[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]
Escape from Reality?
Has “reality” become a kind of escapism for some? The dictionary tells us that “reality shows” are “television programs that do not use professional actors but show real events and situations involving ordinary people”.
Encyclopedia Britannica commented that at the end of the 20th Century, “the reality genre was tending more toward voyeurism and less toward reality”.
Television programs and news portray both fantasy and reality. But we must face reality in major dimensions of life: business, science, industry, education, and religion. In the realm of mental health, awareness of reality often becomes a major element. For example, the legal definition for insanity is:
“mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior”.
How many millions of people all over the world have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality? In our world today, we have many upsetting and disastrous events and trends. We face COVID-19 pandemic, raging fires destroying cities and vast areas killing one billion animals in Australia as well as buildings and humans; we face dramatic crises in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Floods, droughts, typhoons, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wars and conflicts also affect millions of people around the world.
These are realities we all face. Scientific American magazine devoted one issue to “Searching for Reality in UNREAL TIMES” (September, 2019). But what is the GREATEST reality? My friends, there is a new world coming, a new world government called the Kingdom of God. We refer to it as Tomorrow’s World. You can find courage, comfort, and assurance in the promises of your Bible. You need to know what is the Greatest Reality!
Stay tuned!
Which Reality are YOU Living In?
Warm greetings to all our friends around the world!
We are living in a world experiencing chaos, confusion, disaster, and decay. Is there any hope for the future? We’ve documented that hope on Tomorrow’s World. But we have challenges in preparing for this new world to come. One of the best ways to prepare for that wonderful future is to face the realities of our day. We must cope with our personal realities concerning finances, schooling, family relations, employment, and health! We know the pain of bodily injury, migraine headaches, and deadly diseases. And sometimes those trials encourage us to seek God and His help.
Knowing the greatest reality can help all of us through the challenging times ahead.
We’ve described the times in which we live as chaotic and dangerous and divided. Scientific American magazine stated it as “unreal times.” In its special issue, the cover featured this title: “Truth, Lies & Uncertainty, Searching for Reality in UNREAL TIMES” (September, 2019). The editors stated: “In this special issue of Scientific American, we set out to explore how it is that we can all live in the same universe yet see reality so differently” (p. 27).
There are different views of reality, or various elements of reality. The Scientific American magazine explores the subject of TRUTH through three topics: PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, AND NEUROSCIENCE.
- PHYSICS > “Virtually Reality. How close can physics—the most fundamental of the sciences—bring us to an understating of the foundations of reality?” By George Musser.
- MATHEMATICS > “Is math real?” By Kelsey Houston-Edwards.
- NEUROSCIENCE > “In a sense, we really are all living in different worlds: ‘reality’ is constructed by the brain, and no two brains are exactly alike” by Anil K. Seth (p. 1).
We witness the reality of physics and mathematics in our technologically advanced age: in instant communication around the world, in transportation, in space travel. The calculations, planning, and design are based on predictable laws of cause and effect. That’s why twelve men were able to walk on the moon and space vehicles have landed on Mars for exploration.
The laws of physics are a reality! Did they exist at the beginning of the universe? And how can we survive in this vast universe, only, as far as we know, on this little planet called Earth? Carl Sagan called planet Earth a “lonely speck” in the cosmic dark. Must we then conclude that we are so insignificant as to be meaningless? Should we conclude that the universe is meaningless? Consider the precision required for the existence of the universe, and the existence of intelligent human life. Astrophysicists Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose commented on the precision required at the origin of the universe: “If the rate of expansion one second after the big bang had been less by one part in 10^10, the universe would have collapsed after a few million years. If it had been greater by one part in 10^10, the universe would have been essentially empty after a few million years. In neither case would it have lasted long enough for life to develop. Thus one either has to appeal to the anthropic principle or find some physical explanation of why the universe is the way it is” (Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose, The Nature of Space and Time, pp. 89–90).
Where did the laws of the universe come from? Your Bible states in James 4:12, “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.”
