Find God in Earth Day

April 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews:

Earth Day 2012

 

Since April 22, 1970, Earth Day has been an annual event to celebrate Earth and focus on the environmental health of our planet. Former Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson initiated the idea of a nationwide demonstration to show support for environmental causes.

On the original Earth Day, approximately twenty million Americans in schools and communities throughout the nation participated in rallies and demonstrations, making environmental protection a major national issue.

At the time, I was a high school senior and joined my classmates in picking up litter around town.This year I plan to find God in Earth Day by remembering the most destructive force on our planet.

Earth Day is now a worldwide observance with events scheduled in late March or April. An estimated one thousand groups and five hundred million individuals take part in programs designed to call attention to local and global threats to the environment and discuss possible solutions. Volunteers join in activities such as picking up litter, cleaning up streams, and restoring parks.

The biggest threat to our planet’s environment, however, is sin. The prophet Isaiah said:

The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant”. (Isaiah 24:5, NASB Bible).

Also, Paul writes that from the beginning, all creation has been groaning from the curse of sin and wanting to be set free. (Romans 8:22). Sin has distorted God’s perfect world along with the human population.

God created the earth, and His glory fills it. He preserves it, and someday He will judge it and then renew it. We are responsible to be good stewards of the earth, taking good care of it while being careful to not worship it instead of its Creator. While there are practical environmental problems that need to be solved, the most important issue to work on is the spiritual health of our planet. By meditating on this truth, I can find God as I celebrate Earth Day in the proper spirit.

They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Romans 1:25 (NLT Bible)

This excerpt from a 1970 CBS News special report shows how citizens of New York City commemorated the very first Earth Day:

Starting April 22, NASA is having a video contest that could win you behind-the-scenes access to the next rocket launch of a NASA Earth-observing satellite. For information about the NASA video contest, click here.

 © Dianne Neal Matthews (www.DianneNealMatthews.com). Dianne is a freelance writer and the author of four daily devotional books. This article is adapted from her book, The One Year on This Day (Tyndale House).

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Find God in Prophecies of Chaotic Weather

April 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Finding God in Chaotic Weather: Image by Salvatore Vuono

It’s April and storm season, the time for violent weather. If we look into Scripture, it’s possible we can find God in prophecies of chaotic weather.

In Luke 21:25-26, Jesus was talking about the Signs that would come before His second coming when He comes to judge the world. He said,

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

Some people think this Bible verse could refer to increased intensity in chaotic weather patterns on earth.

We’ve certainly seen a lot of intense weather in the United States in recent years. The National Weather Service sent out strong warnings prior to and during the weekend of April 14 – 15, 2012. And tornadoes did form across the Midwest, tearing up towns like Woodward, Oklahoma.

The largest tornado outbreak ever recorded occurred just a year ago.  According to Wikipedia, the 2011 Super Outbreak, occurred from April 25 to 28, 2011 when destructive tornadoes hit Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia.

The Wikipedia article says, regarding that 2011 outbreak, “In total, 353 tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service in 21 states from Texas to New York and even isolated tornadoes in Canada. Widespread and destructive tornadoes occurred on each day of the outbreak, with April 27 being among the most prolific and destructive tornado days in United States history with a record 208 tornadoes touching down that day. Four of the tornadoes were destructive enough to be rated EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which is the highest ranking possible; typically these tornadoes are only recorded about once each year or less.”

The number killed as a result of those tornadoes: 346 people.

Less than a month later, on Sunday afternoon, May 22, 2011, Joplin, Missouri, was struck by an EF5 multiple-vortex tornado. “It was part of a larger late-May tornado outbreak sequence and reached a maximum width of in excess of 1 mile (1.6 km) during its path through the southern part of the city,” Wikipedia says. The number of deaths directly linked to the tornado: 160.

Jesus also mentioned “the roaring and tossing of the sea.” If you’re curious about earthquakes and tsunamis, I wrote about those in these two articles: “Find God in Prophecy about Earthquakes” and “Signs of the End Times? – Earthquakes and Tsunamis.”

Throughout the Bible we can see that, because of His great love for all people, God always sends warnings before He sends His judgments (which are disasters meant to put a stop to or slow down increased sin. His ultimate judgment will be His second coming.). But people don’t always listen. They say, “It’s not God. It’s global warming.” Do you think God is warning us through tornadoes and other disasters? If yes, are you listening? If you are, then you might find God in prophecies of chaotic weather.

© Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, author, and screenwriter. Her latest book is Deliver Me is for those in an unplanned pregnancy or with one in their past, and just won “Book of the Year” at Christian Small Publisher’s Association. Her first book Dear America is now available on Kindle. Follow her writing at www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com.

