Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001274
00:00 (Music and forest sounds) The great American, George
00:18 Washington Carver, once said: "Reading about nature is fine. 00:23 But if a person walks in the woods and listens 00:25 carefully he can learn about more than what's in books 00:28 because the woods speak with the voice of God." 00:32 [Music] Psalm 19:1 says 00:42 "the heavens declare the glory of God 00:44 and the firmament shows his handiwork." 00:47 Today on It Is Written, let's consider what David 00:56 meant when he wrote those words. 01:07 It has stood the test of time, 01:12 God's book, the Bible, still relevant in today's 01:19 complex world. 01:20 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 01:39 [Sounds ... piano] There is little doubt nature 01:45 speaks about the God of nature, the Creator God. 01:55 The Bible opens with the words "In the beginning God made 01:58 the heaven and the earth." 02:02 And the nature we see speaks to us of the God we don't see. 02:12 I've come to Costa Rica, truly one of the most beautiful 02:16 countries on the face of the earth. 02:25 Costa Rica has the greatest density of animal species 02:28 anywhere on the planet, all compressed into an area 02:32 about the size of the state of West Virginia. 02:36 Every year millions of people come from all over the world 02:42 to enjoy the natural beauty of this land. 02:48 Costa Rica's natural beauty is truly breathtaking. 02:52 Remarkable animals, spectacular beaches, 03:02 volcanoes and rain forests. 03:13 Costa Rica is home to nearly 500,000 animal species, 03:16 an estimated four percent of the total found worldwide. 03:25 The lush expanse of Costa Rica4s rain forest is hard to imagine 03:29 if you have not been here. 03:32 Well over 1200 species of butterflies are found 03:35 in these forests, along with over 8000 species 03:39 of moths. 03:40 Perhaps there is no better place to speak of the God of nature 03:44 and to delve deeper into the lessons the natural world 03:48 offers those who seek to know him. 03:57 Nature is often referred to as God4s second book. 04:01 Inasmuch as nature reveals to us so much about the character 04:04 of God, it4s our privilege to be able to behold much of 04:08 the wonders and the workings of God in our natural 04:11 environment. 04:12 In fact, by studying nature you can learn much about the plan 04:16 of salvation, about the blessings of patience 04:18 and hard work and about the results of sin 04:21 in this world. 04:23 Throughout the Bible, many stories and illustrations 04:26 draw their lessons from the natural world. 04:29 Jesus often referred to nature in order to make spiritual 04:34 points clear to us. 04:35 The Bible presents God as both the Designer and the Ruler 04:41 of the world of nature, something that sets the religion 04:45 of the Bible totally apart from the other religions 04:47 of the world. 04:50 Most religions throughout history, 04:53 particularly those at the time the Bible was written, 04:56 worshipped Gods who were themselves products of nature. 05:02 Sun gods, moon gods, sea gods, weather gods, fertility gods ... 05:08 all of these were not only part of the natural world but were 05:14 part of religious systems which sought to fit human beings 05:17 into the rhythm and balance of nature. 05:21 The gods of most ancient peoples worked through the cycles 05:24 and the elemental forces found in the natural world. 05:27 They weren't seen by their worshippers as independent 05:31 of these forces. 05:32 But the God of heaven often showed himself 05:36 to be in control of nature, sovereign over the elements, 05:40 the One who is in ultimate control of the environment. 05:44 In the Bible we read the story of the prophet Elijah. 05:48 Through the prophet Elijah God told Israel4s King Ahab 05:52 that there would be neither dew nor rain in the land 05:55 until God said otherwise. 05:58 In the New Testament you read that Elijah actually prayed 06:01 to God that this would happen so that the people, recognizing 06:05 that God was sovereign over everything, 06:08 would be brought to repentance. 06:11 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he 06:13 prayed earnestly that it would not rain 06:15 and it did not rain on the land for three years 06:19 and six months. 06:20 And he prayed again and the heavens gave rain 06:24 and the earth produced its fruit. 06:28 This is one of countless times in human history 06:31 when God demonstrated who in fact has power over 06:34 the forces of nature. 