I compare it with the problem that Job went through. Job never knew who was behind his problems but for me I knew who was causing my problems.”
7. Even if we not facing serious problem now-now, wetin we must learn to do?
7 Also for us to continue to endure, we must pray to Jehovah all the time and tell him the thing them in our hearts. (Phil. 4:6; 1 Thess. 5:17) Maybe you not facing any serious problems now-now. But still, you can pray to Jehovah any time you feeling bad, confuse or you not know what to do. If you always pray to Jehovah every day for the small-small problem you facing now, it will make it easy for you to pray to him when you facing big problems in the future. Then you will be convince that Jehovah know the exact time he will help you and how he will do it.—Ps. 27:1, 3.
8. How Mira example can help us to endure any problems in the future? (James 1:2-4) (Also see the picture.)
8 If we endure when we get problems now-now, it will be easy for us to endure when the great tribulation come in the future. (Rom. 5:3) Why we say this one? Plenty brother them say that anytime they endure one problem, it can help them to endure the next problem they will face. When Jehovah help them to endure problems, it can help them to get more faith that Jehovah want help them. And because they get faith in Jehovah, they can endure the next problem. (Read James 1:2-4.) One pioneer name Mira, in Albania say she na endure some problem them in the past. Because of that, she say she able to endure the problem them she facing now-now. She also say sometime she can be feeling that she the only person that get plenty problems. But then she can remember what Jehovah been doing for her for the past 20 years to support her. And she can say to herself: ‘Stay faithful. Don’t stop serving Jehovah now after he na help you to endure plenty serious problems.’ You too can think on the way Jehovah na help you to endure. Be convince that Jehovah can see you each time you endure any trial and he will bless you. (Matt. 5:10-12) Then when the great tribulation start, you will finish learning how to endure and you will do your best to continue enduring.
SHOW THAT YOU GET SORROWFUL HEART
9. How the congregation in Antioch Syria show that they were feeling sorry for their brothers?
9 Yor let learn about what happen to the Christian them in Judea. Food business was hard. When the congregation in Antioch Syria hear the news, they were feeling sorry for their brother them in Judea. So they decided to do something for their brother them. Each of them decided to give anything they were having to send for the brothers living in Judea. (Acts 11:27-30) The Christian them in Antioch were willing to help their brother them who were suffering even though they were living far off.—1 John 3:17, 18.
10. How we can show that we feeling sorry for our brother them who suffering? (Also see the picture.)
10 Today when something bad happen to our brother them, we too can show that we get sorrowful heart. We can show that we willing to help maybe by asking the elder them if we can work on one project. Or by making contribution to the worldwide work or by praying for our brother them who bad thing happen to. b (Prov. 17:17) For example, in 2020, the brother them appoint more than 950 Disaster Relief Committees all over the world. They appoint them to take care of our brother and sister them who needed help during the COVID-19 sickness. We really grateful for the brother and sister them who take part in the relief work. Because they were having sorrowful heart for their brother and sister them, they gave some of their material things and help their brothers to continue serving Jehovah. In some cases, they fix or built some of the brother them houses and other places of worship again.—Compare 2 Corinthians 8:1-4.
11. How we can honor Jehovah when we show that we get sorrowful heart for people?
11 Other people can see it when we help our brother them when bad thing happen. For example, in 2019, one heavy storm call Hurricane Dorian destroy one Kingdom Hall in the Bahamas. When the brother them were building the Kingdom Hall again, they ask one man how much it will cost for him to do the work. The man tell them say: “I will allow yor to use the machine free and give yor the material them to do the work. And me and my people will do the work free for yor organization. The way yor helping yor brother them really touch my heart.” Plenty people in the world not know Jehovah. But plenty of them can see what Jehovah Witnesses can do to help other people. When we show that we get sorrowful heart for our brother them, it can help other people to want learn more about Jehovah, who very merciful. And that one can really make us happy!—Eph. 2:4
12. How showing sorrowful heart for people now-now can prepare us for the great tribulation? (Revelation 13:16, 17)
12 Why we must show that we get sorrowful heart for people during the great tribulation? The Bible say that people who will not support the government them will go through plenty problems now-now and during the great tribulation. (Read Revelation 13:16, 17.) For our brother them to survive, we will need to help them to get the thing them they need. When our King, Jesus Christ come to judge people, we hope he will find us helping our brother them and invite us to “inherit the Kingdom.”—Matt. 25:34-40.
