WONDERING WHO THE TRUE GOD IS?
Timecodes:
[02:30] Who is the true God that we should know and worship?
[05:09] if it’s not Christ then who is the true God that one should have a relationship with?
[06:25] Is this teaching about the Father as the only true God—we find the same teaching of Christ anywhere else in the BIble, or it’s just in John [chapter] 17?
[08:53] What is the belief that God is the trinity?
[09:46] Why did Christ and the Apostles teach that the Father alone is the true God?
[12:05] Is it enough that we just believe in God, whoever He may be?
[14:35] What did our Lord Jesus Christ teach about the state of being of the true God?
[15:47] What does it mean that God is a spirit?
[17:48] What’s the proper way of worshiping God?
[19:03] What does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth?
[20:03] Why is obedience to God’s will, or His words and commandments, be considered as worshiping Him in truth?
[20:27] How is worshiping God’s name done?
[22:48] Although we cannot see God, would that be an excuse for anyone to doubt His existence?
[24:43] How are we able to see or observe the qualities of God, such as His power, His glory, His Almighty, and the extent of His intelligence?
[26:29] What is an example that demonstrates the ultimate power, the intelligence, the magnitude of the intelligence of God?
[34:41] How can we learn from God’s creations—that God created them?
[35:13] What are some of these discoveries that prove God’s power and that His intelligence is actually what’s responsible for life?
[37:47] Who is responsible for all of those complex systems coming together to formulate something of a greater nature?
[40:20] Why can’t the orchestration of a specified complexity of life be the result of just random mechanical processes, such as biogenics, biogenesis, and evolution?
[44:24] If the complexity of life cannot be the result of natural processes or mechanisms, how could all of this come to be?
[48:05] Why did God create man?
[49:04] What does it mean to truly know God?
[50:45] What else is the obligation of those who know or acknowledge God?
[52:35] What’s going to happen to those who refuse or make the choice to refuse to fulfill their obligations to our Creator?
[54:01] What does God have in store for those who will respond to that invitation and join us in our Bible studies with us, and who accept the truth about who the true God is?
[Show opens]
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
INC INTERNATIONAL EDITION
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Bob Pellien
San Francisco, California
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob Pellien: Many genuinely desire and want to have a meaningful relationship with God.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Brother Bob Pellien: Many are also convinced that by having such a relationship with God, it will give true meaning, it will give true fulfillment to their lives. But is it enough, dear friends, to simply be among those who say, “I know who God is. I know that God is the one that created us.” Is it enough to simply be the best person that we can be? And by doing that, we already have a relationship with God. Why is it so important to know who God truly is in the first place?
Because, you know, you may be receiving from your church leaders, your church is telling you for example, that Christ Himself is God. But you’ve always had your doubts about that and you doubt in silence. Is there a biblical basis to your hunch? Stay with us and see.
I’m Brother Bob Pellien. That’s what we’ll be studying today, right here, on the Iglesia Ni Cristo International Edition.
And joining us in this very important discussion is Brother Phil Velasquez, there in London, England.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Phillip Velasquez
London, United Kingdom
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: We have Brother Joven Sepillo junior, in Washington, D.C..—
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Joven Sepillo, Jr.
Washington, D.C.
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: —as well as Brother Andrew Fisher from the land down under, there, in Australia, Brother Andrew.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Andrew Fisher
Melbourne, Australia
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: Brothers, thank you very much for joining us in this important discussion, in this very important topic. So let’s begin with you Brother Phil. Today, we’re asking how we come to know who the true God is that we should know, and should love.
Sadly, you know, many think that just by declaring that they recognize that God’ exists, they believe in the existence of God, they believe that God has created us, and they’re trying to be a good person, the best person that they coil be, well they’re being convinced that that’s enough, and that’s already the establishment of their relationship with God that they have been seeking. But what’s not widely known is how important it is to know first,
[2:30]
Brother Bob: Who is the true God that we should know that we should worship, and that will be the foundation of having a true relationship with Him. How can you have a good relationship with someone you don’t know who it is, Brother Phil?
Brother Phil Velasquez: That’s a very important question there, Brother Bob, because, you know, depending on who you ask you’ll get a variation of answers based on one’s experiences. You know, based on what was taught in school, for example or taught to them by their parents, or depending on the opinion or unguided interpretations of those who try to understand the Bible.
Brother Bob: You know brother Phil, knowing who God is, that seems like that should be something very straightforward and simple, right?
Brother Phil: Well, Brother Bob, it should be, especially if we were to ask those in authority. And who better to ask than the son of our Almighty God Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, whose clear teaching is recorded in the Bible, here in John [chapter] 17, [verses] 1 and 3. Please allow me to read, Brother Bob, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is what he says:
After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you. And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
[John 17:1,3 Good News Bible]
Brother Phil: So, Brother Bob, we read here, according to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the One and only true God is the God we must come to know. Who is it? Well, we definitely know it is not our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brother Bob: Wait a minute. Wait a minute there, Brother Phil, because others will certainly be shocked with that statement.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Brother Phil: Well, why, Brother Bob? Why would you say that?
Brother Bob: Well, simply because it goes against the common belief that Jesus Christ Himself is God. Why did you say that, in fact, Jesus Christ is not God? Because that’s, like I say, is going to be quite shocking to many.
Brother Phil: Yes, Brother, it will be. But the reason why we said that is because in the verse we read, our Lord Jesus Christ was speaking to, or praying to, the One and only true God. Which is why He used the second person, singular pronoun—you. We should take note—’you’. He didn’t use me or we , but He said you.
