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GOD HAS SPOKEN: Lesson 1

"God Has Spoken Through Nature"

Instructions:
1.Read the lesson.
2.In the _Reply Section_, answer the questions and complete the
Student Information.
3.Cut and return the Reply Section to your Study Helper, via
e-mail,to be graded. You will find your Study Helper's name
and address following the questions. Your Study Helper will
review your lesson and send you the next lesson in the series
if you qualify.

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"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:1

With these words the Bible opens the history of our world. It does
not try to prove that God exists. From the very beginning God already
is, and He is already active. The writers of the Bible never doubt or
question God's existence. Nor do they go into long arguments to show
to others that God is real. Why is this?

God's Presence Is Well Known

"No one has ever seen God" (John 1:18). The fact that God is not
directly seen does not have to lead to doubt. Though God is invisible,
we know He is there because of the results of His powerful work. The
world around us, called "nature," is one of those results (Genesis
1:1).
With other results of God's work, nature speaks clearly of its Creator.

People through the ages, and all over the world, have come to the same
conclusion: Creation points to an amazing Creator.

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Seeing The Creator Through Creation

The apostle Paul speaks of those who try to hide the truth about God.
He
shows why God is angry with them:

"Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because
God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the
world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and
divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from
what has been made, so that men are without excuse (Romans
1:19-20)."

Realities about God can be "clearly seen!" How? "Being understood
from what has been made." Looking at creation helps us to know about
God!

We know of the wind's presence by its effects as it moves dust and
leaves. In a far greater way, we know things about God by the effect
of His work around us. God has made it clear. That is why people
have "no excuse" when they twist the truth about God.

Creation By Accident?

Some want to live as if there is no God to whom they must answer. To
avoid the need for God they teach that all we see came into being by
accident. Over the ages, small bits of matter gradually changed by
accident and formed humans who have no spirit and no real purpose.
>From a long line of accidents, we are an accident on it way to its
final
accident!

Does such a picture make sense? How could so many accidents result in
such order? What would happen if you caused a great explosion to
scatter
a pile of rocks and wood? Even if you repeated this many times over,
would the millions of pieces ever have the chance of coming together in
such a way as to form a normal house? Would the heavier rocks happen to
come down first to make a perfect foundation? Would smaller pieces fall
in by chance to make straight walls on all sides, with doors and
windows
all in place? Would other pieces finally fall in such order as to make
a
roof that keeps rain out?

Every house has a builder

No one would dare say that a house came about by accident. Its order
and
design show beyond a doubt that it had a builder. Notice the simple
force of Hebrews 3:4,

"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of
everything."

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Creation Tells The Glory Of God

What about the order of the stars and planets? Israel's great king,
David, sang this song:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the
work of His hands (psalm 19:1)."

King David was right. If our sun (just one of billions of stars) is so
powerful, how much more powerful is the One who made all suns! He is
called "the Father of lights" (James 1:17)!

Yet the sun's strength is strictly controlled. If the sun changed its
course even a little, all life on our planet would soon end. Everything
is in perfect place for life to exist on this earth. Such careful
design
in every detail must have a Builder! But we have not yet mentioned the
man and woman, with their children, who live in this amazing home.

The brain of even the smallest child has many more active parts than
all
the stars the eye sees at night! Our minds work with great thoughts.
Our eyes see beauty in living colors. The human spirit has power to
_choose_ and to _love_. Our hearts reach high in _worship_. King David,
when he thought of his own body and soul, was moved to sing to God,

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your
works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:14)."

The person who pretends there is no God and no soul is like a mouse
eating bread in the dark. With its mouth full, the mouse announces, "I
do not believe there is a baker. I do not believe there is such a thing
as grain for making bread, for I have never seen these things." We
stand
on the evidence! The proof is all around us and _within_ us! The Bible
describes those who refuse to see it:

"For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God
nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and
their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed
to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:21-22)."

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Give Glory And Thanks To God

Notice that Paul, in Romans 1:21, show that it is only right that we
should give to our Maker glory and thanks. The air we breathe is GOD'S
air — its gases mixed in just the right parts to give life and not
death. When you eat, remember that the food and drink you enjoy are
God's good provisions for you.

God has not left himself without testimony; He has shown
kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their
seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your
hearts with joy (Acts 14:17).

That we exist and live at all is itself a wonderful gift. The truth
is that we owe all that we are and have to our Maker! When we truly
understand that, it is not hard to give to God the praise due to His
name. It is not hard to give back in service to Him the life that He
first gave to us. It is the right thing to do. And our lives are far
better in every way when we respect, worship and serve our Creator.
Such service takes time and effort. Yet isn't that time actually the
time HE is giving to us? "Our" time on earth can and will end some day.
Since it is really HIS gift of time, we can afford to take time for
Him.
Believing in God goes beyond simply knowing facts about God. It leads
us to praise God and to seek Him. Even those who do not yet know how to
come to God can begin to seek Him. A Roman soldier name Cornelius was
one such person (Acts 10). Because he was truly seeking God, his
prayers
were heard.

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Let's Sum It Up

God does not need to prove that He exists for it is already obvious.
Just look around you! Look in the mirror at how you are put together!
You know that this life and universe are far too orderly to be
accidents.
That means that behind all this there is a very wise, powerful Creator.
His work also shows that He really cares about what He made. It's time
we cared enough to thank Him for the life He gave us.

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Questions On God Has Spoken: Lesson One

"God Has Spoken Through Nature"

CHOICE QUESTIONS

Type in the correct letter (A, B, OR C) representing the correct
answer. There is only one correct answer for each Scripture given.

[] 1. {John 1:18} No one has ever…
(A)known God, (B)pleased God, (C)seen God.

[] 2. {Romans 1:19-20} What may be known about God
is…
(A)not yet revealed, (B)plain, clear (C)unclear.

[] 3.{Romans 1:19-20} We understand about God from
what…
(A)has been made, (B)we have always believed, (C)we wish for.

[] 4. {Hebrews 3:4} The Builder of everything is…
(A)Accident, (B)God, (C)Nature.

[] 5.{Psalm 147:8-9} Rain comes from…
(A)God, (B)Nature, (C)Spirits.

[] 6. {Psalm 19:1} The heavens tell about the glory
of…
(A)God, (B)Nature, (C)Science.

[] 7.{James 1:17} God is the Father of…
(A)angels (B)children, (C)lights.

[] 8.{Psalm 139:14} When David thought of how God made
him,
David…
(A)became proud, (B)blamed God, (C)praised God.

[] 9.{Romans 1:21-22} The hearts of those who do not thank
God become…
(A)wiser, (B)darkened, (C)no better and no worse.

[] 10.{Acts 14:17} Rains, crops and food show God's…
(A)kindness, (B)power, (C)wisdom.

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DISCUSSION QUESTION

This discussion question is required, but will not be reviewed as part
of
your grade.

Has the world always existed? Or did it have a beginning?
If it began, what is your belief about how it began?