News you won't see in controlled mainstream media.

--Was Jesus Just a Man or Much More?

'And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.'
---John 1:14
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-Years ago, U.S. News and World Report magazine had a cover story entitled, “Who is This Man?” In the article, speculation and scholarship were mixed together from a variety of people about who exactly Jesus was. Some said He was just a man; others said a prophet; and Christians said He’s God Himself.

But in all the speculation about Jesus, some basic facts are almost universally accepted. For example, almost everyone agrees He was a Jewish carpenter who lived at the beginning of the first century in Nazareth. He was the son of Mary and Joseph, taught unconventional ideas about God, was crucified on a Roman cross, and was believed by many to have risen from the dead.

Yet, we, as Christians, go further. Not only was He a carpenter in the physical sense, but also in the metaphysical sense. The Son of God didn’t just make tables and boxes. The Bible says all things are made by Him. Jesus wasn’t just a son; He was the Son. He wasn’t just crucified; He died for sinners. He wasn’t just believed to have risen from the dead; He’s alive today!

Jesus is easily one of the most revered people in all of history. He was a man… but He was also much more: God. And thanks to His life, His death, and His resurrection, we can have life too. Thank God for sending Christ for you!

-JESUS WAS A MAN… AND MUCH, MUCH MORE. THANK GOD THAT HIS LIFE, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION GIVE YOU NEW LIFE.
--PP/JG = / THE POWER OF YOUR LOVE= HILLSONG~~
<http://youtu.be/H9_0jiO5ZRM>
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--The Everlasting God~~
--(Please read Isaiah 44:1--46:13)
-----
--Jehovah is 'the everlasting God" (Romans 16:26)
He invented time and owns the patent. "The day is Yours, the night also is Yours" (Psalm 74:16). He was something before anything else was. When the first angel lifted the first wing, God had already always been.

Most staggering of all, He has never messed up. Not once. The prophet Isaiah described his glimpse of God. He saw six-winged angels. Though sinless, they covered themselves in God's presence. Two wings covered eyes, two wings covered feet, and two carried the angels airborne. They volleyed one phrase back and forth: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:3).

God is holy. Every decision, exact. Every word, appropriate. Never out-of-bounds or out of place. Not even tempted to make a mistake. "God is impervious (incapable), to evil" (James 1:13 MSG).

Tally this up. No needs. No age. No sin. No wonder He said, "I am God, and there is none like Me" (Isaiah 46:9).
--
--From: 3:16/ By: M Lucado/ INDESCRIBABLE--Chris Tomlin~
<http://youtu.be/SWXdA3nooRY>

--The Everlasting God~~
--(Please read Isaiah 44:1--46:13)
-----
--Jehovah is 'the everlasting God" (Romans 16:26)
He invented time and owns the patent. "The day is Yours, the night also is Yours" (Psalm 74:16). He was something before anything else was. When the first angel lifted the first wing, God had already always been.

Most staggering of all, He has never messed up. Not once. The prophet Isaiah described his glimpse of God. He saw six-winged angels. Though sinless, they covered themselves in God's presence. Two wings covered eyes, two wings covered feet, and two carried the angels airborne. They volleyed one phrase back and forth: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:3).

God is holy. Every decision, exact. Every word, appropriate. Never out-of-bounds or out of place. Not even tempted to make a mistake. "God is impervious (incapable), to evil" (James 1:13 MSG).

Tally this up. No needs. No age. No sin. No wonder He said, "I am God, and there is none like Me" (Isaiah 46:9).
--
--From: 3:16/ By: M Lucado/ INDESCRIBABLE--Chris Tomlin~
<http://youtu.be/SWXdA3nooRY>

-- -WHY ARE THERE TWO DIFFERENT CREATION ACCOUNTS IN GENESIS CHAPTERS 1-2 ?

---Two different Creation accounts~~

--Question: "Why are there two different Creation accounts in Genesis chapters 1-2?"

--Answer: Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Later, in Genesis 2:4, it seems that a second, different story of creation begins. The idea of two differing creation accounts is a common misinterpretation of these two passages which, in fact, describe the same creation event. They do not disagree as to the order in which things were created and do not contradict one another. Genesis 1 describes the “six days of creation” (and a seventh day of rest), Genesis 2 covers only one day of that creation week—the sixth day—and there is no contradiction.

In Genesis 2, the author steps back in the temporal sequence to the sixth day, when God made man. In the first chapter, the author of Genesis presents the creation of man on the sixth day as the culmination or high point of creation. Then, in the second chapter, the author gives greater detail regarding the creation of man.

There are two primary claims of contradictions between Genesis chapters 1-2. The first is in regard to plant life. Genesis 1:11 records God creating vegetation on the third day. Genesis 2:5 states that prior to the creation of man “no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground.” So, which is it? Did God create vegetation on the third day before He created man (Genesis 1), or after He created man (Genesis 2)? The Hebrew words for “vegetation” are different in the two passages. Genesis 1:11 uses a term that refers to vegetation in general. Genesis 2:5 uses a more specific term that refers to vegetation that requires agriculture, i.e., a person to tend it, a gardener. The passages do not contradict. Genesis 1:11 speaks of God creating vegetation, and Genesis 2:5 speaks of God not causing “farmable” vegetation to grow until after He created man.

The second claimed contradiction is in regard to animal life. Genesis 1:24-25 records God creating animal life on the sixth day, before He created man. Genesis 2:19, in some translations, seems to record God creating the animals after He had created man. However, a good and plausible translation of Genesis 2:19-20 reads, “Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them, and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.” The text does not say that God created man, then created the animals, and then brought the animals to the man. Rather, the text says, “Now the LORD God had [already] created all the animals.” There is no contradiction. On the sixth day, God created the animals, then created man, and then brought the animals to the man, allowing the man to name the animals.

By considering the two creation accounts individually and then reconciling them, we see that God describes the sequence of creation in Genesis 1, then clarifies its most important details, especially of the sixth day, in Genesis 2. There is no contradiction here, merely a common literary device describing an event from the general to the specific.

