Page 4: Jose stirred up by sermons in the Catholic Church about land reform and labor rights, felt that he should take part in strikes and organized vandalism as a means of protest.
Correction: It is not wrong to preach against the sins of people.
James 5:1-6 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
Note: The Catholic Church does not advocate vandalism.
Page 6: When he learned that God has a name, Jehovah, and that He does not approve of image worship, Jose made changes so as to do what is pleasing in God's eyes. - Exodus 20:4, 5; Psalm 83:18; 1 John 5:21; Revelation 4:11.
Note: The Watchtower promotes the likeness of Paradise Earth continually.
Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;"
Page 6: And for an urban youth like Marco - accustomed to living in a violent environment - getting to know that God's Kingdom will make the earth a paradise has indeed been heartwarming. - Revelation 21:3, 4.
Correction: God will make the earth a paradise again.
Revelation 21:5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
Page 6: Even if you are just one who suffers from the effects of widespread vandalism, a study of God's Word will make Jehovah real to you as a loving heavenly Father who wants to care for you. (1 Peter 5:6, 7)
Note: Are you suffering for the name of Jesus?
1 Pet 4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
Page 6: In harmony with Ephesians 4:24, these sincere Christians have "put on the new personality which was created according to God's will in true righteousness and loyalty."
Note: The will of God is sincere faith and trust (belief) in Jesus Christ.
John 6:40 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Note: The righteousness of God is sincere faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.
Ephesians 4:20-21 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Page 6: Do you believe that vandalism really can be eradicated? If so, how will such a momentous change come about? God's Kingdom will soon eliminate this wicked system.
Correction: Jesus Christ will soon eliminate this wicked system.
Revelation 19:15-16 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Page 11: Jehovah could say of King David, who had at one point committed serious sins with Bathsheba, that he was a man "who walked after me with all his heart by doing only what was right in my eyes." (1 Kings 14:8) Why could God say this of David? Because he focused on repentant David's better qualities. He considered all the pertinent factors and chose to continue to extend mercy to his servant.
Correction: God forgave David based on his sincere repentance not his better qualities.
Psalm 51:1-9 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Page 14: Being that important, the question at Isaiah 40:28 merits our serious attention: "Have you not come to know or have you not heard? Jehovah, the Creator of the extremities of the earth, is a God to time indefinite."
Note: Jesus Christ is the same to time indefinite.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Page 14: Two verses earlier Isaiah wrote about the stars: "Raise your eyes high up and see. Who has created these things? It is the One who is bringing forth the army of them even by number ... Due to the abundance of dynamic energy, he also being vigorous in power, not one of them is missing."
Note: Jesus Christ is the Creator.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Page 14: Yes, the question "Have you not come to know?" is actually about the Creator of our universe. You personally may be convinced that Jehovah God is "the Creator of the extremities of the earth."
Note: Have you come to know Jesus Christ?
John 14:7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also;"
Page 19: We can well understand, then, why the psalmist was displaying both humility and wisdom when he begged the Creator: "Make me know your ways, O Jehovah; teach me your paths. Make me walk in your truth and teach me, for you are my God of salvation."
Note: Have you come to know Jesus Christ?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Page 19: THE apostle John, writer of the last Bible book, recorded this profound declaration about the Creator: "You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created." (Revelation 4:11)
Note: Both the Father and the Son receive blessing, honor, and glory in heaven.
Revelation 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
Page 19: Jehovah is the Source of even the stars, our sun being just a medium-sized star.
Note: God created the universe all by Himself without a helper.
Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;"
Hebrews 11:9-10 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Page 20: Well could Isaiah write about "the abundance of (the Creator's) dynamic energy, he also being vigorous in power." - Isaiah 40:26.
Note: Has the Holy Spirit come upon you?
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Page 21: An example of the former is the Creator's personal name. Only the Bible discloses both the Creator's name and its import.
Note: Do you know that the name of Jesus leads to eternal life?
Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Page 21: For us to come to know the Creator better, we need to appreciate that he is not just an abstract "First Cause" or a vague "I Am."
Correction: The Watchtower slanders God.
Exodus 3:14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
John 18:6 Now when He said to them, "I AM," they drew back and fell to the ground.
Page 21: By our knowing and using his name, we can better appreciate that he fulfills promises and actively brings his purpose to realization.
Correction: By your knowing and using the name of Jesus you will be known as a Christian.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Page 21: The Bible is the source of knowledge of God's purposes and personality. The Genesis record reveals that at one time mankind was at peace with God and had the prospect of a long, meaningful life. (Genesis 1:28; 2:7-9)
Note: The Romans record reveals that you can have peace with God.
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Page 22: Interestingly, instead of expecting people to use hocus-pocus - common with some "healers" of the past and present - the Creator displayed marvelous wisdom. He knew how to cure leprosy. He also manifested insight and justice in not permitting fraud to succeed.
Note: Jesus Christ cured people of leprosy numerous times.
Matthew 8:3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Luke 7:22-23 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."
Page 22: Thirty-nine of the Bible books were written before the time of Jesus, and it behooves us to read them.
Note: Don't allow the Watchtower to blind your mind to Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.
Page 22: That is most sad because one can learn so much about the Creator from the Great Teacher, Jesus. Having had a close relationship with God, he could reveal what our Creator is like. (John 1:18; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 1:3) And he did so. In fact, he once said: "He that has seen me has seen me has seen the Father also." - John 14:9.
Correction: He that has spiritually seen Jesus Christ has seen the Creator.
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Page 23: In contrast, Jesus reflected Jehovah's willingness to accept sincere men and women of all nations, even as we noted from the incident involving Elisha and Naaman.
Note: Jews and Gentiles will comprise one flock in one place namely heaven.
John 10:16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd."
Page 23: Thereafter, other Samaritans listened to Jesus and concluded: "We know that this man is for a certainty the savior of the world." - John 4:2-30, 39-42; 1 Kings 8:41-43; Matt. 9:10-13.
Note: There is only one savior of the world.
Isaiah 43:3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior.
Isaiah 45:15 Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior!
Isaiah 45:21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me.
Hosea 13:4 "Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; For there is no Savior besides Me."
Luke 2:11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Page 24: The Bible is not an antiquated book. One who studied and became a close associate of Jesus was John. He later wrote: "We know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us intellectual capacity that we may gain the knowledge of the true one. And we are in union with the true one, by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life everlasting."
Correction: The Watchtower mistranslates the Bible to downgrade Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
Page 24: It is a publication that will enhance your own faith in our Creator and your appreciation for his personality and ways. Why is this certain? Because Is There a Creator Who Cares About You? has been specially designed with such goals in mind.
Note: Is your faith in Jesus Christ?
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Page 29: That the one who was condemned by the Great Sanhedrin on a charge of blasphemy and thereafter impaled on a torture stake like an accursed criminal could be the Messiah was thus completely alien, unacceptable, and repellent to their mentality.
Correction: The "torture stake" is a fable.
John 20:25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
Correction: Jesus Christ was not impaled.
Webster's: to pierce with or as if with something pointed.
Correction: A telephone pole "torture stake" was not carried to Calvary.
Matthew 27:32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.
John 19:17-18 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.