April 2012 Tornado Videos

At TornadoVideos.net, see: Update from the April 14, 2012 tornado outbreak.)

Also see this video below, showing what an amazing creator we have:

From YouTube: Top 20 Amazing Weather Phenomena

 

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Finding God in the Jesus Boat

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

The Jesus Boat (Photo from Wikipedia.org)

It was January 24, 1986. A prolonged drought lay over Israel. The drought had lowered the level of the Sea of Galilee so much, that two brothers, Yuval and Moshe Lufan, made an unusual discovery that has excited people of faith and archaeologists ever since and may have people finding God in the Jesus boat.

A boat.

But not just any boat. A boat from the era of Jesus and found on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus had preached and fed multitudes of  people with only a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.

Matthew 15:29-39  tells us that on the shores of the Sea of Galilee Jesus healed many of illnesses and fed 4,000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.

John 6:1-14  says that during another time, Jesus fed a great crowd of 5,000 people “with five small barley loaves and two small fish” and had twelve baskets of barley loaves left over.

It was as Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee that Jesus called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to come follow him, “and I will make you fishers of men,” Jesus said (Matthew 4:18-19  and Mark 1:16:17)

At the time the brothers Yuval and Moshe discovered the boat, a brilliant, rare double rainbow stretched over them. Was this a sign from God?

According to an article on JesusBoatMuseum.com, “What had been found was a Bible-era artifact like no other. Some consider it to be among the top ten biblical archaeological discoveries ever found. The Jesus Boat is a one-of-a-kind actual touch-point back to the exact time and place of Jesus!”

The boat currently is held in the Yigal Allon Museum located on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Could this be a boat that Jesus sailed in? Might this be a boat touched by the very hands of Jesus Christ? Many people are asking similar questions and searching to see if they are finding God in the Jesus boat.

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and author. You can visit Dianne at www.DianneEButts.com and on Twitter as @DianneEButts.

Trailer:

Longer video:

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Find God in Prophecy about Earthquakes

March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Image: podpad / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image from podpad

It has happened again. According to msnbc.com, late Wednesday, March 14, 2012, “a series of earthquakes rattled Tokyo and northeast Japan…in the same region hit by last year’s devastating tsunami.” If we’re looking at God’s Word, we might find God in prophecy about earthquakes.

In Bible chapters Matthew 24 and Luke 21  Jesus said, “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11, NIV 1984).

The question, then, becomes, are we seeing greater earthquakes than ever before? In 2011 we saw several major earthquakes and tsunamis:

Sunday, January 2, 2011: Araucania, Chile, is hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

Friday, February 11, 2011: a 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocks from off shore 30 miles north of Concepcion, Chile.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 (local time): 6.3 quake rattled Christchurch, New Zealand, the same area hit with a 7.1 magnitude quake on September 4, 2010. An aftershock on June 13, 2011, caused considerable additional damage. A series of large aftershocks hit Christchurch again on December 23, 2011 (local time).

Sunday, February 27, 2011: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck just south of Concepcion, Chile, one year to the day after the 8.8 magnitude quake devastated the area.

Friday, March 11, 2011: An 8.9 magnitude earthquake hits northeastern Japan triggering a massive tsunami causing a meltdown in three of six reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The Pacific Ring of Fire according to Wikipedia, is a 25,000 miles horseshoe-shape ring around the Pacific Ocean where 90% of the world’s earthquakes (89% of the world’s largest earthquakes) occur. The Ring of Fire is so named because it is home to over 75% of the world’s volcanoes.

In a similar article on TheChristianPulse.com, I wrote, “Three of the four ‘corners’ of the Ring of Fire were hit with large earthquakes in 2011. Is it time for the fourth ‘corner’ to feel the earth shake? That would be the Pacific Northwest corner of the United States or southwestern Canada.”

Today, many people believe we are seeing earthquakes increase in frequency and intensity right before our very eyes. However, the USGS government earthquake web site says, “The number of large earthquakes (magnitude 6.0 and greater) has stayed relatively constant.”

Still, why would God allow such devastation and loss of human life? The Bible tells us Creation itself groans because of the sin of mankind. Romans 8:18-22 says in part, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up the present time.” The groans of the earth, just like the cumulative sin of mankind, will increase until the return of Jesus Christ. But it is God’s nature to use even these extreme difficulties to bring people to believe in Him, because what is at stake for their eternity is even more dire.

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and author. You can visit Dianne at www.DianneEButts.com and on Twitter as @DianneEButts.

