Answers to Life's Questions

There are several questions that every human being wants answered. Who are we? Where did we come from? What are we here for? Where are we going? Scientists, philosophers and researchers spend inordinate amounts of time looking for answers.

God is the source of all of our answers. He created us as His Children, for His glory and to spend eternity with Him in His Kingdom (Galatians 3; 2 Corinthians 5; Romans 8).

Everyone who chooses to believe in Christ and His sacrifice for us on Calvary's cross finds our true identity in Him. Those who refuse to believe condemn themselves to eternal darkness (John 3:16-18).

God is constantly perfecting us by His Spirit who abides in our spirit. He takes away our desire to sin, and it no longer appeals to us. We are alive to God and we desire intimacy with Him more than the temporal pleasures of sin.

God's Spirit helps us to walk away from our weakness and addictions. He searches our heart and knows our mind and prays for us according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27).

We are Born Again by the blood of the Lamb, and God's Spirit replaces the carnal nature in our soul with the divine nature of Christ. Our eternal destination is heaven (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Jesus swallowed up death, and gave us the victory through His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:54; Isaiah 25:8). What the world views as the finality of death is actually the ultimate victory for God's children.

Leaving this earth is to our benefit, because God rejoices in the death of His Saints (Romans 8:28; Psalm 116:15). In truth, there is greater advantage for us to go Home to the glory of Heaven than to continue living here on this sin-cursed earth (Philippians 1:21).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for making us a new creation in Christ, for filling our life with Your peace and joy, and for exchanging our sin for the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Through His resurrection, we have assurance by Your Spirit of enjoying everlasting life with You both now and for eternity.

You rescue us from violence and deceit, because we are precious in Your sight (Psalm 72:14). Your mercy and grace are our mainstays and ground us in this life with stability and normalcy, which only You can give. We cling to Your promises and enjoy the divine nature of Christ in us (2 Peter 1:4). Continue to mold us into sanctified servants for Your Holy Kingdom.

Thought for the Day:

Accepting who we are in Christ, and why we are different from those in the world, helps us to make an eternal difference in our world.

Creator God

People today dispute the fact that God is the creator of heaven and earth; yet, even back in Job’s day, they knew who got the credit. God made the Bear and Orion, Pleiades and all the constellations and galaxies in the universe (Job 9:9-10). In fact, His Creation is so wonderful that we are even now continually discovering new truth about it. Scientists recently documented that stars sing. Louie Giglio has several videos that you can Google!

Why God would condescend to give attention to rebellious mankind is the mystery of the ages. We are lower in stature than angels; yet, He cares for us. He even became one of us, and suffered everything we face in life (Hebrews 4:15). God crowned Jesus with glory and honor, after His ascension, and gave Him the rule over the works of His hands, putting everything and everyone in submission to Him (Psalm 8:3-6). God is amazing and beyond our comprehension (Job 36:26).

God reigns forever. His throne is established and He will judge the world and govern us with justice for eternity (Psalm 9:7-10). God is our great Lord and King, mighty in power and infinite in His wisdom (Psalm 147:5). We have no need to put our trust in mere mortals, because they cannot save us. They pass into eternity just like we do, becoming dust with a departed spirit and soul. There is no one like God. We can always trust in His faithfulness.

Blessed is the person who does not hang out with the wicked, join in with the exploits of sinners, or confirm the misconceptions of the mocker. Instead, we delight is in God's precepts and we meditate on His Word day and night. God makes us as secure as a tree planted by streams of water, so that our ministry will not falter, and whatever we do for Him will prosper. We even yield the fruit of His Spirit as we mature in our walk with Him (Psalm 1:1-3).

Prayer:

Father God, if we hope in You, who made the heaven and earth, You will protect the oppressed, feed the hungry, set prisoners free, give sight to the blind, lift the depressed and love the righteous among us (Psalm 146:3-8). Honoring You provides us with knowledge, wisdom and understanding. We prove our humility through our submission to You and You honor us for it (Proverbs 9:10, 15:33). You are our shield as we walk in integrity, and You guard us in the paths of justice. You always protect Your Saints (Proverbs 2:7-8).

