Divine Creation

Do you think of yourself as a creative person? Maybe you sew or cook, garden or build, paint or make music. These are all ways we create things of beauty, or things to use and enjoy. However, we start with fabric and ingredients, seeds and wood, canvas and instruments. We can’t make something from nothing, unlike our own Creator.

The first five words of the Bible in Genesis say “In the beginning God created”. In Hebrew, the word for create is “bara,” used only for divine design, to shape, to fashion, to create. ‘Bara’ is used three times in Genesis the first chapter. The first time is for the origin of matter, “God created the heaven and the earth.” The next is the origin of life, “God created every living creature that moveth,” and third the origin of man’s soul, “So God created man in His own image.”

Only human life, by God’s divine design and plan, has His image. It is more precious and unique compared to any other life, worthy to be nurtured and protected.

What God spoke into existence in the beginning has continued to this day. The more we learn about the universe in which we exist , the more we    marvel at the miracle of life. Amazing God that formed the planets and the stars, the seas and the mountains, also created our bodies with intricate physiology and with all the systems functioning as a whole. Our bodies move and breathe, think, see, touch and taste; performing processes every second, many of which we are not even consciously aware.

All of us have learned about the human body in school and some have gone further and studied in greater detail in preparation for a vocation. This knowledge does not prove the truth of God’s Word, but rather confirms our faith that only God’s divine design created life.

One such example is the protein laminin which is part of our extracellular matrix. Laminin are cell adhesion molecules, an integral part of the structural scaffolding of cells inside our body’s tissues and organs. Essentially it ‘glues’ one cell to the next and holds us together. Without laminin we would literally fall apart. This is amazing in itself, but then if you look at the molecular diagram of laminin – we see a     familiar shape: the shape of a cross. God’s Word tells the story of creation, of choices and the plan of redemption He had from the very beginning. Psalms 139:14 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. In Colossians 1:14-17, it tells of creation and redemption, all part of God’s perfect plan.

The very powerful God who created us and knit us together in the womb, has that same power to redeem us and sustain us, and hold our lives together through His grace.

By R Trauger

The Gift of Life

Life is a gift that we should always view as precious. There is nothing more sad than a wasted life. By  reading God’s word we come to realize the value that God places upon each soul. We live in a time when so many simply do not value life as He does.

To understand the value of something, we often look at its cost. Our souls were so valuable that God gave His Son to buy us back from the power of the devil. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

When we think of the number of lives ended by abortion, cut short through suicide, or totally wrecked by sin, we can only imagine the God’s frustration. “Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more than the hearts of the children of men?” (Proverbs 15:11). These things do not go unnoticed by God. Every soul is valuable to him. In Matthew 10:31, Jesus tells us that God notices even the birds of the air by saying, “Ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

What is the measure of a life? There are many philosophies regarding how life should be spent. Some say, “You only live once! Do what feels good!” For some, this is their whole purpose. They are constantly chasing the next thrill, until they realize this never brings lasting satisfaction. Sadly, many of these lives end in depression and sometimes suicide.

Pro-choice advocates insist that life is a choice of the mother, rather than a gift from God. They feel they have the right to accept or refuse the gift of life. They view life as something a mother can choose to terminate out of convenience. So many mothers have chosen this path only to find their conscience haunts them for years.

Those who chase careers, money or fame will not find true happiness. A reckless attitude toward life is always a disgrace.

We need to look to the Word of God, rather than man’s opinion. Acts 5:29 says, “…We ought to obey God rather than men.” In Genesis 4, we see that God was very grieved and punished Cain for murdering his brother. In the book of Exodus, we read the Ten Commandments which include, “Thou shalt not kill.” No matter how you reason it, abortion is murder, and is not approved by God.

A life with heavenly purpose is the only one that will satisfy! In John 4:14, Jesus says to the woman at the well, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Thank God for the gift of life. Let us always view it as something precious that we dare not waste. Every soul has value. Ecclesiastes 12:14 makes plain our purpose: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

by C Karns

God’s Goodness to all Generations

From the beginning God has wanted to be close to the crown of his creation. He walked and talked in the garden with Adam and Eve until they sinned. God’s desire is the same today. His Spirit still moves in the hearts of men. Romans 2:4 talks about the goodness of God that leads a soul to repentance. Do you have a heart that is tender and responsive to the Spirit of God? That is something that each one of us can decide. We can choose to draw near to God or to harden our hearts.

Let us consider God’s handiwork and the effects his wonders can have upon the hearts of men. God is our creator. When we stop and really consider that thought, it is amazing. The human body is so detailed. Every part has its individual function and it all works together with the other members of our body. Consider one major sense of our body, our vision. Our eye is made up of many different layers including the cornea which takes in light and transforms this light into electric impulses. These electric impulses are then transported to the brain by the optic nerve. This is the abbreviated version of how our vision works. We could study all the layers of the eye including the pupil, iris, and vitreous chamber and each of their separate roles in our sight. Such a sophisticated process for something that so many of us take for granted, our ability to see. Every part of the human body is this complex. Psalms 139:14 says, I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Truly, mankind is the crown of God’s creation. Life is a miracle that only God can give.

God wants his children to see and acknowledge his greatness. By studying the Old Testament, we can see many examples of where God performed the impossible. In so many of these instances God did not just perform the miracle to meet a specific need, but also for the benefit of those who were looking on or would hear of His works.

The book of Joshua, starting in chapter 2 is an excellent example of the far-reaching effects that a miracle can produce. Here we read about Joshua sending two spies to search out the land of Jericho. These spies stayed in the house of Rahab. In verses 9-11, Rahab recounts to the spies all that she has heard about their God. She tells them that her people have heard how their God parted the waters of the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites from their enemies. Rahab then admits her fear of God and acknowledges him as the God of heaven and of earth. These miracles and wonders have worked a softening in the heart of Rahab. She is moved to kindness and hides the Israelite spies from the Kings men. She asks only to have her own life and those of her family spared when the Israelites conquer Jericho.

Israel was delivered from Egypt by the parting of the Red Sea. While this miracle made a way for the Israelites, it also made an impression upon the honest heart of a sinner woman. Because of this miracle Rahab and her whole family were saved.

God’s miracles work fear and humility in the hearts of the unsaved. They also work courage and confidence in the hearts of his children. In Joshua 2:24 the spies tell Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. When God answers prayer, faith is inspired in the hearts of the believer. The Israelites recognized that God was on their side and they went on to battle Jericho confident that God would give them the victory. Psalms 60:12 says, “Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.” Through mighty works and miracles, God seeks to humble the heart of the sinner and to inspire faith and courage in his children.

 

Daniel 4:2-3

I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders, that the high God hath wrought toward me.

How great are his signs! And how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

-Christie L Karns