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And thus with these few simple words, the Bible begins. They are more than an account of the creation of the universe and everything in it, they are the introduction of the One who did the creating--God. Although strictly speaking, the fact that God is the Creator is not one of His attributes, which are the subject of our on-going study, nevertheless, one of the main ways the Bible identifies Him as Creator. Who is God? He is the Creator of all things. Of course most of us are quite familiar with this fact, some of us having heard it since we were children. But just because we have heard it so often that it has become familiar and common place to us does not mean we fully grasp how profound, significant, and far reaching the implication of it is.

Most of us are well aware of the account of Genesis 1-3, how God created everything in the heavens--the sun, moon, stars , planets, ant other heavenly bodies; and everything on earth--the sea, the land, and all living things, including man. But the fact that God is the Creator is not reserved for these chapters alone. It is remarkable how often God is identified as the Creator throughout the Scriptures. It seems that the fact that He created everything is the basis of all else that He is and does and determines what our response to Him should be.

As with the attribute of His eternity that we studied last month, that God is the Creator makes Him Unique. As G.W. Bromiley says, "God, as Creator, is marked off from all else, which is creature" (ISBE, Vol. 1, p. 803). Only He is Eternal in the fullest sense of never having a beginning as well as an ending; only He is Self-existent, everything else owing its existence to Another; only He is Uncreated, everything else having been created by Him.

Judaism (and thus Christianity) and the Bible are intensely monotheistic (that there is only one God) in sharp contrast to pagan polytheism (that there are many gods). Practically all ancients were grossly polytheistic, having almost as many gods are there are things in nature. Often in their mythologies there were many different aspects of creation. And the gods responsible for creating the world but simply fashioned these things out of previously existing material which was made up of either some other god or matter coeternal with the deities. And often they were pantheistic (that God is everything and everything is God) as well. The Bible view of God as Creator stands in sharp contrast with all these. He alone created all, not just some, things, and He created them in the fullest sense of the word--that is out of nothing else. He was not a mere craftsman, but truly created all things. And He is not Himself part of His own creation but transcends it; He stands outside of it and is separate from it. Creation is not an extension of nor an emanation from Him.

And we said, that God is the Creator is one of the most fundamental ways by which he is identified and defined. Whoever created the heavens and the earth is its God; whoever created living things is their God; whoever created man is his God. God identifies Himself by referring to Himself this way:

"This is what the Lord says--your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself." (Isaiah 44:24, all Scripture quotations from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.)

"This is what the Lord says--the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts." (Isaiah 45:11,12)

"My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together." (Isaiah 48:13)

And what God says of Himself, others also in Scripture say of Him:

"You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is one it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." (Nehemiah 9:6)

"For this is what the Lord says--he who created the heavens; he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty. but formed it to be inhabited--he says: "I am the Lord, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:18).

"Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea everything in them." (Acts 14:15).

"Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." (Ephesians 3:8,9)

"Then the angle I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and sea and all that is in it, and said , "There will be no more delay!" (Revelation 10:5,6)

In contradiction of heathen polytheism, the Bible insists that God is the sole Creator of all, not some, things, whether they be things in heaven or earth, the sea, or things unseen:

" . . . I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself." (Isaiah 44:24)

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by and for him." (Colossians 1:16)

" . . . Who created the heaven and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it . . .(Revelation 10:6)

God did not make the universe out of preexisting or eternal matter or the body of some god, as heathen mythology would have it, but out of nothing, which is represented in theology by the Latin phrase ex nihilo:

(as it is written. "As father of many nations have I made you") in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. (Romans 4:17, New American Standard Version.)

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (Hebrews 11:3).

Also in sharp contrast to the heathen mythologies, who represent the gods as creating much like a man would, expending much wearisome toil over a long period of time, God, as Hebrews 11:3 above indicates, created everything by His spoken word or command. This is apparent in Genesis chapter one where we repeatedly find the formula, "And God said . . . and it was so."

"And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light . . .(Genesis 1:3)

And God said, "let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water" . . .And it was so.(Genesis 1:6,7)

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let the dry ground appear." And it was so. (Genesis 1:11)

Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. (Genesis 1:11)

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night" . . .And it was so. (Genesis 1:14,15)

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across he expanse of the sky." (Genesis 1:20)

And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds" . . .And it was so. (Genesis 1:24)

Psalm 33:6,9 is also very explicit:

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth . . .For he spoke, and it came to be: he commanded, and it stood firm.

