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Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…(NAS unless indicated)

Gen 1:31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good…

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

Psalms 102:25 "Of old Thou didst found the earth; And the heavens are the work of Thy hands.

Isaiah 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance, And the hills in a pair of scales?

Proverbs 8:29 When He set for the sea its boundary, So that the water should not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth;

Psalms 147:4 He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.

Psalms 148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.
6 He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth…

Exodus 20:11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Ever consider yourself small, like a grasshopper?
Isaiah 40:22 It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power Not one of them is missing.

Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

Isaiah 42:5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk in it,

Isaiah 48:13 "Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together.

Isaiah 45:18 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, But formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else.

Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Proverbs 16:4 The LORD has made everything for its own purpose…

Zechariah 12:1 … Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him,

Psalms 119:89 Forever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven. 90 Thy faithfulness continues throughout all generations; Thou didst establish the earth, and it stands. 91 They stand this day according to Thine ordinances, For all things are Thy servants.

Isaiah 51:13 That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens, And laid the foundations of the earth…

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

…25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Jeremiah 32:17 'Ah Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee,

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Acts 17:24 "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;

Colossians 1:16-17 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Hebrews 1:2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

1Pet 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

Matt 6:31 "Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' 32 … for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Revelation 10:6 … who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it…

Revelation 14:7 and he said with a loud voice, "…worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."

Job 36:3 "… And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

Romans 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Rev 4:11 "Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created."

(* editing is done to shorten length - you are encouraged to read the full commentary where applicable)

Proverbs 8:22 "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 23 From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth; 26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world. 27 When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, 28 When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed, 29 When He set for the sea its boundary, So that the water should not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth; 30 Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 31 Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.

Master Yeshua help us to rejoice in Your awesome creation.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Creator we humbly acknowledge Your impressive and frightening creative power.

1. Who was the girl about whom Yeshua (Jesus) said, "The child is not dead but asleep"?
2. Who was given permission by Antiochus VII to make the first Jewish coins (about 139BC)?
3. In John, chapter 4, where did the royal official live, whose son Yeshua healed?
4. Paul’s joy knew no bounds in what?
5. Why did Abram go to Egypt?
6. Who protected the spies that Joshua sent to Jericho?
7. Who said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate"?

(Lessons from humility and faith.)

1John 2:15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.

1Pet 5:5 …and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

Eternal One You created the world and pride is trying to destroy it. Keep us humbly trusting You.

Last time we read how Hezekiah humbled himself before YHVH; and the people sought the advice of YHVH’s prophet while enduring threats from the Assyrian King against Israel’s Creator. This was in chapter 19 of 2 Kings. Because of Hezekiah’s prayers and their faith they were delivered. Now Hezekiah faces death - how does he handle this?

2Kgs 20:1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'"

2Kgs 20:2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3 "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Thy sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

2Kgs 20:4 And it came about before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 "Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. 6 And I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David's sake."'"

Awesome One, give us the humility to face our mortality, to trust our lives to You, our Creator.

Matt 7:13  Enter in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be who go in there: Because narrow is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.

Material in this section is based on various prayer diaries.

Canine Vocabulary

Yeah, we all know you have got the smartest dog in the world. Fetch, boy, fetch! But scientists at Wofford College in South Carolina say they’ve trained a border collie to recognize the names of 1,022 objects and distinguish those names from orders to fetch them.

In one experiment, the researchers randomly combined objects with specific commands to test whether the pooch, named Chaser, would follow the right command with the right object.

Chaser responded to each combination correctly right away, suggesting that she understand that concept of categories.

She was taught that the word "toy" referred to all the 1,022 objects she was allowed to play with, while keeping the individual objects straight, and was able to add a third category like "ball" or "Frisbee" to the category-name combination.

Awe-inspiring God I am humbled by Your creative genius in another of Your creatures.

One summer, two best friends took a long hiking journey through the mountains. Because they were constantly together, they naturally got on each other’s nerves from time to time. On the second afternoon, they started bickering over which direction to take, and soon tempers flared.

Finally, Patrick knocked Peter to the ground. But instead of hitting back, Peter picked up a stick and wrote in the dirt: "Today my best friend hit me." Soon they both calmed down and continued walking.

The next day, the friends were rock climbing when Peter’s harness broke, leaving him clinging to the side of a steep slope over a hundred-foot drop. With great effort, Patrick got him to safety. Back on solid ground an hour later, Peter took out a pocketknife and carved on the rock: "Today my best friend saved my life."

When people hurt you, it’s best to let the injury blow away like words in the sand. But when someone helps you, preserve the memory so it will never fade.

