holy angels who are public servants in behalf of the holy ones on earth or otherwise. The individual may not feel this special help, but he will feel the relief. Jehovah can call a halt to matters, making a way out, if the test has served its purpose, or he can allow it to run its limit, in some instances, if faithfulness to death is the only way the issue can be settled. “Consequently let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall. No temptation has taken you except what is common to men. But God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it.”​—1 Cor. 10:12, 13; 2 Cor. 4:7-12.

19. Since Jehovah is “making an estimate of spirits,” what should we be careful to do?

¹⁹ How comforting the words of Paul: “Therefore we do not give up, but even if the man we are outside is wasting away, certainly the man we are inside is being renewed from day to day.” (2 Cor. 4:16) It is the “man we are inside” that we want to keep renewed and to safeguard. As we endure, we remember that Jehovah is “making an estimate of spirits.” (Prov. 16:2) He watches to see if we are letting the spirit of this world and its wisdom motivate us, or if we are keeping close to his Word and responding to his spirit. “Do not be grieving God’s holy spirit . . . go on perceiving what the will of Jehovah is. . . . keep getting filled with spirit.”​—Eph. 4:30; 5:17, 18; Gal. 5:16-26.

20. Jehovah has given us his spirit and his Word for what purpose? What will the next article show?

²⁰ If we are going to make it into God’s new order of things for mankind, we must avail ourselves of all the provisions Jehovah has made for life. In this article we have seen how his spirit and his Word are indispensable aids without which we cannot do. There is a third provision that is indispensable also, and in the next article we will see how it too is a loving provision from Jehovah to his people in their quest for life.

Recognizing the Part Played by Jehovah’s Organization

“One isolating himself will seek his own selfish longing; against all practical wisdom he will break forth.”​—Prov. 18:1.

1. What craving did Jehovah put within human creatures, and what happens when this cannot be satisfied properly?

WHEN Jehovah God created man and then created his helpmate woman, he purposed that they should multiply their kind upon the earth and fill the earth. In time, the earth would be teeming with perfect human creatures, yet not overfilled. It was not God’s will that any should live lives that were unrelated to others. They were to live as one huge happy family of God, each being concerned for and having regard for those around him, Man is gregarious by nature. We all love the association of others. One of the extreme means of punishment is to put a person in solitary confinement. Some of God’s servants have thus been treated and it became necessary to call upon all the resources at their disposal to keep their spiritual and mental equilibrium. They were alone as to their relationship With other human creatures, but Jehovah strengthened them for the ordeal by his spirit. He caused them to remember the things that they had studied beforehand in his Word and all the counsel and encouragement that had been received previously in association with God’s people. By continually going over these things in their minds, they kept their faith strong and filled the need for association with others so that they were able to maintain their spiritual balance.

2. How has Jehovah taken note of the needs of his servants in arranging for them to be associated with others of his creatures?

² Nevertheless, the fact remains that man cannot easily maintain his mental balance if cut off for long periods of time from association with his fellow creatures. We crave association, good companionship. How well this emphasizes the importance of Jehovah’s provisions through his organization! We need his spirit and we need his Word, but we also need the benefits of his organization if we are successfully to gain life in his new order. Jehovah lovingly brings us together and has us cooperate as a body, with mutual benefits to all the members. Not only this, but we are brought into association with Jehovah, with his Son, Jesus Christ, and with the millions of other heavenly creatures. These heavenly creatures are closely associated with Jehovah in carrying out his purpose and they are his heavenly organization, referred to symbolically as his wife. We as human creatures can have the motherlike attentions of his wifely organization, if we put ourselves in a position to receive these. We cannot feel the presence of the angels and they do not materialize to help us today as they did in Bible times, but they, nevertheless, are there to minister to our needs.​—Heb. 1:7, 14; Ps. 34:7; Matt. 18:10.

3. (a) Who logically make up the nucleus of Jehovah’s visible organization? (b) What is involved in their taking care of all the Master’s interests in the earth?

³ Logically the visible part of Jehovah’s organization is built around those remaining of the spirit-begotten disciples who will, in time, be in heaven with Christ Jesus as part of the heavenly government. Jesus prophetically foretold that they would be busily serving up spiritual food at the proper time when he arrived the second time. In harmony with his words at Matthew 24:45-47, they have now been given charge of all the Master’s kingdom interests on earth, not only to supply spiritual food to the household of faith, based on God’s Word, but to supervise the preaching work world wide and to care well for all the “great crowd” of right-hearted ones who are coming into their midst to be taught of Jehovah. (Isa. 2:2-4) A great dividing work is being done, with the “sheep” being divided to the one side for life and the “goats” to the other for death. How each individual responds to the message of Christ’s “brothers,” the spirit-begotten ones making up this “faithful and discreet slave,” will dictate on which side he will be placed. (Matt. 25:31-46) The sheeplike ones are glad that Jehovah has left a remnant of these “brothers” on the earth to take the lead in worship and to serve as a channel through which so many tangible benefits are dispensed to help them gain life.