[05:09]
So, Brothers, Brother Phil, Brother Joven, Brother Andrew, if it’s not Christ then who is the true God that one should have a relationship with, did Jesus indicate in His prayer who the true God is?
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Andrew Fisher
Melbourne, Australia
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Andrew Fisher: Well Brother Bob, Christ absolutely made it so clear who the true God is. The truth is it shouldn’t even be up for debate, because Christ, when praying to the Father, He said the words, “You, the one and only true God.” It’s very clear that the Father is the one and only true God.
It’s clear here as well that Christ Himself didn’t declare Himself as the true God, neither did Christ introduce the Holy Spirit as part of the true God. There is only one true God—the One and only true God. And Christ explained it is the Father in heaven. That’s why that so-called belief about the ‘trinity‘ or Christ being God or the holy spirit being God is not based on the Bible. Christ made it clear the Father is the one and only true God.
Brother Bob: Well I’m sure, Brother Andrew, what you just stressed there will come, I used the word shocking already, it’s a great surprise to many.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Bob Pellien
San Francisco, California
Minister of the Gospel
[06:25]
Brother Bob: Is this teaching about the Father as the only true God, is this just an isolated instance in the Holy Scriptures where it’s taught like that? Can we find the same teaching of Christ anywhere else in the BIble, or it’s just isolated there in John, 17?
Brother Andrew: Well, Brother Bob, it’s definitely not an isolated teaching. In fact, even when Christ was already crucified and resurrected and ascended into heaven. We can also find out and read from the Bible what the Apostles taught about our Lord Jesus Christ. I’ll read to you what’s written here in the book of 1 Corinthians, in chapter 8, and in verse 5 and we’ll read verse 6 as well. Listen to what the Apostle Paul is telling us:
It is really not important if there are things called gods, in heaven or on earth. (And there are many things that people call “gods” and “lords.”) For us, there is only one God, and he is our Father. All things came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things were made through him, and we also have life through him.
[1 Corinthians 8:5 International and 1 Corinthians 8:6 Easy-to-Read Version]
Brother Andrew: Brother Bob, and to our beloved viewers as well, the Apostles were also in unison with what our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for earlier, what Brother Phil read to us from the Bible as well. Because according to the Apostle Paul, “there is only one God, and He is our Father.” You know, we should notice as well, Apostle Paul said, for us there is one God, He is the Father.
Brother Bob: Well, that’s right, Brother Andrew, and thank you very much for that clarification. So, just like what was mentioned by Brother Phil earlier, the son and neither Holy Spirit makes up the true God, as so many are teaching. They combine them together to make up God. there’s no such mention of that, especially how they have coined the term ‘’trinity’’ and applied that to a triune entity and called that God.
Let’s go to you, Brother Joven, there in Washington, D.C.. For the sake of our viewers that have been listening to the teachings of Christ and the Apostles regarding who the true God is, well,
[08:53]
Brother Bob: Can you explain to us the belief that God is the ‘trinity’? I mentioned it a little bit, but can you shed any light, because there are so many that are thinking that that is God. But then the BIble is clearly showing us here, well, that’s not. But when they hear the word ‘trinity’, what are they saying?
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Joven Sepillo, Jr.
Washington, D.C.
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Joven Sepillo Junior: For the sake of those who are not really familiar with the teaching concerning ‘trinity‘, the ‘trinity’ is the belief that there is one god with three different persons, three divine persons as they say. Namely god the son, god the father and god the holy spirit. And as the teaching goes, all three are equal in power, in knowledge and all three are the one true God as they mention.
Brother Bob: So, beginning from page one to the last page, if you’ll read every word there (of the Bible), they’re not going to come across ‘trinity’ anywhere in there.
[09:46]
Brother Bob: Why did Christ then and the Apostles teach that the Father alone is the true God? Where did they learn that from, that the Father is the only true God and that there is no ‘trinity’ found anywhere there in the Holy Scriptures. How did they come to know that in fact the Father is the only true God?
Brother Joven: Well, Brother Bob, Brother Phil, and Brother Andrew, and to our dear viewers who are watching this program, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles learned it from our Almighty God Himself. Let’s read what’s written here in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 45, and the verse is 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.
[Isaiah 45:21 New King James Version]
Brother Joven: So the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles, beloved Brothers and dear viewers, is exactly the same as the teaching of our Almighty God, especially concerning Himself, that the Father alone and no one else is the true God.
Brother Bob: Thank you, Brother Joven. Dear friends, I hope you can see how clear these Bible teachings are. It wasn’t our conclusion that was just simply inferred from what we have read. It’s actually what was written, word-for-word, here in the Holy Scriptures who the true God actually is.
Brother Phil: Exactly, Brother Bob, you know, as opposed to what others think or believe that Jesus Christ or the ‘trinity’ is God, which cannot even be found in the Bible anywhere.
Brother Bob: So Brother Phil, what’s your response, however, to those who may say, “You know, what does it really matter what we believe about God, whether Jesus Christ is God or the ‘’trinity’’ is God or what the Bible actually specifies as to who the true God is? Even if it says there that the Father alone is the true God,
[12:05]
Brother Bob: isn’t it enough that we just believe in God whoever He may be, and we’ll be okay?” A lot of people think like that, Brother Phil.
