Tutorial for Making Donations Electronically

[The Librarian]

Explore the options and tools you can use to make donations.

Source

[JW Insider]

Laughing at the idea that we are 'helping Jehovah' by setting aside a specific, pre-planned amount of money in advance every month so that we don't forget to donate -- and automatically get a receipt. "Because this way, I can help Jehovah every month" a sister says at 2min20sec into the tutorial video.

We can help Jehovah's people, help Jehovah's organization, even help Jehovah's "cause" in a sense. But only persons who have an extreme ego, or who confuse Jehovah with the organization believe they are "helping Jehovah." 

*** w91 12/1 p. 31 How Can We Repay Jehovah? ***

• Such giving is not restricted to a tithe, or tenth, and there may be circumstances in which an individual is moved to give more to advance Kingdom interests.—Matthew 6:33.
• The apostle Paul said: “Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) If you give cheerfully and generously in support of true worship, you will fare well, for a wise proverb says: “Honor Jehovah with your valuable things and with the firstfruits of all your produce. Then your stores of supply will be filled with plenty; and with new wine your own press vats will overflow.”—Proverbs 3:9, 10.
• We cannot enrich the Most High. To him belong all the gold and silver, the beasts on a thousand mountains, and valuable things without number. (Psalm 50:10-12) Never can we repay God for all his benefits to us. But we can show our deep appreciation for him and for the privilege of rendering sacred service to his praise. And we can be sure that rich blessings flow to those who give liberally to promote pure worship and honor the loving and generous God, Jehovah.—2 Corinthians 9:11.

 

[TrueTomHarley]

24 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

But only persons who have an extreme ego, or who confuse Jehovah with the organization believe they are "helping Jehovah." 

For then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.’ (Zeph 3:9)

Whenever you serve someone, in can be reasonably be said that you are ‘helping’ him, can it not?

[JW Insider]

16 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

Whenever you serve someone, in can be reasonably be said that you are ‘helping’ him, can it not?

Our efforts in working shoulder to shoulder are ways to help one another, encourage one another, and in some tenuous way, I would agree that they could "help" Jehovah. I think a more accurate way to work in the idea of "helping Jehovah" is that we can be serving Jehovah in a way that "helps" him answer "Satan's" challenge. And I would glady concede that it is possible to give money and see a relationship between this type of "giving" and "helping" Jehovah in that way.

I once heard a couple of brothers responsible for an article on "the vindication of Jehovah's name" arguing (reasonably, not heatedly) about whether we are "helping" to vindicate and/or sanctify his name. One used the idea that if Jehovah needed to, he could make the rocks cry out, or send an army of angels, and this was actually used as part of the argument that we are "helping" Jehovah, avoid the need to use rocks or angels. But the other side of the argument was that it is not our work and effort and resources that is of any value to Jehovah, but it is our appreciation and love for him that is the motivation for those efforts.

This is, of course, part of the same solution to the apparent contradiction that Paul says that the works don't mean anything without faith, and James says you cannot have faith without works.

• (James 2:24) You see that a man is to be declared righteous by works and not by faith alone. (also Romans 2:13)

• (Romans 3:28) For we consider that a man is declared righteous by faith apart from works of law.

It's because true faith always produces a motivation, i.e. "works." But works don't prove anything because they could just as well be from a "worldly" motivation. This is why James could say that true religion that is spotless will look after orphans and widows, for example, without being "spotted" or sullied by the motivations common to the "world." -- James 1:27. And this statement is immediately preceded by:

• (James 1:25) 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and continues in it has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; and he will be happy in what he does. [proper motive]

At any rate, there are many Scriptures containing the idea that we cannot actually give anything materially to Jehovah. He already owns everything. A better way to express the entire idea is the way the Watchtower once said it:

*** ws17 April p. 32 par. 16 May Your Volunteer Spirit Bring Praise to Jehovah! ***

• 16 Jehovah gives us an incredible honor by letting us support his rulership. Since the time of Adam and Eve, the Devil has wanted humans to take his side against Jehovah. But when we support Jehovah’s rulership, we clearly show Satan whose side we are on. Our faith and loyalty motivate us to volunteer in Jehovah’s service, and this makes him very happy. (Proverbs 23:15, 16) Our God can use our loyal support and obedience to answer Satan’s taunts. (Proverbs 27:11) Our obedience is something we can give to Jehovah that is precious to him and brings him great joy.

 

 

[JOHN BUTLER]

@JW Insider "But only persons who have an extreme ego, or who confuse Jehovah with the organization, believe they are "helping Jehovah." 

