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Announcer: The following is a presentation of Tomorrow's World.
A lot of people talk about God. A lot of people argue about God. A lot of people wonder about God. But the Bible claims something extraordinary: That you can actually KNOW God. It's almost too incredible to believe when you think about it... That the Creator of all we see around us—the stars, the sun, the world—is actually someone we can know. How can we do that? Many don't know, but it's simpler than you think. We'll teach you how on today's program, as we answer the question, "Can I Really Know God?"
Stay tuned!
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Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow's World. My name is Wallace Smith, and I'm really glad you're here!
Let's get things going by asking you a personal question: Do you want to know God?
Many do but find it difficult. On one hand, we are increasingly surrounded by atheists and other skeptics who grow increasingly blind to all the evidence that there even is a God in the world. On the other hand, even for those who know God exists, there can be barriers to knowing Him. After all, He's GOD!
We may find the thought of an all-powerful God intimidating. Or we may consider ourselves too small to be worthy of having a relationship with our Creator or wonder if He is too distant and somehow "above" having a relationship with you. Yet, the Bible describes very simply how important it is to truly have a deep and abiding relationship with the Great God. As His Son Jesus Christ said to all of us in John 17 and verse 3: "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. [John 17:3]"
This IS eternal life! A relationship with the Creator of the Cosmos is vital for your future eternal life—and it is just as important for your life and your peace of mind, today.
But is it possible? Yes, it is.
Today on our program, we're going to give you five keys to knowing God. Each of these keys can take you a step closer to a life-transforming relationship with the very One who gives you life and breath. We'll also give you a few opportunities to request a rarely offered item on this program: Our DVD, "Claim God's Promises!" Be sure to write down the information you will see on your screen throughout the program so you can request your own free copy.
But, today, we'll focus on five keys that you can act on right now to come to really know God in a personal and dynamic way.
The first key you can use to know God is: Creation.
The entire world around us is the work of the master Creator of all things, and He tells us, in His word, that we can come to know Him better by spending time soaking in His Creation. The Apostle Paul tells us in the book of Romans that those who will sincerely and thoughtfully look at the world around them will find so much to learn about the God who created that world—and those who refuse to learn those things have to virtually willfully ignore them in order to deny that Creator. In Romans chapter 1, starting in verse 18, he tells us, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness because what may be made known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse..." [Romans 1:18-20] Paul tells us that many of God's invisible attributes can be clearly seen and understood by the things that are made—including his eternal power and Godhead, or His divinity and deity.
Now regrettably, in our world today, most of us are increasingly separated from the natural world. We live much of our lives with concrete under our feet and florescent lights above our heads. But if you would like to really know God, consider spending some time with His Creation. Take a walk at a local park. Get outside and enjoy the sky and the clouds and the trees and the grass. Find your way to a night sky unspoiled by street lights or city lights, and gaze at the vast universe above your head—stars from horizon to horizon and the beautiful Milky Way winding its way through that ocean of lights. Or look around you at the beautiful and exotic variety of lifeforms we share this planet with, in all their complexity. Look to the mountains, or stand on the beach and feel the spray of the ocean. In the colors of the rainbow and in the smiling face of a newborn child.
Creation cries out to us, seeking to teach us about the One who created it all!
The consistent and dependable order of the world and the cosmos tells us that GOD is orderly and lawful. Its complexity and design speaks to His unimaginable intelligence. The variety we see around us speaks to a God who loves creativity and beauty. For those who long to know their Creator, the creation, itself, is one of the best-kept secrets around. Experience it. Meditate on it.
Again, the Bible tells us that, "...since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead..." [Romans 1:20]
Do you want to know God?
One way to do so is to turn off the computer and the television, put down the phone, and examine His craftsmanship for what it will teach you. As the poet King David said in Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork."
Yet, this general revelation of who God is, available to all, is only the beginning. To know God deeply—and personally—there is so much more that you can do. We'll talk about those things in our next section. But first, let me give you an opportunity to request this free DVD, "Claim God's Promises!" This DVD contains three, full Tomorrow's World programs, which will enhance your walk with God, help you to know Him, and clear pathways to make His power more obvious in your life. The three full programs are titled, "Answered Prayer", "Overcoming Stress", and "God Heals!" This DVD is for you. YOU need to be able to claim God's promises. The DVD is completely free. Here's the information you need to get your copy.
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Announcer: For today's free, informative offer, send your request to Tomorrow's World, P.O. Box 3800, Charlotte, NC 28227 or call this toll-free number: 1-800-236-0531. That number again is 1-800-236-0531.
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Announcer: With this offer, you will also receive your free subscription to "Tomorrow's World" magazine, full of timely articles and unique insights on today's important issues. "Tomorrow's World" magazine keeps you up to date with world trends, bible prophecy, and the very meaning of life itself. "Tomorrow's World"... Call now!
Welcome back! Today we're asking and answering the question "Can I Really Know God?" by giving you five keys to doing just that. The first key we covered was taking advantage of His Creation, which reveals so much about Him. The next key in our list was given to us by God to help us do just that.
