“Showimaot Iufala Thankiu”
“Showimaot Iufala Thankiu”
“Letem peace bilong Christ kontrol insaed heart bilong iufala . . . And showimaot iufala thankiu.”—COLOSSIANS 3:15.
1. Wanem nao iumi lukim hem difren midolwan Christian kongregeson and world wea stap anda long paoa bilong Satan?
INSAED 94,600 kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness raonem world, feeling for thankiu hem stap. Olketa start and finisim evri meeting witim wanfala prea wea olketa talem toktok bilong thankiu long Jehovah. Planti taem iu savve herem “thankiu,” or kaen toktok olsem from olketa Witness wea young and olo, niu wan or olketa wea Witness for long taem tu, taem olketa hipap for worship and kaban tugeta. (Psalm 133:1) Diswan hem barava difren from selfish wei wea big tumas midolwan planti ‘wea no savve long Jehovah and wea no obeyim gud nius’! (2 Thessalonians 1:8) World wea iumi stap insaed no garem feeling for sei thankiu. And iumi no sapraes from iumi savve hu nao hem god bilong disfala world—Satan datfala Devil, main wan wea saportim fasin for tingim seleva nomoa, datwan wea praod fasin and bighed tingting bilong hem fulap long living bilong olketa man!—John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19.
2. Wanem warning nao iumi need for followim, and wanem nao olketa kwestin wea iumi bae story raonem?
2 From world bilong Satan hem stap raonem iumi, iumi need for careful for no letem tingting bilong hem spoelem iumi. Long first century, aposol Paul talem moa olketa Christian long Ephesus: “Bifor iufala wakabaot followim system bilong disfala world, followim ruler bilong paoa bilong air, datfala spirit wea waka distaem insaed olketa son wea no obey. Yes, midolwan long olketa iumi evriwan long wantaem followim wanem body bilong iumi hem laekem, duim samting wea body and tingting bilong iumi wantem, so iumi fit for kasem judgment olsem olketa nara pipol.” (Ephesians 2:2, 3) Planti distaem tu olsem. So, hao nao iumi savve go ahed for showimaot thankiu? Wanem help nao Jehovah givim? Wanem nao olketa wei wea iumi fit for showimaot iumi thankiu?
Olketa Reason for Showimaot Thankiu
3. Iumi thankiu long Jehovah for wanem samting?
3 Iumi fit for thankiu long Jehovah God, Creator and Datwan wea Givim Laef. Diswan barava tru taem iumi tingim olketa nambawan present wea hem kaen tumas for givim long iumi. (James 1:17) Iumi sei thankiu long Jehovah for evriday wea iumi stap laef. (Psalm 36:9) Taem iumi luk raon, iumi lukim planti samting wea Jehovah wakem olsem sun, moon, and olketa star. Earth bilong iumi wea garem staka mineral wea mekem laef go ahed, olketa important gas wea stap long air, and olketa spesol cycle bilong creation, evriting hia showimaot iumi garem bigfala kaon long loving Dadi bilong iumi long heven. King David hem singsing olsem: “Planti samting iuseleva nao duim finis, O Jehovah God bilong mi, witim olketa nambawan waka bilong iu and tingting bilong iu long mifala; no eniwan hem olsem iu. Sapos mi laek for talem and tok abaotem olketa, olketa staka tumas for mi storyim.”—Psalm 40:5.
