2021 Powerful by Faith!

Convention: Sunday Morning

Session—Part 1

Raw Transcript

Chairman: Greetings, brothers and sisters! Our next

music-video presentation is about to begin. As you
watch it, please reflect on how you can imitate the
faith of your brothers and sisters. Please enjoy the
presentation.

Welcome to this session of our “Powerful by Faith!”

Convention, which corresponds to the Sunday
morning session on your printed program. The theme
is Jesus’ promise recorded at Matthew 21:21, which
says in part: “If you have faith . . . , it will happen.” We
invite you to sing together song number 137, “Faithful
Women, Christian Sisters.” Again, that’s song number
137.

Sadly, some consider women as being inferior to men

and of little worth. How untrue! As we’ll see in this
eight-part symposium, there is much that we can
learn from women of faith. Each speaker will

introduce the one to follow. To begin, let’s give our

attention to Brother Kenneth Cook, a member of the
Governing Body, as he presents the talk entitled
“Imitate Women of Strong Faith!—Sarah.”

SYMPOSIUM: Imitate Women of Strong Faith!

Sarah — Kenneth Cook

In our life experience, there are many people we do

not forget—both good and bad. But those we delight
to call to mind, or remember, are the people most
important and most loved to us. This is true of
Jehovah as well. He knows everyone who has ever
lived—righteous and unrighteous—and he will
resurrect millions of them. But what he finds the
greatest delight in is remembering those with strong
faith who became his friends, including many faithful
women. His Word is filled with accounts of women
who had strong faith. This symposium will consider
faithful women from the past with various
backgrounds. We will learn why they needed faith,

how they showed faith, and how all of us can imitate

their faith. We begin with the faithful woman, Sarah.
Sarah needed faith. Why? Well, because like her
husband, Abraham, Sarah accepted a nomadic
lifestyle when Jehovah directed them to do so.
Hebrews 11:8 says of Abraham that “by faith [he] . . .
obeyed by going out to a place “[that] he was to
receive as an inheritance . . . , although not knowing
where he was going.” What was true for Abraham was
true for Sarah as well. Along with Abraham, she
complied with Jehovah’s direction and she left the
prosperous city of Ur. She no doubt had to leave
behind her relatives as well as material advantages.
We read at Genesis 12:1 that Abraham was told: “Go
out from your land and away from your relatives.”
Such moves are never easy. Actually, moving is
known to be one of the most stressful things that
people must do at times, especially when it involves
moving away from friends and relatives. Yes, Sarah
needed faith, and she had it. She cooperated with her
husband’s direction, which meant accepting a
completely different way of life. Her obedience
revealed her strong faith in Jehovah. As you watch

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the following video, imagine the challenges that Sarah
faced.

Life in Ur was comfortable. We had all the modern

conveniences. Then Jehovah gave us an assignment
we never expected—one that meant saying goodbye
to the life we loved. But rather than look behind,
Abraham and I looked ahead. We had seen
Jehovah’s hand in our lives, and we knew he would
be with us every step of the journey. And he was in
ways that surprised us—ways we never could have
imagined. Jehovah did more than help us; he fulfilled
his every promise.

As accurately depicted in that video, how did Sarah

show faith? She showed faith by looking ahead. She
also reflected on what Jehovah had already done for
them. Abraham and Sarah had seen Jehovah’s hand
in their lives. They were his friends. They had obeyed
before, and Jehovah had confidence in their
obedience now. As a woman of strong faith, Sarah
trusted that Jehovah would continue to be with them
in their new assignment. She willingly gave up the
comforts and conveniences of Ur, and her faith in God

did not go unrewarded. In time, she received a

blessing that she never could have anticipated.
Sarah’s faith in Jehovah led to the birth of Isaac. What
made this blessing especially remarkable is described
for us at Hebrews 11:11, 12. Let’s read those verses.
Hebrews chapter 11 lists a number of faithful servants
of God. Sarah is mentioned along with Abraham. As
we read starting in verse 11, notice how the focus is
on faith: “By faith also Sarah received power to
conceive offspring, “even when she was past the age,
“since she considered Him faithful who made the
promise. “For this reason, from one man who was as
good as dead, “there were born children, as many as
the stars of heaven in number and as innumerable as
the sands by the seaside.” So, what remarkable
blessing did Sarah receive as a result of her faith?
The “power to conceive offspring, even when she was
past the age,” it said. But how specifically did she
show faith? She showed faith because “she
considered Him faithful who had made the promise.”
Sarah had faith in Jehovah’s promise that Abraham
would become the father to many. Abraham needed
faith, but so did Sarah. And because they both had

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such faith, verse 12 says: “For this reason, . . . there
were born children.” Now, some might say, ‘But I
recall from the Scriptures that Sarah laughed when
she heard that she would give birth?’ True. But was
that because she lacked faith? Not at all. We read a
moment ago that Sarah considered Jehovah faithful.
In other words, she trusted him. So, what happened?
Well, evidently, the thought of giving birth at her age
struck her as being so unusual that she could not hold
back from laughing to herself. So while she was only
all too human, she was undeniably a woman of strong
faith. Years later, Sarah’s faith in Jehovah’s promise
concerning Isaac moved her to speak up when 5-
year-old Isaac was persecuted, or bullied, by 19-year-
old Ishmael. She saw a real threat to the well-being of
Isaac, and her faith reminded her that Isaac was more
than just her son. He was assigned a key role in
Jehovah’s purpose. So she mustered up courage and
spoke up in his defense. Strong faith helps us to do
many things. In the following dramatization, take note
of how a husband and wife show faith like that of
Abraham and Sarah.

Saying goodbye is never easy. And even though we

were excited about our new LDC assignment, it was
going to take us farther than we’d ever been. It wasn’t
just a new routine; it was a whole new way of life!
With each new move and project, we thought about
Sarah. She focused on the good things ahead and not
on what she’d left behind. And that’s what we tried to
do. Jehovah has been so good to us. We didn’t
always know where the next project would take us,
but we did know that Jehovah would be with us every
step of the way.