A Reality Designed for Life, but by Whom?
We discussed one of the hard realities we can all agree upon: the existence of predictable, absolute laws of nature, such as the laws of physics. If we are to face the reality of their existence, we also need to answer the question of their real origin. The free study guide we are offering today answers that question. We also need to answer the question of life. Your existence is a reality. But where did life come from? Evolutionists speculate with unproven theories and simply cannot answer the question: “What is the origin of life?” Have human beings been able to prove that life has come from non-life? Gerald Weston, fellow presenter and Editor in Chief of Tomorrow’s World magazine, challenged our readers to consider the scientific evidence in his article “Three Pillars of Stability in Difficult Times.” Here’s a brief excerpt:
Bill Bryson is a prolific and captivating writer. Even though he is an evolutionist, he writes time and again about the miracle of life and the impossibility of it just happening by chance. Go figure! In The Body: A Guide for Occupants, he states the following: “You could call together all the brainiest people who are alive now or have ever lived and endow them with the complete sum of human knowledge, and they could not between them make a single living cell.” (2019, p. 4) (Tomorrow’s World, January 2021, p. 6).
That’s right! Human beings have demonstrated that it is impossible for life to evolve from non-life. The amazing complexity of human life processes should help us understand that life demands a life-giver. And if evolutionists believe in such an impossibility, are they really facing reality? Dr. Winnail discusses the origin of life in the vital study guide we are offering today, The Real God, Proofs and Promises. He states:
Human beings can speculate that life could be generated spontaneously from non-living matter, but the facts do not agree with these speculations. Man has not been able to produce life—in spite of considerable effort on the part of highly intelligent individuals. Scripture portrays God as creating life. In Genesis 2:7 we read: “The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being”—something all the sophisticated laboratories in the world have been unable to begin to duplicate. Life demands a lifegiver. There appears to be no other way (p. 12).
Yes, the Creator God is the Life-giver. We will describe more of God’s revealed power later in the program. When we consider just the intricate design and complexity in the human body, let alone a discussion of the vast universe, which we commented on earlier, we see intelligence and mind-power far beyond that of humans.
Stephen C. Meyer, of the Discovery Institute, has studied extensively the evidence of intelligent design in the creation:
So, everything we know in our experience, suggests that information rich systems, arise from intelligent design. But what do we make of the fact that there is information in life, in every living cell, of every living organism? That’s the fundamental mystery. Where does that information come from? (Unlocking the Mystery of Life DVD, [59:30 > 1:00:05]).
Our human DNA is one of those information-rich systems. But just how information-rich is DNA? Writing for Science magazine, Robert F. Service reports that “DNA could store all of the world’s data in one room.” He explains this amazing phenomenon:
Humanity has a data storage problem: More data were created in [this] past 2 years than in all of preceding history. And that torrent of information may soon outstrip the ability of hard drives to capture it. Now, researchers report that they’ve come up with a new way to encode digital data in DNA to create the highest-density large-scale data storage scheme ever invented. Capable of storing 215 petabytes (215 million gigabytes) in a single gram of DNA, the system could, in principle, store every bit of datum ever recorded by humans in a container about the size and weight of a couple of pickup trucks (March 2, 2017).
Scientists find intelligent design in the complexity of life, in the remarkable instruction manual of DNA, and in the glorious universe. That design also reveals the reality of a purpose. What is the purpose of the universe? My friends, we live in an awesome universe. Some of you may have seen the movie, A Theory of Everything. It’s a fascinating story of the astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and his challenge in fighting a devastating disease that left him virtually, completely paralyzed. In spite of his physical limitations, he was able to prove that the universe did not always exist, that the universe had a beginning, and that time itself had a beginning. One of his life goals was to propose a fundamental theory to explain the universe. And he wrote the following:
If we do discover a complete theory, it should in time be understandable in broad principle by everyone, not just a few scientists. Then we shall all be able to take part in the discussion of why the universe exists. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason. For then we would know the mind of God (The Theory of Everything, Stephen Hawking, p. 136).
