"the universe" called a god?

Photo CR: Ancient Code

The reality is, if we recognize, acknowledge, serve, or call by name, anything or anyone but the name or title God has given Himself, then we are calling on another god, which the word of God calls false gods. There is an extremely long list of names that man refers to or calls God by that are completely acceptable.  Some of the ones we will find in the Holy Scriptures are I AM THAT I AM, LORD, Elohim, Adonai,  El Shaddai, God Almighty, Jehovah, YHWH, Yahweh, Jesus, or Yeshua (Exodus 3:14).

Recently, I had a few guests who came to see me in my home for business purposes. When one enters my home, it is obvious this is a Christian home. On this day of visitation by my guests, when they entered my home, they were not only captivated by my home's decor but they were graced by a variety of Christian and Gospel music while they were present. Not something I did on purpose, just something you will encounter if you enter my home.

A week later, one of the guests had to return to finish up our business. We chat about personal things like we typically do before getting down to business. And at some point, she completely threw me off by a comment she made that had nothing to do with our conversation. And I partially quote her - "the universe...." And she proceeded to finish her thought. 

I thought to myself. "The universe!??? Where in the world did that come from?" Because in our meetings we had never talked about God or anything spiritual of nature. Although I've thought about it, but I didn't feel led to do so. So, as we continue to conversate, I could not help but wonder why she brought up this false god’s name, especially considering we have never engaged in any conversation on a spiritual level.

AND THEN IT HIT ME. My home is so charged by the presence of God that whenever she enters my home, which she has been here at least 4 or 5 times; her spirit, unknowingly to me, is convicted in some fashion. She is intrigued by my demeanor, my Christian attire that she sees me often wearing, my moral convictions and standing, the displays in my home, the Bible literature and textbooks that are scattered everywhere, the background music that plays in my home, and the invisible presence that occupy this home. Before y’all get all crazy on me, let me explain that last part.

This home is a house of prayer. We are always inviting, evoking, praising, and worshiping Jehovah God in this house. Now, I will admit, I am kind of use to His presence being here that the energy is normal for me. But I have to be mindful, many people who come in and out of this home are not familiar with the one living true God. So, when they entered this place, they noticed something is different, but they cannot really identify it. I often noticed, when some of our guests come into this home, they often get quiet and start to look around like they are looking for something. And it is because they are sensing the presence of the LORD and they do not recognize the presence of their own Creator. So, this is what this young lady was experiencing each time she entered my home. She knew there was something here, but she could not identify what it was. In fact, unknowing to her, on two different visits, God shared something intimate and personal about her with me. And then on her next visit, she would confirm what God has shared with me privately through a conversation we would have. My mind was blown. And I would listen and acknowledge what she shared as if that were the first time, I heard it. So, God was up to something.

But on this last visit, she had something to prove. Hence, why she called on the name of a false god, that is "the universe" in my home. The Spirit of the LORD, His presence in my home was convicting her in some way and fashion. And because she does not know her Creator, she called upon the name of a false deity that is popular among many young people today – “the universe.”

But we must be mindful, while the calling upon God's name can evoke and birth many great and powerful things in our lives. Such god-like names as “the universe” provoke, grant, enable, or provide nothing. The Scriptures say it this way. 
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… our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
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(It continues by speaking of false gods like “the universe” and says). Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them. (Psalm 115:3-8)
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EVERYONE WHO TRUSTS OR CALLS UPON THEM will become like them.

Our universe, I am speaking about nature as some will call it, is nothing without its Creator. It does not function in an orderly fashion. It cannot govern itself without the commanding words of the LORD. It does not come into being without the clapping of the hands of the LORD and His commanding words – "come forth". For the word of the LORD commanded in the beginning. 
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“THEN GOD SAID, ‘Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from night…. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.’ And that is what happened. God MADE two great lights – the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness….” (Genesis 1:14-18)

This sounds like the universe that God our Creator has created and not the universe as one and the same as God to me. 
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we worship what we do not know

Let me conclude with this. The Apostle Paul was walking around the city of Athens, and he saw more than 30,000 different gods of the city that the people were calling upon and worshipping. As Paul walked around viewing these statues of man-made gods and names of false deities engraved on walls and buildings, he was provoked. A storm was brewing up within him because he saw how the people of the city of Athens were given into pleasures and worship to idolatry.

Now, these people of Athens were wise enough to know and recognize that there was something out there beyond man, and therefore they were seeking for it. But what they discovered was not God. Instead, they discovered a twisted and distorted version of God like this concept we have in our culture today called “the universe,”. And this troubled the Apostle Paul. (See Acts 17:16-34).

Like Paul, I too am disturbed by this theological doctrine or philosophy that has been running rampant in our society and is now being slowly adopted by some in the Church. Believing that the universe and God are one of the same, which has no Biblical foundation or footing.

You see, man can manipulate nature to suit his preferred will or desire. And this is the same desire they want to do concerning God. Man wants God to bend and yield to their preferred lifestyle and pleasure. If I want to have sex outside of marriage. The universe doesn’t mind. If I want to smoke weed. That’s okay because the universe produces it anyways. If I want to abort an unplanned pregnancy, you know what, the universe will be alright with that. If I want…. If I want…. If I want to sin…. The universe is at my mercy, so it is okay.

Man, does not have to answer to the universe. Therefore, they are quite content with giving homage, praise, and worship to this powerless false god.

This is what some people do when they cannot or will not allow themselves to grasp an omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient God. So, they allude to something they can control and explain. One universist explains the concept of God this way. God is Nature – the entire system, the universe, in which we live.

We have to be mindful, we cannot explain God based on man’s terms. Let me explain this in two ways. At Exodus chapter 33, Moses wanted to see God’s glorious presence (Exodus 33:18). And this was God’s response to Moses’ request.
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“I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”

The near passing of God’s glory is too much for man to handle. We cannot stand nor survive the full extent of His presence. Why? To be honest, I don’t know. But the point is the presence of God is beyond our ability to survive it. He is beyond our comprehension. And we take issue with that because we want to attempt to understand and explain everything.

Here’s the second point. Jesus made this powerful statement and distinction. 
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… The time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem…. But the time is coming – indeed it’s here now – when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:21-24).

This passage of Scriptures creates many problems for many people as to why they cannot explain God and misidentify God with such false gods as “the universe.” Two words – “spirit” and “truth”. Most people, even in the Church, cannot identify nor discern a spirit, yet along an evil or good spirit. And far too many people don’t want truth. They just want to live the way they want to live and have everyone to adapt to their preferred way to live with no rules, no restrictions, no regulations, no limitations, or no accountability. And the Scriptures make it clear here. God is seeking out those ones here on the earth who want to live by His Spirit and dwell in His truth.

So, is this truth? Is the concept of “the universe” is the same as God? NO! The universe is created by God. The idea that men and women today have exchanged the position of God in their lives for the concept of “the universe” simply confirms the written words of the Apostle Paul who wrote. 
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They traded the truth about God for a lie.

​Let me say that one again.
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They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created….

Let me say that one again as well.
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So they worshiped and served the things God created, instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! (Romans 1:25)
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