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Thanksgiving Eve: Magnifying Our Maker · CCC West Covina

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The Bible tells us that we are to give thanks unto God for His
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indescribable gift, and the gift that God gives is the gift of
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eternal life that only comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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As we celebrate the season of Thanksgiving that leads us into
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the season of Christmas, there is no greater time in all the
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year to focus in on the greatness and the majesty of
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Christ. So tonight I'm going to ask you,
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as Psalm 34 three says, to to magnify the Lord with me that we
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might exalt his name together on Sunday mornings.
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We have been on a journey. It's called the Pathway to
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praise. It's been a encouraging journey.
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It's been an enlightening journey.
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It has been and enhancing journey, it's been an enriching
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journey, but most importantly, it's been an enabling journey.
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A journey that enables us to be able to understand what it means
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to give praise and thanks to our God.
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It's a journey that all Christians are on because those
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who have been formed or created by me, they will declare my
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praise, Isaiah 4321 says. And so tonight I want to
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introduce to you what I'm going to talk about this Sunday by
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looking at the person of praise. And I want to introduce it to
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you because it is an immense study.
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In fact, it is so immense that all throughout eternity you will
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never fully grasp the personhood of God.
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How do we know that We know that?
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Because in Revelation 19, when Jesus Christ comes again, the
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Bible tells us that He has a name on Him that no one knows
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except Himself. That that means all the angels
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in heaven do not know that name, and they are surrounding Him day
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and night, and so they have no understanding of the
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comprehensiveness of God. Truly He is inexhaustible.
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Truly He is incomprehensible. Truly, He is indescribable.
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In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 145 that His greatness is
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unsearchable. So no longer how long you try to
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search and understand his greatness, you will never will.
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The Bible tells us in Romans Chapter 11 that his judgments
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are untraceable and that His ways are unfathomable.
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So no matter how hard you try, no, no matter how long you
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study, you will never grasp the magnitude of the Master himself.
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He is infinite, and yet we are called to know him, to
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understand him, to grasp him, to believe in Him.
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And so tonight I want to begin to introduce you, to introduce
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to you the immenseness of God, to help you begin to realize how
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vast and how great He truly is. I want to read to you the 1st 6
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verses in Psalm 95, and I want to focus in on just one of those
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verses. The Bible says these words.
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It says, Oh, come, let us sing for joy to the Lord.
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Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
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Let us come before His presence with Thanksgiving.
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Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
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For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods, in
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whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the
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mountains are His also the sea is his.
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For it was he who made it. In his hands formed the dry
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land. Come, let us worship and bow
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down, and let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is
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our God. Come, let us worship and bow
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down, and let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
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If we're going to magnify the name of the Lord, that we might
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exalt His name together, then we must understand the essence of
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His name. Remember His His name is always
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singular, never plural. 800 times in the Old Testament, the
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Lord has referred to as having a name. 200 times in the New
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Testament He's referred to as having a name. 1000 times.
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It is always singular and it's never plural.
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God doesn't have names, He just has a name and that name is
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multifaceted. That name is all-encompassing.
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And so it's imperative that you understand, like Isaiah 9/6 for
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his name will be called wonderful counsellor, mighty
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God, the Prince of Peace, the everlasting Father.
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It doesn't say his names shall be called.
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No, it says his name shall be called because he only has one
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name. And that name is so majestic,
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it's multifaceted. And as you begin to study the
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name of God, you begin to realize how great it truly is.
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So in the Bible says let us magnify the name of the Lord.
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Let's exalt his name. You are elevating the name of
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Christ and he only has one name. It's it's used 6823 times in the
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Old Testament. It's commonly called the
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Tetragrammaton, which is 4 Hebrew consonants that make up
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the name of God. As Gentiles we add some vowels
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in there, so we call him Jehovah.
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That's really not the name, but to make it easy for us to
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pronounce, we add the fowls to the four Hebrew consonants and
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say it's Jehovah. Some say it's Yahweh.
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I think it's best pronounced Yah.
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They just to understand those four Hebrew consonants, That's
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how it's best pronounced yave. And that is his name.
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That's his memorial name. Exodus chapter 3, verse #15.
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That has to be remembered from generation to generation.
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And so for 6823 times in the Old Testament, yave is mentioned.