Brother Phil: Yes, Brother Bob, they do. And a lot of people would like to think that’s okay, but it’s not enough. Remember Apostle Paul’s statement read earlier on by Brother Andrew that the faith of true Christians is that the Father alone is the true God. Jesus Christ even said and as I said earlier on, there in John, that knowing that the Father alone is the true God is vital for salvation. You know, to have a true relationship with God, we must first know who He really is.
Brother Bob: So, Brothers, when we come back, we’re going to delve into this deeper. Let’s get to the specifics about the importance of knowing who the true God is. One cannot have a relationship with God if they don’t know who He is or if they believe in a false god or a false description or understanding of who God is. So, let’s take a look at this deeper. When we come back we’ll be asking more important questions as well, and stay with us, right here on the Iglesia Ni Cristo International Edition.
[break]
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
INC INTERNATIONAL EDITION
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Bob Pellien
San Francisco, California
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: Welcome back, everyone, to the Iglesia Ni Cristo International Edition. Today, we’re asking how we can truly know who the true God is—
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Brother Bob: —amidst all those who may be claiming to be God or teaching various understandings of who God is. In this first part, we took a look at the teachings of the Apostles, the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and even the Father Himself, about who the true God that we should know and recognize actually is. Now, the Bible made it absolutely clear there that the Father alone is the true God, not Jesus Christ, not the Holy Spirit let alone the so-called ‘trinity,’ which is totally absent from the Bible.
In this part now we’re going to find out the nature of the true God. Because, again, there may be many opinions, there may be many beliefs about that. But as we have seen, true Christianity is about the beliefs, founded and written here in the Holy Bible.
[14:35]
Brother Bob: And since, Brother Phil, you quoted our Lord Jesus Christ earlier, can you also share with us, for the sake of all our viewers, what He had to teach or say on the state of being of the true God.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Phillip Velasquez
London, United Kingdom
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Phil: Yes, thank you, Brother Bob. Let’s look at what Jesus Christ taught. According to our Lord Jesus Christ, here in John [chapter] 4, [verse] 24, what is the nature of our Almighty God? What is the nature of the true God? And we can read here, John 4:24:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
[John 4:24 New King James Version]
Brother Phil: According to our Lord Jesus Christ, the true God, our Almighty God is spirit in nature. Something else I want to point out, Brother Bob, here when Jesus Christ talked about God, He used the pronoun Him. Just like what we read earlier on, it’s clear that Jesus Christ is a different being from God—He’s not God.
Brother Bob: Well thanks for pointing that out, Brother Phil. Let’s go to you, there in Australia, Brother Andrew.
[15:47]
Brother Bob: What does it mean though when it says there that God is a spirit? Can you further clarify that. elaborate on that, for the sake of our viewers. Brother Andrew?
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Andrew Fisher
Melbourne, Australia
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Andrew: For sure, Brother Bob. Actually our Lord Jesus Christ defined for us what it means that God is a Spirit. If we read in the book of Luke, in chapter 24, and in verse 39, this is what the Lord Jesus Christ said:
Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
[Luke 24:39 New King James Version]
Brother Andrew: Dear viewers, our Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear what it means when He said that God is Spirit. Because according to our Lord Jesus Christ a spirit, and remember Brother Phil just read for us earlier that God is spirit, so a spirit like God does not have flesh and bones.
And notice as well, what did our Lord Jesus Christ clearly show to his followers, whom he was speaking with at this time, Christ said, “Behold My hands and My feet.” It’s I myself, Christ said. “Handle Me and see.” Christ was clearly showing that He has flesh and bones. He was even asking His followers to come and touch His hands and His feet so that they can see for themselves that Jesus Christ is not a spirit. You know, even simple logic we can see clearly. If a spirit like God has no flesh and bones, and Christ has flesh and bones, then we can see that Christ is not the true God.
Brother Bob: Clearly if Jesus Christ is not a spirit, but God is a Spirit, then clearly Jesus Christ is not God then.
Brother Andrew: That’s exactly it, Brother Bob, and that’s not our own conclusion. This is the words spoken by Christ Himself.
Brother Bob: That’s really a great point, Brother Andrew.
[17:48]
Brother Phil: Well, we have to ask this question, you know: “What’s the proper way of worshiping God?” Is it through an image, you know, because they have images of Jesus Christ, who they believe is God, right. So they do have images of who they believe is God. Are we supposed to worship God that way through images—no. Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us the true way on how we should worship the true God, and we can read that here in John 4:23. Here is the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is what He Himself teaches:
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
[John 4:23 New King James Version]
Brother Phil: Our Lord Jesus Christ, here, taught how God’s true worshipers worship the true God; not by using images and statues as a visual aid, as you put it Brother Bob, but by worshiping Him, according to what we read—in spirit and in truth.
Brother Bob: But, Brother Phil, I believe and if we can go to you, Brother Andrew, for this, I think our viewers, it’ll be beneficial if we expand a little bit.
[19:03]
Brother Bob: What does it mean, can you shed further light, Brother Andrew, on what does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth?
Brother Andrew: Yes, well when the Lord Jesus Christ was actually giving His disciples an example about how to pray, He also exemplified how to worship God in spirit and in truth. We can read it in the book of Matthew, in chapter six, and here in verses nine up to 10, let me read to you what the Lord Jesus Christ said:
So pray this way: Our Father in Heaven, may your name be honored, may Your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[Matthew 6:9-10 New English Translation]
Brother Andrew: So according to the Lord Jesus Christ, worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth is done by honoring or worshiping His name—not his image—worshiping His name, and also by doing His will.
Brother Bob: Which is obeying His commandments, of course.
