-THE EARTH ITSELF=

--- The Earth Itself

Earth is the only planet circling our sun on which life as we know it could (and does) exist.

-Like no other planet, ours is covered with green vegetation, enormous blue-green oceans containing over a million islands, hundreds of thousands of streams and rivers, huge land masses called continents, mountains, ice caps, and deserts that produce a spectacular variety of color and texture. Some form of life is found in virtually every ecological niche on the earth's surface. Even in the extremely cold Antarctica, hardy microscopic beings thrive in ponds, tiny wingless insects live in patches of moss and lichen, and plants grow and flower yearly. From the apex of the atmosphere to the bottom of the oceans, from the coldest part of the poles to the warmest part of the equator, life thrives here. To this day, no evidence of life has been found on any other planet.

The earth is immense in size, about 8,000 miles in diameter, with a mass calculated at roughly 6.6 x 1,021 tons. The earth is on average 93 million miles from the sun. If the earth traveled much faster in its 584-million-mile-long journey around the sun, its orbit would become larger and it would move farther away from the sun. If it moved too far from the narrow habitable zone, all life would cease to exist on earth. If it traveled slightly slower in its orbit, the earth would move closer to the sun, and if it moved too close, all life would likewise perish. The earth's 365-days, 6-hours, 49-minutes and 9.54-seconds trip around the sun (the sidereal year) is consistent to over a thousandth of a second!-

If the yearly average temperature on earth's surface changed by only a few degrees or so, much of the life on it would eventually roast or freeze. This change would upset the water-to-ice ratio and other critical balances, with disastrous results. If the earth rotated slower on its axis, all life would die in time, either by freezing at night because of lack of heat from the sun or by burning during the day from too much heat.

Our "normal" earth processes are assuredly unique among our solar system and, according to what we know, in the entire universe.

--ICR
-What an amazing God, Indescribable Jehovah!
<http://youtu.be/SWXdA3nooRY>
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---WHY DID GOD CREATE SUCH A VAST UNIVERSE?
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-Question: "Why did God create such a vast universe and other planets if there is only life on Earth?"

-Answer: The question of whether God created life on other planets is certainly fascinating. Psalm 19:1 says that "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork." Everything that God has made, be it you and me, or wildlife, or angels, or stars and planets, has been created for His glory. When we see a breathtaking view of the Milky Way or peer at Saturn through a telescope, we are amazed at the wonders of God!

David wrote in Psalm 8:3, " I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained." When we see the vast number of stars, then read that scientists have discovered thousands upon thousands of galaxies, each containing millions of stars, we should be stand in reverent fear of a God so immense to make all that and call it the work of His fingers! Furthermore, Psalm 147:4 tells us that "He counts the number of the stars, He calls them all by name." It is impossible for mankind to know how many stars there are, not to mention the “name” of every star! "Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together" (Isaiah 48:13).

Space and planets were created for God's glory. We know that stars and planets outside our solar system exist, and these, too, were created for the glory of God. A constantly expanding universe is yet another conjecture that has yet to be proven. The next star farther than the sun is over 4 light-years away, and that isn't even a measurable fraction of the size of the known universe, expanding or not.

As to whether there is life on other planets, we simply do not know. So far, no evidence of life on the other planets of our solar system has been found. Considering the nearness of the end times, it is unlikely that man will progress far enough to visit other galaxies before the Lord’s return.
Wherever life exists or doesn’t exist, God is still the Creator and Controller of all things, and all things were made for His glory.
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---THE EARTH ITSELF=/ VAST UNIVERSE

Question:---IS THERE ANY CONCLUSIVE PROOF OF GOD?
-----
Answer: The answer to this question depends greatly on what is meant by “conclusive” proof. Can we reach out and touch God or see Him in the same way that we touch and see people? No. But there are countless ways one can know assuredly that God does exist, that He is real, and He is who He says He is. We will look briefly at three ways of proving His existence using both science and the Bible.

1.) The Law of Cause and Effect. This law of science states that every cause has its effect and every effect has its cause. This law is the basis of all science. As such, this law bears a relationship to the origin of the heavens and the earth. In fact, scientists agree that the universe has not existed forever, that it had a beginning at some point in time.