Read more: <http://www.gotquestions.org/two-Creation-accounts.html#ixzz35UYPeSQj>

---The Purpose of Life
--Read | John 17:1-3

--'After Jesus said this, he looked toward Heaven and prayed:
"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.'"

--Believers do many wonderful things in the name of God. Sometimes, though, service becomes more important in the worker’s mind than the Master Himself. Hosea 6:6 makes the Lord’s priorities clear: “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” He wants our attention more than any gifts or works.

Unfortunately, too many Christians never press beyond an occasional good work or Bible reading. They ignore the Holy Spirit’s nudges to spend time in prayer and Scripture meditation because it’s too much work or doesn’t fit their lifestyle. Also, they tend to worship out of duty. Does this sound like your life? If so, you should know that deepening your relationship with God requires time and commitment but is immensely rewarding.

Human beings are created to know God. He instilled a thirst in us that won’t be satisfied until we reach out to Him for companionship and love. Paul said, “I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, and understanding Him more fully and clearly]” (Phil. 3:8 AMP).

We were created to have an intimate, loving relationship with the Lord, our Creator, and to bring Him glory (Colossians1:15-20). Paying homage with our gifts and good works is a natural extension of that design, but our foremost responsibility is to spend time with Him. Yes, read the Bible, (His written Word), pray, help others, and PROCLAIM Jesus Christ is Creator, and He is coming back! ~~
--In Touch~~
[Our Lord Jesus is coming back! He is God, and cannot lie. We all have seen or heard of the many false christs and false prophets, false teachers who are now rising. That will not deter His coming. Note: Matthew 24:13-14= "But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the Nations, and then the end will come. Jesus Christ is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:8) / Lamb of God--By: Twila Paris
<http://youtu.be/kmVrP-G3rAw>

--BEFORE THE BEGINNING/ BEFORE TIME BEGAN ~~

--(Please read Genesis 1)

------
'O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.' (John 17:5)

-----
--So, what was happening in the eons before "God created the heavens and earth"? (Genesis 1:1 ). For one thing, we know that there was "wisdom" before creation itself, which came from God's character. Wisdom, personified in Proverbs 8:23, said, "I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth."

Also, we know that God's salvation plan of grace was in the works before the world was hung in its place. In 2 Timothy 1:9, we read that grace "was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." Likewise, Titus 1:2 says tht eternal life was promised "before time began." We also know that Jesus was glorified and loved in God's presence "before the world was" (John 17:5, see also v.24).

These tiny glimpses of God before He created the earth help us see a little of the essesnce and magnitude of our awesome, eternal God. We see His majesty and greatness. Amazing, isn't it? We worship a God who existed from the beginning...and beyond.~~
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'Great God of the universe, we stand amazed that You are the Alpha and Omega--the Beginning and the End--and so much more. Thank You that we can worship and magnify You.' ~~
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--The created world is but a small parenthesis in eternity. --Sir Thomas Browne

--ODB/Dave Brannon~~ / You're The Lion of Judah/ Paul Wilbur
<www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCyQj0RX3Ns>
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--A Strange Way
-To Save the World~~

He Himself is our
peace, who has made both one,
and has broken down
the middle wall of separation.
--Ephesians 2:14 ~~

--Nothing could ever match the gift God has given us in His Son, Jesus, a reality which echoes in Paul's words to the church in Corinth, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Cor. 9:15)

Clearly, God's willingness to send His Son to be our rescue is a gift that words cannot fully comprehend. This is the gift that we celebrate at Christmas--for Christ Himself is truly what matters most.
---
--JESUS UNDERSTANDS WHATEVER YOU ARE GOING THROUGH, 'TAKE YOUR BURDENS TO THE LORD, AND LEAVE THEM THERE.'

https://www.youtube.com/wa

--CREATION~~ / DOES GOD STILL PERFORM MIRACLES TODAY?
----
-The tailor-made task that honors God, helps others, and thrills you. Yes, God does still perform miracles today. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) - He Never Changes!
----
--Let's travel back in time to 1915.

-Endless cotton crops had sucked the nutrients out of Southern soil. Post-Civil War farmers faced scorched land and scrawny crops. George Washington Carver, a professor at 'Alabama's Tuskegee Institute', offered a solution. Change crops and restore nitrogen and fertility to the soil. Grow sweet potatoes, cowpeas, soybeans, and most of all, peanuts. But Carver couldn't convince the farmers.

--It took a boll weevil to do that.

Our of Mexico they swarmed, through Texas, into Louisiana and Mississippi. By 1915 the cotton-consuming bug had reached Alabama. Carver saw the plague as an opportunity. "Burn off your infested cotton," he pleaded, "and plant peanuts."

But who would buy them?

An elderly widow knocked on Carver's door. After planting and harvesting peanuts, she had hundreds of pounds left over. She was not alone. Carver discovered barns and storehouses piled high with peanuts. They were rotting in the fields for lack of a market...

Working day and night, Carver tore apart the peanut and unlocked the chemical magic, that would turn loss into profit. In less than five years, peanut production turned his Alabama county into one of the wealthiest sections of the state. During his lifetime, Carver extracted more than three hundred products from the peanut.

-Ask God to help you "find your peanut"--the tailor-made task that honors God, helps others, and thrills you. 'With God all things are possible.' (Mark 10:27)~~
----
-From: Cure for the Common Life/ML~~

--THE POWERFUL HAND OF GOD~~
-“Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.” (Isaiah 48:13)

--The human hand is an anatomical marvel; nothing remotely comparable exists among the primates or any other animals. It is a marvel of design. But surely the “hand of God”—of which man’s hand is only a very dim shadow—is infinitely more powerful and skillful.

Note the testimony of Isaiah 45:12: “I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.” God did not have to use intermediate processes or pre-existing materials. Everything was “commanded” into existence and “I, even my hands,” made all of it, including man. Creation was direct—a direct product of God’s mighty hands.

Not only was it direct, it was also immediate, as our text above makes emphatically plain. His hand laid the earth’s foundation and spanned the heavens. Then, “when I call unto them,” He says, “they stand up together!” Not one by one—first the universe, then the sun, then the earth, and so on. No, “they stand up together.” “He spake, and it was done” (Psalm 33:9). It did not take 16 billion years; it took six days—and the only reason it took that long was so that God’s work week could serve as a pattern for man (Exodus 20:8-11).