Oh I love that, how true.

 This is why James could say that true religion that is spotless will look after orphans and widows, for example, without being "spotted" or sullied by the motivations common to the "world." -- James 1:27.

So what happened to JW Org then ? 

[ComfortMyPeople]

Curiously, the spanish version says: "because this is how I collaborate with the work of Jehovah every month"

It may be the translator felt hesitant to pour out such a shocking phrase

[Space Merchant]

As technology advances, things like this will change. Who knows, in the next 50-75 or so years we could be paying bills or contributing to something financially with a mere thought (as in a Goggle type device connected to your head kind of way).

[Evacuated]

6 hours ago, JW Insider said:

But only persons who have an extreme ego, or who confuse Jehovah with the organization believe they are "helping Jehovah." 

Not sure about this view as applying across the board. It is quite possible that there may be some who donate money to "the organisation" and who have "an extreme ego".

But to equate universally that unlaudable disposition with the notion that one could be "helping Jehovah" is not a logical or fair assessment.

Paul himself terms Christians as "God's fellow workers" after describing the preaching and teaching work in an agricultural metaphor. "Fellow workers" or collaborators do help each other to accomplish a task. Paul ensures that there is no "egotistical" element to that view by crediting growth (success) to Jehovah himself, and by attriburing his own role in that shared enterprise to God's "undeserved kindness".

So without labouring the point further, I see the notion of "helping Jehovah" akin to the pleasure a child may take in "helping" a loving father in a task he is carrying out. The father does not need the assistance of his child and, indeed, may have to redo or complete much of the task himself due to the childs inexperience. But no one could deny the pleasure he would take in sharing in the task with his appreciative child, and taking pleasure in the child's obvious delight in working together with their beloved father. "Look what we have done" the Father proudly proclaims to his beaming child, regardless of the fact that most of the work can really be credited to himself. (Compare the paternal attitude expressed at Pro.27:11)

Now, that holds good for the greater works carried out by true Christians today, whether they are contributed to in the form of time, energy and/or material and financial contributions.

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers." 1Cor.3:7-9.

[JW Insider]

17 hours ago, Gone Away said:

Not sure about this view as applying across the board. It is quite possible that there may be some who donate money to "the organisation" and who have "an extreme ego".

But to equate universally that unlaudable disposition with the notion that one could be "helping Jehovah" is not a logical or fair assessment.

I wasn't even implying that the sister who was speaking had a problem with extreme ego. I think this would be the rarest of problems of those giving materially. (I mentioned it with a view to those Pharisees who might have compared their own contributions to that of a widow's "mite.")

I misworded the statement with the word "only" but wasn't trying to be comprehensive. In the context of some recent videos and many of the Broadcasts on tv.jw.org, I have noticed a lot of statements where the term "Jehovah" is apparently confused with the term "Jehovah's organization." I had just seen two other JWB examples in the few minutes before seeing this one and thought I should speak up. (A little leaven, etc.)

It's just an opinion, of course, but I think it's very possible this sister in the video is doing the same thing (using the term Jehovah as a shorthand term for Jehovah's earthly organization) which I'm seeing by so many others. It's my sense that it is even becoming more common in convention prayers, which might be an indication of the influence of JWB. I have seen more examples on JWB than in print.

[JW Insider]

22 hours ago, ComfortMyPeople said:

It may be the translator felt hesitant to pour out such a shocking phrase

That's interesting. Thanks.

[TrueTomHarley]

On 10/19/2018 at 10:43 AM, Space Merchant said:

As technology advances, things like this will change. Who knows, in the next 50-75 or so years we could be paying bills or contributing to something financially with a mere thought 

I am ahead of the curve here. I have been trying to pay my bills this way for some time, so far unsuccessfully, and even occasionally incurring the ire of the payee, but, you know that the pioneers always take the arrows.

[TrueTomHarley]

On 10/19/2018 at 9:08 AM, JW Insider said:

Our efforts in working shoulder to shoulder are ways to help one another, encourage one another, and in some tenuous way, I would agree that they could "help" Jehovah.

I will go further to suggest that when you devise a completely new production and distribution channel to get a low-cost, even free, modern Bible into the hands of an impoverished person so that he or she is not stuck with some 200-year old turkey of a translation that he can neither afford nor understand, you are ‘helping’ the God who plainly wants people to be educated in his ways. I will even suggest that the Witness organization is not being arrogant in so doing.