Please pray that people will find God in prophecy about earthquakes as you view this tribute to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami victims of Japan:

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Finding God in Prophecy While Watching Jerusalem Live

March 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Photo of Western Wall from Wikimedia Creative Commons posted at Finding God Daily

Photo from Wikimedia

On January 16, 2012, the topic of this blog was Finding God in Prophecy about Israel. Many Christians believe we are seeing ancient prophecies being fulfilled, or set up to be fulfilled, right before our very eyes.  It’s possible we may even see and be finding God in prophecy while watching Jerusalem live. That is, through cameras on the Temple Mount we can watch what is going on live right now in real time!

In my article, “Signs of the End Times? Mass and Vast Communications” on TheChristianPulse.com, I wrote about how some “prophecies seem to imply that mass communication—visual, not just audio—will need to exist for them to be fulfilled. Today we have radio, television, and the internet. These things did not exist much more than a century ago.”

Two examples of prophecies that might show world-wide visual communications are needed for End Times prophecy to be fulfilled are found in Revelation:

Revelation 11:7-10: “Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.”

and in:

Revelation 17:8: “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.”

These events might be shown on the evening news or carried as “live” breaking news. But did you know that you can watch what is going on in Israel live right now?!

The “Live Kotel Cam” broadcasts 24/7/365 what is happening at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. You can also view other areas around the Temple Mount, such as Wilson’s Arch, live.

Kotel is the Hebrew word for this Wailing or Western Wall in Jerusalem, which is a part or all of the western wall of the ancient Jewish temple that was destroyed by the Roman, Titus, in 70 AD.

Today, through computers, laptops, tablets, and even smart phones, we can watch live in real time what is happening at the foot of the mount of the very Temple in Jerusalem we’ve read about in our Bibles!

Do you think we, or those who are alive at the time these prophecies are fulfilled, might gaze upon the two dead bodies of those prophets via the internet? Do you think people will see the Beast prophesied in Revelation on their smart phones? If they do, they just might be finding God in prophecy while watching Jerusalem live.

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and author of the book Deliver Me. You can visit Dianne at www.DianneEButts.com and on Twitter as @DianneEButts.

This interesting video on YouTube, In the Western Wall Tunnels, shows a tour of the tunnels:

 

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Finding God in the Eye of Africa

February 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Photo of the Richat Structure from Wikipedia and the NASA Earth Observatory

This large circular formation in the western Sahara Desert might have some people finding God in the Eye of Africa.

Also known as the Richat Structure, and to some as the Eye of the Sahara, the Eye of Africa  is a formation more than 30 miles in diameter. It was not discovered until astronauts saw it in early space missions. It is located in central Mauritania near Ouadane.

Because it is so symmetrically circular, it was first thought to be an impression from a meteorite strike. However scientists now believe the formation is a natural upheaval of the land revealed by erosion. According to the article accompanying the above photo, the Eye of Africa became a landmark for space shuttle crews.

While the Eye of Africa may be staring into space from earth, we know that the eyes of God watch over the happenings on earth from heaven. Second Chronicles 16:9 tells us:

“The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

When God looks down from heaven on you, will He find your heart fully committed to him? If you answer yes, it’s possible you’re finding God in the Eye of Africa.

 ©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and author of the book Deliver Me. You can visit Dianne at www.DianneEButts.com and on Twitter as @DianneEButts.

Enjoy this lovely video, Earth as Art  in 1080p , showing earth’s geographical wonders in landsat images (satellite views). This includes the Richat Structure (from 1:36 to the 2:00 mark) from SpaceRip. Also see details about the photo used in this post, plus other shots from space, at the  NASA Earth Observatory.

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Finding God on the Sticky Paper of Life

February 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

by Deborah Lovett:

Several years ago I heard a rustling noise in my garage that captured my attention as I took out the trash. I never dreamed I would be finding God on the sticky paper of life that day!

We live on 22 acres and critters are part of the territory. Cautiously I turned to look for the noise-making culprit. Then I spotted a tiny newborn bird flapping its wings, seemingly stuck in one spot for some odd reason.

As I walked over to it, I noticed that it’s fleshy little feet were stuck on some sticky paper my husband had put out to catch mice in our garage. I wondered: what pushed this newborn out of the crib so early? Was it a brush fire, a huge wind, a nasty argument between the parents?

At any rate, it was now up to me to save this creature. I found some garden gloves and went to work on the fleshy feet as a surgeon would, with careful preciseness. I hoped I would not injury him and could release him with feet and wings still intact.

After trying for what seemed like hours on end, I realized if I didn’t change something, my efforts were useless. The bird was flapping his wings so hard it was impossible for me to work on his feet. (Isn’t that just like us~ to put up a fight?) So I put my foot on the sticky paper to gain traction. Ugh. Now you know why I am blonder than I pay to be! We were both stuck on the sticky paper. And of course, I had my high heeled boots on!

