Scott Moore: Welcome to the "Building Faith and Family Podcast" with Steve Demme.  I'm your host, Scott Moore. Thanks for joining us today. Good morning, Steve. How  are you today? 

Steve: Better than you. Sorry. 

Scott: Yes. 

Steve: I'm sorry for your cold. Summer colds are the worst. 

Scott: I sound worse than I am. I sound like Steve Brown this morning. That old radio  preacher. 

Steve: He had a deep voice. There's certain people that you meet that don't even need  a microphone when they're at a convention. He was one of them, I think. Steve: Well, we're going to talk about our third attribute of God which is found in  Psalm 100. Now Psalm 100, as you know, has played a very significant role in my life  because it taught me how to come into his presence, making a joyful noise, serving  with gladness, come into his presence with singing. 

Sandwiched in there, which I didn't get my first couple readings, are these attributes  of God.So I'm going to read the first three verses of Psalm 100 and see if our listeners  can pick it up. 

"Make a joyful noise to Jehovah all the earth. Serve Jehovah with gladness. Come into  His presence with singing. Know that Jehovah, He is God. It is He who made us, and  we are His. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." How do we pull  everybody listening? I guess we can't do that. 

When I read that, I see God as our creator. He is God. He made us. We belong to Him.  We're His people. This is fundamental. Let's pray before we jump in any further. Father, thank You that You did make us. Thank You that You created us in Your  image. Thank You that You chose us to be Your people, and we are Your people. We  know this is a fundamental truth in Scripture. It's been under attack for many, many  years, but it's still a fact. 

We draw near to You this morning asking that You'll make this more real to us, that  You'll solidify it in our hearts, and that You let these truths that we discuss find their  way right down deep into the recesses of our heart. Help me to speak and give us all  ears to hear in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Scott: Amen. 

Steve: I never really thought much about the doctrine of creation or the fact that God  was our creator. It wasn't on my radar. I had a friend in seminary though that did see  the importance of it. We were on a trip together one time, and I received both barrels for a couple hours. That was a good start, but what really helped me was when I had  the opportunity to hear Ken Ham. 

He had just come to the States and still working with the Institute of Creation  Research in California. When I heard him speak, I sensed an anointing on him and I  was energized in my spirit, and thought, "This is important stuff." A couple of things that he said really stuck out to me, and one of them was that he  wasn't about creation. His heart was that we embrace the word of God from the very  first verse. If you take out the first couple chapters of Genesis, you've pretty much cut  the legs out from Christianity. 

I'm not going to go into that today, but Ken Ham and others have done a better job of  explaining it. I remember him saying that the first 11 chapters of Genesis were  quoted many times by Jesus. We're going to see that today.  

Jesus affirms that Genesis is not only inspired, but it's accurate, and it's our  foundation. It's the beginning. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning, God created the  heavens and the earth." 

The word for create is bara. It's used 55 times. It's translated to create, to shape, or to  form. It's used 11 times in the first six chapters of Genesis. It's used six times in the  Psalms and 20 times in Isaiah. Right there 37 of the 55 times appear either in  Genesis, Psalms, or Isaiah. 

I'm going to read a sampling of verses from that, but one of the things that I noticed  as I was reading through the passages on Bible Hub, the researchers not that there  are other words like “asa” which is translated to make or do, and “yatzar’ meaning to  form. However the word “bara” never takes a human subject. It always indicates that  there's a divine creator. 

Joshua didn't create anything. Moses didn't create anything. God is the one that  sovereignly created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:27. "God created man in His  own image. In the image of God, He created him. Male and female, He created them."  We're going to see that Jesus quoted that same verse several times in a few minutes. Psalm 51, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."  Now these magnificent passages from Isaiah. I noticed that of the 20 times it appears  in Isaiah, 19 of them are in those wonderful sections from Isaiah 40 through 66. "Jehovah is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the Earth." Isaiah 40:28.  "Thus says Jehovah your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel. Do not  fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are Mine. When you  pass through the waters, I will be with you. Through the rivers, they will not overflow  you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn  you. For I am Jehovah your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior." 

God created Israel. He created the ends of the Earth. He created Israel. "I am Jehovah,  your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King." Both of those passages are found in  Isaiah 43.  

Isaiah 44:24, ”Thus says Jehovah your Redeemer Who formed you from the womb. I  am Jehovah Who made all things, Who alone stretched out the heavens, Who spread  out the Earth by Myself." 

There's a word that comes to my mind when I read these. These are inspired  declarations. God is not looking for peer review. God is not looking for historical  affirmation. God is simply stating the facts of the case. He is the Great I am.  Isaiah 45:5‑8, "I am Jehovah, and there is no other. Besides Me, there is no God. I will  gird you, though you have not known Me, that men may know from the rising to the  setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am Jehovah, and there is no  other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well‑being and creating  calamity. 

