Monday, August 4, 2014

Back In the Clouds

I've been reading some Scripture on clouds. The following verses really caught my attention, since my blog name is "Christ in the Clouds". 

 The Lord in a Cloud:
Can you imagine seeing the Lord in a cloud today? What a sight that would be! The Israelites of the Old Testament and Christians of the New Testament did just that!
   
The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you. (Ex. 19:19)

Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him(Moses) and proclaimed his name, the LORD. (Exodus 34:5)

So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels. (Ex.40:38)

 He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. (Psalm 104:3)
.
 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:9)

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" (Matt. 17:5)



The Lord's AMAZING power and beauty are also seen in the clouds today...

"He wraps up the waters in His clouds, And the cloud does not burst under them."  (Job 26:8)

HD Rain Ot Ocean (wds) Wallpaper

"The clouds poured out water; The skies gave forth a sound; Your arrows flashed here and there." (Psalms 77:17)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I was there when he set the heavens in place,
    when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,when he established the clouds
  above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,(Proverbs 8:28)


Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?" Job 37:16

"Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds."(Psalm 365)


"Look at the heavens and see; And behold the clouds--they are higher than you.(Job 35:5)
The golden hour at 10,000 feet is so much more spectacular. Experience the light up in the air with this beautiful photograph-turned-wallpaper.

The New Testament also reveals that Christ will come "on the clouds"

 "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matt 26:64)

 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.(Rev. 1:7)

"And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory." (Matt. 24:30)
 And then, finally - for "those who remain"

 ....the dead in Christ will rise first. 
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." (1 Thes. 4:16-17)

AMEN!!!


I am always in awe, when I look upward, into the sky. God is a mighty God!! His glory and beauty is always on display, when I look at the many different clouds that are formed by Him, I wonder if He still, at times, resides in the clouds!!

Continuing to share His many blessing and gifts in my life at "Multitudes on Mondays", as I  Dare to Share.
1,748 - Having my co-worker/boss return to work, after taking a 2 week vacation. It was so wonderful, having her back at the office!
1,749 - Spending an afternoon with my good friend, antique shopping.
1,750 - Watching the sunset on the lake with my hubby.


1,751 - Having a date night with my hubby (movie and dinner).
1,752 - Seeing a family of swans swim by our boat.

1,753 - Eating dinner, Al fresco, on a warm summer evening.
1,754 - Oh, lovely, long, lingering summer days...

1,755 - Watching an old photo video of my son, growing up, through the years. Bittersweet thoughts and memories.
 To see part of the video, go HERE
1,756 - The awesome and intriguing sights and beauty of the clouds, when I look up into the sky.
1,757 - Getting to talk to my son...it never seems like enough time, so I cherish and soak up every opportunity!




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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

God's Promises and the Mystery of His Providence

Do you, like me, find the purpose of God's promises, providence, and our prayers to be PERPLEXING? (If you read this out loud, you may want to cover your mouth...with all these "P's". We don't want anyone spitting.- LOL) Often, questions start bombarding my mind, left and right...questions, like
- If God is sovereign and His plans fixed, why pray? 

- Does prayer change what God has purposed to do?

- If not, what is the point in praying?

-On the other hand, if prayer has any effect on what happens, then wouldn't it seem that God’s  plans are not fixed?




First, let's define providence:
Providence is the act of seeing and providing or preparing for the future. Biblically, it refers to God’s foresight and power to watch over and protect and provide for His creatures 
Other definitions have been presented, as well:
  • Providence is the care of God over created being; divine superintendence. (Johnson)
  • Providence is the divine superintendence over all created beings; the care of God over his creatures. (Worcester) 
  • The doctrine of divine Providence is that all things are sustained, directed, and controlled by God. (Leonard Woods) 


 “Providence is God bringing to pass in time (sovereignly, absolutely, and perfectly) what he purposed in eternity. 
Predestination is God's purpose. 
Providence is God's execution of his purpose.”

To better understand providence:

 “Nothing in the universe happens by luck, chance, fortune, or accident, or by blind fate. Everything that comes to pass in time was purposed by our God in eternity, and is brought to pass by his wise, adorable, good Providence.”

“God's Providence is as 'minute' as it is 'mysterious' (Matt. 10:30). Our God has ordained the number of hairs on the heads of all. Not even a worthless sparrow falls to the ground without his decree.”

 “His Providence is wisely designed and sovereignly sent for our good! Let him therefore send and do what he will. By his grace, if we are his, we will face it, bow to it, accept it, and give thanks for it.” 

“God's Providence is always executed in the 'wisest manner' possible. We are often unable to see and understand the reasons and causes for specific events in our lives, in the lives of others, or in the history of the world. But our lack of understanding does not prevent us from believing God. We bow to his will, which is evident in his works of Providence, and say, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" 

Link for quotes

God’s providence is really a combination of four attributes:
  • Sovereignty—He is in control.
  • Predestination—He is in charge of how everything turns out.
  • Wisdom—He makes no mistakes.
  • Goodness—He has our best interests at heart.

