God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

GOD’S AN ARTIST and

YOU’RE A MASTERPIECE

The Mind-Boggling Science of an Awesome Creator

By: LORRAINE PETERSON

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgements

Made to Order; Hates Legalism, Finds Reality

Under control; Fear of Terrorism

A Definition for “Good”; All experiences aren’t good – Spoof on evolution

Hope is Spelled G-O-D; Drugs to belief in God –He exists

This Way Out; Fat & rejected to Jesus –Know Jesus

Somebody Loves You; Alcohol accident to God's love

Who’s in Charge Here? Create my reality – God above all

Running God's Stop Sign; Pregnant to Jesus – Recovery

Looking at the Big Picture; Broken leg

Getting it All Together; Exaggerators – Building truth

God's got You Covered; Popularity – God sees all

The Universe Has a Director; New Morality – God doesn’t change

Plug into God's System; Rebellion – no authority – God's authority

Automatic Living; Suicide – avoid suicide, Abortion

Fear-Busting information; Fear for safety

God Knows All, You're Not Missing a Thing; Non-Christian fun – Don’t give up on

Christianity

Getting Back on Track; Drinking – forgiveness

God's Salvation, have it God's Way; Good enough for heaven – Don’t play God

Don’t Miss Out on Miracles; Mountain climbing

Your Life Has a Special Purpose; Born for God – not unwanted

Beating Boredom; God's will

Weapons for Winning; Defeating Satan

Insulation Against Future Shock; Uncertain future

Forever Hope; Death – facing loss and disappointment

Custom-Made by an Awesome Creator; Divorce – power of praise

He’s Perfect – That is God; Uncool Christians, influencing the world

The World You Create Will Fall apart; Tantrums – stop getting your own way

The Big Impact of Little Things; Go with God in daily decisions

Living Above it All; Big disappointment – heavenly hopes

Finding Some Answers; Death of father – survive tragedy

God: Up Close and Personal; Experiencing God – intimacy with God

Conclusion: Deciding How to View Your World

Endnotes

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

PREFACE

Anne’s idea of student’s rights differed drastically from mine. As a high school teacher, I

explained, “I believe that all students must have the right to learn, and no one should be

given liberties that would prevent another from gaining knowledge.” But I agreed with

Anne about one particular student right: A student should never be put down or belittled.

I shocked her, though, by saying, “The cruelest thing that could be done to students is to

teach them that everything evolved from matter, chance, and time.”

The theory of evolution leaves young people with no moral compass, no one to pray to,

and no hope. If teens decide that the first pages of Genesis are pure myth, they and then

conclude that the God of the Bible doesn’t exist. In doing so, a teen forfeits the belief that

 His or her life is intrinsically valuable solely because God planned it

 God loves each person unconditionally

 Life has meaning beyond the now

 Help and guidance area available from Someone who knows everything and has

all power

 It is possible to accept God's forgiveness and be sure of heaven

No amount of self-esteem indoctrination can replace these losses. A person doesn’t

need an advanced degree in science to think rationally about how our universe came into

being. But if the study of science becomes only the learning to terms, the presenting of

unproven theories as fact, the classification of species, and the memorizing of certain

physical laws, it is easy to miss out on the wonders found in God's fantastic universe.

God's an Artist and You're a Masterpiece shows some of the marvels of creation that

point to intelligent design and that inspire awe and worship of the Creator. It would be a

shame to miss out on the celebration described in Psalm 69: 34; “Let heaven and earth

praise him, the seas and all that move in them.”

The case for intelligent design is often presented theoretically or by citing only a couple

of pieces of evidence. God's an Artist and You're a Masterpiece presents a panorama of

fascinating facts and phenomena in the natural world. These things must be explained

as either a product of preexistent matter – assisted by time and chance – or of intelligent

design.

Deciding between these two explanations relates to choices about how you live your

daily life. So besides offering rational evidence for Creation, God's an Artist and You're a

Masterpiece presents narratives that show that the price of rejecting God as the Creator

is great – in terms of personal happiness, purpose for living, and the ability to genuinely

care about people who are hard to love.

At the foundation of all cultural beliefs lies one question: Did God make the universe? If

He didn’t, all views are equally valid and absolute truth doesn’t exist. If He didn’t, life

consists only of molecules, so abortion and assisted suicide are perfectly acceptable. If

He didn’t greed, cheating, and lying can't be termed sin. If He didn’t, then anything goes

– every kind of sex is acceptable, marriage can be broadly defined, right and wrong can

change every decade, and public opinion polls can determine truth.

If the God of the Bible doesn’t exist, there is nothing to live for, and people are forced to

create their own meaning in life – by accumulating more and more stuff, or by stepping

on others to get ahead, or by insisting that their rights never be offended in any way, or

by getting everyone to like them, or by being publicly recognized for making contributions

to society.

If there is no heavenly Father who has prepared a place in heaven for those who know

Him, failure is frustration with no place to go. If there is no God who fits the description

given in the Bible, all of today’s politically correct conclusions are extremely logical.

If, on the other hand, one believes that God created the world with a purpose, and that He

is revealed in the Bible and through His Son Jesus Christ, then one’s worldview changes.

The sanctity of human life, moral responsibility as defined in Scripture, the awareness

that everything contrary to the will of God is sin, the value of each person regardless of

achievement or quality of life, and living with hope for eternity become part of that

worldview.

With these choices before us, it’s like we’re standing with Elijah on Mount Carmel. But

instead of deciding whether to worship God or the idol Baal, we must decide whether to

believe that the God described in the Bible actually created the heavens and the earth, or

to believe that the universe came about by forces of blind chance. The choice we make

will determine how we live and how we interpret what is happening around us.

God's an Artist and You're a Masterpiece differs from other books that address the

intelligent design of the universe. Some of those books have been written by Bible

scholars – who know Hebrew well enough to distinguish subtle word meanings. Other

such books have been written by creation scientists – who enjoy investigating how

nature works and proposing ideas on how God originated the universe and the things in

it. Because their books debate God's methods of creation and how long it took Him, some

of their theories may be changed by new discoveries.

God's an Artist and You're a Masterpiece seeks solely to demonstrate that the universe

came into existence as a result of an intelligent Designer. It points out how that

Designer’s character is reflected in the things He made – and shows how that fact should

influence your life.

Remember, “science is a train that is always moving,” but God's Word is eternal; it stands

firm in the heavens” (Psalms 119: 89).

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My thanks to my family and friends, who have supported me in writing this book and have

prayed for me during the process. During my visit to Alaska, my niece Beth and my

nephew Michael aided me in my research by checking out books for me on their library

cards.

I was encouraged, too, by the positive reaction when I used some of the material from

God's an Artist and You're a Masterpiece to teach the teen Bible club that meets at my

apartment in Juarez, Mexico – in spite of the fact that my science vocabulary in Spanish

leaves a lot to be desired!

A very special thanks goes to Paul Nyhuis, without whose assistance this book wouldn’t

have become reality. Paul graduated from Wheaton College with a B.S. in mathematics

and earned his master’s degree in physics from the University of Minnesota. He has

taught physics and astronomy at the college level for thirty-five years. Paul proofread

this manuscript, helped me find information, did calculations to put some facts in terms

that teens can relate to, and made many valuable suggestions.

My appreciation also goes to Michael J. Minnima, who taught with me at Edison High

School in Minneapolis, for carefully reading this manuscript. Mike has an M.S. and has

won two awards from the American Chemical Society, plus he also received a National

Presidential Award in 1996. Because he has taught high school science for thirty-three

years, he not only checked the technical side of this book, he also offered insights into

the thinking and vocabulary of today’s American teens.

I’m extremely grateful to Dr. Donald A. Bierle, who holds a PhD from the University of

South Dakota with a major in zoology and a minor in botany, plus an M.A. from Denver

Seminary. His invaluable help greatly improved the accuracy of large sections of this

manuscript. He is president of Faith Studies International, and his book, Surprised by

Faith, is endorsed by Billy Graham and D. James Kennedy. *

Dr. Jeff Michell has my thanks for reviewing the medical facts that are included in this

book. He is a family physician who is the medical director of Fairview Cedar Ridge Clinic

in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

Dr. Kevin Peterson not only gave input on the areas that touched the medical field – for

which I thank him – but he also read the manuscript with his teenagers. A big thanks to

Joe, Nick, Bill, and Nathan for their suggestions that helped the book become more teen-

friendly.

Most of all, I praise God for His incredible faithfulness and the many answers to prayer

that are represented by this book.

* Donald A. Bierle, Surprised by Faith (Lynnwood, Washington: Emerald Books, 1992).

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Life, especially advanced life, could not exist on planet Earth if any of these conditions

existed:

 If the Earth rotated 4 percent slower

 If the Earth rotated 4 percent faster

 If the Earth were 2 to 5 percent farther from the sun

 If the Earth were 2 to 5 percent closer to the sun

 If the Earth had more than one moon

 If the Earth had a larger moon *

 If the Earth had a smaller moon

 If the Earth were larger

 If the Earth were smaller

 If the Earth had a thinner crust

 If the Earth had a thicker crust

 If the Earth’s ozone layer were thicker or thinner 1.

 If the size and shape of our galaxy were markedly different

 If our galaxy were too close to neighboring galaxies 2.

 If the Earth’s sun was either larger or smaller 3.

 If the Earth’s oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio were less or greater

 If the Earth’s atmosphere had a greater or lesser level of carbon dioxide

 If the quantity of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere were less or greater

 If the Earth had a greater or smaller ocean-to-continent ratio 4.

 If the Earth’s atmospheric pressure were too intense or not intense enough

 If Jupiter were closer to or father from the Earth

 If Jupiter were larger or smaller

 If too much land mass was concentrated in the Earth’s southern hemisphere 5.

 If a greater or smaller quantity of iron were in the Earth’s oceans and soils 6.

* Here, larger and smaller refer to weight, not volume. The technical term is mass. The

variations referred to by faster, slower, larger, smaller, thinner, thicker, closer, farther, less

and greater range from 2-10 percent.

This list could go on and on. As time passes, scientists find more and more evidence that

Earth is especially designed for physical life. As of 2001, a list of 123 fine-tuned

conditions in our solar system had been identified that make human existence on our

planet possible. 7.

It would prove an amazing coincidence if all these conditions for life on this planet came

about by chance. It is actually easier to believe that God created the universe just for you

– as well as for all the other people who have lived or will live on Earth.

Look again at the facts. I think you'll agree that God is cheering for you – because He

made a universe for you. Both His physical laws and His moral laws are designed to

protect you and to help you have a life worth living.

DOES IT MATTER?

Kevin’s mother was religious, but she was also demanding and severe. His church taught

him that he’d better obey all kinds of rules and regulations or God would zap him. Kevin

tried to get along with his mother and also to conform to what his church said, but he

hated every minute of it.

Then Ms. Carson, his biology teacher, offered him a way out. “It is a fact,” she stated,

“that everything around us arose from natural causes. A simple cell, like an amoeba,

started everything. And billions of mutations later, here we are. Some people are too

cowardly to face the truth that our universe, and we ourselves, are accidents, and matter

is all that there is.”

Kevin’s listened intently. If there is no God, he thought, I can do whatever I want. He

decided he’d lie to his mother and live a double life.

If Kevin didn’t feel like studying, he made cheat sheets. Because he was a good student,

no one even suspected him. He started asking out pretty girls just to impress his friends.

And he soon learned how to live in the fast lane.

Daring by nature, Kevin joined a motorcycle gang. He found the races that his gang took

part in held the most appeal. But he soon learned that drinking, drugs, and intimidating

people were part of that lifestyle package.

Kevin figured, “If death means the end of existence, I'll live it up while I'm young.” Getting

old would be too boring. He won most races and took a lot of chances – until the day he

crashed into an oak tree. Much worse than the terrible pain and the hospital confinement

was the doctor’s verdict: “I'm sorry, Kevin, but you'll never walk again.”

VITAL INFORMATION

Most people don’t consider themselves smart enough to improve upon the natural laws

of the universe, yet many think nothing of changing God's moral principles. Lots of

individuals, like Kevin, like to call their own shots and make up their own rules, declaring

“Anything goes!”

Others, like the rule makers in Kevin’s church, invent all kinds of regulations, proclaiming

them to be straight from God Himself. It is important, then, that you check out the biblical

basis for anyone’s “dos and don'ts” before you accept them as coming from the Lord.

You should, in fact, find out what the Bible says before you believe anything.

One of the Devil’s oldest lies is that God is mean and doesn’t want you to have any fun.

To prove it, human-imposed rules are usually cited – rules that have nothing to do with

God's commandments.

Remember that God's physical laws exist in order to give you the best possible place to

live. The design in the creation of a universe, galaxy, and planet that are exactly right for

you shows that God cares, and that He has your best interests in mind. His moral laws –

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

not always the same as prohibitions imposed by people – are meant to protect you,

because God says you are extremely valuable. God really is good, and what He does is

good.

IF KEVIN MEETS CHRISTIANS WHO CARE, THIS COULD BE THE NEXT CHAPTER IN HIS

LIFE

After a long rehabilitation, Kevin left the hospital in a wheelchair. Devastated and feeling

that he had nothing to live for, he contemplated suicide. Although his mother said nothing

directly, Kevin sensed that she thought God was punishing him for disobeying the

church’s rules.

Returning to school in a wheelchair was a nightmare. His old friends had abandoned him

after the accident, and the majority of the staff and students didn’t know what to say to

him. Most regarded him as a curiosity. A couple of teachers were extra nice to him so,

since there was nothing else he could do, he studied hard and got some good grades.

But his heart wasn’t in it.

If death really means oblivion, Kevin thought, it sounds like my best option. Only the fear

that God might really exist kept him from slashing his wrists.

The one bright spot in that first month was social studies class. Kevin parked his

wheelchair next to Kayla’s seat at the end of the front row. She always greeted him with

a smile and asked how he was doing.

She introduced him to Lanny, who was also in their class. Lanny invited Kevin to eat lunch

with Kayla and their group of friends. Not wanting to alienate the only people who seemed

to care about him, Kevin accepted. He was shocked when they all bowed their heads for

prayer before eating. They seemed like they really wanted to pray, without anyone telling

them they had to.

Lanny and Kayla introduced him to the rest of their group, and everyone was friendly and

kind. Kevin felt relaxed around them, so he ate with them almost every day. They talked

about God, prayer, church, and plans for their high school Bible club as if those things

were the most important parts of their lives.

Yet they were fun to be around. Lanny was always cracking jokes. And one day Hugh

placed a rubber cockroach on top of Kayla’s hamburger. Her scream attracted a lot of

attention, and she blushed a bright red. But she was a good sport about it.

Still, when the group invited Kevin to Bible club, he refused. But they didn’t push or make

a big deal about it. They just kept loving him and accepting him.

He found out that Jessica had been part of the group for only six months. One day she

sat next to Kevin at lunch, and he heard her tell Debbie, “I'll have to miss Bible study

tonight. I can't find a babysitter.”

“You have a kid?” Kevin asked.

“Yes,” said Jessica. “Before I received Jesus as my Savior I was a drug addict. In fact, I

broke almost all of God's commandments.” Jessica spoke in a matter-of-fact way. “I

didn’t know that God made rules because He loves me and wants to protect me. Now I

know why God prohibits sex before marriage … and why He doesn’t want me to steal or

to abuse my body with things like drugs. All of those things caused me a lot of pain. But

now that I know Jesus, my life is better, and I realize that He has a great plan for my life.”

Kevin didn’t say anything, but he was impressed. Jessica was beautiful, fun-loving,

confident, and intelligent. And she was also a very caring person. Yet neither she nor her

friends followed all the rules that his mother insisted upon – or the dress code imposed

by her church.

What they had was genuine, and it made them different from any friends he had ever had.

He’d known girls who were sexually risky and some used drugs. They were hardened and

almost unfeeling. He never would have guessed that Jessica had once been like that.

Mario invited the whole group to his birthday party and even arranged special

transportation for Kevin. After the party, Kevin had to admit that these kids had more fun

– even without depending on any artificial high – than any of the kids at the parties he

used to attend.

The group continued to include him in their social activities, saying, “When you want to

come to Bible study with us, just let us know.”

Pete became Kevin’s closest friend. Quiet and unassuming, Pete had a special gift for

meeting the needs of hurting people. He sat down to talk to Kevin, even when everyone

else was standing. He made sure that Kevin was the scorekeeper when they played

volleyball, and tried to include Kevin in other activities. Pete picked up Kevin for athletic

events at school and saw that he got a ride when they all went out for pizza.

Little by little, Kevin began to confide in Pete, asking him questions about God. Kevin

couldn’t believe all the scientific information Pete had stored in his head. The way Pete

connected all that information with God seemed so natural.

Kevin began to think that someone super intelligent was, in fact, behind the universe. He

began to see the Lord’s hand in creation as well as in the changed lives of his friends. He

started to realize that talking about God was one thing, but really knowing Him and

reflecting His love was quite another.

Maybe you, like Kevin, have decided to give up on God or believe that He just doesn’t

exist. You’ve likely seen a lot of hypocrisy, or someone from a church has deeply hurt

you. In light of all the Creator has done to make a special planet for you to live on, you

may wish to reconsider.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

ACTION STEPS FOR FINDING OUT WHAT GOD IS REALLY LIKE

1. Carefully consider all alternatives. If the God of the Bible doesn’t exist, who or

what will you believe in?

2. Read Isaiah 40-46 and write down everything you learn about God.

3. Ask yourself, “Is it fair to judge God by what other people say about Him –

especially if those people have been hurt by hypocrites, or they want to do

whatever they want to do without a guilty conscience?”

4. Try to find a person who really seems to know the God of the Bible and interview

him or her.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,

by understanding he set the heavens in place;

by his knowledge the deeps were divided,

and the clouds let drop the dew.

-

Proverbs 3: 19-20

The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul.

the statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

the precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

the commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

-

Psalms 19: 7-8

DID YOU KNOW?

On July 22, 2009, there will be a total solar eclipse that will last six minutes and thirty-

nine seconds. It will be seen in Nepal, Burma, and China, and it will be the longest eclipse

of the twenty-first century.

A total solar eclipse won't occur in the United States until August 21, 2017, and will be

over in two minutes and forty seconds. It will be visible in Oregon, Idaho, Nebraska,

Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

The longest total eclipse in recorded history lasted seven minutes and twenty-eight

seconds, and it took place on June 15, 744 B.C.

A total eclipse occurs when the moon completely covers the sun. How can that happen

since the sun is four hundred times the diameter of the moon? Because the sun is about

four hundred times farther away from the Earth than the moon is, the two appear about

the same size in the sky. When the Earth’s orbit around the sun and the moon’s orbit

around the earth intersect – usually twice in 346.62 days – an eclipse occurs.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Typically, a solar eclipse occurs at new moon twice a year. Two partial eclipses, though,

within a month of each other are possible. The maximum number of solar eclipses

possible in a year is five – four partial and one central. 1. In 2000, four partial solar

eclipses occurred. Five solar eclipses occurred in 1935, and five will occur again in 2206.

2.

The heavenly rhythm is so accurate that, with rare exceptions, a solar eclipse can be

predicted by adding eighteen years and eleven days to the date of any previous solar

eclipse. It is also possible to calculate backwards and know that Jerusalem experienced

an eclipse on July 4, 336 B.C. London experienced one on October 29, 878 A. D.

If the predictable movement found in space came from material that just happened to

have always been there, and that accidentally and spontaneously organized itself in such

a precise way, you could expect, too, that your room will clean itself and that your

homework assignments will miraculously be completed!

Realistically, we can be sure that an intelligent Creator orchestrated all this heavenly

clockwork – and that He has every future event under His control.

DOES IT MATTER?

In silence, Tim watched the TV news with his parents. As usual the war on terrorism,

homeland defense strategies, and fears of the unknown combined to have a depressing

effect. It just didn’t seem fair that a group of desperate people half a world away could

ruin his future.

Tim dreamed of getting a baseball scholarship to a good college. He’d study to become

a physical education teacher and coach, marry a beautiful girl who also liked to ski, and

get a job in the mountains so they could go skiing every winter weekend.

But he wondered if he'd ever live to realize his plan. What if the military draft were

reinstated and he was forced to fight – and maybe die – on foreign soil? What if the

economy became so bad he couldn’t afford to go to college? What if he and his friends

and family became victims of biological warfare? Nothing seemed certain or secure.

VITAL INFORMATION

How should Tim face a future full of doubts and danger? How should you?

To plan a good life, be prepared for death, because if you're not afraid to die, you'll never

be afraid to live.

The almighty God – who for thousands of years has planned solar eclipses down to the

second – knows about every anthrax spore, every smallpox germ, every hijacking plan,

and the intentions of each person who wants to commit suicide in order to kill innocent

people. God is active in history. He has given humans free will, but it can only be exercised

within the limits He imposes. And the Lord has already decided how the world will end

and has told us about it in His Book.

IF TIM FACES HIS UNCERTAIN FUTURE IN THE RIGHT WAY, THIS COULD BE THE

OUTCOME

Things got worse for Tim before they got better. Two men suspected of being part of a

terrorist plot had been arrested in their small city, so everyone was on edge. It was 1:17

p.m. and Tim was sitting in English class, deciding whether to fall asleep or draw

cartoons in his notebook.

Suddenly a huge explosion shattered a couple of windows. Although he kept his cool on

the outside, Tim was seized with panic. What if the school was the next building to be

blown up?

I'm too young to die, he cried inwardly. He knew he wasn’t prepared to face death.

Worried that the school building was a dangerous place to be, the janitor pulled the fire

alarm and everyone filed out. Once outside they saw that, five blocks away, the plant that

made lighter fluid for barbecue grills was in flames.

School officials then decided that the students would be safer inside, so they were

instructed to return to class. Teachers went through the motions of business as usual,

but it was hard for them to be heard over the shriek of fire trucks and ambulance sirens,

as well as the police captain giving instructions over a bullhorn at the fire scene.

Soon, word came over the school loudspeaker – the mayor had imposed a curfew. People

who weren’t medical personnel, members of the police or fire departments, or trained

disaster volunteers who wore badges were to go directly to their homes and stay there

until the curfew was lifted.

Tim spotted Cassie, the pretty redhead who lived on his street. “I'll walk you home,” he

offered. Actually he wasn’t being a gentleman. He was frightened and anxious and didn’t

want to be alone.

As they walked, they talked about the explosion and fire.

“Pretty scary stuff, huh?” said Tim.

“Sure is,” said Cassie. “I'm so glad God has everything under control. I used to be fearful

and uptight. But since I accepted Jesus as my Savior, all that has changed. Now I know

that I'll spend eternity with Him in heaven.”

Tim could tell – Cassie truly was relaxed and unafraid.

“I've never been very religious,” said Tim. “I figure that God – if He’s real – should keep

bad things from happening.”

“If this world were all there is, you'd be right,” Cassie said. “But God has more in store for

us than our earthly life. He gave us souls that live forever, and forever is a long time. The

purpose of this life is to get to know God so we can spend all eternity with Him. God

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

allowed humans to have a free will and that has its downside – some people choose to

do evil. But God uses all the bad stuff to accomplish a good purpose in the lives of those

who love Him.”

“You seem so confident and so unafraid of the future,” said Tim. “Is that for real? Or are

you just putting up a front?”

“My brother was killed in Iraq,” said Cassie, looking straight at Tim. “I know what I'm

talking about. I trust everything into God's hands. I'm planning to see my brother again

– in heaven – and I'll introduce him to as many people as I can bring along with me.”

“I wish I could be as sure about things as you are,” said Tim as they approached Cassie’s

door.

“If you really mean that,” Cassie said, “there is something you should read. I have to get

inside because of the curfew … but wait just a second. I'll give you a booklet that will tell

you how to give your life to Christ.”

After Cassie handed the booklet to Tim, he said goodbye, walked to the end of the block,

and entered his empty house. Since both of his parents worked at a hospital, he didn’t

expect them home anytime soon. He turned on the TV and watched footage of the blaze,

with the announcers saying, “We don’t know that this is an act of terrorism but every

precaution is being taken.”

Tim clicked off the television and thumbed through the little booklet that Cassie had

given him. A few words caught his eye – peace, security, love – and Tim decided to read

the whole thing.

When he finished, he thought for a moment, then he looked up at the ceiling and, for the

first time in his life, time prayed: “God, if you're there, forgive my sins, come into my life,

and give me peace.”

Tim and Cassie had some long talks over the next couple of days – mostly by phone. He

started to realize that trusting God for every situation, for each day, and for the future

was a decision – an act of will. He could choose to have confidence in God's love and

His power or he could continue to worry.

As it turned out, the explosion was due to the negligence of plant personnel. No one was

killed, because all of those who worked in the area where the fire began were attending a

recognition luncheon for a retiring coworker. The injured would recover. Everyone was

relieved – and Tim was grateful that the next time something horrific happened he

wouldn’t experience the terror of being unprepared to die.

You, too, can trust your eternal future to the God who has timed eclipses down to the

second. What He says about salvation is the final word. Philosophical ideas change every

decade. Because the predictions of psychics don’t come true, their clients find neither

peace nor hope. David told us, “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalms 19: 1).

When things get tough and worry tries to overwhelm you, look into the sky and remember

that the God who spoke the whole universe into existence has enough power to change

everything.

ACTION STEPS FOR FACING A NEW AND DANGEROUS WORLD

1. Make sure you’ve asked Jesus to forgive your sins and to rule your life.

2. Decide to thank God for His faithfulness every time you look at the sun or the

moon, remembering that you can safely entrust your future to Him.

3. Consciously put yourself in God's hands each morning before you start the day.

4. Resist the temptation to worry about things you can't control, telling God that you

know He has the whole world covered.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea….

Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.

-

Psalm 46: 1-2, 10

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Humans don’t have all the superior capabilities. So if you believe that all living things

evolved, becoming more and more advanced until humans ended up with topnotch

abilities in all areas, think again.

Many owls can hear sounds ten times softer than humans can pick up. 1. Dogs can

detect high-pitched sounds with frequencies up to forty-thousand vibrations per second

while humans cannot hear sounds with more than twenty-thousand vibrations per

second.

Animals beat out humans in the scent department too. A German shepherd or a

bloodhound has 220 million smell cells compared to 5 million smell cells for humans. 2.

Think you have good eyesight? An eagle has eyes that are larger and six times sharper

than those of a human. 3. Birds see everything at once – and in total focus – because

their eyes are flat. The globe-shaped eyes of humans must adjust to varying distances.

4. And while humans have to pull out their shades to keep from squinting in the sun,

seagulls have built-in sunglasses, actually droplets of reddish oil that shield the retina

from the sun’s blue light. 5.

The most gifted athletes alive can't top the abilities of even the smallest of creatures. A

flea can jump one hundred times the height of its own body – the equivalent of a six-foot

man jumping over a forty-story building – and can accelerate fifty times faster than the

space shuttle. 6. And the fastest moving animal is the peregrine falcon. Clocked at 217

miles per hour in a dive for prey, 7. It makes us look like snails. Well, not exactly – a snail

moves at a rate of 0.000362005 miles per hour. 8.

While a person has six hundred muscles, a caterpillar has over two thousand. 9. An ant

can lift fifty times its own weight, and a bee can handle three hundred times its own

weight – equivalent to a human pulling a ten-ton trailer. 10.

Humans who like water sports will be interested to know that seals can dive to depths of

up to 2,600 feet and stay under water for as long as two hours without coming up for air.

The deepest dive on record – made by an elephant seal – is 4,135 feet. And unlike

humans, they can resurface quickly without having to stop and let their bodies adjust to

a different pressure. 11.

Do you like to travel? When humans take a long trip, we need maps to guide us and we

take plenty of water to quench our thirst. The Arctic tern, though, travels up to 22,000

miles a year without ever getting lost. 12. And the camel can keep going for three days,

carrying a heavy load, without drinking a drop of water. 13.

The amazing abilities of these living creatures suggest variety and creativity, rather than

an uninterrupted, chance progression that gave the highest life forms all the perks. Yet

some people believe that all life is the end product of an evolutionary process that started

from simple and moved to complex.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Life is often thought of as the product of energy, as though energy were capable of

creative intelligence and possessed divine qualities. If your god is a blob of energy,

maybe you should reconsider. Every living thing seems to scream, “Look, my Maker has

tremendous intelligence, ingenuity, and imagination!” Consider the astounding

complexity of even the simplest creature. Doesn’t it stand to reason that the real God,

who created everything, is more than a blob of energy, that He isn’t limited to gradually

improving the functions of living things, or restricted to endowing living things with

gradually increasing complexity?

Stop and think. We conclude that even the most primitive line drawings are the result of

intelligence and creative planning. So doesn’t it follow that magnificent art is the result

of creative genius? Is it logical, then, to believe that the magnificence of an eagle’s eye or

an owl’s ear – or you, yourself – are the products of spontaneous energy?

DOES IT MATTER?

Brandon faced his parents.

“I can't believe it!” his mother screamed. “The first time we trust you to stay alone in the

house for a weekend, you invited a girl to spend the night. Haven’t we taught you good

morals? What will the neighbors think?”

“Mother,” Brandon responded coolly, leaning against the kitchen counter, “life is made up

of experiences, and all of them are good. You have no right to judge me.”

“I beg to differ,” his father exploded. “What if the girl gets pregnant? You'll be responsible

to support the baby. Didn’t we send you to Sunday school so you could learn the Ten

Commandments?”

“That’s your truth,” Brandon said, his voice smooth. “My truth is that God is an energy

gestalt, and we’re all part of God – and so is good and evil. My truth is that God judges

no one for their actions, so neither should we. Besides, Sasha promised to get an abortion

if the condom failed.”

“I guess we’re experiencing a generation-chasm,” said his mother, shaking her head.

“Nothing you say makes sense,” his dad added. “You’re forgetting all about the real world

of sexually transmitted diseases … and about post-abortion syndrome … and breaking a

girl’s heart.” Brandon’s father left the kitchen in a huff, and Brandon went to his room.

VITAL INFORMATION

Your definition of God is terribly important because it defines “good.” It affects everything

you think and do. If you invent your own god, then that god becomes the creation and

you’ve made yourself the creator. And the creator is always greater than the thing

created.

When it comes to your beliefs about a god, your only choices are to;

 Accept a tradition or definition of a god that has been concocted by someone else.

 Invent your own god.

 Believe that a real God, who is higher than all He has made, actually exists and has

revealed Himself to us in the Bible and through His Son Jesus Christ.

IF BRANDON REALLY THINKS THINGS THROUGH, THIS COULD BE HIS EXPERIENCE …

Brandon’s theory about all experiences being good wasn’t working out. Sasha did

become pregnant, and her grandmother talked her into keeping the baby. Brandon’s

“solution” was to accuse her of breaking her promise, find a new girlfriend, and walk

away. But he couldn’t forget Sasha’s heartbroken sobs. And because there were no

secrets in his small town, he couldn’t dodge the questions about his getting Sasha

pregnant.

When the baby was born, everyone said that he looked just like Brandon. Brandon had

hoped to escape and attend college out of state. But his parents decided to use some of

the money they’d saved for Brandon’s college tuition to set up a trust fund for the care

of Brandon and Sasha’s baby. Such a gesture would, after all, improve their standing in

the community and perhaps minimize the damage to the business owned by Brandon’s

father.

Brandon was bitterly disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to attend a big-name college.

So to cheer himself up, he and his best friend, Donnie, decided to spend their graduation

money on a canoe trip.

Their spirits were high as they started down the river. It wandered through beautiful

woodlands dotted with colorful spring flowers. At night, the stars – with no competition

from streetlights and neon signs – sparkled in a velvet sky. Every morning the birds gave

them a free concert, and after a day of rain, they saw a breathtaking double rainbow.

Brandon was usually the life of the party, the practical joker, and the energetic leader who

thought of exciting things to do. Donnie, with his quiet demeanor, was a good

complement to Brandon. He silently followed along with whatever Brandon suggested.

But now Brandon wished Donnie were more talkative.

Brandon had welcomed the chance to get away but, too late, he realized that canoeing

gave him too much time to think about life – something he tried not to do. He was

reminded of his chemistry teacher’s words: “If you use the wrong formula, you won't get

the results you’re looking for.” They seemed to describe how he was living.

Now he wondered about a lot of things. Especially the things his cousins had told him –

and he'd believed – about God. He thought about the seminars he had attended and the

books he'd read at the suggestion of his cousins. He'd been taught that all experiences

were good. Ha! thought Brandon. Depends on your definition of “good”. He was living a

nightmare.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

As he contemplated the wonders of nature, it seemed terribly unlikely that some energy

gestalt created everything he saw. And if the seminars were right, why did he still, deep

down, long for a personal God – One who would care about his problems and offer some

help?

If he was part of God, like the books said, why did he feel guilty? Could it be that he really

needed some rules to follow that would keep him from making more bad decisions?

He looked into the night sky. As the moon disappeared behind a cloud, he thought, God,

if you're up there and You really know everything, I need You.

Perhaps you, like Brandon, should let the wonders of creation lead you to reflect on the

Creator. What you see around you is awe-inspiring. Every creature is unique and

endowed with an individuality that we can appreciate. Each living thing has its own

function and purpose. It’s hard to believe, then, that each is merely the product of energy

or natural forces. Behind all things there must exist a Being with personality, intelligence,

and power.

That being is God. And God – not an energy gestalt, physical laws, or the process of

evolution – placed within each of us a desire to connect meaningfully with our Creator.

It is hard to pray to spontaneous energy and impossible to sense the love of an indifferent

process! The good news is that God is real and God is personal. He actually is concerned

about you. Why not join Brandon in admitting that you need His help?

ACTION STEPS FOR PROFILING CREATION

Read the following narrative and point out the presuppositions you find illogical:

Two university professors from another universe crash-landed their spacecraft

on the far end of a Texas ranch. There, they spotted a shiny red truck, the first they had

ever seen. Inside the cab was a skateboard. There were no signs of life.

“How do you think this wonder came about?” asked Professor Tskawizt.

“There must have been an explosion,” answered Professor Gintkizini.

“In my educated opinion,” launched Professor Tksawizt, “billions of years ago this

planet was more favorable to manufacturing. Surrounding the planet was some ooze rich

with metals, plastics, rubber, gasoline, and pieces of paint. Eons rolled by and the

inevitable happened – this pre-truck was formed by random chance,” he said, pointing

to the skateboard. “Through ages of evolution a motor was assembled, a steering wheel

appeared, and the wheels, through multiple mutations, grew larger and developed rubber

treading through the process of random selection. The pieces of red paint somehow were

attracted to the outer surface while white paint particles randomly covered the dials and

speedometer. Tiny pieces of black paint coincidentally adhered to the white to form all

the numbers and letters. During the ice age, a frozen chunk of gasoline was transported

to its place under the hood by natural forces and a metal tank gradually formed around

it. Once the ice melted, the tank was full of gasoline.”

As he put the key in the ignition and turned it, he found that the vehicle would

transport them. What a lucky set of coincidences.

From your list of illogical presuppositions, check those that would also apply to the

theory that everything in the universe evolved without an intelligent designer.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him?

-

Psalms 8: 3-4

How many are your works, O Lord!

In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

-

Psalms 104: 24

I am the Lord,

who has made all things,

who alone stretched out the heavens,

who spread out the earth by myself.

-

Isaiah 44: 24

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Every theory of how the universe came into existence comes back to the same questions.

Who or what started it all? What is the origin of that someone or something?

Carl Sagan, a leading spokesperson for the evolutionary theory, stated, “Human beings

(and all other species) have slowly evolved by natural processes from a succession of

more ancient beings with no divine intervention along the way.” 1.

But where did these more ancient beings come from? If they arose from slime, by merely

physical and chemical forces, how did the slime get there? If life evolved from nonliving

molecules, who or what created the molecules? If genetic mutations caused all the

changes that account for the great variety of living things, where did the original genes

come from?

Some experts claim that the universe is expanding and running down. If that claim is

interpreted as the universe’s having an extremely hot and compact beginning that

resulted in a “big bang,” who was behind the “big bang”? (It is true that only explosions

cause things to expand and run out of energy, but every explosion that is not carefully

planned and controlled is destructive and extremely unlikely to produce order. And no

one seriously claims that an explosion started life.)

Together with Stephen Hawking, the world famous physicist from Cambridge, we can

ask, “How or why were the laws and the initial state of the universe chosen?” 2.

It is hard to believe that chance plus time came up with the forces that keep everything

in the universe from falling apart. Gravitational forces hold galaxies, stars, and planetary

systems together. They also enable planets to hold on to their atmospheres and moons.

Electromagnetic forces hold molecules together as well as the groups of molecules that

form solids and liquids. The centers of atoms are held together by nuclear force, which

is the most powerful natural force. 3. The energy inside the atom is so great that if the

entire U.S. ran on nuclear power, it would require only forty-three grams or one-and-a-

half ounces of enriched uranium per person per year for fuel. 4.

It takes a blind faith to accept without evidence or reason that these incredible forces

just happened by chance.

The bright-eyed six-year-old and the cynical college professor often ask the same

question: “Who created God?” People scoff at the answer, “God has always existed.” But

those who ridicule that answer passionately believe things like “matter has always

existed” or “there are an infinite number of universes” or “life came from outer space.”

Yet few ask who or what created matter and universes in the first place.

Because everything boils down to either “God has always existed” or “matter has always

existed,” it is wise to ask, which makes more sense?

 God created everything.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

 Impersonal matter, over time and by chance, turned into everything.

A careful observer realizes that chance doesn’t produce complicated things. No one

would believe that the current best-selling mystery is an authorless book produced by

monkeys randomly typing letters on sheet of paper. Thus, the sheer complexity of living

things requires a designer.

Not only are organisms extraordinarily complicated, each also comes with special

equipment for surviving in the environment in which it is placed. “Perhaps the biggest

problem for evolutionists is the ‘marvelous fit of organisms to their environment,’….

Evolutionists from Darwin to Lewontin and Gould admit that ‘perfection of structure’ has

always been ‘the chief evidence of a Supreme Designer.’” 5. A trial and error system that

depends upon chance doesn’t come up with that kind of perfection!

DOES IT MATTER?

Sitting alone in his room, Alex reflected on Saturday night’s rave party. It was now

Monday and he felt lonely, miserable, and empty. He liked the way the ecstasy made him

feel, but he realized that he was becoming psychologically addicted. He wanted to be

high all the time, and a TV special on the dangers of ecstasy made him fearful.

But what else was there to life for? “Life is what you make it” was his motto. “We’re

accidents of evolution,” he’d concluded. “There is no God and no life after death. All you

have is now – make the most of it.”