“I am Jehovah Who does all these. Drip down, O Heavens, from above, and let the  clouds pour down righteousness. Let the Earth open up, and salvation bear fruit, and  righteousness spring up with it. I, Jehovah, have created it." 

He creates everything beautifully. He creates darkness as well as light. He creates  calamity as well as well‑being. He is God, and He does it alone.  

Isaiah 65:17‑18, ”Behold, I create new Heavens and a new Earth, and the former  things will not be remembered or come to mind. Be glad and rejoice forever in what I  create. For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness." He creates all things, He created Israel, He created Jerusalem. Now, the verb to create  in the New Testament “ktzitzot” appears 15 times. The first time is when Jesus was  tested in Matthew 19:3‑6. 

"Some pharisees came to Jesus testing Him and asking, 'Is it lawful for a man to  divorce his wife for any reason at all?' He answered and said, 'Have you not read that  He Who created them from the beginning made them male and female?' Said,  'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and  the two shall become one flesh. Then they are no longer two, but one flesh. What  therefore God has joined together, Let not man separate."  

He's quoting from Genesis. He's declaring, "Haven't you read your Bibles? Haven't you  begun reading in Genesis?" He Who created them made them male and female. This is  so powerful. 

A year ago, that statement would have gotten us in trouble because there were 73  different pronouns or whatever ridiculous stuff there is. Personally I've been praying  about this for a couple years, that God will restore to us this truth that we were  created in God's image, and He made us male and female. We are either a man or a  woman. Marriage is one man, one woman till death us do part. We become one flesh.  This is right in the beginning.  

Colossians 1:15‑17 is one of the greatest affirmations of creation. "He is the image of  the invisible God (He being Jesus) the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things  were created in Heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or  dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through Him and for Him,  and He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." 

I think of these verses a lot when I'm outside in nature and I think all creation is not  only created by Him, but it's being held together by Him. Christ is all and in all. He is  the creator.  

Revelation 4:9‑11, ”Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to  him who is seated on the throne, lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before  Him Who is seated on the throne and worship Him Who lives forever and ever. They  cast their crowns before the throne saying, 'Worthy of you, our Lord and God, to  receive glory and honor and power for You created all things and by Your will they  existed and were created.'"  

These people in Revelation know Who they're talking about. They see the end from  the beginning. They're at the consummation of the ages, and they say, "Hey, you guys  are debating this on Earth, but we know Who made all things, and we know Who  created them and holds them together."  

Another convicting passage, very germane to our day and age is Romans 1:18‑22, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and  unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what  can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been  clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been  made. They are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him  as God or give thanks to Him. 

They became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming  to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal god for  images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” These  were people who worshiped the creature rather than the creator." 

Consider Romans 1:18‑22. If someone tells me they're an atheist. I don't buy it. I  reason that you might be now, but you always weren't. Your mind has become futile.  You have changed. Your thinking has been darkened because of two things ‑ you  didn't honor Him as God, and you didn't give thanks to Him, and so your thinking  changed. Your foolish heart was darkened.  

There's a progress here, and you know the rest of it. It's a very uncomfortable section  of Scripture in Romans 1, but we see it around us. People really do think that they  believe stuff, but they’re wrong. It's because they've rejected God in their thinking.  Another passage is in Romans 8:19‑23, "The creation waits with eager longing for the  revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,  but because of him Who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free  from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of  God. 

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pangs of  childbirth until now. Not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the first fruits  of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption  of our bodies." 

I was talking to God recently about the abnormal weather and now we are  experiencing a golden season, and said, "Even with this fallen creation, you have  revealed yourself, and you're still revealing yourself." I was thanking him for the  beauty and the blue sky and the greenery and the sunshine, and it's amazing. Yet this  is only a taste, a foretaste of what it's going to be like when creation is fully  redeemed.  

Creation applies to our born again, or born from above experience. 2 Corinthians  5:17, ”If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things have passed away.  Behold, new things have come."  

Now, I'm going to read what I would call miscellaneous Scriptures on creation and our  Creator. There are two words in the New Testament used in this regard, Ktzitzot and  Ktisas. One is to create, one is creation. One's a verb, the other's a noun. We've already covered the "Old Testament," but here's a bunch of verses that speak to  creation even though they don't use the word creation. I'm going to put them in  chronological order as they appear in Scripture.  

Nehemiah 9:6, "You are Jehovah, You alone. You have made heaven, the Heaven of  Heavens with all their hosts, the Earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in  them, and You preserve all of them, and the host of Heaven worships You."  Psalm 33:6, "By the word of Jehovah, the Heavens were made, and by the breath of  His mouth, all their host." 

Psalm 102, "You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of  Your hands. They will perish, but You will remain. They will all wear out like a  garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away. You are the same,  and Your years have no end." 