[20:03]
Brother Bob: But why is obedience to God’s will, or His words and commandments, why will that be considered as worshiping Him in truth?
Brother Andrew: Well, because according to our Lord Jesus Christ as well, in John 17:17, the words of God or His commands is the truth.
[20:27]
Brother Bob: Okay, so that would be alright. So, Brother Joven, if worshiping God in truth is done by following or living by, you know, living one’s life in accordance to God’s will, above one’s own will, according to God’s commands, how is worshiping God’s name done?
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Joven Sepillo, Jr.
Washington, D.C.
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Joven: Well, Brother Bob and dear Brothers, the answer we can read in Hebrews, chapter 13, and verses 15. The Bible tells us how to honor and praise our Almighty God:
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
[Hebrews 13:15 New International Version 1995]
Brother Joven: So it’s the praise we offer to our Almighty God, through the fruit of our lips, that is done inside the Church Of Christ, especially during our worship services, brothers and dear friends. When we sing hymns together, when we pray together, when we study the words of our Almighty God together, all of which glorifies and praises our Almighty God’s name.
Brother Bob: Well thank you, brothers, for making that very important point so clear.
Brother Bob: You know, so far we’ve learned about the true God, who is the Father alone. We’ve seen, also, that God is a Spirit, and that’s without flesh and bones, making Him therefore invisible, which is why the proper way of serving or worshiping Him is by serving and worshiping Him by means of living by his commands, His will, His laws.
When we come back in a moment, dear friends, we will be looking at the proof of God’s existence. Even though we cannot see Him, He exists and people ask all the time, “What is the proof of His existence?” So don’t go away as the Iglesia Ni Cristo International Edition continues.
[break]
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
INC INTERNATIONAL EDITION
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Bob Pellien
San Francisco, California
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: Welcome back to the Iglesia Ni Cristo International Edition. You know, dear friends, one of the things that we discussed earlier about God is that, well, He is a spirit, meaning He’s invisible.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
[22:48]
Brother Bob: And this is the reason why there are some who doubt or outrightly, in fact, even reject His existence. Although we cannot see God, is that an excuse for us, brothers, let’s discuss this, this is important—would that be an excuse for anyone to say that they doubt His existence? Because they cannot see Him, they don’t believe in Him? Brother Phil, let’s let’s go to you first. What can you say about that?
Brother Phil: Thank you Brother Bob. You know, and to answer your question, the answer is no—it’s not an excuse. Because there are other attributes of our Almighty God that can be clearly seen, which clearly proves His existence. And Apostle Paul mentions this beautifully, here in Romans, 1:19 to 20. Look what he says, Brother Bob and dear viewers:
since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
[Romans 1:19-20 New International Version]
Brother Phil: Brother Bob, how do we know that our Almighty God exists, even though He is invisible, because he has no flesh and bones? Apostle Paul says that there are—take note—Apostle Paul says there are invisible qualities of our Almighty God that we can clearly see, or observe, and measure.
Brother Bob: What kind of qualities? What do you mean there, Brother Phil? What are those qualities that could be observed, clearly observed, therefore presenting an evidence of God’s existence.
Brother Phil: Yes, Brother Bob, Apostle Paul mentions here, His power and His glory—His intelligence.
[24:43]
Brother Bob: I see. Okay, so how are we able to see or observe these kinds of qualities such as His power, His glory, His Almighty, and the extent of His intelligence, for example?
Brother Phil: Another example is the manipulation of random information, you know, to create specified information. And specified information as we know, it carries meaning and function, you know, from cave paintings drawn by the ancients, to binary digits manipulated by computer programmers, very intelligent people. Even though the creators, they may not be around, we may not be able to meet them, it’s common sense that there was a conscious, or intelligent being behind them all.
Brother Bob: Nobody would ever doubt that right? Brother Joven, what is God’s creation? Tell us about His power, His glory.
Brother Joven: Brother Bob, this is what the Bible tells us, our Almighty God here in Genesis, chapter 17, and the verse is 1:
When Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, ”I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.
[Genesis 17:1 New International Version]
Brother Joven: So our Almighty God is Almighty, meaning to say His power, His glory, His intelligence is unrivaled. So as we continue to make new discoveries about the world around us, what we can find out, what will always blow our minds, what will amaze us is the power, the intelligence of our Almighty God who created all of us.
[26:29]
Brother Bob: Brother Andrew, let’s go back to you for a moment. Can you relay to as any example of, let’s go to a recent discovery, so mind blowing as was the term used—amazing—used by Brother Joven, that really shows, demonstrates the ultimate power, the intelligence, the magnitude of the intelligence of God?
Brother Andrew: You know, the Bible gives us a great example that reveals God’s power, His wisdom, and His intelligence. It’s written in the book of Psalms, in chapter 19, verses one up to four. I’ll read to you what’s written:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after the day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
[Psalm 19:1-4 New International Version]
Brother Andrew: You know, we can see here from the Bible, some of the great works of our Lord God, God’s handiwork that reveal His knowledge, His power and His intelligence. And the Bible talked about the heavens, the skies. You know, what we know today about the universe was unfathomable in the past, let alone during a time when these words were written in the Bible, thousands of years ago.
Brother Bob: Like what? What do we know about now, that’s only come about, to our understanding about the universe?
Brother Andrew: According to, you know, the official NASA website, NASA being the National Aeronautics And Space Administration, I’ve got some research here that I want to share with our viewers. Our sun is one of the 400 billion stars in our galaxy, which is called the Milky Way.