-The theory of relativity, which is almost universally accepted among scientists, has certain implications for this Law of Cause and Effect. One is that the universe, defined as time, space, matter, and physical energy had a beginning, that it is not eternal. And it is through Einstein’s equations that scientists can trace the development of the universe back to its very origin, back to what is called the “singularity event” when it actually came into being. Science has proven that the universe really did have a beginning. This means that if the universe had a starting point in history, then it obviously began to exist, and it must have a cause for its existence.

Therefore, if the universe needs a cause for its coming into being, then that cause must be beyond the universe—which is time, space, matter, and physical energy. That cause must be something similar to what Christians call “God.” Even Richard Dawkins, probably the most prominent proponent for atheism in our time, admitted in a TIME magazine article that “there could be something incredibly grand and incomprehensible and beyond our present understanding.” Yes, and that is God!

We can best summarize this cosmological evidence with the following statements:
(1) Whatever begins to exist must have a cause for its existence.
(2) The universe began to exist.
(3) Therefore, the universe must have a cause for its existence.
(4) The attributes of the cause of the universe (being timeless, existing outside of space, and so on) are the attributes of God.
(5) Therefore, the cause of the universe must be God (Genesis 1:1).

2.) The Law of Teleology. Teleology is the study of design or purpose in natural phenomena. This law of science essentially means that when an object reflects a purpose, goal or design, it must have had a designer. Simply put, things do not design themselves. This holds true for the things in the universe, which proves that it had to have a Designer.

For example, the earth in orbiting the sun departs from a straight line by only one-ninth of an inch every 18 miles—a very straight line in human terms. If the orbit changed by one-tenth of an inch every 18 miles, it would be vastly larger and we would all freeze to death. If it changed by one-eighth of an inch, we would be incinerated. The sun is burning at approximately 20 million degrees Celsius at its interior. If the earth was moved 10% further away, we would soon freeze to death. If it was moved 10% closer, we would be reduced to ashes. Are we to believe that such precision “just happened”? Think about it: the sun is poised at 93 million miles from Earth, which happens to be just right. Did this happen by chance or by design? It’s no small wonder that the Psalmist alludes to God as the grand designer: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other” (Psalm 19:1, 6).

3.) The Laws of Probability and Fulfilled Prophecy. There are 1,093 prophecies in the Bible that refer to Jesus and His Church, and each one of those prophecies was fulfilled! The Old Testament contains 48 prophecies that pertain to the crucifixion of Jesus. When applying the laws of probability to calculate the likelihood of several events taking place at or near the same time, all probabilities have to be multiplied together. For example, if the probability of a single event occurring randomly is 1 chance in 5 and the probability of a separate event occurring is 1 chance in 10, then the probability that both events will occur together or in sequence is 1 in 5 multiplied by 1 in 10, which yields 1 in 50.

In considering the fact that several different prophets who lived in separate communities over a span of a 1,000 years made predictions of Christ 500 years before His birth, the odds against these prophecies coming true are simply beyond our wildest comprehension. For example, the chances of one man (Jesus) fulfilling just 8 of the prophecies attributed to Him are one in 10 to the 17th power (that’s a number 1 with 17 zeroes).

The Bible with all its fulfilled prophecies proves the existence of God. Through the law of probability and the mathematical odds of prophecy being fulfilled, we can know assuredly that there was a divine Designer and Author of the Bible. The same One who brought the universe into existence.

Finally, God, the Creator of the universe and Author of our salvation tells us, “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isaiah 46:9-10).
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-HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD/ CHRIS TOMLIN
<http://youtu.be/jjxPG_mRHDs>

--LOVE NOT THE WORLD~~

--'Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world.'
--1 John 2:15-16

-THE Greek word translated "world" in this verse is 'cosmos', referring to the world as an organized system. Paul warned against walking "according to the the course of this world." Satan is the one who set its course, for "the whole world lieth in wickedness."

The world does not love us! "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." Yet how diligently we work to acquire possessions and attain high positions in the world system.
"The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." Instead, we should "overcome the world."