Of course the crown of God's creation is man:

The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

But the Scriptures portray God not only as the Creator of the first man and woman and thereby all mankind, they also insist He is the Creator of individuals as well. This is not to deny that our creation is by natural generation, but it does stress the fact that each of us are God's creation, that He made us, and therefore we stand in peculiar relation to Him:

Did not he who make me in the womb make them? Did not the same one from us both within out mothers? (Job 31:15)

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Job 33:4)

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them." (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

This is what the Lord says--he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. (Isaiah 44:2)

This is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord. who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares. (Zechariah 12:1)

That God is the Creator of all things, including man, puts Him in a special relation to everything and everything to Him. The Scriptures link God as Creator to God as the Ruler, Governor, and Owner of all things He has made. It stands to reason that whatever He has made is His to do with as He wills. Our copyright and patent laws recognize that an author or inventor has ownership rights over what the creates. He may do with it as he pleases and no one else may use it in any way without his expressed consent. And yet when it comes to God, men act as though they had no obligation whatever to their Creator, as though they themselves mad themselves, and that it is tyranny for God to command, rule, and judge them for their actions. Man crates, but only in a lower sense--out of previously existent materials made by God. He uses the skills and faculties God gave him to fashion things out of God's materials, so that God should be credited with everything man does or makes. But so often this is not the case, is it? The fact that God made everything means that He is the Ruler, Governor, and Owner of all things and, in case of man, His judge. God can hold man accountable for everything he does because God made him and + he has and uses. And He made it all for His own purpose and glory:" . . . by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11). This is represented by series of prepositional phrases in several New Testament texts:

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)

. . . all things were created by him and for him. (Colossians 1:16)

That God created the universe by His word or command is cited in Scripture as the grounds of their "Obedience" to Him, and this relation of servant to Creator is clearly meant to apply to mankind as well:

Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, O my soul. (Psalms 103:20-22)

Your faithfulness continues through all generations: you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. (Psalms 119:90.91)

My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together. (Isaiah 48: 13)

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him all you shining stars. Praise him you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away. (Psalms 148:1-6)

All of creation, which obeys its Creator, stands, therefore, in rebuke of man, who though he is the crown of God's creation, chooses rather to dishonor and disobey his Creator and walks contrary tot he purpose for which he was made. The sun, moon, planets, stars, comets--they all do just what they were made and commanded to do. The birds fly and sing and do just what they were made to do. But man goes contrary to what he is commanded by His Creator to do and contrary tot he purpose for which he was made.

Because God is the Creator of all things, it is His prerogative to rule and govern all things, including man.

And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: "o, Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth." (2 Kings 19:15)

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth . . . "(Acts 17:26).

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." (Acts 17:26).

Yes, O Lord, you are our Father. we are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of you hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

Like a universal patent or copyright holder, the fact that God made everything means that everything is His to use or dispose of as He wills:

"With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. (Jeremiah 27:5)

And that He is the Creator of it all is often directly linked to the fact that He owns it all:

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. (Psalms 24:1,2)

The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. (Psalm 89:11)

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Marker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice. Psalms 95:3-7)

The attempt by modern evolutionists to rob God of His Creatorship is, therefore, most insidious and diabolical. It is only the latest form of what Henry Morris calls "The Long War Against God," the attempt to kick Him out of His own creation. Its widespread acceptance is based not so much upon scientific, but philosophical, grounds. Obviously if God is the Creator, then He is the Owner and Ruler of all things and man's ultimate Judge. To remove Him as Creator, therefore is to remove Him as Governor and Judge to whom we must give account. It is the modern form of that foolishness that claims to be wise of which Paul spoke in Romans one.

Last year we refuted the claims of evolution as part of a study for our "Tuesday School" home schooled children. It is far too lengthy to repeat here except to list the eleven beast scientific evidences against evolution with a brief expression of each. The Bible refutes evolution, but since evolution claims to be based on scientific grounds since they usually regard science more highly than Scriptures.