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And here in Psalm 95, verse #6 he is called Yave Hassinu, the
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Lord your maker. It's a unique description of who
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our God is. It's a it's a personal
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involvement in the life of His people, where He shapes them,
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where he molds them, where he forms them so that we might be
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like him. Yave Hassinu is a very intimate
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name of God on how he is involved in the lives of his
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people. In fact, the Bible says in Psalm
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149 verse #1 praise the Lord, sing to the Lord a new song and
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praise and his praise in the congregation of the godly ones.
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Let Israel be glad in his maker Hassinu.
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He is the molder and shaper of Israel.
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It's best to find in Isaiah chapter 64 verse #8 which says,
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But now, O Lord, you are our Father, We are the clay, and you
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are Potter, and all of us are the work of your hand.
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In other words, God is the Maker, the molder, the work, the
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Creator of everything in our lives.
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So the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2 verse #10 that we are
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His workmanship, we are His poema.
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We are His literary masterpiece. And it says these words created
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in Christ Jesus for good works. In other words, we are such a
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masterpiece of God that He is shaping and molding every aspect
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of our lives that we might best represent Him.
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It's imperative that you understand this because in
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Revelation 411, the four living creatures and the 24 elders,
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which is the Church of Jesus Christ, bow down and cast their
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crowns before the throne. And this is what they say, and
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this is what you will say for all eternity.
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Worthy are you, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and
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power. For you created all things, and
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because of your will, they existed and were created.
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That is so important to understand this.
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Listen, you have one opportunity to make a first impression.
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If this is your first time to Christ Community Church, this is
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your first impression of the church.
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This sermon is your first impression of this pastor.
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When you have a chance to make a first impression, you put your
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best foot forward. You do the best you possibly
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can. God had one chance to make a
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first impression, and when God made his first impression, he
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made it with a prominent doctrine that would be forever
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memorialized. The Bible says that in the
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beginning God created. This is how God introduced
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himself to the world. It doesn't say in the beginning
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God loved. That's not how he wanted to be
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introduced this day. In the beginning, God was
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merciful. Nope, they say in the beginning
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God was just. No, God wanted to make a first
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impression. He wanted to make sure that he
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made an indelible impression in the hearts and lives of
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everybody around the world. So he introduced himself one
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way, as Creator of all things, and He is the Creator of all
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things, for by Him all things exist.
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In fact, it says that He was one that He opposed all things that
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He has created by the word of his power.
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But listen, because God introduced himself as Creator,
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he completely destroys man's view of evolution.
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Because he introduces himself as Creator, he completely destroys
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all those who believe in abortion.
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Because God's a creator of life. And if I commit abortion and I
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kill a child, I am saying that I am God and God is not.
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If I believe in evolution, I say I believe the way the world came
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together and God's way is not true.
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If I have a transgender ideology, I go against what God
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said when it says have you not heard that he created them male
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and female from the beginning. You see, God's word is truth.
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God himself is true. Everything about truth comes
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from God, and therefore God presented himself as the Creator
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of the world. That's how he introduced himself
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to every man. That's why man in Romans one
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wants to worship the creature rather than the creator, because
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God is the master Creator. And the psalmist says in Psalm
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95 verse #6 that this God is called Yave Hassinu.
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He is the maker and molder and Creator of your life.
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So when you seek to magnify the name of the Lord, when you seek
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to exalt His name, you are looking at Him, at Him as the
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Creator of all things, specifically your life.
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So how do you do that? This Thanksgiving?
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I want you to magnify His name. I want you to magnify your
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Maker. How are you going to magnify
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your Maker tomorrow? How will you magnify your maker
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this weekend? How will you magnify your maker
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for the rest of your life? Number one, you must remember
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your Maker. Remember your Creator.
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Ecclesiastes 12 verse #1 Remember your Creator in the
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days of your youth before the evil days come.
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Solomon wanted to make sure that his son Raybum understood that
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while he was young he needed to pay very close attention because
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the word remember means to pay very close attention so as to
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act decisively and follow through on your commitment.
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So he says, remember, pay very close attention to your Creator.
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Notice he doesn't say pay very close attention to your God.
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He doesn't say pay very close, close attention to your King or
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pay very close attention to your Lord.
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He specifically says pay very close attention to your Creator,
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to your Maker, to the one who is the designer of everything.
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Pay very close attention to the master architect of your life,
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your circumstances, your situations, because the evil
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days are going to come. And if you don't pay very close
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attention to the fact that the God you serve is the creator of
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all things, those evil days will overwhelm you.
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So if you're going to magnify your maker, you got to remember
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your maker in the days of your youth.