God’s hand is omnipotent, and “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” It is wonderful to know His hand is gentle and loving as well as powerful. His hands will bear eternal scars, where they were spiked to the Cross, because He loved us, and died for us. “My sheep hear my voice,” He says, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). The hand that spanned the heavens can hold on to those who trust Him.
--ICR/HMM / HOW COULD I SAY THERE IS NO GOD?
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asNP8VVWKAE#t=53>
------

--AN INVITATION TO REST~~
--(Today"s Reading: Revelation 21:1-5)

-'I WILL GIVE YOU REST'
---(Matthew 11:28)

-AT a friend's bedside in a hospital emergency ward, I was moved by the sounds of suffering I heard from other patients in pain. As I prayed for my friend and for the ailing patients, I realized anew how fleeting our life on earth is. Then I recalled an old country song by Jim Reeves that talks about how the world is not home for us--we're "just a-passin' through."

Our world is full of weariness, pain, hunger, debt, poverty, disease, and death. Because we must pass through such a world, Jesus' invitation is welcome and timely: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28). We need this rest.

There is hardly a funeral ceremony I've attended where John's vision of "a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev. 21:1-5) is not quoted, and it certainly holds relevance for funerals.

But I believe the passage is also for the living. The time to heed Jesus' invitation to come rest in Him is now, and beyond. We can be entitled to the promises in Revelation. God will dwell among us (v.3). He will wipe away our tears (v.4). There will be "no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (v.4).

--Accept Jesus' invitation and enter His rest!

--'Father in heaven, this life can be wonderful, but it can also be so hard.
Thank You for Your Spirit's presence with us now. And thank You too for the reality of eternal life with You.~ amen'

----
-When you're weary in life's struggles, find your rest in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
[Those of us who have been 'born again' (John 3:3), will never die. [John 11:25-26] ~~ We simply pass over to Heaven with Jesus and all the saints gone on ahead of us.]
/ I WILL RISE / Chris Tomlin ~
--ODB/LD
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzBFv3Bzn3o>
--------

--CREATOR OF ALL THINGS~~

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”
-- (Colossians 1:16)

The phrase “all things” is used throughout these verses to emphasize that everything has been brought into existence by the “dear Son” (Colossians 1:13, 16-20).

All things were created through Him and for Him.
All things consist (stand together) in Him.
All things will give preeminence to Him.
All things reside in His fullness.
All things will be reconciled to Him.

The list of created things in verse 16 is exhaustive: heaven, Earth, visible and invisible things, and the rulers in and of the universe—thrones, dominions, principalities, powers. Jesus Christ is “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21).

The Creator existed before all things and now “approves” all things. Solomon understood this as he spoke of wisdom: “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was” (Proverbs 8:22-23), just as He chose us “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

When the Lord Jesus revealed Himself to John, He said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). These grand sweeps of eternity are anchors for our faith.
--ICR/ HMM III/ <https://youtu.be/dwIUlXdXquI>

--The Supremacy of Christ/ Our Creator
--(Please read Colossians 1:13-20)

-Jehovah God knows those who belong to Him. Jesus, the Son, whom God appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful Word. The Lord leaves the 'choice' up to each individual. (Hebrews 1:1-4)~
Every person on earth has a chance, some many chances, to make the 'choice', to turn to Jesus and live eternally. Some out of pride have suppressed their conscience. Yet until their dying breath, they have a 'chance' to cry out to God to save their soul, so they can be sure of going to Heaven.
Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

--RISEN WITH CHRIST~~

--“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1)

--The twice-born have been raised with Christ and the “new man” (John 3:3,5), is effectively positioned with Christ in glory.
We have been made alive “together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5) and in the eternal reality of our Creator, who “made us sit together in heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:6).

Thus, the command to seek the “above” realities is not merely a theological idea but rather a profound order to embrace the reality of our new empowerment to walk with Christ in a new life (Romans 6:4). Indeed, we have been newly created by the Creator in “righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). Therefore, since we are God’s workmanship, it is not possible that God could create His children for any other purpose than “good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

Obviously, our Lord knows that we are still in “earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7). That is precisely why He promised to provide all of our earthly needs if we would but “seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33)—including our necessary “patient continuance in well doing” (Romans 2:7). Remember, “God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

The environment of the world constantly opposes the reality of “above.” Even the wisdom of above seems counterintuitive; it is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).
Yet we are still expected to seek to live like we are above because “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
--ICR/ HMM III -/ CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST/ Phillips, Craig,& Dean
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikwGIDi4mpo>

--Where Did All the Different Races Come From?

---ORIGIN OF THE RACES~~

“These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.” (Genesis 10:32)

This is the concluding verse of the tenth chapter of Genesis, known as “The Table of Nations.” It tells us that all the original nations of the world were formed from the descendants of Noah. The basis of this worldwide division was their dispersion at Babel (Genesis 11:9), “every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations” (Genesis 10:5; see also 10:20 and 10:31).
Lest anyone think this list of original nations is simply folklore, he should remember that William F. Albright, probably the greatest archaeologist of the 20th century, called it “an astonishingly accurate document.” Many ethnologists still speak of Japhetic, Hamitic, and Semitic peoples and languages.

But what about the origin of races? One searches the Bible in vain for this information, for neither the word nor the concept of “race” appears in the Bible at all! There is no such thing as a race—except the human race! Skin color and other supposed racial characteristics are mere recombinations of innate genetic factors, originally created in Adam and Eve to permit development of different family characteristics as the human race was commanded to multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28; 9:1).

“Race” is strictly an evolutionary concept used by Darwin, Huxley, Haeckel, and the other 19th-century evolutionists to rationalize their white racism. But from the beginning it was not so!
“God that made the world and all things therein; . . . hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:24, 26). “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?” (Malachi 2:10).
--ICR/HMM /

--OUR LIVING PLANET~~

--GENESIS~~
--Author: MOSES -/ Date Written: c. 1500B.C.

