Brother Richie Juatco: Regardless of a person’s life philosophies or religious beliefs, a common goal of people in general is to live peacefully and wisely in every stage of life. So how can the Bible help a person achieve this? Stay with us. This is what we will study today here on The Message.
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The Message
Brother Richie Juatco
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Richie: Hello, I’m Brother Richie Juatco, and with me again here in our San Francisco Bay Area studios is Brother Bernard Daos. Hi, Brother Bernard!
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The Message
Brother Bernard Daos
Minister of the Gospel
How can the Bible help me?
Brother Bernard Daos: Hi, Brother Richie! We are not oblivious to the fact that many people live their life without any knowledge or influence of the Bible. So there are those who are not familiar with what is written in the Bible, but are open to it, and often they ask, “How can the Bible help me?”
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The Importance of the Bible in our Daily Life
Brother Bernard: What is the value of the Bible, which is also known as the Holy Scriptures? And how can a person benefit from its words?
Brother Richie: Brother Bernard, we’ll go straight to what is actually written in the Bible or the Holy Scriptures. We’ll read here in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 15, and it says this:
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… 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.
[2 Timothy 3:16-17, 15 New King James Version]
How to build a relationship with God
Brother Richie: So here we can see the value or benefit of the Holy Scriptures that it is, as we read, “profitable for doctrine.” So if one is looking to build a relationship with God, then those fundamental policies or doctrines needed are found in the Bible. What else is the benefit? We read it is, “for reproof [or] correction,” which is extremely valuable to all of us because all of us make mistakes and we need help and correction. And by following the instructions written in the Bible, then the wrong a person did can be made right. Why? because we read that this is, “for instruction in righteousness.”
Brother Bernard: In every aspect of one’s life, whether one is young or old, maybe still in school or employed and working towards their job or career, or maybe looking for a partner in life, looking for guidelines of how to enter into marriage, or maybe already have their own family and needing advice on how to parent or to raise a family–all the instruction, the guidance on these life choices are found written in the Bible. But aside from all of this, what is the Bible’s greatest value?
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The Importance of the Bible in our Daily Life
Brother Richie: We also read that it is, “able to make you wise for salvation.” So no one in their right mind would minimize salvation, but just wanting it doesn’t mean you’ll have it. One needs to have a wisdom to attain it. Where can we get that? Well, that’s in the Bible.
Brother Bernard: But you see, Brother Richie, that might lead one to ask what makes the words that are written in the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, what makes them so effective? What makes them so unique and different from other books that people have written?
Brother Richie: Well, we read, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” So it is not words of people, but rather of God. Now some may argue that they have a good sense of judgment and are able to distinguish the right way to handle life without the guidance or help of the Bible. So, Brother Bernard, why should we rely on God’s words instead of our own human inclinations?
Brother Bernard: Well, let’s turn to what’s written in the book of Proverbs chapter 14, verse 12. And this is what is recorded for all of us to know:
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
[Proverbs 14:12 New King James Version]
Brother Bernard: No one can argue with this biblical truth or ever say that they never made mistakes. But all honest mistakes are made when a person decides on what, “seems right,” at the time, and then only to end up learning that it was wrong.
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The Message
Brother Richie Juatco
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Richie: Now the reality is that we as human beings, we have limitations. There is only so much we could know, or understand, or foresee. That is why there is a saying: To err—or commit errors—is human.”
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The Message
Brother Bernard Daos
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bernard: Yes, Brother Richie, and with all that said, there are certain things in life that we cannot afford to be wrong about. Why not? Because remember what we read, “its end is the way of death.” So that’s why everyone needs help and guidance.
Brother Richie: Brother Bernard, why should everyone look to God? Why should one look to God for that help or guidance that was mentioned? What is one of the biblical truths about God?
Brother Bernard: I’d like to read what’s recorded in the Book of 1 John chapter 3, verse 20. Here is what it teaches us:
For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
[1 John 3:20 New King James Version]
Brother Bernard: So according to the Bible, unlike us human beings, “God… knows all things.” Therefore it’s only logical, it’s only wise to use God’s words as a guide to navigate through life.
How authentic is the Bible?
Brother Richie: Now at this point of our discussion there might be some of you watching that might be thinking, “I have no problem admitting that I have limitations in knowledge and understanding of life,” and you might even totally agree that God has no such limitations and He does know all things. But some might think, “I would love to follow His words, but what is the proof that the words written in the Bible are God’s words?” Brother Bernard, how authentic is the Bible in being God’s words?
Brother Bernard: Brother Richie, that is a legitimate concern and that’s why evidence needs to be provided to prove that the Bible is the words of God.
Brother Richie: So let’s approach the situation this way: Number one, let’s first find out what are the qualities of God’s words? And then number two, let’s test the Bible to see if it possesses that quality.
Brother Bernard: So let’s begin there. What is the quality or the characteristic of God’s words?
Brother Richie: For that we’ll turn to what’s written in 2 Samuel 7, and the verse is 28, and it says this:
“And now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.
