-- Genesis 1:1, 26
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
++ 26 Then God said,
"Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; ..."

-- Hebrews 11:6
And without Faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must Believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.



The Great Creator
If you looked up into the branches of a sturdy oak, stood in the wet sand as the vast blue sea laps at your feet, gazed up at the sky on a clear, star-filled night, taken in the rich fragrance of a beautiful flower, or stood spellbound as the sun passed across the peak of a snow-capped mountain, then you have experienced the wonder and awe of God’s Creation. Nature is His handiwork, the Bible says.

In the very beginning, before creation, there was nothingness. Genesis aptly describes this: “Darkness was the face of the deep” (1:2). Then God began His awesome work. By merely speaking the Words, He created light and flooded the earth with sunlight. He divided light from darkness and gave the world day and night.

God is the Creator and Ruler of all the marvels in the world. The Bible says that He created the heavens and the earth, the waters and the land, the animals and the plants -- and He saw that it was good. He created man as well, in His own image. You are the crowning achievement of God’s creative genius. Believe that.

Each time you look out and marvel at the wonders around you, take time to appreciate more fully what you mean to God. Formed by His own hand in His own image, you are linked to Him forever. He has given you a free will, believing that you will choose to love Him. And when people did not love God and tuned their backs on their Creator, God turned the tables in heaven and on earth to open the door once more, to see that the way to relationship with Him was not blocked.

It's easy in a world that has become increasingly impersonal and uncaring for men to doubt that they have value, especially to God. If you have come to feel that way, look up -- at the trees, at the stars, at the wonders of God all around you. Then consider the fact that God values you more than anything else He has created. He has invested more of Himself in you than the most beautiful sunset or that exquisite snow-white owl hooting majestically in the distance.

You are so valuable to Him, in fact, that He has chosen to call you His child. Look around you today, and then consider who you are and what you mean to God. Receive His love, let it wash over you, Let it speak to you and lift you up. Then as you experience His love, open your heart to love Him in return. He has been waiting a long time.
Do you?:
+ Appreciate the wonder of God's creation in nature.
+ Believe that God is the Author and Creator of all things.
+ Realize that God has created beautiful things in this world to demonstrate His love and care for you.
+ Accept yourself as a part of God's wonderful creation.
+ Allow God to open your eyes and help you see that you are the masterpiece of His creation.
+ Allow yourself to respond to the love of God.
+ Determine to return God's will as a function of your free will.
+ Accept Jesus Christ as Son of God and your Savior.

-- Checklist 4 Life
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-- John 1:1-4 (Jesus Christ)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

-- John 1:12-13 (Children of God)
12 Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God -- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

-- Genesis 1:26-28 (The creation of man)
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."


++ Genesis is a name taken from the Greek, and signifies "the book of generation or production;" it is properly so called, as containing an account of the origin of all things. There is no other history so old. There is nothing in the most ancient book which exists that contradicts it; while many things recorded by the oldest heathen writers, or to be traced in the customs of different nations, confirm what is related in the book of Genesis.

++ Genesis 1: God creates heaven and earth (1-2). The creation of light (3-5). God separates the earth from the waters, and makes it fruitful (6-13). God forms the sun, moon, and stars (14-19). Animals created (20-25). Man created in the image of God (26-28). Food appointed (29-30). The work of creation ended and approved (31).

++ Genesis 1:1-2. The first verse of the Bible gives us a satisfying and useful account of the origin of the earth and the heavens. The faith of humble Christians understands this better than the fancy of the most learned men. From what we see of heaven and earth, we learn the power of the great Creator. And let our make and place as men, remind us of our duty as Christians, always to keep heaven in our eye, and the earth under our feet. The Son of God, One with the Father, was with Him when He made the world; nay, we are often told that the world was made by Him, and nothing was made without Him (John 1). Oh, what high thoughts should there be in our minds, of that great God whom we worship, and of that great Mediator in whose name we pray! + And here, at the beginning of the sacred volume, we read of that Divine Spirit, whose work upon the heart of man is so often mentioned in other parts of the Bible. Observe, that at first there was nothing desirable to be seen, for the world was without form, and void; it was confusion, and emptiness. + In like manner the work of grace in the soul is a new creation: and in a graceless soul, one that is not born again, there is disorder, confusion, and every evil work: it is empty of all good, for it is without God; it is dark, it is darkness itself: this is our condition by nature, till Almighty grace works a change in us.