--In the ultimate act of creativity, God formed the sky and earth out of nothing. With one decision, history began. Existence became measurable.

Out of nothing came light.
Out of light came day.
Then came sky...and earth.
And on this earth? A mighty hand went to work.

Canyons were carved. Oceans were dug. Mountains erupted out of flatlands. Stars were flung. A universe sparkled.

Our sun became just one of millions. Our galaxy became just one of thousands. Planets invisibly tethered to suns roared through space at breakneck speeds. Stars blazed with heat that could melt our planet in seconds.

The hand behind it was mighty. He is mighty. He was the Creator. Look to the canyons to see the Creator's splendor. Touch the flowers and see it's delicacy. Listen to the thunder and hear His power.

--Today you will encounter God's Creation. When you see the beauty around you, let each detail remind you to lift your head and hands in praise. Express your appreciation for God's Creation. Encourage others to see the beauty of His Creation. Encourage others to fathom, understand thoroughly, this mighty hand of glory, through Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son. ~~

--The Preeminence of Christ~~
--(Please read: COLOSSIANS 1:9-23)
(vs. 15-16)"He [Jesus], is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him."

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw6ABs_siHk>

--WORSHIP THE MASTER DESIGNER~~

"Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: 'TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.'"
--(Acts 17:22-23)

-AS THE APOSTLE PAUL once declared to the scholars in Athens, the whole universe declares the evidence of a Master Designer (Psalm 19:1-4).

Even the most uneducated person knows that things don't just happen. All of our experience in life verifies somebody made the things we use and play with. Even if it is little more than our mother or father, somebody makes the things we come in contact with every day.

Once we enter formal schooling, and ultimately when we enter the workforce, we become more and more aware that the houses we live in, the food we eat, the tools we use, the cars we drive, and the clothes we wear all come from a source, a place, a store, a company, and even a specific person or persons who are responsible for making them. Everybody knows that!

The common denominator among all the various religious systems and the sequence of empires and tributary nations was this; The reality of our world is so complex, so intertwined with order and purpose, so obviously full of observable cause and effect relationships and supernatural power was required to create it in the first place and to keep it from falling apart over time.

Today, we would recognize such observation as a key part of the scientific method!

"All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD: and thy saints shall bless thee" (Psalm 145:10).

--TO HAVE A CREATION THERE MUST BE A CREATOR. HIS NAME IS JESUS. (See Colossians Chapter 1:13-20)~~

--ICR/HMM III--/ Behold Our God - / The Baird Family
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th2sCzuzqTg>

--DESERT SOLITAIRE~~

-TODAY'S READING
Psalm 136:1-9
-
--'And God saw that
it was good.' ~
--(Genesis 1:12)
---
-Desert Solitaire is Edward Abbey's personal history of his summers as a park ranger in what is now called Arches National Park in Utah. The book is worth reading if only for Abbey's bright language and vivid descriptions of the US Southwest.

But Abbey, for all his artistry, was an atheist who could see nothing beyond the surface of the beauty he enjoyed. How sad! He lived his entire life in praise of beauty and missed the point of it all.

Most ancient peoples had theories of origins enshrouded in legend, myth, and song. But Israel's story of creation was unique: It told of our Living God who created beauty for our enjoyment and childlike delight. God thought up the cosmos, spoke it into being and pronounced it "beautiful." (The Hebrew word for 'good' also signifies beauty.) Then, having created a paradise, God in love spoke 'us' into being, placed us in Eden, and told us, "Enjoy!"

Some see and enjoy the beauty of the Creator's good gifts all around them, but don't "worship Him as God or even give Him thanks." They "think up foolish ideas of what God [is] like. As a result, their minds become dark and confused" (Romans 1:21 NLT).

Others see beauty, say "Thank You, God," and step into His light. Jesus is the Light of the World. Let's be sure to give Him the praise, honor and glory due His Name.~~

--ALL OF CREATION REFLECTS THE BEAUTY OF GOD. ~~
--ODB/DR-/ 'Even So Come! Like a Bride Waiting for Her Groom' / Chris Tomlin
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ5MBN79MU0>
-----

--YES, CREATION CALLS! Our Lord Jesus speaks to us in His Creation and through His Word, the Holy Bible.
-- (REVELATION 22:1-21 - selected verses)

--The River and the Tree of Life~~

--THEN he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,
in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves or the tree were for the healing of the Nations.

There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;
They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