Alex’s dad lived to make money and to accumulate things, but it didn’t make him happy.

When Alex was little, he liked being the smartest kid in class, but in high school, nerds

were decidedly uncool. He thought falling in love was the answer – until Crystal met Colin

and abruptly broke up with him.

He just couldn’t find anything worth living for.

VITAL INFORMATION

Since nothing changes without some external influence and everything that hps has a

cause, it is illogical to believe that the universe just accidentally appeared from nothing.

If there exists and uncreated and eternal God – who operates in another dimension and

is made out of different stuff than we are – there are real answers to the questions, “How

did the universe get here?” and “How can I find meaning in life?”

There is a reason why nothing on this planet ultimately fulfills us. We were made for

another world – one without sickness, death, hate, and unhappiness. God has created us

with eternity in our hearts – what Pascal labeled, a “god-shaped vacuum.”

When dreams fade, or plans fall through, or friends move, we realize, “If this life is all there

is, it is not worth living.” But there is more – a lot more.

You can become intimately acquainted with the one Person who will never cease to exist

and will always give meaning to your life. We weren’t designed to find our own way in a

big bad world, or to define what is worthwhile and what is not worthwhile, to live without

purpose and to die without hope. We were created to be protected, guided, and forgiven

by an eternal God who wants us to spend forever with Him in heaven.

IF ALEX DECIDES TO KEEP LOOKING FOR HOPE, THIS COULD BE HIS EXPERIENCE…

Alex sat in sixth-hour biology class, and what he was hearing was too depressing to be

boring. “Science has proven,” declared Mr. Kennedy, “that we all evolved from lower life

forms, and like so many of them, Homo sapiens will someday be extinct. I know that

some people need to believe the myths from Genesis but, personally, I can live with the

facts.”

Dan raised his hand. “Is there scientific evidence that substantiates the claim that life

arose from nonlife, and then went through the changes represented on the evolutionary

ladder?”

“Within your lifetime,” responded Mr. Kennedy, “I'm convinced that scientists will create

life in a test tube.”

“If they succeeded,” responded Dan respectfully, “wouldn’t that be creating life by

intelligent design?”

“Are you one of those Bible-believing Christians?” asked Mr. Kennedy, trying to hide his

disdain.

“Yes, I am,” Dan replied without flinching. “But that doesn’t mean I'm not interested in

getting correct information.”

Alex and everyone else listened intently. Mr. Kennedy was an insecure and unpopular

teacher. Dan was the new kid at Central High, and the word was, Dan was a brain. An

article in the town newspaper identified him as the smartest quarterback that ever played

for Central.

“‘Oxygen destroys the chemical building blocks of life both on land and under water,’”

Dan explained, “so in our atmosphere, which contains substantial amounts of oxygen, it

would have been pretty difficult for life to have had a causeless beginning. If an

atmosphere without oxygen once existed, it couldn’t have had an ozone layer. So

radiation would have destroyed the DNA and RNA bonds for the protein chains necessary

for life. 6. I don’t believe scientists will ever make life in a laboratory. But if they did, it still

wouldn’t prove that life could have spontaneously erupted on earth without an intelligent

Designer.”

“This is a biology, not a religion class, Daniel,” Mr. Kennedy shot back.

“I understand.” Dan remained unruffled. “All my information comes from scientists with

PhD’s. I'll bring you the sources tomorrow.”

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Mr. Kennedy flushed, as some of the students broke out into applause. A couple of

students jeered, “Hey, Mr. Kennedy, what about that?” and “Yeah, is what Dan says true?”

Dan raised his voice enough to be heard above the noise. “I'm a Christian,” he said simply,

and waited for quiet. “The Bible teaches us to respect authority. Mr. Kennedy is our

teacher, and we should pay attention in his class.”

This flustered Mr. Kennedy even more. He appeared awkward as he killed time until the

bell rang and school was dismissed for the day. Alex was one of the students who

clustered around Dan. “I'll be in the lunchroom,” Dan said. “I’d be glad to answer any

questions there.”

Liz and Alex were the only ones who followed. The three of them talked for a couple of

minutes about life from a test tube. Then Dan cleared his throat. “The reason I think it’s

important to tell the truth about God's creating the universe is because it gives us all

hope. Last year, my mother died of a heart attack. After that my life totally fell apart.”

Alex and Liz paid close attention.

“My mother was a university professor, and she divorced my father when I was six. She’d

always said, ‘Even if God does exist, I don’t need Him.’ But God used an amazing bunch

of circumstances to make me see that He’s always existed … and that He made the

universe … and that He would always be there for me.”

Dan sat relaxed and confident as he continued. “My dad remarried and started a new

family, and after my mom died I moved in with them. But dad’s new wife didn’t want me

around. Without God I’d have never survived the rejection of my stepmother. I moved

here to live with my grandmother. I had only met her a few times, but with God's help

we’re getting to know each other.

“Without hope,” Dan said, leaning toward Alex and Liz, “I would have seriously considered

suicide.”

Dan smiled then looked at his watch. “I’d be glad to talk with you all later,” he said. “But

I better not be late for football practice.”

Slowly Alex walked out of the school building into a gorgeous fall afternoon. The red and

gold leaves on the surrounding hills glowed in the sunlight, reflecting in the lake. There

must be hope, he thought. Somebody pretty smart must have made all this stuff. If God

is a genius maybe, He can even understand me.

Realizing that someone very intelligent is behind all the wonders of the world and

deciding to get to know Him can bring hope and purpose to your life as well. Where there

is life – which points toward the Creator of all things – there most definitely is hope. And

hope is spelled G-O-D.

ACTION STEPS FOR CHECKING OUT GOD’S EXISTENCE

1. Carefully observe everything around you in nature and ask “How do the things

God made reveal His character?”

2. Read Psalms 96-100; 102: 12-27; & 103. Write down everything you learn about

God.

3. Read the gospels written by Mark and John, remembering that Jesus was God in

human flesh. List all the characteristics of God that are found in Jesus.

4. Read about Job’s encounter with God in Job 38: 1-42:6.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

The eternal God is your refuge,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

-

Deuteronomy 33: 27

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God,

be honor and glory for ever and ever.

-

1 Timothy 1: 17

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

The human brain is “the most complex and orderly arrangement of matter in the

universe.” 1. So states scientist and author Isaac Asimov. The brain weighs about three

pounds and contains over 10 billion neurons, or brain cells, each of which has contact

with 10 thousand other neurons, requiring a total of 100 trillion neurological

interconnections. If all the neurons and threadlike connections of the brain were laid end

to end, they would circle the equator four times. 2.

Yet the human brain is 80 percent water – more watery than our blood – so we all have

water on the brain! The brain is immune to pain – headaches come not from the organ

itself but from the nerves and muscles lining it. 3.

If you think a library contains a lot of information, consider that the brain can hold the

information content of twenty-five million books, which would fill a bookshelf five

hundred miles long. 4. It has been estimated that by the time a person turns thirty, he or

she will have a mental videotape library of about three trillion visualized experiences. 5.

We still don’t know, however, precisely what thinking is – or what distinguishes the mind

from the brain. That distinction has not yet been shown by studying brain matter. 6. We

do know, however, that the human mind is more than the physical stuff inside a person’s

skull. The brain of a person who just got shot in the heart contains the same amount of

physical matter as it did two minutes before, yet it cannot think.

Language learning is another remarkable function of the brain. “The brain is capable of

thinking at a rate of 800 words per minute” 7. in one of the world’s more than five

thousand languages. 8. The average person spends ten to twelve years of his or her life

talking. 9. Language, in fact, sets humans apart from animals. Noam Chomsky, a famous

linguist, maintains that “the language capacity reveals special design properties that are

entirely lacking in the communication systems of other species.” 10.

It is true that trained apes and chimpanzees can recognize quite a number of words or

visual gestures. Nevertheless, apes are universally incapable of entering the realm of

abstract thought. 11. They cannot, for example, ask questions, form structured

sentences, refer to the past, or indefinitely expand their vocabulary. 12. Einstein and

many others have observed that only an intelligent designer could account for the human

ability to assign words, gestures, and written symbols to objects, actions, and ideas. 13.

The amazing capacity of humans to think in words and to reflect on the abstract enables

us to know God. We can realize we desperately need the Lord and, because of that, reach

out to Him. Consider that no animal decides that life isn’t worth living and attempts

suicide or begins to pray!

Humans also can make decisions about almost everything – where to go for vacation,

how to decorate a room, or whether or not to learn to swim. In contrast, an animal’s

choices are limited. Monarch butterflies always winter in Mexico, robins build the same

kind of nest every time, and if Fido gets thrown into the river, he automatically begins to

dog paddle – all by instinct.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

You, however, have been given the ability to determine many things for yourself – even

your eternal future. The most important decision you can make is to seek to know God.

DOES IT MATTER?

Karalee laid her fashion magazine on the coffee table. The clothes featured wouldn’t look

good on a girl who was thirty pounds’ overweight, and focusing her attention upon the

super slim models made her even more depressed. The two candy bar wrappers and an

empty cola can that sat on the table seemed to accuse her. But food was her only refuge

in a world where she never seemed to measure up.

Her “D” in geometry really angered her father, who assumed she wasn’t even trying. But

maybe it was easier to take the scolding than to admit that she just couldn’t understand

math. Her mother compared her to her sister who was slender, smart, and popular.

Karalee didn’t know what to do. Everything seemed to be closing in on her, and there

seemed to be no way out. Jane, one of her few friends at school, said she prayed about

her problems. But Karalee wasn’t even sure God existed. Her grandfather always said, “If

there is a God, He should at least put a loudspeaker in the sky to advise us that He’s really

up there.”

For Karalee, every day was a contest to see whether or not she could meet everyone’s

expectations – and every day she lost.

VITAL INFORMATION

Within all humans is a longing for something better than our current experience. That

longing was placed there so that we would search for God. The Lord has put within us,

too, intelligence and language skills, enabling us to know enough about Him to have a

relationship with Him. In addition, it was God who took the initiative in showing Himself

to us.

Hebrews 1: 1-3 tells us how God revealed to us who He is: “In the past God spoke …

through the prophets” – who wrote down what He said in the Bible. God proclaimed the

Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, for example, and they are recorded in the

Scriptures. “But in these last days,” Hebrews continues, “he has spoken to us by his Son,

… the exact representation of his being.”

So you can learn about God by discovering what the Bible says about Him. You can learn

to know God personally through His Son Jesus, who – as God in human form – came to

earth to show us what God is like.

KARALEE COULD FIND FREEDOM FROM NOT LIVIGN UP TO FALSE EXPECTATIONS IN

THIS WAY …

It was the Saturday before Easter, and Karalee was home alone. Her sister was out on a

date and her parents were attending an important social function. When she flicked on

the television, the movie channel was showing a film about the life of Christ. A leper knelt

before Jesus, and the hopeless look on the face of the leper caught Karalee’s attention.

She was also attracted to the compassion and kindness Jesus demonstrated when He

reached out to heal the man. Jesus imparted hope – not only to the man but to Karalee

as well.

In another scene, a woman knelt by Jesus. Her tears flowed on His feet as He reclined at

a banquet table, and the woman wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair and poured perfume on

them. The others at the banquet disapproved and made snide remarks. But Jesus

defended this sinful woman, who was desperate to be loved and accepted by Him. He

offered her understanding and forgiveness.

Karalee was impressed that Jesus cared about people who didn’t fit society’s mold. In

the movie, Jesus told a story that touched her heart. It was about a proud and foolish son

who made terrible decisions. In spite of this, his father accepted him back again with

open arms.

Then Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus, yet the Savior, who was about to be

crucified, looked at him across the courtyard with loving eyes.

Karalee couldn’t imagine being really loved whenever she blew it big time. In her

experience, love had to be earned, and she wasn’t very good at earning it. It struck her

that everything Jesus said and did communicated unconditional love.

The conversation between Jesus and Philip really interested Karalee. Philip had asked,

“Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us” (John 14: 8). Jesus’ answer

proved that He was God in human form: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have

been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John

14: 9).

Karalee became convinced that Jesus really is God, and that He came to earth to live in

a body like everyone else in order to demonstrate to the world God's characteristics,

attitudes, and truth. This was a much better idea than placing a loudspeaker in the sky!

As she watched the Roman soldiers drive nails into Jesus hands, she also heard Him

pray, “Father, forgive them, for the do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23: 34). Even

when He was dying Jesus showed love and hope to the criminal who was on the cross

next to Him.

Karalee cried because Jesus’ love for her seemed tangible and real. She realized that

being overweight, having a hard time in school, and not having a lot of friends wouldn’t

interfere with Jesus loving and accepting her.

But there was more. Jesus conquered death and gloriously appeared to His disciples

again, promising them power from on high before He ascended to heaven.

Karalee saw that Jesus offered the things she needed most:

 love she didn’t need to earn

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

 forgiveness for real sins

 freedom from having to fit society’s norms

 an outside source of power to help her live correctly

 hope for the future

If God is like Jesus, and now Karalee was sure that He is, He is knowable and definitely

worth getting acquainted with.

Like Karalee, you should consider beginning a relationship with the One who gave you

your amazing brain, who gave you the desire to find purpose in life, and who gave you

the capacity for giving and receiving love. Wouldn’t it be encouraging to get input directly

from God – the Mastermind who gave you your ability to use language and the creativity

you display? You can have a Friend who will always be there for you – even when no one

else understands.

ACTION STEPS FOR GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH JESUS

Study the encounters people had with Jesus when He lived on the earth:

 a leper (Mark 1: 40-42)

 a bad girl from the streets (John 8: 1-11)

 a Jewish leader who would lose his reputation and maybe his job if he followed

Jesus (John 3: 1-21)

 a foreigner who dared to trust Jesus (Luke 7: 1-10)

 some young fishermen who didn’t know what to do with their lives (Matthew 4:

18-22)

 a woman who took the initiative in showing her love for Jesus (John 12: 1-11)

Read Famous things Jesus said about:

 hypocrisy and prayer (Matthew 6: 1-14, 7: 7-12)

 love (Matthew 5: 43-48)

 how to recognize a phone (Matthew 7: 15-20)

 Himself (John 5: 19-24, 8: 31-36, 12: 44-50, and 14: 6-17)

Read what those who knew Him best said about Him:

 A. John, the apostle who was closest to Him (John 1: 1, 14, 1 John 1: 1-10)

 B. Peter, who lived with Him and the other disciples for three and a half years (1

Peter 2: 21-25, 2 Peter 1: 16-18)

 C. James, a half-brother of Jesus (James 1: 1, 2: 1)

 D. Jude, a half-brother of Jesus (Jude 1, 4, 24, 25)

Give your life to Jesus.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God … The Word became flesh and made

His dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of

the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace

and truth.

-

John 1: 1, 14

Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true

God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

-

John 17: 3

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

6

SOMEBODY LOVES

YOU

DID YOU KNOW?

A newborn baby has 350 bones. Many of them are soft and pliable, which makes it

possible for a normal birth to occur without injury to the baby. These will gradually fuse

(grow together) into the 206 bones that are standard for adults. 1.

An adult’s bones are so lightweight that they make up only one-fifth of a body’s total

weight. 2. Yet bones are marvels of flexibility and strength. In addition, some contain

“factories” that produce red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues, platelets that enable

blood to clot, and white blood cells capable of fighting infection. 3.

The thighbone, although hollow, is the strongest bone in the body. 4. It is stronger than

reinforced concrete and must bear an average of twelve hundred pounds of pressure per

square inch with every step. The mid-shaft of the thighbone is able to support a force of

six tons before fracturing. 5.

The fifty-two small bones in our feet are, altogether, super strong. When a soccer player

subjects these bones to a cumulative force of over one thousand tons for each foot, his

or her bones endure the stress and maintain their elasticity. And that is good news for

ordinary people who will walk some 65,000 miles during a lifetime – equal to jogging

around the earth two and a half times. 6.

Bones are constructed, then, of tough substances – mineral crystals (mostly calcium

and phosphorus), collagen, and cells have done all that work, because the adult skeleton

gradually replaces itself about every seven years. 7.

In a small child, 100 percent of the bones are replacing every year. But the child appears

the same. Each of the billions of active bone cells, called osteoblasts, has the identical

DNA instructions for designing bones that will look the same as the ones replaced, except

in the next bigger size. 8.

You can be sure that God keeps track of each cell that is working on something that is

as important as bone replacement. He even monitors things as seemingly

inconsequential as the number of hairs on our heads.

Those hairs are, indeed, plentiful. The average adult has 100,000 to 200,000 hairs. 9. As

strong as aluminum, 10. a single hair lives about four years before it drops out and is

replaced. 11. Within a lifetime, each hair follicle will grow about twenty-six feet of hair –

one thousand inches of hair each day. 12.

Jesus said something amazing about hair: “Even the very hairs of your head are all

numbered. So don’t be afraid” (Matthew 10: 30-31). When you're in love, every detail

about that special person is important to you. God loves you so much that He not only

keeps track of the number of hairs on your head, He knows your every thought, follows

you wherever you go, and is concerned about your every need.

This constant caring is reflected in the way He made your body; in the beauty of nature,

which He created for us to enjoy; in the variety of tastes, colors, and aromas for us to

savor; in the unique personalities that He placed within each of us and our friends.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DOES IT MATTER?

Riley was an only child, and his doting parents had always given him everything that he

wanted. He grew up trying to avoid work and other unpleasant activities. He lived for the

moment – his goal in life was to have as much fun as possible. He basically didn’t give

the future, God, or religion a second thought.

Although he was undisciplined, he was smart enough to do okay in school – until he

started hanging out with friends who skipped classes. It wasn’t long before he, too, was

hooked on ditching school. The classroom felt like a prison. In order to cover his tracks,

he became a talented liar.

He started experimenting with drugs and alcohol, until escaping from reality became his

reason for living. One day Ned, who looked a lot older than he was, succeeded in buying

a case of beer, and four guys, including Riley, celebrated big time. Suddenly, Adrian

looked at his watch and panicked. “If I'm not home by three-thirty, my dad will kill me!”

“I'll give you a ride,” Riley offered, and the two of them ran for his car. Riley revved the

motor and they sped away. He exceeded the speed limit and realized too late that he had

missed a stop sign. When he slammed on his brakes, his car skidded on the ice and hit

two sixth-grade girls who were crossing the street on their way home from school.

Jumping out of the car, Riley and Adrian saw that neither of the girls was getting up. One

was bleeding profusely and moaning, while the other lay perfectly still.

VITAL INFORMATION

“If God is love, why do accidents happen?”

“If God cares, why did He let me get addicted to drugs?”

“Why does God allow poverty?”

Many people ask these questions. God chose to give you – and the other six billion

people on the planet – a free will. You get to choose between good and evil, but sin

always has bad consequences.

What would you think of parents who locked their child in an iron cage so he or she would

never total the car, become an alcoholic, contract AIDS, or rob a bank? Is that a good way

for a loving parent to teach a child how to make wise decisions?

God is the ultimate good and loving parent, and He allows us to make our own choices,

to experience the consequences of those choices, to learn from the experience. But all of

us, without exception, have used this freedom to make bad choices – to sin. And sin

separates us from God. But God loves us and cares about us so much, He provided a way

to heal that separation.

As the undeniable evidence of God's great love for each one of us, He allowed Jesus, His

only Son, to die for our sins. But Jesus rose again so that His Spirit can live on the inside

of any person who is willing to confess sin, forsake sin, and let Jesus control all areas of

life.

When Christ lives in you, it is like having a personal body, soul, and spirit guide –

Someone who always loves and cares for you.

IF RILEY HANDLES THE CONSEQUENCES FOR HIS WRONGDOING THOUGHTFULLY, THIS

COULD BE THE CONTINUATION OF HIS STORY…

Adrian whipped out his phone and called 911. Riley just stood there in shock, not knowing

what to do. A car stopped, and the lady who got out said she was a nurse. She asked

Riley for his scarf and turned it into a tourniquet to stop the bleeding from the girl’s leg.

As she checked the pulse of the other girl, both the ambulance and the police arrived.

Noticing tears in the nurse’s eyes, Riley was filled with panic.

Once the two girls were placed in the ambulance, the officers hauled Riley and Adrian off

to the police station. Riley’s nightmare was just beginning. As he and Adrian waited, they

overheard the sergeant answer a phone call – one of the girls had died.

Riley was charged with drunk driving, and until a trial could determine his fate, his license

was revoked, and he was placed on a surveillance program.

His life totally changed. The accident was top local news, so everybody knew what had

happened. If he skipped school or broke his curfew, he'd be in even more trouble.

Confused and scared, Riley operated like a robot who went to classes, studied a little, and

watched TV a lot. Some kids at school stared at him as if he were a criminal. Others didn’t

know what to say to him. Since he didn’t dare skip school, he lost the friends he used to

hang out with.

Then one day, Jeremy sat down beside him in the lunchroom. “You must really be

hurting,” he said. “I've been praying for you.”

Riley was shocked that Jeremy, a senior, seemed interested in him. When he was a

freshman and Jeremy a sophomore, they had been in chess club together, but they hadn’t

seen much of each other since then.

“God loves you and wants to help you,” Jeremy said quietly.

Riley was silent. He didn’t dare ask the real question on his mind about why God let his

car hit the girls. He couldn’t face another reminder of personal responsibility, so he came

up with a decoy.

“I don’t get it,” Riley finally blurted out. “How could a loving God permit old age and

suffering? I just visited my grandfather in a nursing home. To tell the truth, that place

gives me the creeps.”

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

“If this life were the end, it wouldn’t make sense,” Jeremy agreed. “But old age reminds

everyone that this life won't last forever. That’s why we should get right with God, so we

can enjoy eternal life in heaven with Him. Sometimes the things that happen to us are

unpleasant, but God can use it for good, to bring us closer to Him.”

Just then the fire alarm sounded. They had to leave their hot pizza and go out into

subfreezing weather without their jackets. There’d been a lot of false alarms lately, and

Riley was really upset. Jeremy simply took it all in stride.

As they stood there in the cold, Riley wondered about heaven. His dad considered it a

fairy tale, but what if it was real? Riley wanted to make sure he got there.

When the “all clear” sounded, students filed back into the building, and Riley and Jeremy

sat down to cold pizza. Riley hesitated, then sent up another smoke screen. “But how

could a loving God allow someone to be born retarded or crippled or with a heart defect?”

“No one really knows why unfortunate things happen to innocent people,” Jeremy

answered. “But I think it is because God wants the whole family to learn to trust and

depend on Him more. My 9-year-old brother has Downs Syndrome, but he has brought a

lot of joy to our family. He loves God and even understands what it means to have Jesus

in his heart. My whole family is closer to God … and we’re all closer to each other than we

were before he was born.”

With that, the bell rang and they hurried off to class. After handing in his math test, Riley

started thinking about what Jeremy said about God’s love. Riley’s definition of showing

love was letting someone get his or her own way, or letting a person off the hook. Yet if

his parents had been stricter and had insisted that he take more responsibility, he might

not be in this current mess.

Jeremy says that God's love means allowing what is best for me in the long run, Riley

thought. If heaven is part of the long run, God might have good reasons for permitting

things that we think are unloving.

Jeremy seemed to have a handle on life and a purpose for living. Knowing God appeared

to be the key to his success. Kids teased Jeremy for being part of the “God squad,” but

that didn’t seem to bother him.

When Jeremy won the city chess tournament, he was interviewed on TV, but he didn’t

take the credit. Instead, he said, “I thank God for giving me the ability to win the

tournament.” Yet he was a regular guy and fun to be around.

Riley began to entertain the thought that God really did love him and intended to use all

that had happened for his good. He decided he’d go back to chess club so he’d have an

opportunity to ask Jeremy more questions.

Consider this – the God who so carefully rebuilds your bones and counts each hair on

your head has a genuine interest in your wellbeing because He loves you. Isn’t it time for

you to respond to His love so it becomes a reality in your daily life?

ACTION STEPS TO UNDERSTANDING GOD’S LOVE

1. Remember that God best demonstrates His love by providing us an opportunity

for eternal salvation – not by always giving us what we think we want. To

appreciate the full extent of God's love for you, read Luke 22: 39 – 44 and 23: 32

– 39.

2. Since getting us to heaven is the most loving thing God could ever do, reflect on

how things like an accident, a financial problem, or a terrorist attack might benefit

us spiritually.

3. Someone has said, “Every miracle starts with a problem.” Think of ways that an

illness, a family problem, a physical handicap, or a demanding teacher might

improve your prayer life and cause you to exercise more faith.

4. Answer honestly. When do you seek God most? When things are going well or

when there is a big problem?

WORDS TO LIVE BY

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died

for us.

-

Romans 5: 8

The Lord disciplines those he loves.

-

Hebrews 12: 6

This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning

sacrifice for our sins.

-

John 4: 10

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

In outer space, the biggest objects aren’t the heaviest. The largest stars don’t

necessarily contain the greatest amount of matter. 1.

Earth’s moon weighs 81 billion billion tons, 2. and the moon is a lightweight by space

standards. A single cubic inch of the Star LP327186, a white dwarf smaller than the state

of Texas, weighs several tons. 3.

Neutron stars are even more dense. A neutron star only five miles wide could weigh twice

as much as our sun. 4. One cubic centimeter (the size of a finger tip) of a neutron star

weighs about the same as 150 million medium-size cars. 5. Or to put it another way, a

paperclip made of neutron star material would outweigh Mount Everest! 6.

Although some stars are even smaller than Earth’s moon, the largest ones have

diameters of nearly a billion miles. 7. The red super-giant star Betelgeuse in Orion has a

radius almost four times the distance from the sun to the Earth. Betelgeuse is so big that

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars could line up along its 720 million-mile diameter, and

still maintain their current orbits within Betelgeuse. 8.

Besides trillions of stars, very few of which have moons and planets, space is full of

comets – about 300 billion in our solar system alone. Many repeatedly pass within sight,

yet they never collide with Earth. 9. Haley’s Comet comes back every seventy-six years

– it passed near the Earth in 1910 and 1986. 10.

The scientific names for “space rocks” are meteoroids and asteroids. Some meteoroids

are rocks that used to be mixed with the ice in a comet’s nucleus. Meteoroids usually

burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, but not always. 11. A meteorite is the part that doesn’t

burn up and actually reaches the Earth.

The largest meteorite falls in recorded history occurred in China on March 8, 1976. One

hundred stones were found, many weighing over two hundred pounds. The largest, 3,902

pounds, landed in Chincheu. 12.

On June 30, 1908, the most famous meteorite fell to Earth. It rocked northern Siberia

with a force two thousand times greater than the atomic bomb that was dropped on

Hiroshima. The shock of the impact was felt fifty miles away, and its descent could be

seen in daylight for hundreds of miles. 13. Witnesses reported a blinding light and

thunderous sounds that were audible up to five hundred miles away. As it burned itself

up, the meteorite destroyed everything within a diameter of more than twenty miles. 14.

It is believed that all that commotion was caused by a weak, stony meteorite that was

only about thirty-three years across! 15. The largest meteorite on Earth crashed into

West Africa in 1920, and weighed in at sixty-six tons. 16.

The craters on the moon and on Mercury reveal that they have experienced more serious

damage. We can be thankful that the Earth’s atmosphere protects our planet. Jupiter,

which is so big that more than one thousand Earths could be placed inside it, acts as a

shield for Earth. 17. If Jupiter were not so strategically placed, comets would strike Earth

a thousand times more frequently than they do. 18.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

And those strikes would take place at space speeds. The Earth travels 66,600 miles per

hour 19. in its 585 million-mile orbit around the sun. 20. That’s over 1.5 million miles a

day. If Earth ever stopped revolving it would burst into flames. 21. Our solar system,

traveling at 492,000 miles per hour, would take about 230 million years to make a

complete trip around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. 22.

So considering the enormous weights and incredible speeds of space objects, and that

the Earth weighs only 6,600 billion billion tons, 23. we can be thankful for the

gravitational forces that keep such space heavyweights in place.

But have you ever wondered who keeps all the immense, super-heavy, and speeding

objects in outer space from crashing into us? It should be obvious that a God who never

changes and never goes out of existence set up the physical laws that keep the universe

functioning. And He protects us from a too-close encounter with something in outer

space that could wipe us out.

Do you think the person who flippantly declares “I am god,” or the guru who teaches that

humans are to discover the “god within” ever thinks of changing places with the One

who put the laws of gravity in effect? Since Creation, these laws have kept the heavenly

bodies traveling at just the right speeds in their orbits.

Considering all the objects that travel through space, it is truly amazing that the Earth

hasn’t been destroyed by a collision with one of them. Just look into the heavens. What

you see is only a small part of one galaxy in the universe that God created. Clearly, God

is made of different stuff from us. That He is above His creation and possesses an

intelligence and power that are uniquely His shouldn’t be that hard to figure out.

DOES IT MATTER?

Lisa stared at her open history book. Hitler’s rise to power was the last thing on her mind,

although flunking tomorrow’s test could mean an “F” on her report card.

She hadn’t slept well the night before. Besides, she had a terrible head cold that made

her miserable. Lisa was diabetic, and stressful situations like these always raised her

blood sugar and tempted her to overeat. But if she indulged herself, the state of her

health would become even worse, possibly life threatening. When Lisa’s grandmother

died eighteen months ago, Lisa had ended up in the hospital.

Her present tailspin started last Saturday morning when Jonathan, her steady boyfriend,

called, “Lisa…I’m sorry about the concert tonight. But … we’re just not getting along. I've

decided to take Marina instead.” Before she could even say a word, he hung up. She

immediately called her friend Rita and told her what had happened.

Lisa’s whole world had revolved around Jonathan, and she had never sensed that

anything was wrong. She tried to think positively and create a new reality, like she had

been taught to do in her meditation class. She reminded herself that she was god and

that she only had to realize her full potential.

But Rita’s words kept coming back to her. “A god should be able to cure diabetes and

make Jonathan love you again. Someone’s just selling you a bill of goods.”

VITAL INFORMATION

You are not God – or even a part of God. Instead, you were created by the only true God,

and He has attributes you do not possess; He never makes a mistake, He has all power,

and He knows everything there is not know.

Can you imagine a construction company coming up with galaxies of such immense

stars and keeping them all in space without using any cement or steel beams? Could

this feat have been pulled off by some blob of energy called a “gestalt”?

If “god is everything and everything is god,” then “god” created himself, which makes

him simply a created thing. Created things – like stars or animals – will eventually

collapse or die. The Bible teaches, though, that the God who made everything is outside

of His creation and different from it. He will never die or go out of existence. He cares

about you and can be totally trusted.

IF LISA WHOLEHEARTEDLY LOOKS FOR TRUTH AND REALLY TRIES TO FIND God, THE

CONTIUATION OF HER SEARCH MIGHT READ LIKE THIS …

Lisa did flunk the history test – even though she performed all her think-positive rituals

before going to school that day. All week, she kept meeting Jonathan and Marina in the

halls. They were always holding hands and obviously very much taken with each other.

Repeating “I am god” seemed totally hollow and ridiculous. Nothing she could do would

create the new reality of Jonathan returning to her.

She skipped her meditation class because she didn’t want to hear that “the visible world

has no importance whatsoever, because only the invisible is real.” Well, Jonathan and

Marina were real – Lisa saw them every day, and the heartache they gave her wasn’t

some figment of her imagination. Her rising blood sugar numbers weren’t some fantasy

that right thinking could eradicate.

When Lisa went for her monthly checkup, the alarmed doctor put her in the hospital,

where her mother came to visit her that afternoon. “Pull yourself together, honey,” she

advised. “No man is worth getting sick over. Believe me, I know, I'm sorry … but I have to

get back to work. I'll be back to visit you this evening, though.”

Her mother’s words were less than comforting. It is just not fair, Lisa thought. Other girls

can eat hot fudge sundaes or candy bars or popcorn with extra butter when they feel

down. But if I stray from my strict diet – even a little – I have serious health problems.

That is probably why Jonathan got tired of me. And maybe no man will ever love me

again. She began to cry.

Her pity party lasted so long she didn’t even notice that it had been snowing hard for

some time. As she looked out the window, she saw the ugly gray of the city being

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

blanketed with a soft and silent cover of white. The wonder of it made her forget for a

few minutes about her tears. She gazed over the unbroken, pure white.

That night, she saw the full moon turn the snow into silvery majesty. And when the sun

came out the next day, the snow sparkled like millions of diamonds. Lisa felt small and

insignificant in the presence of such beauty and wonder. She decided that Rita was right,

God was superior to all the things He had made – and she had been created by this

awesome God.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a nurse entered the room. She was leading a girl

who had ugly scars on her face. As the nurse guided the girl to the other bed in the room,

Lisa realized that the girl was blind. After the nurse showed the girl where everything

was, she told her that a doctor would come to explain the operation in more detail.

When the nurse left, the girl smiled and said, “I guess we should get acquainted. My

name is Rebecca.”

“I'm Lisa – glad to meet you.”

“I'm here for another operation,” Rebecca said. “The operations to restore my sight were

unsuccessful, but this one will take away my scars … and make me look like other

people.”

Lisa hesitated, looking at Rebecca. “Do you mind if I ask -”

“What happened to me?”

Lisa mumbled something.

“It’s okay. Everybody asks. There was an explosion in chemistry lab.”

“How did it happen?” asked Lisa.

“Two guys were mad at the teacher and changed the labels on his bottles,” Rebecca

said. “My lab partner and I were the first to try the experiment using the wrong

ingredients, and everything blew up in my face.”

“You must be furious!” Lisa exclaimed. “Are your parents suing?”

“Actually, I’ve forgiven Patrick and Cameron,” said Rebecca. “Their parents have been

good about helping with expenses. I have just gotten a trained guide dog. His name is

Duke and, with him, I can go anywhere.”

Rebecca smiled, and she spoke in a matter-of-fact way, seeming to hold no bitterness.

“How can you be so calm and forgiving?” Lisa asked. “I’d want to see someone pay, big

time!”

“It’s my faith,” Rebecca stated simply. “I believe that God has charge of absolutely

everything. This life isn’t all there is. I might spend the rest of my life here as a blind

person, but in heaven I'll have a new body and new eyes, and the things I'll see in heaven

are more exciting than anything I'll miss here.”

Lisa began to realize that pretending she was god and attempting to create her own

reality would never give her what Rebecca had.

Whenever you’re tempted to follow a philosophy that teaches that your god, ask yourself

if you're ready to keep Earth from colliding with other space objects, and to keep the

moon in its orbit.

Reflect a little more. Why miss out on praying for wisdom to a God who is smarter than

you are, receiving protection from a God who is all-powerful, and obeying a God whose

good plans for you span time and eternity?

ACTION STEPS FOR CELEBRATION A GOD WHO IS ABOVE ALL HE HAS MADE

1. List all the disadvantages of believing that you are God.

2. What things can God do that are beyond your reach?

3. What would you miss out on if you grew up believing that you were God? (Alexander

the Great was taught that he was a God. Although he was very successful at first, he

came to a point when his army refused to follow him further. He cried because there

were no more worlds he could conquer, and at thirty-three years of age, he died.)

4. Why is it logical to believe that God is above and outside of his creation?

WORDS TO LIVE BY

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

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.

But you remain the same,

and your years will never end.

-

Psalm 102: 25 – 27

Do not be quick with your mouth,

do not be hasty in your heart

to utter anything before God.

God is in heaven

and you are on earth,

so let your words be few.

-

Ecclesiastes 5: 2

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

There are twenty-eight types of purebred cats 1. and more than three hundred kinds of

purebred dogs. 2. Then, through random crossbreeding, there are, of course, an infinite

variety of both cats and dogs. But it is impossible to crossbreed between species. There

is not, in other words, a single “catadog.”

Programmed into the DNA of every species of every living thing is a genetic code that

defines its characteristics. 3. People have tried unsuccessfully to produce new animals

that are then capable of reproduction. It’s possible to cross a donkey with a horse and

come up with a mule. Because all male mules are sterile, however, the few babies that

are born to female mules are half-breeds. 4. “Selective breeding of animals is a process

guided by intelligence, and it produces only variations within the species.” 5.

There is a big difference, then, between the modifications represented in breeding a toy

terrier and those portrayed when a dinosaur hypothetically sprouts wings and flies off.

The first is an example of an observable change that can occur because the DNA

programming in dogs allows for a lot of variation. But all dogs bark, walk on all fours, and

have wet noses. None can talk, do math homework, or live in the ocean. The DNA

programming of reptiles, however, doesn’t equip them for flight.

There are limits, then, to documented changes – sometimes called microevolution –

within an animal group. For instance;

 “Natural selection can move the species only a limited distance from the species

norm.” 6. It is impossible, for example, to breed a dog much smaller than a teacup

poodle. 7.

 The more an animal differs from the species norm, the lower its chance of

survival. 8. That’s why the common mutt needs little attention while the tiny

purebred requires a lot of special care.

 “The production of a new animal species in nature has yet to be documented.” 9.

If human-designed breeding were to stop and animals such as dogs, horses, or

pigeons were allowed to freely mate, this “random selection” would not result in

a new species that was part dog and part horse. Rather the result would be all

species quickly reverting to the characteristics of their wild ancestors. 10.

 Because of environmental changes, the prevalent color of peppered moths can

change, but they won't learn to sing like birds or turn into dragons. 11.

 If a new predator is introduced, the average size of guppies (bright-colored fish

often used in goldfish bowls) can increase in sixty generations, but they don’t turn

into philosophers. Neither do algae grow up to become octopuses. 12.

The genetic programming that God created in living things gives each species certain

characteristics. Those characteristics set the boundaries for environments within which

each species can be healthiest and happiest. Within those limits, however, God created

enough genetic variety so that some species have the potential for change in order to

survive in or adapt to a variety of environments.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

God created limits for humans too. But humans, unlike animals, get to make significant

behavioral choices. That’s because the boundaries that God set for us are not

straightjackets to keep us from achieving or from enjoying life. Exactly the opposite is

true.

God gives us the liberty to express our personalities, creativity, and talents in ways that

don’t violate His holiness. Thus, He put within us the ability to adjust to new situations,

to overcome obstacles, and to enjoy challenges. The purpose of His guidelines is to keep

us from self-destruction, so deciding to defy the rules set up by our Creator is unwise.

The further we stray from God's standards and commandments, the greater the risk of

chaos, pain, and heartbreak.

