Participants: Eric Garloff
Series Code: WWJ
Program Code: WWJ000010
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00:15 Hello, I'm Eric Garloff, your host for Walking With Jesus.
00:18 History often remembers people for what they have accomplished 00:22 in their lives. 00:23 To gain a greater insight into the life of an individual 00:26 we often study what they stood for, what kind of character 00:30 they possessed, what impact they had on society, 00:33 and in the world, etc. 00:35 So it is with God also. 00:38 Today, in episode number 10 we're going to be talking about 00:42 gaining a knowledge of God. 00:45 In past programs we have mentioned that God's 00:49 fingerprints, so to speak, can be seen in the things 00:52 He has created. 00:54 Studying His creation then becomes one of the ways we can 00:58 gain a deeper knowledge of God Himself. 01:00 As we do this we learn of His infinite wisdom and power. 01:05 We experience something of His endless love for humanity 01:09 as He prepared a world of infinite marvels and beauty 01:13 for us to enjoy. 01:14 The unsearchable secrets of the universe lie with Him as He 01:19 has created and ordained all things that are, and all things 01:23 that will ever be. 01:24 All nature, whether found on land, or in the sea, 01:27 or in the heavens above testify and proclaim something about 01:31 the God of Creation. 01:33 This is just one of the many avenues in which a person can 01:36 experience God and gain a knowledge of Him. 01:39 Before I continue, however, I'd like to point out one thing. 01:43 Every man, woman, and child would do well to keep an open 01:47 mind about the existence of God. 01:49 You see many have already made up their minds and claim 01:53 that there is no God, but this is a reckless and irresponsible 01:57 path to follow. 01:58 Here's what I mean by that. 02:02 If a person assumes there is no God, and he or she lives 02:06 their life according to that belief, and then finds out 02:09 at the end of time that God really does exist, 02:12 then that person has forfeited their eternal life because they 02:16 rejected the only One who could save them from eternal death. 02:21 On the other hand, what could you possibly lose by believing 02:25 in Jesus as the Savior of the world, and by following Him 02:28 in doing good for others? 02:29 Friends, there's absolutely nothing to lose, but I tell you 02:33 today, there's everything to gain. 02:35 A second avenue that you can examine to gain a knowledge 02:39 of God is to study the miracles found in the historical writings 02:44 of the Bible. 02:45 For example, just recently I saw a story floating around 02:49 on the internet where the scientists claimed that they can 02:52 explain the parting of the Red Sea. 02:56 Now they said that a constant wind blowing at 65-67 mph 03:02 would be enough to hold back the water at a certain location 03:05 of the Red Sea. 03:06 This would then permit the children of Israel to walk over 03:10 to the other side. 03:11 Now the people who were saying this did not believe in the 03:14 miracle which God had performed at the Red Sea. 03:17 They were trying to find a scientific explanation 03:21 to eliminate God from the equation. 03:23 However, when you study the Biblical account, 03:26 you will notice things which cannot be answered by the 03:30 scientific explanation that was proposed. 03:32 One such detail, which the scientists admitted 03:36 in this article themselves, is the fact that the Bible account 03:40 states the children of Israel walked through the parted Sea, 03:44 which had a wall of water on both sides, on their left 03:47 and on their right. 03:51 You see, my friend, when God works a miracle there is no 03:55 human explanation for it. 03:56 In the case the scientists proposed the water would have 04:00 only formed a wall of water upstream from them. 04:04 The down stream water would have all flowed away, 04:07 and the rest of the seabed downstream from them 04:10 would have been emptied, as the water would have continued 04:13 to flow away. 04:16 The scientist's explanation would have had some really 04:21 unbelievable timing attached to it as well as the Biblical 04:25 account said that God parted the sea to provide the children 04:28 of Israel an escape route from the pursuing Egyptian army. 04:32 Not only that, but the sea only remained parted long enough 04:37 for the Israelites to safely pass through after which 04:41 the sea closed up again just in time to swallow up the whole 04:44 Egyptian army that had entered the sea in pursuit 04:47 of the Israelites. 04:48 Yes, my friend, there is just too much coincidence here, 04:53 don't you think? 04:54 Too many orchestrated events of timing to actually think 04:59 this was a freak of nature, a thing of chance, 05:02 something which just happened at the right time, 05:04 and for the exact length of time needed to accomplish their 05:08 escape, and the destruction of the Egyptian army. 05:12 There are at least three other avenues which can be explored 05:16 and which will lead you into a deeper knowledge of God. 05:19 I would suggest that all five of these avenues 05:22 that I'm sharing with you here today should be traveled 05:25 in your search of a knowledge of God. 05:27 Just to recap, we have already spoken of finding God in nature, 05:32 and also in the historical accounts of the Bible. 05:35 The next place you can find God is in the prophetic events 05:39 of the Bible. 05:40 Now, the fulfillment of these prophetic events can also be 05:44 tied to history, but what makes the prophetic events different, 05:48 and a separate avenue of research is the fact that 05:52 prophecy is something which is told before it happens. 