Words at a ceremony in the forty years of the founding of the Institute of Emmaus Bible

Dear brothers and sisters 

About nine years ago, when I entered university, and toward the end of my second year, the Lord arranged—through various ways and means—that I hear about the Lord Jesus, His love, and His salvation. After that, I took time and gradually made significant progress on the path of freedom from rituals, ordinances, and various traditions that contradict the light that reached me through the Word of God. I began to see the features of true Christianity and God’s thinking as it is revealed in the Holy Scriptures

At that time, as I still do today, I made extensive use of the internet and relied on it greatly. It is an important source of information for me and a vital means of communicating with people and downloading books—especially since many of them are not available or accessible in printed form. During that period, I longed to get to know mature, healthy believers who could be true guides and point us to the way, because they had walked it before us. There is a saying I strongly agree with: “In our Christian faith, we stand on the shoulders of those who went before us.”

By God’s grace, I was enabled to study the Bible at minimal cost, using the simplest means, without the need for theological universities, famous names, or merely formal academic degrees. I studied and took exams by correspondence, either through the website or regular mail. In this way, I grew in understanding the mind of the Lord as revealed in His Word.
Have we studied the Bible? Have we read it chapter by chapter? There are empty books that are read and memorized by heart—have we read this Book? Have we made the effort to understand it? Have we asked the Lord to open our minds to understand the Scriptures? Have we felt the danger of life without knowing what is truth, what is right, what is wrong, what is sound doctrine, what is right thinking? What does the Bible say about this matter or that? Or do we think such questions are only for those who preach and speak from pulpits—what does it have to do with us?
I completed all stages of study and reached the advanced level, and in the end I received three certificates. Much later, the Lord honored me by allowing me to assist in editing and revising many of the study books published by Emmaus Publishing.
Here I must pose a question: Why is studying the Bible in general, and Emmaus courses in particular, so necessary?
The Lord’s desire for us is that we understand His Word. In Hosea 6:6, after the Lord says, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” He continues, “and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” That is, instead of merely offering and doing outward things, go and know God—this is better.
Knowing the Lord through the Scriptures places you on correct, real, and solid foundations. Many people are influenced by an emotional and highly charged atmosphere, but without the Word of God, without returning to it and knowing God’s mind as revealed in Scripture, true revival cannot occur—neither in our personal lives nor in the church. All genuine revivals, whether recorded in the Bible or in modern history, began through godly believers who returned to the Scriptures, understood God’s mind, and were used by the Lord for the salvation of souls, the good of society, and the blessing of the nation.
In short, what we practice and what we do must have a clear foundation in God’s Word, so that we do not follow our own imaginations or chase illusions that cannot be fulfilled, only to end up discouraged and defeated. What Emmaus courses give you is help to sit down, search the Word of God, and understand God’s mind in all matters, which leads to your edification and growth in spiritual life—“growing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
Beloved brothers, I believe you agree with me that the churches and believers in our countries are in a general state of weakness, and that the pulpit is often weak and does not meet the needs of the people. I am convinced that every true believer born of God has a personal responsibility to study the Word of God for himself and apply it to every area of his life. Then growth, progress, and fruitfulness are guaranteed.
I also believe pastors should encourage this, and not think that a believer who studies becomes better than they are in knowledge—such thinking reflects ignorance and unacceptable pride. If we seek the building up of the church and the removal of spiritual childishness that dominates many members, then let us move toward the centrality of the Word of God, making it the reference point for how matters are conducted and problems are solved, rather than involving culture, traditions, and routine in shaping church life and our personal lives.
God desires all people to be saved, but not only that—He also desires them to come to the knowledge of the truth. I quote one of the Lord’s servants who said: The Lord does not want an army of believers who walk behind Him with empty heads, without knowledge or teaching. The Lord is never honored by ignorant, confused believers, carried about by every wind of doctrine.
Today the great disaster is that young people are without knowledge—heads fill the meetings, but sadly they are empty. They pick things up here and there, but there is no solid building, no sound Christian mind.
As another servant said: for many believers and young people, the Bible is limited to Psalm 23—“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”—and “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Others deal with the Bible by opening it at random, reading whatever verse appears, and saying, “Praise God.” The excuse is that it is all God’s Word and the important thing is to feel comforted. Isaiah is treated the same as Jeremiah, the Gospels the same as the Epistles—without effort, without labor to learn what the Bible actually says.
Therefore, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Isaiah 5:13). Lack of knowledge exposes us to captivity and humiliation by Satan. We should feel guilty for neglecting this Book, resulting in empty minds and young people becoming victims of Satan.
The Lord Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). That means they are your life and your food: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life” (John 6:27).