You know that’s already an inconceivable size by any stretch of the imagination, but you know it gets even more astronomical, excuse the pun there. But according to the Astrophysical Journal, an article they published, it’s estimated that there are 2 trillion galaxies in the entire universe. Just imagine that. It’s not just this universe that we’re in, the Milky Way. There are approximately 2 trillion more galaxies out there in the universe.
Brother Bob: One cannot, Brother Andrew, one cannot even begin to imagine how vast an amount of space that is. But you know, one could argue probably that that’s just the vastness of space. There’s no indication that it was created, much less greeted by God.
Brother Andrew: Oh yes there is, Brother, according to many renowned scientists, the different parameters of the fundamental physics that govern our vast universe, such as the different nuclear forces, ratio of electrons to protons, electromagnetic and gravitational constants, to name a few, are precisely tuned to specific values, that if any one of those values or ratios or constants were even slightly altered, you know, matter as we know may not even exist, let alone the complex life on the earth that we live in.
You know, to give us more insight about that, let’s watch this video.
[Video clip source: youtube.com/DiscoveryScience]
Narrator: Even though the earth meets exactly the conditions needed to sustain life, well what about our universe and the precise settings of its physical laws that keep things in order. What they call fine tuning. Cosmological physicist, Frank Tipler explains.
[On-screen Text Graphics]
Frank Tipler
Theoretical Physicist – Tulane University
Co-Author: The Anthropic Cosmological Principle
Frank Tipler: Fine tuning in physics refers to the fact, the observed fact, that were we to modify the constants of nature just slightly, life would never appear in this universe.
Narrator: Imagine you have a universe app, where you can mess with the universal laws of physics from the beginning of time. Starting with gravity: too strong and the stars would be unstable and deadly to life; too weak and the stars would struggle to create carbon and oxygen. Again, no life. We got Stephen Meyer, who holds a PhD from Cambridge, to break it down.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
Stephen Meyer, PHD. Philosophy of Science
Stephen Meyer: The force of gravity is not too strong, not too weak. The speed of light: not too fast, not too slow. The ratios of these fundamental forces are delicately balanced. It’s the just right universe that makes life possible.
Narrator: So it’s got to be exact, but materialists say we just got lucky with gravity. Now, let’s set our universe at random and tap the button. What are the chances that the app will luck onto a gravity setting that just happens to allow life to emerge? Scientists have crunched the numbers and the answer—not good.
Actor 1: Not good, like one out of 100?
Actor 2: I’d say, one out of a million.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
1 chance in a 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Narrator: Actually, for gravity it’s worse, worse than one chance in a billion, times a trillion, times a trillion.
Actor 1: So you’re telling me there’s a chance. Yeah!!
Narrator: We all love rooting for long shots, but here’s the thing. It’s not just gravity. There are many other physical laws that also have to be just-so for life to emerge in the universe, and some of them are even more fine-tuned, even more unlikely than gravity. Without fine-tuning, our universe would be a horror story even Stephen King couldn’t imagine.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
Stephen King @StephenKing
Huff Post Live
Stephen King: The very construction of the world, and the fact that we seem to be the only blue populated planet in the universe, it makes you have to believe that if we happened by accident, it would make winning the lottery look like flipping a coin. So I have a tendency to believe in intelligent design.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
Physicist Charles Townes
Nobel Prize Winner
“Intelligent Design, as one sees it from a scientific point of view, seems to be quite real. This is a very special universe. It’s remarkable that it came out just this way.”
Narrator: Nobel Prize winning physicist, Charles Townes, seemed to agree by stating, and I quote: “Intelligent Design, as one sees it from a scientific point of view, seems to be quite real. This is a very special universe. It’s remarkable that it came out just this way.”
[Video clip ends]
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Bob Pellien
San Francisco, California
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: So dear friends, the universe really is a product, or a result, of God’s almighty power, His wisdom, and His intelligence.
[33:11]
Brother Bob: Brother Joven, what else has been created by God that shows this, it presents the evidence of His great power, His wisdom, His intelligence? Anything else?
Brother Joven: Yes, Brother Bob and dear Brothers. The Bible tells us more about the creation of our Almighty God. This is what we can read in Job, chapter 12, 7 down to 10:
“But as the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all of these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
[Job 12:7-10 New International Version 1995]
Brother Joven: So, my beloved brothers and dear friends, according to what we have read, the existence of all life, most especially our life, man’s life, proves that God is the creator. And the animals and the earth, as mentioned in the Bible, will tell us, Brother Bob.
Brother Bob: Yeah, but wait, wait, wait a minute there, Brother, because you know—they’ll tell us? You know probably our viewers would surely want to ask, “You mean, like, through speech?” Even my grandchildren know that animals, let alone the earth, cannot speak.
[34:41]
Brother Bob: How then can we learn from them, that God created them?
Brother Joven: Well, Brother Bob, it’s by getting information from them, by observing them, looking at them. For example, study them. The study of life, we go to biology, molecular biology, dig up the ground, study paleontology, look for fossils from the past.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Joven Sepillo, Jr.
Washington, D.C.
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Joven: And what you are going to see in those things, that there is that true God, and His infinite power and intelligence has done all of these things, Brother Bob.
[35:13]
Brother Bob: What are some of these discoveries that prove God’s power and His intelligence, (that) His intelligence is actually what’s responsible for life?