-- Matthew Henry
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-- Psalms 19:1-6
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

-- Psalms 139:13-18
13 For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with You.

-- Hebrews 11:1-3, 6
1 Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 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.
++ 6 And without Faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must Believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

-- 2 Corinthians 5:7
We live by Faith, not by sight.



++ God sees the end from the beginning
and the beginning from the end.

++ The masterpiece of God's creation is the human soul.

++ It is because God has assigned worth to men and women that human dignity is established.From His creation to His redemption, man's dignity is preserved. His origin is significant. His destiny is significant. -- R. C. Sproul

++ The why of natural law is the living Voice of God immanent in His creation. And this Word of God which brought all worlds into being cannot be understood to mean the Bible, for it is not a written or printed word at all, but the expression of the will of God spoken into the structure of all things. This Word of God is the breath of God filling the world with living potentiality. The Voice of God is the most powerful force in nature, indeed the only force in nature, for all energy is here only because the power-filled Word is being spoken. -- A. W. Tozer



-- 2 Peter 1:2-3
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

-- Philippians 1:9-11
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ -- to the glory and praise of God.



Is There Really a God?
God -- an Eternal, Uncreated Being?

In our everyday experience, just about everything seems to have a beginning. In fact, the laws of science show that even things which look the same through our lifetime, such as the sun and other stars, are, in reality, running down. The sun is using up its fuel at millions of tons each second -- since the sun cannot last forever, it had to have a beginning. The same can be shown to be true for the entire universe. So when Christians claim that the God of the Bible created all the basic entities of life and the universe, some will ask what seems to be a logical question: “Who created God?” The very first verse in the Bible declares: “In the beginning God ....” There is no attempt in these words to prove the existence of God or imply in any way that God had a beginning. In fact, the Bible makes it clear in many places that God is outside time. He is eternal, with no beginning or end. He also knows all things, being infinitely intelligent. Is it logical, though, to accept the existence of such an eternal being? Can modern science, which has produced our technology of computers, space shuttles, and medical advances, even allow for such a notion?

-- Ken Ham & Jason Lisle

++ Christians will live by Faith, not by sight (2 Co. 5:7).
+*+*+*+*+*+*+

-- Revelation 22:13
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

-- Exodus 3:13-14
13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' Then what shall I tell them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

-- Job 38:1... 41:34
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: ... 4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand..."

-- Psalms 102:25-27
25 In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them and they will be discarded. 27 But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.



-- Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.

-- Isaiah 55:8-11
8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, ++ 11 so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

-- Romans 11:34
Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor? (Isa. 40:13)

-- John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

-- Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

-- Isaiah 45:22
Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.

-- Acts 2:21
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:28-32)

-- Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

-- Romans 10:13, 17
13 For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Joel 2:32) ++ 17 Consequently, Faith comes from hearing the Message, and the Message is heard through the Word of Christ.

+*+*+*+*+*+*+

-- Numbers 6:24-26
24 The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

-- Psalms 103:1-5
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

-- Psalms 148
1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above. 2 Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His heavenly hosts. 3 Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, ++ for He commanded and they were created. 6 He set them in place for ever and ever; He gave a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do His bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and maidens, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens. 14 He has raised up for His people a horn, the praise of all His saints, of Israel, the people close to His heart. Praise the LORD.



++ Say this Prayer to Receive Christ:
"Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that You are the Son of God, that You came to earth and died on the cross to save me of my sins. Jesus, please come into my heart. Be Lord of my life. Help me to serve You the rest of my life. In Jesus' name Amen."

++ Congratulation! By praying this prayer, confessing your sins, and receiving Jesus Christ into your heart, God has given you the right to become His forgiven child. The Bible gives you this assurance:
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).