As demonstrated in that video, we can strengthen our

faith by meditating on Jehovah’s goodness to his
people in the past and his goodness to his people
today. Take time to meditate on how Jehovah has
helped you when you’ve made sacrifices in his
service. As the sister in the video stated, ‘Sarah
focused on the good things ahead and not on what
she had left behind.’ We show faith like that of Sarah’s
when we support the decisions that are made by
God’s organization today. Imitate Sarah’s faith, and
follow Jehovah’s direction closely. When we are
obedient to Jehovah’s direction, then as Hebrews

13:17 states, the brothers may carry out their

responsibilities “with joy and not with sighing.” For
married sisters, this means displaying a Sarah-like
spirit in their marriage. A Christian wife respects and
supports her husband in doing Jehovah’s will. The
apostle Peter wrote that such a spirit has “great value
in the eyes of God.” What are some of the many ways
in which sisters today display faith like Sarah’s? Well,
many Christian women of strong faith are supportive
of their husbands in the circuit work. Many others
leave family behind when accepting an assignment
from Local/Design Construction or the School for
Kingdom Evangelizers. And many sisters serving at
Bethel do so far away from their families. And this is
true of single sisters as well. All of these, and many
more, show Sarah-like faith by trusting in Jehovah’s
loving care and making themselves available in his
service. We are confident that Jehovah sees these
acts of faith. Hebrews 13:16 says that “God is well-
pleased with such sacrifices.” So see their example,
and imitate their faith. Brother James Mantz, a helper
to the Writing Committee, will now present the next

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talk in this symposium, “Imitate Women of Strong
Faith!—Rahab.”

Rahab — James Mantz

Two Israelite men sneak into the city of Jericho. The

men are spies. They take refuge in a place where
they feel no one will notice them—the home of a
prostitute, Rahab. And little does Rahab know how
the visit of these two men will affect her life. But
someone recognizes the spies, and they notify the
king. The king sends men to take the spies into
custody. As the king’s men bang on the door, Rahab
is confronted with a life-or-death decision—a decision
that will affect her livelihood and the lives of everyone
in her family. Will she take a stand for Jehovah’s
people, or will she side with the king of Jericho? As
you watch the following video, imagine the challenges
that Rahab faced and notice what helped her to make
a life-saving decision.

Jericho was doomed. People were scared. When the

Israelite men showed up at my door, there was barely
time to think. But I knew what was at stake. Even as a
young girl, I had heard all the stories. Jehovah wasn’t
like the other gods. He had dried up the waters of the
Red Sea and given his people victory over the
Amorites. If I helped these men, I knew Jehovah
would help me. For the first time in my life, I was
standing with Jehovah’s people on Jehovah’s side.
And my faith was being rewarded.

The spies were probably the first Israelites that Rahab

had ever met. Yet, she was convinced that if she
helped the two men, Jehovah would help her. Why did
she feel that way? Please open your Bibles to
Hebrews chapter 11, and we’re going to read verse
31. And here we find the answer to that question in a
single word. Hebrews 11:31 says: “By faith Rahab the
prostitute “did not perish with those who acted
disobediently, because she received the spies in a
peaceable way.” Yes, Rahab took a decisive stand
based on her faith in what she had heard about
Jehovah—how he had delivered his people at the
Red Sea and how he had given them victories over

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nearby kings. The account in Joshua chapter 2

describes the significant sequence of events. Rahab
had already hidden the spies on her roof before the
king’s men arrived. And after sending the king’s men
away, she went back up to the roof to talk to the spies.
There she explained to them the reasons for her faith,
and she expressed confidence that Jehovah is the
true God and that Jehovah would give his people
victory over Jericho. Only then did she ask the spies
for protection for herself and her family. So Rahab’s
faith was not based on the promise of a reward.
Rather, her faith was based on her firm conviction that
Jehovah is the almighty God. Rahab’s faith gave her
courage to hide and protect the spies. And then her
faith moved her to obey the spies’ unusual
instructions. In the following dramatization, notice how
a young Bible student shows faith like that of Rahab.

There was no doubt about it. I had found the truth. So

why did I feel so anxious? I knew how Mom felt about
the holidays. But I also learned how Jehovah felt.
They displease him. Some changes in my life were
easy to make. But I really needed Jehovah’s help for
what I had to do next. I love my mom so much. When

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I explained that I wouldn’t celebrate the holidays

anymore, I could tell that she was hurt. But I knew I
was doing the right thing and prayed that Jehovah
would help her understand. It is going to be a holiday
season like no other—like this 36 megapixel DSLR
camera kit for just $399. Or would you believe this 65”
4K UHD Smart TV is only $849? Hurry in before it’s
gone because these . . . I admit I was surprised when
she said she wanted to learn more. What a blessing!
Thanks to Jehovah, I had found the truth, and now
maybe my family would find it too.

Like Rahab, this Bible student had already identified

the true God. She was convinced that she had found
the truth. But now she needed to act on that faith, and
she was blessed when she took a stand on Jehovah’s
side. Each of us must ask ourselves, ‘Am I standing
firmly on Jehovah’s side?’ Perhaps you feel that you
don’t have enough knowledge to take a stand. If so,
imitate Rahab and do not hesitate. What little
knowledge Rahab had about Jehovah was enough to
give her faith that moved her to take prompt, obedient
action. But Rahab had to do more than protect the
spies and follow their instructions. James 2:25 states

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that Rahab was “declared righteous by [her] works.”

Remember, she was a prostitute—a work that is not in
harmony with Jehovah’s righteous standards. The
Canaanites didn’t view prostitution as something bad.
However, in order to be accepted as one of Jehovah’s
clean worshippers, Rahab had to abandon her
immoral way of life. Likewise today, all who want to
please Jehovah must abandon any lifestyles or
conduct that displeases him. This includes sexual
immorality, idolatry, theft, drunkenness, and customs
that are not in harmony with the Scriptures. Rahab
and her family certainly were grateful that her faithful
actions led to their salvation. But that wasn’t all that
Jehovah did to bless this woman of strong faith. She
also had the privilege of becoming an ancestress of
the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Therefore, may all of us
imitate the faith of Rahab. And may that faith move us
to action to abandon immoral conduct and false
religious customs, to take our stand for Jehovah and
his pure worship, to continue to grow in knowledge of
God, and to draw closer to him as our loving,
heavenly Father. If we show faith like that of Rahab,
we will enjoy Jehovah’s favor and blessing forever.