There will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

"And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." (VS.7)
~~~~~~~~~
-----The Final Message~~

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to everyone man according to what he has done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."-(vs.12-13)

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."(vs.16)

'The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;
And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the Holy City, which are written in this book.

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly."- (vs.20)
--Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

--The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen."~~ (NASB)
-<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28sqs5H5hao>

--ALONE IN SPACE~~

-"Surely the LORD is
in this place, and
I was not aware
of it."-(Genesis 28:16)--
--------
-APOLLO 15 ASTRONAUT AL WORDEN knew what it felt like to be on the far side of the moon. For three days back in 1971, he flew alone in his command module, 'Endeavor', while two crewmates worked thousands of miles below on the surface of the moon. His only companions were the stars overhead that he remembers as being so thick they seemed to wrap him in a sheet of light.

As the sun went down on the Old Testament character Jacob's first night away from home, he too was profoundly alone, but for a different reason. He was on the run from his older brother--who wanted to kill him for stealing the family blessing normally given to the firstborn son. Yet on falling asleep, Jacob had a dream of a staircase joining heaven and earth. As he watched angels ascending and descending, he heard the voice of God promising to be with him and to bless the whole earth through his children. When Jacob woke he said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it" (Genesis 28:16).

Jacob had isolated himself because of his deceit. Yet as real as his failures, and as dark as the night, he was in the presence of the One whose plans are always better and more far-reaching than our own. Heaven is closer than we think, and the "God of Jacob" is with us. ~~

--GOD IS NEARER THAN WE THINK. JESUS IS AS CLOSE AS THE MENTION OF HIS NAME.~~
--ODB/MD
--'TRUST' / by: Matt Hammitt~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maRMivc5vB4>
---

---STAND FAST!

“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth . . . . For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” (Psalm 33:6, 9)--

Many is the modern-day evangelical who has attempted to harmonize the plain sense of the Scriptures with Big Bang cosmogony, concepts of stellar evolution, and a uniformitarian framework for Earth history. This exercise seldom results in a tempering of secular thought but rather in a compromising reinterpretation of Scripture, making it say something it clearly does not say.

The Bible says that “the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3), that all things that now exist were simply called into existence at God’s spoken command.

-Creation was a true miracle. It was not (as some insist) merely a godly oversight of cosmic processes acting on eternal matter, nor was it the gradual appearance and disappearance of matter in a steady-state transformation.. Only a poor regard for Scripture, coupled with an overly high regard for current astronomical theory, could interpret Hebrews 11:3 as the explosion of a tiny, super-dense “cosmic egg” (that did not “appear,” i.e., too small to see), itself the result of a “quantum fluctuation in a vacuum” in a Big Bang which produced the entire universe.

Rather, as implied in the formula “Let there be . . . and there was” repeated many times in Genesis 1, and as described in our text and elsewhere, all things derive simply from His spoken word. Our response should not be to disbelieve and twist but to believe and praise. “Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him” (Psalm 33:8).
--ICR/JDM --'You Are My Treasure' / Matt Hammitt ~~--<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIjkVe_9pLY>
---------

--JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER. HE NEVER CHANGES. --(HEBREWS 13:8)~~

----IN CONTEXT/ SEXUAL FREEDOM~~

--"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable."
---(1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 NIV)--

--Sexual freedom has been talked about a lot during my lifetime, but the discussion has led to more confusion than clarity. The reality is that God created us as sexual beings, so He is not opposed to sexual activity; but He also defined the context in which sexual activity is appropriate. He said that in the context of marriage between a man and a woman, sex is really good. But sexual immorality, which is any sex outside of marriage, is destructive—to our emotions, to our families, to the larger society—and there is overwhelming evidence to support that. As Americans we tend to push against boundaries, especially when we think someone is trying to limit our freedom. But some of what we call freedom is, in reality, rebellion. We see the Designer's intentions, but we say, “No thanks. You’re limiting our freedom. We’re going to do what makes us happy.” Remember, not all freedom brings liberty. We need the perspective of Almighty God to help us realize what true freedom is.

***THINK ABOUT IT
-- Do you share God’s perspective about sex outside the context of marriage between a man and a woman? How does that influence what you think, what you say, what you read, and what you watch?

**PRAYER
--"Heavenly Father, I choose to honor You in all I do. May Your perspective inform all of my life; my gifts, my talents, my time, and my resources. My desire is to live a life of purity that will honor You, and I strive toward holiness with the help of the Holy Spirit. Forgive me when I fail, Lord, and renew a right Spirit within me. In Jesus’ name, amen."

**Blessings,
***Pastor Allen Jackson
***Intend Ministries
[ Friends, our Creator sets the standard. It all begins in Genesis (CREATION) Chapter 1 verse 27 - "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
"God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth...."

We also read in Matthew Chapter 19: verses 4 thru 6 -NASB) - "And He (Jesus) answered them and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female.
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?

"They are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." -
--LET'S FOLLOW JESUS' WAY. He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."-(John 14:6) = He also asks us, "Why do you call Me Lord and do not do the things I say?"

---ASK THE ANIMALS~~

-"Ask the animals,
and they will teach
you, or the birds in
the sky, and they
will tell you."
--(JOB 12:7)---

----OUR GRANDKIDS, ENRAPTURED, got a close-up look at a rescued bald eagle. They were even allowed to touch him. As the zoo volunteer told about the powerful bird perched on her arm, I was surprised to learn this male had a wingspan of about six and one-half feet, yet because of its hollow bones it weighed only about eight pounds.

This reminded me of the majestic Eagle I had seen soaring above a lake, ready to swoop down and snatch its prey in its talons. And I pictured in my mind another big bird--the spindly legged Blue Heron I had spied standing motionless on the edge of a pond. It was poised to dart its long beak into the water. They're just two among the nearly 10,000 species of birds that can direct our thoughts to our Creator.

In the book of JOB, JOB's friends are debating the reasons for his suffering and ask, "Can you fathom the mysteries of God?" (SEE 11: versus 5 thru 9). In response JOB declares, "Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you" (JOB 12: verse 7). Animals testify to the truth that God designed, cares for, and controls His Creation: "In his hand is the life of every Creature and the breath of all mankind." (Verse 10).

Since God cares for birds (Matthew 6: verse 26; 10 verse 29), we can be assured He loves and cares for you and me, even when we don't understand our circumstances. Look around and learn of Him, your Creator. The Lord Jesus Christ loves you with an everlasting love and underneath are His everlasting arms." ~~

----GOD'S WORLD TEACHES US ABOUT HIM. READ HIS WORD, THE HOLY BIBLE. JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US. ~~

--ODB/AK (Maybe a brief commercial first, please rest in His presence. ) ------'CREATION CALLS' / by: Brian Doerksen ~~ <https://youtu.be/28sqs5H5hao>
-----------

----THE BURNING BUSH~~~

--"When the LORD saw that Moses turned aside to look (at the Burning Bush), God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."--

Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.

He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.

"So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

"Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. --(Exodus 3:4 thru 9)
---------
-Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you. Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?"

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you'"
--(Exodus 3 verses 13 thru 14 NASB) ~~

---You Are I Am- MercyMe~ <https://youtu.be/crAULEyKrdc>
---------

----SUPREMELY CREATIVE~~~
--Author= G.ALLEN JACKSON~~

--"How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all."---[PSALM 104:24]--

