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Volume 33   Number 12 Mar 22, 2009

        One of the key words that Pastor Phil ministered in both Dubai and India on the 2009 Mission was a word taken from the "Intelligent Design" message spoken the first part of the year. It took a different direction and title dealing with "God Said" and the power of the word, and the revelation of what was in the heart of God before creation. Let's take a moment to review some of the material and go from there.
        Genesis 1:1-2: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
        Genesis 1:3: And GOD SAID: "Let there be light"; and there was light.
        Genesis 1:6: And GOD SAID: "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
        Genesis 1:9: And GOD SAID: "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
        Genesis 1:11: And GOD SAID: "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.
        Genesis 1:14: And GOD SAID: "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons and for days and years."
        Genesis 1:20: And GOD SAID: "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the expanse of the heavens."
        Genesis 1:24: And GOD SAID: "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so.
        Genesis 1:26-28: And GOD SAID: "Let Us make man in Our image (in our DNA), according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
        Now let's look at the New Testament reference in John 1:1-14: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did no comprehend it.
        There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light that all through him might believe. He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
        He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power (right or authority) to become sons of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
        Hebrews 11:3 tells us: By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. This is the power of the spoken word: "And God said." Remember what God said, IS!
        This is expressed to a greater degree in Romans 8:28-30: And we know (perceive and understand) that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (according to His intelligent design). For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed (or fashioned) to the image of His Son (His DNA), that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called (according to His purpose), these He also justified; and whom He justified (just-as-if-I'd-never-sinned), these He also glorified ("doxazo"–Zoe life, the life of God).
        2 Timothy 2:9: (God) has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus BEFORE TIME BEGAN. God saw you before you were, and He sees you doing things you have not done yet.
        Here is the scene: God and the Word (Jesus)–the Father and the Son–standing there before time began, and they saw you. In seeing you and all you would be doing and all they would be doing in and through you, God and the Word knew you would need some things to fulfill your purpose, so they said: "Let there be light. Let there be." They knew you would want some fish and shrimp, some chicken and steak. So God said, "Let there be fish in the sea, and birds in the air, and cattle on the earth." God didn't need these things; He was and is complete all by Himself. But He saw you and me before time began and spoke the word. All of creation was made for His pleasure on our behalf.
        1 John 3:1-3: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are sons of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
        1 John 4:17b: ...as He is, so are we in this world. It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but more is coming. We are sons now, and there is yet more to come.
        Romans 8:19 says: For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. All of His creation is waiting for what God said to be manifest in His sons ("huios" or express image). All of creation is waiting for the manifesting or making visible of the sons and daughters of God.
        God had nothing and made everything. You have something to make more, because "God said." Psalm 107:2: Let the redeemed of the Lord SAY SO, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.