MAKE YOUR LOVE STRONG
13. According to Romans 15:7, how the Christian them way back make their love for each other strong?
13 Everyone knew that the Christian them way back was having love among their self. But you think it was easy for them to show love? Think about the way the brother them in Rome came from different-different background. Some of them were Jews who learn to obey Moses law. But some of them came from different countries and they were having different way to do things. Some Christian them were slave and some of them were free people. Maybe some of them were having their own slaves. So how they still continue to show love for each other even though they were coming from different-different backgrounds? The apostle Paul encourage them to “welcome one another.” (Read Romans 15:7.) What he mean? The word they translate for “welcome” mean to be kind to someone, like inviting the person to your house and making them your friend. For example, Paul told Philemon how to welcome his slave Onesimus who runaway. He say: “Receive him kindly.” (Philem. 17) Priscilla and Aquila knew about Christianity more than Apollos, but still they welcome “him into their company.” (Acts 18:26) The Christian them way back came from different-different background. But they never allow that one to cause problem among them. They love and welcome each other.
14. How Anna and her husband show love?
14 We too can show love to our brothers and sisters by making them our friends and spending time with them. That one will make them to show love to us too. (2 Cor. 6:11-13) Let look at Anna and her husband example. As soon they move to their new missionary assignment in West Africa, COVID-19 started. Because of the sickness, they were not able to meet with the congregation in person and it was not easy to get to know the brother and sister them. So, how the brother and his wife show that they love the brother them? They use to call the brother them by using video call and tell them how they really wanted to know them. The family them in the congregation were grateful for the love the missionaries show them. And that one make them to start calling and sending text message to the brother and his wife. Why the missionaries try to know the brother and sister them in their new congregation? Anna say: “I will never forget the brother and sister them who show me and my family love in good time and bad time. Their example help me to show love to other people.”
15. Wetin you learn from Vanessa example about showing love to all our brother and sister them? (Also see the picture.)
15 Plenty of us in congregations with brother and sister them from different-different backgrounds and they get different-different way of doing things. We can make our love for all of them strong by focusing on their good-good ways. One sister name Vanessa, who serving in New Zealand, use to find it hard to get good friendship with some of the brother them in the congregation. But she decided to spend more time with them instead of playing them low. Doing this one help her to see what Jehovah love about them. She say: “Since my husband became circuit overseer, we can always be among different-different brothers and sisters who get different-different ways. And it easy for me to be friendly with them. Now I love all my brother and sister them even though they different-different. Jehovah love all of them too because all the people he can allow to worship him different from each other.” When we get the same thinking that Jehovah get for people, it will help us to show them love.—2 Cor. 8:24.
16. Why love will be very important during the great tribulation? (Also see the picture.)
16 Love will be important during the great tribulation. When that tribulation start, how Jehovah will protect us? Let look at what Jehovah tell his people to do when Babylon was attack way back. He say: “Go, my people, enter your inner rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a brief moment until the wrath has passed by.” (Isa. 26:20) Maybe we will have to follow this same direction during the great tribulation. It possible that the “inner rooms” referring to our congregation them. During the great tribulation, Jehovah promise that he will protect us if we continue serving him with our brother and sister them. So, now-now we must work hard to get strong love for our brother and sister them. It will help us to survive!
GET READY NOW-NOW
17. When we get ready now-now, wetin we will be able to do during the great tribulation?
17 During “the great day of Jehovah” things will be hard on everybody. (Zeph. 1:14, 15) Jehovah people will suffer too. But if we get ready now-now, we will not worry too much and we will be able to help other people. We will endure any problems that will come. When our brother and sister them suffering, we will do our best to help them by feeling sorry for them and giving them the thing them they need. And if we learn to love our brother and sister them now-now, we will show love to them in the future. Then Jehovah will bless us with everlasting life in the new world where we will not remember any of the bad thing them that happen.—Isa. 65:17.
SONG 144 Keep Your Eyes on the Prize!
a The great tribulation will soon start. No other time will be hard more than the great tribulation. So for us to be ready, we will need to get sorrowful heart, endure and show love. Let see how the Christian them way back show this quality them, and how we too can do the same thing today. Also, we will see how this quality them can help us to be ready for the great tribulation.
b Those who want help with disaster relief project must first fill in the Local Design/Construction Volunteer Application (DC-50) or the Application for Volunteer Program (A-19) and then wait until the brother them call them before they go work on the project.