as a god. In regard to his name his written Word, the Bible, disagrees with the following recent statement:c

⁴³ “Names of gods do not make religion any more than the names of men and women make up their personality. Names are originally given and used without any idea of comparison or contrast with other names. . . . Whether it be God, Jehovah, Bhagwan, Ishwar, Allah, Hari, Siva or Rama, it is the same Being that in vague manner is recalled by every devotee when he utters the name which he has been brought up to associate with the mystery of the universe and the idea of worship.”

44. What was known about the God to whom Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray?

⁴⁴ To the contrary, Jesus taught his disciples to pray, not to a so-called Mother-Father God,d or to a nameless God, but to a God whose name Jesus himself knew and the Israelite high priests knew. If God’s personal name, which is Jehovah, did not count, why did Jesus open the model prayer, teaching: “Our Father in heaven, your name be revered [or, be sanctified, NW]”? Those listening to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount were believers, not in the gods of India or other lands like it, but in the God whom Jesus himself worshiped. Christ’s own name honors the name of this God and heavenly Father, for the name Jesus means “Jehovah Is Salvation.”—Matt. 1:21.

(To be continued)

Pursuing My Purpose in Life

As told by Gust W. Maki

IN December, 1933, at Tampa, Florida, while I was busily attending to my job on board the S. S. Saramacca, a stranger came aboard with a handbag. Booklets he had, he said, were five cents each or six for a quarter. What caused me to stop? The Scripture quotations I noticed, and I handed the man a quarter. He, in turn, handed me the booklets. Putting them in my pocket, I continued with my work.

On my comparing the facts and the conditions on the earth with the scriptures, tracing the Bible texts with these booklets, it became clear to my understanding that this was the ‘good news of the Kingdom’ that Jesus taught his disciples to pray for. Other teachings, such as immortality of the soul, hell-fire torment, and trinity, I found out were Satan’s lies. As for the religions that I had been supporting and reverencing, I lost all respect for them.

I knew that I had found the truth, but how I could be a witness for Jehovah was not so clear. First I started by sending the Kingdom message to all my relatives and acquaintances far and near; and to strangers I tried to give booklets, to as many as possible. To many of my relatives and friends I repeatedly sent more literature, but none responded favorably. My sister in Minnesota replied, saying: “No one out here cares for that religion.” She had been