1. The Second Law of Thermodynamics. According to this, one of the most proven, demonstrable, and universal scientific laws, everything in the universe "runs down hill" from greater to lesser heat, energy, order, complexity, ect. But for evolution to be true, everything would have had to have proceeded "up hill" from lesser to greater order and complexity. Some say this is the very best single evidence against evolution.

2. The law of biogenesis. Before the modern scientific era, men believed that some forms of life such as flies, then later, microscopic organisms, sprang spontaneously from non-living things. But experiments beginning in the 1600's and continuing through the 1800's with Louis Pasteur demonstrated conclusively that living things. And yet, in utter refutation of this universally accepted law of science, evolution's first principle is that life first arose spontaneously from non-living matter. They say the first living cell arose from complex protein molecules in the ocean But in order for this to happen, the protein molecules would have to have had the ability to reproduce, which is possible only for a living cell. In other words, the proteins would have had to have functioned as living cells before they were living cells, which is a logical impossibility.

3. The absence of transitional forms in the fossil record. These are missing links"' between kinds of animals that differ greatly, such as between birds and reptiles, reptiles and mammals, and apes and man. Many different kinds of transitional forms must have existed and in very large numbers for evolution to be true. But the few examples of missing links"' that have been set tank by evolutionists have subsequently been abandoned as more was known about them.

4. The absence of continual upward development from one level of complexity of living thing to another in the fossil record. The evolutionary geological column" with its ten stages or ages of development does not exist anywhere in the real world but is purely hypothetical. The real fossil evidence is that the complex invertebrates (sea creatures) appeared suddenly and abruptly and had no evolutionary ancestors, no links" between them and simple single celled animals.

5. The complexity of life, even of a single living cell. The chemical make-up of the matter in living things is so unbelievably complex that it is impossible for it simply to have evolved. It is only in the last 30 years or so that scientists have begun to understand how complex the single living cell is. super-molecules of proteins called nucleic acids-DNA and RNA~found in the nucleus of each cell are so complex they contain billions of pieces of information that direct all the cell's activities necessary for life. The odds that such substances evolved by chance are infinitesimal. As one scientist said, when DNA and RNA and the secrets of life they contain were discovered. it should have ended the creation/evolution debate then and there. Besides these chemicals, other bodies in each living cell have their own complex functions involving other tremendously complex chemicals called enzymes. It is said that there are over 1,000 known enzymes in the human body that regulate and control all the processes of life. These are so chemically complex that they have never been duplicated in the laboratory. One great problem for evolution is that the first living cell could not have existed without these enzymes, but that enzymes can only be created by the living cell!

6. The complexity and diver~ icy of higher organisms and their cells The human eye, for instance, is so complex and marvelous that it is impossible that it evolved by chance. No camera on earth even approaches its focusing and resolution power and its adaptability to available light. Tiny, highly specialized cells called rods and cones on the back of the inside of the eyeball act as electric photocells that gather light and conduct the impulse through the optic nerve to the brain. Charles Darwin himself, father of modern evolution, said,

To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for adjusting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree. (Origin of the Species, Chapter VI)

It is impossible that such an instrument should have evolved one part at a time, for each of the highly specialized parts are useless without the others. According to the principles of selection and mutation, these intermediate steps would have been discarded, not passed on from one generation to the next until all the necessary parts were in place. And yet for evolution to be true. the eye would have had to suddenly appear as a complete unit no less than four different and separate times on the "evolutionary tree" of development!

7. The rock strata associated by evolutionists with eons of change and development were actually formed within a matter of weeks or months~sideways, not vertically. Until recently it was believed these strata took millions of years to form but recent experiments in the laboratory as well as phenomena connected with the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 have shown this can take place in weeks or months by the rudimentary deposits of rapidly running water.

8. The methods of dating which give evolutionists their needed eons of time for evolution to occur are unreliable. Each of the methods are faulty, as has been demonstrated by testing them on objects whose age is already known.

9. Ninety-nine percent of all mutations are harmful. Earlier evolutionists cited natural variation as the mechanism by which less complex organisms evolved into more and more complex ones, but neo-Darwinists recognize this is not possible. Instead, they now say it was through mutations, which are sudden changes in a plant or animal, a freak or accident usually caused by radiation or a chemical agent. The problem is that mutations are so rare that even if a great percentage of them were helpful, enough of them could not have occurred even in the wildest allowed evolutionary time span to produce the varieties of life forms we have on earth, But mutations are almost always (adding 'almost" only for remote possibilities' sake) harmful, not helpful. Some scientists insist here has never been a single truly helpful mutation, Besides, the changes produced never mean a new species, only a badly altered specimen of the same species.