Thought for the Day:

God stores up the answer to His secrets and shares them only with those who completely surrender their life to Him. - Proverbs 2:6

 

 

Defying Science

I can just see God chuckling as He created some of the most peculiar animals and matter in the universe, at the same time that He put the laws of science and nature into motion. He knew He would be messing with the human mind! For instance, there is actually a planet that defies these laws. It is ten times larger than Jupiter. Scientists agree that under the laws of physics, it should spiral into the surface of its molten sun and disintegrate.

 

WASP-18b, as it is called, resides a thousand light years from Earth. Scientists say that the tidal interactions between the massive planet and it’s enormous sun should be pulling them together; however, the planet routinely orbits its own star in under 24 hours. Its temperatures exceed 2,100C and this creates clouds of silica-based gems. This means that if we visited this planet, we might see a sky full of sapphires and diamonds!

We all know about the many animals, which defy scientific laws. The most common is the bumblebee, which breaks the laws of aerodynamics because of its massive weight compared to its wingspan. Scientists also say that dolphin are simply too heavy and large to swim as fast, jump as high or do as many tricks as they are able to do. Another example is the 5” long Anna’s Hummingbird. While attempting to impress the fairer sex, the tiny male bird can dive through the air at around 50 mph. This causes the hummingbird to whirl its wings at more than a thousand beats per minute and to burn body fuel about four hundred times faster than a human being.

At Yosemite National Park, scientists discovered a huge variety of microbes, called thermophiles, which survive at 100C. To get a gist of the enormity of this feat, realize that God created all living creatures, including thermophiles, largely of protein. Protein cooks at not much above 40C. Some marathon runners are known to damage their kidneys as their body overheats. Yet, thermophiles live in this intense heat and flourish.

At ocean depths of 700m, the pressure is up to twenty times the normal atmospheric condition. In the deepest of oceans, it is more than a thousand atmospheres. This is enough to crush a human body. Yet some species of deep sea fish have no internal body cavities to collapse, so they survive and thrive here, because of God’s design. 

A sperm whale can dive to nearly two miles deep, where pressure reaches hundreds of atmospheres, and yet its lungs survive. God gave the sperm whale ribs that flatten when the lungs collapse. Also oxygen is stored in their blood, which allows the sperm whale to dive for up to ninety minutes before needing another breath. With human divers, a quick rise to the surface causes bubbles in the bloodstream, which can cause death. God protected the whale, however, and this does not happen when they rise suddenly.

At the other end of the earth’s terrain, in the Himalayan mountains, the migrating bar-headed geese fly in air that is so thin that human mountain climbers need oxygen. These geese actually enjoy these heights and the cold weather, because the thin air offers less resistance as they fly, and the intense cold prevents them from over-heating under their God-given goose down.

The Male Emperor Penguin survives the Antarctic winter, where temperatures often dip below -50C. God gave them the wisdom to huddle together to share their internal warmth. The outermost birds continually shuffle to the inside of the group and each one takes turns braving the extremely cold and cutting winds. God even gave the males a pocket to protect the eggs and baby penguin. In the same vacinity, God gave Polar fish their own natural anti-freeze to stop them from freezing in the icy depths of the sea.

Bats are blind, but they use God-inspired echo-location to create a ‘mental picture’ with so much detail that they  can find the tiniest of insects flying nearby; and also to detect other bats, in order to prevent collisions as they streak through the air. God created another phenomenon, which occurs every autumn. About ten billion birds take off from Northern Europe, Asia and North America and head for the tropics and beyond. In many species, the newest born birds follow their parents. However, young swallows set out on their own journey. No one really knows how they know where to go and how to return, but God does.

