| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Peter G. Chase" |
| Date: |
04 Nov 2007 11:00:52 PM |
| Object: |
DN Knowledge Through Faith 11/5/2007 |
DRAWING NEAR
November 5
Knowledge Through Faith
"By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the
word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things
which are visible." (Hebrews 11:3)
God's greatest truths are discovered by simple faith.
As a man or woman of faith, you have insights into life that
unbelievers can't know. You know how the physical universe began,
where it is heading, and how it will end. You know Who governs the
universe and how you fit into the total scheme of things. You know
why you exist and how to invest your life in matters of eternal
consequence.
Unbelievers can't possibly appreciate those things because "a natural
man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are
foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are
spiritually appraised" (1 Cor. 2:14).
Some of the most basic issues of life remain a mystery to most people
because they refuse God's counsel. For example, the most brilliant
thinkers have never agreed on the origin of the universe. Theirs is a
futile attempt to explain what is beyond the realm of scientific
investigation.
But such things aren't beyond the realm of knowing--if a person is
willing to be taught by God's Word. For the Bible clearly states that
God spoke the physical universe into existence, creating visible
matter from what was non-physical or invisible (Rom. 4:17). No humans
observed that event. It cannot be measured or repeated. It must be
taken by faith.
Any attempt to explain the origin of the universe or the nature of
man apart from God's Word is foolhardy. The unregenerate mind, no
matter how brilliant it might be, cannot fathom such things.
So never feel you have to apologize for trusting God's Word. Let the
confidence of the psalmist be yours: "I have more insight than all my
teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more
than the aged, because I have observed Thy precepts" (Ps.
119:99-100).
Suggestions for Prayer:
Read Genesis 1-2 as a reminder of the power and wisdom of God in
creating the universe. From those chapters select specific things to
praise Him for.
For Further Study:
Memorize Psalm 19:1. Can you think of ways that the natural creation
brings glory to God? (See also Romans 1:18-20.)
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Romans 4:17
17 (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in
the presence of Him whom he believed; God, who gives life to the dead
and calls those things which do not exist as though they did
Genesis 1-2
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the
waters.
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the
evening and the morning were the first day.
6 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the
waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament;
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered
together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of
the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that
yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its
kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed
according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is
in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the
heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs
and seasons, and for days and years;
15 "and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to
give light on the earth"; and it was so.
16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the
day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the
earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the
light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20 Then God said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living
creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the
firmament of the heavens."
21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that
moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and
every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was
good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill
the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature
according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the
earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle
according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth
according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
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 cattle, over all the earth and over
every creeping thing that creeps on 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."
29 And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed
which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit
yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
30 "Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and
to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I
have given every green herb for food"; and it was so.
31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very
good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were
finished.
2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and
He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it
He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
4 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were
created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb
of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on
the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of
the ground.
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a
living being.
8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put
the man whom He had formed.
9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is
pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in
the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil.
10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there
it parted and became four riverheads.
11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the
whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12 And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone
are there.
13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes
around the whole land of Cush.
14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes
toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden
to tend and keep it.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat;
17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not
eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone;
I will make him a helper comparable to him."
19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field
and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he
would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that
was its name.
20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to
every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper
comparable to him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he
slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its
place.
22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a
woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my
flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined
to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not
ashamed.
Psalm 19:1
19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows
His handiwork.
Romans 1:18-20
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has
shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His
eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase@wowway.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
http://www.gty.org/
http://www.nwbible.org/
There is a living God. He has spoken in His word. He means just what he says, and will do all that He has promised. - Hudson Taylor
.
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| User: "Ghamph" |
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| Title: Re: DN Knowledge Through Faith 11/5/2007 |
05 Nov 2007 07:07:11 PM |
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"Peter G. Chase" <pchase@wideopenwest.com> wrote in message
news:1r8ti35vl7v2u8mvc5k929pp29fu54m1j7@4ax.com...
"By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the
word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things
which are visible." (Hebrews 11:3)
God is the word, nothing else.
The word is making the world into the kingdom of heaven, if you let it.
.
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