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Brother Kenneth Flodin, a helper to the Teaching
Committee, will now present the next talk of this
symposium, “Imitate Women of Strong Faith!—
Hannah.”

Hannah — Kenneth Flodin

In the third talk of this convention, Brother Noumair

asked: ‘Have you experienced financial setback? ‘Has
your child faced peer pressure [and, we could add,
bullying] in school? Do you have a life-threatening
disease?’ We’d like to continue that list: Do you face
scorn from workmates? Do you have a personality
issue with someone? Do family members taunt you?
Well, as we deal with various trials, we might recall
the words of Paul. He said: “The way I am aiming my
blows is so as not to be striking the air.” Well, how do
we counteract the adversities of this system? Please
find 1 Samuel chapter 1. Hannah had two adversities,
and they were like boom! boom!—a one-two punch—
designed to drop her for the count. The first one is in
verse 2 of chapter 1: “[Elkanah] had two wives; one

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was named Hannah, and the other was named

Peninnah.” Well, that’s polygamy. And Peninnah
loathed, she hated, Hannah. Well, what was the
second problem? It continues: “Peninnah had
children, but Hannah had no children.” Hannah was
barren. And in that culture, this was a bitter reproach
for a woman. Well, what was devious, uncouth
Peninnah really like? Let’s read verse 6: “Moreover,
her rival wife taunted her relentlessly in order to upset
her.” She did this on purpose “because Jehovah had
not given her children.” And look at the end of verse 7:
“Her rival would taunt her so much that [Hannah]
would weep and not eat.” Well, as you watch the
following artwork, imagine Hannah’s distressing
circumstance and then how faith turned it all around.

I couldn’t sleep or eat. I felt my hopes and dreams

slipping away. But even if no one else really
understood me, I knew Jehovah would. I told him
everything. I knew that the “God of justice” would set
all matters right in his own time and in his own way.
Jehovah answered my prayer in such a wonderful
way. I never forgot where this incredible blessing had
come from. “There is no rock like our God.”

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Did you see the grief on Hannah’s face in that first

picture? In the next piece of art, she’s peaceful and
tranquil, and she’s voicing her faith in Jehovah, her
Rock. From despair to calmness of heart, how did that
happen? In verses 10 and 11, she demonstrated faith
in several ways. And we can do the same as we face
our own boom! boom!—one-two punch—of trials and
frustrations of life. In verse 10: “Hannah was
extremely bitter, “and she began to pray to Jehovah
and to weep uncontrollably.” She was “extremely
bitter,” but she prayed. She cried “uncontrollably,” but
she prayed to Jehovah. In your agonizing
circumstances, no matter how agitated, find a quiet
place (if only in your mind) and pour out your heart to
Jehovah. Well, how else did Hannah show her faith?
Well, in that very prayer, she did ask Jehovah for a
blessing. But she also promised to give him
something in return. In verse 11: “And she made this
vow: “‘O Jehovah of armies, “‘if you look upon the
affliction of your servant “‘and remember me and you
do not forget your servant “‘and give to your servant a
male child, “‘I will give him to Jehovah all the days of
his life, and no razor will touch his head.’” Yes, she

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was going to give her son as a Nazirite from birth to
serve Jehovah all his days—a sterling example of
faith. Well, what else likely strengthened Hannah’s
faith? Examples of faithful women who came before
her with similar circumstances. Do you remember
Rachel and her sister Leah? They were both married
to Jacob. And like Hannah, Rachel had no children.
And there were issues between the two because of
this. But you see, Hannah could look back on that
example and see how Jehovah helped faithful Rachel
to prosper. It bolstered her faith. Well, what’s another
way that Hannah showed faith? Well, despite being
distraught—so distraught that she “would weep” and
could “not eat”—she continued her spiritual routine.
Verse 7 says that she would go to the tabernacle
faithfully “year after year.” In verses 13 through 16,
she was misjudged by the high priest, but she
continued her spiritual routine. Now, as we said at the
outset, the punches that life throws at us are different
from Hannah’s, but we too can have the same strong
faith that she did. Now, in the following dramatization,
though the trial is different, note how the sister shows
faith like that of Hannah.

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I could tell from the doctor’s voice that the news

wasn’t good. I just didn’t expect my health to worsen
so quickly. I tried to act like everything was fine—that I
was fine, but I wasn’t. Praying to Jehovah, just
knowing he would listen and understand—that’s what
got me through. No one really knew what I was going
through, not even my friends. I felt like Hannah—
totally misunderstood. But she had faith that Jehovah
would set matters straight. And he did for Hannah and
for me. But more than that, he reminded me that I
wouldn’t have to deal with this illness alone.

The sister’s circumstances were different, but she

drew strength from Hannah’s strong faith in Jehovah.
No matter what the circumstances or trial, how can
we imitate the example of that faith? Well, there are
many different ways, but let’s review a few. First Peter
5:9—Satan tries to beat us up and knock us down,
but we’re not alone. There are others who experience
the same trials—1 Peter 5:9: “But take your stand
against him, firm in the faith, “knowing that the same
kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire
association of your brothers in the world.” Reflect on
Jehovah’s dealings with other faithful ones, both in the

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past and in the present day. Now, at 1 Samuel 1:12, it

says that Hannah “prayed for a long time before
Jehovah.” We too can gain relief through fervent,
persistent, and specific prayers. Colossians chapter 4
says: “Persevere in prayer.” When we pray to
Jehovah, leave it with him, confident that he will help.
And recall that “Hannah was extremely bitter.” She
was crying “uncontrollably.” But after she poured her
feelings out to Jehovah, verse 18 says: “[She] went
on her way and ate, and her face was no longer
downcast.” And then after Jehovah acted in her
behalf, Hannah remembered that and she went back
to Jehovah in prayer and prayed the beautiful prayer
in 1 Samuel chapter 2. Finally, like Hannah, even if
discouraged, we need to maintain a good spiritual
routine. If we allow distress to paralyze us, in effect
we become a stationary punching bag for Satan. Stay
nimble on your feet spiritually—active in your
theocratic routine. And like Paul, aim your blows; do
not strike the air. Fight back against Satan and his
tactics. If we do all these things, our bond with
Jehovah will grow ever stronger and Jehovah will
reward our faith like he did for Hannah. And now

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Brother Harold Corkern, a helper to the Publishing
Committee, will present the next talk of this
symposium, “Imitate Women of Strong Faith!—The
Captive Israelite Girl.”