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Very, very important. So often we we forget that #2
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You need to recognize your Creator in the days of your
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youth. Listen to these words in Isaiah
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chapter 43. But now Thus says the Lord your
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Creator, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel, do not
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fear, for I have redeemed you. I've called you by name, You are
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mine. When you pass through the
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waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers they will not
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overflow you. When you walk through the fire,
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you will not be scorched, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy
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One of Israel. Your Savior.
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God introduces himself to Israel as their Creator.
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We are so concerned about how we feel when God is only concerned
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about how we are formed. There is a big difference there,
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how we are formed in His image. And here God is telling Israel,
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when you pass through the waters, when you go through the
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fire, I will be with you. I am your Creator.
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I'm the one who puts you together.
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It says later on in verse #7 everyone who is called by my
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name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have
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formed, even whom I have made. Verse 15.
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I am the Lord, your holy One, the Creator of Israel, your
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king. God says to Israel, recognize
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this, that I am your Creator. I am the one who's making you,
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molding you, shaping you, putting you into the place you
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need to be. And if you're going to magnify
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the name of the Lord, if you're going to exalt the name of the
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Lord, if you're going to magnify your Maker, you must remember #1
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your Creator in the days of your youth #2 you must recognize your
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Creator, and then #3 you must rest in your Creator.
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Listen to what the Bible says in first Peter chapter 4, verse 19.
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Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God
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shall entrust their soul to a faithful Creator.
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If you are suffering according to the will of God, you need to
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make a deposit. That's what it means to entrust
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make a deposit and to trust your faithful Creator.
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In other words, how do you handle suffering?
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There's only one way, and then it's to recognize your Creator,
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remember your Creator, and rest in your Creator because He is
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the one who shapes and molds every situation and circumstance
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to bring about His perfect purpose for your life.
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He is the master architect of everything, and therefore you
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must learn to rest in your Creator.
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And then #4 it's important that you Revere your Creator.
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That's Psalm 95, verse #5 The sea is his, for it was he who
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made it, and his hands form the dry land.
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Come, let us worship and bow down, and let us kneel before
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the Lord, our Maker. Revere him, bow before Him.
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One day every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that
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Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
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And one day when you go to heaven, because you're a
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believer, you will cast your crowns before him, you will bow
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before him, and you will say, worthy is the Lord who created
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all things, and because of him all things exist.
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That's who he is. Yave Hassinu, the Lord, our
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Maker. You must understand this about
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your God or you will have a hard time handling the difficulties
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that come your way. You're going to have a hard time
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when situations and circumstances are negative and
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not positive. You're going to have a hard time
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when your world comes crumbling around you because God is the
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master Architect of everything and you must remember that he is
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Jave Hassinu the Lord your Maker.
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So you remember your Creator, you recognize your Creator, you
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in turn rest in your Creator, Revere your Creator, and you
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know what? You should always run to and
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with your Creator. Back in the book of Isaiah, the
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40th chapter, God says this to Israel.
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To whom then will you liken me that I would be as equal, Says
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the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and
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see who has created these stars, the one who leads forth their
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hosts by number. He calls them all by name
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because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His
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power. Not one of them is missing.
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So why do you say, O Jacob and Asserto Israel, my way is hidden
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from the Lord, and the justice do me escapes and notice of my
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God. Do you not know?
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Have you not heard the everlasting Lord, the Lord God,
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the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the master
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designer of everything, does not become where we are tired.
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His understanding is inscrutable.
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He gives strength to the weary and to him he lacks might.
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He increases power and they'll use grow weary and tired and
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vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for
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the Lord will gain new strength, will mount up with wings like
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eagles. They will run and not get tired.
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They will walk and not become weary.
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He says you need to run with your Creator.
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You need to run toward your Creator, the psalmist said in
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Psalm 119. I will run the way of all your
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commandments, and you will enlarge my heart.
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We need to be running with and to our Creator and then need to
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rejoice in Your Creator. The Bible says in Psalm 100
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verse #3 Know that the Lord Himself is God.
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It is He who has made us and not we ourselves.
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We are His people in the sheep of His pasture.
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Therefore enter His gates with Thanksgiving, His courts with
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praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His
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name. We are to rejoice in our
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Creator. And lastly, we need to repent
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and turn to your Creator. This is so important.
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Why? Remember Job?
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Job was a man who was afflicted immensely.
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He had lost everything. His health was in shambles, and
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he wanted an audience with God. He wanted to be able to talk
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with God. And so all throughout the book
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of Job, he keeps asking for this audience with God, and God says
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nothing, says nothing. Job has no idea that God offered
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Job up to Satan. He has no idea.
