C.O's Thursday talk
January 24, 2014
Thursday night of the C.O. visit. Jason Tomalac
Appreciating Your Gifts.
Going to antique stores or second hand stores. We might see something we want, it could be scratched or beat up a bit, but we ask ourselves, what is it worth to me....
imagine you are the item on the shelf, and Jehovah walks in, and picks you up off the shelf. How much are you worth to him? He bought us, and he paid the top price...
Acts 20:28... pay attention to yourselves... the cong of God, he purchased with the blood of his own son...
He didn't wait for a sale as make a bargain. He wanted us, he wanted the cong. and he paid with his own son's blood because we are that valuable to him. He went out of his way to buy us.
How much how much we value our children. Say we had to leave for 2 weeks and couldn't take the kids. Would we go to a bar and ask anyone one who wanted them could take them? put an ad on craigslist? No NEVER.
Act 20:17... Paul sent word... called the elders of the cong to... go see him...
He wanted the elders to care for those that Jehovah bought. He blessed these elders so they could qualify to care for the cong.
Isa 32:1&2... each one will be like a hiding place from the wind....
Clearly Jeh cares for his people.
Eph 4:8...he gave gifts in men...
& 11-13 show what some of the gifts are
Ps 68:18... you ascended on high... you took gifts in men...to reside among them...
Ezra 8:20... there were 220 of the temple servants...
to organize pure worship.
so who conquered? Jesus did by his faithful coarse.
Matt 12:22... they brought him a demon possessed man... he cured him...
& 29... first tie up the strong man then steal his possessions...
a tiny little thief has to first tie up the big huge man to steal from him. the force he is up against is so strong, it is beyond us. But Jesus was able to plunder, by his works. then he was raised up to heaven and was able to plunder even more by casting out of the heavens satan and his demons.
as many as 7 of his apostles were in the "fishing business" and they were taken from there and they became shepherds for the congs. They served the congs.
is it for prestige that an elder serves? if so, Jehovah won't put up with it. so no it isn't. or money? no, there is no money. it is for love. love for their brothers and sisters.
currently we have 4 who were plundered from this world and became gifts for us.
3 are interviewed
Randy bap at the age of 19.
he was involved in girls, then school, then girls, then drinking, then girls...
he was drawn to the truth by the persistence of a faithful sister. he avoided her at first but her persistence impressed her. as he started studying and it was like a big puzzle that was coming together.
he thought he knew a lot and quickly found out he didn't. but he relied on Jehovah and Jehovah helped him.
he feels it is a privilege because of their being appointed by holy spirit.
he appreciates the fellow elders because of the respect they have for each other. they may not have the same opinion but they pray and use the scriptures and they will agree on what the scriptures.
he says... he is deeply touched by the cong. there isn't one family who hasn't been touched by pain and hardship and we keep plugging away.
Mike bapt at age 14...
there was a time his family was inactive. when they became active again, he could see a big difference in the happiness the family has.
he felt protected by being raised in the truth and he appreciates it.
how he knew what he wanted at a young age, his parents helped him by asking him what he thought about the difference between Jehovah's people and the kids at school.
one of the greatest challenges is his own confidence in handling assignments or helping the cong.
it is a privilege to help people who really want help in the cong. in the territory you don't see that so much, but in the cong, the friends really want the direction and help.
he apprc. about the fellow elders is the variety of qualities. he thought as a publisher he got a lot of instruction but an elder has far more.
he appreciates the cong really respects the elders.
Dan was 30 when he was bapt.
his mom really tried hard to instill the truth, but by the time he was 16, he wanted a girlfriend, wanted to be popular, and he wanted to be cool.
he always knew it was the truth. but his fleshly brother never gave up on him, Ken never pointed to his faults. Ken was happy and he wanted what Ken had and those things drew him back to the truth.
those years... he would have rather not experience what he had gone through. although he understands what the lures of the world really are and why young people are drawn.
he procrastinates, and isn't very well organized. he keeps working on it.
it is a great privilege that Jehovah would use "someone like him" but Jehovah sees something in him.
what he appreciates about the fellow elders.. even with differences, they all genuinely care for the cong.
he appreciates about the cong... two things. visitors will say we have a very loving cong. and the steadfastness. with all the problems our cong faces... serious health problems. and other problems, and the cong doesn't give up. the substitute C.O. said we have an extraordinary amount of problems for the size of our hall, but there is no bitterness.
Heb 13:17... be obedient and be submissive... that they may do this with joy... for it would be damaging to us.
some might say they don't want to go to Milwaukee... it is too far... well this is part of being obedient and submissive.
if we could just hear an elder's meeting and hear about the love they have to help us.
the hours that are spent each week preparing so they can be sure we are well fed spiritually.
... i, Jehovah will take them to my holy mountain... and feed them...
Isa 23:66... all flesh will come in to me...
in the new world, all humans will bow before Jehovah. it will be a permanent feature in the new world. there has been such sickness and tragedy in our cong.
circuit wide it is about 94%
but our cong is 77% we NEED to be at the meetings. WE NEED to not let work/home work/school get in the way. after all the hours they put forth for the cong, and the meeting gets canceled, well, we need to be there to support them.
those who were once servants, may not have a desire
Phl 2:18... God energies you, giving you both the desire and the desire to want to serve.
we can pray and ask Jehovah to give us that desire. if you don't have the desire, think about it, consider it.
Paul, and others didn't have a desire, but God gave them the desire.
Use your abilities to be a gift to the cong. Jehovah paid the absolute highest price he could pay for us, lets use our gifts for the cong.