The Captive Israelite Girl — Harold Cokern

In the 11th century B.C.E., the nation of Syria would

often attack Israel, capturing many and making many
their slaves—even children. Notice how the Bible
describes one of these raids in 2 Kings chapter 5.
Second Kings chapter 5, and in verse 1, we are told
that Naaman was the army chief of the Syrians. He
was a mighty warrior, but he was also very sick with
leprosy. But notice verse 2: “On one of their raids, “the
Syrians had taken captive from the land of Israel a
little girl who became a servant to Naaman’s wife.”
Can you picture this little girl being ripped away from
her parents? It was frightening for her. She was taken
to a strange land with people that were intimidating,
and they worshipped many false gods. In that very
difficult circumstance, how was this little girl required

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to exercise strong faith? Please note the answer to

this question in the following video.

I remember the day the soldiers took me away. I had

never felt more alone. My home, my friends,
everything I knew was gone. But I still had Jehovah.
The master of the house was very sick. He was in
pain. Elisha could help him. I had heard about Elisha’s
miracles. He had even raised the dead. I knew Elisha
could cure him, and Jehovah gave me the courage to
speak up.

Despite being away from her parents, this little girl

exercised strong faith. Where did she get that faith?
Well, no doubt her parents had inculcated love and
trust for Jehovah in her. But she also had things that
were happening in her lifetime that would build her
faith. For example, she would have known about the
miracles of the prophet Elisha and how, with
Jehovah’s spirit, he performed many miracles,
including raising a little boy from the dead. This little
girl could have reasoned, ‘Why, if Jehovah can raise a
little boy from death, he can certainly cure my master
from his disease.’ Well, what did she do with this faith

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and trust? She spoke up courageously. Notice her

words to her mistress as recorded at 2 Kings 5:3:
“She said to her mistress: “‘If only my lord would visit
the prophet in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his
leprosy.’” Such boldness! And because she spoke up,
Naaman went to Israel, got in touch with Elisha the
prophet, humbled himself, listened to the instructions,
and was completely cured of the leprosy. But
something else very important occurred. Because of
Naaman’s coming to know about Jehovah, what did
he declare? At 2 Kings 5:15, he said: “Now I know
that there is no God anywhere in all the earth but in
Israel.” And Naaman also vowed that he would never
serve any other god but Jehovah. How happy
Naaman and his entire household was when he went
home! Not only was he cured of his leprosy but now
he was a happy, joyful servant of Jehovah. Well, it’s
not just in Bible times that good experiences like this
have occurred. As you watch the following
dramatization, notice how one of our sisters showed
strong faith, even under the most difficult of
circumstances.

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I was taken from my home, my husband, and my

spiritual family. I was imprisoned for my faith. It was
another world. It wasn’t easy staying strong. Every
time I asked for a Bible, the answer was no. But God’s
Word was already in my heart. So I did what I love the
most; I talked about God’s Kingdom. Many of those I
preached to seemed cold at first, but genuine love
and the warmth of God’s Word just seemed to melt
their hearts. Sometimes speaking up took more
courage than I thought I had, but not more courage
than Jehovah could give me. It was hard to look
beyond the locks and uniforms. But God’s will is that
“all sorts of people” learn about him. So I spoke about
my God, Jehovah. I knew that even behind prison
bars, Jehovah would give me the strength to help
others.

At this point, we’d like to address our young ones in

the audience. You too can have strong faith like the
little Israelite girl and tell others about Jehovah.
Remember the words of Romans 10:13, 14. It is so
important that people know about Jehovah. But how
can they know about him and gain salvation if there’s
no one to preach? You too can become a bold and

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faithful preacher of the good news. How? By taking in

Bible truths and building up strong faith in your heart,
and then you’ll be able to do like our sister did in the
dramatization. Do you remember what she said? ‘I
had God’s Word in my heart. ‘And as a result, even in
prison ‘when I was surrounded by all those difficulties,
‘I did what I love to do; I talked about God’s Kingdom.’
Another thing you can do is pray for more courage
and faith. Do you remember what our sister said? ‘It
seemed that, at times, to speak up required more
courage than I had, but not more courage than
Jehovah could give me.’ So dear young ones, don’t
be afraid to talk about Jehovah and the truth to your
schoolmates, to your unbelieving relatives, to your
teachers. Good results will happen. For example,
there is an experience of a schoolteacher here in the
United States who had been searching for the basic
questions as to the meaning of life, but she could not
find them. But then a 12-year-old student at school
asked this teacher three questions. The first question:
“Do you know that I’m one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?”
“Yes.” “Would you like to learn more about Jehovah’s
Witnesses?” “Yes.” The third question: “Where do you

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live?” Our 12-year-old sister started a study with her
teacher. The teacher loved what she was hearing,
made excellent progress, and was baptized. That
sister, the former schoolteacher, has been serving
Jehovah now for many decades. In fact, for the last
40 years, she has been serving as a member of the
United States Bethel family. So blessings come when
we speak up and show strong faith. Remember, in the
case of the little Israelite girl, Naaman would have
never gone to Israel if she had not spoken up. And as
a result, he was cured, but he also became a servant
of Jehovah. So in harmony with the strong faith of that
captive Israelite girl, may Jehovah give all of us the
courage we need to display our strong faith even
under the most stressful and frightening
circumstances. Brother Geoffrey Jackson will now
consider the next talk of this symposium, “Imitate
Women of Strong Faith!—Mary the Mother of Jesus.”