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The stories of college basketball coach John Wooden are legendary. One tale he told while being honored as an inaugural member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame says a lot about his perspective.

The morning after winning the first of 10 national college basketball championships, Wooden and his wife were waiting for a cab to take them to church. A pigeon flew overhead and dropped a load right on Wooden’s head.

Wooden said to the audience, "And I think the Good Lord was letting me know, ‘Don’t get carried away.’ I’ll always remember that."

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Remarkable Creator we will give account; even of every idle word - Help guard our tongues.

A receptionist at a busy hospital answered the phone late one evening. "General Hospital, how may I help you?"

The soft, quivering voice on the other end of the line reminded the receptionist of her grandmother. "I’m trying to find out the status of one of your patients. Can you Help me?"

Something about the caller’s voice aroused the receptionist’s sympathies. "Well, it’s against policy to give out information to anyone except family members, but I’ll see what I can do. What’s the patient’s name?"

"Edna Smith, room 503."

She looked up the patient’s file on her computer. "Oh, she’s fine. Her blood pressure is good, her blood work came back normal, and her doctor has scheduled her to be discharged tomorrow."

"Oh, thank you!" the woman said. "That’s wonderful news. I was so worried."

"You’re very welcome," replied the receptionist. "Is Edna your daughter?"

"I’m Edna," said the woman. "NO one tells me anything."

****

Three children on the playground were bragging about their parents.

One little girl said, "My father is a songwriter. He writes a few words and calls it a song, and they pay him 500 dollars."

"Oh yeah?" said a little boy. "My dad writes a lot of stories and calls it a book, and they pay him 1,000 bucks."

"That’s nothing." said the third child. "My dad’s a pastor. He scribbles a few words and calls it a sermon, and it takes six people to collect all the money!"

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Have a good day!

by Greg Gordon - (founder of SermonIndex.net)

"If the gospel messages you’ve been hearing lo’ these many years have never once made you feel uncomfortable then you’ve never really heard the true gospel message.

"In this brave new world of ours, pastors have redefined their roles and become life coaches, no longer preaching a crucified Christ, but rather playing the part of guidance counselor to scores of individuals that can be likened to overactive, petulant, and overgrown children who will not accept being accountable to anyone, be they God or man.

"Preachers too have redefined their roles and rather than be concerned about the spiritual well being of those to whom they are ministering they play the therapist, speaking soothing words, in a soothing tone, ensuring anyone within earshot that everything’s going to be alright, that God has mellowed over the centuries, and as long as they bring the tithe into the storehouse God will overlook everything else.

"It is an understatement when I say that there is enough blame to go around for the farce of the faith many are presenting, living and promulgating today, and the sheep are just as much to blame as the shepherds. In the end these so called shepherds are just giving the people what they wanted aren’t they?"

To whom much is given, much will be required.

The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.

There is more power in the open hand than there is in the clenched fist.

The two most important things in life you can give your children are roots and wings.

An unusual amount of common sense is sometimes called wisdom.

It is better to forget and smile than to remember and be upset.

The very best type of treasure is the friend who is a pleasure.

God was not insisting that his covenant people freeze on cold days or that they must only eat cold food; it was that there was something about the making of the fire that God, due to his love for Israel and his infinite wisdom, thought best to direct them away from.

God's directive to refrain from work on the seventh day each week needs to be revisited in our 24/7, never-stop culture.

Whatever you think about the Sabbath question, there is something in this short directive from God to Israel that reveals a most important principle. Since the kindling of fire was prohibited on the Sabbath day, while the presence of fire and its benefits (heat and light) were not, the only way to ensure that one's home had a fire was to prepare it beforehand.

This challenges our 24/7, never-stop culture. Actually we don't go from thing to thing, most of us are juggling several things at once. We call this multitasking, except that this term implies that we are successfully doing all the things we are trying to do at once.

Multitasking is one of several factors that contribute to our growing neglect to prepare for any of the tasks we attempt to do. We are just too busy to prepare for anything anymore. Anything of quality requires forethought and good planning.

Preparing for the truly important things of life is the only way to ensure that they happen and that they are done well. We are fooling ourselves to think that the important things will naturally happen on their own. Without preparation they cannot compete with the ever growing pile of seemingly urgent things that incessantly demand our attention.

*(This document was edited for length)

Blessed be YHVH (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High…)

1. Jairus’ daughter - Mark 5:22-23, 36-38

2 Simon Maccabees

3. Capernaum - John 4:46

4. In all his troubles - 2 Corinthians 7:4

5. Because there was a famine in the land Genesis 12:10

6. Rahab - Joshua 2:1-6

7. Eve - Genesis 3:13