Ecclesiastes 12: 1 is excellent advice for your future happiness: “Remember your Creator

in the days of your youth.” Realizing that God made you and that He knows what will give

you fulfillment can keep you from making many poor choices.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Julie stared at the big red letters on her alarm clock. It was 2:07 a.m. and she was still

awake. Her fast-lane life usually kept her too busy to think. But a gnawing fear kept her

mind in turmoil. For two weeks she’d been fighting nausea – every morning. When she

came home from school yesterday, her mother was cooking sauerkraut, and the smell

caused her to throw up before she could reach the bathroom.

She had faked her way through her mother’s questions. But one big fear prevented her

from sleeping. Could she be pregnant? She’d been having sex with her boyfriend, Damian,

for over five months. But they had planned everything, and she had faithfully taken her

birth control pills.

When sleep came at last, Julie’s dreams replayed all the rebellion and defiance that had

lead to this moment. She had detested her parents for their moral absolutes and old

fashioned rules, questioned the justice of God, and made fun of the Bible. She had

skipped youth meetings and lied about where she had been. She had experimented with

drugs and alcohol. She had been sneaking out with Damian, and finally staged a full-

scale tantrum that made her mom feel so guilty that her parents finally gave her

permission to date him.

In Julie’s nightmare, her mom’s warning flashed in neon lights in Times Square: “One

sexual mistake can change your life forever.”

The next day was Saturday. She manufactured an excuse to leave the house and went to

the crisis pregnancy center to be tested. It was positive. Panicking, she called Damian.

His words were chilling: “Have an abortion, or it is your problem and you are on your

own.” He hung up on her.

Julie just stood there, too stunned to react, too devastated to cry.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

You should fear sin more than anything else in the world. Sin – unless it is confessed

and rejected – can steal your happiness, complicate your life, ruin your relationships, and

disrupt your communication with God. The devil, though, can dupe people into rejecting

Christ and missing out on heaven, all so that they cling to sinful behavior. The good news

is that God not only forgives sin but also supplies the power to overcome it – if you're

ready to admit your wrongdoing and follow the prescription Jesus gives for your cure.

IF JULIE DECIDES TO LET GOD RUN HER LIFE FROM NOW ON, THIS COULD BE THE

CONTINUATION OF HER STORY…

Julie didn’t know what to do next. Returning to the compassionate lady at the crisis

pregnancy center seemed like her best option.

“Julie,” Karen greeted her warmly. “I'm so glad you’ve come back. Let’s go into my office

so we can talk.”

Karen seated Julie at a small table and took the chair across from her.

“I’d like to begin,” Karen spoke easily, “by telling you my story. I got pregnant in high

school, and when my boyfriend broke up with me, I had an abortion. I thought it would

solve the problem, but it didn’t. I felt guilty and dirty. Every time I saw a baby, I felt like

crying. I had nightmares and became depressed, but I never told anyone what had

happened.”

Karen leaned forward and crossed her arms on the table. “In college I dated the captain

of the football team. He said he wanted to marry me and we started sleeping together.

When I got pregnant, he took me to an abortion clinic. I thought that with a man by my

side it would be easier … but it wasn’t. I became depressed again and lost another

boyfriend.

“Then I got my dream job and fell in love with my boss. He never told me he was married

– until I was pregnant. This time I kept my baby – a beautiful little girl. Before she was

born, a friend told me that I could be forgiven and that Jesus could give me new life. I

surrendered to His love and, even though being a single mom is difficult, I now have Jesus

by my side.”

Julie decided to tell Karen everything. She had been terribly rebellious, her boyfriend had

just ditched her, her father was laid off, her little sister had autism, and her grandmother

had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which resulted in her living with

them. “And I am going to add to the family’s problems,” Julie sobbed. “What can I do?”

They talked for a long time, and finally Karen asked Julie if she was ready to totally

surrender her life to God. She was, and they prayed together.

Next Karen told her about all the options available. She said they had a list of families

who took in pregnant girls, as well as names of approved Christian couples who wanted

to adopt babies. Julie decided not to have an abortion.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

She still had to face all the terrible consequences of sin – telling her parents, not being

able to compete in tennis matches, ending her senior year by dealing with morning

sickness, enduring the unknown future. But Julie felt the love and deep companionship

of Jesus.

After a lot of praying, she decided to graduate and then go to live with a family selected

by the crisis pregnancy center. She’d stay there until the baby was born and adopted by

a Christian couple. She knew she wasn’t ready to be a mother and just couldn’t add to

the family stress.

Parting with her baby boy was harder than she thought it would be, but she had the

satisfaction of having given him life and a wonderful Christian home. More and more she

discovered joy and a peace in Jesus. No longer did she ride the roller coaster of emotions

that were dictated by circumstances. She was sensing the peace that obedience to the

Lord brings.

She had experienced the disillusionment of straying from God's boundaries, yet now she

was receiving His unconditional forgiveness. She experienced, too, the abundant

resources he gives to those living within His will and who trust Him when they face tough

times.

Every living thing is meant to conform to the plan its Creator originally had in mind.

Animals have no choice but to live within the boundaries of their DNA – programmed

capabilities. Crows can't live under water and crocodiles can't climb trees.

Humans, too, usually accept their physical limitations. But they sometimes feel they can

defy the moral boundaries that God has put in place – without having to face negative

consequences. That simply isn’t true. If you, like Julie, have been deceived, it is not too

late to align yourself with God's wise principles for better living.

ACTION STEPS FOR RECOVERING AFTER BLOWING IT BIG TIME

1. Take full responsibility for your wrong behavior.

2. Honestly admit everything to God, repenting of your sin and accepting His

forgiveness.

3. Receive the love and acceptance of God.

4. Take all of God's commands seriously, relying on the Holy Spirit for the power to

obey.

5. When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future!

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Blessed is he

whose transgressions are forgiven, whose

sins are covered.

Blessed is the man

whose sin the Lord does not count against him

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

-

Psalm 32: 1-2

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old

has gone, the new has come!

-

2 Corinthians 5: 17

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

The sun’s infrared, ultraviolet, and visible light are absolutely necessary for life. (We

usually refer to infrared light as heat.” The plants that we eat need light for

photosynthesis – the process necessary for plant growth – and photosynthesis emits

oxygen – a gas we’re all addicted to.

Without light, our eyes couldn’t function. We are able to see not only because of natural

light from the sun, but because the sunlight that came to Earth years ago enables us to

see by artificial light. That sunlight produced plants, which became compressed and

formed coal, natural gas, and oil. Those fuels are used today to produce heat, air

conditioning, and electricity for our homes. 1.

Clearly, the sun is crucial for life. But because the sun is so huge and so hot, if it were not

placed at a suitable distance from us, life could not exist on Earth. The sun’s immense

size is almost beyond imagination – 109 times wider than our earth, with a volume

1,300,000 times that of the Earth. 2. The sun is so big that, in fact, over one million Earths

could fit inside it. 3. The temperature on the sun’s bright outer layer (which we see from

Earth) is eleven thousand degrees Fahrenheit. But that pales in comparison to its core

temperature of twenty-seven million degrees Fahrenheit. 4. Temperatures that high

would incinerate us if Earth were significantly closer to the sun. But if Earth were

positioned too far from the sun, we’d freeze to death.

The sun averages, however, a safe distance of 92,980,000 miles from the Earth. The word

average is used, because the Earth’s orbit around the sun is not a true circle. Depending

upon the time of year, the Earth’s distance from the sun varies by 3.1 million miles. 5. In

early January, the sun is 3 million miles closer to the Earth than it is in early July. 6. For

this reason, it takes 8 minutes 10.7 seconds for light to reach Earth in early January, and

8 minutes 27.4 seconds in early July. 7.

No matter how near or how far the sun, though, its light travels at the same speed.

Sunlight, or any kind of light for that matter, travels at 186,282 miles per second. Light

travels slower through water, glass, and other transparent materials because it stops

when it encounters atoms and then starts up again. But between atoms, it resumes it

normal speed. 8.

And sunlight’s speed, like the sun’s distance from Earth, gives us evidence of an

intelligent Designer. If light traveled faster, the sun and the other stars would be too

bright. But if light traveled slower, the sun and stars wouldn’t be bright enough to produce

the right elements to maintain life. 9.

The unimpeded speed of light, then, is constant. It is not changed by the speed of its

source or the speed of the person measuring it. The light coming from a rapidly moving

flashlight, for example, travels at the same speed as the light from a stationary flashlight

– and that light would come to you at the same speed whether you were running or

standing still. 10.

In 1905, Einstein explained that light flows in minute packets of energy called photons.

Photons are so small that a 100-watt bulb gives off about 200 million trillion photons a

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

second. 11. Every second, about 3,000 trillion photons of light from the sun fall on every

pinhead-sized area of Earth. 12. The Earth only intercepts, though, about one-half of one-

billionth of the photons emitted from the sun – the correct amount for our needs. 13.

All the qualities of light are constant, and light is certainly one of God's greatest creations.

The things in the universe that remain constant give us a hint of what the Bible means

when it refers to God as eternal – above and outside of time and space, the one who has

always existed and who will never go out of existence.

Because light is constant – penetrating and consuming darkness, but never absorbed by

darkness 14 – it can remind us that God has made us with everlasting souls – that death

is not the end of you. The Lord invites you to spend a wonderful eternity with Him.

DOES IT MATTER?

Robbie hobbled into the kitchen to find something to drink. Looking down at the cast on

his right leg, he winced in pain as he swung on his crutches. He returned to the table and

tried to concentrate on studying for his physics test.

But questions kept racing through his mind. Why had he accepted Jack’s invitation to go

roller skating? Why had two hotshot seventh graders decided to race across the floor

when the rink manager wasn’t looking? Why hadn’t God kept one of those boys from

crashing into him? How come his leg got broken just before baseball season? Why did it

have to be a compound fracture that required surgery? He had many more questions –

but no answers.

When he was a junior, Robbie was considered the top pitcher in the league. His school,

North High, was favored to take the city championship, and Robbie had hoped the coming

season’s rivalry would attract college baseball scouts. Robbie had dreamed about a

scout’s taking an interest in him and offering him a scholarship.

But now all his plans were shattered. This accident put his entire life on hold, and he

wondered if he’d heal enough to handle even his lifeguard job at the pool this summer.

And as for baseball, Robbie was too afraid of the doctor’s answer to ask, ‘Will I fully

recover and be able to play as well as I did before the accident?”

VITAL INFORMATION

You will live forever – either in the light and never-ending joy of heaven or in the darkness

and horror of hell. Jesus, Himself, made this statement when He was discussing the fate

of the ungodly: “They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life”

(Matthew 25: 46).

Peter tells us more specifics about the wonderful hope for those who have trusted Jesus:

“(They have) an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you”

(1 Peter 1: 4). For this reason, you need to keep things in perspective. You're going to live

forever, so the slice of life you're experiencing right now is only a tiny part of the big

picture – it’s like one photon of light compared with all the sunshine ever produced.

IF HE TURNS TO GOD, ROBBIE MIGHT HAVE AN OUTCOME LIKE THIS …

It was the last half of the ninth in North High’s first away game against mediocre team.

A three-run homer in the seventh had given North High a 9-6 lead. But bases were loaded

in the last of the ninth, and Dereck pitched four straight balls! Frustration overwhelmed

Robbie. He felt like hobbling out on his crutches and throwing the ball over the plate. The

next batter hit a triple and the game was over.

As Robbie slowly made his way to Jim’s car, it seemed like a dozen people told him, “If

you'd been pitching, we would have won.” That only made Robbie feel more depressed.

Kara was the only one that made a different comment. “Robbie, now that you have more

time, why don’t you come to our Bible study?” she asked. “We’ll stop by your house at

six-fifteen on Tuesday night.”

Caught by surprise, Robbie heard himself answer, “Okay.”

Kara was very active at school and was the president of North High’s Bible club. Robbie

attended the same church as Kara, and he’d prayed to receive Christ as a child. But he

was a chameleon Christian, changing his colors as necessary to fit in at church or at

school. He didn’t like being seen with the Bible club kids at school because it might affect

his popularity. But since the Bible study met at Matt’s house, it seemed safe enough.

On Tuesday evening, six kids took their seats around Matt’s dining room table, and

opened their Bibles and study guides. Robbie prepared to be bored. When it was his turn

to read, however, the verse was James 4: 14, “You do not even know what will happen

tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then

vanishes.”

“If our whole lives are only like a vapor that quickly disappears,” commented Carmen,

“we’re really wasting our time worrying about things that will soon be over.”

“We should look at everything with eternity in mind,” said Matt. “There’s right-now stuff

and forever stuff. If I invest my time in winning and discipling others for Christ, my work

lasts beyond this life.”

Kara added, “It’s all too easy to think that the next test or the next game or getting into

the right college is the most important thing in the world. I was way too disappointed

when I didn’t get the scholarship I wanted. I have to shop thinking in terms of what I want

right now. Instead, I need to recognize that God has an eternal plan. Maybe my going to

community college will give me a better chance to serve Him.”

Robbie realized that he’d been living as if this life were all there is. That’s why he

worshiped popularity and thought that missing one baseball season was the ultimate

tragedy. It occurred to him that if he didn’t look at things from the perspective of eternity,

he’d be bummed out most of the time.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

He’d felt that the Lord was unfair in allowing him to break his leg. But now he understood

that God was eternal. From God's better vantage point Robbie knew that his time on

crutches would enable him to learn a lesson that would help him all his life.

In his heart Robbie told God that he was sorry for being so self-centered and for

concentrating on things that, in a hundred years – in maybe just six months – wouldn’t

matter. He rededicated his left to his Creator. From now on, he’d plug into God's eternal

enterprises instead of putting primary importance on things that last for only a short

time.

Physical light allows physical sight. But God is our source of spiritual light, and for this

reason Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) He is the one who gives us

the ability to see things from an eternal perspective.

Depending totally upon Jesus to do His will in our lives sparks us with energy, fills us

with His love, and provides us with security. Like physical light, Jesus – the Light of the

World – comforts us. But darkness is depressing. Life without intimacy with God is lived

in a twilight zone where darkness keeps closing in. Join Robbie in coming out into God's

light.

ACTION STEPS FOR BREAKING FREE FROM “EARTHBOUNDNESS”

1. List all your worries and all your priorities. Cross out those that will not matter

one hundred years from now.

2. Ask God to show you which temporal activities indirectly enable you do things

that will count for eternity. List those things. (Example: Studying enables you to

learn things that will improve your ability to witness to certain people. It helps you

be a good example of a Christian to your teachers and fellow students. It may help

you to get a better job, which will enable you to devote more financial resources

for Christian work.)

3. What kinds of eternal investments an you make in the people around you? Be

specific.

4. Decide to do one thing this week that could make an eternal difference.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and

where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where

moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

-

Matthew 6: 19-20

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now

hidden with Christ in God.

-

Colossians 3: 2-3

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

The skin is the largest organ in the body. Weighing eight or nine pounds, the skin covers

a surface area of over two square yards, every square inch of which serves a purpose.

First, our skin holds us together. Our bodies are 60 percent water, and without our skin

keeping all that liquid inside, we’d turn into puddles!

The skin also lets some water out – in the form of sweat. Perspiration is the body’s

natural cooling system, protecting us from dangerous overheating. 1. So if you're active

on a really hot day, it is possible to lose as much as two gallons of water in perspiration.

2. If we didn’t sweat, our internal body-temperatures would rise, and an increase of just

seven or eight degrees would kill us. 3.

The skin also is the first line of defense against would-be invaders like liquids, bacteria,

and yeast. The skin draws from a variety of chemicals, electronegative charges, and

groups of defending cells in order to counterattack the invaders. If someone hits you or

you crash into something, the effects of the blow are spread across thousands of skin

cells. Those cells spring back like a trampoline, absorbing the impact and shielding

internal organs. 4.

We feel pain from that impact because our skin comes equipped with nerve receptors,

and the most sensitive areas of our bodies have thousands of them per square inch. The

pain these receptors communicate causes us to remove our hand from the hot stove and

makes us hesitant to walk barefoot over sharp pebbles. 5. Most of us probably take our

sense of touch for granted, but life would be very difficult without it.

“Scientists disagree on how touch works, but those seemingly useless hairs blanketing

out bodies act as levers to magnify the sensation of touch. We can discern one-

thousandth of an ounce of pressure on the tip of a half-inch hair.” 6. Our sense of touch

enables us to detect cracks in a smooth surface. A normal hand can, in fact, discern a

line etched in glass only 1/2500 of an inch deep.

Our sense of touch also makes life more pleasurable. Think about how good it feels to

receive a hug, snuggle a kitten, or caress a rose petal. We feel less pleasant objects too,

like earthworms. And the ridges in our skin, which are different for each person, give us

the traction we need for picking up slippery objects like that worm. 7.

In addition to the practical and life preserving functions, the skin constantly renews itself.

Billions of skin cells slough off every day and are immediately replaced by new ones. Our

epidermis (the outer layer of skin cells) is replaced every couple of weeks, which is why

a suntan fades. Over a lifetime a person will shed forty pounds of dead skin!

As we grow older, though, our skin’s composition changes, losing much of its elasticity,

causing lines and wrinkles. It’s been estimated that it takes 200,00 frowns to make a

permanent line. So smiling might enhance our looks more than skin creams do!

God created our skin to have a lot of important functions, but skin color is apparently not

a major consideration. Less than one-hundredth of 1 percent of our genetic structure is

coded for differences in skin color. 8.

Rather, skin is important because without it, your body, which contains the “real you,”

wouldn’t hold together. And our skin resembles God's Word – both form a boundary. Just

as the “real you” needs a body that requires skin to form its boundaries, true spirituality

– a genuine relationship with our Creator – can exist only with the boundaries of God's

Word.

In the pages of the Bible, God has given us His very own words – the truth about life,

death, reality, eternity, love, and God Himself. Still, people often go through a lot of

confusion and trouble trying to “find their own truth” in a religion with which they feel

most comfortable.

Terrorists and others who kill innocent people in the name of God – or Allah – think they

have the truth. Some claim that their visions, or those of a prophet or guru, hold the truth.

There are those who say that spirit guides just informed them of the truth. What, then, is

right?

Maybe you’ve wished for “spiritual skin” when it comes to a developing relationship with

God – something to keep the good stuff in and protect against what is harmful. You'd

like that relationship to be based on the real Truth wouldn’t you? Look, then, into God's

own Word – the Bible.

DOES IT MATTER?

Trent was Mr. Personality Plus. At ease with people, he enjoyed conversation with just

about everybody. Popular and well-liked, Trent was usually the center of attention.

People laughed at his jokes and listened to his stories. He could talk his way into and out

of almost anything.

But his charming personality led him into temptation. He grew accustomed to

exaggerating, making his life sound more exciting than it was. In order to win first place

in the school walk-a-thon, he invented a line that strayed far from the facts. And he’d

become quite accomplished at lying to get out of trouble.

All this happened so gradually that he hardly realized it. Yet he considered himself a good

Christian and was elected president of his youth group.

When Brandee transferred to their school, Trent – and everyone else – took notice. A

strikingly beautiful, natural blond, Brandee was friendly, funny, intelligent, musically

talented, and athletic. And she didn’t hide her interest in Trent. She showed up at his

youth group and even gave a testimony.

Trent invited Brandee to the citywide spring banquet for Christian teens. They really hit it

off and had a great time. At school, she eating with Trent and the other Christian kids.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

He began to notice, though, some inconsistencies in her statements. She mentioned

having been on the ski team as a sophomore. But, a week later she told them she had

completed her first two years of high school in Dallas, Texas, a city not known for its

snow cover.

Other things nagged at him too. When Trent wanted to meet Brandee’s parents, she said

that her mother was I'll and needed to recuperate quietly at home. And one day she told

Trent she was going to eat lunch with Wynona so she could invite her to the youth rally.

When Trent passed their table, he overheard Brandee telling an X-rated joke.

Too many things weren’t adding up. Could Trent really believe what Brandee told him?

That afternoon, he stopped by Brandee’s house when he knew she would still be at play

practice. A little girl about three years old came to the door. She looked exactly like

Brandee. “My mommy’s at school,” she told Trent, “but I'll get my grandma.” Trent just

stood there, too stunned to move.

VITAL INFORMATION

You can't separate a person from the things that he or she says. Your words are part of

you, revealing more about your character than you can ever imagine.

In the same way, God's Word shows what He is really like. He demonstrates that He is

faithful by giving lots of specific prophecies in the Bible about people groups, empires,

cities, and Jesus Christ – prophecies that have been fulfilled in every detail. This gives

us confidence to believe that those prophecies that haven’t happened yet will eventually

come to pass. God always keeps His Word.

God has given to us in the Bible many descriptions of Himself. It is dangerous to believe

the imagination of another person rather than God's own definition of Himself.

IF TRENT DECIDES TO BE SENSITIVE TO GOD’S LEADING, THE NEXT CHAPTER OF HIS

LIFE MIGHT READ LIKE THIS…

Once Trent recovered from the shock of Brandee’s lying, he was furious. How could

anyone be so deceitful? He would call her later – when he knew she’d be home – give

her a piece of his mind, and avoid her for the rest of the year.

That evening, though, as he went hopped on the phone to call Brandee, it rang. His youth

group pastor, Jeff, was on the line, asking if he could drop by to discuss an urgent matter.

Because the church was close to Trent’s house, and Pastor Jeff would be there soon,

Trent decided to call Brandee later.

When Pastor Jeff arrived, he suggested they walk across the street to the park. “Trent,”

Pastor Jeff began, “it’s about the report you gave to the congregation at the service a

couple of weeks ago – the one on the youth outreach trip to Grand Falls. The service was

taped that evening, and I sent a copy to Pastor Bob in Grand Falls. He said that your

report was grossly exaggerated. He also checked the facts with the boys from his group

who went witnessing with you. He found out that you invented most of the action.

Lindsay and Jenny have confirmed what Pastor Bob said.”

For once, Trent was speechless. Looking Trent in the eye, Pastor Jeff continued. “Please

understand that lying is very serious. We can't expect God to bless us if we become

hypocrites, if we try to receive credit by stretching the truth. I am going to have to remove

you as president of the youth group. I need a president that I can trust.”

To his credit, Trent made no excuses. His memory convicted Him of exaggeration and

lying: The line he’d used to sell the walk-a-thon miles – what he had said that wasn’t

exactly true. His account of taking the wrong ski trail and being lost for an hour – that

had tuned into a story about a near-death experience. And his fable about helping a

homeless man – that convinced his parents not to punish him for breaking curfew.

With tears in his eyes, Trent prayed with Pastor Jeff, asking for God's forgiveness. He

promised he would apologize to the youth group the following Sunday – and he did.

Soon after, instead of angrily accusing Brandee, he enlisted a couple of compassionate

Christian girls from school to try to help her. They went with him when he kindly told

Brandee about the inconsistencies he’d noticed. The girls assured her that everyone

wanted to keep eating lunch with her at school, and wanted her to attend their youth

group.

He also confessed his own fudging on the truth, ending with, “I'm also a recovering

‘master of deception,’ so I can understand how you got off track.”

Trent paused and swallowed hard. “Brandee … I won't be asking you out. Both of us need

to learn how to tell the truth before we become involved in any dating.”

If Trent and Brandee had continued a relationship based upon deception, the end would

have been a disaster. To be comfortable in his own skin, Trent, or anyone, needs honest

peer friendships as well as a relationship with God that is based upon truth – minus

hypocrisy.

Jesus said, “I am … the truth” (John 14: 6) – and truth matters a whole lot. Any supposed

friendship with God that is rooted in misinformation or wrong assumptions will end in

disillusionment. So it is essential that your concept of God is based on the truth of

Scripture. You need to love, worship, and serve a God who is really there. If you believe in

a made-up god, your spiritual experience will be as pathetic as a dysfunctional, skinless

body.

ACTION STEPS TO LETTING GOD’S TRUTH GUIDE YOUR LIFE

1. Check out God's definition of the following concepts: -love (1 Corinthians 13: 4-

7) –sin (1 John 3: 4-6, 9-10) – forgiveness (1 John 1: 7-10) – doing the right thing

(John 6: 28-29, 1 John 5: 3) – salvation (Romans 3: 22-24, 10: 9-10).

2. Compare all spiritual experiences with the truth of God's Word.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

3. Find out what God says about the end of the world by checking out the following:

- Matthew 24 and 25 – Revelation 20: 11 – 22: 21. Don’t just swallow anything

that you hear.

4. Instead of inventing your own religion, agree with what God says in the Bible.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you….

The unfolding of your words gives light;

it gives understanding to the simple.

-

Psalms 119: 11, 130

Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that

comes from the mouth of God.

-

Matthew 4: 4

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass

away.

-

Matthew 24: 35

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

On a clear night you can see a candle flame from thirty miles away 1.

The human eye is amazing. Here is how it works: Light first encounters the cornea, the

transparent outer coating on the eyeball and the primary focusing structure. Light then

passes through the iris, which controls the amount of light allowed to enter the eye. The

iris is the area surrounding the pupil and gives your eye its coloring. 2. Amazingly, the iris

has 266 identifiable DNA-controlled characteristics, more than any other physical body

structure. (By comparison, a fingerprint has only about thirty-five measurable traits, so

using an iris scanner for identification purposes provides more individual-specific

information than fingerprinting.) 3.

Light next moves from the iris to the lens for fine-tuned focusing.

Finally, light reaches the retina, a thin lining in the back of the eye where the image

received is converted into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. On the

retina are 120 million rods and 7 million cones. Rods give you dim vision, night vision,

and peripheral vision, while cones allow you to distinguish millions of shades of color

and fine details.

Each eye has one million nerve fibers that electronically connect the photoreceptors in

the retina to the visual cortex of the brain (which comprises only 1 percent of the total

brain cortex.) In this way the image is reconstructed so we “see” it. 4.

John K. Stevens, a biomedical engineer, compares the operation of optical nerve cells to

the capabilities of a computer. Because it involves solving hundreds of difficult

equations, the Cray supercomputer would need several minutes to do the work that a

single nerve cell in the retina completes in ten milliseconds. Because ten million or more

nerve cells in the retina interact in complex ways, the Cray supercomputer would need

one hundred years to simulate what takes place in your eye many times every second. 5.

Even with almost no light, the eye adjusts, presenting a panorama of black and white and

shades of gray, permitting you to “see” in the dark. The eye can also adapt to the sudden

intrusion of a bright light. The brightest light the human eye can perceive, in fact, is one

billion times brighter than the dimmest. 6.

And you never have to wash your eyes. Tears, which are sterile and contain bacteria-

destroying enzymes, do the job for you. 7. By blinking your eyes, you lubricate them. On

average, we blink automatically every two to ten seconds – over 400 million times during

our lives. 8. If eyelid reflexes are lost, as occurs in persons with Hansen’s disease

(leprosy), the cornea will dry out, resulting in blindness. 9.

So whenever you watch TV, look at the stars, or read a book, you are experiencing a

miracle – thanks to God's design for the eye.

The Bible asks an interesting question: “Does he who formed the eye not see?” (Psalms

94: 9). A New Testament passage expands on that thought: “Nothing in all creation is

hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to

whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4: 13). God sees and knows everything, and we

cannot escape from the range of His vision. Whether this is good news or bad news

depends upon you.

DOES IT MATTER?

Tiffany finished styling her hair and took an extra look at herself in the full-length mirror.

She was satisfied – her new outfit would give her a few Monday morning compliments.

Now that she’d finally been elected to student council and broken into the popular clique

at school, she wanted to dress the part.

As she entered the building, Bob, the student council president, whistled at her. Marilee,

a homecoming queen candidate, told her how nice she looked. Her day was off to a great

start!

At lunchtime, she took her tray to the table where the popular senior girls sat. Two seats

were available at the end. Looking across the room, she saw Alicia, a new girl that she’d

met at church the day before. Tiffany gasped as she realized that Alicia was heading

toward the empty seat next to her. Alicia wouldn’t fit in with Tiffany’s popular friends.

Besides, Alicia wore a “What Would Jesus Do?” bracelet – and Tiffany knew these popular

girls thought that was very uncool. She was afraid that Alicia might start talking about

church and blow her double life – “Tiffany, the super-Christian” on Sundays; Tiffany the

worldly-wise, who the rest of the week, went along with the crowd at school.

As Alicia approached, Tiffany snipped, “Sorry, this place is already taken.” That was a lie,

and Tiffany noticed that all during lunch, Alicia kept glancing at the empty chair.

During sixth hour, an office messenger brought Tiffany a note; “Please stop in the

counselor’s office after school.” Wondering what was up, she headed for Mr. Baker’s

office after her last class. There was Alicia!

“Come in,” Mr. Baker motioned to Tiffany. “As a member of the student council hospitality

committee, it is your turn to welcome a new student. This is Alicia Martinez, who just

moved here from Los Angeles. I want you to give her a tour of the school and help her

meet new friends.” Tears welled up in Alicia’s eyes.

It shouldn’t come as a shock when your sins come to light. It is easy to forget that God

sees your every move and that His x-ray vision penetrates even your thought life.

Consider that “from heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind” (Psalms 33: 13).

If you assume that darkness will cover a nightlife that is displeasing to God, think again.

Sin’s consequences will come back to haunt you. If you compromise your principles to

fit into non-Christian environments, sooner or later your behavior will come to light.

You'll also miss out on God's comfort, love, and care when you presume that God is far

away and uninterested in the details of your life. God understands when your best

intentions end in failure, and He is there, ready to encourage you when others make snide

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

remarks or tell lies about you. He wants to clarify your doubts, eradicate your fears, and

heal your broken heart. No place is outside the range of His vision.

THIS IS HOW TIFFANY’S LIFE COULD CHANGE IF SHE LISTENS TO GOD

The words of a verse Tiffany had learned in Sunday school flashed across her mind: “Do

not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position” (Romans 12: 16).

Suddenly, she realized the ugliness of her arrogance and self-centeredness. Convicted

of her sin, she breathed a silent prayer: Lord, I'm really sorry. I've gone far from You.

Please forgive me.

A phone call distracted Mr. Baker from the awkward silence and the drama being played

out in his office. Tiffany touched Alicia on the shoulder. “I owe you a big apology, Alicia,”

she said softly. That seat next to me at lunch wasn’t taken,” she confessed. “I lied

because … I was there with all the popular girls and … didn’t want to be bothered.”

Alicia silently nodded.

“Come with me … please… and I will try to make it up to you.” As they walked down the

hall, Tiffany continued, “I can see that popularity was getting too important to me. I guess

you could say I’d begun to worship it. I’ve not only hurt your feelings, but I lied to you…

all because I didn’t want the girls in my clique to know I was a Christian. Will you forgive

me?”

Alicia smiled through her tears. “Yes, I forgive you.”

“I think that God used you to show me what I’ve become. I wish I were brave like you,

wearing a ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ bracelet… to a new school… on the first day. You don’t

seem to be afraid to let people know you're a Christian.”

“Our school in L.A. was really tough,” Alicia said. “Either you did a lot of bad things to fit

in, or you had to suffer the consequences. My Christian friends and I made a decision –

we’d let God use us to make the school different. We got a lot of teasing and even threats

from gangs … but we got used to it.”

Tiffany promised Alicia that they would eat lunch together the next day. On Tuesday

Tiffany introduced Alicia to her friends around the lunch table, but they all gave Alicia the

cold shoulder.

After school, Marilee told Tiffany, “Alicia can't sit at our lunch table. She’s only a junior.”

That night Tiffany had to decide between Alicia and the popular clique. She cried and

cried, but finally prayed, Lord, I surrender my popularity to You. I’ll do the right thing – no

matter the price.

When Tiffany’s friends realized that she’d chosen to eat with Alicia instead of them, they

all stopped talking to her. But Tiffany soon found that Alicia was an awesome friend.

Besides being thoughtful, kind, and unselfish, Alicia was transparent. And her close walk

with God challenged Tiffany. Because both of her parents worked, Alicia always had to

go straight home to watch her younger sisters and little brother, plus make dinner for the

family. They lived in a small two-bedroom apartment, and Alicia had to give her parents

the money she earned working Saturdays at her uncle’s restaurant. Yet Alicia never

complained. She had a great sense of humor and a zest for life that was contagious.

When Tiffany’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, Alicia was there for her. She

even took a city bus at night to come over and pray with Tiffany and her mom. Alicia’s

understanding and strong faith inspired Tiffany.

One day Jamie from the popular clique sat down to eat with Tiffany and Alicia. Tiffany

was surprised, but said nothing. As they ate, Jamie made small talk, gradually revealing

the truth – Marilee had ostracized her from the group because Ben, the guy Marilee liked,

had walked Jamie home. Tiffany breathed a silent prayer to God: “Thank you for rescuing

me from such fickle ‘friends.’”

The human eye is a miracle, but the Lord sees even more. The God who made the human

eye sees everything. When Tiffany was running from God's will for her, she didn’t like to

reflect on that fact – and neither will you if you’ve got something to hide.

But if we genuinely want to follow Jesus – remembering that He is always present – we

will be comforted, knowing that God is always watching, anxious to help us from going

in the wrong direction. He is always there to correct us when we mess up, to encourage

us when we’re down, to answer our prayers when we’re in trouble, to love us on yucky

days, to forgive us when we fail, and to understand the desires of our hearts.

ACTION STEPS FOR LIVING WITH THE REALITY THAT GOD SEES EVERYTHING

1. Imagine God taking videos of all your actions, words, and thoughts. Then thank

Him for His forgiveness, and determine to live in such a way as to receive rewards

in heaven.

2. Remember that God is always right there to deliver you from temptation. Think of

your greatest temptations and believed that Jesus is literally by your side as you

face them.

3. Jesus will take your hand when you are discouraged, confused, afraid, or upset.

4. Enjoy His presence by sitting in stillness before Him.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

WORDS TO LIVE BY

The Lord is in his holy temple;

the Lord is on his heavenly throne.

He observes the sons of men;

his eyes examine them.

-

Psalms 11:4

From his dwelling place he watches

all who live on earth –

He who forms the hearts of all,

who considers everything they do.

-

Psalms 33: 14-15

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

-

Hebrews 13:5

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

The universe appears to contain a lot of nothing. But appearances can be deceiving.

Space is actually made up of about 72 percent hydrogen, 25 percent helium, and every

percent heavier elements. 1.

Still, if you were to explore space in some sort of craft, your first impression would be

how empty space is. An astronomer has estimated that space contains one atom for

every eighty-eight gallons of space. 2.

In your space travels, you would occasionally see a comet, which is “a loose collection

of ice, rocks, and gravel surrounded by a cloud-like mass of very fine dust and gases that

is sometimes blown backwards to form a glowing tail.” 3. You’d also see some “space

rocks” called asteroids and meteoroids. Finding a planet, though, would be difficult,

because they are so rare.

While tooling around in your craft, you’d be wise to avoid black holes, because they can

suck you right in. Black holes are collapsed remains of giant stars and are so dense that

not even light can escape their awesome gravitational pull. 4. If a two-pound telephone

directory were brought within twenty feet of a black hole, it would weigh more than one

trillion tons. 5.

Your second impression would be how devoid of life space is. You wouldn’t want to land

on any of your solar system’s neighboring planets. Mercury’s temperature ranges from

800 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit. 6 If you visited Venus without

adequate protection, you would suffocate while you were being crushed and fried. That’s

because there is nothing to breathe except carbon dioxide, the air pressure is nearly 100

times that of Earth, and the temperature is 900 degrees Fahrenheit. 7. The atmosphere

on Mars isn’t thick enough to sustain life, 8. and one of Jupiter’s pleasant ten-hour days

features 1,000-mile-per-hour winds. 9.

None of the eight other planets in our solar system is capable of supporting life, but with

a high-powered telescope and by making an extensive search, you might locate some

“evidence of life” on these planets. But it wouldn’t mean that life originated there. It could

have been transported there from the Earth, most likely when a meteorite struck our

planet.

Meteorites large enough to make a crater greater than 60 miles across will cause Earth

rocks (some of which may contain fossil remains) to escape Earth’s gravity. Out of 1,000

such rocks ejected, on average 291 will strike Venus, 20 will go on to Mercury, 17 will hit

Mars, 14 will make it to Jupiter, and one will go all the way to Saturn.” 10.

Certain kinds of life forms – one-celled algae – have been found floating at altitudes

ranging from 30,000 to 130,000 feet above the Earth. The sun’s radiation exerts a

pressure capable of carrying tiny life forms through our solar system, and there is enough

graphite in space to protect them from harmful rays.

Some microorganisms can be kept at about minus 200 degrees centigrade for about six

months without losing their ability to germinate. 11. So if you were to come across a

once-living organism in our solar system, it is safe to assume that it originated on Earth.

Another impression you’d get on your space voyage is the vastness of space. Our galaxy

alone, the Milky Way, contains over 200 billion stars – more recent estimates say 800

billion. 12. And it is estimated that there are more than one trillion galaxies. 13.

Stars are more than globs of hot gas. They make life possible. Large stars produce most

life-essential elements in their thermonuclear furnaces. 14. Yet with approximately 70

sextillion stars (70,000 million million million, or seven with twenty-two zeros) – about

ten times as many stars as there are grains of sand on all the world’s beaches 15. – no

known planet, other than Earth, even comes close to having the ability to support life.

So after your time in space, you’d be very glad to return to Earth, the only place in the

universe where you'd be able to live.

It’s amazing that God used the 110 elements 16. – things like iron, oxygen, hydrogen,

helium – to create the entire universe – more than one trillion galaxies. He used those

same elements to create giant blue whales, tiny goldfish, towering giraffes, chattering

squirrels, stately palm trees, delicate orchids, geniuses like Einstein, and sweet little

babies.

How could anyone but a divine Designer turn out such variety by using the same basic

components? It should be obvious that Somebody outside the universe – Someone

transcendent and made of different stuff than the 110 elements – created the heavens

as well as human beings with their intelligence, creativity, talents, and diverse

personalities.

DOES IT MATTER?

Mandy was furious. How could her parents be so old-fashioned?

She’d received an invitation to Kyle’s “coming out of the closet” party, but her mom and

dad told her that she couldn’t go. Kyle lived next door, and Mandy had known him since

she was five and he was eight. How could she not attend his party?

Her parents had always been kind to Kyle and included him in many of their family

activities. Her dad often took him golfing with her brothers. “We can love Kyle,” her father

had explained, “without approving of everything that he does. Someone has to take a

stand in order to show him he is taking a wrong turn. I’ll talk to him myself so you won't

have to explain why you're not going to his party.”

Mandy had to admit that she had loving and understanding parents, but why were they

so judgmental and far behind the times?

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

VITAL INFORMATION

The Bible describes the Creator of the universe as “the Lord God Almighty, who was, and

is, and is to come” (Revelation 4: 8).