10. Variation takes place only within kinds, never producing something truly new. Variation is still often hailed as part of the mechanism of evolution-how higher species developed from lower ones. But the changes in the natural or selective breeding of plants and animals never produce a new species but only a different color, size, or breed of the same. The differences in genetic code in the DNA make it impossible that our present plants and animals could have derived from extinct ones we find in fossils.

11. There is much evidence that the earth is much younger than what evolution requires and claims. According to Paul S. Taylor's Origins Answer Book, some of the best evidences of a younger earth are: (1.) The present strength of the earth's magnetic field compared with the known rate of decay in the past means the earth could not be over 10,000 years old. (2.) The amount of helium in our atmosphere, which is produced by certain radioactive elements, is very small. Since little of it escapes into space,t the earth must be much younger (as little as 10-15 thousand years) than thought. (3.) The world's present population, assuming even a generously low growth rate in the past, would have been reached in only 4,000 years. If man has been here a million years as evolutionists say, the population would be trillions of trillions! Even if it were much slower, almost zero, in one million years at least three trillion people would have lived on our planet; but if so, where is the fossil or archaeological evidence for it? (4.) The known maximum lifetime of comets is estimated at 10,000 years. Since we still have them, how come they haven't all disappeared long ago? (5.) The distance from the earth to the moon is slowly increasing~ Given the current rate of change, the moon would easily have once been too close to the earth to stay in orbit if the earth were billions or even millions of years old. (6.) The sun is shrinl:ing at a present estimated rate such that for 99.8% of the earth's supposed 5 billion years, it would have been much too hot to support life. (7.) The dust on the moon falling on it from space was found by our astronauts to be only 50 feet deep rather than the hundreds of feet feared by evolutionists, suggesting a much younger earth and moon. (8.) Comparing the rate of flow of elements found in rivers with the present concentration of these elements in ocean water suggests a far younger earth than evolution says. (9.) The rate of sediment deposit building up the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico suggests a 4,000 year old earth. (10.) Petroleum and natural gas deposits in huge natural underground reservoirs are under great pressure, extremely high in some cases. This causes the oil and gas to seep through rocks to the surface~ Calculations show these pressures could not have been maintained for much more than 10,000 years. If the earth were billions of years old, these deposits would have all leaked to the surface long ago. (11.) Given the present rate of the slowing of the earth's rotation, billions of years ago it would have been spinning so fast it would have been flattened and would have slowed down and stopped long ago. Special creation is still by far the best explanation for the origin of the universe and life, even from a scientific standpoint. Some theologians, dating back to before the turn of the century especially, in an attempt to keep from being overthrown by the onslaught of evolution, attempted to harmonize it with the Biblical account of creation with by suggesting that Genesis chapter one may have been referring to seven long periods of many hundreds or thousands of years each instead of seven literal days. In other words, God guided creation, but by using evolution over many eons. But that Genesis one means regular 24-hour days is evident by the repeated phrase, "There was evening and there was morning-the first [and second, and third, etc.) day. Also, God rested on the seventh literal day of creation week, not the seventh thousand years or seventh age. This became the foundation for the Jewish seventh day Sabbath-a literal day of the week:

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy... For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:8,11)

In addition. Genesis 1:11-13 says God created the plants on the third day, but the sun and moon were not made until the fourth day (1;14-19). This poses no problem for the creationist since the plants could well have survived without the sun for one day, but how could they have done so without the sun for a whole age of years? other details of the order of Genesis one are incompatible with evolution.