05:55 Many of these things just simply could not be known by man. 05:59 They had to be spoken by an all knowing God; a God who knows 06:04 the end from the beginning, a God who guides the events 06:08 of time and knows the course that humanity will trod. 06:11 There are many prophecies in the Bible which display 06:15 the foreknowledge, and the study of these will leave you utterly 06:19 amazed at the accuracy of their exact fulfillment. 06:23 There are prophecies which predict the rise and fall 06:27 of successive nations, impacting the landscape of the world 06:31 as we know it today. 06:32 There are prophecies which predict local events 06:36 in the lives of individual people. 06:38 There are prophecies which predicted the exact time the 06:42 Messiah would come, how long He would minister to humanity 06:45 on this earth, and when He would give His life as our Savior. 06:49 There are also prophecies concerning the setting up 06:53 of God's kingdom here on this earth. 06:56 Now most prophecies have already taken place with great accuracy. 07:02 And when we see these having already been fulfilled, 07:05 we are inspired with trust in God and believe in His word 07:09 that those prophecies yet to come will also be fulfilled 07:13 exactly as He has predicted. 07:17 The fourth avenue that a person can follow, to gain a knowledge 07:21 of God, is in finding other people who themselves 07:24 have already traveled these same roads. 07:26 A person can gain much from talking to those who have 07:29 already had this personal experience with God. 07:32 That's why it's so important as Christians to share 07:36 one's faith with others. 07:37 It is here where we can fill in the information that they need 07:41 to find a deeper and more fulfilling knowledge of God 07:45 in their own lives. 07:46 This sharing of our faith, however, must also be 07:49 accompanied by a life which has been transformed 07:51 by the grace of God; a life which reflects the character 07:55 of God, and proclaims what God has done for you, 07:58 or for me, for us. 08:00 Perhaps the most important avenue to gaining a knowledge 08:04 of God is the fifth avenue, which I'm going to mention 08:06 right now. 08:07 This is the study of the story of redemption in the life 08:10 of Jesus as found in the Holy Bible. 08:12 The book, Steps to Christ, has this to say about the fifth 08:16 avenue, and it's found on page 61. 08:55 Our faith and love will grow stronger, and our prayers 08:59 will be more and more acceptable to God because they will be 09:03 more and more mixed with faith and love. 09:06 They will be intelligent and fervent. 09:42 As we just saw in this passage, the infinite mercy and love 09:47 of Jesus, the sacrifice made on our behalf, call for the most 09:51 serious and solemn reflection. 09:52 I truly believe it's by traveling in this avenue 09:56 that a person will discover the riches of obtaining a knowledge 09:59 of God, and where a person will find the strength and desire 10:03 to travel the other avenues leading to an even deeper 10:06 understanding and knowledge of God. 10:09 So then, my friends, I encourage every one of you who is 10:13 searching for a knowledge of God to follow these five avenues 10:17 with an open heart, and an open mind. 10:19 The promise of God in Jeremiah 29:13 is: 10:31 Yes, friend, if you search for God with all of your heart, 10:34 you will find Him. 10:35 He will speak to your conscience and lead you along the pathway 10:40 of life. 10:41 Just to recap now, these five avenues, once again, 10:44 are as follows: 1. The study of nature, 10:48 leading you to see the fingerprints of God 10:50 in His creation. 10:51 2. The study of Biblical history, especially focusing 10:55 on the miracles of the Bible, and leading you into an 10:58 understanding of the awesome power of God. 11:00 Another is the study of the prophetic events of the Bible 11:04 proving that no matter how bad things may look, or get, 11:08 that God is still in control of the universe. 11:10 A study, so to speak, in the movement of God in the lives of 11:15 real people as you meet them in your daily search, learning how 11:20 God has worked in, and impacted their own life. 11:23 And finally, and most importantly, a study of the 11:26 redemption story proving God's great love for you 11:30 was manifested in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary 11:33 for your sins and for mine. 11:38 A few words of wisdom in regards to reading the Bible are found 11:41 in Steps to Christ, page 62, which says, There is but little 11:45 benefit derived from a hasty reading of the scriptures. 12:35 But there are others whose meaning does not lie on the 12:38 surface to be seen at a glance. 12:40 Scripture must be compared with scripture. 13:16 So you see, my friends, it's vitally important that we come 13:20 to the Bible with the right intentions asking God in prayer 13:24 to reveal Himself to us as we study His Holy Word. 13:27 I pray this program has helped to guide you in your thoughts 13:31 and your plans to gain a deeper knowledge of God. 13:35 In doing this you will not only come to know Him personally, 13:38 but you will also continue to grow in Him day by day. 13:41 May God, according to His mercy and grace grant you 13:45 that which you need the most as you continue walking with Jesus. 13:53 Growing your walk with Jesus is very important, so we ask you 13:57 to read your Bible each day, and practice what you learn 14:01 on a daily basis. 14:02 Join us for our next program where we will discuss 14:06 how you can open your heart to God. |
Revised 2014-12-17