--THE CREATIVITY of God astounds me! When I think about God's interaction with human beings, one of the first words that comes to mind is "extravagant." When God created flowers, He didn't create one or two kinds. He created hundreds of thousands of different flowers with different shapes and colors and sizes and scents. They bloom in different seasons and in different places. The same is true of trees: God created hundreds of thousands of different kinds in every size and shape.

And think of fruits and vegetables. They come in so many colors, textures, shapes, and flowers. It seems that God's creativity just in the realm of plants is virtually endless, and it certainly surpasses anything humans could do. Genesis says that God created all of this for us--for our nourishment, our shelter, and our enjoyment. What a wonderful GOD! ~~

-PRAYER:
-"Heavenly Father, I marvel at the extent of Your extravagant provision. Open my heart daily to the wonder of Your world. Give me a new appreciation for all You have done--from the magnitude of the distant galaxies to the flavors of the fruits and vegetables I enjoy. Thank You for the creativity and imagination You have placed within humanity because we are made in Your image. May my creativity always bring glory to You. In Jesus' name,amen." --/ "HOLY ARE YOU LORD" = TERRY MACALMON~~

-------

----TEACHING UNIVERSE
--By: ICR/HMM

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.”
---(Psalm 19:1-2)--

This familiar Psalm, extolling God’s creation (vv. 1-6) and God’s Word (vv. 7-14), begins with a beautiful summary of the testimony of the physical universe. “The heavens” and the “firmament” are synonymous (Genesis 1:8), both being equivalent to our modern scientific concept of space. The “glory of God” refers to His infinite power, or energy, and “his handywork” implies the infinite variety and complexity of physical systems, or matter, in the universe. This interaction of matter and energy occurs everywhere throughout space, but also has to operate and be understood in the context of time, “day unto day” and “night unto night.”

The entire marvelous complex of space/time/matter/energy is continually “uttering speech” and “showing knowledge,” teaching men and women of all times and places that there is a great Creator God who made it all. “The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen” (Romans 1:20).

The boundless space, the endless time, the infinite energies, and the innumerable complexities of the matter of the universe all unite in irrefutable testimony to the God of creation. The most fundamental principle of science, as well as the most universal rule of human experience, is the Law of Cause and Effect, stating that no effect can transcend its cause.

--Thus, the great cause of the universe must be infinite, eternal, omnipotent, and omniscient. And since we as living, feeling persons are able to think about all this, that cause must also be a living, feeling, thinking person. This is the great lesson engraved on the textbook of the universe for all to read and learn. The whole creation, indeed, declares the glory of God.
--ICR/HMM--[PSALM 139 verse 14]"I will give thanks to You, [Lord God Jehovah], for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well."
"The heavens declare the glory of the Lord."
-"[The Seraphim called out], "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, is the LORD of hosts,
The whole earth is full of His glory." --(ISAIAH 6 verse 3]
------[--"CREATION CALLS"-- With/-Brian Doerksen]

---------

--WE ARE ON EARTH TO GIVE GLORY TO OUR CREATOR~~
[---ALL LIFE IS HIS CREATION/ SEE GENESIS 1 AND 2~~]

----FULFILLING YOUR PURPOSE~~
--[James Merritt/Touching Lives ~]`
--“Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the duty of all mankind.”
--( Ecclesiastes 12:13)--

--Ecclesiastes 12:13 teaches us that fearing and obeying God is the duty of every person that He has created. If we dive a bit deeper into this verse, we learn that the word, “duty” does not appear in the original Hebrew text. It literally reads, “To fear God and obey God is the whole essence of all mankind.” Therefore, it is more than just our duty to know and obey God – it is the meaning and purpose of our lives.

God’s plan is that we know Him, love Him, fear Him, and obey Him. When we follow His plan, we will fulfill the purpose for which we were made. Nothing can bring more joy, peace, and satisfaction than this. The reason so many people are plagued with problems, addictions, and regrets is because they were created for one purpose, but are attempting to live for another purpose.

No matter what else we do with our lives – even good things – if we miss knowing, loving, fearing, and obeying God, we will have missed His plan and our purpose. One day we will all stand before God. For believers in Jesus Christ, God’s judgment is not a threat. All of our sins have already been judged by God and through Jesus Christ. He has declared us “not guilty” because of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. When we stand before God it is not to be rebuked, but to be rewarded. If we truly know God through faith in His Son, Jesus, we should look forward to that day.~~
--JM~
------------------
[Jesus Christ has already paid our sin-debt. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin."~(Hebrews 9:22) / Christ died to pay the price we could not pay.
If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please do so now. He could come at any moment. "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." --[Romans 10:9,10,13]~~]

-- "Heavenly Father, I want to fulfill the purpose for which I was created. It is my joy to know You, love You, fear You, and obey You. Please lead, guide and direct my steps. I look forward to the day that I will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord. ” In Jesus’ Name, Amen." ~~---/ "CREATION CALLS"/ Brian Doerksen ~ / <https://youtu.be/b-kVMcvMWcg>
------------

---ORDER AND BEAUTY~

--"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."
--(Genesis 1:1-2 / NIV)--

---The creation account in Genesis stirs my imagination about God, the world He created, and His relationship with me. A dark, formless, and empty place was brought into order and beauty and usefulness by the intelligence and creativity of God and the sheer authority of His will to bring His plan to fruition. It’s very humbling to realize that the same Spirit of God that was present before time began lives within me and wants to empower me today. I’m filled with gratitude that the same power that brought order and beauty out of chaos is available to bring order and beauty out of the difficult situations of my life. Life is more complicated than we would like. When it seems confusing and chaotic, ask the Lord for a fresh vision of His ability to create something beautiful and a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit to guide you through.

**THINK ABOUT IT**
The Holy Spirit’s power to bring peace and order where there is confused disorder can transform you from being one who is overwhelmed by challenges to being one who overwhelmingly conquers (Romans 8:37). You have Someone who can and wants to help.

**PRAYER**
--"Heavenly Father, You bring order and beauty to my life’s story. Holy Spirit, I invite You in to quell the confusion and restore peace here, specifically ___________. Thank You for the grace to conquer my challenges and not be overwhelmed. In Jesus’ name, amen."

*Blessings,*
*Pastor Allen Jackson----/"Adonai Elohai" [My God, the Great I Am] (Forever Good) / Paul Wilbur Ministries - / <https://youtu.be/fTbIBxWTpvo>
-----------

--THROUGH A NEW LENS~~

-"God's invisible
qualities--his
eternal power and
divine nature--
have been clearly
seen, being
understood from
what has been made."
--(Romans 1:20)--

--"IT MUST be amazing to look at a tree and see the individual leaves instead of just a blur of green!" my dad said. I couldn't have said it better. I was eighteen at the time and not a fan of my new need to wear glasses, but they changed the way I saw everything, making the blurry beautiful!

When reading Scripture, I view certain books like I do when I look at trees without my glasses. There doesn't seem to be much to see. But noticing details can reveal the beauty in what might seem to be a boring passage.

This happened to me when I was reading Exodus. God's directions for building the tabernacle--His temporary dwelling place among the Israelites--can seem like a blur of boring details. But I paused at the end of chapter 25 where God gave directions for the Lampstand. It was to be hammered out "of pure gold," including its base and shaft and its flowerlike cups, buds, and blossoms (v.31). The cups were to be "shaped like almond flowers" (v.34).

Almond trees are breathtaking. And God incorporated that same natural beauty into His tabernacle!-

Paul wrote, "God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature" are seen and understood in Creation (Romans 1:20). To see God's beauty, sometimes we have to look at creation, and what might seem like uninteresting passages in the Bible, through a new lens... Through His Spiritual lens.

--ODB/JS~

---BLESSED BE THE LORD!

--"Save us, O LORD our God,
And gather us from among
the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy Name~
And glory in Your praise. --


--"Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting,
And let all the people say, "AMEN!"
PRAISE THE LORD!' \o/--
---(PSALM 106:47-48)
---"Baruch Adonai El Shaddai / Medley ~~ [Paul Wilbur]-<https://youtu.be/m_WgOEVbJvo>
~~~~~~~~~