[2 Samuel 7:28 New King James Version]
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The Importance of the Bible in our Daily Life
Brother Richie: According to what we read, God’s words are true. They are the truth, also written in John 17:17. And because truth does not contradict truth, there is no contradiction in God’s words. That is the quality. That is the characteristic or attribute of God’s words.
Brother Richie: So, Brother Richie, God’s words are true. So what exactly does that mean for all of our viewers?
Brother Richie: Well since it was the Bible that told us that God’s words are true, let’s have the Bible explain what that means. We’ll read from what’s written here in Isaiah 46, the verse is 11, and this is the explanation:
From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.
[Isaiah 46:11 New International Version]
Brother Richie: Here, God is the One that explains that what He said is true. He states, “What I have said, that I will bring about.” So what God says will actually happen. The words of God is so much more powerful than the words of people because God is all-powerful and people are not. People say and claim a lot of things, but they either lie about them or they don’t have the power to make them happen.
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The Message
Brother Richie Juatco
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Richie: However, God said, “what I have planned, that I will do.”
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The Message
Brother Bernard Daos
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bernard: So, Brother Richie, now we have a way to test if the Bible is the words of mere people or if they are the words of God. Are there things written in the Bible thousands, many years ago about events that will happen in the future? Because if that is the case, then it cannot be the words of mere human beings.
Brother Richie: So let’s turn to one prophecy written in the Book of Matthew chapter 24, here in verses 6-7:
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
[Matthew 24:6-7 New International Version]
Brother Richie: The Bible mentions an alarming war that will be heard, talked about, and rumored. Now this particular war is then followed by another war of that magnitude where, as we read, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” So these two wars, they will affect the whole world. Brother Bernard, how detailed is the Bible describing the first of these two wars?
Brother Bernard: Well, for that answer, Brother Richie, let’s turn to the Book of Jeremiah chapter 4, verses 11, 13 and I’d also like to read 19. Here is what is recorded:
At that time it will be said To this people and to Jerusalem, “A dry wind of the desolate heights blows in the wilderness Toward the daughter of My people—Not to fan or to cleanse—“Behold, he shall come up like clouds, And his chariots like a whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are plundered!” O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.
[Jeremiah 4:11, 13, 19 New King James Version]
Brother Bernard: Here the Bible speaks of, “A dry wind of the desolate heights [that] blows in the wilderness.” Now, what is that referring to? We read, “The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.” But take note, what will be present in this war? It says, “horses [that] are swifter than eagles [and] chariots like a whirlwind.”
Brother Richie: Now, since we learned that God’s words are true and will happen, because God Himself will do what He says, did these events in the Bible actually happen?
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The Importance Of The Bible In Our Daily Life
Brother Richie: Were there two wars that affected the whole world which had, as you read, horses swifter than eagles, chariots like a whirlwind? Because if it did, then we do have evidence that proves that the Bible is not words of people, but words of God. Is there evidence of that, Brother Bernard?
Brother Bernard: Well, Brother Richie, for the evidence, let’s look in the history that has been recorded. Here is a book entitled World History, on page 478 to 479. This was written by Arthur Boak, Preston Slosson, and Howard Anderson, this book entitled World History, this is what it states:
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The First World War was unlike any war in the past. … This was the first war ‘in three dimensions,’ the first war in which cities were bombed from the air and winged warriors fought among the clouds.
Of course the airplanes of 1914 were not so fast, so formidable, nor so numerous as those today. They were really more important as scouts (a kind of aerial “cavalry”), photographing enemy movements from above, … so the soldiers had to turn themselves into beavers and malls, and dig deep trenches. … the British had invented the tank, or land battleship — an armored automobile which could move on rough ground because it was built like a tractor …
[World History, Vol. 2 pp.478-479
(Arthur E.R. Boak, Preston Slosson, and Howard R. Anderson.
World History. Madison, New Jersey: United States
Armed Forces Institute, 1942)]
Brother Bernard: Here we read, “The First World War was unlike any war in the past.” It is called the First World War because there was a Second World War that followed.
Brother Richie: Brother Bernard, what made the First World War, what made it very different or unique from any other war before it?
Brother Bernard: Well, Brother Richie, as we read, it was due to the weapons that were used for the first time in this war, which included inventions of the airplane and tanks. Now did you notice how the historians described them? They said, “the airplanes of 1914 were…a kind of aerial ‘cavalry.’”
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The Message
Brother Bernard Daos
Minister of the Gospel
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The Message
Brother Richie Juatco
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Richie: Now for those of us [who] are watching, we need to understand that a cavalry is a group of warriors who fight on horseback. Now why are they described as an aerial cavalry? Where were these warriors or cavalry fighting?
Brother Bernard: As we have read, they were “winged warriors,” and they “fought among the clouds.”
Brother Richie: Now if we remember how the Bible described this particular war, it did mention how there would be “horses [that] are swifter than eagles.” Is this a coincidence, or is God doing what He said in the Bible? Let’s recall what the Bible mentioned would be included in this war. Brother Bernard read from the Bible earlier that there will be “chariots like a whirlwind.” Now we know a whirlwind or a tornado destroys any obstacle in its path. What sort of chariot did the First World War utilize that could not be stopped like a whirlwind, Brother Bernard?