As you can imagine, this made the situation more difficult. Now my cute little boot was stuck right along with the bird. I wanted to cry. Why didn’t I just find a stone, or a brick or something heavy to put down on the paper? Why did I have to join in on the fun? (Just a party waiting to happen…)

After much prodding and manipulating, I finally had a light bulb of an idea—take the boot off.  I did, and finally with patient perseverance also freed the tiny bird from the sticky paper. Whew~Only one more problem: he didn’t fly off into the sunset.

I watched him jump across the garage floor and driveway into the grass. He was so cute, I clapped for him. At the same time, my heart wrenched in fear. What would happen if he never flew again?  What ifs, whys and other troubling questions collided in my mind. So I called to my son and daughter, we held hands, and prayed:

“Dear God, I know you made the birds to fly and care about them so much that you will not allow even one sparrow to fall from the sky. Please help this baby bird to fly as you intended for him to do when you made him. Amen.”

We watched with patient expectation. It hopped. It hopped some more. When he approached the first tree on the grass, he looked up (It really did!) and took flight before our very eyes. We applauded the little bird’s perseverance and God’s restoration of its perfect destiny.

Matthew 10:29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

What is your sticky paper today? How did you get there? No matter the circumstances, you can trust Jesus to free you from the sticky paper of life. Look to Him, pray, find peace today. Get those boots unstuck! We have a God of restoration. Don’t give up and you may end up finding God on the sticky paper of life.

Love always, Deborah Lovett

©Deborah Lovett. Deborah is a women’s event conference speaker, and author of Gushing Springs. You can visit her at www.DeborahLovett.com.

Enjoy this video with bird incredible sounds from the lyre bird, with David Attenborough, from BBC Wildlife’s video The Life of Birds. This bird mimics the calls of other birds – and chainsaws and camera shutters.

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Finding God in Nature in the Andes in Bolivia

January 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

Aerial photo of the Andes, from Wikipedia

What would it be like to walk on clouds?  Some people seem to, as they are finding God in nature in the Andes in Bolivia.

Salar de Uyuni in southwestern Bolivia is the world’s largest salt flat. According to the travel article “Mysterious Sights” on the Bing Travel Blog, when the area becomes covered by water, it “becomes a mirror, and anyone walking across it appears to be walking on clouds.”

 The salt crust is high in the mountains at just a few feet under 12,000 feet elevation above sea level. It covers more than 4,000 square miles. The area is nearly flat which, interestingly, “makes it ideal for calibrating the altimeters of satellites,” the article said. It is also “a major breeding ground for several species of flamingoes.”

Common thoughts of heaven pictured it as people (or angels with wings) sitting on clouds lazily strumming harps. Maybe those images come from verses in the Bible like Revelation 14:1-3 and  Revelation 15:2-3.

When we get to heaven I don’t know if we’ll be able to walk on clouds or expertly play harps, but this I do know, there will come a day when Jesus the Christ will come again. Before Jesus was crucified, when He was still alive on the earth, He talked about what it would be like when He comes again. He said:

“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens” (Revelation 14:1-3)

After Jesus was crucified and died, he was raised from the dead and talked with many people. The last group He talked with watched as He was taken into heaven like this:

“After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

“They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11).

Revelation 1:7 says, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…” [  ]

Are you watching for Him? When you see Him walking on clouds, will you recognize Him? We live in a magnificent world that God created and in all kinds of mysterious places we can find God. We can even be finding God in nature in the Andes in Bolivia.

 Copyright ©Dianne E. Butts ( www.delivermebook.blogspot.com). Dianne has over 275 articles and short fiction in more than fifty publications and eighteen books, and is a regular contributor to Finding God Daily.

Here is a video with a song and beautiful photos of the earth and animals, posted on YouTube: I Believe-by Andie Isle.

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Finding God in the New Planet: Kepler-22b

December 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

Photo from Wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler-22b

December 5, 2011, NASA announced the discovery of a planet they’re calling Kepler-22b, “the first planet the Kepler spacecraft has discovered in the habitable zone, an area with a distance from a star where temperatures will permit the existence of liquid water” according to an article posted on The Huffington Post that same day.

The discovery brings up some interesting notions about whether or not anyone could be finding God in the New Planet: Kepler-22b. Scientists believe they are now “closer to finding a planet that could possibly harbor life,” the article said.

The newly discovered planet, Kepler-22b, is 600 light-years away from Earth and orbits at a distance from its sun that scientists estimate would give it a pleasant 72 degrees Fahrenheit temperature.

Douglas Hudgins, Kepler program scientist, is quoted in The Huffington Post article saying:

“Kepler’s results continue to demonstrate the importance of NASA’s science missions, which aim to answer some of the biggest questions about our place in the universe.”