06:35 The worshippers of the pagan gods 06:38 Baal and Ashtoreth, which were being 06:41 worshipped in Israel during the time of Elijah believed 06:44 that these pagan gods controlled the changing 06:48 of the seasons, the climate, the sun 06:50 and the rain. 06:52 But in God4s dealing with Israel during Elijah4s time, 06:56 he demonstrated clearly who is the one that has power 07:01 over nature. 07:03 By shutting up the heavens and causing the rain to not fall 07:06 those three and a half years, God was in effect saying 07:09 to those pagan gods "so you think you 07:11 control nature?" 07:12 "You think you can make the sun shine and the rain fall? 07:15 Now is your chance to prove it." 07:23 In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, "It is written, man shall 07:27 not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds 07:31 from the mouth of God." 07:32 Every Word is a one-minute Bible-based daily 07:35 devotional presented by pastor John Bradshaw 07:37 and designed especially for busy people like you. 07:42 Look for Every Word on selected networks, or watch it on-line 07:45 everyday on our website, itiswritten.com. 07:48 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 07:50 Watch Every Word. 07:51 You'll be glad you did. 07:53 Here's a sample: 08:04 Have you ever noticed how songs get stuck in your 08:07 mind and sometimes you can't get rid of them, now matter 08:10 how hard you try. 08:11 There are times I'll hear a song I have not heard in 30 years 08:14 and I can still remember every word, every key change, 08:17 every harmony as though I had been studying this song 08:20 the day before. 08:21 God understood this which is why He said in 1 Chronicles 16:9, 08:25 "sing to Him. 08:26 Sing Psalms to him. 08:27 Talk of all His wondrous works. 08:30 Here is something that will help you get God's word 08:33 into your mind. 08:34 If you will sing hymns or songs of praise or learn Scripture 08:37 songs, that's Bible verses put to music, they will stay 08:40 in your mind and you will never forget them. 08:42 If you fill your mind with the songs of the world, 08:45 you will be blessed if you reprogram your 08:48 mind with the songs of God. 08:50 Let the power of music work for you. 08:52 Let's live today by Every Word. 08:57 It Is Written is dedicated to sharing the gospel 08:59 around the world. 09:00 To discover more about It Is Written, I invite you to visit 09:03 our website: itiswritten.com, and browse the dozens of pages 09:08 that describe what we do and how we do it. 09:10 Let's get to know each other better. 09:12 Visit our website itiswritten.com, today. 09:19 God's supremacy over nature is absolute control 09:23 over nature's forces and nature's laws 09:25 is one of the very first messages contained in the Bible. 09:32 It's what the creation story is all about. 09:35 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." 09:41 Nature is not God, according to Scripture. 09:45 God is the one who brought nature 09:47 into existence. 09:48 It is interesting that in the Genesis creation story, 09:52 the sun and the moon are not named. 09:55 This was undoubtedly because these heavenly bodies 09:58 were considered divine in the ancient world and Moses, 10:03 who wrote the Book of Genesis, is saying that these 10:05 created objects are not in any sense divine. 10:12 Describing the creation of these bodies, 10:14 the Bible simply states: "Then God made two great lights; 10:18 the greater light to rule the day 10:21 and the lesser light to rule the night." 10:23 By refusing even to name these objects in the creation 10:29 account while simply declaring them to be great lights, 10:33 which God made, the Bible is denying to these bodies 10:37 any right to reverence or worship. 10:43 This is one reason why the theory 10:45 of evolution is unacceptable both to God and to 10:49 the message of the Bible. 10:51 God didn't need evolution to bring His creatures 10:56 into existence. 10:57 He spoke them into existence. 10:59 The Bible makes clear that God is the Sovereign 11:02 and the Master of all of creation. 11:05 In fact, the Bible says this: "By the Word of the Lord 11:10 the heavens were made and all the host of them 11:13 by the breath of His mouth, for He spoke and it was done. 11:18 He commanded, and it stood fast." 11:21 In other words, God didn't just oversee the process 11:26 of bringing nature into being. 11:28 God spoke into being. 11:30 The power that gives life to this world is not inherent 11:34 in nature itself rather its' the gift of the all-knowing, 11:39 all-powerful Creator God. 11:41 As we look around our world, we are reminded 11:48 pretty well everywhere we turn that this world cannot 11:50 be nearly as beautiful as was the Garden of Eden but in spite 11:53 of the scars that sin has left on our planet, 11:56 all is not ruined and ugliness in the world of nature. 