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Mary the Mother of Jesus — Geoffrey Jackson

Jehovah chose the young woman Mary for a difficult

assignment. It was a unique assignment, one that
required great faith. It was to care for and raise the
only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. What an
amazing privilege that was! And yet, it required strong
faith on the part of Mary not only because this was a
very serious responsibility that would involve quite a
number of years but because initially Mary, before
accepting this assignment, had some concerns, no
doubt. One of them would have been the concern with
regard to the reaction of her friends, neighbors,
relatives and, yes, of course, her fiancé, Joseph. After
all, the angel didn’t say to her: “Don’t worry. “I’ll go
and inform this to all the ones involved so that they
don’t get upset.” So it was a very difficult and
overwhelming assignment for Mary. Can you imagine
how she approached this assignment? Well, to help
us do that, let’s watch this short video.

I was engaged to marry Joseph. I thought we would

have a simple and quiet life. And then, suddenly,
everything changed. I know that God sometimes asks

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us to do what is difficult. But this seemed impossible,

beyond anything we could handle. But I knew I was
safe in Jehovah’s hands. If we remained loyal to Him
and did our best to care for his precious Son, he
would always be loyal to us and give us what we
needed.

Yes, when we think of Mary’s situation, all that she

was interested in was having a quiet, simple life. Then
suddenly everything changed for her, and it may have
seemed impossible for her to be able to accept that
assignment. And yet, what was her reaction? Well,
please take your Bibles, and turn with me to the first
chapter of Luke and verse 38—Luke 1:38. There we
see Mary’s reaction: “Look! “Jehovah’s slave girl! May
it happen to me according to your declaration.” Yes, in
full faith and with humility, she accepted this difficult
assignment. She knew that Jehovah would be with
her and that he would help her. But what was it that
gave Mary such a strong faith? Well, we get a clue if
we look down in the same chapter but at verse 46. So
that’s Luke 1:46. And we’re not going to read the
verse but the study note associated with the verse.
Notice it says: “Mary’s words of praise “that follow in

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verses 46-55 “contain well over 20 references to “or

allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures . . . “Mary’s words
give evidence of her spirituality “and her knowledge of
the Scriptures. “They show her appreciative attitude.
“Her words also reveal the depth of her faith, “as she
spoke of Jehovah as abasing the haughty and
powerful and as helping the lowly and poor who seek
to serve him.” Yes, Mary’s faith was based on her
knowledge of God’s Word, of the Holy Scriptures that
she had. But it seems that she didn’t have personal
copies of these writings. Rather, she must have
memorized what she heard being read at the
synagogue. Isn’t that amazing? So Mary’s heart was
full of all of these expressions from the Hebrew
Scriptures—so much so that when she spontaneously
praised Jehovah, all these expressions came out
because she had treasured them in her heart. So,
yes, Mary had strong faith that was based on the Holy
Writings, and that is what made her qualified for this
assignment. Well, what about us? How can we imitate
this strong faith of Mary? As we look at this
dramatization, notice that although our assignments

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may be different, we likewise need to have that same
strong faith.

When they first told me, I thought it must have been a

mistake. I mean, me—oversee a department at an
international convention? I felt like it was just too
much to handle, but I remembered that I thought the
same thing years ago when I was asked to serve on a
Disaster Relief Committee and when I served on the
Hospital Liaison Committee. Actually, I’ve always felt
that way when I’ve received an assignment from
Jehovah. But what I’ve learned is that he’s always
ready to help. So when Jehovah asks me to do
something that seems difficult, I just remind myself to
pray, stay loyal, and have faith that he’ll give me what
I need.

Did you feel sorry for that young brother? Perhaps we

can really understand his expressions, ‘When they
told me of the assignment, I thought it was a mistake.’
No doubt some of us have felt the same way at times
too. But what helped this young brother? Well, he
remembered how Jehovah had helped him in similar
situations in the past. Do you remember how he

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thought back to the time when he was with the

Disaster Committee? And there he was, standing as a
young man, and all these other men were looking to
him for some direction. That was very overwhelming.
And then what about when he was to make the
presentation as an HLC member? Remember him
sitting there in the corridor by himself, and then this
young woman ushers him into the room. She didn’t
look very friendly at all, did she? And certainly the
medical staff didn’t look very friendly. So assignments
like that can be overwhelming. But what did the young
brother say? He said that the things that helped him
were prayer, staying loyal, and having faith. Yes, like
Mary, we likewise can have this strong faith that
pleases Jehovah. We need to display humility and
have absolute confidence in Jehovah, a type of
confidence that’s expressed in the book of Psalms.
Please turn with me to Psalm 56:3, 4—Psalm 56:3, 4.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. “In God—
whose word I praise—“In God I put my trust; I am not
afraid. What can mere man do to me?” Yes, just like
the psalmist and just like Mary, we can have full
confidence in Jehovah. Yes, let us demonstrate this

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strong faith when we are faced with difficult
assignments, trusting in Jehovah, knowing that he will
bless us the same as he blessed Mary. The next part
in our symposium will be handled by Brother Leonard
Myers, who’s a helper to the Writing Committee. He’ll
discuss the theme “Imitate Women of Strong Faith!—
The Phoenician Woman.”

The Phoenician Woman — Leonard Myers

After the Passover of 32 C.E., Jesus and his disciples

were in Phoenicia of Syria, north of the borders of
Israel. Even in this non-Israelite territory, Jesus
couldn’t escape notice. Please open your Bibles to
Matthew chapter 15—and you may want to put a
place marker there—Matthew chapter 15, starting in
verse 22. A Greek woman born in Phoenicia found
Jesus and begged him to heal her daughter. The
verse says that the girl was “cruelly demon
possessed.” Verse 23 says that Jesus did not say a
word in answer to the mother. After a while, his
disciples urged him: “Send her away, because she

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keeps crying out after us.” The mother was persistent.