I once knew an author of Christian fiction who wanted to write a story about people of earth traveling to other planets and discovering other races of human-like beings. But he was discouraged from writing such stories because there were too many questions:

Did the beings on those planets sin? Do they need a Savior from God like Earth did? Did Jesus go there, too, because of God’s love? Did He die as a sin offering for them, too, because it was God’s will to satisfy His justice requiring death for sin? Is there “salvation” on their world? There couldn’t have been another Savior for them if Jesus is God’s only Son, right? Would the sacrifice of Jesus on our planet Earth cover the sins of beings on other planets?

Too many hard questions put an end to this author’s space-travel stories, as far as I know.

Are there other worlds out there that sustain life similar to ours? Scientists continue to search for answers.

Steven Howell, as scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center who’s on the Kepler team, told the Huffington Post about viewing planets orbiting other stars and searching for planets similar to earth. He said, “We’re moving out to orbital periods that are nearly and equal to the Earth, and that means very soon we’re going to be finding [planets] very near the earth, what we’d call true earth analogs. We’ll be there. We’ll be there probably within a year, very easily.”

This one thing I know, sin will take this earth to such a state that it will be destroyed, or nearly so. But that is not the end, for John, in his Revelation of the end tells us:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:1-3, NIV).

We know God is here among us and working among us on Earth. But pondering hard questions might be leading some to be finding God in the New Planet: Kepler-22b.

© Dianne E. Butts (www.DianneEButts.com) has over 275 articles and short fiction in more than fifty publications including Enrichment Journal, and Encounter, and Clubhouse and eighteen books, and is a frequent contributor to Finding God Daily.

 

Others are finding a bit of humor in comparing conditions on earth to a new hope, as you can see in this YouTube video: Earth vs Kepler 22b Funny Comparison. Thankfully, we who anticipate heaven already have something greater in store for us!

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Finding God in the Star of Bethlehem

December 22, 2011 By 1 Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

Was the star of Bethlehem a myth created by the early church? Or a real astronomical event? The DVD “The Star of Bethlehem: Unlock the Mystery of the World’s Most Famous Star” explores the science behind finding God in the star of Bethlehem. 

When attorney Rick Larson’s daughter asked him about the Bethlehem star,  he set out to find answers. What he found astounded him. Because the story of the star in the Bible includes King Herod, much of the research is dependent on when Herod died. The events that involved him obviously must have occurred previous to that date. Many scholars dated “Herod the Great’s death…no later than March or April in 4 BC”, but Rick Larson found Herod may have died a few years later, opening up an additional couple of years to search the celestial skies for an event that might have been the Star.

Larson combined a careful search of the book of Matthew with use of astronomy software he purchased to run on his computer. He discovered what those in pre-computer generations never could view: an astronomical event that may have led the Magi to Jesus.

The FAQ page, which appears on both the www.Bethlehemstar.net web site and The Star of Bethlehem Facebook’s “Extended Info” page  says this:

“Christ’s Star, described in the Book of Matthew, correlates precisely with celestial events we know occurred in 2 and 3 B.C.”

Viewing the skies from ancient Babylon (where the Magi may have originated), Larson says:

“A magus watching Jupiter that September saw two objects moving so close that they appeared to touch. This close approach of celestial bodies is sometimes called a ‘conjunction.’ Our Middle Eastern viewer saw Jupiter coming into a close conjunction with the star, Regulus. Regulus takes its name from the word root which yields our word ‘regal.’ The Babylonians called Regulus Sharu, which means ‘king.’ The Romans called Regulus Rex, which means ‘king.’ So to start things, at the beginning of the new Jewish year, the Planet of Kings met the Star of Kings.”

Rick Larson talked about how this conjunction moved through the constellation Leo the Lion, and that Jesus’ earthly ancestry is the tribe of Judah, known as the Lion.

Here on Finding God Daily back on November 16, 2011, we talked about how this very same star, Regulus, is currently in conjunction with Mars in our article “Finding God in Mars.”

I viewed “The Star of Bethlehem” DVD with friends the other night and I loved it. Rick Larson’s research shows, once again, that God’s universe is crafted with the precision of the most accurate watch and everything is ticking away just as He determined it to do from the beginning.

I highly recommend the DVD or the live presentation of “The Star of Bethlehem.” Much of the information is also on the web site. If you view the DVD with your friends and family, I’m sure you will see them finding God in the Star of Bethlehem.

See here “The Star of Bethlehem” DVD promo video:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLqzKYmTGcc

Related articles:  Finding God in the Sounds of the Universe.

 

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Finding God in Texas Ghost Towns

December 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Dianne E. Butts

In the worst yearlong drought ever recorded in Texas, lakes are receding and exposing prehistoric skulls, graveyards, and 1800s towns including the concrete foundation of a church. That’s why some adventurers are finding God in Texas ghost towns, beneath depleted lakes.