The second key to really knowing God is: The Bible—God's sacred word.
And this key is of extreme importance. Too often, today, people say they "know" God, but what they know is a "God" of their own creation—"God" as they imagine Him to be.
But if God is REAL, then He doesn't exist at the whim of our own desires. To know Him means getting to know the REAL HIM. And He has given us His word to help us do that. The Bible is like God's mind in print. Reading its pages tells us how He thinks, what He cares about, what angers Him, what fills Him with joy, what He plans to do with the world, and what He's planning for you and me. It tells you not only what He thinks of your hopes and dreams, but the Bible reveals His hopes and dreams, as well!
Though, in order to use the Bible to get to know God, we have to read it properly and consider it as a whole. He tells us in Isaiah 28:9-10 that to understand God's mind and will we need to put line upon line and precept upon precept. It can't just be part of the Bible—say, the New Testament or the Old Testament. It has to be the whole.
It's not hard to understand...
Imagine your grandfather had died before you ever knew him, but one day you discovered, perhaps in your grandmother's attic, an entire chest full of letters that he had written to your grandmother through the decades. Now while one letter, by itself, may not make sense without the one that came before it—or one letter out of context might even give you a wrong impression of your grandfather—you would come to understand your grandfather best by looking at the whole of what all the letters tell you.
It's no different with God.
To understand Him properly, we have to look at the whole of His word. In 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16, we're told, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness... [2 Timothy 3:16]" The Scripture—ALL Scripture—is given by inspiration of God—or, as some translations have it, it's "God-breathed." If we truly want to know Him, then we must commit ourselves to diving into His inspired word—studying it and growing to know it deeply and intimately.
Now if you find that intimidating, you might consider checking out our resources at TomorrowsWorld.org.
But keep in mind that it has to be about MORE than knowledge. Knowledge, by itself, does nothing but make us prideful. We have to ACT on what we learn!
That takes us to our next key to knowing God: Keeping His Commandments.
God's Word contains His Law and His commandments—the Ten Commandments. And in those commandments, we see a way of life that opens up to us the mind and character of God. BUT they're only understood if one actually obeys God and does them! As verse 10 of Psalm 111 says, "...a good understanding have all those who do His commandments... [Psalm 111:10]"
Part of the purpose of God for man here on this earth—for my life, for your life—is to produce His very own character in us. That is accomplished in part by seeking to live in accordance with His laws and His commands. God's mind is revealed in His commandments, and those who truly seek to know God must seek to keep His commandments. God commands all of us through the mouth of Paul as he said in Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..." God wants His mind, the mind of Jesus Christ, reproduced in our minds so that we think like He does, and in God's law, we see His mind in action.
What does it really mean to love others as God loves others? How can you and I learn to think like He thinks? Learning such things has to be more than an academic pursuit: It must be learned through a life of seeking to emulate Him and His character by obeying His commands. God's commandments are SO important to deeply understanding who God is, that one who does not or will not keep those commandments simply does not really know Him and is a LIAR if he or she says otherwise!
Now don't take my word on that: Read it in your own Bible—in 1 John 2:3-4. "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
That is straight talk from your own Bible! Anyone seeking to know God MUST keep His commandments. And if you or I want to know God, that includes us, too!
We have two more keys to knowing God left to cover in our program, but first let me take another brief opportunity to remind you of the DVD that we're offering to everyone watching around the world, today: "Claim God's Promises!" Containing three full Tomorrow's World programs designed to unlock the power of answered prayer and God's healing in your life, as well as help you find the peace of God in today's stressful times. This DVD will help open your understanding to a new and dynamic walk with God. Just call, write, or click to receive your own free copy, today.
Announcer: Today's offer is yours absolutely free, no cost, no obligation. Visit us online at TomorrowsWorld.org. Find us on Facebook, watch us on Youtube, and follow us on Twitter.
Welcome back! Today, we're discussing how you can come to really know God and understand Him—to make Him a part of your life. Not just to know about God, but to know God, Himself.
Let's review the first three keys we've mentioned so far on the program. First, we pointed you to Creation, encouraging you to truly open your eyes to all you can learn about the Divine Creator by soaking in the majesty and design of the world around you. Next, we directed you to God's Word, The Bible. That Word represents God's own mind in print, and though it is increasingly neglected, it is a great key to actually knowing the One who inspired it. Third, we highlighted the necessity of keeping God's Commandments. The Bible strongly declares that to claim to know God but to flagrantly violate and ignore His commandments makes us liars. God's character and heart is taught to us by not just knowing His commandments, but by keeping them.
Our fourth key today to knowing God, personally and intimately, is increasingly difficult in our busy world, but it is undeniably crucial: It is the practice of Regular Prayer.
Now, the Tomorrow's World program is broadcast around the world, to peoples of varying cultures and backgrounds, so I don't want to take for granted what you might think when you hear me speak of prayer. For instance, some might think of ritualistic chants in the manner of some, or long, memorized passages of words to be recited, or even formulaic repetitions of certain phrases. According to the Bible, these do not qualify as the sort of prayer that God longs to hear and that can help us to know Him like we seek!
In Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus Christ is very plain: "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."
No, formulaic repetitions are NOT any way of truly coming to KNOW Him! Quite the opposite, prayer needs to be a humble sharing, fellowshipping, and conversation with your Creator! Time in which you open your heart to Him and let Him know what is on your mind and what is in your soul.
Consider how you'd come to know a future mate. What would you do? You'd spend time together—talking to each other. Prayer should be your time, intimately communicating with your Creator and building a relationship with Him.
Much could be said about how to pray, and it would be beyond the scope of this program to go into depth about this deep and rich facet of the Christian experience. For now, let me focus on a few key points, but I should point out that if you have been frustrated by the feeling that your prayers are not heard or answered, one of the resources on the free DVD that we're sending out today is a full program on "Answered Prayer." You'll want to get that DVD.
But, for now, let me just say that if we're truly seeking to KNOW GOD, then we must put our hearts into our prayers. In fact, one of God's complaints about His people concerns this very thing. As the Moffat translation of the Bible renders His words in Hosea 7:14, "They never put their heart into their prayers..." However, if we do—if we humbly go to God and open up our hearts to Him, seeking His face and seeking to KNOW HIM in our lives—then we have His promise, just as He has said to Israel, "...you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord... [Jeremiah 29:13-14]
Consider how electricity only flows through a closed circuit. We read His Word, and allow Him to talk to us about what is on His mind and what He desires in the words He's recorded for us in the Bible. And in praying to Him, we complete that circuit by sharing with Him what is on our minds and our hearts. And in that rich, continual sharing and fellowshipping with God, we'll come to know Him more deeply.
But the last key we'll cover on today's program is the ultimate tool for knowing our Creator, without which the others will be of limited help. We'll explain this crucial key in the last portion of our program. But before we do, let me give you one more opportunity to request today's video resource—our DVD, "Claim God's Promises!" Your loving Creator longs to be able to work in your life, to answer your prayers, to provide healing and comfort; to give you peace in stressful times. His Word is FULL of His promises, and this DVD has been created with a mind toward your need of those divine promises in your life. As always, it is free of charge and without any obligation whatsoever. Get your copy today.
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Announcer: For today's free informative offer, send your request to Tomorrow's World, P.O. Box 3800, Charlotte, NC 28227. Or call this toll free number: 1-800-236-0531. That number, again, is 1-800-236-0531.
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Announcer: With this offer, you will also receive your free subscription to "Tomorrow's World" magazine full of timely articles and unique insights on today's important issues. "Tomorrow's World" magazine keeps you up to date with world trends, bible prophecy, and the very meaning of life itself. "Tomorrow's World"... Call now!
Welcome back. We've been talking today about how you can come to know God—to really know Him. Not just know ABOUT Him, but to KNOW Him.
This last key adds power to all the others, and without it, we can only go so far in truly coming to know God.
That last key is JESUS CHRIST Himself.
No one in existence has had a more intimate relationship to God the Father than Jesus Christ. Before He was born as a human being among the rest of the human beings He had created, the Bible says that Jesus Christ lived in intimate union with God as the "Logos" or the "Word," as they, together, existed in eternity past as the two persons of the Godhead. John describes this in chapter 1 and verse 1 of His gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [John 1:1]"
As he says later in verse 14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. [John 1:14]" As a member of the very God Family, walking and teaching amongst us 2,000 years ago as the Son of God, a vital part of His purpose was to reveal God the Father in heaven to us—to help us come to know more fully God the Father who sent Him. Jesus says in Matthew 11 verse 27 and in Luke 10 and verse 22 that Father must be revealed by the Son! And as He told His disciples in John 14:9, "...He who has seen Me has seen the Father..."
Now He wasn't saying that He WAS the Father! Rather, everything we need to know about God the Father was revealed through Jesus Christ! Study the life and teachings of Jesus in your own Bible! They are an unsurpassed key to knowing God.
In His selfless example of service, in His passionate devotion to His Father's commandments and His love for the Law of God and God's Way of Life, in His devotion to spending time in prayer and fellowship with God, in His heartfelt compassion for His students and the people to whom He preached... God's character and mind shine through to us in Jesus Christ's living example, like a bright beacon cutting through the fog!
There is a reason He tells us through the ages, "...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
Yes, you really CAN know God!
These keys can help you do just that—and if you'll apply them, your life will never be the same again.
Please don't forget to request your DVD, and please don't forget to join us again next week, right here on Tomorrow's World, or online any time. Richard Ames, Gerald Weston, and I will continue to share with you the teachings of Jesus Christ, the hope of the coming Kingdom of God, and the exciting end-time prophecies and their meaning. We'll see you right here, at this same time.
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Announcer: To view the Tomorrow's World telecast, or request today's free offer, visit us online at tomorrowsworld.org. Remember to find us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter.
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Announcer: The preceding program is produced by the Living Church of God.