But we 'should' love the world in one important way: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." Christ prayed, "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." He did not love the world's possessions or pleasures or positions, but its 'people'! Like Jesus, we too must love them and show them the way back to their Creator and Savior.~~

-[1 John 2:15-16; John 5:18; 15:18; 3:16; 17:18; Ephesians 2:2]

--Days of Praise/ ICR-/ All of Creation ~~ MercyMe
<http://youtu.be/P3_Vz6kKLVk>

---OUR SINGING FATHER ~~~

"The LORD your God
is with you, the
Mighty Warrior
who saves. He will
take great delight
in you; in his love
he will..rejoice
over you with
singing."
----(Zephaniah 3:17)--

--Did you know Scripture describes our heavenly Father singing over His children? Zephaniah concludes with a portrait of our heavenly Father singing over His people: "He will take great delight in you; in his love he will...rejoice over you with singing" (3:17).

Much of Zephaniah's prophetic book warns of a coming time of judgment for those who'd rejected God. Yet that's not where it ends. Zephaniah concludes not with judgment but with a description of God not only rescuing His people from all their suffering but also tenderly loving and rejoicing over them with song (V 17).

Our God is not only a "Mighty Warrior who saves" and restores (v.17) but a loving Father who tenderly sings songs of love over us.~~

--Our heavenly Father delights in His children like a parent singing to a newborn baby. Father God sent his only begotten Son, to pay our penalty of death, so we can live eternally with Him. He paid our sin-debt. Give Him Praise! G-D IS LOVE.~ Jesus is the God-Man.

--ODB/AH--"Love Has A Name"--JESUS~ / Jesus Culture~

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---GAZING AT THE HORIZON~~

--"We are looking for
the City that is to
come."-(Hebrews 13:14)--

--ALMOST AS SOON as the ferry boat started to move, my little daughter said she felt ill. Seasickness had already begun to affect her. Soon I was feeling queasy myself. "Just stare at the horizon," I reminded myself. Sailors say this helps to regain a sense of perspective.

The Maker of the horizon (JOB 26:10) knows that sometimes in life we may become fearful and restless. We can regain perspective by focusing on the distant but steady point of our destiny.

The writer of Hebrews understood this. He sensed discouragement in his readers. Persecution had driven many of them from their homes. So he reminded them that other people of faith had endured extreme trials and had been left homeless. They endured it all because they anticipated something better.

As exiles, these readers could look forward to the City whose architect is God, the Heavenly country, the City God prepared for them (Hebrews 11:10, 14,16). So in his final exhortations, the writer asked his readers to focus on God's promises, "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the City that is to come" (13:14).

Our present troubles are temporary. We are "foreigners and strangers on earth" (11:13), but gazing at the horizon of God's promises provides the point of reference we need. ~~

--"Father, in the midst of troubles, help me to focus on Your Promises, in Jesus Name."

---FOCUS ON GOD AND REGAIN PERSPECTIVE.~~
--ODB/KO~~--"MY REDEEMER LIVES" --Nicole C Mullen/ https://youtu.be/XRW-jr_PnbQ
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--BE PERFECTLY UNITED ~~

--"Be perfectly united in mind and thought.
---[1 Corinthians 1:10] --

---RIVALS OR ALLIES?

~~THE CITY OF Texarkana sits squarely on the state border between Texas and Arkansas. The city of 70,000 inhabitants has two mayors, two city councils, and two police and fire departments. The cross-town sporting rivalry between high schools draws an uncommonly high attendance, reflecting the deep allegiance each has to their own state's school. More significant challenges arise as well, such as disputes over the shared water system, governed by two sets of state laws. Yet the town is known for its unity despite the line that divides it.
Residents gather annually for a dinner held on State Line Avenue to share a meal in celebration of their oneness as a community.

The believers in Corinth may not have drawn a line down their main thoroughfare, but they were divided. They'd been quarreling as a result of their allegiances to those who taught them about Jesus: Paul, Apollos, or Cephas (Peter). Paul called them all to oneness "in mind and thought" (1 Corinthians 1:10), reminding them it was Christ who was crucified for them, not their spiritual leaders.

We behave similarly today, don't we? We sometimes oppose even those who share our singularly important belief--Jesus' sacrifice for our wrongdoings--making them rivals instead of allies. Just as Christ Himself is not divided, we, as His earthly representation--His body--mustn't allow differences over nonessentials to divide us. Instead, may we celebrate our oneness in Him.

--"Lord God, help me to remain focused on You and Your sacrifice for Your people. May I not be distracted by the less important issues but call others to oneness as a community of faith. In Jesus Name. ~ amen"

--ODB/KH~--"Won't Stop Now" //(lyrics) Elevation Worship -<https://youtu.be/Y8XwAYFyOhs>
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