Psalm 139, "You formed my inward parts. You wove me in my mother's womb. I will  give thanks to You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your  works, and my soul knows it very well."  

Zechariah 12:1, "Jehovah stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundation of the  earth and forms the spirit of man within him." 

John 1, ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word  was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and  without Him was not anything made that was made."  

Hebrews 1:2‑3, "In these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, Whom He  appointed the heir of all things, through Whom also He created the world. He is the  radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the  universe by the word of His power."  

Hebrews 11:3, "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of  God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." Now each of these verses is worthy of a whole podcast. I want to tuck in one  interesting thing. Many years ago and early in our homeschool journey, we were  learning that we should follow our children's interests. Isaac was really interested in  creation. This was before Ken Ham had launched Answers in Genesis and the many  different resources which became available. We went to hear him speak many times. Before that, I didn't know where to take him. I didn't know what resources to get him,  but anything I heard about, I tried to make it happen. When he was 18, we heard  about a conference in Western Pennsylvania which was held at Geneva College, every  three years. This was attended by creation experts and scientists, a bunch of PhDs  and folks with master's degrees. In each session, one person would read their paper  and then they would have a microphone set up and their peers could go up at the end  and ask them questions. It was fascinating. 

I didn't go to much of it, but I dropped Isaac off and then I went to visit with my mom  and dad who lived about 40 minutes away. Then I'd come back and pick him up. As a  bright 18, he comprehended a lot more than I did. One of the things I learned there  was a word which I looked up this morning to document it. It's called bara‑min. Now, bara, we know means create. “Min” is the word for kind. Baraminology, thereof  means the study of kinds. The word was first used by a pioneer creation biologist,  Frank Marsh. 

He said, "I recommend the coining of a new word to represent the Genesis “kind.”  What could be more appropriate than to build this word from two Hebrew words ‑ bara, created, and min, kind. That would give us the word baramin." That's the whole idea of classifying modern creatures based on their kind. In other  words, dogs are going to produce dogs and cats are going to produce cats, but there's not going to be any dog and cat mix. This is a huge piece in the creation  evolution debate for mutations are assumed by evolutionists, but creationists say "No,  He created everything after their kind, min." 

It was a whole new field of science, you might say, or branch of biology, but it's using  the biblical basis of creation to look at God's creation, recognizing that He created  things in kinds, and there won't be any evolutionary mutations. 

Scott: Well, I have one more verse to add, which is Matthew 19:28. I didn't come up  with this all on my own, but it says, "Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, at the  renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who will  follow me will also sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.'" Steve: Amen. 

Scott: The phrase, "The renewal of all things." It's almost like a little throwaway  phrase, but the word is palanganesia, the Greek, and it means literally Genesis again.  One translation I saw, it said new creation. Man I can't wait for that. Steve: Amen. 

Scott: There you go. 

Steve: Well, I guess that's us yearning and moaning for our permanent adoption. Even  though we have the witness of the spirit, it's going to be different. Thank you. Scott: Sure. Thank you. That was awesome. 

Steve: It's all through Scripture, and it's one of these things, and I hope that you  recognize we're doing an overview here. When you see these passages as you're  reading through your Bible, you'll see it more and more that we were created in God's  image. 

This is fundamental. This is foundational that God created the world right in the  beginning. In the beginning, God created. Jesus affirms it, and it's a fact. Once you get  that in your soul, it changes your outlook on the world and God Himself. I saw one  author, who I think wrote a book called "From Goo to You by Way of the Zoo." Scott: Nice. 

Steve: That's not us. We were created in the image of God. When you get this into  your soul, then you see special needs children, for example, you say, "They were  created in the image of God. They have something to offer the body of Christ." It changes your perspective. Marriage was created by God. One man, one woman, let  no man separate them, and this is what Jesus reaffirmed in Matthew 19. Good stuff. Scott: Amen. 

Steve: Thank You, Father, for creating us. Thank You for making us in Your image.  Thank You for breathing life into us. Thank You that in You, all things hold together.  Thank You for this glorious creation that reveals Your invisible attributes. Thank You. 

I pray that You will help us all to see God in creation. I pray for all those who have  become darkened in their thinking and their futile thoughts. I pray that You'll open  their eyes. I pray that You'll help them to see Jesus afresh today. In Jesus' name.  Amen. 

Scott: Amen. That's our show for this week, folks. Thanks for joining us for the  Building Faith and Family podcast with Steve Demme. If you have a question for the  show, email Steve spdemme@Gmail.com. Thanks for joining us. Have a great week. Scott: You could put these all together and if you wanted to, you could have little  booklets and call them Scripture baths… because I feel like that when you take all  these verses that are on the same topic, it feels like I'm bathing in Scripture, man. It's  awesome. Love it. 

Steve: That really is good.