12:02 The rising and the setting sun still warm the soul. 12:06 The flowers of spring and the freshness after the rain 12:09 still remind us of the rebirth and transformation promised 12:12 by the Gospel. 12:14 One author designed the season of spring as the theater 12:18 of resurrection, the bursting forth of life 12:22 following the cold and death of winter is perhaps one 12:25 of the loveliest metaphors of Christ's own resurrection 12:28 from the dead. 12:29 In the wake of Calvary's unspeakable agony 12:32 and the dashing of hope inflicted by Christ's 12:36 dying on so many hearts the complexity of the natural 12:40 world is probably one of the strongest proofs 12:43 of God's creator-ship. 12:44 Think of the intricacies of just a single human cell. 12:50 Biology textbooks only a few years ago were able to produce 12:54 material two inches thick just on the subject on the cell. 12:59 Now they can produce books that thick on the individual 13:02 parts of the cell. 13:03 It can be hard to see how anyone can view the complexities 13:07 of nature and not be persuaded that God put 13:12 all this together. 13:14 Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God declares 13:17 of his creation: For thus says the Lord, 13:20 who created the heavens, who was God, who formed 13:24 the earth and made it, who has established it, 13:28 who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited. 13:33 I am the Lord and there is no other. 13:37 According to God's word, nature doesn't exist to glorify 13:42 itself, rather it exists to glorify its Maker. 13:48 We read this message over and over again in the Psalms. 13:52 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows 13:57 his handiwork. 13:59 Day unto day utters speech and night unto night reveals 14:04 knowledge. 14:05 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. 14:10 Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words 14:15 to the end of the world. 14:17 In another passage we read "those who go down to the sea 14:21 in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works 14:26 of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. 14:30 For He commands and raises the stormy wind which lifts up 14:35 the waves of the sea. 14:37 They mount up to the heavens. 14:40 They go down again to the depths. 14:42 Their soul melts because of trouble. 14:46 They cry out to the Lord in their trouble. 14:48 He brings them out of their distresses. 14:51 He calms the storm so that its waves are still. 14:58 This Psalm was literally fulfilled in 15:01 the earthly ministry of Jesus. 15:02 One night, Jesus and his disciples were on 15:05 the Lake of Galilee and a tremendous storm rose. 15:08 The Gospel of Mark takes it from there. 15:11 And a great wind storm arose and the waves beat into the boat 15:17 so that it was already filling, but he was in the stern, 15:22 asleep on a pillow and they awoke him 15:24 and said to him "Teacher, do you not care that we 15:28 are perishing?" 15:29 They he arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea 15:33 "Peace, be still." 15:35 And the wind ceased and there was a great calm 15:40 and they feared exceedingly and said to one 15:44 another: Who can this be that even the wind 15:48 and the sea obey him? 15:52 Again and again Jesus demonstrated that nature 15:54 is under his control. 15:56 So many times Jesus healed diseases and vanquished 15:59 afflictions for which there was no natural or medical 16:02 remedy then or now. 16:04 Paralyzed limbs were restored to health and vigor. 16:07 Blind eyes were made to see again. 16:10 Even the dead were brought back to life. 16:12 And perhaps greatest of all, Jesus' own resurrection 16:16 demonstrates that God is above nature. 16:21 The decay, the eventual oblivion that has become part of our life 16:25 because of what sin has done are not the final word. 16:29 God has the final say. 16:31 When he chooses to do so, God is able to interrupt 16:35 the rhythm, balance and the inevitability of nature 16:38 and its laws. 16:40 The wind and the sea still obey God's voice, even today. 16:45 The God of Scripture is still the God of nature. 16:49 I especially enjoy the stories of faith concerning 16:51 that Christian giant, George Mueller. 16:54 One story has it George Mueller was traveling 16:58 across the Atlantic Ocean to a speaking appointment 17:01 in Quebec, Canada, when the ship was socked in by fog 17:06 and the captain announced that he had to slow the ship 17:08 down for the safety of everybody involved. 