In response, Jesus explained his reason for ignoring
her in verse 24: “I was not sent to anyone except to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” How would the
woman respond? Would Jesus’ seeming rejection
discourage her? Would she lose faith? In the following
video, look for evidence of the Phoenician woman’s
extraordinary faith.

No, I was not Jewish, but I saw that this Jesus was no
ordinary man. I had heard about his power to help
others, and my daughter was suffering. I wouldn’t take
no for an answer. I couldn’t. This man was from God.
There was nowhere else to turn. I had faith in Jesus.
When he heard me, he said: “Let it happen to you as
you wish.” And then it did! My beautiful, precious
daughter was healthy and smiling again.

Because of her faith, the Phoenician woman

overcame the fear of prejudice that could have
prevented her from approaching Jesus. Remember,
she was of Greek descent; Jesus was Jewish. But as
stated in the video, she heard reports of Jesus’ power
to help others and she realized that this man was

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from God. Notice in verse 22, she addressed Jesus

as “Lord, Son of David.” She publicly acknowledged
that Jesus was the promised Messiah. And even
though at first he didn’t respond to her and then
explained his reason for doing so, she didn’t become
discouraged. Let’s continue with the account in verse
25 to see the strong faith of this woman: “But the
woman came and did obeisance to him, saying: ‘Lord,
help me!’” How Jesus must have been moved by the
woman’s heartfelt appeal! Apparently, though, Jesus
wanted to test her faith. Like a parent who plans to
grant a child’s request but doesn’t give an outward
sign of that plan in order to test the child’s
seriousness, notice what Jesus tells her in verse 26:
“It is not right to take the bread of the children and
throw it to the little dogs.” Among the Greeks and
Romans, the dog was often a beloved pet that lived in
its owner’s house and played with the children. The
expression “little dogs,” or perhaps a house dog,
might have reminded the woman of a warm,
endearing picture. By likening the Israelites to children
and non-Jews to little dogs, Jesus evidently wanted to
indicate an order of priority. In a household with both

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children and dogs, the children would be fed first. So
Jesus meant that he couldn’t care for non-Israelites at
the expense of deserving Jews. Rather than take
offense, the woman discerned the point of the
illustration and humbly stated in verse 27: “Yes, Lord,
but really the little dogs do eat of the crumbs falling
from the table of their masters.” What a beautiful
response! And what was the result of the woman’s
remarkable faith? Verse 28: “Then Jesus replied to
her: “‘O woman, great is your faith; “let it happen to
you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed from
that hour on.” The woman’s faith was rewarded when
Jesus healed her daughter. What an example of
strong faith! In the following dramatization, note how
someone who has just started to have a good
relationship with God might need to display strong
faith like that of the Phoenician woman.

I never thought it would happen. I finally found what

I’d been searching for—a good relationship with God.
Then one day, a coworker texted an article that
claimed to expose Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was
tempted to read it, and then I thought back to when I
first met Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was so excited about

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what they taught me from the Bible—that God’s name

is Jehovah, the Kingdom is a real government, and so
much more. Why would I want to learn about
Jehovah’s Witnesses from their enemies? But my
friends? Not so much. I saw people who really loved
one another. It’s a real brotherhood. But it wasn’t just
the people. This was the truth! I didn’t need to learn
about Jehovah’s Witnesses from their enemies. I had
seen for myself that they worship the true God,
Jehovah.

Did you notice how the young man recognized and

put faith in Jehovah’s organization? That was a
protection, so he wasn’t misled by lies from our
enemies. His faith might have reminded you of the
Phoenician woman. Remember, she recognized and
put faith in Jehovah’s representative, his Son. The
question we need to consider is, How can we imitate
the Phoenician woman’s strong faith? Like that
woman, we need to recognize Jehovah’s
representatives and associate with them. At Matthew
24:45, Jesus identified these representatives. He
foretold that in our day he would use “the faithful and
discreet slave” to provide spiritual “food at the proper

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time.” Why can we have strong faith that the

Governing Body is filling that role of “the faithful and
discreet slave”? Consider three lines of evidence.
First, there’s evidence of holy spirit guiding these
brothers. For example, holy spirit has helped the
Governing Body to grasp Scriptural truths not
previously understood. These brothers feel as the
apostle Paul did, who wrote at 1 Corinthians 2:13:
“These things we also speak, not with words taught
by human wisdom, but with those taught by the spirit.”
Second, we see evidence of angelic assistance. The
Governing Body has the immense task of overseeing
an international preaching work involving over eight
million evangelizers. The overall growth of the
preaching and disciple-making work, despite fierce
opposition in some lands, has been possible only with
superhuman assistance. A third line of evidence is
reliance on God’s Word. Some religions may revise
teachings in order to appease beliefs and opinions of
their members. But our dear brothers of the
Governing Body allow their decisions to be guided by
God’s Word, rather than popular opinion. We can
have strong faith that Jehovah, through his Son, is

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directing the Governing Body. And we need to remain
loyal to these faithful brothers and to Jehovah’s
organization, despite attempts by opposers to
discredit them. What will be the outcome if we do?
Think back to the example of the Phoenician woman.
Was she rewarded for her strong faith? Yes—when
her beloved daughter was healed. Likewise, if you
display strong faith and follow the direction of our
Leader, Jesus, he will lead you to everlasting life.
Brother William Malenfant, a helper to the Teaching
Committee, will now present the next talk of this
symposium, “Imitate Women of Strong Faith!—
Martha.”

Martha — William Malenfant

“Martha, Martha”—she was a hard-working,

hospitable woman. The Bible tells us that “Jesus
loved Martha and her sister [Mary] and [their brother]
Lazarus.” When Lazarus took ill, Martha surely did
everything in her power to soothe his discomfort. She
was so concerned with her brother’s condition that

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she and her sister, Mary, sent a message to Jesus, as

recorded at John 11:3, saying: “Lord, see! the one for
whom you have affection is sick.” Martha knew that
Lazarus was seriously ill. She must have felt helpless
as Lazarus sank deeper into his illness and then died.
What would Martha do? Would she give in to despair,
and would grief overpower her and weaken her faith?
As you watch the following video, try to imagine
Martha’s grief when her brother died.