 “Most people in Texas probably didn’t realize what was under these lakes,” said Pat Mercado-Allinger, the Texas Historical Commission’s archaeological division director in the article: Depleted Texas lakes expose ghost towns, graves , posted on MSNBC.com on 11/20/11.  Most of the region’s lakes were  man-made and many have dropped by more than a dozen feet, the article said.

One underwater town was known as Bluffton, Texas. One man whose great-great-great grandfather helped establish Bluffton, said his research showed 389 graves were moved starting in 1931 before construction of the dam began. That’s also the year old-Bluffton’s 40 or 50 residents started moving several miles west to the current Bluffton, which today sits at a lonely highway intersection and has a convenience store and a post office. The required move was devastating to residents who had no choice but to abandon ranches and pecan trees.

Apparently not all the graves were moved as several 1880s era marble headstones are now visible. Across the state the receding waters have revealed other finds, including “the skull of an American Indian buried for hundreds or thousands of years” and “a small cemetery that appears to contain the graves of freed slaves,” the article said. “A century-old church has emerged at Falcon Lake, which straddles the Texas-Mexico border on the Rio Grande.”

These individuals may be gone and their families and anyone who remembered them may also be gone, but they are not forgotten. The LORD God knows every human being who has ever existed, and there is a day coming when we will all be gathered before Him. In order for each of us to be resurrected in bodily form, as the Bible states, God has to know where every atom and every molecule that formed every human being is. And He can pull them back together to form our bodies once again.

Jesus said in Matthew 25, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world… Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels… Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (NIV vs. 31-34, 41, 46).

The people who worshiped God at that now-century-old Christian church at the bottom of Falcon Lake knew this. They are not forgotten by God. A remnant of their faith remains in the foundation of their church now seen by people of our time. And so as people today find that concrete foundation, they are finding God in Texas ghost towns.

See this Fox 7 News video clip on how the town of Bluffton Texas was uncovered as Lake Buchanan receded.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKruOOhdyds

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Finding God in the Giant Redwoods

November 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews

The "Grizzly Giant" tree in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park. Used by permission from Wikipedia.

When my husband and I took a vacation last month, I didn’t expect to be finding God in the giant redwoods (also known as giant sequoias) of California. A stop by the Redwood National Park headquarters gave us plenty of facts: trees that live to be 2000 years old and grow more than 360 feet tall. Some of the giants tower five stories higher than the Statue of Liberty. Along the coast are three redwoods that visitors can drive their car through. All this information did nothing to prepare me for the sensation of standing next to the world’s tallest trees.

Stepping into the hushed, mist-filled forest, I gazed upward until I almost toppled over backward. Next to the sheer height and girth of these trees, I must have looked like an overgrown bug.  And what was my life span compared with their two thousand years? I felt awed—and insignificant. Centuries ago, Israel’s poet-king expressed a similar feeling as he contemplated the splendors of nature.

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—,” David wrote, “what are people that you should think about them, mere mortals that you should care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4 NLT)

When we contemplate the vastness of space or the beauty and magnificence found in nature, we can start to feel insignificant. That sense of smallness vanishes when we remember what a special place we have in God’s Creation. God didn’t just create us; he also came to earth to die for our sins so that we can be forgiven and live a life of purpose and significance. To think that God would even be interested in us is amazing enough, but his concern took him all the way to the Cross. Taking a trip to the Redwood National Park can renew that sense of wonder and awe; while there, you just might be finding God in the giant redwoods.

Enjoy this video about the giant redwoods from National Geographic:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9LHjV48e9s

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Finding God in Mars

November 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

Mars in 1980 as seen by the Viking 1 Orbiter, used by permission from Wikipedia.

Asteroid 2005 YU55 that passed closer to earth than the moon on November 8 isn’t the only wonderful thing to notice in the skies. November 9th and early November 10th, Mars was one of the brightest objects in the sky as it buddied up to the brightest star in the constellation Leo. As people observe these stars and planets and constellations, they might be finding God in Mars.

In this interesting article, “Worth staying up for: Mars shining with star Regulus” by Geoff Gaherty, the author describes how to locate the “conjunction” (the close approaches of two heavenly bodies) of Mars and Regulus by finding the Big Dipper, which is known to astronomers as Ursa Major (the Great Bear).

You can also see a sky map to help you find Mars and Regulus with that article.

We know who made the Great Bear, and Mars and Regulus, and other constellations like Orion and the Pleiades. In the oldest book in the Bible, Job says:

“He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south” (Job 9:8-9, NIV).

When God answered Job’s questions, God asked:

“Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth” (Job 38:31-33, NIV)?