And that constancy of God is reflected in nature. Gravity and momentum keep moons

and planets in orbit; the sun, which rises so predictably each morning, is the same sun

that Adam and Eve admired in the Garden of Eden; for centuries, people in different parts

of the world have been able to count on breathable air – all sustained by our Creator.

What would happen if God – with His total power – suffered from mood swings or

repeatedly reversed His decisions? We can be thankful, though, that God is

“unchangeable in His inner being, His attributes, His purposes, His motives of action and

His promises.” 17.

That does not mean that God doesn’t allow us real freedom in our choices, nor does it

imply that we can know ahead of time how God will respond in a given situation or to a

particular request.

But because of human decision-making, as well as God's responses to our prayers, stay

within prescribed boundaries, we can have the security of the psalmist: “But you remain

the same, and your years will never end” (Psalms 102: 27). Although people’s attitudes

about right and wrong change with time and cultural influences, we can know that God

will never change His mind about what is right and wrong, and we can exclaim with David,

“Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalms 119: 89).

IF MANDY REALIZES WHO GOD REALLY IS, HER ATTITUDE COULD CHANGE

Mandy stayed home from Kyle’s party because she had no other choice. But she resented

her parents’ trying to push their values on others. Then Mandy heard them express their

disapproval of her cousin Jolene’s morals.

Mandy faced her parents squarely. “That may be your truth, but it is not mine. If Jolene

wants to move in with her boyfriend for this year at college, that is her decision. I’m sure

she won't appreciate a lecture from her aunt and uncle.”

“What’s your definition of God?” her father asked abruptly.

“What does that have to do with this discussion?” countered Mandy.

“A lot more than you realize,” said her father. “Who makes up the rules we should live by?

Is it God, who always remains the same? Or is it popular opinion, which changes every

decade?”

Mandy said nothing, but her expression remained adamant.

“Is God our Creator,” her father continued, “and are we designed so that if we live

according to His plan we’ll be better off? Or did things spontaneously appear by chance

so that what we do makes no difference?”

“Does God know everything, which means that His wisdom stands forever? Or does the

latest survey or scientific investigation determine truth?”

Mandy decided not to argue with her father. It never did any good. But she thought that

the teachers in her public school knew a lot more than her parents did, and her teachers

talked bout morals changing with the times.

The school year passed slowly and Mandy welcomed spring. One Friday afternoon in

May, she came home to find Jolene crying in her mother’s arms.

“Why didn’t I listen to you?” Jolene sobbed. “Why was I so blind?”

Jolene was pregnant, in spite of her using a contraceptive. The guy she thought she loved

so much had moved in with another girl.

And the weekend had just begun. On Saturday Kyle – pale and visibly upset – stopped

by the house.

“What’s wrong?” asked Mandy’s mother.

“It is Rand,” Kyle said. “He’s my current partner and … he’s been diagnosed with AIDs. I'm

afraid to get tested. When I first came out, you wanted me to … try a different path … and

I was rude to you. But at least you showed you cared about me and … I know it’s not fair

for me to come to you now for help. But you're the only people I can trust.”

Mandy’s father put an arm around Kyle and said, “We’ll do what we can to help you.”

Mandy’s father talked to Kyle about places to find assistance, and he also talked to him

about new life in Christ.

That evening, Mandy tried to study for a big chemistry test, but she couldn’t concentrate.

She realized that she was wrong and that her parents were right. A God who knows

everything and never changes gave the commandments to protect the people whom He

had created.

She shuddered, realizing the price she could have paid. She had believed all the lies –

that right changes, that the Bible was an outdated book, and that in modern times right

might be different from what the Bible said was right in the past. Silently, she prayed,

Lord, forgive me for doubting your Word.

Acknowledging the precision, power, and creativity of the Intelligence behind the stars

will introduce you to the God who never changes or goes out of existence. He cared

enough to make a hospitable planet for you to call home, and He made rules that are

applicable in every century to ensure for you the best possible life.

Instead of calling your own shots, take your cues from the Director of the universe. He’s

looking out for your best interests.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

ACTION STEPS FOR CELEBRATING THE GOD WHO IS ALWAYS THE SAME

1. Marvel at these facts: A. The sun always comes up on time. B. Spring always

arrives. C. The Earth rotates on its axis at precisely the correct angle. D. The stars

always appear at night. E. You share these phenomena with Abraham, Alexander

the Great, the apostle Paul, Christopher Columbus, and George Washington.

2. Some people think that Christianity is based on myth, and that all myths are

equally valid. Imagine, though, what it would be like to worship a pantheon of

Greek gods and goddesses. They pick favorites, have temper tantrums, punish for

no reason, and use humans as pawns in their fights with other gods. Then thank

God that He is always the same.

3. Read through the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20: 1-17. Add or subtract the

word “not” to make each command say the opposite of what is written – for

example, “You will kill”; “You will not honor your parents”; “You will not worship

the Lord your God,” and so forth. Think of what kind of society such rules would

produce. Thank God for His rules.

4. If there is one of God's command you’d rather not obey, think about your roller

coaster emotions, uneven moods, and the frequency with which you change your

mind. Compare that fickleness to God's constancy and faithfulness. Then ask

yourself the question: “Who am I to talk back to God?”

WORDS TO LIVE BY

I will declare that your love stands firm forever;

that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

-

Psalms 89: 2

Your word, O Lord, is eternal;

it stands firm in the heavens.

Your faithfulness continues through all generations;

you established the earth, and it endures.

-

Psalms 119: 89-90

I the Lord do not change.

-

Malachi 3: 6

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Nature abounds with examples of interdependence among living things.

Your energy to play football, or study for an English test, or to hang out with your friends

is dependent upon microorganisms that live in your intestines! These “good bacteria”

break down molecules you couldn’t otherwise digest. And in return, the bacteria get a

nice warm home and a constant supply of food. 1.

Flowers and insects are another example of interdependent relationships. Flowers give

insects nectar and insects help flowers to reproduce by spreading pollen. A honeybee

travels an estimated 43,000 miles to produce just one pound of honey – so in the process

spreads around a lot of pollen. 2.

When a hummingbird pushes its long bill inside a flower to extract nectar with its tube-

like tongue, the top of its head is dusted with pollen. The bird then carries it to another

flower. 3. It takes 1,600 blossoms to provide a hummingbird with its daily nectar, 4. so,

it, too, scatters a lot of pollen.

In the case of the Venus flytrap, the insect/flower interdependence takes a weird twist.

The flower eats the insects. Once the flower’s trap is sprung, it gradually pinches

together, squeezing the victim against its digestive glands located on the surface of its

leaves. 5. Doesn’t that sound yummy?

Some ants in Central America live in nests that they hollow out in the pulp of the acacia

tree. The ants eat the protein-rich nodules that grow at the tips of the leaves, and the tree

thrives because the ants drive away all other predators. 6.

People and animals have an interdependent relationship with plants. The process of

photosynthesis – by which plants use sunlight to produce carbohydrates from carbon

dioxide and water – gives off oxygen for us to breathe. The carbon dioxide we exhale is

used by plants. 7. Without plants, what would we eat? And what would the cows eat, and

what would we, in turn, use to make hamburgers?

Other more fascinating examples of interdependence involve sea creatures. Large

predatory fish swim the oceans, feeding on smaller fish and shrimp. Because the

predator fish don’t have toothbrushes, they need to deal with food residue and parasites

in their mouths. No problem. They literally get in line at the nearest cleaning station,

usually run by small bright-colored fish and certain shrimp. The giant fish open their

mouths, exposing their vicious teeth, and the little cleaner fish swim right in to pick off

all the parasites. When the job is done, the big fish lets them back out again – then swims

away to find other little fish and shrimp to eat. 8.

Even more amazing is a bird called the Egyptian plover. It walks right into the open mouth

of a Nile crocodile, cleans the croc’s mouth, and afterwards comes out unharmed. 9.

It is hard to believe that time, chance, and the struggle for survival led to these

interdependent relationships. It is more logical to believe they came about because of

the plans and purposes of a master Designer.

The God who devised the interdependence we call the “balance of nature” also invented

a system that enables people to live in peace. The person who considers the efficient

functioning of nature wouldn’t question the rightful authority that God has over us. If His

commandments and His system of delegated authority are followed, the result for

humans – as seen in these examples from nature – is harmony and successful living.

DOES IT MATTER?

Brett couldn’t believe what was happening. Their new social studies teacher, Mr. Whitner,

had brought a poster of the U.S. President to class, and he proposed that it be used as a

dartboard. He cut up an American flag in front of the students and used one of the pieces

to wipe down the shelves in the storage closet.

Next he asked a lot of questions:

“Why show respect for a piece of paper or a hunk of cloth?”

“Who says that marriage should be between a man and a woman?”

“Why should you obey the laws of the country, state, and city? Some people deserve to

be killed. Some businesses make so much money they can afford to be robbed. And there

are some good reasons why a person should drive fifty-five in a thirty-mile-an-hour

zone.”

“Who has the right to tell you that abortion is wrong?”

“Why should you obey some army sergeant whose orders might get you killed?”

“Why do things a certain way just because it’s tradition?”

Finally, Wade, the class brain, raised his hand. “You're advocating anarchy. Nobody

wants to live in chaos with a complete absence of authority.”

“Give me one good reason,” Mr. Whitner shot back, “why I should obey another human

who is no smarter than I am.”

Wade didn’t answer. Brett wondered if the idea of obeying authority was just something

passed on through the generations and used to control people. His parents, his teachers,

his boss at the burger place, and his government were restricting his freedom – and he

didn’t like it.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

VITAL INFORMATION

Most would agree that the person best fit for the job should be given the position. What

qualifications are necessary, then, for ruling the universe?

First, all authority should belong to the individual who created the world and its creatures.

Only that individual knows how it would best function. The individual in a position of such

power should be totally unselfish.

The possessor of all wisdom and knowledge – the Person who never goes out of

existence – is the only One who can adequately govern the cosmos and make laws for

its inhabitants.

God is, of course, the only one qualified to run the world. Besides having the intelligence

and ability needed. He always has your best interests in mind – as well as that of the

other six billion inhabitants of our planet.

Not only has God given us His rules in the Bible, He has also delegated limited authority

– to representatives of government, Christian leaders, and parents. They are able to be

obeyed, provided that what they ask doesn’t violate a biblical principle. A teen, for

example, is justified in disobeying the parent who asks him or her to steal.

If, though, we’re nothing more than a collection of molecules, submitting to authority

makes no sense. Who’s to say that any person’s molecules are better than yours? Is it

fair that any human – maybe the one with the most power or money, or the one with the

best brain – could boss you around and have no one to answer to except himself or

herself?

When the person in authority feels no responsibility to God, the world ends up with

something like Hitler’s Nazism or Stalin’s communism. Under that kind of authority,

millions of innocent people lose their lives. For that reason, authority that isn’t base on

submission to God – and the commandments He has given – is indefensible.

IF BRETT FINALLY DECIDES TO LISTEN TO TRUTH. THIS MIGHT BE THE CONTINUATION

OF HIS STORY

Mr. Whitner’s proud attitude made Brett angry. It was hypocritical for Mr. Whitner to say

there is no basis for authority, and then make more demands on students than any other

teacher in the school.

Mr. Whitner assigned students to answer the questions at the end of the chapter,

requiring the answers to be submitted on a computer printout with the questions in red

and the answers in black. Brett was furious. His color cartridge had run out of red ink the

night before the assignment was due, and he had no way of getting another one in time.

Upon receiving Brett’s paper, Mr. Whitner handed it right back stating that Brett would

receive a zero.

“I'm out of red ink,” Brett said. “And to quote my social studies teacher, ‘Give me a good

reason why I should obey another human who’s no smarter than I am.’”

The entire class broke out in applause and came to Brett’s defense. Mr. Whitner barely

survived until the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the weekend. On Monday, class

seemed to have returned to normal – although tests and assignments were never

returned.

A couple of months later, Brett’s parents left town for a weekend convention, giving him

strict orders not to leave the house for more than two hours at a time. A lot of robberies

had occurred in the city and Brett’s mom was worried. They lived in a cul-de-sac where

two homes were for sale and their closest neighbors were on vacation.

“Of course,” Brett promised.

But when Daryl invited Brett on a day-long fishing trip, he couldn’t resist. He hurried to

get his stuff together, but at the last moment, he couldn’t find the house keys. He

searched everywhere.

Daryl’s dad sat in the car outside, honking the horn. Brett figured he’d better leave or miss

the trip. He closed the door without locking it and jumped into the car.

Returning at midnight on Saturday, he was horrified to discover that thieves had

completely cleaned out their house – taking their furniture and everything they

considered valuable. The police report indicated no sign of a break-in, and Brett couldn’t

hand over the house keys to his dad. The truth came out.

Brett doubted his parents would ever forgive him – and that was before the real shocker.

Brett was called into the counselor’s office and informed by Mrs. Selinsky that he

wouldn’t graduate because he had flunked social studies. Brett was a B student, and he

knew he’d gotten high grades on Mr. Whitner’s tests. But the principal wouldn’t even

listen to his side of the story.

Brett’s having to go to summer school and not being able to participate in graduation

seemed like the end of the world. His decisions to defy authority certainly weren’t working

in his favor.

Brett retreated to his room, which was almost bare after the robbery. Lying on the floor

in his sleeping bag, he flicked on an old radio that had been stored in the garage.

A guy was saying, “Maybe you’ve rebelled against authority and are paying the price.

Perhaps you’ve experienced abusive authority.”

Brett identified with what the man was saying.

“The only way to be at peace with authority is to submit completely to God's rightful

authority over your life. He’ll give you the power to obey. God has given others limited

authority over you, and you are to obey as long as what others tell you to do doesn’t go

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

against God's greater authority. You can become rightly related to God through Jesus

Christ, and stop beating your head against a brick wall by trying to go against God's

rightful authority.”

By now, Brett was ready to listen to this advice.

Think about the world that God created, with all its interdependent relationships.

Remember that God’s absolute authority – and the limited authority that He has

delegated to others – have a purpose. It brings harmony and order to the universe.

We are, of course, free to ignore or defy the systems that God has put into place, but we’ll

suffer the consequences. Humans overrode God's balance of nature, for instance, when

rabbits were introduced into Australia. There the rabbit had no natural enemies and the

result was pure disaster. Australia is now overrun with rabbits, which do an enormous

amount of damage. In the area of morals, God also put a system into place – a system

of commandments. Disobeying them is risky. The failure to observe God's

commandment to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6: 18) has resulted in a

huge percentage of young people becoming infected with incurable, sexually transmitted

diseases.

God really does know best. Submitting to His authority will bring peace and contentment

to your life.

ACTION STEPS TOWARD ACKNOWLEDGING GOD’S AUTHORITY

1. Realize that all of the Lord’s commandments were made for our protection and

blessing by an all-wise God. To disobey them is sin.

2. Face the reality that disrespect is always wrong, and that – unless you are asked

to do something contrary to biblical principles – disobedience to teachers,

bosses, government officials, and pastors is, in reality, rebellion against God

Himself, because He has delegated authority to these people.

3. Use your extremely powerful weapon of prayer if an authority is unfair. When you

obey an unreasonable but not anti-biblical order and enlist God's justice, miracles

can happen.

4. Stop pretending that you know how to run the universe better than God does, and

stop verbally disrespecting His decisions.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

For rebellion is like the sin of divination (occult practices),

and arrogance (is) like the evil of idolatry.

-

1 Samuel 15: 23

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities,

for there is no authority except that which God has established.

-

Romans 13: 1

Give everyone what you owe him: … if respect, then respect;

if honor, then honor.

-

Romans 13: 7

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

-

Ephesians 6: 1

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.

-

Hebrews 13: 17

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Your body has six hundred muscles. They account for 40 percent of your weight, and give

you the ability to move. As they work, your muscles burn a great deal of energy, which is

produced from the foods that you eat. Most amazing, though, is the activity of the

automatic muscles that control your eyelids, breathing, heartbeat, and digestion.

How good of God to make sure that we forgetful, scheming, and sometimes foolish

humans can't interfere with these life-sustaining movements. 1.

Automatic movements help us breathe, something we all do about 23,000 times a day,

630 million times in an average life span. We take in more than one billion trillion

molecules of air with each lungful, 2. which adds up to seven quarts of air every minute.

3. If weighed, all that air comes out to twenty-two pounds a day. 4.

Twenty-five percent of the oxygen we breathe in goes to the brain, 12 percent to the

kidneys, and 7 percent to the heart. 5. Have you ever tried to see how long you can hold

your breath? Before long, the accumulating carbon dioxide in your lungs will

automatically trigger the muscles in your ribs, diaphragm, and lungs to move contrary to

conscious desire 6. – and you'll take a breath.

Every minute, without any conscious effort on your part, the heart pumps blood through

a 60,000-mile labyrinth of blood vessels inside of you – and then pumps it back. Every

day, your ten-ounce heart muscle contracts 100,000 times without missing a beat. 8. In

a year, the average human heart circulates from 770,000 to 1.6 million gallons of blood

through the body, enough to fill two hundred tank cars, each with a capacity of eight

thousand gallons! 9. In an average lifetime, the heart beats 2.5 billion times and pumps

60 million gallons of blood. 10.

Food digestion is just as miraculous. If one were to unravel the entire human alimentary

canal – esophagus, stomach, large and small intestines – it would reach the height of a

three-story building. 11.

Say you just ordered a pepperoni pizza, hold the anchovies. The average stomach has

about a one-quart capacity, so there is a limit to how much you can eat and still feel

comfortable. Throughout the day your stomach produces over three quarts of gastric

fluid, including hydrochloric acid, which aids digestion. It’s, in fact, remarkable that the

stomach doesn’t digest itself.

After the stomach, the next stop for the pizza is the small intestine, which produces

enzymes to break down food, and has “a second brain” to supervise absorption. With an

incredible number of fingerlike projections called villi and the even smaller microvilli, the

overall absorption surface of the small intestine equals that of a tennis court.

Contributing to the way that pizza is used by the body is the liver. The football-sized,

three-pound liver performs over five hundred functions, including the processing of all

blood that leaves the stomach and intestines. The liver detoxifies substances, guard’s

vitamins and minerals, stockpiles sugar for quick energy, and manufactures new

proteins. The gallbladder, pancreas, and large intestine also make their contributions to

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

digestion. Altogether, the entire digestive tract is 95 percent efficient – almost everything

we eat is absorbed into the body. 12.

One could say that God wanted to stamp on the blueprint of the human body His rightful

authority over life and death. As much as people insist they have total authority over their

own bodies, no one, solely through an act of will, can stop a heart from beating, decide

not to breathe, or order the stomach not to digest pizza calories.

God designed the human body to operate in spite of our own neglect or unhealthy

choices. It’s obvious, then, that life is a gift from God and not something to be devalued

or discarded.

DOES IT MATTER?

In the darkness of his hospital room Tyler relived the nightmare of the last ten months.

He and his girlfriend, Charmaine, told their parents they were going to a youth rally and

out to eat afterward. Instead they went to a party at Adam’s house.

Adam’s parents were out of town, so liquor and drugs were plentiful. Tyler drank up –

and he had little experience with alcohol. Then Charmaine looked at her watch and

panicked. “I have to be home in fifteen minutes!”

Tyler drove as fast as he could. He didn’t even slow down as he approached the railroad

crossing. He saw the flashing red lights too late and was unable to stop in time. The

influence of the alcohol in his bloodstream reduced his reaction time.

After days of unconsciousness, he awakened to a blur of pain, operations, and intensive

care. When he was finally able to sit up, he was horrified to see that part of his left leg

was missing. He cried in anguish, knowing that he’d never be able to go mountain

climbing again. Everyone would stare at him if he wore shorts, and his dream of playing

college tennis would never come true.

His left arm had also been damaged. In spite of three operations, the arm was not

responding as it should. The doctor was kind but straightforward: “There’s nothing more

that we can do. If you're conscientious about physical therapy, you might regain 50

percent of the use in that arm.”

When Tyler’s thoughts at last turned from himself to Charmaine, the contradictory

answers to his questions made him suspicious. One day his dad leveled with him – she

had not survived the crash. Wave of guilt swept over Tyler. He had caused the death of

the girl he loved.

Tyler couldn’t see any reason to go on. The discussions his class had held in social

studies made him doubt the existence of God. He remembered the conclusions they had

reached.

Charmaine had declared, “A baby conceived by accident should be aborted, because

every child should be a wanted child.” No one had objected. He and Charmaine had even

decided – if they started having sex and she became pregnant, he’d take her to an

abortion clinic. The class discussion about that scenario had resulted in a vote, and what

he and Charmaine had agreed to do had been the most popular option.

The students also agreed that a sick, handicapped, or elderly person should have the

right to assisted suicide, because of their reduced quality of life. Ms. Bianca had summed

it up: “We’re all accidents of evolution who report to no higher authority than ourselves.

If a person’s quality of life doesn’t make living worthwhile, that person has a right to

decide whether or not he or she wishes to remain alive.”

A longing for death swept over Tyler, and he literally felt an evil presence urging him to

commit suicide. He decided that as soon as he got home from the hospital, he’d drag

himself to his parent’s bathroom and down a whole bottle of his mother’s sleeping pills.

VITAL INFORMATION

Your value doesn’t depend upon how good-looking, smart, productive, or happy you are.

Your worth comes from the fact that God created you specially to fulfill a unique purpose.

And He loves you so much that He sent Jesus to die for you. When you feel you can't go

on, He has miraculous strength and joy and comfort to give you.

Suicide is never the only way out because no problem is too big for God. Keep in mind

that suicide is for keeps, destroying all your potential and inflicting permanent wounds

on family and friends. Consider, too, that God designed your body for survival, even when

it is under attack. So most suicide attempts are “unsuccessful,” sometimes leaving the

person with new health problems.

God tells us that He created us for His glory, and Jesus states: “I have come that they

may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10: 10). Don’t miss out on what He has planned

for you.

IF TYLER FOLLOWS THE ESCAPE ROUTE GOD IS GIVING HIM, HIS STORY MAY READ LIKE

THIS…

Karissa’s family had moved to the city from another state, and she got a job with the

hospital food service. It was there that she heard about Tyler.

Sensing that God wanted her to reach out to Tyler, she asked the kids in her youth group

for help. She and her brother, Karl, paid Tyler a visit in the hospital. At first he didn’t

respond much, but Karissa and Karl were persistent, often bringing other friends with

them.

One day, when Karl visited Tyler by himself, Tyler asked, “Do you think suicide is ever

justified?”

“Have you thought of it?” Karl asked.

“Yes,” Tyler heard himself say. “There is nothing to live for, and I don’t like being a freak.

I plan to take my mother’s sleeping pills.”

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

“I know that your situation is tough,” Karl said gently. “But God is a lot tougher. He can

give significance to every life – especially,” Karl looked Tyler square in the eyes, “when a

person has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. All of us can find hope, and we can

experience His love. We’re invited to plug into His power and be a part of something

bigger than ourselves.

So there is no reason to commit suicide. Yes, it is wrong for us to trash this gift of life

that God has given to us. If the Lord meant for us to be in control of when we died, He

would have created us with the ability to stop breathing or to keep our hearts from

beating.”

Karissa had gotten to know Tyler’s mother and asked if the youth group could have a

homecoming party for Tyler. They planned games Tyler could participate in, and the

welcome home cake was as delicious as it was beautiful.

Tyler had to admit that he had a really good time. Everybody totally accepted him, and

these kids had a joy he hadn’t seen in any of his old friends. Tyler thought about all the

work Karissa had done to give him such a great party, and it brought tears to his eyes.

He wanted to get to know God like those kids knew Him. For the first time since the

accident, he felt that he might find something worth living for.

If thoughts of ending your life have occurred to you or one of your friends, it is time to

cooperate with God. He designed your body as an object lesson for the value of human

life. Your heart keeps beating, your breathing is automatic, and your digestive system

works on its own – whether you're awake or asleep.

God went to a lot of trouble to give you each a day of life, and He wants you to discover

His plan for each twenty-four-hour period. Join Tyler in deciding to let God give you

meaning and purpose.

ACTION STEPS TO DEFEAT THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE (OR ABORTION)

1. Remember that the timeframe of your problem is only a millisecond compared

with all eternity.

2. Don’t make a permanent decision based on a temporary feeling. Look back to a

situation you once thought was the end of the world, but today isn’t such a big

deal.

3. Realize that God has the right to decide life and death because He’s the Creator,

and because His overall plan is always best.

4. Consider that each thought of suicide or abortion has its source from the devil,

who loves death and is a master deceiver. It is a fact that you can submit yourself

to God, “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4: 7).

5. Reflect on the reality that God is all-powerful and all-loving, so He has a way out

for you.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

The Lord brings death and makes alive;

He brings down to the grave and raises up.

-

1 Samuel 2: 6

You are precious and honored in my sight …

everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.

-

Isaiah 43: 4, 7

He (God) himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

-

Acts 17: 25

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Forty miles above the Earth is a layer of ozone. It literally is our lifesaver. Without it we

would be burned, blinded, and broiled.

The ozone layer allows some of the sun’s shorter ultraviolet rays – necessary for life on

this planet – to pass through it, but screens out the sun’s deadly long ultraviolet rays. If

these most deadly rays were to reach Earth, every living thing would die.

The ozone layer does, however, allow a tiny quantity of these more dangerous rays to

pass through – just enough to kill greenest algae. If these algae were allowed to grow

uninhibited, they would completely fill all the lakes and rivers and oceans of the world,

thus upsetting the balance of nature.

The atmosphere below the ozone layer is just as amazing. Air is 78 percent nitrogen, 21

percent oxygen, with the other 1 percent made up of almost a dozen trace elements,

producing breathable air. 1. Our atmosphere is also “thin enough and of the right

chemical composition to permit passage of light to the earth’s surface.” 2.

The Earth’s atmosphere, then, is unduplicated. A lot of theories today proclaim that life

originated in outer space, but so far not one planet has been found with an atmosphere

capable of supporting advanced life.

Not only is Earth’s atmosphere unique, so, too, is our planet itself. By 2001, “astronomers

had discovered fifty-two confirmed planets outside our solar system orbiting normal

stars.” (Which, like our sun, burn by changing hydrogen into helium by nuclear fusion.) 3.

Although more planets are being found each year, by September 3, 2003, California and

Carnegie Planet Search listed only 110 planets outside our solar system. Adding the nine

in our solar system, the current total stands at 119. 4.

Compared with the trillions of stars, planets are scarce indeed. The 110 planets outside

our solar system are all much bigger than our earth. There may be many smaller ones,

but they're harder to detect.

An age-old theory says a great number of stars, like our sun, have planets revolving

around them – planets on which all the fine-tuned characteristics, including a breathable

atmosphere for human life, may be present. That theory is proving to be incorrect. 5.

Only a small star – one similar to our sun – would be able to support life on a planet

revolving around it. The star would also have to

 contain about the same amount of matter as our sun

 find itself in the right star neighborhood

 have the correct position in the galaxy

 be the proper distance from a planet

In addition, the planet itself would have to meet many strict specifications, including

 correct surface temperature

 correct surface gravity

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

 correct atmospheric composition and pressure

 correct rotation rate

 a stable rotation axis tilt

The vast majority of stars just don’t have planets, let alone planets that could support

life. “Not only are planetary systems relatively rare, (but) of the systems that do exist,

few, if any, are like our solar system.” 7.

All this means that God designed every detail of our solar system just so we could enjoy

our lives on Earth. Astronomer Hugh Ross sums it up:

The remoteness of the probability of finding a planet fit for life suggests that the

Creator personally and specifically designed and constructed our galaxy group, our

galaxy, our sun, Jupiter, … the moon and Earth for life. 8.

It would take immense credulity to believe that life on Earth actually began in outer space.

Besides the lack of a suitable environment for life somewhere in space, other questions

pop up:

 How did life begin?

 Who or what provided the materials from which it was made?

 How did the material get transported to our planet?

So enjoy your next breath – and be thankful for all the other conditions that make planet

Earth a place you can call home. Be thankful, too, that you live on the only known planet

where breathing is possible.

It is highly unlikely that the God who took so much care in creating a special place for

you to live is incapable of handling your fears and anxieties. It’s absurd, in fact, to think

that the Creator of the universe can't help you weather your present crisis. The God who

took care to create all the conditions necessary for your life will watch over you.

Just as the ozone layer protects the Earth and ensures the balance of nature, God

watches over those who belong to Him. He sometimes allows trials and problems to keep

us mindful of our dependence upon Him, but He sticks with us during our lives here until

it’s time to go to heaven and live with Him.

DOES IT MATTER?

Vanessa was still in a state of shock. Brittany’s locker was right next to hers. After school

on Friday, Brittany had loaned Vanessa her biology notes, and they had talked about their

weekend plans.

Brittany’s plans never took place. The Saturday morning news said that her body had

been found in the river. She had been raped before she’d been brutally stabbed. No one

was sure what had actually happened.

But Vanessa knew Brittany. She was not a wild girl who took unnecessary chances.

Her parents said she had left home at 4:40 Friday afternoon for the fifteen-minute walk

to her work place, and she was scheduled to start work at 5:00. They knew she usually

took the shortcut through the park, which was considered very safe. But she never arrived

at work.

Now Vanessa had nightmares. Often she thought she heard footsteps behind her. She

looked around but never saw anyone. She experienced a constant fear that she just

couldn’t shake. She was afraid to be alone, and no place seemed safe.

VITAL INFORMATION

How can Vanessa – or you – deal with the insecurities and the real dangers in this world?

Remember that the all-loving and all-powerful God has spread an ozone “net” over us to

screen out what is harmful and transmit what is necessary. He can be trusted, then, to

care for us in all circumstances. We have the Lord’s promise: “He (or she) who dwells in

the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord,

‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’” (Psalms 91: 1-2). He is

faithful.

IF VANESSA LOOKS FOR GODLY ADVICE AND DECIDES TO FOLLOW IT, HER STORY

COULD CONTINUE SOMETHING LIKE THIS …

Vanessa opened her biology notebook to study for the test. Out fell the notes that Brittany

had loaned to her. Vanessa just stared at them. Her mind wandered back to Brittany’s

funeral, the trauma of experiencing for the first time the death of a person her own age,

and the sudden realization of the uncertainty of life.

She and her friends had done a lot of crying. She recalled the eerie feeling that swept over

her the next day at school when she looked over at Brittany’s locker. Brittany would never

open it again, or say hi to her in the hall, or ace another biology test. Now Brittany’s notes

seemed like something sacred. Maybe she should give them to Brittany’s mother.

Vanessa had another nightmare the day after the funeral. She dreamed that a monster

man with a huge butcher knife was trying to catch her. And she woke up screaming.

She was still afraid to walk alone anywhere. Although she never mentioned it, she

dreaded being at home by herself – even for a few minutes. Since studying was now

impossible, she decided to confide in her mother.

“Mom, can I talk to you?”

“What is it, sweetheart?” her mother asked as she turned off the TV. Vanessa started to

cry. “It’s what happened to Brittany. I'm afraid all the time, and I can't seem to get over

it.”

Vanessa’s mom motioned to her and they sat next to one another on the sofa.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

“When I was your age,” her mother said, “a popular guy from my high school was killed

in a car accident. I was terrified of dying because I’d never made things right with God.

Honey,” her mother said, looking Vanessa in the eye, “are you sure that if you died tonight

you’d go to heaven?”

“I'm not positive.”

Her mother explained that assurance was possible. Then she asked Vanessa if she was

willing to repent of her sin, turn from it, and totally give her life to Jesus.

Because Vanessa was ready to do just that, her mother led her in a short prayer, asking

God's forgiveness and inviting Jesus to control Vanessa’s life as her Savior and Lord.

“Once you're certain you'll go to heaven,” her mother said, “part of the fear is conquered.

But God also expects us to cooperate with Him in using common sense and avoiding

unnecessary risk. Grab the Bible on the coffee table and read Proverbs 27:12.”

Vanessa found the passage and read it out loud. “The prudent see danger and take

refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”

“You're doing a great job of seeing the danger,” her mother said and smiled, “but there’s

another part of the equation – a command found many times in the Bible: ‘Fear not.’ Why

don’t you look up Psalm 56:3?”

Finding her place, Vanessa read, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.”

Her mother walked her through an illustration. “Imagine a strong father with his little girl

in his arms. She’s hysterical because of the barking cocker spaniel at her father’s feet.

This father can in good conscience order, ‘Ramona, stop crying. The puppy can bark loud,

but he can't hurt you while I'm protecting you.’

Our heavenly Father, who has infinite power to protect us from all harm, has the right to

ask us not to be afraid … because He has everything under control. Either He will protect

us totally or give us the strength we need for a difficult situation … or take us straight to

heaven. Whatever happens, He is there.”

“Thanks, mom,” Vanessa said, “but I want you to do something for me.”

“What is it?”

“Christy’s mom prays with her each morning before she leaves the house, asking for

God's protection. Will you do that for me?”

“That’s a great idea!” her mother exclaimed. “Why didn’t I think of it myself?”

God knows how to allow only a few harmful rays to pass through the ozone layer – the

ones that will prevent a destructive overgrowth of algae. In the same way, He will never

permit any situation in your life that He will not mold for good – if you give it to Him – in

His time-plus-eternity plan. But when the problems come, rather than trying to handle

them alone, choose to trust Him and receive the comfort and solutions He has for you.

ACTION STEPS TO CONQUERING FEAR

1. Make sure of your salvation, so that you know that death will only open the door

to a fantastic forever.

2. Take reasonable precautions and avoid unnecessary risks.

3. Look up these “fear not” verses, memorize them, and take them literally:

 Psalms 4: 8, 27: 1-2, 34: 4 + 7, 57: 1-3, 91: 2-15

 John 14: 27

 Hebrews 13: 5-6

4. Find someone to pray with you about conquering your fear.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.

-

Psalms 84: 11

If you make the Most High your dwelling –

even the Lord, who is my refuge –

then no harm will befall you,

no disaster will come near your tent,

for he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

-

Psalms 91: 9-11

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

-

Isaiah 41: 10

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

The human body contains ten to the twenty-eighth power (10 28th) atoms (that’s one

followed by 28 zeros). 1. For comparison, that would be more than the number of grains

of sand on all the world’s beaches. 2.

Atoms are the fundamental particles that constitute cells, and your body contains

between 10 trillion and 100 trillion cells. 3. Many cells live less than a day, red blood cells

live four months, and certain muscles cells will live for years. 4.

Each cell has about one trillion atoms that are constantly being torn down, remodeled,

and replaced. 5. Cumulatively, in your lifetime, for example, you'll grow almost 100 feet

of fingernails. 6. Every couple of days you replace all the cells that line the intestinal tract.

7.

Ninety percent of the atoms in your body, then, are replaced every year, and every five

years 100 percent of your atoms are replaced. 8. In the last hour one trillion trillion of

your atoms have been replaced – along with a lot of cells. 9. David M. Boughham, M.D.,

explains it like this: “We are continually being recreated from dust and returning to dust.”

10.

Because the body is self-building, self-regulating, self-repairing, and knows how to

convert food into energy, Scottish biologist Sir J. Arthur Thomson calls it “the most

marvelous and unique automatic mechanism in the universe.” 11.

These fundamental particles of which we are made have been floating around since

Creation and are constantly being exchanged among neighbors – even crossing

international boundaries. One of your atoms could someday inhabit someone from

Afghanistan.

Yet you continue to be you and your body hangs together – even though the rate of

atomic turnover within you is so rapid it would require every person on the planet to count

ten billion atoms per second to keep up with it all. 12. Unaware of this miraculous and

painless process, you just go about your life.

Physicist John Tyndall sums it up: “Life is a wave, which in no two consecutive moments

of its existence is composed of the same particles.” 13.

The whole universe, at the atomic level, it in the process of change, and the amazing

complexity of maintaining life on earth requires a force outside of the universe,

transcending it. 14. If someone could conceive of Earth without a Creator, God would

have to be invented just to keep it going. Only an all-powerful and all-intelligent God

could have maintained for century after century all the complicated processes and

delicately balanced natural systems.

It’s amazing, however, that even people who acknowledge the greatness and

awesomeness of God insist on being self-sufficient. If we all were honest, we’d have to

plead guilty to trying to solve our own problems, pooling out ignorance with other

humans to decide how life should be lived. It’s all too easy for use to think we can run

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

our lives better than God can, and that our preferences are more important than the rules

He made for our own good.

DOES IT MATTER?

Dallas exploded. “Why did I get stuck with the strictest and most old-fashioned parents

on the planet?” He stomped into his bedroom and slammed the door. All he had done

was ask if he could go camping with Kent and his family.

“You only met Kent two months ago,” his mother argued. “We don’t know the Andersons,

so we have no idea what kinds of things you'd be exposed to.”

“Besides,” his father stated, ending the discussion, “Pastor Brian has planned a special

seminar for youth on Saturday, and I don’t want you to miss it.”

Dallas felt hemmed in. He wanted new experiences, different friends, and most of all, he

wanted to fit in at school. To him, most of the church kids were too serious. He felt his

parents still treated him like a child. He wanted to make his own decisions and live his

own life.

Kent was a new kid at school. He had an incredible sense of humor and a love of life,

which meant that things were never boring when he was around. An observation Kent

had made in their social studies class one day sounded logical. “Why should we stop

having fun just because an old book that has been around for centuries tells us to honor

our parents? Modern psychologists say that we should express ourselves and let our true

feelings out. We can't expect our parents to understand us. They grew up in the dark

ages.”

VITAL INFORMATION

God really does know everything. Every facet of nature spells out God's credentials as

being smart enough and having the right to tell you what to do.

In the Bible, He actually presents you with a map for not getting lost, and gives

instructions on how to keep from messing up your life. Joshua 1: 8-9 gives a great

promise: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and

night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be

prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do

not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever

you go.”

How foolish to follow the path that says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but

in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14: 12), instead of choosing the option that

promises, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of … wisdom” (Proverbs 1: 7).

IF DALLAS PAYS ATTENTION TO GOD’S WARNING SIGNS, THE NEXT CHAPTER IN HIS

LIFE COULD READ LIKE THIS …

Dallas sulked his way through the whole weekend, hoping that Monday would be more

exciting. Like a robot, he walked to school, attended his first hour classes, and headed

toward the lunchroom. On the way, he saw Kent at his locker.

“Hey, Kent, how was -”

Kent turned around, and Dallas gasped, Kent had a horrible black eye.

“What on earth happened to you?” Dallas exclaimed.