Perhaps the most serious objection to the day-age theory of theistic evolutionists" is that according to evolution, death existed on earth long before Adam. But the Bible says there was no death before Adam sinned. Evolution could not have been the way God created all living things because this necessitates death in the world before Adam and before sin. That God is the Creator is linked with several of His other attributes. If He created everything from nothing, He must be limitless in power-Omnipotent. We know from Einstein's theory that there is a tremendous amount of energy bound up in only a small amount of matter. Scientists can calculate how much energy it would take to move a certain amount of matter over a certain distance or to change a certain amount of a given substance into another in a chemical reaction. But there is no way to calculate how much energy it would take to create matter out of nothing. The Scriptures link God as Creator with His great power;

"With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth... " (Jeremiah 27:5

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm, Nothing is too hard for you. (Jeremiah 32:17)

If God created everything in seven days, He must be unlimited in knowledge and wisdom-Omniscient. What kind of intelligence do you think would be required to make everything from nothing and have it all work right the first time? He must know not only how everything works, but how it would work in advance of His creating it. Every detail of balance and organization of the earth and the solar system, the atmosphere, the composition of matter and the interconnected systems of living things would have to have been thought out in advance, involving an incredible amount of wisdom and knowledge. Scripture links God as Creator with His wisdom and knowledge:

By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations, by understanding beset the heavens in place. (Proverbs 3:19)

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his band, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? (Isaiah 40:12,13)

But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. (Jeremiah 10:12)

If God created everything, He must be Creation, despite the blighting effects of the fall everywhere, is awesomely beautiful and basically good. It serves man and living things quite well, indicating that God is not only a God of wisdom and purpose, but a Good God as well.

Each of God's attributes calls for a certain response on our part. What should be our response to the fact that He is the Creator? It means that everything, including ourselves, owes its existence to Him. It means that we owe Him the glory and honor for everything that we have or everything we are able to do, for it all comes from Him. We work at a job to support our family, but who gives us the energy to work? Who made our bodies so they work the way they do and enable us to function? Who placed us in a part of the world where jobs are available? Who supplies the food for us to eat so we will have the energy to work? Who made our digestive, nervous, muscular, and skeletal Systems so that movement and life is possible? Who gave us eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to work, feet to walk and a mouth to speak? Our Creator-God. We owe everything to Him; we are, as old-timers said, beholden" to Him. If you had no job. no car, no house, no food, and someone came to you and said. I will give you a job and a car to drive to work and a house to live in," wouldn't you owe him a great debt of gratitude? What would you think of someone who received such favor but did not so much as render thanks? Yet this is the case with the multitudes of mankind. And what of all those professing Christians who think it is so much fanaticism to give the Lord their all,thinking that a little lip service once a week or less should suffice?

It is unusual today to hear someone refer to God as their "Maker, but that is just what the Scripture says of Him. How desperately wicked men are, therefore, when they quarrel with their Maker or refuse Him the glory that is due Him:

"Woe to him who quarrels with Maker, to him who is but a potsherd [a broken piece of pottery] among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'He has no hands'? Woe to him who says to his father, 'What have you begotten?' or to his mother, 'What have you brought to birth? This is what the Lord says-the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my bands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts." (Isaiah 45:9-12)

They have acted corruptly toward him; to their shame they are no longer his children, but a warped and crooked generation. Is this the way you repay the Lord, 0 foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you? (Deuteronomy 32:5,6)

Jeshurun [Israel] grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior. (Deuteronomy 32:15)

We owe Him fear, honor, obedience, love, and worship all the days of our lives. This is what is due to Him. Scripture says:

"Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.," (Jeremiah 5:22).

No one like you. 0 Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not revere you, 0 King of the nations? This s your due. Among all the wise men of the nations in all their kingdoms. there is no one like you. They are all senseless and foolish; are taught by worthless wooden idols. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphar. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed~sed in blue and purple-all made by ski!led workers. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. Tell them this; These gods. who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens-", But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders,the waters in the heavens roar: he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things. including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance-the Lord Almighty is his name. (Jeremiah 10:6-16)

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. (Psalms 149:2)

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture....(Psalms 95:6,7)

Because God has demonstrated His Omnipotence in creation, we should respond by trusting Him, crediting Him with the ability to do anything else:

I will lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.(Psalms ~2l:l,2)

Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalms 124:8)

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and out%stretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. (Jeremiah 32:17)

Let us not be guilty of withholding the glory and honor that is due our Creator. Let us obey His decrees even as the sun, moon, and stars do What He has made He owns; our lives are not ours but are a gift from our Creator, to whom we must not only be grateful, but accountable.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. (Revelation 411)

God bless you all.

Leon Stump, Pastor of Victory Christian Center

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