Pigeons and other species of birds seem to read the Earth’s magnetic signals. God gave them compounds of iron at the base of their beak to detect the magnetic currents in the earth. Other birds use sight. Some use smell to detect the scent of ammonia that emanates from their bird colonies. God gave other birds the ability to navigate by the sun. The night-flyers avoid overheating by using the moon and stars to navigate. Some birds, like the Indigo Bunting, evidently spend their early weeks in the nest learning the layout of the night sky. Scientist say they just need to identify the pole star, because all the other stars apparently revolve around it. These are all astonishing feats that God created birds to do.

Well, in spite of all these extraordinary examples, there is a one familiar creation that is the most astonishing of all…you.

The simplest of mundane tasks undertaken by any one of us requires truly astonishing physical skills and mental computing power. Consider the talents we all have to create beautiful music, art, inventions, and scientific and medical breakthroughs. We are all miracles of God. We are more sophisticated, intelligent and marvellous than any man-made invention or any of God’s other creations. God created each of us for a specific plan and purpose with all the gifts and talents we need to succeed in this area.

 

Yet, many of us take for granted all of our God given talents and the abilities He teaches us throughout our lifetime. As I consider these exceptions to the rules that God created, it makes me even more determined to live up to the potential He gave me, so that I can make my mark on society in His name and leave a spiritual legacy behind for future generations.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, each human being is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). You knew us before You ever formed us in our mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). We are Your most esteemed creation and You made us to fellowship with You (Genesis 1:26). You care about us so much that You collect all of our tears in Your bottle and You record in Your journal each one and why we shed it (Psalm 56:8). You will bring vengence upon those who bring sorrow to Your beloved saints (Romans 12:19). You alone stretched out the heavens and spread out the earth by Your mighty power (Isaiah 44:24), and Your love endures forever (Psalm 136:6).

Thought for the Day:

Whatever pleased the Lord, He created in heaven, in the earth, in the seas and in all the deep places. - Psalms 135:6

 

 

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1192225/Mother-Natures-humdingers-The-awesome-animals-turn-laws-science-upside-down.html#ixzz22SVTxVGc

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/planet-found-that-defies-the-laws-of-physics-1777738.html

 

The Soul's Place in Eternity

Read: Luke 16: 22-31

There is a longstanding issue about whether or not our soul - our mind, will and emotions - lives on after death. The difficulty of accepting the reality of the soul as a vital element in our human existence, and then distinguishing it from the spirit and the body, is one of the most important conundrums of philosophical debate for centuries. The argument is heated at times, because of the lack of proof about whether or not the soul accompanies us into eternity.

The soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions. The mind’s function is to interpret what we experience in our body. It also defines the ideas and beliefs, which we hold dear. The soul also registers the emotions, which we feel. Then, considering our thoughts and feelings, the will makes the decisions, which we act upon. The soul is intangible; therefore, it requires a body to exist. We receive our body and soul at conception; however, our spirit is dead in sin until it is rebirthed in the regenerated Christian person.

The soul cannot be the spirit of man. The soul of the unregenerate man is functioning normally. It is the spirit, which is dead in trespasses and sin. The spirit is instantly regenerated or Born Again at Justification. Then, the soul takes the center stage as the Holy Spirit transforms our soul through the Sanctification process. This takes a lifetime. Eventually, the body will be saved through Glorification in the instant when we see Jesus. At that time, we shall have an immortal body, just like Jesus does. 

Verses such as, "Fear ye not them that kill the body . . . but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28), birth the idea of the Dualism of man, which means we only possess a body and a soul and causes people to equate the soul with the spirit. However, as scholars researched Bible verses further, they broadened Dualism to the doctrine of the Trichotomy in man. We are made in the image of God. He is a Trichotomy of Father, Son and Spirit. We are a Trichotomy of body, soul and spirit.

Paul shows our Trichotomy in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow (body), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Another reference is in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Christ’s teachings center on the spiritual side of man's nature. Of course, the demise or the salvation of the soul is of great importance when considering our eternal existence. However, Jesus’ teaching in Luke 16: 22-31 sheds some light on this topic. Although both the rich man’s body and Lazarus’ body are in the grave, they can both perceive thoughts and emotions through their soul, as well as experience in the soul what is usually registered through the five senses of the physical body.