Kent glanced around to make sure that no one else was nearby. “Just some … trouble at

the campground,” he said, not meeting Dallas’s eyes.

“Hey, Kent, its me, Dallas, C’mon … you can trust me.”

Kent hesitated, then the whole story spilled out.

“Well … my dad and my uncle started drinking big time. And when my dad’s drunk, he

gets really mean. He started beating up my mom. I couldn’t call the police from way out

at the campground, so I had to defend her. I was able to protect my mom, but I got a black

eye in the process. That happened Friday night. My mom and I hitched a ride to the

nearest town. We found the bus depot and came back Saturday morning. But my dad still

hasn’t come home. He’s probably at my uncle’s house.”

“I'm sorry, Kent,” Dallas said. He didn’t know what else to say. He’d never been this close

to someone who had such a troubled family life.

Kent sighed, “Yeah … well … when your dad’s an alcoholic, that is just the way things are.”

Kent laid a hand on Dallas’s arm. “You can't tell anyone what happened, because my dad

might do something drastic.”

“Like I said,” Dallas placed his hand on Kent’s shoulder, “you can trust me.”

As they ate lunch in silence, Dallas came to his senses.

He had parents who loved him and looked out for him, and he didn’t appreciate it. He

knew God's principles for finding real peace, and he was rebelling against them.

Dallas now realized that Kent’s great personality was his attempt to mask reality. Right

there, Dallas breathed, “Lord, I was wrong. Please forgive me,” and he decided to turn his

life completely over to the Lord.

That night Dallas apologized to his parents. Telling them the whole story, he asked for

their forgiveness. He then asked if Kent could go with them river rafting the next weekend.

His parents agreed, and everyone had a wonderful time.

“I can't believe your parents,” Kent said. “They act like they love each other, and they’re

so polite about giving orders to you and your brothers.”

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Kent spent more and more time at Dallas’s house. One night he called and asked if he

could stay the night because his mother was out of town and his dad had invited his

drinking buddies over for a party.

Soon Kent seemed like a member of the family – and his ideas and habits were changing.

He started attending the youth group and going to church with Dallas and his family. The

day Kent accepted Christ, Dallas’s father invited him to joint them at a nice restaurant

after church so they could all celebrate.

As they were riding home in the minivan, his father flipped on a praise song. Everyone

listened or sang along. Dallas thought about how close he’d come to throwing his

Christian heritage overboard because he wanted to experience “the world.” From Kent,

he learned that he hadn’t missed a thing.

The God who supervises the complicated process of constantly replacing atoms in your

body can be depended upon to give commandments that will best ensure your safety,

health, and happiness. The One who maintains the universe knows how to make your

future the best it can be. Trust Him.

ACTION STEPS WHEN YOU’RE TEMPTED TO GIVE UP ON BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY

1. Don’t allow a few hypocrites to keep you from Jesus. He’s perfect.

2. When faced with rules that seem unreasonable, politely ask to see the Scripture

passage on which the prohibitions are based. Read the Bible for yourself. You can

reject someone’s incorrect interpretation of the Bible or nonbiblical ideas without

turning away from God and His Word.

3. Read testimonies of people who have rebelled against God. Talk to those who’ve

rebelled before accepting Christ, and ask them if it was worth it.

4. Ask yourself, “Does it make sense to go against the principles of the God who

made me, who loves me, and who knows everything?”

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but

be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will

be able to test and approve what God's will is … his good,

pleasing and perfect will. Love must be sincere. Hate what is

evil; cling to what is good.

-

Romans 12: 2, 9

If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

-

2 Corinthians 4: 3

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Without the moon, life on Earth would be impossible. The moon’s gravitational force

creates the tides that cause the waves to break continually on the ocean shores. The

tidal effect mixes oxygen, nitrogen, and trace elements of our atmosphere, thus providing

us with a constant supply of oxygen. This process also causes air to circulate through

the seas, providing oxygen for plankton – the microscopic plant and animal life – which

floats in bodies of water and, either directly or indirectly, supplies food for the fish. The

fish in turn supply food for the birds, animals, and people. 1.

Without plankton, there would not be enough oxygen – and we all need to breathe.

Microscopic plants, called phytoplankton, produce “at least 80% of the oxygen we

breathe.” Some scientists calculate that without the oxygen production of phytoplankton,

life as we know it could not exist. 2.

The tidal movements caused by the moon also remove the garbage and gunk from the

oceans and shores. If it weren’t for the moon, you'd have to wear nose plugs when you're

trying to get a suntan at the beach. 3.

God made the moon just the correct size and placed it a suitable distance from the Earth

to perform these and other functions. If, for example, the moon were much closer to the

Earth, tidal effects on the Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and rotation rate would be too

severe. If the moon were much farther from the Earth, tides would be too low to move

nutrients through the oceans and between the continents. The moon’s location also

affects our weather. A change in the angle of the moon’s orbit would cause instability in

the Earth’s climate. 4.

Here are some other interesting moon facts to ponder.

 The diameter of our moon is 2,160 miles – a little more than one-fourth that of the

Earth. 5.

 The Earth has eighty-one times more mass than the moon. 6.

 The moon is an average of 238,870 miles away from us and orbits the Earth every

29.53 days. 7.

 Moon temperatures vary from 266 degrees. Fahrenheit to minus 292 degrees

Fahrenheit. 8.

The moon adds much more than just beauty, then, to your existence. The entire natural

universe, in fact, maintains its balance and connectedness because each part functions

as God designed. In a similar way, God has set in place principles that must be observed

in order for us to have a right relationship with Him and to interact successfully with other

people. Be thankful for both God's natural and moral principles.

DOES IT MATTER?

Garret couldn’t believe the mess that his wrong choices had created. It all started when

he and Todd decided to attend the football team’s end-of-the-season “kegger.” To avoid

being questioned by his parents, Garret had arranged to spend the night with Todd, since

his mom was less strict.

They found Todd’s mom after the game and told her they were going to town to have

hamburgers with the other kids to celebrate the victory and might be a little late. Both felt

sort of guilty about lying, but they wanted to fit in with the popular guys.

Todd drove his car to the woods where the beer party was to take place. They didn’t

intend to drink much and planned to leave early.

What they didn’t know was that the local TV station was doing a special report on teenage

drinking and had been tipped off about the party. A young cameraman and a reporter had

approached unnoticed and managed to do quite a bit of filming before somebody

screamed a warning. Garret and Todd ran for the car.

The footage appeared on the “In Depth” part of the local news later that evening. Garret

and Todd, beer in hand, appeared on the screen in living color.

Making matters even worse, just that morning the publicity had been sent out for the

ladies’ luncheon. Todd’s mother was to speak there on “Biblical Parental Guidance in a

Teen’s Life.”

VITAL INFORMATION

What can Garret do? And what recourse do you have when your own wrongdoing messes

up your life?

God, who created the moon to clean up this planet and who constantly directs that

complicated process, has put in place a way for you to be cleansed and forgiven. He will

guide you in putting your life back on track. Doing so will require total honesty, a

willingness to make things right, and a new resolve to obey God.

IF GARRET DECIDES TO RESPON POSITIVELY TO GOD AND HIS WORD, THE STORY

MIGHT CONTINUE LIKE THIS …

Garret’s parents were waiting for him at Todd’s house. His mother was crying and his

father tersely explained the TV clip, concluding, “I'm too angry to talk now. I might say

something I shouldn’t.”

They rode home in silence, and Garret went to his room in a daze.

The next morning, when he made his way to the kitchen for some breakfast, Garret

overheard his mother talking on the phone.

“I never thought my son would plan to disobey the law and lie to cover it up. Garret has

betrayed my trust.” Breaking into tears, she sobbed, “How can I ever face those women

at the luncheon?”

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Feelings of guilt and regret overwhelmed Garret. A verse he’d memorized came to his

mind: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins” (1 John

1: 9). He hurried to his room to pray and to ask the Lord to forgive him.

He knew that he also had to talk to his mother. Feeling awkward and unsure of himself,

each step between his room and the kitchen seemed like a giant effort. He felt as if one

of those little demons – that sit on people’s shoulders in cartoons – were whispering in

his ear, “Aw, just forget it and go on with your life. Most kids experiment with alcohol. It’s

no big deal.”

But he crept into the kitchen and blurted out, “Mom, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?”

His mother placed her arm around him and responded, “Of course.”

A feeling of relief swept over Garret. But like the scars that remain after a serious wound,

there were consequences of sin for Garret to face. He dreaded school on Monday,

knowing that a lot of people would mention that they’d seen him on TV. He knew he’d be

teased, and it would be much easier to say something like, “You’ve got to get famous

somehow,” and brush off the whole thing. That attitude would make him a hero of sorts.

But Garret had decided – if someone said something, he’d respond, “It wasn’t right, and

I'm sorry I did it.”

Monday morning was the nightmare he anticipated, but he stuck to his decision and knew

he’d gained a victory.

Dark circles under his mother’s eyes, however, indicated that she was having trouble

sleeping. His father reacted by establishing his own F.B.I. – the “Family Bureau of

Investigation.” Garret had to report his every move, and one of his parents always

checked his whereabouts with a phone call. They cut half an hour off his curfew and

picked him up after athletic events.

He felt like lashing out and complaining that he was being treated like a little kid. But he

realized that he needed to regain their trust, so he decided to cooperate. Instead of

accusing his mother of worrying too much, he wrote her a couple of notes to tell her how

much he appreciated her.

His parents were suffering embarrassment and extra stress because of his actions. He

knew that Chelsey, the girl he most wanted to impress, had lost her respect for him. She

didn’t say anything, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that he’d disappointed her.

He wondered how Jesus felt. He had to make sure that nothing like this ever happened

again.

The real reason he and Todd had gone to the “kegger” was because Darren – Mr.

Popularity himself and next year’s football captain – had personally invited them – and

Darren’s friends automatically joined the cool crowd at their school. Todd and Garret

desperately wanted to be part of that group.

Garret had to decide between popularity and God. He finally chose God, knowing that it

would cost him a lot. But it would be worth it; a clear conscience and a right relationship

with the Lord were more important than being accepted by Darren and his clique.

You, along with Garret, can make plans to “plug the holes” – to surrender to God the

desires and attitudes that open you to specific temptation. Be on your guard so you don’t

sin in the same way again.

Forgiving us and placing us on the right path again are among God's most wonderful

provisions for helping us clean up our act – even better than the “moon-maid” planetary

cleaning service! Take advantage of forgiveness and correction each time you sin against

the Lord. But remember that honesty and humility are prerequisites for God's

forgiveness.

ACTION STEPS FOR MAKING A COMEBACK AFTER SINNING

1. Confess what you did to God – without making excuses.

2. Accept His forgiveness.

3. Apologize to those you have wronged.

4. Live humbly with the consequences of your wrongdoing.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Wash away all my iniquity

And cleanse me from my sin …

Against you, and you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight …

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me …

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

-

Psalms 51: 2,4, 10, 12

You are forgiving and good, O Lord,

abounding in love to all who call to you.

-

Psalms 86: 5

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

It is hard to fit the facts into the theory – the theory of evolution, that is, which many

people accept as true. Evolutionists proclaim that life began as a single cell and

progressed through trial and error, evolving and branching out quite systematically into

more complex life forms. But it would be impossible to guess what, for example, the

platypus of Australia evolved from or what it’s evolving into. 1.

The platypus has a bill and webbed feet like a duck –except that it has four legs and

when on land, the webbing of the front feet folds into its palms so it can walk or dig more

efficiently. It has fur like an otter, a tail like a beaver, and no “proper” ears. 2.

When it hunts for shrimp, worms, frogs, tadpoles, snails, or small fish under water, its

“eyelids” close, also covering its ear holes. Using electric sensors in its bill to pick up the

minute electrical charges that all living things emit, the platypus easily locates its prey,

3. which it then stores in cheek pouches like a chipmunk. Instead of teeth, an adult

platypus has grinding pads with shearing edges.

The platypus lays one to three leathery eggs at a time, and the bean-sized, hairless

babies feed on milk that oozes from pores in the mother’s body, much like a kangaroo.

4.

The male platypus is the sole species of mammal equipped with “specialized poison

glands” similar to that of many reptiles. The poison is in a small sac 5. connected to a

hollow claw-like spur behind the ankle of the platypus. 6. In clinical trials, the venom –

similar to the poison of some snakes – causes a rapid decrease in blood pressure and

eventual death in, for example, rabbits. 7.

The uniqueness of the platypus isn’t, however, the only thing that gives evolutionists a

headache.

Hemoglobin is a complex, iron-rich protein molecule in the red blood cell, and it carries

oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. The hemoglobin in each red blood cell of humans,

for example, allows it to carry one million molecules of oxygen. 8. The building blocks of

hemoglobin are called amino acids. “It has been calculated that the chance that amino

acids would line up randomly to create the first hemoglobin protein is 10 to the 850.” 9.

Complete and fully functioning hemoglobin molecules are found not only in humans but

also in most animals with backbones, some earthworms, some starfish, some clams,

some insects, and even in some bacteria. There seems to be no traceable pattern as to

why some creatures ended up with hemoglobin and others did not! 10.

Other examples defy the “evolutionary ladder.” Darwin wrote, “To suppose that the eye

(with so many parts working together) … could have formed by natural selection, seems

I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.” 11. Darwin likely would have been even

more amazed if he’d known about the eye of an octopus. It is similar to the human eye

and in some ways superior. Octopuses can pick out finer details than humans can and

see better in dim light. 12.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Another example that might leave evolutionists scratching their heads is a protein called

lysozyme. Tests show that the lysozyme in chickens is more like that of humans than

that of any living mammal. 13

Evolutionists assume that similarities among living things prove that they all came from

the same single cell, which evolved into many life forms. But consider that “Flying fish”

actually leap into the air at up to twenty miles per hour. They use their wide pectoral fins

as wings to soar as high as twenty feet and as far as 1,300 feet in one glide. 14. Yet no

one seriously suggests that birds evolved directly from these fish.

Isn’t it more logical to conclude that similarities between less complex and more complex

creatures mean they all were made by the same Designer? Any good engineer

understands the principle of using ideas that work in one structure to create another –

even though the two resulting structures may look different from one another. Assuming

that what appears to be less complex necessarily gives rise to the more complex can

lead to illogical conclusions like “the car evolved from the skateboard.”

Instead of believing that living things are products of natural causes and must, therefore,

fit into some evolutionary ladder, why not credit their creation to God? He created an

orderly universe that functions with precision, revealing His faithfulness. The universe

He created continually provides us with mysterious and marvelous new discoveries,

reminding us of His greatness.

What He does and the way He carries out His plans and purposes defy human

explanation and understanding. This principle also applies in the spiritual dimension.

Religions invented by human’s grade on performance – meditation, praying five times a

day, following dietary rules, knocking on doors, doing good deeds, protecting the

environment, and so forth. But God's idea for rescuing us was to send His Son to pay the

penalty of sin, making salvation available by grace, through faith, to all who believe.

DOES IT MATTER?

It was Easter week and Jillian invited Emily to the special drama at her church.

“I guess I should give it to you straight,” Emily sermonized. “I just don’t get excited by

yearly reminders of a man who was put to death because he wasn’t smart enough to

outwit his enemies.”

“But Jesus died for our sins,” Jillian objected, “so that we can accept God's free gift of

salvation and go to heaven.”

“Give me a break” Emily shot back. “If there is a God, He’ll recognize intellectual honesty,

hard work, and contributions to humanity. I'm better than most people, so I'll have no

problem.”

“If there is a God,” said Jillian, “and I believe there is, isn’t it dangerous to assume that

your method of getting to heaven is better than His? Your formula for salvation is exactly

the opposite of the information found in the Bible, God gave us the Bible to tell us His

requirements.”

“My dad is here to pick me up, Emily interrupted, “and he doesn’t like to wait.” Emily

hurried toward the black Lexus.

As she waited for her ride, Jillian decided she’d have to pray even harder for Emily.

VITAL INFORMATION

God is the Author of salvation. Isaiah 43: 10-11 states: “Before me no god was formed,

nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.”

That Jesus is the Savior is one of the strongest arguments for believing He came to the

earth as God in human flesh. It’s presumptuous, ridiculous, and dangerous to assume

that there’s another way to heaven that is different from the one God laid out for us: “This

righteousness (being given credit as if we had lived up to God's standards) from God

comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have

sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace (undeserved

benefit) through the redemption (ransom price for sin) that came by Christ Jesus”

(Romans 3: 22-24).

Modern life is full of contradictions. In our culture, people want to live by simple slogans

– “You get what you pay for,” “There’s no free lunch,” and “No pain, no gain” – but at the

same time conclude that eternal salvation is based upon a complex mixture of good

works, good intentions, and faulty logic.

God is at liberty, however, to use a different standard when it comes to spiritual life. He

has done just that – all because no amount of human effort can enable anyone to

perfectly keep all of God's commandments. For this reason, salvation is a gift given only

to those who are humble enough to receive it.

IF JILLIAN PERSEVERES IN PRAYER AND MAINTAINS A CARING FRIENDSHIP WITH

EMILY, THIS COULD BE THE OUTCOME …

Emily was chosen to head a special student council committee. Their group would raise

money for a reputable charity that was helping flood victims. With characteristic energy

and dedication, Emily organized fundraisers and collected individual donations.

Two days after she started the project, her dad got fired from his high-paying job. The

next day, Hans, the guy she dreamed about night and day, invited her to the prom.

Jillian helped with a couple of fundraisers and listened as Emily described her prom dress

and the outfits she’d bought for the graduation banquet and the honor society

installation. Jillian wondered where Emily got the money to go to the city and shop in the

most expensive stores – now that her father was unemployed – but she said nothing.

Emily’s picture was in the paper as class valedictorian, and she was awarded a huge

scholarship. But, behind the scenes, things were falling apart. Mr. O’Connor, the student

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

council advisor, questioned the amount on the receipt that the student committee had

received from the charity. He called their headquarters to double-check. They hadn’t

received any money from Washington High.

The student assistant in the office overheard Mr. O’Connor talking to the principle and

soon the whole school knew.

At first, Emily played the tearful victim of a terrible mistake. But the local newspaper did

a full-scale investigation. They found that Emily’s father had declared bankruptcy, and

that the receipt Emily had given to Mr. O’Connor had a forged signature. The charity’s

accountant verified that no money had been received from Washington High, and the

receipts from the stores where Emily had bought her new clothes added up to roughly

the amount collected for the flood victims. News like that in their small town received

front-page coverage.

Humiliated and desperate, Emily came to Jillian’s house. “They can't take my grades

away, so I'm still valedictorian,” Emily sobbed. “But the salutatorian will give the

graduation speech. The school says that someone charged with a crime isn’t a good role

model. I can't blame them. I never thought I was capable of stealing – but I'm guilty. What

can I do now?”

“Do you remember when I said that salvation was God's free gift?” Jillian asked. Emily

nodded. “When we humbly repent of our sins, ask Jesus for forgiveness, and are ready to

surrender our lives to Him, we’re eligible for eternal life. If you’re interested in starting

over again, I'll tell you more.”

Emily was now ready to listen.

Although you may not be an unbeliever like Emily, you may be guilty of expecting God to

fit into the framework of what makes sense to you. Even if you haven’t decided that

natural causes accounts for all living things, or that complex life forms evolved from

simple life forms, you may be guilty of putting God in the box of your preference, your

personality, or your desires.

ACTION STEPS TO RESIGNING FROM PLAYING GOD

1. Acknowledge that God is self-existent and independent, so He doesn't have to

answer to anyone.

2. Remember that God's ways are higher and better than what you think is right.

3. Recognize that God makes all the rules, and they are fair, considered in the light

of eternity.

4. Realize that salvation depends not upon human effort or intellect but upon God's

provision.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

-

Psalms 33: 11

Our God is in heaven;

he does whatever pleases him.

-

Psalms 115: 3

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

-

Isaiah 55: 8-9

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Fish don’t sleep. They don’t have eyelids. 1.

A horse can sleep standing up. 2.

Humans need an average of eight hours of sleep a night. (That means that most people

who live to be age seventy-two have slept for a total of twenty-four years in their

lifetimes!)

Cows get along just fine on three hours of sleep every twenty-four hours.

Giraffes sleep about ten minutes a day.

When dolphins sleep, half of their brains remain awake to keep them swimming! 3.

Our world is filled with amazing phenomena that no one can fully explain.

Elephants, for instance, post their own guards, who raise their trunks if there is danger.

Although a sentry elephant may be as far as one-and-a-half miles away, the rest of the

herd goes on alert. Humans haven’t a clue as to how this communication takes place. 4.

Even more mysterious is the case of the “talking trees.” In 1983, two biologists placed

swarms of predatory caterpillars on the branches of willow trees. The purpose was to

find out how trees defend themselves against attack. Within hours, the chemical

composition of the leaves began to change, which caused them to taste terrible. The

change also made their protein indigestible, which killed the predators. Unbelievably,

nearby trees – whose roots and leaves weren’t touching those that were being invaded

by caterpillars – activated the same defense system. 5.

Another puzzle has to do with the sequoia. Water must travel up from the roots of the

sequoia tree to the top branches, a distance of four hundred feet. How can a tree generate

pressure of about 420 pounds per square inch to raise the water that high! 6.

Photosynthesis poses other questions for scientists. This process is so complicated, it’s

thought to involve as many as five hundred chemical steps, only a few of which are fully

understood. 7. Yet even the simplest of plants perform this chemistry.

A further mystery involves the incredible energy and sense of direction of certain

creatures. Every fall, for instance, the ruby-throated hummingbird flies five hundred

miles, nonstop, across the Gulf of Mexico – and makes the return trip the following

spring. Metabolic tests suggest that the bird, which weighs one-tenth of an ounce, is too

small to store up enough energy for the task. But the hummingbird, of course, doesn’t

know that! 8.

Many species of butterflies travel up to six hundred miles nonstop. With the wind behind

them, some have flown across the Atlantic Ocean. 9. Monarch butterflies travel over two

thousand miles to winter in the precise location where their ancestors did. 10.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

The Arctic tern makes the longest known migratory trip from the Arctic to Antarctica – a

distance of 22,000 miles each year. A tern banded in England on July 25, 1982, was

caught 11,000 miles away in Melbourne, Australia – just 115 days later. It had flown an

average of almost 100 miles a day. 11.

Equally baffling is the salmon. When it’s time for a salmon to lay its eggs, it returns to the

exact area of the riverbed where it was spawned four years earlier. Although it has spent

most of those four years in the ocean, it knows where it needs to go and what it has to

do. It will even leap fifteen feet up the sides of waterfalls to get there. 12.

All of these remarkable examples suggest that the Creator of the universe is a lot smarter

and more powerful than all humans combined. Knowing that God has total wisdom,

knowledge, and strength has some wonderful implications for our lives.

DOES IT MATTER?

For Evan, mountain climbing had become a passion. He’d taken several classes, learned

the correct techniques, acquired the right equipment, and had participated in several

climbs. Now, because Evan had just completed the advanced mountaineering course, he

and two classmates were invited by their instructor, Mr. Kelly, to join him with some other

experienced climbers on a week-long trip. Their goal was to reach a high peak that had

a fantastic view. Since both the trip and Evan’s eighteenth birthday fell during spring

break, he convinced his parents to let him go.

As they were airlifted to their base camp, they commented on the perfect weather and

the favorable forecast. But, Mr. Kelly, the veteran Alaskan mountaineer, made them listen

once more to the emergency information.

“With perfect conditions,” he explained, “We’ll be home by evening of the fourth day. But

we’ve planned a few extra days in case of bad weather.”

They set up their base camp and tried to get a good night’s sleep. Rising early, they hoped

to make good time – and their first day was very successful. By 10:00 a.m. on the third

day, they had neared the twin peaks of the summit. The first peak looked like a giant wave

of frosting, and behind it stood the more cone-shaped peak, which was their goal.

Even at their current altitude, the view was impressive. Evan couldn’t wait to get to the

top. But in order to cross a series of deep crevasses, the instructor, along with the other

expert climbers, took three less experienced climbers across first while Evan, Josh, and

Lander waited their turn.

Suddenly, they heard a loud crack, followed by a thundering roar. The earth quaked, snow

flew everywhere, and the three boys were tobogganed downhill, shaken and tumbled as

if they were on a tilt-a-whirl without being strapped in.

When the commotion was over, Evan spotted Lander, and within five minutes, they had

located Josh – but only Evan still had his backpack. They had just survived an avalanche!

The snow-scape had changed drastically and they were now at the edge of an icy cliff. A

few yards away, the first crevasse their friends had traversed had lengthened and

widened into an uncroassable chasm. They were trapped – completely cut off from the

outside world with no way of reaching their companions.

VITAL INFORMATION

Most people say they believe that God knows everything and can do anything. True

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is God in human form. The wisdom of the words of

Jesus, His ability to know what people are thinking, His great miracles, and His

resurrection from the dead show us what God is like. The Bible, God's revelation to

humans, is full of events in which the miraculous power and knowledge of God is evident.

Too often we limit God to what we think. He might be capable of doing. We see no way

out, so we give up. We have no solution, so we muddle along, settling for second-rate

living.

More believing prayer like that of Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet, would greatly

improve each day: “Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your

great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32: 17).

Decide to believe God and count on the supernatural. God's miracle could be to change

the situation or it might be to transform you so that you experience victory in spite of

difficult circumstances. Faith in the God of the impossible will radically improve your

quality of life.

IF EVAN PUTS HIS FAITH IN THE GOD OF MIARCLES, HIS STORY COULD HAVE A HAPPY

ENDING …

They stood there in silence, staring around them, completely overwhelmed. The thought

came to Evan, If there was ever a time to put my faith in an all-powerful God into practice,

it’s now.

“Guys,” he said, “let’s pray.” He led them in the most fervent prayer he’d ever prayed.

In the silence after their prayer, Mr. Kelly’s words came back to them: “Conserve your

energy and use your small, lightweight shovels to hollow out a snow shelter.”

Using Evan’s shovel, they took turns digging out a snow cave. Then, finding a patch of

smooth snow, they stamped out the word HELP. They hoped that a pilot might see it.

As they tried to figure out what else they could do, Evan remembered the red silk banner.

His little sister had won it in a solo contest, and he’d stuffed it into his jacket, hoping to

be photographed with it on the mountaintop. He’d planned to give an enlarged picture to

his sister as a surprise. He took it out and spread it on the snow, weighing it down with

some gear from his backpack. He hoped that it might be visible from the air. Now that

they had done everything they could, there was nothing to do but sit and wait.

Lander maintained an outward cool, but soon Josh was nearly freaking out. Evan tried to

comfort him and began to explain the plan of salvation to both of them. They listened

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

and eagerly asked God to forgive their sins and invited Jesus into their hearts. Then the

three of them prayed silently. At 3:30 in the afternoon, they ate the candy bars they had

in their jackets.

When evening fell, the light of the full moon on the snow was breathtakingly beautiful,

but the night seemed cruel and endless. Trying to keep warm, they huddled in their snow

shelter. But by 3:00 a.m., cold, exhaustion, and hopelessness were threatening them like

tangible enemies. It was tempting to just give up and go to sleep forever in the snow.

Evan thought he heard the sound of an engine, but emerging from their cold cave, the

empty sky seemed to mock him. Feeling discouraged, he desperately prayed for strength,

stamina – and a miracle.

Little did Evan know that a miracle was in the making. Monte, a commercial pilot, was

flying a special order to a construction company that wanted to complete a project before

the deadline. Monte was ahead of schedule, so when he saw what looked like evidence

of an avalanche, he lowered his altitude and, out of curiosity, made a flyover. A dark

square on the white snow caught his attention. Gazing intently on the scene below, he

saw HELP spelled out in the snow. He immediately radioed air rescue, giving his exact

location and telling what he saw.

Unaware of God's intervention and intensely conscious of his hunger pangs, Evan kept

thinking about the food in his backpack. Why not offer to stay awake while his

companions got some sleep – then he could eat it all? He seriously considered the idea

– until a Sunday school picture flashed into his mind – Jesus being tempted by the devil

to turn stones into bread.

“Lord,” he prayed silently, “I'm so sorry.” As he shared the little he had, the three of them

decided to let one person at a time sleep – and to do as much praying as possible.

At ten o'clock, the boys heard a thumping vibrating sound, and were overjoyed to see a

helicopter descending to rescue them. Later, the whole story came together. The others

had been lost in the avalanche. The commercial pilot had never crossed that area at

night, and minutes after he’d taken off from the airport, the head contractor had called to

cancel the flight. He'd be able to buy the necessary materials from a project that had

been postponed, but since, by contract, he’d have to pay the pilot for use of the plane,

he’s let the order stand.

Even the newspaper article about their rescue called it miraculous.

Before this experience, Evan had read about the Israelites at the Red Sea, David and

Goliath, and Daniel in the lion’s den. He’d never known whether or not to take those

stories literally, but now he believed every word – and was terribly grateful when he

realized that “Evan and the avalanche” had been added to the list of God's miraculous

deeds.

Phenomena abound in nature that the most knowledgeable scientists can't explain, and

things that defy human understanding continue to occur. Why not put your faith in a

supernatural God and get in on the miracles God wants to perform for you?

ACTION STEPS TOWARD EXPECT-A-MIRACLE LIVING

1. Whenever a crisis hits, build your faith by reading about some of God's great

deliverances of people in the past. Look at the following for starters: Exodus 14:

1-31 – Red Sea Wonder; 2 Chronicles 20: 1-30 – Praise Plasters Enemy; Daniel

3: 1-30 – Fiery Furnace Facts; Daniel 6: 1-28 – Angel Induced Lion Lockjaw; Acts

16: 16-40 – Earthquaked to Freedom; Acts 27: 13-44 – Don’t Give Up the Ship

Until You See the Shore.

2. Confess any pride or other sin to God. Study the following passages to know how

to pray; 2 Chronicles 7: 14 and Psalms 66: 16-20.

3. Remember that God answers believing prayer. See Philippians 4: 6-7; James 5:

16; and 1 John 5: 14-15.

4. Trust that God will take care of you, and rest in His love. Look at Isaiah 26: 3; John

14: 27; and 1 Peter 5: 7 to see where God promises to do that for us.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Do you know how the clouds hang poised,?

those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?

-

Job 37: 16

For you are great and do marvelous deeds;

you alone are God.

-

Psalms 86: 10

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

his understanding has no limit.

-

Psalms 147: 5

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

The odds against life spontaneously forming on Earth are beyond imagination.

Sir Fred Hoyle, British scientist, mathematician, and astronomer, calculated the

possibility statistics on just one single cell developing anywhere in the universe. The

chances that all the functional proteins necessary for life might form in one place by

random events, he discovered, are one chance in 10 to the 40th, that is one chance in

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 1.

To help you understand odds like 1 in 10 to the 40th, here are some other statistics for

comparison:

 Your chance of winning a really big lottery twice in a row is 1 in 100,000 billion –

that’s only 10 to the 14th, or 100,000,000,000,000. 2.

 It would take only 10 to the 17th (100,000,000,000,000,000,) silver dollars to cover the

entire state of Texas two feet deep. 3.

 The number of snowflakes that have fallen on planet Earth since the beginning of

time is only 10 to the 35th (100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000). 4.

It is easy to see why Sir Fred Hoyle’s discovery was such big news. To give you even

more of an idea of the impossibility of those chances, consider – if a billion continents,

each the size of North America, were totally covered with stacks of dimes that were

239,000 miles high (the distance between the Earth and the moon), the possibility that a

blind-folded person could pick out the one dime that had been painted red on the first try

would be roughly equivalent to 1 in 10 to the 40th. 5.

“From a practical standpoint, scientists have determined that anything beyond one

chance in 10 to the 50th is beyond reason … essentially impossible or absurd. (Like

someone correctly picking the lottery seven times in a row).” 6.

The odds, then, of macroevolution changing a single cell ameba into a reptile … that

became a bird … that produced a land mammal … who gave birth to an ape … that evolved

into a human are “FAR LESS LIKELY than winning thousands of lotteries in a row.

Statistically, evolution is ‘impossible.’” 7.

But, as Dr. Hoyle has shown, it would also be impossible to produce even the first cell.

Since billions of cells would need to be assembled, Hoyle – although he was not

previously religious – decided that there must be a God. That life could result from time,

chance, and the properties of matter, Hoyle concluded, is roughly equivalent to believing

that “a tornado sweeping through a junk yard might assemble a Boeing 747 from

materials therein.” 8.

Other probability calculations are even more pessimistic. “Molecular biophysicist Harold

Horowitz calculated that if one were to take the simplest living cell and break every

chemical bond within it, the odds that the cell would reassemble under ideal natural

conditions would be one chance in 10 to the 100,000,000,000th.” 9.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Carl Sagan and Francis Crick, two outspoken evolutionists, tried to make the case that

life came to us from another universe in outer space. They estimated that the difficulty

of evolving a human by chance processes alone would be one chance in 10 to the

2,000,000,000th. 10. And it seems that these very important scientists forgot something

– this evolved human would need someone to marry if the race were to continue!

Since random chance can't put together the ingredients for even one cell, it’s evident that

the great Designer invented the cell and is behind the blueprint for life itself. God allowed

you to be born because He wanted to love you – just the way you are. He has a special

plan for your life – and that of each human – a plan on one else is uniquely fitted to

accomplish.

You can say with David, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me” (Psalms 138: 8). And

when things get tough you can pray the rest of that verse with him: “Your love, O Lord,

endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands.” God will hear your petition

and He will take care of you.

DOES IT MATTER?

Scott just couldn’t shake the depression that engulfed him. He’d been born to a single

mom, who told him that his father was a very nice man and that she had loved him deeply.

But things just didn’t work out for the wedding they'd planned.

Scott’s stepfather showed favoritism to his own children, making Scott feel left out and

frustrated. But the bombshell came when he’d eavesdropped on his mother's

conversation with his aunt.

He’d left the house to play in a baseball game, but when the umpire failed to appear, the

coaches postponed the game and sent their players home. Unaware of his presence in

the kitchen, his mother and aunt were talking out on the deck. “Sandy,” his aunt argued,

“How can you judge Melissa. If it hadn’t been for your car accident on the way to the

abortion clinic, Scott wouldn’t be here today.”

“I know,” Scott’s mother had replied, “but what would you have done? The man who got

me pregnant was married, was a drug dealer, and he’d been lying to me about

everything.”

The thought that his mother had never really wanted him was more than Scott could take.

In school, he’d been taught that all things came into existence through random chance.

Now he decided he was an accident – in more ways than one – and that there really was

no reason to go on living.

VITAL INFORMATION

What comfort is there for Scott when he wonders about the purpose of his life? What

comfort is there for you? God says to you, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I

have drawn you with loving kindness” (Jeremiah 31: 3). His love is unconditional, and

whether you respond to that love or not, God cares about you.

He made you with a special purpose in mind. No matter the circumstances of your birth,

the situation in your family, or the frustrations you must overcome, God is at work to cut

through the sin, the insensitivity, the prejudice, and the mistakes of others in order to

bless you and use you.

IF SCOTT PAYS ATTENTION TO WHAT GOD HAS TO SHOW HIM, THE CONTINUATION OF

HIS STORY COULD GO LIKE THIS …

Scott even thought of taking his own life. But to his great surprise a special speaker

addressed his youth group on the subject of suicide.

“I’d venture to say,” he began, “that several of you in this room have probably thought of

suicide. There is something you need to know. Those thoughts of ending your life come

straight from Satan himself. The devil is a robber, and he’s described in John 10: 10 as a

thief, who comes only to steal and kill and destroy. You must learn to reject those

thoughts of self-destruction.”

“Deuteronomy 32: 39 says, ‘There is no god besides me … I bring to life.’ Your life – even

if your parents didn’t want you – was especially created by God for a special purpose

that no one else can full. God loves you more than any human father ever could. You are

of infinite value because He created you as a designer original.”

Scott was shocked. It was as if God were speaking directly to him. The speaker

continued. “God is making the greatest power in the world available to you tonight. It is

the ability to forgive your enemies, to forgive people who have hurt you, even if those

people happen to be your parents. God can replace hate and resentment with the ability

to love. Your willingness to forgive is the container into which He can pour that power to

forgive.”

The speaker asked those who had contemplated suicide and those who needed to forgive

someone to come forward. Scott jointed the others. Jed, the college guy who came to

talk with him, was so nice that Scott ended up telling him everything. It felt good to talk

it out.

Jed assured Scott of God's great love for him. “Every time you doubt God's love for you,”

Jed suggested, “read about the crucifixion of Jesus. Remember, if you had been the only

person in the world, Jesus would have died just for you.”

When Scott said that he was willing to forgive his real father, his stepfather, and his

mother, Jed led him in a prayer, asking God for the power to forgive. He advised Scott

that each time the resentment tried to return, he should pray, “God, I'm willing to forgive.

Give me the power I need.”

“And every time the thought comes into your mind that you're an accident,” Jed told Scott,

“reject the idea. Instead, quote Jeremiah 1: 5, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew

you.’”

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Jed also told Scott to make an appointment with the youth pastor whenever he was

discouraged and really needed to talk with someone.

Although he had his ups and downs, Scott did try to put Jed’s advice into practice. Scott

got a concordance and looked up every verse on the love of God that he could find. He

wrote them down in a notebook to read when he felt discouraged.

The next time his stepfather planned something for his younger brothers without

including him, Scott prayed, “I'm willing to forgive. Please give me Your power.” Scott

continued to reject the idea that he was an accident, and found that talking periodically

with his youth pastor gave him strategies for dealing with his problems.

When Scott’s friend Dale was having trouble getting along with his stepfather, Scott was

able to pass along some useful advice. He told Dale that knowing Jesus had given him

the power to love his stepfather – and Dale could see that he really meant it. Dale even

started to attend youth group with Scott. The day that Dale accepted Christ as his Savior

made Scott realize the very special purpose that God had for Scott’s life. It had been the

Lord’s plan to use a person with similar problems to reach out to Dale – and Scott had

been that person.

Remember, the odds that even one cell could come together by accident are one in

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. It’s obvious, then, that God

put a lot of thought into designing you. There is no one just like you in the universe. Your

Maker loves and appreciates you, His special creation. Spend some time reflecting on

this when you feel down.

STEPS FOR CONQUERING THE I-FEEL-UNLOVED-AND-UNWANTED SYNDROME

1. Read the following Bible verses about God's love for you and make them a part of

your life: Psalms 57: 9-10; 103: 11-14; and 107: 1, John 15: 9-10, and 13-14, and

1 John 4: 9-10, and 18-19.

2. Read about the crucifixion of Jesus in Matthew 26: 36 – 27: 54, remembering that

He suffered all that because He loves you.