4. Why nao iumi shud sei thankiu long Jehovah for hapi wei for kaban wea iumi enjoyim insaed kongregeson bilong iumi?
4 Nomata olketa no stap insaed long wanfala physical paradaes distaem, olketa servant bilong Jehovah barava hapi insaed wanfala spiritual paradaes. Long olketa Kingdom Hall, convention and assembly bilong iumi, iumi lukim olketa frut bilong spirit bilong God waka midolwan olketa brata bilong iumi. Tru nao, taem iumi preach long pipol wea no garem or no interest tumas long religion, samfala Witness talem samting wea Paul storyim long leta bilong hem for olketa long Galatia. Firstaem olketa point go long “olketa samting wea kamaot from sin” and askem pipol wea lisin wanem nao olketa lukim. (Galatians 5:19-23) Planti agree hao evri samting hia nao happen long living bilong pipol distaem. Taem olketa read abaotem olketa frut bilong spirit bilong God and lukim pruv bilong diswan taem olketa go long Kingdom Hall, planti kwiktaem for sei: “God hem barava stap midolwan long iufala.” (1 Corinthians 14:25) And diswan hem no showaot long Kingdom Hall nomoa. Nomata long wanem ples iu go kasem, taem iu meetim eniwan long winim six million Witness bilong Jehovah, bae iu faendem sem hapi feeling midolwan long evriwan. Yes, disfala wei for kaban wea givim hapi hem gudfala reason for sei thankiu long Jehovah, wea givim spirit bilong hem for mekem diswan fit for kamap.—Zephaniah 3:9; Ephesians 3:20, 21.
5, 6. Hao nao iumi savve showimaot iumi thankiu for datfala ransom, nambawan present bilong God?
5 Nambawan present, barava perfect present wea Jehovah givim nao hem Son bilong hem, Jesus, wea provaedem ransom sakrifaes. Aposol John hem raet olsem: “Sapos diswan nao wei wea God lovem iumi, then iumi wanwan garem kaon for lovem narawan.” (1 John 4:11) Tru nao, iumi showimaot thankiu for datfala ransom long wei for talemaot love and wei wea iumi tinghae long Jehovah and tu taem living bilong iumi showimaot love for nara pipol.—Matthew 22:37-39.
6 Iumi savve lanem moa samting abaotem wei for showimaot thankiu taem iumi lukluk long wei wea Jehovah deal witim Israel bifor. Thru long datfala Law, wea hem givim long datfala nation thru long Moses, Jehovah teachim pipol hia planti samting. Thru long datfala “savve and truth wea join tugeta insaed long Law,” iumi savve lanem planti samting wea bae helpem iumi for followim disfala kaonsel bilong Paul: “Showimaot iufala thankiu.”—Romans 2:20; Colossians 3:15.
Thrifala Leson From Law Bilong Moses
7. Hao nao arrangement for givim tithe hem givim chance long olketa Israelite for showimaot thankiu bilong olketa long Jehovah?
7 Long Law bilong Moses, Jehovah givim thrifala wei wea olketa Israelite savve showimaot olketa tinghae long gudfala fasin bilong hem. First wan nao hem tithe. Evri mek-ten part long garden bilong olketa, and tu “evri mek-ten buluka and animal,” hem shud kamap “samting wea holy long Jehovah.” (Leviticus 27:30-32) Taem olketa Israelite obey, Jehovah barava blessim olketa. “‘Tekem kam evri mek-ten part long stoahaos, mekem kaikai stap long haos bilong mi; and testim mi, plis, long disfala samting,’ Jehovah bilong olketa army hem sei, ‘for faendemaot sapos mi bae openem gate bilong heven and barava kapsaetem blessing long iufala go kasem taem wea no eniwan wantem eni samting moa.’”—Malachi 3:10.
8. Wanem nao difren long wei for free for givim contribution and wei for givim tithe?
8 Mek-tu, witim arrangement wea man mas givim tithe, Jehovah arrange for olketa Israelite free tu for givim contribution. Hem talem Moses for givim disfala instruction: “Taem iufala kam insaed long land wea mi bae tekem iufala long hem, taem iufala kaikaim eni bred bilong datfala land, iufala shud givim contribution long Jehovah.” Samfala firstfala frut bilong “kaikai bilong olketa olsem raon cake” olketa savve givim olsem “wanfala contribution long Jehovah” long evri genereson. Lukim hao hem no talem haomas long olketa firstfala frut nao olketa mas givim. (Numbers 15:18-21) Bat taem olketa Israelite givim contribution bilong thankiu, Jehovah promis for givim olketa wanfala blessing. Wanfala arrangement wea klosap semsem hem join witim temple insaed vision wea Ezekiel lukim. Iumi readim: “Firstfala frut bilong evri ripe frut and evri contribution bilong evriting wea iufala givim olsem contribution—hem bilong olketa priest; and firstfala frut bilong kaikai bilong iufala hem shud for olketa priest, for mekem wanfala blessing kasem haos bilong iufala.”—Ezekiel 44:30.
