GOD IS AN INFINITELY LOVELY BEING

 

GOD IS AN INFINITELY LOVELY BEING I ask affectionately, my beloved brethren, have you fully surrendered the heart to God, or is there this thing or that thing which distracts you from giving Him your full attention? I read a little of the Scriptures before I was saved, but preferred other books; but since that time when I surrendered my heart and God revealed Himself to me, He has become unspeakably blessed to me, and I can say from my heart, God is an infinitely lovely Being. When we have this relationship with God in our inmost souls, the more ready we are to trust Him. We are able to leave ourselves in His hands, satisfied with all His dealings with us. And when trial comes, we shall say: “I will wait and see what good God will do to me through this, for I am assured He will bring good from this situation.” Thus, we shall bear an honorable testimony before the world, and we will be able to strengthen the faith of others. Are you able to say, from the acquaintance you have made with God, that He is a lovely Being? If not, let me entreat you to ask God to bring you to this understanding, that you may admire His gentleness and kindness, that you may be able to say how good He is, and how God delights in blessing His children with good gifts. Oh, be not satisfied until in your own inmost soul you can say, God is an infinitely lovely Being! —George Mueller, 1805-1898

 

COFFEE THOUGHTS

 

COFFEE THOUGHTS Sip.. Happy Tuesday! A day of LIFE! For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:3-5 I feel like I spent most of my life trying to “Christian-ize” what Paul in the Bible pronounced dead. And that my friend is a tough life. It’s tough to take a bad boy that was supposed to be reckoned dead (in Christ), and turn him into a good boy. In fact, it’s impossible. The whole idea of Christianity is to be born again. Live out of the new life. There’s two of you and the secret to successful Christian living is to become aware of the two and learn to let God live through the NEW you. Now it is no longer you living, but Christ in you. When Jesus spoke of an easy yoke and a light burden He was speaking of THAT life. This is also called walking in the Spirit. Gerald D Hochstetler Jr. #coffeethoughts on Facebook Used with Permission

 

HIDDEN ENGINEERING IN AN ELEPHANT'S FOOT

 

HIDDEN ENGINEERING IN AN ELEPHANT'S FOOT I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14 Most people glance at an elephant and think its feet are simple stumps pressing into the dirt. But a closer look exposes engineering that silences the myth of blind chance. Inside those massive pads are Pacinian corpuscles: pressure receptors so sensitive they can detect vibrations traveling through the ground for miles. Researchers demonstrated this by playing a predator alarm call through the air and watching elephants scatter. Then they played the same call through the ground. Instantly the herd tightened into a defensive huddle. They were not hearing with ears. They were interpreting seismic signals through their feet. That is not a lucky mutation. That is integrated design. Now let's look even deeper. A cross section of an elephant’s foot reveals a thick, fibrous, fatty pad beneath the bones. It functions like a hydraulic cushion. When the elephant steps, the pad compresses and spreads outward, distributing thousands of pounds of force across a wide surface area. Instead of bone slamming into ground, the load is absorbed, redirected, and released. The structure acts as a living shock absorber, preventing fractures and joint collapse in an animal that can weigh up to seven tons. Engineers spend careers trying to replicate this kind of load distribution in bridges and heavy machinery. The elephant was born with it. Hidden within that same foot is what anatomists call a “sixth toe.” It is not a true toe but an enlarged cartilaginous structure that acts like an internal pillar. It reinforces the arch and supports the pad from within. This is why the elephant’s skeleton looks as though it stands on tiptoes. The visible toes are supported by a concealed brace that strengthens the entire column. Remove that structure and the system fails. This is coordinated architecture from the inside out. Evolution cannot plan shock absorption before the weight exists. It cannot install seismic communication before the need arises. It has no foresight, no intention, no authority over matter. Scripture tells us plainly that the Lord formed the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and equipped them fully. The elephant’s foot is not a random accident of pressure and time. It is a proclamation carved into flesh and bone. Creation declares the wisdom and power of the Creator. BIBLICAL CREATION ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1mill.creationist Used with Permission

 

ONE KING, ONE LORD

 

ONE KING, ONE LORD On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone. Zechariah 14:9 What a blessed prospect! This is not the dream of an idealist but the declaration of the infallible Word. Jehovah shall be known among all people, and His gracious reign shall be acknowledged by every tribe of humanity. Today, this reality seems distant. How many people do you know who are eagerly willing to bow before the LORD Jesus? How much rebellion is present in this world! There are so many little lords and little gods who desire to have control of their little realms! Because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 But one day, there will be one King, one Jehovah, and one Name that is above all names! O Lord, hasten that day! We daily cry, "Your kingdom come." We will not get bogged down in discussing when this will happen, but we can certainly have the comfort of knowing that it will happen. As surely as the Holy Spirit spoke through His prophets, so surely will the whole earth be filled with the glory of the Lord. Jesus did not die in vain. The Spirit of God is not working in vain. The Father’s eternal purposes will not be frustrated. Let us go about our daily work and battles, strengthened by this faith. By Charles H. Spurgeon, updated

 

THE TWO WITNESSES

 

THE TWO WITNESSES Now that Easter is over, we will resume the study of Revelation on Thursdays. REVELATION 11.3 I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 11.4 These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands, standing before the Lord of the earth. 11.5 If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 11.6 These have the power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. -WEB Bible. Revelation now describes a series of dramatic vignettes. These "mini-scenes" introduce major characters (good and bad) who play major roles during the last half of the Tribulation. The two Witnesses are some of these “characters” and there will be more introduced in the coming weeks (stay tuned!) The ministry of the two Witnesses spans this time period when the worst of God’s judgments will be happening on earth. The Bible doesn't give their names, but many speculate that the two Witnesses will be the ancient prophets Enoch & Elijah, or Moses & Elijah. Whoever they are, the two men are powerful, fearless and relentless in preaching the gospel and warning people to repent! God is faithful! Even in these final days, He sends two powerful Witnesses to preach repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ. Even if no one will listen, God is still offering the Gospel to the very end. In the image above, the two prophets stand at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem, preaching to the people. The Golden Gate is probably the same gate where Jesus entered the city on Palm Sunday, and it's also where he will return to Jerusalem in triumph. In our modern times, no one is allowed to preach at this location because it is within the compound on the Temple Mount. The sacred areas of Jerusalem are strictly controlled, in order to maintain the fragile peace that exists in that city. However, the two prophets will go wherever they want and do whatever they want, and no one will be able to stop them because of the miraculous powers they will have. This study of Revelation will continue on Thursdays. IMAGE CREDIT:  The Golden Gate on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, photo by Yaakov Shoham, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons. Significantly revised by C.A. Stevens.