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What’s Inside
For those of you interested in “reviving” the Work ofGod, please note that significant numbers of God’speople have come out to form the Global Church ofGod. We are faithfully preaching the truths proclaimedby Herbert W. Armstrong. If you are interested inlearning more about us, please call or write us:
This booklet is not to be sold!
It has been provided as a free publiceducational service by the
Global Church of God
©1995 Global Church of God. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Global Church of GodPO Box 501111San Diego, CA 92150-1111
or call our toll-free number:
1-800-959-1641
The mailing address for theAustralian regional office is:
Global Church of GodPO Box 772, CanberraACT 2601, AUSTRALIA
or call our toll-free number:
1-800-816-543
or
(06) 242-7266
The mailing address for theEurasian/African regional office is:
Le Siecle a VenirAllee Grand Cheniat 30B-6280 Loverval, BELGIUM
or call:
(32) 71-218-190
The mailing address for theCanadian regional office is:
Global Church of GodPO Box 2400, EdmontonAlberta T5J 2R4, CANADA
or call:
(403) 484-7633
The mailing address for the SouthAfrican regional office is:
Global Church of God19 Angelica St., BreaunandaKrugersdorp 1737REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
or call:
(27) 11-664-6036
The mailing address for the Guyanaregional office is:
Global Church of GodPO Box 10271GeorgetownGUYANA
EDITOR IN CHIEF -Roderick C. MeredithEXECUTIVE EDITOR -Raymond F. McNairMANAGING EDITOR -Jeffrey H. PattonASSOCIATE EDITOR -Thomas E. RobinsonART DIRECTOR -Karen MyersBUSINESS MANAGER -J. Edwin PopeCIRCULATION -Bryan D. WeeksPROOFREADER -Bradley J. MitchellREFERENCE LIBRARIAN -Ronald B. NelsonINFORMATION SYSTEMS -Sanford BeattieTECHNICAL ADVISOR -Eric T. Myers
All images are
Global Church of God/Digital Stock Images.
GYK
 
Chapter 1:
Is God’s Nature Really That Important? 
C
ould anything possibly be as important as com-ing to know the true God? This is the most vitalknowledge any human can ever receive! Yet,very few of the five-and-one-half billion people on thisearth have a clear concept of what the Creator-Ruler of the universe is really like.What is your concept of God? Do you have a defi-nite, focused idea of the true God’s nature? Or, do youhave a hazy, vague idea of the Great God who createdand who actively rules this universe?
God is CREATOR and RULER of Everything!
Most people believe in a “First Cause” whichbrought the universe into existence. God is identified inthe Bible as that “First Cause.” He is Creator of the“heavens and the earth,” all that exists, both spiritualand physical: “In the beginning God [Heb.
 Elohim
]created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The endof the Bible also confirms that God is the Creator, theSupreme Being who “created all things” (Rev. 4:11).
For by Him all things were created that are in heavenand that are on earth, visible [physical] and invisible[spiritual], whether thrones or dominions or principali-ties or powers. All things were created through Himand for Him” (Col. 1:16).God does
not
create something, then let it rundown. What He creates He alsomaintains. God is bothCreator and Sustainer of all that exists (Heb. 1:2-3)!God’s role as both Creator and Master of all that existsis revealed by Paul: “God, who
made
the world and every-thing in it, since He is Lord [Master] of heaven and earth,does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 17:24).Though belief in God is prevalent in the world,almost no one really knows God in a personal way—nor do they understand what He is truly like.
Do You Worship an Unknown God?
The Athenians of the first century A.D. admittedthey didn’t know who the true God was. Notice whatthe Apostle Paul told those Athenians who were worldlywise, yet utterly ignorant of the true knowledge of theirCreator: “For as I was passing through and consideringthe objects of your worship, I even found an altar withthis inscription:TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.Therefore, the One whom you worship without know-ing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the worldand everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven andearth...” (Acts 17:23-24). Paul bluntly told those Athenians that they
igno-rantly
worshipped God
.
Many today, including “pro-fessing Christians,” are just about as ignorant of theirCreator as were the ancient Athenians. These moderntheists believe in God, but to them, God is still a vague,far-off, “Unknown God.”
Is It Really Possible to WorshipGod in Vain?
Most Americans and Britons profess a belief inGod. Over 90% of Americans still claim to believe inGod! But do we really
know
Him,
obey
Him and doHis will? Or do we continually thumb our noses atHim, His laws and His ways?
Many have not realized that it is possible toworship God without advantage oreffect!
Noticewhat Christ told some religious people of His day,“And in vain they worship Me...” (Mark 7:7).Additionally, the ApostlePaul was inspired to write,“They
 profess
to know God, but in works they denyHim, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualifiedfor every good work” (Titus 1:16)!This same attitude was displayed by the people of Israel in Old Testament times. The Prophet Ezekielwrote, “So they [the people of Israel] come to You as
1
T
he
G
od YOU
Can
K
now
 !
by
Raymond F. McNair

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