9. Wanem nao Jehovah teachim thru long arrangement for kolektem leftova bilong harvest?
9 Mek-thri, Jehovah arrangem wei for kolektem leftova bilong harvest. God hem givim disfala instruction: “Taem iufala harvestim kaikai long land bilong iufala, iufala mas no harvestim evribit end long garden bilong iufala, and iufala mas no tekem olketa leftova bilong harvest bilong iufala. And tu, iufala mas no tekem go olketa leftova bilong grape plantation bilong iufala, and iufala mas no tekem olketa grape wea foldaon. Iufala mas leavim for olketa wea safa and olketa stranger. Mi God bilong iufala Jehovah.” (Leviticus 19:9, 10) Long hia tu, God no talem haomas nao olketa shud leavim. Each Israelite nao mas disaedem haomas for leavim for olketa wea garem need. Wise King Solomon talem klia diswan: “Man wea showaot kaenfala fasin long poor man hem give long Jehovah, and Hem bae peim bak kaenfala fasin bilong hem.” (Proverbs 19:17) So, Jehovah hem garem fasin for kea and hem tingim olketa wea kasem hard taem long living.
10. Wanem nao kasem olketa Israelite taem olketa fail for showimaot thankiu?
10 Jehovah blessim olketa Israelite taem olketa obeyim law for givim tithe, taem man seleva givim contribution and arrangement for helpem poor pipol. Bat taem olketa Israelite fail for showimaot thankiu, Jehovah no showaot favor long olketa. Gogo diswan hem lead for barava nogud samting and olketa kamap prisoner tu. (2 Chronicles 36:17-21) So, wanem leson nao iumi lanem from diswan?
Wei wea Iumi Showimaot Thankiu
11. Wanem nao main wei wea iumi showimaot thankiu long Jehovah?
11 Main wei wea iumi savve givim praise long Jehovah and showimaot thankiu hem for givim wanfala “offering” tu. Hem tru, from iumi olketa Christian, iumi no stap anda long Law Bilong Moses wea sei man mas offerim olketa sakrifaes olsem animal or kaikai. (Colossians 2:14) Nomata olsem, aposol Paul encouragem olketa Hebrew Christian olsem: “Iumi mas evritaem givim wanfala sakrifaes bilong praise long God, hem nao, frut bilong mouth wea talemaot nem bilong hem long pablik.” (Hebrews 13:15) Taem iumi iusim savve and material samting bilong iumi for givim sakrifaes bilong praise long Jehovah, maet long pablik ministry or “midolwan long pipol wea hipap,” witim olketa nara Christian, iumi showimaot thankiu from heart long loving Dadi bilong iumi long heven, Jehovah God. (Psalm 26:12) Taem iumi duim olketa samting hia, wanem nao iumi savve lanem from olketa wei wea olketa Israelite showimaot thankiu bilong olketa long Jehovah?