3. Realize that God carefully planned your life. You are not an accident.

4. Each time someone hurts you, pray, “I'm willing to forgive, Lord. Give me the

power I need.”

5. Find a mature Christian friend who will guard your secrets and give you godly

advice.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

your love, O Lord, endures forever.

-

Psalms 138: 8

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully

made …

I know that full well …

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

-

Psalms 139: 13-14, 16

As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things.

-

Ecclesiastes 11: 5

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

The wonders of water go well beyond its satisfying your thirst on a hot day. But just in

case you're interested, you're likely to guzzle down 16,000 gallons of water in your

lifetime.

Water also gives you a place to swim and makes it possible for plants to grow. Many

things that you see are made up mostly of water. An elephant and an ear of corn are

about seventy percent water, while a potato and an earthworm are about eighty percent

water.

Water is the only substance on Earth that is naturally present as not only a liquid, but as

a solid and a gas. 1. And in these three forms, water does some pretty amazing things in

ways that are not always obvious. Water in the form of ice, for instance, breaks up rocks

and produces soil. Water in the form of snow and rain moistens and cleanses the earth.

In its vapor state, water condenses to form dew, which provides extra humidity for plant

life over large areas.

As a solvent, water dissolves almost everything in the world 2. – sand and oil being

among the exceptions. 3. Watery solutions help dissolve what living things eat and carry

it to all parts of the organism. 4. When you think about it, it is pretty incredible that water

is able to dissolve everything necessary for life’s processes without dissolving the body

organs or the organic substances that facilitate the processes. 5.

Water is present, too, in the clouds. The water vapor level in our atmosphere is, in fact,

perfect for providing enough rainfall so that advanced life can exist on the Earth. 6. If the

clouds surrounding Earth were like the clouds around Venus, nothing could grow.

But water has even more unique properties that contribute to its value for life on Earth.

Unlike almost every other liquid, water expands and weighs less when frozen. If it didn’t,

lakes and rivers would freeze from the bottom up. 7. “If ice sank, the Earth would become

a lifeless arctic desert. Each winter, more and more ice would pile up on the bottom of

lakes, rivers, and oceans. In summer, the sun’s heat could not reach deeply enough to

melt the ice. Water life would die. The hydrologic cycle (which controls rain and water

evaporation) would slow down. In time, all of the water would turn to solid ice, except for

a thin layer of water over ice in summer.” 8.

It’s interesting, too, that the internal structure of a molecule of water is just right to

regulate the Earth’s temperature, making it favorable for life. If the electric polarity – the

amount of separation between the positive and negative poles within the water molecule

– were greater, so much heat would be generated during the formation of ice and the

condensation of water vapor into raindrops that people couldn’t live on the planet. But if

the electric polarity within the water molecule were smaller, water could not be the

solvent that is necessary for life chemistry to proceed. 9.

Besides the life-giving properties of water, it also provides ways to have fun. In addition

to the obvious recreational value of water sports, water in the form of snow provides

opportunities for winter sports like skiing, skating, and snowboarding. The existing

properties of the water molecule combined with atmospheric conditions produce snow,

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

as well as snowflake patterns. The shape of the snowflake depends upon the

temperature. Six-sided plates form only if the temperature is at or below the freezing

point (32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees centigrade). In colder weather, snow takes the

form of needles or hollow prisms. 10.

Snowflakes form without any external information or programming and are thus being

formed “naturally.” For that reason, it has been suggested that snowflakes support the

evolutionary theory that living organisms appeared spontaneously. But snowflakes,

unlike living organisms, do not have information-rich genetic codes that determine their

development. Nor do they do possess the ability to reproduce. 11.

Australian microbiologist Michael Denton observes that the difference between a living

cell and a snowflake “is a chasm as vast and absolute as it is possible to conceive.” 12.

Just as God provides water for a variety of processes that make life possible – and

enjoyable – He makes spiritual resources available to us. Experiencing the Spirit of God

can, in fact, give us love, joy, peace, and all the good stuff for which everybody is looking.

It’s no wonder that His gifts for the soul are often compared to water.

DOES IT MATTER?

Casey had a bad case of “the blahs.” He wasn’t quite sure what the problem was.

Sure, his parents fought a lot, but what else was new?

He didn’t like school, but that had been going on since the fourth grade.

He wasn’t very popular with the girls, next day his basketball team was losing a lot of

games, but both were a repeat of last year.

There wasn’t anything exciting to do in his small town, but he’d never expected there

would be. His grandfather talked about the big parade in 1968 when a presidential

candidate paid a visit. That was probably the most exciting thing that had ever happened

in their town.

No, nothing had changed since last year. But this year, for some reason, Casey felt like a

robot. Every morning, he got out of bed (after his mother yelled a few times). He

showered, dressed, and grabbed couple of doughnuts for breakfast. Then he sat through

all his classes, went to basketball practice, ate dinner, did some homework, watched TV,

and finally hit the sack – in order to repeat the process, the next day. Something was

missing, but Casey couldn’t figure out what it was.

VITAL INFORMATION

How can Casey – or you – fill up the hollowness you feel inside? Jesus answered that

question when He said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever

believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within

him” (John 7: 37-28). The apostle John explains, “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those

who believed in him were later to receive” (John 7: 39). Go through the Holy Spirit, is the

source of all you need.

IF CASEY SEEKS GOD’S SOLUTION FOR HIS PROBLEM, HIS STORY MIGHT CONTINUE

LIKE THIS …

Casey consoled himself with the thought that no one had ever died of boredom. Yet he

knew something was wrong. Wasn’t a real Christian supposed to be excited about life?

He remembered the day that he gave his life to Christ. He was only twelve. Watching the

Jesus movie at his church made Casey see for the first time that Jesus died for his sins.

He felt guilty and dirty and wanted to be clean. He realized how much Jesus had suffered

for him and wanted to give his whole life to the Lord.

After going forward to make a public confession of his faith, verbalizing his plea for

forgiveness, and telling God to make all the changes necessary in his life, he never

doubted his salvation. But he felt like he was missing something.

As Casey prayed about his lackluster existence, a plan formed in his mind. Maybe he

could talk to someone, but who? Someone he knew, a person who felt comfortable talking

about faith and about God. Of course! Casey knew someone like that, someone who

always had a smile and an encouraging word. Mr. Brandt! He must know the secret.

Mr. Brandt got around on crutches. He had lost a leg in the Vietnam War, and skin

problems prevented him from wearing a prosthetic leg. When his wife died, people

predicted that he would lose his optimistic attitude. But it didn’t happen. He always had

a smile on his face and enjoyed spending time with the kids at church.

There was no basketball practice the day before Thanksgiving, so Casey made his way

to Mr. Brandt’s house after school. Mr. Brandt greeted him at the door, and the two

exchanged small talk for a few minutes. But soon, Mr. Brandt’s friendly way of listening

made it easy for Casey to explain everything that was on his heart. Mr. Brandt listened

carefully before saying anything.

“Many years ago,” he began, “a miner was hopelessly lost in the desert. He was weak and

dizzy from lack of food and water. Just when all hope was gone, he stumbled onto a wide

rushing river with a big waterfall. Content that his life had been spared, he built a

makeshift hut, fashioned a fishing pole, and existed on the fish he caught and the wild

berries he found. Do you think that he acted wisely?”

Casey’s brow furrowed and he blinked a few times. “Well … I guess that way of living

would be okay … for awhile. But after he regained his strength, he could have gone down

the river and found other people. Maybe he could have come back and built a settlement

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

on the river …used the water to change the desert … irrigate crops.” Casey was warming

to the idea by now. “They could use the falls for hydroelectric power and maybe build a

manufacturing plant.” The principle of the story at last dawned on Casey – and he put it

into words. “He missed a lot of opportunities to make money and better his life.”

“Forgive me for saying so, Casey,” Mr. Brandt said gently, “but you're a lot like that miner.

He used the water to save his life, and he was content with that. You’ve depended on the

Holy Spirit to save your soul, but how about plugging into His supernatural power? You

could show the love of Jesus to people in practical ways, and witness to your friends at

school. You could read your Bible every day to find out what God wants you to do. You

could organize your friends and do something worthwhile, maybe sponsor Christian

concerts and other evangelistic events. I'll bet there are other teens in town who are

bored. Receiving God's love in order to give it away puts a spark into any life.

“I learned a long time ago,” Mr. Brandt continued, “not to let circumstances form my

prison. I consciously remember that Jesus is always by my side, and I talk to Him every

few minutes by sending up a prayer, so I never go anywhere alone. When sadness or

discouragement knock on my door, I just say, ‘Jesus, what do I do now?’ – and the answer

is usually, ‘Come up with some way to help another person.’”

Casey thanked Mr. Brandt and went straight to Jim’s house. Jim was president of their

church youth group. Casey knew that the two of them could organize some fun activities

for the kids in their town, and after each event a short evangelistic talk could be given.

He knew their youth pastor would help out.

Hillary had talked about the kids from the youth group going to the retirement center to

spend time with her grandmother and the other residents – especially the ones who

didn’t get many visitors. The young people could put on some programs – sing some

worship songs, do a puppet show, give a presentation – and talk with people afterwards.

He and Jim could get something like that organized.

And the person in charge of working with the children at their church was always glad to

have teens come by to help in their programs.

Suddenly, Casey had lot of ideas about things he and the other kids from his church could

do to minister to others.

Like Casey, you can decide to reach out to others as you depend upon the Lord for all

that you need. The God who invented water with all of its incredible qualities stands ready

to give the living water of His Holy Spirit to put spark and meaning into ordinary days and

boring routine. It’s up to you to turn on the faucet by praying and thirsting for more of

God.

ACTION STEPS FOR BEATING BOREDOM

1. List ten things you could do to show God's love to other people – and begin to

carry them out one by one, checking them off your list.

2. Learn how to clearly present the gospel, and trust the Holy Spirit for the boldness

to share it. Make a list of your friends who don’t know Jesus and pray for them.

Receive from the Holy Spirit instructions and power for finding ways to share the

gospel with them. You might, for instance, invite a friend to your house to see a

Christian video. You could invite another to an event at your church. Give your

intellectual classmate something to read that will challenge him or her to think

about Jesus.

3. Don’t just read the Bible; put it into practice.

4. Think of Jesus as being physically beside you all the time and learn to talk over

with Him each detail of your life.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me

and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can

do nothing.

-

John 15: 5

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to

his good purpose.

-

Philippians 2: 12-13

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Animals – and even plants – are equipped to protect themselves.

Monarch butterflies, for example, feed on poisonous milkweed while in their caterpillar

state. The toxins remain in the body of the adult butterfly, making them taste so bitter

and disagreeable that birds usually won't eat them. 1. The viceroy butterfly, on the other

hand, tastes just fine, but it stays out of birds’ beaks because its appearance is similar

to the monarch butterfly. 2.

Other kinds of insects also have methods of self-defense. A bombardier beetle, when

attacked by a toad, shoots a stream of boiling noxious gas that coats the toad’s

outstretched tongue with a bad-tasting film. 3. Some millipedes defend themselves by

using clouds of lethal hydrogen cyanide gas. Released through vents in their sides, the

poison can be aimed at the attacker.

At least one African species of millipede can fire broadsides in two directions at the same

time – like a battleship on legs. 4. Tropical termites send jets of quick-setting glue from

an apparatus in their heads. The stickiness of the glue immobilizes marauding ants while

its smell calls other termite soldiers to the battle. 5.

Ingenious weaponry is found in higher forms of animals as well. The “glass snake” lizard

is able to break off its tail at the halfway point. The dismembered tail, still sometimes

wiggling, serves as a decoy while the real lizard scurries for safety – and waits for a

shorter tail to grow back. 6.

The frill of the Australian frilled lizard normally lies flat along its neck. But when the lizard

is in full defense mode, it lifts the frill, which stands out in a disk and can measure up to

two feet across. In this defense posture, hissing loudly, the three-foot lizard appears

quite formidable, but is in reality rather harmless. 7.

The Eastern hog nose snake, when in danger, simply plays dead. 8.

Lobsters survive by teamwork. When lobsters in the Bahamas migrate to deeper water,

each lobster hooks one pair of its front legs around the crustacean ahead, or flicks its

antennae to maintain contact. (Sometimes, these “parades” can be up to fifty lobsters

long.) In this way, each lobster’s vulnerable belly and tail is protected by the armored legs

and antennae of the one behind as they scuttle across the ocean floor. 9.

Another sea creature with powerful self-defense is the electric eel of South America. It

has enough voltage in its tail to light a dozen household bulbs or to kill a man on contact.

10.

Blue whales, it seems, possess an alarm system. They have been known to emit whistles

louder than a jet plane. In one case, the moan of five whales seems to have been picked

up by another whale more than 100 miles away. 11.

Birds, too, are not without resources. The woodcock, for example, has a 360-degree

range of vision, enabling it to see both in front and in back. 12.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Land mammals also use various methods to protect themselves. Foxes use speed and

intelligence to outmaneuver their enemies, often wearing them down by running in circles

and leading them on a wild goose chase. The red fox stays well ahead of its pursuer,

reaching speeds of up to twenty-six miles per hour. 13.

A skunk can accurately spray an opponent in the eye from a distance of thirteen to

sixteen feet. The putrid yellow liquid causes hours of discomfort and can cause

temporary blindness. 14.

Badgers, as masters of the disappearing act, can dig themselves out of sight in ten

minutes. 15.

Even plants protect themselves. A desert brittle bush drops poisonous leaves, killing off

seedlings of other plants that could grow up to threaten its water supply. 16.

It’s a no-brainer that Someone extremely intelligent put all these ingenious defense

systems into place. It’s comforting to know that the God who cares for all He has made

has protection plans to keep you safe from your enemy, the devil. It might be smart to

find out what those protections are.

DOES IT MATTER?

It was the evening of Carly’s birthday party. Her parents had reserved a private room at

an Italian restaurant – the one that had the best pizza in town.

Brianna carefully wrapped the gift she’d bought and dressed for the occasion. Viewing

herself in the full-length mirror, though, she was overcome with anguish. She felt fat and

ugly. And pizza was her favorite food.

She’d promised herself a hundred times that she would never vomit up her food again or

take laxatives. And a hundred times she’d vowed to stay on a diet and start exercising –

tomorrow.

As Brianna entered the restaurant, she put on her life-of-the-party mask, telling jokes

that made everyone laugh. During the party, she pigged out on pizza, ending her meal

with a huge, hot-fudge sundae.

Minutes later, Brianna felt that irresistible urge – like an unseen presence – driving her

to the bathroom to vomit up her food. Brianna didn’t realize, though, that she was not

alone. That night, Carly’s suspicions about her friend were confirmed.

VITAL INFORMATION

God could kill the devil if He wanted to. He could have chosen to give you a life with no

obstacles, no challenges – and no victories. But rather than make life easy, the Lord

designed each day so that it cannot be lived well without His assistance. If you

continually depend upon Him, you'll develop an intimate relationship with the Creator of

the universe.

His Word contains the winning strategy: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil

and he will flee from you” (James 4: 7). God wants you to experience the joy of being a

winner.

IF BRIANNA IS OPEN TO GOD, SHE COULD EXPERIENCE HIS POWER TO OVERCOME …

Carly prayed about the best way to confront Brianna and about what she could do to help

her. Finally, she confided in her youth pastor.

Taking the initiative, Pastor John invited the girls to his office. The atmosphere was tense

as Carly explained her suspicions that Brianna suffered from bulimia. All the while, Carly

affirmed her friendship and desire to help.

Brianna cried as she admitted to everything.

Pastor John reassured Brianna. He told both girls that the devil had no power to create

and that his only tool was deception. Using the white board behind his desk, Pastor John

outlined Satan’s strategy to destroy people.

1. Satan makes you believe a big lie – in this case that being extra thin is the most

important thing in life.

2. The devil convinces you that God can't or won't help you with the problem.

3. The devil or his demons put thoughts and impulses in your mind, convincing you

that they originated in your own head.

4. The enemy tried to conceal that you have power in Christ to resist these thoughts

and urges.

Pastor John summed up the strategy for plugging into supernatural power: “It’s basically

prayer, following biblical principles, engaging in spiritual warfare, and obeying God. But

so you get some precise pointers for your specific problem,” said Pastor John, handing

Brianna a business card. “I’d like you to see this Christian counselor.”

Brianna started reading her Bible and praying every day. When she felt the impulse to

vomit, she made a stand in prayer, often calling Carly on the phone so they could pray

together.

Brianna also came to accept that she wasn’t built to be super slender, and she started

appreciating the way God had made her. She kept her appointments with the counselor

and learned helpful information.

Slowly, she changed her eating habits and started swimming four times a week. Finally,

the day came when she could fit into the next size smaller dress – without purging

herself. Knowing that she was winning the battle by depending upon God was a great

feeling.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Ever since sin entered this world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, God has

promised to be our defender against Satan’s attacks. Unlike the members of the animal

kingdom, which have defense systems that are activated by instinct, we need to admit

that we can't overcome by using our own ingenuity. We must be willing to receive our

strategy, our strength, and our defensive weapons from the God who said, “My power is

made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12: 9). If we depend upon the Lord, the joy of

overcoming can be ours.

ACTION STEPS TO DEFEATING SATAN

1. Remember that you are a perfect you. Don’t let the devil convince you that God

made a mistake when He designed your body, your personality, or your abilities.

It’s the devil’s lie that you must prove your worth by being extraordinarily good

looking, super-intelligent, or able to do something better than anyone else. Once

you believe the devil’s lies, he has set you up for an inferiority complex that can

open the door to a lot of temptations.

2. Blow the devil’s cover by realizing that what God says is always true: “You … have

overcome … because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the

world” (1 John 4: 4).

3. Obey God in everything because disobedience is the devil’s key to your heart.

4. Depend upon God to defend you. He is the same God who told Moses: “The Lord

will fight for you” (Exodus 14: 14) – and who promises to take care of you.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond

what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also

provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

-

1 Corinthians 10: 13

The Lord knows how to rescue godly men (and women) from

trials.

-

2 Peter 2: 9

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

The woodpecker is a marvel. This amazing bird’s little body is equipped with a host of

interdependent functions, none of which will serve its purpose unless all are working

together.

“Wood-slammer” might, in fact, be a better name for a woodpecker, because its beak

strikes a tree with such tremendous force. Excellent nerve and muscle coordination must

produce a perfect hit since a miss could wrench the cover off the woodpecker’s brain.

But the woodpecker is very accurate, and it is outfitted with a tough bill, a heavy-duty

skull, and shock-absorbing tissue between its bill and skull. It should be obvious that the

woodpecker was created – possessing simultaneously all of these traits. If not, it could

not have survived.

Woodpeckers are perfectly equipped, then, to drill holes in trees. They do so to store

acorns, but they also hunt bark beetles. When the beetles hear the pounding, they crawl

farther down into their holes. But a woodpecker has a long, sticky tongue, which puts an

end to the beetles’ escape plans. 1.

In explaining how impossible it would have been for a woodpecker to evolve its

characteristics one at a time, biologist Dr. Gary Parker says this about the woodpecker’s

tongue: If a bird gets a long, sticky tongue just by chance, what is it going to do with it?

Dangling out of the bill, the tongue gets bit or even stepped on. As the bird is flying over

a twig, the tongue could wrap around the twig and hang the hapless “pre-woodpecker.”

The answer for the woodpecker is to slip its tongue into a muscular sheath that wraps

around the skull under the scalp and inserts into the right nostril! That makes good sense

(and good science) if you're planning ahead, but poses real problems if your faith is in

time and chance, trial and error. (You don’t get another trial if the error is fatal!) 2.

So we see that the woodpecker’s tongue, as well as its skull, beak, and unbelievable

accuracy when striking a tree trunk, were custom make for Mr. Woodpecker. Without

every detail of this elaborate system working perfectly – something impossible to

achieve by a series of slowly evolved mutations – the woodpecker cold not hunt beetles

to satisfy its hunger. 3.

God, who created the incredible design that assures the woodpecker a well-balanced diet

of acorns and beetles, guarantees that not one little bird is forgotten. There is no need

for you to worry, then, because – to paraphrase Luke – you are worth more than many

woodpeckers (see Luke 12: 7).

You can also be sure that God has equipped you to face a future that He already knows

about. You can trust Him to give you what you need when you need it.

DOES IT MATTER?

Eric wondered what would happen to him. He had never known his father and had no idea

where he was. Eric and his mom had always lived with Grandpa Jack. Eric’s mother was

busy, striving for promotions in her high-paying job, so she was often out of town. But

Grandpa Jack had always been there for Eric.

Grandpa Jack was patient and loving, disciplining Eric when he disobeyed, helping him

with homework, and taking him fishing. It was Grandpa Jack who had led Eric to Christ,

who sat with him in church, and who showed him by example how to live the Christian

life. And since his retirement, Grandpa Jack had turned into a super chef.

When Eric first noticed that his grandfather was getting forgetful, he didn’t think much of

it. But when Grandpa Jack put the mail in the refrigerator and almost burned the house

down by using the barbeque lighter fluid in the fireplace, Eric’s mother made a doctor’s

appointment. The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease seemed more than Eric could cope

with. According to the doctor, the grandfather that Eric knew would slowly cease to exist.

But Eric still needed him.

VITAL INFORMATION

How can Eric – or you – cope with an uncertain future?

God had enough foresight to equip the woodpecker with everything it needs to survive.

God has looked ahead, and He has planned to supply you with what you need each time

your life takes an unexpected turn.

God’s track record is impressive. He provided bread from heaven for the Israelites when

they wandered in the desert, as well as cloud cover by day, and a pillar of fire for light and

warmth at night. He reprogrammed some ravens so they’d bring food to Elijah during a

drought. He used a huge fish to gulp down Jonah and transport him to land. He sent an

angel lion tamer to protect Daniel. And He “earth quaked” Paul and Silas right out of their

prison chains.

The Lord hasn’t changed. When you don’t want to wake up to face the same problem

another day, remember – although the difficulty will still be there, so will your God.

IF ERIC SEEKS GOD AND COOPERATES WITH HIM, HIS STORY MIGHT CONTINUE LIKE

THIS …

Eric couldn’t imagine life without his grandfather – and he didn’t want to.

His mother was the family rebel – very smart and successful, but not at all interested in

doing the will of God. Eric knew that his mother loved him, but he also knew that he’d

been an unwanted child, and he sensed a certain amount of rejection. His mother was

usually too busy to really listen, and she pressured him to be a success – even in areas

where he didn’t have much ability.

If his grandfather lost his mind, what would Eric do?

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Eric decided to pray like he’d never prayed before. As he discussed his problem with the

Lord, he realized that he needed outside help, Eric made an appointment with his pastor.

“Eric,” Pastor Jim said gently, “your first need is someone to talk to. You’ll become

frustrated when your grandfather’s mind doesn't function the way it used to. So please

call me when you want advice or just need to talk. I'm on call twenty-four hours a day.

“You're also going to need other kinds of assistance. I'll put you in touch with the local

chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. But there is a whole congregation of people in

this church who are willing to help. Don’t hesitate to call. And I want you to make a pact

with me – together, we’ll pray for your mother as well as your grandfather. I feel God will

use your grandfather’s illness to bring her back to Him. Every time you and I talk, we’ll

pray for her.”

Eric felt a lot better as he left his pastor’s office. He kept praying for Grandpa Jack and

for his mother, and he visited his pastor often. After several months, his mother came

back to the Lord, and slowly his communication with her improved. Watching his

grandfather’s decline, however, broke Eric’s heart. But he kept praying for his mother, for

Grandpa Jack, and for himself.

The day came when it wasn’t safe for his grandfather to be left alone, and Grandpa Jack

had to go live with Eric’s aunt and uncle in another state. A sense of loneliness and loss

overwhelmed Eric. He dreaded coming home to an empty house, and even the thought of

staying alone while his mother traveled scared him.

He took his needs to God in prayer and told his pastor all about them. And God answered

in a most amazing way. The pastor arranged for Eric to stay with a family from church

whenever his mother was gone. The three little boys in that family became like the

brothers Eric never had, and he enjoyed spending time with them.

For Eric, the fear of the future was beginning to fade. He started trusting his all-powerful,

all-knowing, and all-loving heavenly Father to look out for him. You, too, can conquer

your fear of the future. Don’t you think that God – who carefully planned to assure the

future of something so small as a woodpecker – will take care of you?

ACTION STEPS FOR FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

1. Pray about each need and each fear that you have, trusting that God will provide.

2. Find a caring Christian adult who is competent to give you good counsel and help.

(If the first person you go to disappoints you, don’t give up. Just keep on looking.)

3. Be open to God's supplying your needs in unexpected ways.

4. Meditate on these verses that tell of the greatness of God: Jeremiah 32: 27

Psalms 18: 2-3; 46: 1; and 147: 5 As you realize how big God is and praise Him

for His character, your problems will seem a lot smaller.

5. Ask God to show you His comfort and His love.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans

to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope

and a future.”

-

Jeremiah 29: 11

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according

to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity

with the purpose of his will.

-

Ephesians 1: 11

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.

-

Hebrews 13: 5

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Order does not naturally flow from chaos. If you ran a movie backward, you'd see a

broken cup reassemble itself, but that never happens in real life. We can't keep things

from wearing out or breaking or disintegrating. The same goes for people, plants, and

animals. Living things age and eventually die. 1.

Hugh Ross, Ph.D., states that, according to the second law of thermodynamics, “as time

proceeds, the universe becomes progressively more disordered, decayed, and run down.”

2. Put in different terms, heat always flows by itself from warmer to cooler objects, and

that energy tends to become less ordered as time goes on. In other words, heat naturally

chills out, and order decays or turns to chaos. A bowl of hot soup turns cold when it sits

on the table (and would spoil if you left it there for a week), your favorite T-shirt fades

and the fabric becomes thin, your room – which you cleaned on Saturday – looks like a

tornado hit by the time your grandmother visits. 3.

Scientific evidence also indicates that everything is going in the direction of

disintegration. Instead of new life-forms evolving, for example, fewer and fewer

organisms are surviving. “Of all known forms of animal life ever to inhabit the earth, only

10 percent still exist today,” 4. and the “estimated number of animal species that have

become extinct since 1980: 100,000.” 5.

“Estimates of the current rate of extinction vary from a low of 1 species per day to a high

of 5 species per hour.” 6.

Decline and even extinction, not evolution is the rule when we compare fossil sea

life with the sort of marine invertebrates we find living today. In fact, all major

groups, except perhaps groups including clams and snails, are represented by

greater variety and more complex forms as fossils than today. 7.

It hardly makes sense that in the distant past, time and chance produced ever more

complex living things, when today species become extinct instead of adapting to

changed environments.

Dr. Ross sums it up like this: “No one example of significant self-generation or self-

organization can be found in the entire realm of nature. In fact, nature shows us just the

opposite … without causation nothing happens without organization by an intelligent

being, systems tend toward lower and lower levels of complexity.” 8.

Today we agree that explosions, as well as works of art and construction projects, all

need brains behind them. Is it reasonable to believe, then, that billions of years ago

energy and matter became spontaneously organized, bringing order out of chaos,

without any cause whatsoever?

Humans can't create something out of nothing. Energy and matter are actually two forms

of the same thing, and the combined amount of both remains constant. Mass and energy

cannot be created or destroyed by people. Humans can turn mass into energy and vice

versa, but the total amount of these two substances stays the same. It is possible to

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

make new forms of matter out of those that already exist, but humans must start with

something. 9.

If energy, matter, and natural forces brought everything into existence, they should be

able to save us from destruction. But that isn’t the case. Scientists believe that the

second law of thermodynamics will ultimately force the universe into a condition known

as “heat death.” 10.

Why would God create a perfect universe and let it end in a heat death? Why does He

permit things to decay and disintegrated, and allow people to get old and die? Good

questions. And the Bible gives us the answer.

God plans to create something even more fantastic in the future. Christ will return before

this “heat death” occurs, and God will make “a new heaven and a new earth, the home of

righteousness” (2 Peter 3: 13) in which everything will maintain in a state of complete

perfection.

Knowing that you can look forward to experiencing the new creation will help you face

life.

DOES IT MATTER?

Nick lagged behind, following his parents and younger sisters into the funeral home. The

entrance seemed eerie and much too silent. They were ushered into a large room on the

left, where girls from his youth group stood in front of the casket, crying audibly. As Nick

approached, he saw the still and lifeless form of Joel, the guy who’d been his best friend.

As Nick stood there, he remembered the moment he’d heard the news. Nick had been

washing the family car, and his dad come out of the house, wearing an unfamiliar

expression. Joel, Nick’s dad told him, had been killed in a bus accident during a teen

mission’s trip to Bolivia.

Nick never finished washing the car, and he’d been walking around in a daze ever since.

It couldn’t be true! How could such a thing happen? Why?

Joel had saved his money for over a year to participate in this evangelistic effort. Besides

getting straight A’s in his Spanish class, he’d spent extra hours studying to better

communicate with the teens in Bolivia.

Nick felt anger rising within him. It wasn’t fair! The best Christian in their youth group

was dead at the age of seventeen. Why didn’t God use His power to prevent the accident?

Didn’t God realize that Joel was planning to be a missionary and that He’d just lost one

of His best recruits? Didn’t God care that Nick had lost his best friend ever? Nick didn’t

know what he’d do without Joel.

VITAL INFORMATION

The Bible tells us, “The creation was subjected to frustration … in hope that the creation

itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom

of the children of God … we wait eagerly for … the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:

20-21, 23). God's ultimate plan is to give us new immortal bodies that will experience no

pain. We will inhabit those bodies in a new universe that is free from frustration, decay,

and death.

Aging, seeing things wear out, and losing people we love remind us that we’re made for

a better world. Although Joel would be missed, his death was not a tragedy from heaven’s

point of view. It only meant that Joel got to see Jesus and enjoy heaven long before his

friends. And God has comfort for Nick, plus a call for him to consider eternal values.

IF NICK BRINGS HIS FEELINGS OF PAIN AND LOSS TO GOD IN ORDER TO RECEIVE HIS

COMFORT, THIS COULD BE THE CONTINUATION OF THE STORY …

The church was packed and some people stood in the back. When the youth pastor stood

up to give the sermon at Joel’s funeral, Nick was too overwhelmed to really listen. But he

did, at last, tune in.

“Our purpose in living is to take as many people to heaven with us as possible,” Pastor

Rick was saying. “Although the conversion of each individual is different, usually God

uses several people to help a person see the need of salvation.

“A Christian presents the gospel to a friend, but the friend rejects the message. Another

believer shows unusual Christian kindness to that friend. A third prays for the friend when

he or she is facing problem. Yet another invites that friend to a Christian concert where

he or she makes the decision to accept Christ.

“Joel lived out his concern to see others come to Jesus. Many of you will be in line to

thank Joel once you reach heaven, because some of you will be there because Joel

witnessed to you.”

The pastor continued, “We mourn our loss. Tears will flow, and our hearts will ache. How

good to know that the Lord is our comfort, that we can tell Jesus how we feel and let Him

put His arms around us. It is right that we grieve, but I also call you to action. I'm asking

every young person who is here today, are you willing to rededicate your life to the cause

for which Joel gave his? If so, I invite you to come to the front.”

Moved, Nick walked toward the platform with many others. With tears in his eyes, he told

the Lord he’d do whatever was His will.

His resolve was, of course, tested. When school started in September, he missed Joel

more than ever. He didn’t know who to eat lunch with, and there was no one to greet him

at his locker each morning. But he noticed things he’d never seen before – guys who

seemed lonely, those with looks of sadness.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Although naturally shy, Nick approached a new kid. “Hi. How are ya doin?” he said with a

sincere smile. “You’re new, aren’t you? My name’s Nick.”

“I'm Jacob,” said the new kid, looking genuinely pleased at Nick’s friendliness. “Glad to

meet ya.”

“Why don’t we meet for lunch?” Nick suggested. “Maybe I can help you navigate through

all the new-school stuff.”

“Great,” Jacob responded. “Thanks!”

“Sure thing,” said Nick, already feeling better. “I'll wait for you by the pop machine.”

And Jacob showed up. While they ate lunch, Nick learned that Jacob’s parents had just

divorced, and that he and his mom had moved to Springfield to live with his grandmother.

As Jacob told his story, Nick could see the pain in his eyes. Because of the grief Nick was

experiencing, he was now more sensitive to the needs of others.

Nick determined to start praying for Jacob, become his friend and, just like Joel would

have done, look for an opportunity to share Jesus with him.

An awareness that this world isn’t made to last indefinitely and a decision to invest your

life in things of everlasting value will help Nick – and you – when times are tough. The

eternal perspective will allow you to receive God's comfort when what is most important

is taken from you. Take solace in this: Because you have Jesus, you have forever hope.

ACTION STEPS FOR DEALING WITH LOSS AND DISAPPOINTMENT

1. Set your sights on the things that last forever; the Word of God and the souls of

those with whom you come in contact.

2. Tell God about the pain you feel, ask Him for His comfort, and let His Word speak

to your heart.

3. Use the sensitivity that suffering gives you to reach out to others who are hurting.

4. Put things in the perspective of eternity. It might seem terribly dark right now, but

this time of trouble is only a split second in comparison with eternity.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass

away.

-

Matthew 24: 35

Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.

-

Hebrews 9: 27

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven

and the first earth had passed away, … And God himself will

be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear

from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying

or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

-

Revelation 21: 1, 3-4

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Animals come equipped with special survival gear.

The polar bear’s coat, for example, is specifically designed for the cold. Made up of clear,

hollow hairs, it traps ultraviolet light and conducts it to the bear’s skin, where it is

changed to heat. The fur insulates so well that it holds in 95 percent of the animal’s

warmth. 1.

Polar bears also have a way to get through long hibernation periods – they overeat. The

average Alaskan male polar bear weighs 1,000 pounds and can lose 25 percent of his fat

during hibernation. But because he stores up fat from large amounts of food, when he

wakes up, he’s still healthy. 2.

The emperor penguin, another cold weather animal, has thick and oily feathers, custom-

made for its needs. The feathers form a waterproof coat that keeps the penguin dry no

matter how long it stays in the icy waters of Antarctica. The white underside of a penguin

helps it blend with the sunlit sky and water, making it hard for predators to see it if viewed

from below. Seen from above, the penguin’s dark back matches the blackness of the

ocean depths. 3.

Another way these penguins (which stand about four feet high and can weigh up to one

hundred pounds). 4. survive is through teamwork. They huddle together in groups, as

many as five thousand of them, to keep warm in the frigid and dark Antarctic winter.

About eleven can occupy each square yard, and they alternate their positions so no bird

is continually on the outside. 5.

Cooperation also comes naturally for swans. When swans migrate, they fly in a V-

formation, which reduces wind resistance on the birds that fly farther back in the

formation. Because they take turns leading, twenty-five birds can fly 70 percent farther

then can one swan alone. 6.

The ptarmigan is a bird that doesn’t migrate, but remains in the north year-round. In

winter it gets a camouflage of white feathers on its body and extra feathers on its feet

that act as snowshoes. In spring, the “shoes” come off and it grows its brown feathers

again. 7.

As animals in cold climates have been provided ways to survive the freezing

temperatures, those that live in hot climates have also been provided ways to survive.

Elephants use their built in fans, flapping their big ears back and forth to keep cool. 8.

Camels, known as the “ships of the desert,” rarely get thirsty. “A camel can go without

water for days or even months.” 9. Even the feet of a camel help it survive in the desert.

Each foot has two big toes that spread apart, preventing them from sinking into the sand.

10.

Equally equipped for water shortages is a certain frog that lives in the central Australian

desert. It emerges from its underground den on the few occasions it rains. Absorbing up

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

to 50 percent of its body weight in water, the frog resembles a small balloon and is ready

to weather the next drought. 11.

The eagle, too, takes advantage of rainstorms – but in a different way. Fashioned for the

environment, an eagle’s wing construction allows it to ride upon wind updrafts. So

instead of being in danger during a storm, the eagle can fly even higher than under fair

weather conditions. 12.

Unlike the eagle, some animals don’t have to activate their survival systems. The coat of

a helpless fawn provides it with camouflage. Its more than three hundred white spots

against a tan background hide it well, and since the fawn has no odor, predators pass it

by. 13.

Protective coloring, in fact, helps many animals to survive. A chameleon that is

completely blind will take on the color of its environment 14. – its color is controlled by

body chemicals. 15. Most fish have lighter colors on their undersides to blend in better

with the underwater plants and mud when seen from above. The Nile catfish, however,

which swims upside down to keep an eye on the plants growing on the water’s surface,

is outfitted with a belly that is darker than its back. 16.

Living things are equipped with built-in survival techniques but are incapable of

undergoing major changes – even if demanded by their environment. That’s why some

species become endangered. True, “there is evidence of a mechanism that produces

minor variations.” 17. If, for example, a certain species of rabbit comes in two colors, the

color that offers the best protection in a certain area will become dominant. But there is

“no distinct mechanism for the really creative kind of evolution, the kind that builds new

body plans and new complex organs.” 18. Leopards can't erase their spots and brightly

colored parrots can't turn brown. Animals can only make the adaptations needed to

survive if their gene pool contains the genetic variations for a certain trait.

For this reason, “the clearest and simplest evidence of creation is ‘the marvelous fit of

living things to their environment.’” 19. God used incredible creativity in designing each

living creature so it could survive and thrive in the climate and environment in which it is

placed. God is also very good at providing for our survival in unfavorable circumstances.

A God who is capable of such marvels and whose character is perfect deserves our praise

and adoration.

DOES IT MATTER?

Kristi was shocked, heartbroken, angry, and confused. Her father had taken her out to

breakfast. In the middle of eating pancakes, he told her that he'd decided to divorce her

mother. He was going to marry his secretary, who was going to have his baby. His

assurances that he loved his children and would always be there for them seemed hollow

and insincere. He said he'd already informed Kristi’s mother and her brothers the night

before when Kristi had been out with her friends.

When they got home from the restaurant, Kristi’s dad finished packing his stuff and left.

Kristi’s mother cried for days; her junior-high brother, Tom, got into trouble at school; her

sophomore brother, Nathan, clammed up and kept everything inside. Kristi’s prayers

were desperate: “God, where are you in all of this? What can I do?”

VITAL INFORMATION

What can we do to cope with the long-term problems over which we have no control?

One answer is to turn our attention away from the crushing circumstances and

concentrate on the greatness of God. Meditate on the grandeur of the One who carved

out the mountains, planted the jungles, and fashioned the beautiful beaches.