4. As to becoming a part of an organization, what is the trend of most people in the world?

⁴ The trend today among many moderns who adopt the spirit of this world is to avoid being part of an organization. To them this is regimentation and deprives them of their freedom. They protest, they rebel, they riot, they challenge by disobeying and otherwise show their opposition to any restraints that society in general imposes. Rebellion against God and against reasonable regulations may make one less conscious of sin when indulging the weaknesses of the body and may give one a feeling he is not restrained by other individuals or the rules of an organization, but he grows old and dies just like those of preceding generations. The principles of God and his requirements for life do not change as a result of a person’s changes in philosophical views or norms of conduct.​—Prov. 19:20, 21; 1 Pet. 2:16; Gal. 6:7, 8.

5. In throwing off all restraints, what does one fail to realize? What will a wise son do?

⁵ A rebellious son may leave the well-ordered home of his father because of not liking the necessary restraints and conditions under which he is allowed to live there. He may choose to disregard all the instruction given to him by his parents, thinking thereby to get “real freedom.” But what father who has a natural love for all his children would not hope that the rebellious son would carefully consider his immature course and see that he was not really gaining freedom but was striking out on a long road of hardship, heartache and perhaps a disgraceful death? Somewhere along the line, if he did not change, his life would likely end in violence or with him a disillusioned mental wreck. How different from the wise son who responds to needed discipline, grows to maturity under the loving tutelage of his parents and then takes his place in the larger organization, the congregation or community, as a useful, happy person!​—Luke 15:11-32.

6. Jehovah’s organization might be likened to what, and how does being organized facilitate all things being cared for efficiently?

⁶ Jehovah has, therefore, wisely provided that his people should be working together in an organized way like a family with himself as Father and Head. This is done, not to unduly restrict our freedom, but to help us to use our God-given freedom in a right way. We enjoy meeting together to talk about God’s Word and have it explained to us. We are strengthened when we work together in carrying out our commission to preach the good news to all in our community. In being brought together, we learn how each one is faring in his service to Jehovah, so that we can carry the burdens of one another, yet not prying unduly into one another’s private lives. How would we be able to carry on all these essentials of the Christian ministry without working together as an organization? Moreover, what confusion would come about if Jehovah were dealing with each of us individually, giving this one a new truth and that one a revelation; or that one an interpretation and this one a commission of work, all independent of one another! Rather, Jehovah has seen fit to work through his organization in providing food for all at the proper time. Unifying service instructions are given so that all might work together in preaching the good news efficiently and to accomplish the best results.​—1 Cor. 14:26-33, 40; Rom. 15:1, 2; Eph. 4:16.

7. What is more important than the location of the headquarters of the earthly organization?

⁷ Today Jehovah’s witnesses are found in 199 lands. There are 96 branches, all tied in with the central headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, namely, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. There the work of the governing body of anointed ones is centered, and from here they give supervision to the preaching world wide and the preparation of publications containing spiritual food. If Jehovah had not long ago tested out and cleansed his people and put his spirit upon them, and if they were not working closely in harmony with his Word, they would be no different from any other religious body that was incorporated to carry on a work. They know that where the headquarters is located is not the important thing, or even the name of the corporation. However, the central organization is located in New York city because of the definite advantages in getting the good news printed and distributed world wide rapidly. Location was important to the Samaritans as well as the Jews, this prompting the Samaritan woman to say to Jesus: “‘Our forefathers worshiped in this mountain; but you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where persons ought to worship.’ Jesus said to her: ‘Believe me, woman, The hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you people worship the Father. . . . the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.’” (John 4:20-24) So location is not the important thing. It is you with God’s spirit!

8. How are Jehovah’s witnesses organized on the community level?

⁸ Wherever a person is in the earth, then, it does not matter. Neither do we have to face in a certain direction or assume a certain pose in worshiping the Father. Orderliness, but not empty ritual! The main thing is, What is in our hearts? Our spirit or motivating force must be in harmony with God’s Word of truth and responding to his holy spirit. We must love Jehovah with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Yet this complete devotion to God does not crowd out the obligation to love our neighbor as we do ourselves, and even to love our enemies. To do this, we cannot worship God and carry out his commission of work independently of others who are doing the same thing. Hence, Jehovah’s witnesses, wherever they are, have the privilege of working with a congregation organized under the supervision of the governing body of Jehovah’s witnesses. Where there are only one or two in a group, and a congregation has not yet been formed, they receive benefits directly from headquarters and visits from traveling representatives as they have group studies and visit others with the good news. Even behind the Iron Curtain our brothers see the need to have their group meetings regularly and to preach to others systematically, although at the risk of their lives.

BENEFITS TO YOU PERSONALLY

9. How would one be assisted by the organization on first being contacted?

⁹ Let us take a typical congregation and assume that you became associated with that congregation in a way similar to that of thousands of others of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses who have become associated. What benefits would you have received and would you continue to receive from Jehovah’s organization in your quest for life in his new system of things? First of all, very likely you were brought the hope of everlasting life by a member of the local congregation who came to your door and gave a brief Bible sermon to stimulate your interest in the Bible and then left with you some Bible literature prepared by the organization. A small territory assignment had been made up including your home and it was issued to that member by the congregation. Like all other ministers throughout the world, he