And we find this description of God in Amos 5:8 (NIV):

“…(he who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the LORD is his name—”

Mars will continue to be one of the brightest objects in the sky, and will grow brighter until March 3, 2012, “when it will be placed exactly opposite the sun in the Earth’s sky,” according to the article. If you take a good photo of the planet, the article tells where you can send it for people to see! As you look up in the night or early morning sky, watch out! Because you just might be finding God in Mars.

Enjoy Rover’s eye view of it’s three-year trek on Mars on his YouTube video:

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Finding God in an Asteroid

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

Goldstone radar image of asteroid 2005 YU55. Used by permission from Wikipedia.

When Jesus talked about His second coming, He said there would be signs in the sun, moon, and stars (Luke 21:25).  I don’t know if the asteroid that flew past the earth Tuesday, November 8, 2011, is one of those signs, but it sure makes for some interesting conversation. And with everyone talking about it, people may be finding God in an Asteroid, specifically 2005 YU55.

Besides conversation, it also made for some great radar photos! As Asteroid 2005 YU55 flew by, coming closer to earth than the moon, scientists used radar to bounce signals off the asteroid and captured images of it. In the days following, they strung those images together to make a mini-movie of the asteroid.

See the YouTube of asteroid:

Not too far from where I live in Colorado, a man, Brian Warner, has built his own observatory in his back yard. He can do research and is doing such a good job that now he’s getting recognition and funding from NASA! You can see his observatory in this video: The Palmer Divide Observatory:

In that same speech where Jesus talked about the signs, He also said, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption [meaning His second coming] is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).

So as you look up to observe the stars and the asteroids and the wonders of God’s creation in space, remember we are also to look up and watch for Jesus. While people are looking up, they may be finding God in an Asteroid.

For more, see this article form the LA Times, click HERE.

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Finding God While Searching on Google

November 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Karen O’Connor

What a trip it’s been finding God while searching on google.com. Since this search engine is the first place I go for information for my writing projects, it has actually increased my faith in God. When I look for quotations on gratitude or children or marriage or nature, verses from the bible pop up. When I explore the life of a famous person or dig into science for facts and figures, there is God, the creator of the universe showing his majesty in even the smallest detail.

“The world is charged with the grandeur of God,” wrote the 19th-century English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. In equally inspiring words, the psalmist David wrote, “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork (Ps. 19:1).

Albert Einstein had this to say: “Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.”

As I read on the Internet about people serving their communities, I see again how the Lord of heaven and earth makes himself evident in each one of us. Men and women across the world share their money and time and talent with the less fortunate, with neighbors and friends, with family members and strangers and they pop up on google.com.

This month alone I found photos and comments and stories about individuals just like you and me going out into their communities on a Saturday to paint worn school buildings, weed gardens, deliver food to shut-ins, and perform music recitals for patients in nursing homes.

Finding God while searching on google.com is one of the Lord’s generous ways of showing himself even through advanced technology. Our God is everywhere.

Enjoy this You Tube video about the pleasant working environment at google.com, in itself a reflection of the evidence of God at work. 

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Finding God in Hearing His Voice

October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Butts

In the October 15, 2011, post on this blog, “Finding God with Jackie Evancho,” Laurie W. Sargent wrote about how we all have the same physical equipment to produce speech, but our voices are different and we can differentiate between people’s voices. Well God has a voice, too, and some people are finding God in hearing His voice for the first time.

God’s voice is different from human voices though. While He can make Himself heard audibly, (see John 12:27-30), probably most often people hear His voice only when it is meant for them. So it can be easy to hear “the Voice,” but that makes it hard to figure out if it’s God voice or not because we also have other inaudible voices in our heads, like our own thoughts and desires. How can we differentiate God’s true voice from other internal or spiritual voices we might hear?

That’s exactly what one person asked author Craig von Buseck over on CBN.com. In his article “Seven Keys To Hearing God’s Voice,” Craig included this question from a reader:

    “Your article is typical of many books I have read. Everyone talks about doing what the Holy Spirit says, but you do not state how you ‘know’ it is the voice of GOD. I have yet to read any book or article that can lay that out. It is easy to say The LORD told me to leave this or do that, and I was blessed down the road because of it. Anyone who can present a way one can actually know that the voice they are hearing is from GOD, not man or Satan, would change the world. That’s probably why the world hasn’t changed.”

I don’t know about changing the world, because linked to hearing God is obeying Him and even if people hear Him, whether they obey Him would still be up in the air. But hearing God is a start. So what makes God’s voice different? How can we differentiate His voice from others? One way to start is by knowing God’s character, His personality. Yes, God has a personality, and He will never deviate from it.