“PROVIDENCE MAKES ALL OF LIFE A MIRACLE!”
In all the setbacks of your life as a believer,
God is plotting for your joy.

·         -The prophet Jeremiah sang of it: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

      - Paul gave it this cherished expression: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28-note).
  - Because of God’s providence we can keep believing in God even in the face of many unanswered questions. He can bear the burden of all our unanswered questions.

In every event of Providence, God has a purpose. The calamities of earthquake, the devastations of storm, the destructions of war, and all the terrible catastrophes of plague

"In 1937 Walt Disney released the first full-length animated movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Producing an animated movie was a gargantuan task. Disney artists drew over one million pictures. Each picture flashed onto the screen for a mere one-twenty-fourth of a second. As we watch the movie run at regular speed, it seems so simple. We have no idea all that goes into it. Our lives are like that movie. God puts infinite thought, skill, and careful attention into every detail. Yet as our lives run at “regular speed,” we have no idea how much God’s providence fills every single second." - Craig Brian Larson -

So, how does prayer work, if all this is true about God's providence? 

 What we know about God will affect how we pray.

While God’s ultimate purposes are unchangeable, His immediate will is flexible and open to change through the prayers of His people. A personal God, who loves and cares, can be reached in prayer. When God wills the end, He also wills the means. God makes Himself available to be reached, which allows Him to work miracles. Therefore, prayer does not change what God has purposed to do; it is simply the means by which He carries out His final objective. 

But, if He wants something done for which no one  prays, He will do them without anyone praying. If we pray for things contrary to His will, He refuses to grant them. 

Thus, there is a perfect harmony between His purpose and providence, and man’s freedom. If we truly understand providence, then we will be desperate and unrelenting in our prayer. 

Revelation 8 says that the prayers of the saints are being stored up and fueling the fire of inscence. So do not ever underestimate the power of your prayers. Plead! Plead! Plead! and Plead some more until the day when we see his glory and his face and all of his unchanging perfections.
We also must realize that the end of prayer is to know Him and to to see His glory.

source
"Things don't just happen to those who love God,
They're planned by His own dear hand,
Then molded and shaped, and timed by His clock;
Things don't just happen-- they're planned."
--Fields


"I know who holds the future,
And I know who holds my hand;
With God things don’t just happen—
Everything by Him is planned. "
—Smith

If our circumstances find us in God, we shall find God in our circumstances. - George Muller

link to source


I used to listen to Twila Paris' music when I was in 

college...yes, I'm getting older! This song that she sings 

speaks of how God is in control and that He can be 

trusted.


Another song touched my heart deeply, as I have always loved looking at stained glass windows. I love how this musician compares each unique experience of our lives to a piece of broken glass...that put together by God forms a beautiful window! (the story of why singer, Daniel Doss, wrote this  song, on video can be watched by clicking on the  words below)

Stained Glass Windows: A Story of God’s Providence from Daniel Doss


You can listen to the song here.

Trust God today to provide all your needs and to answer 

your prayer, according to His will. 

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 

that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears 

us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—

we know that we have what we asked of him."

(1 John 5:14,15)




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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Honey for the Heart: Joy In the Shadow

Well, so far, it's been one of "those" weeks.
Work has been stressful and I've been feeling quite melancholy. Time seems to have gone by, without me feeling like I've accomplished a whole lot. I had intentions of having another post ready for my blog by Tuesday, but that came and went. I think I'm having one of those "writers blocks" that bloggers often talk about.

So, I thought that it would be nice to post another "Honey for the Heart"....because honey is soothing and sweet. Sometimes that's what we need in our lives, especially when life gets tough.  So, won't you try some honey for your heart?
...where I share different verses from the Psalms!
 May you find truths about God, yourselves, and living life in the images and word pictures shared here! 
I love Psalm 63:7! The image of being in the shadow of His wings is so comforting. It also gives me reason to keep singing for joy, for I know He protects me under His shadow. If you have had one of "those" weeks, remember that you can find joy in the shadow of His wings.
 I love singing along to this Chris Tomlin song...a great reminder that we need to keep singing, no matter what!!

In spite of having a difficult week, God still has blessed me in so many ways. Sharing some of those blessings here: 
at "Multitudes on Mondays", as I  Dare to Share the gifts He gives!
1,740 - Getting to talk on the phone with my son! Always great to hear his voice!
1,742 - Watching my dogs tease each other and play like kids do!
1,743 - Having several days of gorgeous weather - no humidity, no bugs, not too hot, not too much rain.
1,744 - Having a pleasant conversation with my neighbor lady and friend!
1,745 - Another great weekend of fishing...finding an awesome spot on the lake!
1,746 - Heating pads...for an achy back this morning.
1,747 - Having the opportunity to work with some amazing people, who are supportive, when things get overwhelming at the office.


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