--HOW GLORIOUS YOUR SPLENDOR~~

--"Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One,
In Your splendor and Your majesty!

And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;

Let your right hand teach You awesome things.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. ~~

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your fellows."
---(PSALM 45: 3 thru 7)-- --
[A song Celebrating the King's Marriage~]
--"How Glorious the Splendor"// Tommy Walker Ministries<https://youtu.be/hEIRqhYX6_Q>
~~~~~~~~~~

--Amazing Skill

-"I praise you because
I am fearfully and
wonderfully made,
your works are
wonderful, I know
that full well."
--(Psalm 139:14)--

~~THE LEADER of our college singing group directed the group and accompanied us on the piano at the same time, skillfully balancing those responsibilities. At the close of one concert, he looked particularly weary, so I asked him if he was okay. He responded, "I've never had to do that before." Then he explained. "The piano was so out of tune that I had to play the whole concert in two different keys--my left hand playing in one key and my right hand in another!" I was blown away by the startling skill he displayed, and I was amazed at the One who creates humans to be capable of such things.

King David expressed an even greater sense of wonder when he wrote, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it" (Psalm 139: 14 NLT). Whether in people's abilities or nature's marvels, the wonders of creation point us to the majesty of our Creator.

One day, when we're in God's presence, people from every generation will worship Him with the words, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have thier being" (Revelation 4:11). The amazing skills God gives us and the great beauty God has created are ample reason to worship Him. GIVE HIM PRAISE! ~~

--ODB/BC--"I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" / -Martin Smith//<https://youtu.be/u46_o40pxKc>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~UNEXPECTED CHANGE ~~

~~~"You do not even know what will happen tomorrow."
---(James 4:14)

--PLEASE READ/ JAMES 4:13–17

~~~In January 1943, warm Chinook winds hit Spearfish, South Dakota, quickly raising the temperatures from -4° to 45°F (-20° to 7°C). That drastic weather change—a swing of 49 degrees—took place in just two minutes. The widest temperature change recorded in the USA over a twenty-four-hour period is an incredible 103 degrees! On January 15, 1972, Loma, Montana, saw the temperature jump from -54° to 49°F (-48° to 9°C).

Sudden change, however, is not simply a weather phenomenon. It’s sometimes the very nature of life. James reminds us, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow” (4:13-14). An unexpected loss. A surprise diagnosis. A financial reversal. Sudden changes.

Life is a journey with many unpredictable elements. This is precisely why James warns us to turn from “arrogant schemes” (v. 16) that do not take the Almighty into account. As he advised us, “You ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’ ” (v. 15). The events of our lives may be uncertain, but one thing is sure: through all of life’s unexpected moments, our God will never leave us. He’s our one constant throughout life.

~~~ODB/BC~~
REFLECT & PRAY
~~~"Father, forgive me for the times I worry over things I couldn’t anticipate or can’t control, and help me to find my rest in You. I know Lord, that You are eternal and nothing happens apart from Your approval. King Jesus, You hold the worlds together. Thank You for dying on the Cross for the forgiveness of my sins. I love You, my Lord, and Savior."--"Oh The Power" // Kari Jobe //<https://youtu.be/HmNSjet97og>
~~~~~~~~~~

---Praise to the Creator and Preserver~~

--[PSALM 33 / NASB]-

~~"Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.

Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the Word of the LORD is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.

By the word of the LORD the heavens
were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

Blessed is the Nation whose God is the LORD,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. ~~
[ending with verse 12 // Please continue reading in your Bible through verse 22]

--"LET ALL THE EARTH"// Tommy Walker Ministries (Behind the scene footage at recording. \o/ } <https://youtu.be/wlIAK_5mBzE>
~~~~~~~~~~~

~~SURRENDERING ALL~~

~~"Then Peter spoke up, "We have left everything
to follow you!" --[Mark 10:28] -

~~TWO MEN remembered for serving others for Jesus left careers in the arts to commit themselves to where they believed God had called them. James O. Fraser (1886-1938) decided not to pursue being a concert pianist in England to serve the Lisu people in China, while the American Judson Van DeVenter (1855-1939) chose to become an evangelist instead of pursuing a career in art. He later wrote the hymn, "I Surrender All."

While having a vocation in the arts is the perfect calling for many, these men believed God called them to relinquish one career for another. Perhaps they found inspiration from Jesus counseling the rich, young ruler to give up his possessions to follow Him (Mark 10:17-25). Witnessing the exchange, Peter exclaimed, "We have left everything to follow you!" (v.28). Jesus assured him that God would give those who follow Him "a hundred times as much in this present age" and eternal life (v.30). But He would give according to His wisdom: "Many who are first will be last, and the last first" (v.31).

No matter where God has placed us, we're called to daily surrender our lives to Christ, obeying His gentle call to follow Him and serve Him with our talents and resources--whether in the home, office, community, or far from home. As we submit to His call, He'll also inspire us to love others.~~
--ODB/ABP~
--"Who Am I" // Casting Crowns//<https://youtu.be/F9hetEFcjGM>
~~~~~~~~~