Brother Joven: Well, Brother Bob, it’s been known for some time that all living organisms, let’s take for example human beings, are made up of complex precision systems. I do believe that there are 11 of such systems, and each complex system consists of organs made up of groups of tissues with different specific tasks or functions, Brother Phil.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Phillip Velasquez
London, United Kingdom
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Phil: Yes, Brother Joven. I mean, this is basic, you know, high school. Well, we call it Secondary School here in the United Kingdom. And on top of that, you can see there are multiple layers of sophistication and complexity. We find that these tissues are made up of the smallest unit of life which is the cell; which in itself is a very complex system made up, here we go again, of many precision molecular machines, which perform vital tasks in the cell to keep it alive.
And it gets even smaller, and even more complex than that, you know. These molecular machines are made of chains of precisely folded protein molecules, but then again, each protein molecule is further made up of hundreds or even thousands of even smaller units of amino acids, which are considered the building blocks of life. So we have layer upon layer of complexity and sophistication.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Andrew Fisher
Melbourne, Australia
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Andrew: And Brother Phil, the arrangement of all these, you know, from the amino acids like you mentioned, all the way up to the systems, it’s not random. It’s highly specified that even the slightest change of the sequence or placement of any of those units, it will result in conditions detrimental to the organism.
Brother Bob: You know, Brothers, it’s funny to note that how we came to know all of this, it was taught to us when we were, all of us were still in school, right. But we never really appreciated yet what it really means, and the impact understanding these things really presents.
Brother Joven: That is correct, Brother Bob. Sometimes on the part of people, we miss what is right in front of us, what we really see, what we really witness.
Brother Andrew: You know, what takes it to the next level is how all of those systems, you know, the organs, tissues, molecules, they all come together in a precise and coordinated way.
[37:47]
Brother Bob: And brothers, what’s responsible for that, Brother Phil? What, who is responsible for all of those complex systems coming together to formulate something of a greater nature?
Brother Phil: Yes, Brother Bob. You know some will be surprised to learn that there is actually an extensive instruction manual, a literal instruction manual.
Brother Bob: Wait, wait, wait, Brother Phil. Wait, wait. You mean to say that it’s not just by happenstance, it’s not just by the casual order of events that take place by chance.
Brother Phil: No. Brother. It’s an instruction manual, with a language inscribed digitally or alphabetically in the DNA molecule. It’s literally an instruction manual.
Brother Bob: Explain that further for our viewers, Brother Phil.
Brother Phil: Yes, Brother. Well it’s the DNA molecule that was discovered in the 1950s, right, which contains (what) they call the alphabet for life or the instructions for life.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Brother Phil: It’s said that if you want to type out the genome of a single person, you know, you type that speed of 60 words per minute, which is pretty fast, and you work eight hours a day, seven days a week, it would take a total of 50 years to type out the entire genome of a single human being.
Here is another one, Brother Bob. This is how amazing, mind blowing it is. It really shows the intelligence, the power of our Almighty God. If we were to extract all the DNA molecules in just one human being, and you were to line them up back to back, it would be the equivalent to a round trip to the sun and back— I’m not finished yet, Brother Bob—a round trip to the sun and back 600 times.
Imagine, that’s the DNA molecule, all of it from one human being, put back to back—that’s the distance—that is how extensive this instruction manual is. And this is not fairytale—this is fact. This is science, recently discovered, Brother. You know,this is the reason why the Bible states in Job, 12 and 10, that the life of every living thing, we read earlier on, the breath of all of mankind is in the hands of our Almighty God. Our Almighty God is the Creator, He is the author of life.
[40:20]
Brother Bob: That’s really fantastic, Brother Phil. It really is amazing to understand these things. Why can’t the orchestration of such a specified complexity be the result of just random mechanical processes, such as biogenics, a biogenesis, for example, and evolution. Many are claiming that it just happens by chance. All those complex things that you’re describing there, it just happened randomly.
A biogenesis for example being, by the way, that being the arising of life from nonliving matter, and evolution of course which proposes that the variation and the complexity of life on Earth today, well, it evolved from a simple one-celled organism, various one-celled organisms, through a process which they call natural selection, working on totally random variations. Is that practical, Brother Joven?
Brother Joven: Well Brother Bob, we have to remember, dear brothers and dear friends, that a biogenesis and Darwinian, for example, Darwinian evolution were conceptualized upon the science of the day. But science has come a long way already since then. To understand life you have to go down to the details. Life is lived on the molecular level, a world unknown to Darwin, and only in the recent decades has this new world of specified complexity, sophistication, and digital code been revealed to us. So random, mechanical processes cannot account for these features of life, Brother Bob.
Brother Bob: Let’s take a look at another video clip, and let’s look at some of these recent discoveries that we’re referring to here, dear friends. Take a look.
[Video clip source: youtube.com/Discovery Science]
Narrator: Perhaps the most amazing propulsion system on our entire planet is one that exists in bacteria.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
FLAGELLUM
Narrator: It’s called the flagella, a miniature propeller, driven by a motor with many distinct mechanical parts, each meter proteins. The flagellum’s motor resembles a human designed rotary engine.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
UNIVERSAL JOINT
BUSHINGS
STATOR
ROTOR
DRIVE SHAFT
Narrator: It has a universal joint, bushings,the stator and a rotor. It has a drive shaft, and even its own clutch and braking system. In some bacteria, the flagellar motor has been clocked at 100,000 revolutions per minute.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
100,987 RPM
Narrator: The motor is bi-directional, and can shift from forward to reverse almost instantaneously. Some scientists suggest it operates at near 100%, energy efficiency. All of this is done on a microscopic scale that is hard to imagine. The diameter of the flagella motor is no more than five millions of a centimeter. The bacterial flagellum is one of many molecular machines that scientists have discovered in the last several decades, including energy producing turbines, information copying machines, and even robotic walking motors.