Reflect, too, on the compassion, strength, and goodness of God. He has rescued

prostitutes, transforming them into women of God. He has freed drug addicts to live for

Him, and He has healed the emotional wounds of those who have suffered horrible abuse

or injustice.

Although the Creator has given all humans the dignity of free will, there is no limit to what

He can do for the person totally committed to Him. Discovering in a profound way who

God is and how He revealed Himself in His Son makes all the difference.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace. 20.

IF KRISTI LEARNS TO PRAISE GOD WITH SINCERITY, THE NEXT CHAPTER OF HER LIFE

COULD READ LIKE THIS …

And things got worse for Kristi and her family before they got better. Kristi’s mother had

to sell their house, and they moved into a townhouse. Kristi’s mother also became more

and more bitter. Tom’s rebellion increased, and Nathan was being treated for depression.

The day the divorce was final, her father and his secretary went to Las Vegas to get

married. Kristi felt like the pressure was more than she could take.

Then she met Megan, whose aunt and uncle attended Kristi’s church. Megan had come

from California to live with them, and she also attended Kristi’s high school. Megan lived

her Christianity more than anyone Kristi had ever known. Her kindness and her joy were

contagious. She wasn’t afraid to tactfully present Christian viewpoints in hostile

classrooms, and she had an incredible capacity to care for other people.

Megan saw that Kristi was struggling and went to visit her.

“I thought it might help you,” said Megan, “if you heard my story.” Four years before,

Megan had lost both of her parents and her sisters in a car crash. She’d been living with

her grandparents since then, but now their health had failed to the point that they needed

to move to an assisted living complex. “What I've discovered,” Megan said simply, “is that

when I praise God and think of all His wonderful qualities, my problems become smaller

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

and His power increases in my life. I listen to praise music, or I sing hymns or read

psalms. I thank God for all the blessings I have, or tell Him how much I appreciate each

of his character traits.”

“Once I've spent time praising Him, I realize how powerful God really is and that I can ask

Him for things with real faith. Of course, some situations are like scrambled eggs, you

can't turn them sunny-side up again. For these I let the Lord give me the strength and

wisdom to cope. But there are so many things that our prayers can impact.”

Kristi listened for all she was worth. Megan was living proof that what she was saying

was true. And Kristi was ready to learn to praise God in spite of the situation.

When you need supernatural aid to get through each day, remember that the God who

made provision for animals to survive in their environments will provide you with what

you need to survive in yours. You can keep on praising Him for what He has done, what

He is doing, and what He will do. Praise God because He deserves it – and because you

were made to adore Him. You'll find contentment doing what you were designed to do.

Someone has said, “The answer to loneliness isn’t love – it is praising God.” Try it. Only

God can fill the emptiness inside, and praise connects you with Him. Learn to continually

worship God with the way you work and study, in your responses to frustrations, by

focusing moment to moment your attention on Him. It will transform your life.

ACTIONS STEPS TO EXPERIENCING THE POWER OF PRAISE

1. Decide to stop mulling over your problems and write down all the qualities that

God possesses.

2. Read about the greatness of God in the Psalms, especially in these Psalms: 19;

23; 27; 34; 37; 43; 50; 62; 86; 91; 100; 107; 113; 139; 146.

3. Spend ten minutes thanking God for major things like sending Jesus to die on the

cross for you, and for minor things like providing money to buy a snack or helping

you with a pop quiz.

4. Before you bring each request to God, praise Him and thank Him for what He is

going to do.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

-

Psalm 106: 1

The Lord is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

All you have made will praise you, O Lord;

your saints will extol you.

-

Psalm 145: 9-10

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Plants and trees have some pretty impressive qualities.

California redwoods, for instance, “are the world’s tallest living trees … a redwood in

northern California is the tallest known living tree in the world. It is about 368 feet high.”

1. Yet the redwoods, which achieve such colossal growth, start from seeds that are only

one-sixteenth of an inch long – seeds so small that it takes 123,000 of them to make a

pound. 2.

The General Sherman tree in California’s Sequoia National Park is the largest tree – in

terms of volume – in the world and weighs more than six thousand tons. 3. It is 274.9

feet tall, 102.6 feet in circumference at its base, and has a volume of 52,058 cubic feet.

4.

Another superior sequoia, the General Grant, could supply enough wood to build fifty, six-

room houses. 5. The height of this enormous tree is about 268.1 feet, with a

circumference at its base of 107.6 feet, and a volume of 46,608 cubic feet. 6.

Trees not only achieve impressive size, but set age records as well. Sequoias live to be a

record-setting age of more than two thousand years old, taking 500 to 750 years for them

to reach their full weight of 250 or more feet. That is equal to at least a twenty-five story

building. 7.

It is now illegal to cut down sequoia trees, but in one that was felled, the central growth

ring dated back to 1305 B. C. 8. The famous “Constable Tree,” an orange tree brought to

France in 1491, lived and bore fruit for 473 years. 9.

Maple trees, too, have some outstanding qualities. A mature maple tree may have as

many as 146,250 leaves, and the leaves on a single acre of grown trees will collect

enough solar energy to supply fifty homes with electricity for a full year. Maple trees that

are tapped for their sap have to work harder, but they end up producing more sugar water

than those that are left untapped. After being tapped for 50 to 100 years, tapped trees

develop fatter trunks than those left untouched. 10.

Besides giving us food, lumber, and other useful products, trees also have other

beneficial qualities. Their roots hold soil in place; through photosynthesis, trees help

supply our planet with oxygen; they provide us with shady places on hot days. Trees also

expel moisture into the air. In one twenty-four-hour period, a large oak tree gives off ten

to twenty-five gallons of water through its leaves. 11.

Bamboo in its seven hundred different varieties 12. is used by more people for more

purposes than any other plant on Earth. 13. A typical farmer in Southeast Asia could live

in bamboo house, sit in bamboo chairs, eat food prepared in bamboo containers, sleep

on a bamboo mat using a bamboo “blanket,” and wear sandals made from bamboo

strips. His pigs and chickens might live in bamboo cages while a bamboo fence encloses

his yard. Bamboo sprouts are eaten as vegetables. Rafts, sails, fishing poles, rope, paper,

and baskets are also made of bamboo. An amazing quality of bamboo is its strength.

Layered bamboo is so strong that its breaking point nearly equals that of soft steel. 14.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

An estimated 75,000 plant species in the world provide food. The numbers that have ever

been cultivated by humans, though, is calculated to be a mere 7,000. 15. One of those

plants is the soybean, which is currently gaining a reputation for its many uses. Most

people think of soybeans as something to eat, but they're also used in products as

diverse as candles, soap, varnish, cosmetics, and textiles. Still, the soybean has qualities

that make it a desirable addition to the diet of both humans and animals. After

processing, soybeans contain about forty percent protein (compared with 18 percent for

beef and chicken), and soybeans are cheap. Furthermore, soybean oil contains no

cholesterol and has the lowest level of saturated fat among the vegetable oils. You may,

in fact, eat more soybean products than you realize. Food labels show that soybeans

contribute to things like margarine, salad dressings, and even candy and ice cream. 16.

Not many of us, however, are big fans of soybeans – we have other favorites that are

more well known for their outstanding flavor. Most would agree that strawberries,

peaches, corn on the cob, and peanuts are among God's tastiest creations.

Not only did the Creator make many plants for the purpose of producing outstanding

eating, He also created plants of incredible beauty. Consider the grace of a perfectly

shaped weeping willow, the serenity induced by velvety carpet of grass dotted with

wildflowers, the intoxicating scent from a row of lilacs laden with blooms. There are a

quarter of a million species of flowering plants, including dewy pink roses, soaring

sunflowers, deep purple petunias – and 249,997 more! 17.

Something innate in every human recognizes outstanding performance, beauty, and

quality. Growth records are seldom set by stunted redwood trees, the blue ribbon at a

rose show never hangs on a pot of weak blooms, no pie made from shriveled and bitter

fruit ever took first prize at a county fair. The person who’d declare that a patch of mud

is more beautiful than a well-tended flower garden in full bloom would be considered

odd.

Some people would have us believe that there is no such thing as good and bad, that

everything is relative and subjective. If that were so, we wouldn’t recognize what is

outstanding and what is merely ordinary or even inferior. Where, then, did this universal

sense of perfection and beauty come from? It originated with a perfect Being who

stamped His definition of perfection and beauty on the universe that He made.

DOES IT MATTER?

Marissa and Sara sat in their social studies class. Mr. Jones was summarizing what he

had said during the period.

“The Asian view of life is an example of a perspective on which we can build a new world

order to ensure peace. It is the most tolerant, proclaiming that everything – even good

and evil – is part of God. Since nothing is bad, there is no need to look down on anyone

for his or her behavior or beliefs. Since all human beings are also part of God, no one is

left out and every opinion is of equal value.”

When he looked at his watch, Mr. Jones concluded his lecture and wrote the assignment

on the board: “Write a two-page essay on your idea of a perfect world.”

The bell rang, and Marissa and Sara headed for their lockers. “It should be obvious to Mr.

Jones, and to everyone else,” said Marissa, “that evil really exists. That’s why we’ll never

have a perfect world.”

“Judge not that you be not judged,” Sara quipped. “And that’s from the Bible. Who are

you to say that what Mr. Jones or anybody else thinks is incorrect?”

“If something goes against the Bible, it’s wrong – no matter who says it,” Marissa

insisted.

“You’ve been brainwashed! You sound so narrow-minded. Can't you see that some parts

of the Bible don’t fit modern society?” Sara preached. “I go to church too, but I still hold

on to my brain and my heart.”

Since Marissa and Sara were good friends, Sara’s words hurt Marissa and left her

confused.

VITAL INFORMATION

God is perfect, and He created a perfect world. But he gave Adam and Eve the right to

choose how they would live. When they chose to sin, evil entered creation and changed

our planet for the worse. But God sent a Savior to die for our sins and to give each person,

who so chooses, the opportunity to regain everything Adam and Eve forfeited in the

Garden of Eden.

For those who accept Christ, the process of inner transformation begins now, but it will

be completed only in heaven. “Salvation comes from the Lord” (Jonah 2: 9), so it’s

impossible for us to save ourselves or to build a perfect world on Earth. Yet God put

within each of us the ideals of perfection and the sense that something is terribly wrong

with life as we know it. He did this not so we’d come up with philosophies that change

the definition of right and wrong, but so that we’d individually come to Him to be forgiven

and changed and started on the road to what is right. Then we can spread this good

news.

IF MARISSA SEEKS OUT GODLY ADVICE HER DAY COULD END WELL …

Unsure of herself, Marissa decided she should meet with her youth pastor. She called

him to set up an appointment with him for that afternoon, and then she let her mother

know why she’d be home later than usual.

Pastor Gary listened to Marissa’s story. “I'm glad you came to talk,” he said. “What you're

experiencing is a clash of worldviews. A lot of people don’t believe that the whole Bible

is true, and they don’t know about the power of Jesus to transform lives. They assume

it’s their job to create a utopia or paradise on earth. Communism was such a system. It

assumed that equally redistributing all the wealth would create peace and eliminate

severe poverty.”

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

“That’s kind of like some Muslims today,” Marissa said, “the one’s who want to build their

own version of a perfect world. My dad said that the radical ones feel justified in ‘holy

war,’ because people who resist Islamic rule are considered infidels, who are obstacles

to peace. They believe that peace will come about when there is total submission to

Allah.”

“Yes, each group has their own idea about how to impose world order,” Pastor Gary said.

“Present views on a one-government world go back at least to Alexander the Great, a

student of Aristotle. His idea was to unify the people of his empire by making everybody

learn the Greek language, adopt Greek culture, and embrace a common religion. To his

credit, he sought to promote his ideas through persuasion rather than violence.

“The Romans had a similar philosophy. Part of it was a ‘you-accept-our-religion-and-

we’ll-accept-yours’ compromise. Since the Romans were pagans and worshiped a

bunch of gods, no one thought that adding a few more gods was a big deal. Jews and

Christians, though, worshiped only one God, and they got into trouble.”

“But what can I write in my essay?” said Marissa. “If I say that I believe in the Bible, Mr.

Jones will probably think I'm crazy.”

“If it were me,” Pastor Gary advised, “I’d start with a paragraph defining a perfect world.

The Bible’s description of heaven will give you great ideas. Explain the systems that

people in the past have used to try to create paradise on Earth and tell why each failed.”

“Okay. That sounds good,” Marissa said as she scribbled some notes. “Then what?”

Mr. Jones seems taken with Eastern philosophies,” said Pastor Gary. “Do you think those

philosophies have resulted in a perfect society?”

“Of course not,” said Marissa. “India has the caste system, and their idea of karma results

in lack of concern for the poor. Many Eastern countries don’t respect women or give

women many rights, and I've read about the actions of militant Hindus.” Marissa wrote

more notes and said, “Come to think of it, I don’t see how Mr. Jones thinks that Eastern

thought is a good foundation for peace on Earth.”

“You might end your essay,” said Pastor Gary, “with your thoughts on how people can

even approach a perfect existence.”

“I think the perfect world will never happen here on Earth,” said Marissa. “People need to

let God totally change them from the inside out, then they’ll be able to live in heaven. And

heaven is a different dimension, where we won't have death and pain and frustration.

Right?”

“That’s what Christians believe, Marissa,” said Pastor Gary. “But a lot of people don’t

agree with us.”

“Thanks, Pastor Gary,” Marissa smiled and closed her notebook. “Now that I realize

where Sara – and just about everyone else – is coming from, I won't take their comments

personally. I can take a stand for the Bible and for truth.”

All people recognize standards of beauty and goodness, causing them to strive for things

like peace and a better world. What is the source of these ideals? The poet Joyce Kilmer

– perhaps inspired by a stately oak, or a pine frosted with snow, or an apple orchard in

full bloom – exclaimed, “Only God can make a tree!” And a tree is just one of many

examples of God's perfection in nature.

If you, like Marissa, realize that only God is capable of perfection and that He gave us our

ideals for living in a perfect world, you'll see that an earthly paradise can never be

achieved by human effort. You can be active in working to improve your corner of the

universe, and through prayer and Spirit-led action you can and should resist evil. But the

primary goal is spreading the gospel and attempting to bring our friends and relatives to

heaven with you.

ACTION STEPS FOR INFLUENCING A SINFUL WORLD

1. Let the Bible give you your picture of Earth’s reality. Genesis 3: 1-19 Isaiah 43:

11-19 Jeremiah 17: 9

2. Realize that through God's power you can win victories – no matter what! Luke

10: 19 Romans 8: 37 and 2 Corinthians 2: 14-16

3. Decide to use your influence positively. Matthew 5: 13-16 Galatians 6: 10

4. Ask God to guide you in resisting evil and doing good. Luke 6: 31, 36 Ephesians 4:

32

WORDS TO LIVE BY

I will proclaim the name of the Lord,

Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

He is the Rock, his works are perfect,

and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong,

upright and just is He.

-

Deuteronomy 32: 3-4

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

-

Romans 12: 21

The prayer of a righteous man (or woman) is powerful and

effective.

-

James 5: 16

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

Mutations are small changes in living things. Mutations are rare – perhaps one in every

10 million duplications of a DNA molecule (10 to the 7th). 1. Observable – that is, major

– mutations cause certain kinds of cancer and brain malfunction as well as genetic

defects such as hemophilia, which prevents the blood from clotting normally.

Every significant change in the structure of a plant or animal would require a series of

favorable, related mutations. The odds of four related mutations occurring (which

wouldn’t make a dent in changing a frog into a crocodile) would be one in 10 to the 28th.

2. And if life evolved from a single cell, it would have taken trillions of mutations to

produce present life forms. Since there are only 10 to the 80th atoms in the whole

universe, the Earth isn’t big enough to hold the number of organisms necessary for

making the odds of this happening likely. 3.

Moreover, if a living creature were to change its structure through a series of tiny

mutations, it would take an enormous amount of time. Five billion years (the time period

some assign to the evolutionary process) sounds like a long time, but it is only 10 to the

17th seconds. 4. “Even by the wildest ‘guesstimates’ the universe isn’t old enough or big

enough to reach odds like 1 in 10 to the 3,000,000th that Huxley, an evolutionist, estimated

as the odds against the evolution of a horse.” 5.

Mutations require a change in DNA programming. Although there is allowance for variety

within each species, as seen in the many different breed of dogs, “no existing DNA

programming for a species change (emphasis added) exists” 6. – if your definition of

new species requires the creation of genetic information.

Microbiologists know about these probability statistics and DNA programming. For this

reason, they have given up on their research that was based on the idea that mutations

were responsible for bacteria becoming resistant before the antibiotics were developed

and those bacteria passed this resistance on to their friends. 7.

Even though a very few mutations are favorable to survival, mutations are, nonetheless,

defects – a loss or corruption of information. 8. If you were to ask for an example of a

documented mutation that increased DNA information content, you'd stump the experts,

at least the honest ones. Mutations are, then, harmful at least one thousand times more

often than they are helpful. 9. Finding a mutation that is favorable under all

circumstances is then, quite a challenge. Sometimes sickle-cell anemia, a disease of the

red blood cells, is mentioned as a favorable mutation. It does make carriers immune to

malaria, but 25 percent of children who have sickle-cell anemia die from it – not at all a

positive outcome. 10.

If observable mutation occurred in the distant past, an abundance of missing link fossils

should prove that such mutations really happened. “Millions upon millions of fossils have

been recovered since Darwin … (and) not a single ‘missing link’ clearly demonstrates the

transition from one reproductive species to another.” 11. It, in fact, takes more credulity

to believe that – through favorable mutations brought about by random chance – a frog

evolved into a prince than to believe that God is the designer and creator of everything.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Yet there’s something within each human that tends to leave God out of the equation –

whether we want to explain the origin of the universe, find the right person to marry, or

solve the problems of daily life. Some Christians would look at drawings that try to

demonstrate how an ameba evolved into a man, and they'd think that the people who

believe in this kind of evolution are terribly gullible. Yet these same Christians can

become functional atheists when it comes to trusting God to run their lives.

DOES IT MATTER?

Danae was pleased when Kelly showed up at church. Kelly was a new girl at school, and

she was in three of Danae’s classes. Danae had been longing for a close Christian friend

at school. It was lonely being the only one determined to live out Christianity even if

others mocked or socially isolated her. She invited Kelly to spend the weekend with her

family at their lake cabin.

“Did your mom say you could go?” Danae asked the next day.

“No,” replied Kelly.

“That’s too bad,” Danae said, “but there’ll be other opportunities to go with us.”

“Oh, I'm going, all right,” Kelly said. “I just need to talk my mother into it.” Seeing the

surprised look on Danae’s face, she continued, “Don’t look so shocked. Stop by my house

on your way home so I can give you a definite answer, and we can make our plans then.”

Unsure of herself, Danae accepted the invitation. Kelly’s mom greeted them from the

study where she was working on her computer. Kelly’s eyes filled with tears.

“Is something wrong dear?” her mother asked.

That released a flood of tears. “You divorced my dad and took him away from me,” Kelly

sobbed. “And now you want to deprive me of all the little joys of life, too. Dad was never

this strict. I wish I lived with him.”

“Okay, Kelly,” her mom sighed, “if it means that much to you, I'll let you go with Danae’s

family.”

As she walked Danae to the door, Kelly grinned and commented, “It works every time.”

VITAL INFORMATION

“If you always do what you like, pretty soon you won't like what you do.”

Becoming a slave to your desires is the worst kind of bondage. A spoiled child is an

unhappy kid, a self-centered person has few friends, and a stubborn individual suffers

for refusing to take advice. The “world of me” becomes a prison, and you need to know

how to escape.

IF KELLY LISTENS TO GODLY ADVICE, THESE CHANGES COULD OCCUR …

Kelly was a fun-loving girl, and Danae’s family enjoyed having her at the cabin. She even

took the time to teach Danae’s little brother a couple new songs on the guitar. Danae

found that they could talk about spiritual things and that Kelly knew her Bible well. When

Danae asked her dad for permission to take the rowboat out on the lake, he made them

promise not to take off their life jackets and to be back by 4:30.

The autumn day was perfect. Danae and Kelly felt as if they were rowing across a mirror.

The blazing colors of the trees in the surrounding hills were reflected upon the surface of

the water. Kelly wanted to explore the public park on the opposite shore.

“We can’t,” Danae protested. “We have to be back by 4:30.”

“But we can always invent a ‘damsels in distress’ story,” Kelly countered. “I don’t want to

go back just yet.”

“Kelly, have you really accepted Christ as your Savior?” Danae asked.

Suprized, suprized, Kelly shot back, “Why do you ask?”

“How can you be so deceitful?” Danae wondered out loud, trying not to sound harsh.

“If I just meekly obeyed all the time,” Kelly countered, “I’d never get to do what I want.”

“It’s not just the hypocrisy and the lying that bothers me.” Danae decided to level with

her. “It’s like you’re trying to manipulate everybody… to control them. The Bible teaches

that we’re supposed to honor our parents and respect authority. Rebellion is extremely

dangerous.”

“Well, I don’t like to be bossed around,” Kelly said. “I've been throwing tantrums since I

was two, so I guess it’s just normal for me to rebel.”

“When I started middle school,” recalled Danae, “I developed the habit of complaining

about almost everything. One day my mother took me to visit Mrs. Campbell. She never

stopped complaining the whole time we were there. She fretted about the hot weather

and she fumed about the high cost of prescription drugs. Then she complained about the

younger generation, and griped about the way her relatives treated her. She even fussed

about all the noise her neighbor’s dog made. I hated every minute.

“After we left, my mother asked me if I wanted to be like Mrs. Campbell when I grew up. I

got the message. I decided to make Philippians 2: 14 the motto of my life: ‘Do everything

without complaining or arguing.’ I still repeat it when I start to bellyache about

something.”

“Well,” said Kelly, her voice less adamant, “It’s not easy to take orders when you think

they're not fair.”

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Danae looked Kelly straight in the eye. “I’d like you to look into the future. Do you think

your future boss or your future husband will enjoy putting up with your dishonesty and

you're tears and your manipulation? Would you like to have a daughter who gets her way

by using tactics like yours?”

“I've never even thought of it that way,” Kelly admitted. “I guess it can get kind of ugly.”

Danae smiled. “I'm not a perfect daughter either, but if you're serious about changing, I

know a verse you could repeat each time you're tempted to get your own way. It’s

Ephesians 4: 25; ‘Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to

his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.’”

When they got back to the cabin, Kelly wrote the verse down and they prayed together.

Kelly promised God she’d stop exaggerated, fudging on the truth, and turning on the

crocodile tears. Danae prayed for her and said she’d continue to do so.

But Kelly found it hard to change. It was like she was addicted to manipulation. Even with

prayer and memorized Bible verses, she fell back into the old pattern. She decided she

could best break her bad habits by obeying her mother without question – unless she

felt that there was a good reason to present her side in a calm, rational, and respectful

way.

Sometimes she was able to stop herself before she began a tirade. She realized what

was happening and forced herself to apologize to her mom. Once she even abruptly

stopped her crying and told her mother she would obey. But change was a long, hard

struggle.

Just before Christmas, Kelly informed Danae, “I can't go to the youth league bowling party

because my mom can't give me the money – but I'm letting God take care of me. I'll see

you Sunday in church.”

“I'm so proud of you,” Danae said as she hugged her. “Obeying God's Word is changing

you into a different person. I'm sure that when you meet Mr. Right, you'll be glad that you

decided to conquer manipulation.”

Have you, like Kelly developed habits that are hard to change, habits that defy principles

set down by the Designer of the universe? Do you act as if you know more than God

Himself? Change in our personal lives can be as hard to produce as change in the natural

world.

But consider – is it rational for you to decide that you can run your life better than the

God who loves you unconditionally? This is the God who knows everything there is to

know, and who has the whole world in His hands.

In the natural world, the creatures that God designed have very limited ability to make

choices for change. But He gave you the freedom to decide – and to plug into His power

in order to live differently. Change isn’t always easy, but with God, nothing is impossible.

ACTION STEPS TOWARD CONQUERING THE “I’LL-DO-IT-MY-WAY” SYNDROME

1. Realize that the God who designed you and loves you no matter what made all

His rules for your good. Because He is all-powerful, He can take care of any fallout

from obeying God-ordained authority figures – parents, teachers, church leaders,

and government officials – whenever they ask you to do something that doesn’t

violate a command of God.

2. Think of the worst spoiled brat you know. Whenever you're tempted to manipulate

or to throw a tantrum to get your own way, think of yourself as a grownup version

of that child. Then pray that God will help you conquer manipulation.

3. List the requests and rules of parents, teachers, and church leaders that you

inwardly resist or outwardly rebel against. After each one, write Colossians 3: 17;

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord

Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Then write down what you

would do in each situation if you obeyed this verse of Scripture.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of

wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who

have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of

your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

-

Romans 6: 13

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But

even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do

not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.

-

1 Peter 3: 13-14

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

There is no such thing as a “simple cell.” A single living cell is “an entire modern factory

squeezed into a space one-thousandth the size of the period at the end of this sentence.”

1.

Nor is the composition of a cell at all simple. All cells are made up of molecules, which

are comprised of atoms, which contain not only protons, neutrons, and electrons but over

two hundred subatomic particles that are even smaller. About twenty common elements

– especially carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur – account for

99 percent of the dry weight for each living cell. 2.

Yet the stuff of which a cell is composed doesn't explain the mystery of life. “Organisms

are so complex that no biologist can claim to understand them completely.” 3. What goes

on within a living cell, in fact, boggles the mind. The cells of the human body – and most

other organisms – have their own internal biological clock. These clocks switch on and

off in never-varying cycles every twenty-two to twenty-six hours, and they tell the

organism when to wake, when to sleep, and maybe even when to die. The clocks function

like hourglasses, in that it takes a certain amount of time for clock proteins to pass

through. When these clock proteins bunch together and enter the cell nucleus, the

process is blocked. But once they are eliminated from the nucleus, it’s as if the hourglass

were tipped over – the process starts all over again. 4.

A cell’s protective membrane is thinner than a spider’s web and must function precisely,

or the cell will die. Also, each cell generates its own electric field, which at times can be

larger than that near a high-voltage power line. 5.

The amount of data within each cell of your body would, if it could be published in book

form, fill volumes:

Trillions of those cells, many of them different from each other,

(are) organized with intricate architecture and precision engineering

into a working machine … Each nucleus … contains a

digitally coded database larger in information content than all

30 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica put together. And this

figure is for each cell, not all the cells of the body put together. 6.

Each cell contains specialized energy factories with miniature “motors,” 7. and these

“motors” are the power producers of the cell. They use food as fuel to do their work of

producing high-energy molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which are used by

your cells whenever you decide to think, or run, or eat popcorn. 8. Every cell has hundreds

of these tiny motors, each 200,000 times smaller than a pinhead. 9. And because cells

don’t stockpile fuel, they must make it from food as needed.

But this fuel would do no good without oxygen, because the energy-releasing fire within

our cells requires oxygen. It’s the job of the hemoglobin-rich, red blood cells – they

resemble little red doughnuts – to carry oxygen to the cells. The red blood cells in your

body are so numerous that, if laid side by side, they'd go around the equator four times,

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

and as many as one million oxygen molecules are attracted by the hemoglobin in each

cell. When oxygen molecules board a red blood cell limo, you receive the strength you

need to exercise or talk on the phone. 10.

It would be difficult to imagine that even one living cell just happened to appear by pure

chance – let alone the trillions of specialized cells in one human body.

In contemplating God's incredible attention to detail – as displayed in the complex,

microscopic cells He has created – you can be sure that He wants you to pray about

every little thing. The Lord is concerned about how you feel and cares about the

difficulties you face. God is interested in helping you in any way you need, whether it’s

overcoming your shyness, or making better choices about what you eat, or knowing how

to study for tests.

DOES IT MATTER?

Nolan had a problem that he was able to hide from most people – especially himself. He

was addicted to having everybody like him and to avoiding conflict. Easygoing and full of

fun, Nolan had a lot of friends, was popular with the girls, and got along with older people.

Although he had given his life to Jesus and really believed that God's Word was true,

Nolan found it difficult not to go along with the crowd. He knew that when the jokes at

his lunch table became X-rated, he should leave, but he always stayed and said nothing.

And when his social studies teacher asked if anybody in the class believed that the Bible

was true, he kept quiet. After the football games, he tagged along with his friends, and he

even drank a beer, just to be sociable.

One day, his mom had a talk with him. “Nolan, I worry about you because you're such a

crowd-pleaser. I know it hurts when others get mad at you or reject you for doing what’s

right, but that’s the price you must pay. You need to have enough backbone to stand

alone, if necessary, so that you don’t compromise biblical principles.”

As usual, Nolan listened politely and thanked his mother for her advice, but he didn’t take

it seriously. It was his senior year, and he didn’t want to miss out on anything or offend

anyone. Besides, he compromised biblical principles only on little things.

Larry offered to pick Nolan up on Friday night for “senior celebration.” Without hesitating,

Nolan accepted the invitation. It turned out to be a party in an old warehouse with drugs,

rock, and alcohol. Everybody was getting high.

Instead of immediately taking a bus home, Nolan stuck around. After all, he told himself,

I'll have only one little beer. Soon, some of the kids got really high and the party got

louder. A few bullies started some trouble and the police showed up. Nolan escaped

through the back door and made it home before his curfew. But he couldn’t go to sleep.

In the darkness of his room, he became aware that his go-with-the-flow lifestyle was, in

fact, dangerous. He’d always figured that God was for the big stuff, for emergencies.

Nolan thought that he could take care of the little decisions by himself. Now he realized

how wrong he was.

VITAL INFORMATION

It’s a mistake to assume that, because God is so great and powerful, He is unconcerned

about your last assignment or the zits you see in the mirror. He not only oversees the

intricate and complicated workings of each microscopic cell, He also wants to be

involved in the minute details of your life.

The Bible contains these marvelous descriptions of God:

 (He) daily bears our burdens (Psalms 68:19).

 He guides me in paths of righteousness (Psalms 23: 3)

 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord (Psalms 139: 4)

 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaiah 40: 29)

 He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him (Psalms 18: 30)

God is willing to listen to all of your problems and will guide you in solving them. He wants

to be involved in your decisions – even the little ones. God desires to be the center of

your thoughts so that what you say can always glorify Him. He listens to your prayers

both for physical stamina to do your best in sports and for moral strength to do what is

right – even when no one else is.

When kids make fun of you or someone spreads lie about you, the Lord is on your side.

God is the God of every day – the Lord of each detail of life.

IF NOLAN LISTENS TO GOD, THIS COULD BE THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF HIS STORY

Sunday’s sermon hit home. “The sin of fearing what other people will think can get us

into tons of trouble,” the pastor was saying, “Wanting to fit in with the group in which you

find yourself can lead to serious consequences.”

“Solomon wanted to be like the other kings, so he married a wife with each political

alliance he made. Peter didn’t want to stand out as different, so he denied Jesus three

times. Pilate wanted to be popular, so he ordered that Jesus be crucified. If you're a

crowd-pleaser, remember that you're in some pretty terrible company. But if you confess

and sincerely repent, God will forgive you and help you go against the crowd.”

Nolan bowed his head and prayed, “Lord, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Give me Your

power to stand up for You.” And he meant it. He realized it might cost his popularity –

and he was willing to pay the price. He also decided to make a real effort to read the Bible

and pray every day.

As he prayed, he realized that he’d never asked God to help him pick his friends, so that

became a daily petition. A week later, he heard a guy in the lunch line saying, “When I

have a problem, I request help from the Creator of the universe and read the Bible to get

some answers.”

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Nolan introduced himself to Mike and asked if he could eat lunch with him. Nolan

discovered the Mike was a “live” Christian from whom he could learn a lot. Of course, the

other guys got on his case, but this time he told the truth. “That drug party was too much

for me. I’ve never told you guys that I'm a Christian. I know I've been a terrible example,

but I hope to change.” He knew they would ostracize him – and they did.

In social studies class Nolan had another opportunity to speak out for what he knew was

right. In a discussion there, Nolan declared that all human life was valuable because God

had created it. Kids looked at him like he was from Mars and started calling him “Preach.”

But Nolan had decided that God's opinion of him was the most important. He and Mike

started praying together and found three more Christian students with whom to eat

lunch. And when Larry and Nolan’s other old friends got busted for shoplifting, Nolan

thanked God that he’d escaped just in time from the peer pressure-cooker.

The God who watches over each process in each living cell in the universe has the ability

and the desire to help you with daily dilemmas, to guide you in each moral decision, and

to comfort you when things go wrong. Never decide that God is too busy running the

universe to have time to help you study for the big test, to calm you for the job interview,

or to give you love for the kid you simply can't stand.

ACTION STEPS FOR RECEIVING GOD’S GUIDANCE IN MAKING DAILY DECISIONS

1. Decide that God's opinion of you matters more than that of anyone else.

2. Read your Bible every day so you know what God thinks about the issues of life.

3. Pray a lot, asking God to choose your friends and to show you who can give you

godly counsel for making important decisions.

4. Remember that “little” decisions form habits and patterns for life. Ask God for His

wisdom in each one of them.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him.

-

Psalm 37: 5

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

-

Proverbs 3: 5-6

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

In order to fly, a bird must have more than wings. First of all, birds need feathers, of

course. A whistling swan can have as many as 25,216 feathers. 1. And feathers are

complicated structures. A flight feather attached to a wing bone can have more than one

million parts. 2.

Yet as light as feathers are, those of a bald eagle weigh twice as much as its skeleton.

That’s because an eagle’s bones are hollow and filled with air. The bald eagle is three

feet long from head to tail and has a wingspan of seven feet, but it weighs only nine

pounds. 3. Its light weight gives an eagle easy maneuverability and allows it to ride on

wind power to conserve energy. The bird’s lightweight bones are also extra thin, its beak

is lightweight, and many of its feathers have hollow shafts.

Not only does the bird’s anatomy make it built to fly, so does its metabolism. Birds eat

energy-rich foods like seeds, fruits, fish, small rodents, worms, and insects. 4. The

average robin requires about seventy worms a day. 5. An extra-efficient digestive system

allows food to pass through a bird in less than an hour, giving it quick energy. Birds can

swallow a lot of food and store it in their crops. Food is digested as needed in their

gizzards, which are grinding organs, taking the place of teeth, since teeth would add to

their weight.

Birds have other body systems and organs that contribute to their airworthiness. It takes

a lot of oxygen to fly, and the lungs of birds take in extra oxygen because of a system of

air sacs connected to their lungs. Unlike most animals, birds have fresh air in their lungs

both when they inhale and exhale.

The heart of a bird is larger and beats faster in proportion to its size than those of other

small animals. The heart of a small bird may beat more than five hundred times a minute,

whereas that of a frog beats only twenty-two times a minute. 6. A hummingbird’s heart

weighs a fraction of an ounce but beats eight hundred times a minute. 7.

The bird’s eyes, too, equip it for flight. Some birds can see eight times more sharply than

humans, allowing them to dart quickly through trees and branches. In most birds, the

eyeballs are larger than the entire brain. 8.

But don’t knock those birdbrains. They know how to fly long distances without getting

lost. The Rufus hummingbird, which is less than four inches long, travels from its Alaskan

breeding grounds to Mexico each year – a six thousand-mile round trip – and has no

problem finding its way. 9.

It seems obvious to the careful observer that every detail of a bird’s anatomy is especially

designed for flying. The observer will also note that the ability to fly is a lot more

complicated than some reptile’s sprouting wings (as if that were simple) and going to

flight school. In order to fly, a bird needs a light frame, feathers – birds are the only

creatures with feathers 10. – a specialized digestive system, made-to-order heart and

eyes, as well as a brain that’s wired for flight.

Scientists have found fossil remains of an extinct bird that they named archaeopteryx.

Because of a few of its characteristics, the archaeopteryx is cited as proof that birds

evolved from reptiles; it has claws on its wings, as do ostriches, plus it resembles the

penguin because of its un-fused backbone and bony tail. But that doesn’t prove that

retiles turned into birds.

Moreover, archaeopteryx had no intermediate characteristics but only fully functional

ones. It had completely developed, fully functional wings, for instance, and fully

developed and functional feathers. The archaeopteryx had teeth, but since many reptiles

don’t have teeth and some fossil birds do, archaeopteryx’s dentures don’t automatically

point toward a bird evolving from a reptile. 11. It’s more plausible to believe that this bird,

like other extinct species, looked a little different from the living forms still around today.

God knew ahead of time the kind of environment that different birds would face and the

feats that would be required of them. So He gave them exactly what they’d need to fly

and to fulfill their purpose.

God also has a plan for each of us that includes both the temporal and the eternal. He

gave us the talents, personality, interests, and spiritual gifts that enable us to fulfill His

purpose for us on Earth. And He also gave us a desire to connect with the supernatural,

to be immortal, and to accomplish things that will last forever. We want to soar, as on

wings of eagles, transcending the ordinary, conquering pain, confusion, weakness, and

sadness that, like gravity, pulls us down.

DOES IT MATTER?

A.J. came from an inner-city family. His father had abandoned them, and his mother

worked as a waitress. He and his brothers knew what it was like to go without a lot of

things. A.J. had to give his mom half his wages from his part-time job. But they had what

was most important – a strong faith in God, a close family, and the loving support of

genuine Christians in a caring church.

A.J. was a talented artist. He saved for a long time to buy the canvas, brushes, and paints,

and he spent three months on the original painting he planned to enter in the citywide

contest for a $1000 prize. His art teacher encouraged him and even stopped by their top-

floor apartment to see the finished project and take a few photos. Mr. Carey was

impressed. “If you don’t win,” he said, “I'll be surprised.”

“Thanks, Mr. Cary,” A.J. said. “I'm lucky to have an art teacher like you. You’ve helped me

a lot.”

The weekend before the contest, a missionary conference was held at A.J.’s church. His

mother got off work so they could all attend together.

While they watched a movie about missions, a terrible storm came up. The wind howled,

the hail beat against the windows, and the rain came down in torrents. A.J.’s mom was

worried. She’d asked the landlord several times to fix the roof because of a small leak in

the kitchen, and now she wondered if the storm had done some damage.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

When the weather calmed down, she asked a man from the church to drive them back to

check on the apartment. The kitchen was one big puddle and a gaping hole in the ceiling

of the boys’ room had let in all the rain. A.J.’s painting was completely ruined.

VITAL INFORMATION

God “has made everything beautiful in it time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of

men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:

11).