17:11 Mueller explained to the captain that this would not do. 17:14 Surely, he would now miss his speaking appointment, 17:16 so could he please go to the ship's chart room 17:19 to pray that God would lift the fog. 17:21 Accompanied by the captain, Mueller went to that room 17:24 and he prayed that God would take the fog away. 17:27 The captain began to pray too but during the captain's prayer, 17:31 Mueller interrupted him. 17:32 He said, why don't we go up now and see if God 17:35 has answered our prayer because I think he has. 17:39 When the two men went up to the bridge, 17:41 the fog was completely gone. 17:44 God is still the God of nature and the captain became 17:50 a Christian soon after. 17:55 In Costa Rica there are 894 species of birds, 18:01 more than in the United States and Canada combined. 18:04 The beauty of the scarlet McCaw or the Quetzal is perhaps 18:08 unrivaled anywhere on earth. 18:10 Birds in Costa Rica range in size from tiny 18:13 humming birds barely two inches across 18:16 to huge birds with a wingspan of up to nine feet. 18:21 It isn't hard to imagine that God cares 18:23 for creatures who display such beauty. 18:26 But on one occasion, the Lord took notice of the little 18:30 sparrows and stated: Not one of them is forgotten before God. 18:35 If it had been one of these spectacular birds like the ones 18:39 here in Costa Rica that Jesus was talking about his audience 18:43 might have understood better but Jesus was reminding 18:46 his hearers that even such apparently insignificant 18:49 creatures as the little sparrows command the attention 18:53 of our loving God. 18:54 He then went on to say "do not fear therefore, you are of more 19:00 value than many sparrows." 19:04 Here in Costa Rica, stewardship for the land 19:07 is taken very seriously. 19:09 Costa Rica's "pura vida" image has been carefully cultivated 19:13 and is known and appreciated around the world. 19:17 But stewardship for the land is actually 19:20 a very biblical idea. 19:21 You go to the Bible, you read in Genesis 2:15 that In 19:25 the beginning, God took the man and put him into 19:29 the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it 19:32 and at the other end of the Bible, 19:35 in Revelation 11:18, it tells us that when Jesus 19:38 returns and the final judgment of humanity is complete, 19:43 God will destroy those who destroy the earth. 19:48 Some years ago a prominent government official in 19:51 the United States, a Christian, said that he 19:54 believed that it really didn't matter how we treated 19:56 the environment because, after all, 19:59 Jesus was coming back soon. 20:01 Well, I don't know. 20:02 Nature itself has suffered under the weight 20:07 of the sins of humanity. 20:08 Not only do God's people look forward to the return of Jesus, 20:14 but nature itself look forward to the time 20:17 the sin problem is going to be brought to a conclusion. 20:22 Consider these words written by the Apostle Paul. 20:26 For the earnest expectation of the Creation eagerly 20:29 waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20:31 For the creation was subject to futility not willingly 20:36 but because of him who subjected it in hope 20:39 because the creation itself also will be delivered 20:43 from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty 20:47 of the children of God. 20:48 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors 20:53 with birth pangs together until now and not only they 20:57 but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, 21:00 even we ourselves groan within ourselves 21:05 eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption 21:08 of our body. 21:10 Even nature wants Jesus to come again soon. 21:14 This sin ravaged world will experience its final death 21:17 agonies when Jesus returns to this earth. 21:21 This is what Peter wrote: "But the day of the Lord 21:24 will come as a thief in the night in which 21:26 the heavens will pass away with a great noise 21:29 and the elements will melt with fervent heat both 21:34 the earth and the works that are in it 21:37 will be burned up." 21:38 The Book of Revelation also describes this moment: 21:42 "And there were noises and thunderings and lightenings 21:45 and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty 21:50 and great earthquake as had not occurred since 21:52 men were on the earth. 21:53 Then every island fled away and the mountains 21:59 were not found. 22:01 But that isn4t the end of the story. 22:04 After you read about the millennium of Revelation 20 22:07 you then read about what God is going to do to this 22:11 sin-damaged earth, how he is going to 22:14 re-make his Creation. 