The origin of these exquisite examples of nanotechnology is a mystery that has generated heated controversy among biologists, over the past two decades, and it’s a mystery that has transformed one man into a scientific rebel, willing to challenge one of the most cherished ideas of the scientific establishment.
[Video clip ends]
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Bob Pellien
San Francisco, California
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: That’s really amazing isn’t it brothers? It almost looks like some kind of an outboard motor that you’d have to attach onto the back of a boat, right.
[44:24]
Brother Bob: So if something like this cannot be the result of natural processes or mechanisms, then what can account for it. Let’s go to you again, Brother Phil. Can you shed any light on that? How could all of this come to be?
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Phillip Velasquez
London, United Kingdom
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Phil: Yes, Brother. You know, I just want to come off what you said earlier on, Brother Bob. It’s really amazing what God has done. It really is an expression of His ultimate power and intelligence, and it cannot be a result of natural processes. Why? Because in Hebrews, three and four, look, the Bible tells us of a common sense principle that all of us understand and accept. This is what we can read here, Hebrews [chapter] 3, and [verse] 4:
Every house, of course is built by someone—and God is the one who has built all things.
[Hebrews 3:4 Good News Bible]
Brother Phil: You know, Brother Bob, the Apostles tell us that, “every house, of course,” Apostle Paul says, ‘of course,’ because it’s obvious, every house “is built by someone.” And we know this because in a house, we can see the precise measurements, we can see purposeful arrangement of materials, we see the ability to provide protection and shelter to its inhabitants.
And we see the same in our universe. We see the same in our world, all the way down to life, and that’s why we know that the Almighty God is responsible for all of it, just as is written there in the verse.
Brother Bob: Let’s take a look at another video clip presenting these things in further detail.
[Video clip source: youtube.com?Discovery Science]
Narrator: Imagine your space is poor and you land on a distant planet. There’s no water, no oxygen, and it’s 300 degrees below zero—you’re screwed. But then off in the distance you see a structure, and the closer you get, the more it looks like a house. When you open the door, you find that it’s been filled with warm, breathable air. You take off your spacesuit and find a faucet with drinkable water, and a refrigerator stocked with healthy and delicious food.
What’s your first thought? The house and everything in it was the product of a mindless, natural process, or that it was designed to take care of you to meet your needs and that someone prepared it as a home for human beings, like you. Our planet—earth—is that home.
Speaker: Our planet is a terrestrial planet. It has water and carbon, both necessary for life. It has an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere, in just the right proportion, for life to thrive. We have plate tectonics to circulate minerals. We have a magnetosphere that protects us from harmful radiation. Our moon stabilizers or axial tilt, giving us a stable climate.
And we have gas giant planets, particularly Jupiter, cleaning up the solar system from comets and asteroids that can harm us. And we are located in the habitable zone of a very stable energetic star, which itself is located in the habitable zone of a metal rich mature galaxy. So the earth is apparently exceedingly rare.
[Video clip ends]
Brother Bob: True science actually proves God’s existence. But so does common sense, right, which is why Apostle Paul said that they are without excuse when they hesitate to believe in God—it’s so clear.
In this limited time that we’ve had to discuss this topic, that we are the creation of an Almighty, and all powerful, and all intelligent Creator— God. So the big question then now is, and this is a question many have asked in the history of humanity:
[48:05]
Brother Bob: Why then are we here? Why did God create us? What was His purpose? What is the meaning of our existence, being put here on this earth by God, in the first place?
Brother Andrew: Actually, the Bible teaches us the reason for our existence. We can read it in the Book of Psalms, chapter one hundred, and in verses two up to three:
Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
[Psalm 100:2-3 New King James Version]
Brother Andrew: The reason for our existence, the meaning of our life, you know, God with all of His power and intelligence made us for a specific reason. And what was that reason, according to the Bible; for us to serve God and for us to know who He is.
[49:04]
Brother Bob: But what if, Brothers, what if someone would say, “But I told you already, I already know God. I just learned now that He is the Father alone, I know God.” Is that what it means to know God, just that?
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Joven Sepillo, Jr.
Washington, D.C.
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Joven: Well, Brother Bob, it’s true it’s very important to recognize, to know the true God, and He’s the Father alone. But we will hear it from the Bible that it’s not enough. The Bible teaches us what it means to truly know and recognize our Almighty God. This is why we can read, in the Book of 1 John, chapter two, and the verse is three. This is what it says:
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
[1 John 2:3 New King James Version]
Brother Joven: So keeping the commandments, following the commands of our Mighty God, is a proof that we know, we recognize the true God. But remember, to keep His commands, we must be able to know first what they are. And we can’t follow His commandments if we don’t know what they are, what these commandments are. So, we take this opportunity, brothers and especially to our dear friends who are watching this program, join us in our Bible studies inside the Church Of Christ.
Join us in the study of the words of our Almighty God—they’re all written in the Bible. And we guarantee everyone, what you’re going to hear inside the Church Of Christ are pure teachings, through doctrines, of our Almighty God written in the Holy Scriptures.
[50:45]
Brother Bob: And brother Phil what else is the obligation of those who know or acknowledge God?