My friends, can you know the mind of God?
The Ultimate Reality, Truth Within Reach
Our world is saturated with fraud, deceptions, counterfeits, and misinformation. When you can find “truth,” you will find reality that produces wisdom, true knowledge, and understanding and abundant living. Where can you find truth and reality?
Tomorrow’s World magazine featured the challenging article, “What Is Truth?” (March-April 2014). You can access it on the TomorrowsWorld.org website. Can truth be found through science, speculation, or materialism? Does absolute Truth even exist? You need to know! Fellow presenter and Executive Editor, Pastor Wallace Smith, writes:
Science has given us an amazing understanding of how many aspects of our world work—but when we begin to look at it as the only real “source” of truth, we find it to be a poor source, indeed. Mathematical truths, aesthetic truths, truths about our purpose and the meaning of our lives—even the most fundamental moral truths and the most basic concepts of right and wrong—none of these is accessible through the microscope of the biologist or the telescope of the astronomer. An answer to the question “What is truth?” will need to be found elsewhere” (pp. 17–18).
We’ve seen the evidence of true science and the hard laws of physics, but the truth of life opens our minds to far greater depth of knowledge and understanding. Longtime viewers of Tomorrow’s World are familiar with the solid truth revealed in your Bible. There is scientific truth and there is spiritual truth. Which is more important? If you have your Bible, turn to John the eighth chapter. The Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, told those who would be His disciples in John 8:32,
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Where can we find spiritual truth? Here, in this “mysterious” book, the Holy Bible. The Apostle Paul wrote to the young evangelist Timothy, emphasizing that the Scriptures revealed the way to salvation:
“But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14–17).
My friends, I challenge you to prove the truth of Scripture. Our TomorrowsWorld.org website offers many free resources you can access. And remember: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”
When Jesus Christ was facing crucifixion, the night before He prayed a fervent prayer. He gave us this assurance in His prayer:
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17)
Yes, you can seek God by reading His revealed truth, the Holy Bible, You can seek God by praying to Him and confessing your sins. It tells us in 1 John 1:9,
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
In this informative study guide, The Real God: Proofs and Promises, Dr. Winnail comments on Proof 6, Answered Prayer:
It is from the Bible, not naturalistic science, that we learn about prayer. Scripture abounds with examples of answered prayers (p. 22).
Your Bible contains many encouraging promises concerning prayer. Jesus gave this promise in Matthew 7:7,
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Yes, God tells us to call upon Him while He is near. There is a time coming when Bible prophecy reveals that the way of escape will be closed. The prophet Amos tells of a future time when divine truth will NOT be available. Amos 8:11:
“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, but shall not find it’” (Amos 8:11–12).
A Real Future and a Hope
My friends, we’ve discussed physical realities and spiritual realities. So, in conclusion, what is the greatest reality? Turn to Revelation 19:6:
“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”
Yes, God is omnipotent, all powerful, and He rules the universe and all creation. In just three words, the greatest reality is “God reigns supreme.” He tells us in Isaiah 40, for example, that:
“Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales… All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.”
He tells us in Psalm 24,
“The earth is the LORD’S, and all [the] fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.”
And Psalm 103:19,
“The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all” (New International Version).
Evolutionists and atheists deny the reality of the spirit world. God condemns them for their rejection of truth. Romans 1:18,
“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 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).
God also states in Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1,
“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
My friends, consider the awesome evidence God has given us in the creation and in his fulfilled biblical prophecies. Consider His loving plan to forgive you your sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, as it tells us in 1 John 1:7:
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The Bible reveals the great reality that God rules and reigns supreme over all the creation. But it also reveals the great reality of His love for human beings. We could also state that the greatest reality is “God is love!” stated twice in 1 John 4 (vv. 8, 16).
May God bless you as you seek the real God of creation and love. Prove to yourself what is the greatest reality.
Thank you for watching! Remember to subscribe so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video, and if you would like a copy of our booklet The Real God: Proofs and Promises for free, click the link in the description. See you next time.