12. Wanem nao iumi savve lanem from arrangement for givim tithe saed long Christian responsibility bilong iumi?
12 First samting, olsem iumi storyim finis, arrangement for givim tithe hem no samting wea olketa free for disaedem seleva; each Israelite garem responsibility for duim diswan. Iumi olketa Christian garem responsibility for join insaed long ministry and attendim olketa Christian meeting. Olketa hia no samting iumi free for disaedem seleva for duim or nomoa. Long nambawan profesi bilong hem abaotem taem bilong end, Jesus talem stret olsem: “Olketa bae talemaot disfala gud nius bilong kingdom evriwea long earth for givim witness long evri nation; and then end bae kam.” (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) Saed long olketa Christian meeting, holy spirit muvim Paul for raet olsem: “Iumi mas tingim and muvim each other for showimaot love and gudfala waka, no lusim wei for hipap tugeta, olsem fasin bilong samfala, bat encouragem each other, and duim long bigfala wei moa taem iufala luksavve datfala day hem kam klosap.” (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Iumi showimaot thankiu long Jehovah taem iumi hapi for acceptim responsibility bilong iumi for preach and teach and tu for kaban evritaem witim olketa brata bilong iumi long olketa kongregeson meeting, and ting long olketa samting hia olsem wanfala privilege.
13. Wanem nao olketa leson wea iumi savve lanem from olketa arrangement bilong contribution and wei for kolektem leftova bilong harvest?
13 And tu, iumi savve kasem gud samting sapos iumi lukluk long nara tufala arrangement wea olketa Israelite savve showimaot thankiu—wei for givim contribution and kolektem leftova bilong harvest. Long difren wei from wei for givim tithe, wea hem wanfala samting olketa mas givim, contribution and for kolektem leftova bilong harvest tufala no samting wea Law talem haomas for givim. Bat, tufala arrangement hia letem servant bilong Jehovah showimaot haomas nao heart bilong hem tinghae and muvim hem for duim samting. Long sem wei, nomata iumi luksavve hao wei for share insaed ministry and for attendim olketa Christian meeting hem wanfala main responsibility bilong evri servant bilong Jehovah, waswe, iumi share insaed olketa samting hia witim full heart and long willing wei? Waswe, iumi ting long olketa olsem wanfala chance for showimaot iumi tinghae long evri samting wea Jehovah duim finis for iumi? Waswe, iumi share long bigfala wei insaed olketa waka hia, followim samting wea fitim living bilong iumi wanwan? Or waswe, iumi ting long diswan olsem wanfala responsibility nomoa wea iumi mas duim? Iumiseleva nao mas ansarem olketa kwestin hia. Aposol Paul hem sei olsem abaotem diswan: “Letem evri man pruvim waka bilong hemseleva, and then hem bae garem reason for hapi long samting wea hemseleva duim, and no long wei for markem hemseleva witim narafala man.”—Galatians 6:4.
14. Wanem nao Jehovah expectim from iumi taem iumi servem hem?
14 Jehovah God savve evribit long living bilong iumi. Hem luksavve long wanem iumi no fit for duim. Hem tinghae long olketa big and smol sakrifaes wea olketa servant bilong hem willing for givim. Hem no expectim evriwan for givim sem samting, and iumi kanduit duim datwan tu. Taem hem story abaotem wei for give long material wei, aposol Paul sei olsem for olketa Christian long Corinth: “Sapos man hem willing firstaem, God hem barava acceptim wanem man garem, and no wanem hem no garem.” (2 Corinthians 8:12) Disfala principle hem barava fitim service bilong iumi for God tu. Samting wea mekem Jehovah acceptim service bilong iumi hem no depend long haomas iumi duim, bat hao iumi duim datwan—witim hapi and full heart.—Psalm 100:1-5; Colossians 3:23.
Mekem Grow and Keepim Pioneer Spirit
15, 16. (a) Hao nao pioneer ministry hem join witim wei for showimaot thankiu? (b) Hao nao olketa wea no fit for pioneer fit for showimaot pioneer spirit?
15 Wanfala wei for showimaot thankiu long Jehovah hem for join insaed full-taem ministry. From olketa garem love for Jehovah and tinghae long kaenfala fasin bilong hem wea iumi no fit for kasem, planti servant bilong Jehovah wea dedicate finis changem living mekem olketa garem moa taem for servem Jehovah. Samfala fit for serve olsem olketa regular pioneer, olketa duim samting olsem 70 hour evri month for preachim gud nius and teachim truth long pipol. Olketa narawan wea living bilong olketa maet mekem hem hard for duim diswan, olketa arrange for iusim 50 hour insaed samfala month for preach olsem olketa auxiliary pioneer.