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He had no idea till he went to heaven that that happened.
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We know that's what happened because we read the book, but
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Job wasn't able to read the book because it wasn't written yet.
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And yet all this was happening to Job.
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And finally God gives Job his audience, and God speaks to Job,
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and God asks Job 77 questions. Ask Job to answer them.
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Of course, Job cannot answer them.
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And the neat thing about God is that when God finally spoke, he
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never said to Job. Job, it's got to be so tough on
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you. Life must be so hard.
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You've lost everything. You've lost your family, you've
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lost your health, you have no friends.
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Your wife is not a support to you at all.
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I am so sorry about that. God didn't say that.
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God didn't say to Job. Boy, I tell you, I am so sorry
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you lost your family. It's got to be hard when you're
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a dad and you lose all your kids.
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God didn't say that either. God never showed pity on Job.
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God never showed compassion on Job.
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God never did anything to reach out to Job in his pain.
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Except give him a revelation of himself.
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God never explained to Job his problems.
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He never gave an answer to Job as to why.
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Because you see, in the divine mind, the why doesn't matter.
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The Who is all that matters. In the human mind, the why
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matters. In the human life, how I feel
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matters. In the divine life, how you feel
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doesn't matter. But in my life, how I feel does
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matter. And that's because God is more
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concerned about perfecting you spiritually than pampering you
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physically. Big difference.
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But in our narcissistic society, we have to have somebody
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minister to us. So what does God do?
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God speaks to Joe. When God speaks to him, He asks
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him 7 questions. When he asks them those
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questions. At the same time he speaks to
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him about his powerful control over creation.
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He speaks to him about his providential care for creation,
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and they speak to him about his preeminent command over
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creation. When he comes to Job, he focuses
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on one thing the very beginning. In the beginning, God created.
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Because when you see God as creator, the why doesn't matter.
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When you see God as Yahweh Hassinu, your feelings don't
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matter. When you see Goddess Yave
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Hassinu, He is the one that matters because He is the maker
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and designer of everything. You see, our perception of God
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is so skewed that we forget who He really is.
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And so God says to Job these words.
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He says this the Lord said to Job.
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Will the fault Finder contend with the Almighty?
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Let him who reproves God answer Job, you're the fault Finder.
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You a finding fault in your creator.
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So answer me my questions. To which Job reply was this?
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Behold, I am insignificant. What can I reply to you?
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I lay my hand on my mouth once I have spoken and I will not
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answer even twice, and I will add nothing more.
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God didn't say. Joe didn't say.
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He didn't answer my question. I'm asking you why and you're
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telling me about creation. I'm asking you why my wife
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doesn't support me and you're answering me with creation.
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I'm asking you why my friends don't pray with me and you're
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answering me with creation. So didn't say that because he
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saw the Lord God as yave Hassinu, the Lord our Maker.
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And so when you come to Joe 42, he said, I have heard of thee
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with the hearing of my ear, but now I see you, and I repent in
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dust and ashes. That's the man who understood
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Yahweh Hassinu. He says, I repent, I have
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nothing to say. Now remember, God has not healed
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him. God has not given him twice as
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much as what he's had before. That doesn't happen until later
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in chapter 42. God has done nothing to make him
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feel better. God has done nothing to make his
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circumstances better. He's in the same spot he was
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before God answered him. And what is his response?
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I've seen, I've heard you, but for the very first time, I see
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you. I see you as who yave Hassinu,
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the maker and creator and master architect of everything.
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I have nothing to say. I repent in dust and ashes.
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And once he repented and turned to his creator, everything in
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Job's life turned better. Because God blesses the man who
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falls before him and recognizes his name.
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This Thanksgiving. Have you recognized the name of
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God? Yave Hassinu, the Lord your
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maker? Let's pray.
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Lord, we thank you for tonight, the opportunity you give us to
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spend a few moments in Your word.
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Our prayer, Lord, is that we would truly see you for who you
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are. You are a valuable, valuable
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God. In fact, you're so valuable we
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can't even put a price tag on you because you are absolutely
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incredible. Forgive us, Lord, for our
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misunderstanding of who you are. Forgive us, Lord, for our
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devaluing you in our eyes. Forgive us Lord for not seeing
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you as as Java Hassinu, the Lord our Maker.
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You are forming us, shaping us, molding us because you want to
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perfect us spiritually. May we see you doing that in our
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lives this Thanksgiving, that we might magnify the Lord and exalt
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His name together in Jesus name, Amen.