22:16 Restoring the glory and the beauty 22:19 of a lost Eden. 22:21 Revelation contains this fantastic promise: "And I saw 22:26 a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven 22:29 and the first earth had passed away and there was no more sea 22:34 and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying: 22:37 "Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell 22:40 with them and they shall be his people and God himself 22:47 will be with them and be their God. 22:51 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 22:55 There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying 22:59 and there shall be no more pain for the former things 23:03 have passed away. 23:05 Then he who sat on the throne said: "Behold. 23:09 I make all things new." 23:11 And then this chapter goes on to tell us about 23:15 the glorious city that God is preparing for his people. 23:19 And the City had no need of the sun or of the moon 23:25 to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it 23:28 and the Lamb is its lights. 23:31 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day. 23:36 There shall be no night there. 23:38 At last, God and nature will be fully reconciled. 23:45 All of creation will be restored to Eden beauty. 23:48 God's people will live in full harmony with nature and with 23:53 the God of nature for all eternity. 23:56 George Washington Carver once said: "I love to think 24:00 of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station 24:04 through which God speaks to us every hour 24:08 if we will only listen." 24:11 If we'll only listen. 24:13 Are you listening today? 24:15 I want to encourage you to see evidences of a loving God 24:19 in the created world around you. 24:21 When you look at nature, look beyond the nature that you see 24:25 and let nature remind you that God is good and God is love. 24:47 One of the most serious subjects in the Bible is the subject 24:49 of hell and it is one of the least understood. 24:52 What does the Bible really say about hell? 24:55 Is there a hell and if there is, how long will it burn? 24:58 You don't want to miss today's free offer: "Understanding Hell 25:02 - Separating Fact from Fiction." 25:05 It's a practical, biblical look at a subject that has puzzled 25:08 a lot of people. 25:09 You'll be thrilled to understand just what God's word says about 25:13 hell and what Jesus himself says on the subject. 25:16 Just call or write and I'll send you this free book 25:20 "Understanding Hell." 25:21 You really ought to have this book and there 25:23 is absolutely no cost to you and there is no obligation. 25:26 Just call 1.800.253.3000 and ask for the book 25:32 "Understanding Hell." 25:34 You can call anytime day or night. 25:36 If the line is busy, just keep trying. 25:39 You can also get this free book by writing to It Is Written, 25:41 Box O, Thousand Oaks, California 91359. 25:45 We will mail a copy to your address in North America and you 25:49 can download a free electronic version of this book 25:54 Understanding Hell from our website, itiswritten.com. 25:58 Understanding Hell will not only take the mystery out 26:01 of the subject of hell but it will help you understand 26:04 hell biblically and in a way that increases your faith 26:07 in God. 26:08 Contact us right away to get your copy 26:10 of Understanding Hell - Separating Fact from Fiction, 26:14 without a doubt one of the most important books 26:17 you could ever read. 26:18 It Is Written can only exist through your support. 26:21 To support the worldwide ministry of It Is Written, 26:23 thank you for sending your tax-deductible gift 26:27 or you can make a gift online at itiswritten.com. 26:31 Thank you for your letters and for your continued support. 26:35 And to get Understanding Hell, write to us or call now 26:39 1.800.253.3000. 26:46 I4d like to pray with you now. 26:47 Would you pray with me? 26:49 Let's take a moment to do that. 26:51 Our father in heaven, thank you that you are the God of nature. 26:53 Thank you that you made this fabulous world and the beauty 26:57 we see in it. 27:00 I thank you that one day soon you will recreate this earth, 27:03 that the blight of sin and the curse will never 27:05 be seen again and that we will live with you 27:07 eternally in a land that is only pristine and beauty. 27:13 Lord, as you have made this earth 27:15 and will remake it I pray that you will remake us 27:19 and bless us with the presence of Jesus and the beauty 27:23 of his character. 27:25 We thank you today and we pray in Jesus' name, amen. 27:46 Thanks for joining me today in Costa Rica, I look forward 27:50 to seeing you again next time until then, Remember, 27:52 It Is Written, Man shall not live by bread alone 27:57 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-02-06