Appreciating Your Gifts.
Going to antique stores or second hand stores. We might see something we want, it could be scratched or beat up a bit, but we ask ourselves, what is it worth to me....
imagine you are the item on the shelf, and Jehovah walks in, and picks you up off the shelf. How much are you worth to him? He bought us, and he paid the top price...
Acts 20:28... pay attention to yourselves... the cong of God, he purchased with the blood of his own son...
He didn't wait for a sale as make a bargain. He wanted us, he wanted the cong. and he paid with his own son's blood because we are that valuable to him. He went out of his way to buy us.
How much how much we value our children. Say we had to leave for 2 weeks and couldn't take the kids. Would we go to a bar and ask anyone one who wanted them could take them? put an ad on craigslist? No NEVER.
Act 20:17... Paul sent word... called the elders of the cong to... go see him...
He wanted the elders to care for those that Jehovah bought. He blessed these elders so they could qualify to care for the cong.
Isa 32:1&2... each one will be like a hiding place from the wind....
Clearly Jeh cares for his people.
Eph 4:8...he gave gifts in men...
& 11-13 show what some of the gifts are
Ps 68:18... you ascended on high... you took gifts in men...to reside among them...
Ezra 8:20... there were 220 of the temple servants...
to organize pure worship.
so who conquered? Jesus did by his faithful coarse.
Matt 12:22... they brought him a demon possessed man... he cured him...
& 29... first tie up the strong man then steal his possessions...
a tiny little thief has to first tie up the big huge man to steal from him. the force he is up against is so strong, it is beyond us. But Jesus was able to plunder, by his works. then he was raised up to heaven and was able to plunder even more by casting out of the heavens satan and his demons.
as many as 7 of his apostles were in the "fishing business" and they were taken from there and they became shepherds for the congs. They served the congs.
is it for prestige that an elder serves? if so, Jehovah won't put up with it. so no it isn't. or money? no, there is no money. it is for love. love for their brothers and sisters.
currently we have 4 who were plundered from this world and became gifts for us.
3 are interviewed
Randy bap at the age of 19.
he was involved in girls, then school, then girls, then drinking, then girls...
he was drawn to the truth by the persistence of a faithful sister. he avoided her at first but her persistence impressed her. as he started studying and it was like a big puzzle that was coming together.
he thought he knew a lot and quickly found out he didn't. but he relied on Jehovah and Jehovah helped him.
he feels it is a privilege because of their being appointed by holy spirit.
he appreciates the fellow elders because of the respect they have for each other. they may not have the same opinion but they pray and use the scriptures and they will agree on what the scriptures.
he says... he is deeply touched by the cong. there isn't one family who hasn't been touched by pain and hardship and we keep plugging away.
Mike bapt at age 14...
there was a time his family was inactive. when they became active again, he could see a big difference in the happiness the family has.
he felt protected by being raised in the truth and he appreciates it.
how he knew what he wanted at a young age, his parents helped him by asking him what he thought about the difference between Jehovah's people and the kids at school.
one of the greatest challenges is his own confidence in handling assignments or helping the cong.
it is a privilege to help people who really want help in the cong. in the territory you don't see that so much, but in the cong, the friends really want the direction and help.
he apprc. about the fellow elders is the variety of qualities. he thought as a publisher he got a lot of instruction but an elder has far more.
he appreciates the cong really respects the elders.
Dan was 30 when he was bapt.
his mom really tried hard to instill the truth, but by the time he was 16, he wanted a girlfriend, wanted to be popular, and he wanted to be cool.
he always knew it was the truth. but his fleshly brother never gave up on him, Ken never pointed to his faults. Ken was happy and he wanted what Ken had and those things drew him back to the truth.
those years... he would have rather not experience what he had gone through. although he understands what the lures of the world really are and why young people are drawn.
he procrastinates, and isn't very well organized. he keeps working on it.
it is a great privilege that Jehovah would use "someone like him" but Jehovah sees something in him.
what he appreciates about the fellow elders.. even with differences, they all genuinely care for the cong.
he appreciates about the cong... two things. visitors will say we have a very loving cong. and the steadfastness. with all the problems our cong faces... serious health problems. and other problems, and the cong doesn't give up. the substitute C.O. said we have an extraordinary amount of problems for the size of our hall, but there is no bitterness.
Heb 13:17... be obedient and be submissive... that they may do this with joy... for it would be damaging to us.
some might say they don't want to go to Milwaukee... it is too far... well this is part of being obedient and submissive.
if we could just hear an elder's meeting and hear about the love they have to help us.
the hours that are spent each week preparing so they can be sure we are well fed spiritually.
... i, Jehovah will take them to my holy mountain... and feed them...
Isa 23:66... all flesh will come in to me...
in the new world, all humans will bow before Jehovah. it will be a permanent feature in the new world. there has been such sickness and tragedy in our cong.
circuit wide it is about 94%
but our cong is 77% we NEED to be at the meetings. WE NEED to not let work/home work/school get in the way. after all the hours they put forth for the cong, and the meeting gets canceled, well, we need to be there to support them.
those who were once servants, may not have a desire
Phl 2:18... God energies you, giving you both the desire and the desire to want to serve.
we can pray and ask Jehovah to give us that desire. if you don't have the desire, think about it, consider it.
Paul, and others didn't have a desire, but God gave them the desire.
Use your abilities to be a gift to the cong. Jehovah paid the absolute highest price he could pay for us, lets use our gifts for the cong.
Posted by Robyn Nelson.