Read with me from Luke 6:24…“So he called to him, 'Father Abraham (sight), have pity (emotion) on me and send Lazarus (thoughts) to dip the tip of his finger (taste) in water and cool my tongue (touch), because I am in agony (touch and emotion) in this fire (smell).” He also experiences the sense of hearing when Abraham advises him about his request in the verses following this one.

This scripture passage gives us a clear picture that our soul “feels” all of the physical sensations, which our body feels. When our body goes to the grave, the soul goes to heaven or hell for eternity. When Christ returns, we will all receive an immortal body, which will either experience the torments of hell or the glories of heaven for eternity, depending upon our belief in or rejection of Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Even scientists observe that the soul is independent and exists apart from the body. During our sleep, our soul carries on its work through our dreams. We express our self through our soul, not only on earth but also in heaven. Our physical life is merely temporary, while our soul exists continually. Scientists say that the physical proof of the soul’s existence comes from facts such as: the mysteries behind birth and death, the cessation of conscious thought during sleep, and the memory and imagination. All three of these give proof that there is an existence of the soul in addition to the body and spirit.

Yet, even with the obvious importance of the soul, mankind treats it with passing notice, sometimes even bordering on disdain. Some Christians insist that when we take up our cross daily, we crucify the God-given aspects of the soul, right along with the carnal, “fleshly” appetites of the body. What confuses me is that we dote on our physical condition, exercising and eating regularly to keep the body healthy and functioning. We feed our spirit with regular Bible reading and worship with other Believers. Yet, so many people ignore or try to crucify their soul, equating it with the “flesh”.

Peter calls us to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11). This clearly shows that the soul is separate from the fleshly lusts and that we are to care for our soul. In my opinion, we need to pay equal amounts of attention to developing and nurturing our soul as we do with our body and spirit. Otherwise, we are like a stool with only two legs: unbalanced and virtually useless.

Paul explains that the natural (unregenerate) man does not believe the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). His spirit is dead. I like to visualize our triune state as a basketball. The outer pigskin is the body, the thin inner tube is the soul and the air inside (if one is born again) is the spirit. A person without the Spirit of God within resembles a ball without air…just a dud!

Don’t be a dud! When you realize your sinful condition, turn your desires and affections toward God. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept His grace for salvation. When the Spirit of God brings salvation to the spirit of a man, and we choose to surrender our body and soul to God, we enjoy unconditional fellowship with our Lord, and our soul cries out as the Psalmists’ did, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name” (Psalm 103:1).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, teach us to submit our Trichotomy to You. Give us the desires of our heart so that they align with the desires of Your heart. Help us to walk in Jesus' footsteps. We thank You for saving us body, soul and spirit and for giving us the opportunity to live as a completed human being in Your Kingdom for eternity.

Thought for the Day:

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit), and man became a living soul.” - Genesis 2:7

(Research done at: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04744b.htm)

Fairytale or Reality

Read: Acts 19:8-10

“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything." - Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NKJV)

Paul appealed to the people in his day, and quite successfully convinced many of them about God’s reality. Others refused to believe the Gospel, and some even mocked it. The same is true today. Since scientists cannot examine God under a microscope they explain Him away. They have no proof of the origin of electricity, the wind or magnetism either; yet, they accept these assumptions as facts. With God, however, since they cannot prove Him scientifically, they dismiss Him as a fairytale. This is not consistent, nor is it logical.

Not only can we see the handiwork of God in our universe, we can also see the consequences of His work in a Believer’s life. The miscreant transforms into a productive citizen, the selfish woman considers her family first, and the wandering husband spends his time at home every night.

I thank God that He is not finite and measurable; but that He dwells in infinity. I would not want to serve a God, which I can categorize, allegorize and automatize. I much prefer serving a God that I can apotheosize.

Prayer ~ Lord Jesus, Your Spirit creates a difference in our thoughts, words, and actions. Till the soil in the lives of those around us, so that we can successfully plant the seed of Your truth.

Thought For The Day ~ As long as Believers live in our universe, there is absolute proof that God is real!