How Great is Our God!

In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth.  Genesis 1:1

Reader, I watched a video this week that was
breathtaking. The speaker is Louie Giglio and
the topic is the greatness of God. Giglio takes
us into the far reaches of the universe and then
into the tiniest part of the body--the cells. A
surprise tranfixes at the end of the film. Watch
it, be filled with wonder, and then share it!

http://nortonsafe.search.ask.com/search?chn=1000&cmpgn=vela&ctype=videos&doi=2018-11-5&geo=&guid=1130b45b-9dd8-4e66-840a-4d939e15a3f0&o=APN11957&p2=%5EEQ%5Evela%5E&page=1&prt=nfm&q=How+Great+is+Our+God+with+Louie+Giglio+full+video+YouTube&tpr=sbt&trackId=&ver=8.1.0f230


Chris Tomlin sings How Great is Our God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKLQ1td3MbE

Surpassing Greatness

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing 
greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose 
sake I have lost all things.     Philippians 3:8

Are there sorrows that sorely test our heart? Be assured
that our Father intends every one of them to be a road 
for us to Christ; so that we may reach Him and know 
Him in some character of His love and power, that other-
wise our souls had not known. C A Coates

Reader, we are going through this verse in our women's
Bible study and it is so rich. I would encourage you to
spend time pondering Philippians 3:7-10 in the coming
months. Such awesome words!

Where You Stand

...the place you are standing is holy ground.
Exodus 3:5

I was chatting one day with a dear friend who asked me, 
"Have you ever heard about Nat's sandpile?" When I 
answered in the negative he told me this story.

Nat was a building contractor. It so happened that in his 
city was a huge sandpile. To everyone else but Nat it was 
merely an unsightly, worthless sandpile. But Nat had a 
vision about this sandpile. He saw that every truckload he 
sold would bring him a dollar. And when the sandpile was 
gone the leveled ground would make a fine site for a busi-
ness block. So Nat bought the sandpile.

As word spread, many of his friends laughed at the idea
of his buying a worthless sandpile. But soon Nat's vision
began to come true. Week after week he sold sand. Soon 
the sand was gone, the ground leveled off, replaced by
a handsome business block. Before the year was over, 
a good part of the wholesale trade of the city had moved
into that block, and soon after he sold out, making a lot
of money on the enterprise.

Friend, your life may be obscure, untalented, and as 
worthless in your sight as that sandpile. But if you will
treat the spot in everyday life, as holy ground and give
that life to God in consecration, God will make of it 
a beautiful structure enduring for His glory through all 
time and eternity.  James McConkey

Reader, God sees the treasure in each one of us. If we turn
the "sandpile" over to Him, He can make concrete! :)
Or something else that is lasting and valuable to Him and
to us. The place you are standing on right now is "holy
ground."

An Ointment Poured Forth

For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:15

The savor of the good ointments of Christ may flow
out through the holy lives of His people. Every trait,
every perfection exhibited by Himself in His walk
through this world may be reproduced in those that
are His.

Look, for example, at the precepts and exhortations
of the epistles. Every one of them has been perfectly
exemplified in Christ; and unless this is remembered,
so that they may be associated with Himself as the 
living Word, they will become hard and legal obliga-
tions.

Christ in us, Christ our life, as set forth in Colossians,
is to be followed by the display of Christ through us,
in the power of the Holy Spirit. For this we need to 
be much in His company; for the more we are with
Him, the more we shall be transformed into His like-
ness, and the more certainly will the savor of His
good ointments be spread abroad. And this will be 
a mighty testimony to who He is; for in this case His
name will, through us, be as ointment poured forth;
the sweet savor of the name of Christ will flow forth
from our walk as well as from our words.
Edward Dennett

Reader, have you ever encountered someone who drew
you to themselves just by being there? I remember a
speaker at a conference who so drew me that I was able
to share a quandary with him without fear of being
shamed for speaking to him. He quietly waited on God
and said a few words that filled me with joy. It was ob-
vious that he spent time with His Lord. He honored me.
The next speaker to arrive was very good, but his man-
ner was hurried and harsh in comparison.