During those first few days, everything was a blur. My

sister, Mary, and I had never felt so empty and lost. I
knew that if our Lord had been here, our brother
would not have died. But through the tears and the
pain, I had no doubt that the resurrection was real,
that someday—someday—he would live again. Who
could have imagined it could happen that very day
and right before our eyes? We wept tears of joy and
thanked our loving Father in heaven, Jehovah.

Empathy helps us to feel the pain and the distress

that Martha felt when Lazarus died. The Bible account
tells us that Jesus traveled to Bethany, where Martha
lived, but he did not arrive before Lazarus died. In

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fact, he came four days after Lazarus had died. When

Jesus met with Martha, she expressed faith that
Jesus could have healed Lazarus, and she felt that
Jesus might yet help her brother. The Scriptures show
that she also believed in the future resurrection.
Martha must have been thinking about miracles that
Jesus had performed and the people who had been
healed by him. And she had no doubt that Jesus was
the Christ and that he could perform miracles. Read
with me what the Bible says about Martha’s faith in
the resurrection and her confidence in Jesus. It’s
found at John 11:21-26. It reads as follows: “Martha
then said to Jesus: “‘Lord, if you had been here, my
brother would not have died.’” She didn’t say this to
reproach Jesus; she merely stated a fact. And then
she goes on. She says: “‘Yet even now “‘I know that
whatever you ask God for, “God will give you.’ “Jesus
said to her: “‘Your brother will rise.’ “Martha said to
him: “‘I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last
day.’ “Jesus said to her: “‘I am the resurrection and
the life. “‘The one who exercises faith in me, “‘even
though he dies, will come to life; “‘and everyone who
is living and exercises faith in me “‘will never die at all.

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Do you believe this?’” In verse 27, Martha makes one
of the most important statements that would ever
pass her lips. It reads: “She said to him, “‘Yes, Lord, I
have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one coming into the world.’” We can only imagine
how much her faith was appreciated by Jesus. Jesus
Christ has the same appreciation for us as we show
our faith in his promises. In the following
dramatization, observe how a sister’s faith brings her
comfort.

When I lost my son, I lost part of myself. I tried to stay

busy, but everything felt empty. In my darkest times,
Jehovah’s words brought me comfort. Not a day goes
by that I don’t think about Brandon—not just
memories of how it was but even more how wonderful
it’ll be to see him soon in God’s new world.

We deeply sympathize with the sister in the video

over the loss of her son and with any in the
congregation who have suffered the loss of a loved
one. Did you take note of how the sister imitated
Martha’s faith by putting her complete trust in Jehovah
God and going to him in prayer? Like Martha, we can

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build our faith in the resurrection by carefully

considering all that God’s Word says about it. Think of
all the evidence there is that Jesus was resurrected.
The Scriptures show clearly that after his death and
resurrection, Jesus “showed himself alive” to his
disciples. He also appeared to Saul of Tarsus, who
became the apostle Paul. In his letter to the
Corinthians, Paul points out that “more than 500
brothers” saw the resurrected Jesus. And to show that
it was not just hearsay, Paul tells us that most of those
eyewitnesses were still alive when he wrote to the
Corinthians. Yes, they were living witnesses who
could verify the fact that Jesus was resurrected from
the dead. And think about the inspired assurance that
we have at Revelation 21:3, 4—that the time is
coming when “death will be no more.” When you think
about it, who is it that declares that “death will be no
more” at Revelation 21:3, 4? None other than the
resurrected Jesus Christ. We do well to imitate Martha
by maintaining strong faith when we face the loss of a
loved one. No, it’s not easy; it’s painful. But we can do
it, knowing full well that this life is not all there is. All
true Christians must have faith in the resurrection—

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faith that the dead will live again and that death will be
done away with in God’s new world. Jehovah and his
Son rewarded the faith of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
We will be rewarded too if we build strong faith like
that of Martha. Brother Gerrit Lösch, a member of the
Governing Body, will now present the final talk of this
symposium, “Imitate Women of Strong Faith!—
Modern-Day Examples.”

Modern-Day Examples — Gerrit Lösch

Over the years, there were many sisters with

outstanding faith. Sister Matsue Ishii was one of them.
She was born in Japan in 1909. Although she grew up
in a Buddhist family, she had a thirst for Bible
knowledge. In 1918, the Spanish flu hit her area and
she saw lots of coffins with dead bodies. She and her
elder sister both also caught the Spanish flu, and a
week later, her sister died. She wondered, ‘Why do
people die, and what happens to them at death?’ In
1928, when Matsue was 19, her father arranged for
her to marry Jizo Ishii, a zealous Buddhist. Matsue

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was introduced to the truth in Osaka through the book

The Harp of God. That was given to her by a brother
who lived in a neighboring house that belonged to the
International Bible Students Association. Matsue was
baptized in March 1929, and her husband, Jizo, was
baptized a short time later. In June 1939, when she
was 30 years old, she and her husband were arrested
and were separated from each other. This certainly
called for faith. She said that she nearly died when
she was in solitary confinement for almost a year.
Matsue was released toward the end of 1944, and
she was reunited with Jizo after World War II ended.
Both she and her husband had remained faithful. Let
us now consider another encouraging example. Right
after World War II ended, far away from Japan, in
Estonia, northeastern Europe, Ella Toom was
introduced to the truth in April 1945 and was baptized
in August 1946, at age 20. She was arrested by the
Communists on December 27, 1950, and sentenced
to imprisonment. She was sent to a slave labor camp
in Russia, the infamous Vorkuta camp above the
Arctic Circle, and later to other prison camps 250
miles, or 400 kilometers, southeast of Moscow. The

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sisters continued to be spiritually-minded. They made
miniature copies of The Watchtower and put them
inside bars of soap and resealed the soap. This
certainly called for faith. She did not have to serve for
13 years but actually was released on May 4, 1956,
after five and a half years. The year after, she married
Brother Lembit Toom. However, the threat of searches
and arrests continued until the preaching work was
legalized in Estonia in 1991. In the following video,
note some other details regarding the lives of these
two faithful women—Matsue Ishii and Ella Toom.