---A WORLD OF PROVISION~~

"There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming
with creatures beyond number." --[PSALM 104:25]--

--It's 2 a.m. when Nadia, a farmer of sea cucumbers, walks into a roped-off pen in the ocean shallows near her Madagascar village to harvest her "crop."
The early hour doesn't bother her. "Life was very hard before I started farming," she says. "I didn't have any source of income." Now as a member of a marine-protection program called Velondriake, meaning "to live with the sea," Nadia sees her income growing and stabilizing. "We thank God that this project appeared," she adds.

It's a wonder, indeed, how God's wondrous creation also provides for us. The humble sea cucumber, for example, helps form a healthy marine food chain. Careful harvesting of sea cucumbers, in turn, grants Nadia and her neighbors a living wage.

Nothing is random in God's creation. He uses it all for His glory and our good. thus, "I will sing to the LORD all my life, says the psalmist (v. 33). We too can praise Him today as we ponder all that He provides. Yes, He still works miracles today. Give Him praise.~~

"LORD G-D, our gracious Creator, we're humbled by Your vast creation and all the ways you provide for our needs. We praise and bless Your Holy Name, Jehovah Jireh, our Provider." ~
---ODB/PR

--"GRAVES INTO GARDENS/ Elevation Worship (feat/Brandon Lake) //<https://youtu.be/mPhJdvf8Zvg>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

--CHRIST IS IN CONTROL~~

~~"And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good."
---(Genesis 1:31 / KJV)

--I HAD an overgrown shrub bed and got some help from a very knowledgeable man named Bob Chandler. As he was finishing up, he pointed to the telephone lines that run along the east edge of my property, adjoining a county bird sanctuary. "You've got bluebirds!" he said.
--I looked up and saw mourning doves, pigeons, and two small chubby birds I didn't recognize. At that moment, the two little ones took off and I saw how they got their name. In flight their color is a brilliant, deep blue.

Bluebirds have returned to many areas, but Bob explained that development had made bluebirds rare in our neighborhood because they can't find places to build their nests. So he and several other neighbors were setting up bluebird houses on their properties--little boxlike wooden houses on tall poles set in the ground. "They like to rest near the fields," Bob said. "That's where they get their food."

The next day Bob surprised me with a bluebird house and a long pole, which he set up along my driveway, looking out on the fields. One morning when I took out my dogs, I saw a bluebird sitting on top of the house, looking as if it owned it.

A few times I saw a bluebird with a twig in its beak entering the small hold in the front, and I assumed it was building a nest. Then one morning as I was passing by, I heard the sound of chirping inside the house. Little ones! And a few days later I looked up at the telephone wire and saw not one, not two, but four bluebirds. I was so excited that I called Bob to tell him the good news.

"That's great!" he said. "You see, all they needed was a little help."

He's right. So many of God's creatures are having a hard time these days because they have to fit in with our way of life. But the story doesn't have to have a sad ending. As Bob says, all they need is a little help.

--"IN CONTROL" (lyrics) //Hillsong Worship // <https://youtu.be/VbvLtM_167k>
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----LOOK UP!

~~"There will be no night there."
--(Revelation 21:25)

--[Please Read/ REVELATION 21:22–25] --

--When filmmaker Wylie Overstreet showed strangers a live picture of the moon as seen through his powerful telescope, they were stunned at the up-close view, reacting with whispers and awe. To see such a glorious sight, Overstreet explained, “fills us with a sense of wonder that there’s something much bigger than ourselves.”

The psalmist David also marveled at God’s heavenly light. “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4).

David’s humbling question puts our awe in perspective when we learn that, after God creates His new heaven and earth, we’ll no longer need the moon or the sun. Instead, said John the apostle, God’s shimmering glory will provide all necessary light. “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. . . . There will be no night there” (Revelation 21:23-25).

What an amazing thought! Yet we can experience His heavenly light now—simply by seeking Christ, the Light of the world. In Overstreet’s view, “We should look up more often.” As we do, may we see God.

~~"LORD G-D, our wondrous Father, I’m awed by Your holy glory, and I praise You for Your marvelous Light. 'Come Lord Jesus.' Help us to spread your Word, so that You will come. In Jesus Name we pray."

--ODB/PR~--"Jesus I Need You" // Hillsong Worship ~<https://youtu.be/qz_oad9XZ0o>
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--"SO HELPFUL"

--'Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality'
--[Romans 12:13] --

--The caller to the Christian radio station said that his wife was coming home from the hospital following surgery. When he shared something that spoke deeply to my heart: "Everyone in our church family has been so helpful in taking care of us during this time."

When I heard this simple statement, it reminded me of the value and of necessity Christian hospitality and care. I began to think that the love and support of fellow believers for one another is one of the greatest ways to demonstrate the life-changing power of the Gospel.

In First Peter, the apostle was writing a letter to be circulated among the first-century churches in what's now the country of Turkey. In that letter, he compelled his reader to do something that his friend Paul wrote about in Romans 12:13: "Practice hospitality." Peter said, "Love each other deeply....offer hospitality," and he told them to use the gifts God gave them to "serve others" (1Peter 4:8-10). These are clear directions to all believers in Jesus for how we're to treat fellow believers.

All of us know people like that caller's wife--those who need someone to come alongside and show concern and Christlike love. In God's strength, may we be among the ones who are noted for being "so helpful."

"Loving God, help me to look around for people who need an encouraging word or action from me. Then help me offer hospitality to them. Help me, Lord Jesus be to like You."

--ODB/DB~
--[Please Read / Psalm 23 and meditate on the words of our Shepherd for us.]
--"Shepherd" //CeCe Winans // (lyrics)
--<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWPV6F5xPgk>
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