16 Bat waswe long planti servant bilong Jehovah wea no savve serve olsem olketa regular or auxiliary pioneer? Olketa savve showimaot thankiu taem olketa mekem grow and keepim pioneer spirit. Hao nao olsem? Taem olketa encouragem olketa wea pioneer, taem olketa putim feeling insaed pikinini bilong olketa for aftarem full-taem service, and taem olketa share evribit long preaching waka wea fitim living bilong olketa. Samting wea iumi givim long ministry bilong iumi hem depend long bigfala wei long wei for tinghae insaed heart bilong iumi for evri samting wea Jehovah duim finis, go ahed for duim, and bae duim yet for iumi.
Showimaot Thankiu Witim “Evri Richfala Samting” Bilong Iumi
17, 18. (a) Hao nao iumi savve showimaot thankiu witim “evri richfala samting” bilong iumi? (b) Wanem nao Jesus lukim and talem abaotem contribution bilong wanfala widow woman, and why nao olsem?
17 Proverbs 3:9 hem sei: “Honorim Jehovah witim evri richfala samting bilong iu and witim evri firstfala frut long garden bilong iu.” Olketa servant bilong Jehovah distaem no need for givim tithe. Bat, Paul hem raet olsem for kongregeson long Corinth: “Each wan mas duim wanem hem disaedem long heart bilong hem, long willing wei and no from eniwan forcem hem, from God lovem man wea hapi for give.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Wei for saportim waka for preach abaotem Kingdom evriwea long world thru long olketa contribution hem showimaot thankiu bilong iumi tu. Wei for sei thankiu from heart hem muvim iumi for duim diswan evritaem, maet markem haomas for putim evri week, olsem olketa first Christian duim.—1 Corinthians 16:1, 2.
18 Haomas iumi givim hem no showimaot hao big nao thankiu bilong iumi long Jehovah. Bat feeling wea iumi garem for give nao showimaot datwan. Diswan nao samting wea Jesus lukim taem hem lukluk long pipol wea go ahed for putim present bilong olketa insaed olketa box selen long temple. Taem Jesus lukim wanfala poor widow woman putim “tufala smolfala selen wea nating garem hae price,” hem sei: “Mi talem iufala tru samting, Disfala widow woman, nomata hem poor, hem putim moa samting winim evriwan hia. From olketa hia putim olketa present from extra samting wea olketa garem, bat disfala woman wea no garem eni samting putim evri samting wea hem garem for living bilong hem.”—Luke 21:1-4.
19. Why nao hem gud for lukluk moa long olketa wei wea iumi showimaot thankiu?
19 Letem disfala study abaotem hao iumi savve showimaot thankiu muvim iumi for lukluk moa long olketa wei wea iumi savve showimaot diswan. Maet iumi savve mekem grow sakrifaes bilong iumi for praisem Jehovah and tu for saportim waka bilong iumi evriwea long world long material wei? Taem iumi duim olsem, iumi sure Jehovah, loving Dadi bilong iumi long heven wea kaen tumas bae hapi from iumi showimaot thankiu.
Waswe, Iu Remember?
• Wanem nao olketa reason wea iumi shud thankiu long Jehovah?
• Wanem leson nao iumi lanem from wei for givim tithe, contribution, and wei for kolektem leftova bilong harvest?
• Hao nao iumi mekem grow pioneer spirit?
• Hao nao iumi savve iusim olketa “evri richfala samting” bilong iumi for thankiu long Jehovah?
[Olketa Kwestin]
[Olketa Piksa long page 15]
“Evri gudfala present and evri perfect present hem from antap”
[Piksa long page 16]
Wanem thrifala leson from Law nao showaot long hia?
[Olketa Piksa long page 18]
Wanem nao olketa sakrifaes wea iumi savve duim?