Our Inheritance

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, 
being predestined according to the purpose of 
him who works all things after the counsel of 
his own will.  Ephesians 1:11

We are constantly ensnared by looking at secon-
dary causes--we do not realize God in everything.
Were we more alive to the fact that there is not an 
event which happens to us, from morning to night,
in which the voice of our Father may not be heard,
His hand seen, with what a blessed atmosphere
would surround us! Man and circumstances would
then be received as so many agents and instruments
in our Father's hand; so many ingredients in His
cup for us. Thus would our minds be solemnized,
our spirits calmed, our hearts subdued. 
C A Coates

Wow, reader, I can hardly take it in. "God works all
things after the counsel of his own will." Just this
day, I was blocked from my iPad and Glen spent a
few hours trying to re-connect me. As a Believer,
this has significance and is an opportunity for God.
He works all things for good. What a place to rest
when life falls in, prayers are not answered, plans
are thwarted.  

The Individual

The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs
it like a water-course wherever he pleases.
Proverbs 21:1

God works through persons, through individual souls, 
instead of committees, federated bands, or great organ-
izations. The strongest force on earth is the individual
soul. God conquers some one heart, and through that
heart He pours His purposes like a mighty river.

When men drift away from the Lord, the individual man 
counts but little, and confidence is placed in the majori-
ties, and heavy armies. The Tower of Babel was built by 
a natonal committee, who said, "let us build us a city and 
tower."

But God singled out one man, Abraham, and called him
to be a pilgrim, and the founder of a race of those who
had faith. Napoleon said, "That God was on the side of
the heaviest battalions," but something happened to pre-
vent his words proving true, and that something will in
the end be found to be a Divine touch on someone's 
soul. The history of the world is found in the lives of a
succession of individuals.

The King of Syria marshaled an army to capture the pro-
phet Elisha, but the lone prophet prayed, and the army
went blind, and He led them into Samaria.

Men are forever depending on armies, committees, and
a show of strength; and in the most quiet, simple and 
unexpected way, God gently and secretly inspires some 
one soul who outwits the wise, and carries out God's 
purposes in an undreamed way. G D Watson

Reader, we have no idea just how significant our life is to
God, and what He can do with it. I am sure that Abraham,
Dorcas, Timothy, Job, Jeremiah were unaware of the im-
pact they were having for God. When Abraham died, he
had but two grandchildren! The parents of Moses probably
did not live to see three of their children key leaders in the
Exodus. Maybe his mom thought her son lost to Egyptian
culture and gods. So take heart, the whole is much larger
than the parts we see on a daily basis. I know that I am
encouraged.

Celebrated

"My son," the father said, "you are always with me,
and everything I have is yours. But we had to cele-
brate and be glad, because this brother of yours was
dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
Luke 15:31-32  

There's a story about a man who dreamed that he went
to a great palace, and was joyfully greeted at the door;
then he went in, and at each successive room he entered,
he was, each time, even more joyfully received. At last
he entered into the presence of a great monarch and was
there received with great acclamation. It is more than
that with the believer in Christ!

The prodigal son entering the Father's house demon-
strates the nature of our salvation. It is not simply for 
my benefit that I am there, but God has delight in having 
me there...Love delights to have me in its company.

If a Christian's need was the measure of Christ's work, 
human joys would be enough--but when divine love is 
the measure--the Father's house and the joys therein are 
the only thing that will satisfy.

It is the Father's good pleasure that His house should 
be filled, therefore, "We had to celebrate and be glad be-
cause this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; 
he was lost and is found." That is why the reception of 
the believer in Christ is so satisfying and completely full 
of joy. Every believer now has a home there. We are dwell-
ing on the joyful gain which is ours at the finish--what we 
are ultimately saved to.  JB Stoney

Reader, this is such a good word for the New Year. So 
many believe that when God looks at them, He frowns!
Nothing can be further from the truth as is depicted in
the story of the prodigal son. He came home in a bro-
ken state, with nothing to offer. But the Father greeted
him with a banquet and celebrated his home-coming.
The Father was full of joy just in having his son back!