When given advice by those in the lead follow it!

 I have had some really nice counsel given to me by elders and circuit overseers. I was even angry but respectful when I expressed some frustrations with one overseer. He listened closely and then gave me counsel. I was deeply moved by it. I have been following that since. When we arrived in India about two months ago, the circuit overseer who serves this circuit gave me some counsel. It was unexpected, even a little strange, but lathered in love and respect.  

This counsel I am working to follow as well. I have seen only good things result from this. When I was working in South Korea, the academy had a really strange and unnatural approach to teaching English. Even so, I had a hard time following the guidance I was given. In short, I was not being humble. Personally, I struggled to show humility. It paid off; I was able to clearly communicate my objections to their approach in a mild, polite manner. There was no fighting, although my boss lost sleep trying to see what she could do to help me. The details of this are well known in Iksan and among those who know me and them (the couple I worked for). So those details I will not share here. My reason? What good will it do in the future? When Jesus comes, and we are all being taught and restoring the Earth, I will not speak of these things. 

People today hate to take advice. Many get angry. Many become unreasonable. To many rely on the stupid traditions of men that do not have roots in bible based principles. Instead those principles are based on "it is how we do it here". Or in my family this is how it was done. 

We must become like a reed ready to bend to the will of Jehovah when expressed by his son our King Jesus Christ. Many, will survive Armageddon. The scriptures state "a number which no man is able to number comes out of the great tribulation.". 

So it is better to ignore some traditions of men especially those that leave a person feeling bad,  embarrassed, or that elders are treating younger people partially. 

/tata

Hot weather in India

When I arrived in India many people in the congregation kept going on an on about the impending hot summer that was coming. At one point I got annoyed. Now that we are here in this early part of the hot season I can see I was being too sensitive. You see the weather today is getting more and more out of hand. Strange is a good way to describe it. It is out of order. One cause of the critical times we are living in which Jesus warned us about in Matthew chapter 24. 

The friends are afraid. I can see why. It has been averaging 106 degrees F for more than a week. Many in the congregation have become ill or very careful. My father in law became sick, the boys and Yogita became ill. I was not sickened though. I think the heat waves of Philadelphia helped me for this. 

It annoys me when Indians and Koreans we throw Americans in this boat as well assume things because a person is not from their country. In Korea one brother told me "Jemal you need to sweat!" This is popular in South Korea but here it will kill you. I had to just nod and smile. Here though I see more of people expressing their fear by trying to give helpful tips. It is truly not normal. I too fear what the temperatures will be in May and June. I am worried that it will kill my parents here in India. I fear that can seriously hurt Yogita as well.

So for this week we are joining the meetings on zoom and ministry is only in the morning hours. Next week we will go back to 3 or 4 days of ministry and attend the meetings in person. The reason? This heat wave looks like it will end. So we will take advantage of it. 

ok time to go our food is almost here.

/tata

The traditions of men are mostly ugly.

In India in the place where I stay I see some age old human ideals that are ugly. I saw this in South Korea, and The United States. We act like we are owed things like respect honor, or kindness due to our age or station in life. This is truly ugly to me.

According to this idea, it is ok to shout at a child and verbally abuse them (I was guilty of this too!) Yet, if you go back in time to when the elders were young they HATED it when people would shout at them and verbally abuse them. Yet according to traditions of men this ok because "it happened to me" "it helped me become the person I am today". Such stupidity! Especially, among those who claim to follow Jesus's teaching calling themselves Christians. Once, again I was doing the same thing. I am not perfect, nor are my hands free of such practices which I practiced in the past. I will say this, I am striving to not continue doing this.

Another stupid thing I see is "respect is earned". From what we can see of Jesus's life he freely gave love, respect and honor to those with whom he interacted. He freely gave these things. Today, some cultures age equates to more respect to be given. Another stupid tradition. An older man or woman can act foolishly running after what they think is correct. I saw this at the last school I taught at in 2025. My boss an older woman had a really stupid idea that stressed out teachers left and right. Yet, she demanded and received respect (although in my 3 year tenure I have seen more than 30 teachers quit). In her eyes some of them were lazy and selfish. Actually, her practices were stupid. Yet, she is able to make large sums of money babysitting students. This aids into the illusion that she has wisdom on how to teach a language. 

What will happen when Jesus's rule extends to the Earth after his second coming? On this occasion, our King might deem a mere boy of 26 years as worthy of being a leader over thousands or millions. Will we look at him and think, "I am 50 years old! I will not listen to this puppy!"

You see, these traditions are based on the fleshly view that the bible teaches us is very limiting. We must learn and meditate on how Jehovah sees. Not the outward appearance, but the fruitages of the spirit. That puppy has a spiritual maturity that the firstborn of all creation has taken notice of. Also, if he has taken notice of it we can understand fully that Jehovah, the 144000, and the other angels have seen it too!

Now, I may seem to be bashing my former boss, but that is not my aim. You see I thought at many times over the 25 years of teaching in Korea that I know the way to teach. Now, I see that if I were in her position, I too would act in the same way. Very likely much worse. I would be more successful, make more money, and sin in a way that is far worse! 

I would have partied more, taken money that does not belong to me. I would have shown off what I was able to accomplish. My former boss? She knew it was "not a normal way." She even told me with words laced with worry and stress for me, that she would try something to help me. Truly, she has love in her heart. But we humans we do not know that way. We need God's word to teach us better traditions. I am working on that now. It is not easy at first, but I have learned being consistent, makes making these changes easier. 

So I will keep working to root out the ugly traditions my parents taught me and make new ones based on bible principles. The traditions of our elders are ugly if they are not based on love or bible principles. 

/tata