The observant person will marvel every day at God's creation: a meadowlark trilling an

original melody, tulips that cheer the landscape with their bright colors, a snowcapped

mountain reflected in a clear lake, a kitten capering in a pool of sunlight. Yet we have a

sense that there’s something beyond the wonder and beauty of this life. We were made

for more than getting up each morning, going through our daily routines, and trying to

get eight hours of sleep a night.

God has planned that “you may participate in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1: 4). He wants

you to receive His love and pass it on to others. He wants you to experience His power

of forgiveness and share it as you forgive others. You can gain God's perspective on

situations as you let His words in the Bible become real in your life.

Whatever you do at home, or school, or work is an opportunity to reflect Jesus to those

around you. And you can help populate heaven in various ways – by giving money in the

missionary offering, by sharing your faith with a friend, or by inviting someone to an

evangelistic outreach. Instead of being bound by the things of this world, you can be born

again, free to fly above that which hinders you from living with eternity’s values in view.

IF A.J. GETS GOD’S PERSPECTIVE, THIS COULD BE THE REST OF THE STORY …

A.J. was devastated. Taking refuge in the bathroom, he cried for the first time in three

years. Then his mind turned to the movie they had just seen at church. At the end, it

showed people wearing beautiful clothes, living in impressive homes, driving new cars,

enjoying luxurious vacations and top-brand sporting equipment. The narrator asked,

“And of what value will these things be to you in a hundred years?”

Earlier in the film were scenes of missionaries teaching the Bible to primitive tribesmen,

a girl leading her friend in a prayer to accept Christ, a team giving food to starving people,

and a lady comforting a grieving neighbor. Next, two verses appeared on the screen;

“Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save him from (eternal) death”

(James 5: 20) and “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you

did for me” (Matthew 25: 40).

Reflecting on the truth that the movie portrayed, A.J. told God that he planned to live the

rest of his life focused on the things that would last forever – and God certainly honored

his commitment. Friends at church found out about what had happened. They raised a

thousand dollars and presented it to A.J. Mr. Carey enlarged a photo of A.J.’s painting

and gave it to him. The insurance money not only enabled the landlord to put on a new

roof but it also paid for the things damaged by the storm.

But best of all, Mr. Carey was so impressed by A.J.’s attitude that he inquired about his

faith. He and A.J. talked about God and about the Bible, and about how to know Jesus

personally. A.J. invited Mr. Carey to church and, there, Mr. Carey made a commitment to

Christ.

God had used the destruction of something temporal to allow A.J. to have a part in

bringing someone to Jesus. The person who dies with the most stuff doesn’t win. The

real winner is the one who’s bound for heaven and whose substantial investments of

time, energy, and money are already there.

Whenever you see a bird in flight, pray that God will help you live a gravity-defying life –

one that will concentrate on the eternal rather than the temporal. The one who created

the birds to fly over the mud, dirt, and slush of earth will supply you with the spiritual

resources to rise above difficult problems and depressing circumstances.

ACTION STEPS FOR ACCUMULATING HEAVENLY TREASURE

1. Refuse to allow material things to pay a central role in your life.

2. Determine your priorities by placing little importance on the things that won't

matter a hundred years from now.

3. Invest your time, talent, and treasure in things that will last forever.

4. Make soul-winning the goal of your life – pray for unsaved friends, tell them what

Christ has done for you, invite them to evangelistic events, take a course in

personal evangelism, etc.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth

and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But

store up for yourselves treasures in heaven … For where your

treasure is, there your heart will be also.

-

Matthew 6: 19-21

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are

wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

-

2 Corinthians 4: 16

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

There are tens of trillions of cells in your body. 1. Each living cell is a collection of several

billion molecules made up of a few simple elements.

When the body can't get the necessary food and oxygen, or when the body’s operational

or repair mechanisms fall, inherent chemical processes cause death – even though all

the molecules needed for life are still present. 2. Molecules are, in reality, nonliving.

Our bodies might be compared to a Boeing 747. The 747 has 4.5 million nonflying parts,

owing its ability to fly to advanced engineering. In a similar way, our lives depend not

upon what we are made of but upon design and organization. 3. “It’s not the stuff (‘dust’)

we’re made of that makes us special; it’s the way we’re put together.” 4. We didn’t just

happen; we were designed.

In order for life to occur, three kinds of molecules need to work in harmony. The

“molecules responsible for life chemistry cannot function by themselves. DNA

(molecules that hold the blueprints for the construction of life molecules), proteins

(molecules that follow portions of the blueprints in building and repairing life molecules),

and RNA (molecules that carry the blueprints from the DNA to specific proteins) are all

interdependent.” 5. If there is no intelligence behind the universe, these three kinds of

complex molecules that are necessary for life would need to appear spontaneously and

simultaneously from inorganic stuff. 6.

You began as a single cell. Although that cell was smaller than the period at the end of

this sentence, that single cell contained the twenty-three sets of chromosomes you

inherited from your parents. Those chromosomes were mysteriously locked up in two

tightly coiled strands of DNA. Among other things these strands of DNA include;

 100,000 genes that determine everything about you from eye color to foot size,

and from blood type to musical aptitude.

 The directions for division and differentiation of cells to make over two hundred

different kinds of tissue and organ cells – from toenails to hair.

All of this information is stored in something so tiny that the combined initial single cell

DNA of all six billion people on earth today would weigh one-thousandth of an ounce.

Yet, the DNA from one cell could be stretched to over five feet in length!

Not surprisingly, this same DNA is super thin – only fifty-trillionths of an inch thick. If all

of the DNA from all of the trillions of cells in your body were squeezed together, it could

fit inside an ice cube. 7.

The genes within DNA manufacture proteins that do everything necessary to keep you

alive. 8. “A typical cell contains thousands and thousands of different types of proteins

to perform the many tasks necessary for life, much like a carpenter’s workshop might

contain many different tools for various carpentry tasks.” 9. Each gene knows how to

make one kind of protein, so 100,000 genes make 100,000 different proteins. 10.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

Clearly, the genius of DNA doesn’t consist in its three fundamental ingredients – a sugar,

a phosphate, and four different kinds of bases. 11. DNA isn’t alive; it’s a dead molecule.

12. “The information written in DNA is not a product of DNA. Where did the information

come from? Who or what is the author?” 13.

To answer that question, we must take into account the great power, the imagination, the

incredible intelligence, and the unbelievable skill it takes to execute ideas that are

demonstrated by the Inventor of the special DNA code for each living thing: bacteria, bee,

bear, or boy. 14. (And the DNA of a bee won't program a bear. Nor will the DNA of a shark

come up with a skunk – thank goodness.)

“If the DNA sequence of the human genome (yours, for example) was compiled into

1,000-page books (the size of a Manhattan telephone directory), the equivalent of 200

volumes would be needed to hold it all.” 15. The vast amount of information contained in

the DNA of each person clearly indicates that living things have both a design and a

Designer.

It shouldn’t be difficult, then, to believe that everything that happens to us fits into the

loving plan of God in order to bring about an ultimate good. You can trust the one who

promised, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to

come” (Isaiah 46: 10).

DOES IT MATTER?

Diana leaned her head into her hands and sobbed. For days she’d operated in a fog – too

numb to really get in touch with her feelings. Exactly two weeks before, her father had

been severely injured in a car accident. For five long days and nights, he lay unconscious,

his life in the balance. She and her friends had prayed fervently for his recovery, but on

Saturday morning, he died.

Diana had cried and wondered why. But, surrounded by so many friends and relatives,

and with so many things that needed to be done, she hadn’t yet felt the full impact of

losing her father. Going back to school had been hard. Everyone else seemed to be having

so much fun while she wondered if she would ever be happy again.

But today, when she came home, was the first time she’d found the house empty.

Loneliness and longing for her father overwhelmed her. As she cried, she felt her heart

would break. How could God allow her father to die? How could such pain and emotional

agony fit into His plan?

VITAL INFORMATION

How can Diana’s questions – and yours – be answered? If human beings are accidents

on the way to extinction, a lot of things will never make sense. But the God who designed

a DNA identity to determine the future of each pre-born child also programs and permits

the events that will best prepare you for eternity.

God has a greater purpose for each life. That purpose goes away beyond the here and

now. We were made for another world – one in which all the questions of existence will

be answered. Anything that will bring us closer to God and better prepare us for heaven

is God's best – even if it is heartbreaking and impossible to understand.

IF DIANA COOPERATES WITH GOD IN COPING WITH LOSS, HER STORY MIGHT

CONTINUE LIKE THIS …

The death of her dad made a tremendous impression on Diana. Her father had been the

picture of health and vitality. Three weeks before the accident, he’d finished fourth in the

local marathon.

Yet one impact caused by excessive speed left him completely helpless and barely

breathing. Diana realized that her eternity might begin at any time. Although she didn’t

feel like it, she decided to take the advice that her father had given her a month before he

died.

“Di,” he had counseled seriously after listening to her complaints, “why don’t you get to

know God better by reading through the New Testament?”

Now Diana set aside time each morning to read a chapter from the Bible and to pray. A

lot of questions remained, but little by little she found some answers. Since her mom was

having such a hard time, Diana felt she had to be strong and always put on a good front

for her little brothers. She was beginning to feel the strain.

But then she read John 11. When Jesus came to the grave of His good friend Lazarus, He

had plans to raise him from the dead. Yet, missing His friend and seeing the pain around

Him, Jesus wept. That meant it was okay for her to cry – and she sensed Jesus sharing

her pain, putting His strong arms around her, and weeping with her. She could let down

her guard, knowing that God cared about her tears.

Reading the first chapter of 2 Corinthians, she discovered one purpose for grief: “The

Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, … comforts us in all our troubles, so

that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received

from God” (2 Corinthians 1: 3-4).

And in a couple of weeks, Diana was able to put that into practice. Noticing a new girl,

alone and silent, at a Saturday evening youth group, Diana sat beside her and started a

conversation. “You must be new,” she said. “I'm Diana.”

“I'm Mallory,” the girl mumbled, not looking at Diana.

“I've missed the last few meetings,” said Diana. “My father died recently, and my mother

began working. So Saturday night is the only time I have to help her clean –”

“Maybe you can tell me why God let my mother die,” Mallory blurted out. She glanced

around, startled at her own outburst. “My dad and I had to move here to live close to my

grandparents,” she said quietly and looked back at the floor.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

“I'm still having a hard time with those kinds of questions myself,” Diana responded. “But

I'm reading my Bible, and some things are beginning to clear up.” Diana’s concern and

understanding enabled her to become the friend that Mallory needed to help her through

the crisis.

But Diana’s situation still wasn’t easy. Besides missing her father so much, Diana had to

adjust to a new economic reality. She gave her mother a portion of her earnings from her

part-time job and hardly had any money for herself. She learned to find stylish

secondhand clothes and to pray for specific things she needed. When a lady from her

church paid her expenses for the youth retreat in answer to prayer, she started to more

fully understand God's ability to provide.

One day her pastor approached her. “Diana,” he said, “I can't believe the change in you.

You’ve grown so much closer to the Lord, and you’ve become so mature. I know your

father would be proud of you.”

Diana realized that although she’d have to wait until heaven to receive all the answers to

her questions, some of them were appearing right before her eyes.

Like Diana, you too can rest secure. God – who invented DNA as a blueprint for

reproducing each living thing according to the divine pattern – also has a plan for

bringing some good out of each setback you face.

Remember that heaven, according to the Bible, is for those who overcome – but, by

definition, an overcomer must have something to overcome. So God will give you enough

failure to make you persistent, enough heartache to make you compassionate, enough

frustration to help you develop patience, and enough problems to make you into a person

of prayer. And He will lead you to a victory over each crisis if you reach out for His

assistance, if you're willing to look for His guidance, and if you will follow His advice.

ACTION STEPS TO SURVIVING TRAGEDY

1. Adopt an eternal perspective.

2. Receive God's love and His comfort, instead of pretending to be strong and acting

like you have it all together.

3. Look for ways to let God use your tough, life experiences to help others.

4. Ask God to help you make the adjustments that your life requires.

5. Pray for the things you need – emotionally, relationally, spiritually, and physically.

6. Remember that the answer to all your “why” questions will be revealed in heaven.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given

us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you … In

this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in

all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which

perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise,

glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

-

1 Peter 1: 3-4, 6-7

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW?

You'll never find the end of the rainbow – because a rainbow is actually a circle. We see

a rainbow as an arc – a segment of the circle – because the horizon cuts off the rest of

the circle from our view. If rain showers have been spotty, not covering the observer’s full

range of vision, the arc is incomplete. 1.

The rainbow takes the shape of a circle because sunlight has to be bent to make colors.

Sunlight is really a mixture of the colors of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue,

and violet. Usually the colors of sunlight travel together in the same direction, but when

the light enters a water drop, it acts like a tiny prism. The colors separate as some curve

more than others. Violet light bends the most while red light bends the least. Because of

this and other reasons, the inside of a rainbow is violet and the outside is red – unless

there is a double rainbow. The order of the colors is reversed in this second rainbow

because the light has been reflected twice, instead of once, inside the raindrops. 2.

Although they are rare, some rainbows are purple. They occur only before dawn when

there are high clouds to scatter blue and violet light. 3.

Rainbows, then, are really a display of light. Another event in nature that provides us with

free “light shows” is lightning. At any given moment, about two thousand thunderstorms

are in progress on the Earth. 4. So our planet experiences about 100 bolts of lightning a

second, 5. with some 250,000 bolts striking the U.S. each day. 6. Each lightning bolt is

about six inches wide, and most of them occur in tropical regions. 7.

Lightning is not only powerful and awesome, it is essential to plant life. Plants need

nitrogen for survival. Although nitrogen comprises about 78 percent of our atmosphere,

it won't naturally combine with anything else. Because of this, plants require the nitrogen

in the air to be transferred to the soil as nitrates. Lightning causes nitrogen and oxygen

to combine into nitric oxide, which is then changed by the atmosphere into nitrate. In this

way, hundreds of millions of tons of nitrates are produced by lightning every year. 8. The

approximately 10 million lightning bolts that Earth experiences daily give plants the

nitrates they need to grow. 9.

Unlike lightning, rainbows are there just to be admired – and to remind us of God's

promise never to send us a worldwide flood. And we can see little rainbows everywhere

– in water sprinklers, the spray from a garden hose, fountains, the spray thrown up by

ocean waves, and even a few drops of water hanging from a spider’s web. “Two people

standing side by side admiring ‘the rainbow’ are actually seeing light refracted and

reflected by different sets of raindrops. Each person sees his or her own special rainbow.

10.

God demonstrates His glory, His power, and His knowledge so many different ways. But

it’s especially gratifying to reflect on the glory of God – a glimpse of which is seen in

things like splendorous northern lights, gorgeous sunsets, misty rainbows, moonlight

sparkling on the snow, ice glimmering on branches after a sleet storm.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

That’s why good observers view nature’s spectacles and exclaim, “Out here, I feel closer

to God.” As light and water give each of us our own individual rainbow, the Lord wants to

give every individual a touch of His glory – reflected to each of us in a special way.

DOES IT MATTER?

Vann was very conscientious and tried hard to do what was right. Although he did his

best, he never felt he measured up to his father’s expectations. When he compared his

life to biographies or testimonies of super-Christians, he felt like a failure. Because he

didn’t go to wild parties, stay around for the dirty jokes, or badmouth school authorities,

he didn’t fit in at school.

Mr. Watson, one of his teachers, liked to set off class debates. Once she realized that

Vann held conservative views, she’d pointedly ask him his opinion on certain issues in

class and force him to defend his position – sometimes against the entire class. His

peers labeled him old-fashioned and intolerant.

Vann was glad, of course, that he was going to heaven, but he often wondered why being

a Christian was so hard. Little did he know that the events of one evening would

completely change his perspective.

VITAL INFORMATION

God has two kinds of glory; internal and external. His internal glory consists of His natural

perfection, His eternal existence, His unchanging pure character, and His love.

That “God is love” (1 John 4: 16) could be one argument in favor of the Trinity, because

love can't exist unless there is a giving and receiving of love. Jesus speaks of this love

relationship with His Father; “My Father loves me” (John 10: 17), and “I honor my Father”

(John 8: 49).

The external glory of God can be observed in the magnitude and splendor of what He has

made – things like;

 the created universe

 various ranks of angles

 human beings complete with creativity, language capacity, personality, and an

automatic breathing apparatus

 the incredible variety of animals and plants

In addition, His plan for forgiving, saving, and preparing heaven for mere mortals makes

us stand in awe.

In spite of the glory of God shown in nature, nothing on Earth brings more glory to God

than a life that is totally transformed by God's grace. Consider these examples;

 former slave trader John Newton, who wrote the song, “Amazing Grace”

 ex-gang member, Nicky Cruz, who turned into an evangelist

 Augustine, a one-time womanizer and pagan philosopher, who became a

Christian and is known in history as St. Augustine. 11.

Just as the sunlight reflects on water drops, God's glory can be received by us and spread

around. The secret of growing as a Christian and becoming more like Jesus is plugging

into God's revealed glory – allowing only Jesus to be our true delight and desire and

always thirsting for more of Him.

Part of that Christian growth involves letting Christ represent for us all that is truly

valuable and becoming for us the definition of beauty, security, power, true knowledge,

and incalculable worth.

When we realize that He is all we need, other things fade by comparison. Temptations

lose their power, the world becomes less attractive, and what others think doesn’t matter.

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into

his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3: 18).

IF VANN REMAINS OPEN TO GOD, THE NEXT SECTION OF HIS BIOGRAPHY COULD GO

LIKE THIS …

Vann would be too old next year to attend his church’s summer Bible camp. So he was

glad that he could get time off work to go this summer. Camp was basically the same as

other years – the pine-scented unpolluted air, swimming in the lake, goofing off with the

other guys in the cabin, sports events, chapel services, praise songs, and worship times.

On Friday night, however, Pastor Greg gave a powerful talk around the campfire. He spoke

about the suffering of Christ and the meaning of the Cross in such a moving way, that

more than a few campers had tears in their eyes.

Suddenly, Zach, one of the camp rebels, began to sob, crying out, “I'm a sinner, and I'm

so far from God.” A counselor put an arm around Zach’s shoulder and took him away for

a private talk. But each person was so engrossed in a personal experience with God that

Zach’s emotional response seemed not at all out of place.

Soon, in fact, everyone was kneeling. The power of God was so real – the air seemed

heavy with divine substance. Vann felt closer to God than he ever had in his life. He

almost heard the Lord telling him, “I'm more valuable than anything else. I have all the

power, all the joy, all the peace, and all the purpose you'll ever need. But you must

constantly plug into what I have to give you. You’ve been trying to live the Christian life

in your own strength, which is something I've never meant for you to do. Just let Me live

through you.”

Others were confessing their sin, apologizing to counselors, or rededicating their lives to

Jesus. The meeting lasted a long time, and even when it ended, a sense that heaven had

invaded the camp prevailed. Kids went back to their cabins to pray.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

The next day Pastor Greg gave his final talk. “You won't always feel the emotions of this

day or the sense of the tangible presence of God,” he told them. “But if you remember

that nothing is as great, or as important, or as fulfilling as God – and if you constantly try

to get to know Him better by spending time with Him each day – your lives will never be

the same.”

And Vann found that to be true. He kept his morning appointments with God, getting the

refills he needed to face each day. He sometimes, of course, skipped devotions, difficult

situations still arose, and days occurred when everything seemed to go wrong. But that

gnawing, spinning-his-wheels feeling of just barely hanging in there was gone. He’d

tasted the reality of the glory of God and knew that he wanted more of Him – and that

had become the priority of his life.

Just like God shows each one of us a special personal rainbow, He wants to give you the

reality of His power and His presence in a way that is particularly designed for you. Your

part is to cooperate with Him by presenting yourself to Him. You are the mold into which

He wants to pour His glory and His strength. Part of your cooperation with Him also

includes reading your Bible and praying each day, and obeying what God says in His

Word, as well as attending church, Bible studies, and other Christian meetings. But, most

of all, you must cultivate a hunger for God.

ACTION STEPS FOR FOSTERING AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

1. Set a specific time each day to meet with God in a quiet place.

2. Develop a system for your Bible study. Find books to help you, or concentrate on

one book of the Bible by reading a chapter each day and then writing a short

summary of that chapter in your own words. When you finish the book, try to read

the whole thing through in one sitting – a long book will take several reading

sessions.

3. Learn to meditate on Scripture, praying that God will show you everything you

should see in a passage or verse.

4. Keep on asking God to show you more of Himself.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

-

Psalms 29: 2

Great is the Lord and worthiest of praise …

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

-

Psalms 145: 3, 5

CONCULSION

DECIDING HOW TO

VIEW YOUR WORLD

In answering the questions, “How did the universe begin?” and “Where did life come

from?” it’s important to keep the following in mind.

THE WORD “EVOLUTION” HAS MORE THAN ONE MEANING

Microevolution

On the simplest level, the word evolution means “change.” And observable changes occur

within species, such as differences in breeds of dogs, varieties of roses, and types of

finches.

“Natural selection” does take place. That is, the members of a species that have certain

protective characteristics will survive and reproduce while those with unfavorable traits

may die off. If moths or birds or mammals have the DNA programming for different

shades of color, for instance, those with coloring most like the environment will become

dominant. This natural selection within species is sometimes referred to as

microevolution because it cannot effect major change. A cardinal cannot, for example,

turn brown unless it has inherited genes that will trigger a major color change.

Evolution as taught in secular schools carries microevolution to its illogical conclusion.

It assumes that given enough time small changes can extend into mammoth

transformations. But just because selective breeding can produce dogs that are smaller,

or have floppy ears, or curly hair, does not mean that changes can continue indefinitely

without limits until at last a new species, such as man, emerges.

An example of similar reasoning – that over time, small changes can continue until they

produce big changes – would start with a high school student who could run 100 meters

in fourteen seconds. It’s possible for that student to train hard and, for three or four

months, add a meter a month to the distance he or she can run in fourteen seconds. But

after that, improvement will be very slow. And it’s totally illogical to assume that the

student will be able to add a meter a month to his or her fourteen second run as long as

the student lives, so that at age seventy-five he or she will be able to run 720 meters in

fourteen seconds.

Macroevolution

This is an encyclopedia entry for evolution: “Current evolutionary theory holds that all

species evolved from a single form of life that lived more than 3.5 billion years ago. Over

time … changes have produced more than 10 million species inhabiting the earth today.”

1.

There is no place for a God who has a special purpose for each life in this theory. “Modern

science educators … insist that evolution is an unguided and mindless process.” 2.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

George Gaylord Simpson, a famous evolutionist, says, “Man is the result of a purposeless

and natural process that did not have him in mind.” 3. Evolution is based on naturalism,

the philosophy that nature is all there is.

Phillip E. Johnson explains in more detail: “If nature is all there is, then nature had to have

the ability to do its own creating. Darwinian evolution is a theory about how nature might

have done this, without assistance from a supernatural Creator. That is why ‘evolution in

the Darwinian sense is by definition mindless and godless.’” 4. Some scientists prefer to

call this idea macroevolution.

Does it make sense to believe that chance, plus time, plus natural processes can produce

anything new? Is it logical to hold that in the past, living things always adapted to their

environments, but that today they cannot, so they become extinct? Where did the matter

used by natural processes come from? These are just a few of the questions that a

thinking person might ask.

THE THEORY OF MACROEVOLUTION AND A BELIEF IN INTELLIGENT DESIGN BY AN ALL-

POWERFUL GOD HAVE ELEMENTS IN COMMON

 No one made a video of how life began, giving us all the visual details. For this

reason, no one knows exactly what happened.

 The formation of the universe and the beginning of life – one-time events –

cannot be scientifically tested by repeatable experiments that will always come

out in the same way.

 Scientific laws are established by performing an experiment many times, using

the same methods and getting the same results. Boyle’s Law, for example, says,

“If the temperature of a gas is constant, then its pressure varies inversely with the

volume,” which means that if the gas is compressed to half its original volume,

its pressure doubles. A thousand experiments would produce the same results.

 A scientific law describes how nature works, and a theory is an explanation of

why a law or group of laws function as they do. A theory cannot be considered

fact unless it can be scientifically tested. There is no experiment that can confirm

evolution or creation.

 We don’t know how God created the cosmos, and there is no natural mechanism

that can be observed to show how evolution made everything.

A PERSON MUST ASK, “IS IT CREDIBLE TO BELIEVE THAT THE UNIVERSE CAME INTO

EXISTENCE BY ITSELF OR IS IT CREDIBLE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD CREATED

EVERYTHING?”

Macroevolutionists must maintain the hope that a natural mechanism will be found for

changing beasts into beauty queens, and must trust in whatever is behind that

phenomenon. Faith that God created the universe is easier to come by, because the

evidence definitely points to intelligent design.

SCIENTISTS ARE HUMANS WHO MAKE MISTAKES AND SOME HAVE WANTED SO BADLY

TO BECOME FAMOUS THAT THEY HAVE PERPETRATED FRAUDS

 Darwin mistakenly theorized that characteristics acquired or lost by use and

disuse would show up in heredity. He theorized that giraffes, which supposedly

got their long necks from having to stretch to reach leaves on tall trees, passed

down that characteristic to their descendants. Even before discovery of DNA,

scientists realized that heredity couldn’t be changed by parental habits or by

accidents they suffered. Experiments showed that cutting off rats’ tails for twenty

generations wouldn’t change their offspring, nor would athletes who regularly lift

weights pass bigger muscles on to their children. 5.

 Those who have tried to find a missing link between humans and apes have

suffered embarrassment more than once.

1. “Nebraska Man was an error constructed from the tooth of an extinct pig.” 6.

2. Piltdown Man, which was the major evolutionary evidence at the 1925 Scopes’

Trial, was a fraud. 7. Between 1908 and 1912 someone pieced together parts of

a human skull and part of an apelike lower jaw. It was hailed as a missing link

fossil found in England. Between 1949 and 1959, however, fluorine tests and

other modern analysis showed that the bones weren’t more than 750 years old

and had been deliberately altered to simulate a fossil. 8.

3. Neanderthal Man was not a beetle-browed, bow-legged, knuckle-dragging ape-

man, but rather, a sad victim of arthritis and other diseases. 9.

“SCIENCE IS A TRAIN THAT IS ALWAYS MOVING” AND ITS THEORIES KEEP CHANGING

AS NEW DISCOVERIES ARE MADE

 The “simple cell” has proven to be incredibly complicated.

 The more we learn about mutations, the less it seems possible that they are

responsible for “onward and upward” evolution. Mutations are, in fact, “harmful

at least 1,000 times more often than helpful.” 10. Francisco Ayula defines a

mutation as “an error” in DNA. 11. “The building up of mutations with time poses

a serious problem for plants and animals as well as for human beings, and time

– evolution’s ‘hero’ – only worsens the problem of mutational decay.” 12.

If mutational changes were positive, we should be excited about the mutations that

would come about if we destroyed the ozone layer. Instead, people today know that more

mutations won't improve the human race and, for that reason, they’re concerned about

possible damage to the ozone layer, or for that matter, having too many x-rays. 13. Few,

however, think about how illogical it is for evolutionists to believe that past mutations

created advanced forms of life.

 It was once believed that the universe was static and stable, allowing for the

infinite time necessary for random chance to come up with new life forms. This

belief relied heavily on chance. Einstein realized that the universe is constantly

expanding, however, and that it is slowly running down, indicating that time had

a beginning – just as the Bible says.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

 If a new scientific theory or discovery seems to contradict the Bible, just wait.

More information will prove that theory or discovery is incorrect, and the Bible will

again be vindicated as has happened so many times before.

THE BIBLE ISN’T A SCIENTIFIC BOOK, BUT WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT SCIENCE IS TRUE.

 Anything that contradicts what the Bible clearly teaches is false. It’s false, for

example, to say that an unborn baby isn’t human or that life sprang out of nonlife.

 It’s important to recognize the factors that influence biblical interpretation and

recognize if more than one interpretation can be given to a certain verse.

 The Bible conveys concepts in the language people speak and the expressions

people use. Then, as now, language reflects what we see – not scientific reality.

If, for example, the local weatherman says, “The sun will set tonight at 6:49 p.m.,”

he isn’t bombarded with e-mails telling him that the sun neither rises nor sets,

but that the Earth orbits the sun. We all know what he means. I've heard intelligent

people say, “To the four corners of the globe,” even though the globe is round and

doesn’t have corners.

 When Joshua 10:13 reports, therefore, that “the sun stood still,” and the poetic

allegory in Psalms 19: 4-5 likens the sun to a champion that “rises at one end of

the heavens and makes its circuit to the other,” no one should conclude from

those phrases, which express ideas in everyday language, that the Bible teaches

that the sun circles the Earth.

 The Bible contains poetry that has no intention of describing scientific fact.

Psalms 98: 8; “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for

joy” isn’t meant to be taken literally. Nor is Psalms 114: 4, where it says, “the

mountains skipped like rams.”

 Like English words, Hebrew words can have more than one meaning. “This is the

day we go to the beach” and “the day of the computer has come” are both correct

English sentences. It’s obvious, though, that the word day doesn't mean the same

thing in the two sentences. According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word

day can mean “from sunrise to sunset,” “from one sunset to the next,” “a space

of time,” and “age.” 14. The meaning of the word in each Bible verse must be

determined from the context in which it is used.

And it is always wise to compare Scripture with Scripture, finding out everything the

Bible says about a certain topic in order to come to a conclusion about its meaning.

GOD IS CAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING HE CHOOSES TO DO

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth … And God said, ‘Let there be

light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1: 1, 3). The awesome power of God has no limits.

And it shouldn’t surprise us if we can't figure out how He created the universe. God

describes Himself like this: “My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways

my ways” (Isaiah 55: 8). His ways are higher than ours.

God created us, however, with curiosity. We ask “how” and “why.” Christians never need

to fear scientific investigation because when all the evidence is in, God's truth will always

be vindicated. You needn’t worry that some new discovery will discredit Christianity.

Being aware of how some scientific calculations are made will help you realize that new

information could easily change them. Science often reaches conclusions by working

backward from what can be observed, in the same way that we piece together what

happened from the clues we find.

Say, for example, a dead body, outfitted in mountain climbing gear, was discovered on

top of Mount Everest. Farther down the mountain the remains of several base camps

were visible. Most people would just assume that the deceased was part of a climbing

expedition.

Someone might discover, however, that a very rich, influential, and eccentric man had a

cousin who could pull strings at the Pentagon. On the rich man’s behalf, the cousin was

asked to bribe an Air Force pilot and arranged for the newest military rescue aircraft to

drop off the rich man and his cameraman on the summit. So it was arranged that the

craft would hover for ten minutes, and then draw them up into the plane with specially

designed equipment.

But hearing about the photo-op, the daughter-in-law of the tycoon offered an even bigger

sum of money so the pilot and cameraman would simply drop off the rich man and leave

him there! After investigation it was found that the basecamps had been left by other

climbers. This is a farfetched tale, but you get the idea.

When trying to figure out how God made the universe, creation scientists and others have

only the clues that we observe around us. But God has limitless options available and

could use any method He chose for creating everything. We sometimes ask, “Did our

great God, who can do anything – no matter how impossible – create things strictly

within the laws of science we can presently discern or did He go outside of them? Did

God create the universe in an aged state?”

Adam, for example, came into being without following the known natural laws. He had no

natural birth and no childhood. He was created as a mature male, and was an adult even

when he was only minutes old. Jesus multiplied loaves and fish without obeying natural

laws, without doing any baking or opening a fish hatchery. If He wanted to, God could

have instantly set up a totally functioning universe. Or did He create the physical laws of

the universe first and then create everything to obey those laws? Others ask, “Are there

forces and factors in outer space that we don’t yet understand that will change our

concept of the universe?” Just as new information often makes scientists who believe in

evolution revise their theories, what creation scientists learn may make them change

their theories.

EVOLUTIONISTS AND CREATIONISTS DISAGREE AMONG THEMSELVES ON THE

DETAILS OF HOW THE UNIVERSE CAME INTO EXISTENCE

 Traditional evolutionists agree that nothing more than time, chance, and natural

processes are responsible for the cosmos and all living things.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

1. Some evolutionists believe that, somehow, life began on Earth and that small

mutations occurring over time are responsible for the great variety of plants and

animals that exist today as well as for humans.

2. Realizing that evidence in the fossil record for missing links and transitional

forms is lacking, and that probability statistics make traditional evolution

impossible, some evolutionists hold that giant, sudden changes transformed a

single cell into every living thing. Sometimes referred to as the “happy monster”

theory or punctuated equilibrium, this idea requires tremendous credulity,

because no such instantaneous, huge change has ever been observed.

3. Others argue that life came to us from outer space. Considering the scarcity of

planets and the special requirements that are necessary for a planet to support

advanced life, believing life on Earth originated on another planet requires

incredible faith. If that life were only an ameba or a protozoan, it still must be

explained how such a simple life form could evolve into so many creatures in such

a short time, and why these changes aren’t documented by many examples in the

fossil record. There’s another problem. How was that life form – whatever it is –

transported from another planet? It’s not likely that anyone envisioned a Noah’s

ark spaceship bringing animals and humans to planet Earth. But in order to solve

the problems of how advanced or even simple life forms came from outer space,

transportation of some kind would be needed. And one would still have to explain

how any life form, no matter where it came from, first came into being.

 Creation scientists believe that the entire Bible is the Word of God, that God made

the universe out of nothing, that the Lord invented the physical laws that keep things

going, and that the Creator specifically designed each plant and animal and person.

Creationists differ only in how they think these things came about.

1. Some believe that God created everything in six literal days. They point out that

whenever the word day ( yom in Hebrew) is used elsewhere in the Bible with a number in

front of it – eight or first, for example – it means a literal twenty-four-hour period. Why

should genesis, chapter 1, be an exception – especially when it specifies, “… and there

was evening, and there was morning – the first day”? References to “evening” and

“morning,” such as those found in the first chapter of genesis, are used more than 100

times in the Old Testament, always with a literal meaning of a twenty-four-hour day.

The fourth commandment states, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work … For in

six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he

rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy”

(Exodus 20: 9, 11). This comparison between the six days of creation and the six days of

human labor gives the impression that corresponding periods of time are being

discussed. 15.

2. Others believed that a huge gap in time exists between Genesis 1: 1 and Genesis 1: 2.

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

1: 2 states, “Now the earth was (the footnote for was in the NIV Bible reads “or possibly

became”) formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit

of God was hovering over the waters.” This verse has been interpreted to mean that there

was an original creation and later a second creation or major revision. It has been

theorized by some that when Satan and his angels fell, something happened to destroy

or damage the creation God first made.

3. Another group thinks that the days in Genesis 1 refer to indefinite periods of time

explaining that

In the King James Version, which most literally follows the Hebrew text, Genesis 2: 4

reads, “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were

created, in the day (Hebrew word Yom) that the Lord God made the earth and the

heavens.” That the same author in the same work, writing on the same subject – Creation

– uses the word day in a nonliteral sense, provides a basis for day in Genesis 1 not

referring to twenty-four-hour periods. Day is a relative term. The length of a day

on Earth, for example, is different from that on any other planet in our solar system. It

must be remembered that the sun and the moon – which determine Earth days – weren’t

functioning until the fourth day of creation. Furthermore, we’re told in 2 Peter 3: 8, “With

the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” Could it be

that the days in the first chapter of Genesis were viewed from God's point of view and

not from ours? 16. Some “old-earth creationists” quote Psalms 90: 4, which is

addressed to God: “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone

by, or like a watch in the night (three hours).” This verse forms the basis of their belief

that the Earth could be very old and that if a star is twelve billion light years away, the

universe is at least that old. They also believe that time had a beginning, as the Bible

teaches, but they note that the Bible repeatedly says that God “stretched (or spread) out

the heavens” (see Job 9: 8, Psalms 104: 2, Isaiah 40: 22, 42: 5, 45: 12, 48: 13, 51: 13,

Jeremiah 10: 12, 51; 15, Zechariah 12: 1). They feel those are references to a “big bang

creation event,” which also accounts for the observation that the heavens are constantly

expanding.

These aren’t the only ideas credited to evolutionists or creationists – they are the most

popular. But the most important issue isn’t how God created the universe or how long it

took Him. Rather, the most important issue is that the God of the Bible exists and has

everything under His control.

BELIEVING THAT GOD ESPECIALLY DESIGNED YOU – AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE

UNIVERSE – IS THE BASIS FOR HOPE

As you study the Bible and investigate scientific evidence, you may come to specific

conclusions about Creation. But most important is not how God did it but that He created

the heavens and the earth and that He made you with a special purpose in mind. That

purpose includes spending eternity in heaven with Him. Knowing that you're God's

masterpiece and He cares about you makes life completely worth living, even on bad

days when everything seems to go wrong.

Here’s what you miss out on by believing that chance, time, and naturalism enabled

evolution to create everything. If the God of the Bible does not exist, then this is the best

that life has to offer:

 No one loves you unconditionally and is always cheering for you.

God’s an Artist and you’re a masterpiece

 No one is available day and night to listen as you share your problems and how you

feel about things.

 No one is wise enough to give you perfect advice.

 No way exists of finding out for sure what is right or wrong.

 No reason exists to avoid drugs, or illicit sex, or theft, or murder if you think you can

escape consequences harmful to yourself.

 No reason exists to live if everything turns out wrong.

 No way exists to shake the vague feeling of guilt that keeps on surfacing.

 No hope exists that there is anything beyond death.

 The responsibility of making life worth living is yours, without any supernatural help.

Here’s what you can get if you believe that God created the universe and everything in it

out of nothing, and that the God of the Bible really exists:

 You have the assurance that Someone loves you unconditionally and thinks you're

wonderful.

 You have the knowledge that Someone is always there – night or day – who cares

and is never too busy to listen to you.

 You have a connection with Someone who has total wisdom and who is willing to

share it with you.

 You have the knowledge that Someone who knows everything loves you enough to

tell you how to live and what behaviors to avoid if you want a fulfilling life.

 You have the opportunity to fall in love with Someone who will give you the power to

do what is right, and the motivation to please that One who loves you so much.

 You have a reason to live that is beyond yourself, and the supernatural outside help

you need to cope when things go wrong.

 You have total forgiveness for sin, and the supernatural help to recover from the poor

choices of the past so that you can live in freedom.

 You have the possibility of becoming rightly related to God through His Son Jesus

Christ so you can spend eternity in heaven with God.

 You have the security of knowing that God's will is best for you and that the

responsibility of having a life worth living is not yours alone, but can be had by

following God's commandments.

 You have the knowledge that God has absolutely everything under control.