Brother Bernard: Well, Brother Richie, remember we read, “the British had invented the tank, or [a sort of] land battleship — an armored automobile which could move on rough ground because it was built like a tractor.”
Brother Richie: We can clearly see that the words written in the Bible, they actually happened, proving that they are not words of mere people but rather words of God.
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The Importance Of The Bible In Our Daily Life
Brother Richie: This is why we should depend on the Bible and use it as our guide. Remember that, as human beings, we are limited in our knowledge and understanding, and we need God Who knows all things to guide us.
Brother Bernard, what is the best way to understand and value God’s words?
Brother Bernard: Well Brother Richie, for that answer, let’s turn to the Book of Psalms, in chapter 119 and verse 105, here’s what it teaches us:
Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.
[Psalm 119:105 Good News Translation]
Brother Bernard: The truth is that the words of God, the Bible says, is a lamp meant to guide. Those who are truly enlightened are the ones who are guided by the light of God’s words, in order that they will be able to see, they will be able to know the right path that they should take.
Brother Richie: Brother Bernard, how does the Bible describe people who go through life without God’s words?
Brother Bernard: Well now let’s turn to the Book of Isaiah, chapter 59, verse 10, and here is also what the Bible describes:
… we grope about like blind people. We stumble at noon, as if it were night, as if we were in the dark world of the dead.
[Isaiah 59:10 Good News Bible]
Brother Bernard: Therefore, life without God or God’s words is like living in the dark. People without God’s words, the Bible says, “grope about like blind people.” And unfortunately, we are witnessing this truth of these Biblical words in the lives of many people today. Because without God’s words, without God’s guidance, many people are just guessing, …
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The Message
Brother Bernard Daos
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bernard: … they’re trying to feel their way through life, and sometimes only to end up constantly stumbling unnecessarily.
Brother Richie: Do you want to learn God’s words in order to truly know the right path to take?
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The Message
Brother Richie Juatco
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Richie: That is where we want to help you. In fact, this is the only reason why the Church Of Christ produces programs like this. Our goal is to make known the words of truth written in the Bible—not what we think is written, not what we feel is the truth but rather the pure gospel recorded in the Holy Scriptures.
Brother Bernard: And for that, Brother Richie, what is the biblical instruction regarding trusting in God and His words and the positive results it would bring to one’s life?
Brother Richie: Let’s look at the guidance that God’s words give us. Here in Proverbs, we’ll read 3:5-6:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
[Proverbs 3:5-6 New International Version]
Brother Richie: The Bible teaches us, “lean not on your own understanding.” If we are not to lean on our own understanding then Who should we lean on or trust in? We read, “Trust in the LORD.” How is it that we should trust in the Lord? The Bible says, “with all your heart.” How is it that we would be able to prove that we trust in God with all of our heart?
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The Importance Of The Bible In Our Daily Life
Brother Richie: Again, the Bible guides us and says, “in all your ways acknowledge him.” So in everything that we do, how we live, the decisions we make, we should always consider and follow God’s words. What will God do for us if we follow these instructions? The biblical truth is, “He will make your paths straight.”
This is what we hope and pray for, for all those listening to us today.
Brother Bernard: And that’s why if this is your first time viewing our program, we invite you to watch more of our programs that are being prepared for this sole purpose, so that all of us can be guided by God’s words in our life. And that’s why we’d also like to extend our heartfelt invitation to join us in our Bible studies or even in our worship services, so that all of us will be able to have God’s guidance in our life.
Brother Richie: If there’s anyone that might want to reach out to us, maybe you have a question, you can always go to the website incmedia.org …
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Visit our website:
Brother Richie: … and make an appointment to meet with a minister. And we promise you, what you will hear, what we will share with you, is really the answers of God written in the Bible. Because that is what we want, for you to receive that biblical guidance that you are looking for.
Brother Bernard: On behalf of all of us here at The Message, we would like to thank you for joining us today in our study of God’s message.
Brother Richie: But before we go, please join us for a short prayer.
Brother Bernard: Our dear and loving God, we thank You and we praise Your great name, for in this program You have allowed us to share with our friends and loved ones the guidance, the instructions, that come from You, so that all of us can find success and happiness in our lives.
We thank You for those who have joined us in this program. And we earnestly pray that You continue to bless them. Continue to guide all of us, dear God. Keep us on the right paths, so that we will always receive Your blessings.
We also pray to You, our Lord Jesus Christ, because we know that You are the only mediator to our God, and we know that You are God’s instrument in giving us the teaching and commandments that will lead us to receive eternal life.
Almighty God, as we return to You in our prayer, we thank You for the programs just like this, which are being produced by the Church Of Christ, guided by Your Administration, so that more people can return and stay close to You.
Please forgive us for our sins and our mistakes, but always teach us, always guide us in our life. Keep us on the path that will bring us back to You.
Once again, we thank You dear God for Your blessings. And we pray to You through the name of our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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