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Phillip Velasquez
London, United Kingdom
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Phil: Well Brother Bob, we’re taught the answer here in Psalm 95, [chapter] 6, and [verse] 7. This is what God expects from us as His creation, and it says:
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:
[Psalm 95:6-7 New King James Version]
Brother Phil: Our obligation, Brother Bob, above as God’s creation is to worship Him as we read. And that is why members of the Church Of Christ are so active in attending worship service, you know. Our friends, maybe you’ve observed, our unwavering dedication in attending worship service, and it’s not because we’re fanatics. It’s just that we recognize our worship of God as our prime obligation in life. The reason why our Almighty God created us—we were created to serve our Creator.
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Bob Pellien
San Francisco, California
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: That’s our purpose. You also mentioned that serving God, you used the term, it’s an obligation, something that we must do because it’s expected by the One who created us. But the choice is still with us, right Brother Phil?
Brother Phil: Absolutely, Brother, we all have freewill, you know. And sadly, even though God has made a way for this message to be made known to many people, there are sadly those who still choose not to fulfill their obligation, not to fulfill the reason why they were created.
Brother Bob: But it’s important to note here, dear viewers, every choice that we make has a consequence. You cannot make the choice and separate oneself from the consequences of that choice, and
[52:35]
Brother Bob: What’s going to happen to those who refuse or make the choice to refuse to fulfill their obligations to our Creator? Let’s go to you, Brother Andrew. What would be the result?
Brother Andrew: Apostle Paul taught about that in the Book of 2 Thessalonians, in chapter one, I’ll read verses 8 and verse 9:
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
[2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 New King James Version]
[On-Screen Text Graphics]
TOPIC: THE TRUE GOD
Andrew Fisher
Melbourne, Australia
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Andrew: Dear friends, since God is the One who created us, it’s our obligation to know Him, to obey Him, to worship Him. But if we don’t fulfill that obligation, although the warning of our Lord God is very clear through the apostles—we will be punished. If we’ll be punished then we have no hope for salvation come the Day of Judgment.
Brother Bob: And you know, brothers it’s worthy to point out that knowing God is recognizing that the Father alone is the only true God, right?
Brother Phil: Yes, Brother Bob, and knowing God is proven by following His commandments, or the gospel in the Holy Scriptures.
[54:01]
Brother Bob: What does God have in store for those who will respond to that invitation and join with us, in furthering their Bible studies with us? They come then to accept the truth about who the true God is, and they dedicate their lives along with us in service to Him.
Brother Joven: Well, Brother Bob, it’s a great blessing—a great blessing indeed for those who will follow God’s commands and will dedicate themselves in serving the Lord our God, as mentioned in the Book of Psalms, chapter 128, one down to two. This is what we can read:
Happy are those who obey the LORD, who live by his commands. Your work will provide for your needs: you will be happy and prosperous.
[Psalms 128:1-2 Good News Bible]
Brother Joven: According to what we have read, what does God reserve for those who will acknowledge Him, will serve Him, will dedicate their lives for Him? It was mentioned in the Bible, “Happy are those who obey the LORD, who live by his commands.”
Brother Bob: Well, thank you, Brother Joven. We’d like to thank you, Brother Phil Velasquez there in London, Brother Andrew Fisher in Australia, you there, Brother Joven in Washington, D.C.. Thank you all, Brothers for giving us Bible based answers, so that Apostle Peter said to the members of the Church, “You will be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are.” That’s 1 Peter 3:15.
Well, that does it for us here on the Iglesia Ni Cristo International Edition for today. We hope you’ll join us again next time. I’m Brother Bob Pellien. Thanks for watching.
As we come to the end of this program, we again invite you to join us for a short prayer.
Brother Phil: Our Almighty God, our Maker.
Brothers: Yes, Father.
Brother Phil: You can see your people, along with our friends and our guests, those who are viewing this program. Together, Oh God, we praise and honor Your most Holy Name.
Brothers: Amen
Brother Phil: You have shown us, dear Father, that you are our God, you are our Creator. You are there. You have shown this to us, Oh God, through the wonderful things You have created, the magnificent things You have done, dear Father.
Brothers: Amen
Brother Phil: And because of this, Oh God, together we praise and honor You.
But we know, dear Father, it’s not enough just to know that You are there.
You also want us to know who You are, so that we can have a proper relationship with You. We felt You reaching out to each and every one of us. We felt You introducing Yourself to our viewers, Oh God.
Please, dear Father, we beg You, touch the hearts and minds of those who are watching this program. Help them to feel, Oh God, that You are approaching them, that You are calling them to have a true relationship with You. So that, dear Father, when the day comes, You send your Son once again, we will be with You, Oh God, as your children in Your heavenly kingdom, to reside there with You forevermore.
Brothers: Amen
Brother Phil: Please, dear Father, touch the hearts and minds of our guests, our viewers, to further their studies inside the Church Of Christ.
Brothers: Amen.
Brother Phil: May You please, Oh God, give them the curious hearts that they need to ask more questions, to join us in our Bible studies.
Brothers: Yes, Father.
Brother Phil: So that, dear Father, they will learn Your will, Your will which must be followed, which will continue to develop our relationship with You.
Brother Phil: Thank You, dear Father, for a Church Administration who does everything, dear Father, to make sure that these truths reach each and every person in this world.
Brothers: Amen.
Brother Phil: Please, Oh God, continue to bless our Executive Minister, our Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, especially in his hard work to proclaim Your truth, the truth which leads to our salvation.
Brothers: Amen.
Brother Phil: We firmly believe You have heard this prayer now, oh God, and You will be with us as we part ways. In the name of Your Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Brothers: Amen.
[Show Closes]