For nearly a year, I had been held in solitary

confinement in a tiny, filthy, bug-infested prison cell.
Five and a half years after my arrest, I was released.
If we truly rely on Jehovah, really love him and cry out
in our heart for his help, just as he did not forsake me,
he will not forsake his servants.

They arrested me and took me in for questioning. An

interrogator invited me to sign a document stating that
I would discontinue preaching. I said, “I would rather
live in prison “with my relationship with God intact
than be free and lose his approval.” My determination

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has been to heed the Bible’s admonition: “Trust in

Jehovah and do good.” I have learned that doing this
leads to receiving “the requests of your heart.”

How did Sisters Ishii and Toom show faith? Please

turn with me to Psalm 37. Sister Ishii had faith that
Jehovah would not abandon her, in line with Psalm
37:25, which reads: “I was once young and now I am
old, “but I have not seen any one righteous
abandoned, nor his children looking for bread.” Her
faith helped her to endure difficult tests of integrity.
She was arrested on June 21, 1939, and taken to a
police station and put into a dark cell with soot
hanging from the ceiling. Thereafter, she was
transferred to another location and put into solitary
confinement. Her husband was also arrested, and she
did not see him until the war had ended. ‘I nearly died
in that cell,’ she said. But she was exposed to another
test too. When interrogated, she found out from the
officials that Junzo Akashi, the overseer of the Japan
branch, had abandoned the truth. Sister Ishii replied:
“Akashi is only an imperfect human . . . He is no
longer my brother.” Sister Ishii remained loyal.
Similarly, Sister Toom from Estonia refused to

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compromise or to abandon her faith. She prayed and

meditated on Bible principles in order to endure, like
Psalm 119 and verses 97, 98 say: “How I do love your
law! “I ponder over it all day long. “Your
commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
because it is with me forever.” In 1949, Ella Toom was
arrested by the Communists. They took her in for
questioning. She reports: “Forced to remove all my
clothing “and [being watched] by young police officers,
“I felt humiliated. “Yet, after I prayed to Jehovah,
“peace and calmness of heart came over me. “Next, I
was put in a tiny cell, “where I could not even lie
down. “I was taken out only for interrogations. “The
officers would say: “‘We aren’t asking you to deny the
existence of God. “‘Just stop your stupid preaching!
“You can have a promising future.’ “And they would
threaten: ‘Do you want to live? Or do you want to die
with your God on the fields of Siberia?’” She said:
“For three days, I was prevented from falling asleep
“between the repeated interrogations. “Meditation on
Bible principles helped me to endure. “Finally, an
interrogator invited me to sign a document “stating
that I would discontinue preaching. “‘I have given this

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matter much thought,’ I said, “‘and I would rather live
in prison with my relationship with God intact “than [to]
be free and lose his approval.’ “At that the interrogator
shouted: “‘You fool! All of you will be arrested and sent
to Siberia!’” But she was unexpectedly set free at
midnight. However, she was arrested again sometime
later. In the following dramatization, note how a
brother shows faith like that of Sisters Ishii and Toom.

As the world went from bad to worse, I dug deeper

into God’s Word. I wanted to stay strong, like so many
brothers and sisters in the past. “Those who remained
faithful had no special abilities “and were
inconspicuous. “Surely all of us must always trust in
Jehovah with all our heart.” I memorized scriptures. I
knew these words would build my faith and give me
the strength I needed to face what was to come. A
new wave of arrests occurred this week as local
authorities enforce new restrictions on Jehovah’s
Witnesses. This is coming just 14 days after the
Supreme Court’s ruling . . . “Trust in Jehovah and do
what is good; “reside in the earth, and act with
faithfulness. “Find exquisite delight in Jehovah, and
he will grant you the desires of your heart.” We had to

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be more discreet, but we never stopped talking about

God’s Word. We had to face many difficulties, but with
God’s Word embedded in our hearts, we faithfully
endured to the end.

How can you imitate the examples discussed in this

symposium? How can you imitate Sarah? Build faith
by meditating on Jehovah’s goodness to his people
and to you personally. How can you imitate Rahab?
Take a firm stand for true worship, even if you have
only a limited knowledge of the truth. How can you
imitate Hannah? Build faith by taking note of
Jehovah’s answers to your prayers. How can you
imitate the captive Israelite girl? Young ones, show
faith by sharing the good news with schoolmates,
teachers, and unbelieving family members. You can
also imitate the mother of Jesus, Mary. How?
Strengthen your faith, and trust in Jehovah. Carefully
examine the Scriptures and meditate on them. How
can you imitate the Phoenician woman? Recognize
whom Jehovah is using to do his will and associate
yourself with them. How can you imitate Mary, the
sister of Lazarus? Build faith by considering all that
God’s Word says about his wonderful promises. The

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Bible says: “Mary . . . sat down at the feet of the Lord

and kept listening to what he was saying.” How can
you imitate Sisters Ishii and Toom? Let the power of
God’s Word motivate you to endure faithfully. When
we clearly perceive the “great cloud of witnesses
surrounding us,” we can “run with endurance the race
that is set before us,” as Hebrews 12:1 encourages us
to do. Like these faithful women, we can all be
included in Jehovah’s “book of remembrance,” as
mentioned at Malachi 3:16, and inherit everlasting
blessings.

Chairman: Thank you, brothers, for those motivating

talks. May we always cherish faithful women, just as
Jehovah does. Let’s sing together song number 142,
“Holding Fast to Our Hope.” Again, that’s song
number 142.

video source: https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/

mediaitems/2021ConventionAD/pub-co-r21_58_VIDEO

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