We get to know a person’s personality by spending time with them, by hearing what they say, and by watching what they do. We get to know God’s personality by spending time reading the Bible and in it, hearing what He said and watching what He did as He interacted with people throughout history (which is “His story”). Faith in God comes from hearing Him (Romans 10:16-18.)

Here are five characteristics I’ve discovered that are always true of God’s voice. His voice is:

  • Constant – His message never changes
  • Calm – He’s never in a hurry or panicked
  • Convicting – Not condemning.
  • Reveals His Character – He is holy, righteous, just, merciful, forgiving, compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
  • Clear – We can understand Him if we’re willing to listen.

You can learn more about those thoughts in this article I wrote a few years ago titled “Who’s Calling?” (See page 12.)

What would it be like to hear God’s voice for the first time? The truth is, we’ve probably all heard God’s voice already, but whether we’ve recognized it as His voice is another story.

To help you imagine what it would be like finding God in hearing His voice for the first time, watch this short video of a 29-year old woman who is hearing for the first time in her life! We should all be as delighted in hearing God’s voice for the first time!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsOo3jzkhYA

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People are Finding God Because of Steve Jobs

October 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

by Lane P. Jordan

Picture of Steve Jobs used by permission from Wikipedia

People are Finding God because of Steve Jobs.  As Apple’s iconic inventor, Steve Jobs greatly shaped the world we live in.

Because of his magical inventions, we can connect with people instantaneous around the world.

Apart from the invention of the printing press, nothing has changed the way we are able to communicate with each other as much as his inventions: from personal computer to iPhone to iPod to iPad.

According to Wikipedia, American director Steven Spielberg said: “Steve Jobs was the greatest inventor since Thomas Edison. He put the world at our fingertips.”[144] In a statement, George Lucas said “The magic of Steve was that while others simply accepted the status quo, he saw the true potential in everything he touched and never compromised on that vision.”[145]

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen said: “We’ve lost a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly great products. Steve fought a long battle against tough odds in a very brave way. He kept doing amazing things in the face of all that adversity. As someone who has had his own medical challenges, I couldn’t help but be encouraged by how he persevered.”[146]

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said: “People sometimes have goals in life. Steve Jobs exceeded every goal he set himself.”

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has stated:[147]Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world.

But what is unique about his inventions is though they were for the world‘s business, God’s Gospel of redemption has been able to be heard all around the earth because of them.

People are hearing about God.  His truth.  His Son.

Steve also contributed to the end times.   The Bible says that Christ will return when all nations have heard the gospel.  That is happening as we speak because his communication tools connect throughout the whole world.

People are finding God because of Steve Jobs.  Are you?  If you are not sure if you know God, go to:  www.GodTest.com and take our short test.

Watch this tribute to Steve Jobs from ABC News below:

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Finding God in the Severe Weather of 2011

October 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Photo of tornado used by permission of Wikipedia.

Linda Evans Shepherd

What’s the probability that some people are finding God in the severe weather of 2011?

It’s not your imagination, there really has been more severe weather this year. In fact, Parade Magazine reports that Jack Hayes, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service thinks so too.  Hayes said, “I would use three words to describe 2011, deadly, destructive, and relentless.”

NOAA has tracked over 10 severe weather events including the Joplin  and Tuscaloosa tornados and Huricane Irene.

The cost in humans lives, and property has been extreme. For example, the toll from the tornado in Joplin this past May included the deaths of 162 people and about 3 billion dollars in damage.

But does this mean that God doesn’t love Joplin? or Tuscaloosa? or Vermont? or Japan? or any of the other places that have experienced natural disasters and fire storms?

On the contrary. Did you know that sometimes disasters are not even authored by God? You can read an example of this kind of event in the book of Job.  God allowed Satan to wreck havoc on Job’s life, but in the end, God restored all that Job lost, two-fold.

But then again, God sometimes allows disasters to help us to become better people or so that lives can be saved.  We learn from Joseph in the book of Genesis that all the traumas he endured; attempted murder, betrayal, kidnapping, and false imprisonment, were in fact for a miraculous purpose; the saving of many lives.  And in the end, when Joseph was in a place to help others because of what he had been through, he said, “What the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good.”

As tragic as they are, disasters can bring out the best as people help people and even turn to God. But I have an even better idea, let’s turn to God now — before he sends us another reminder to turn to him. If you have any questions about how to turn to God, take the test at www.GodTest.com.

Also consider the question,  what you doing anything to help the people who have been finding God in the severe weather of 2011? Why not contact the Red Cross by clicking HERE.

Also, watch this inspiring video about the aftermath of the Tuscaloosa tornaodo.

To see the Parade Magazine source article, click HERE.

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Finding God is like a Mentos and Diet Coke Experiment

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Picture used by permission from Wikapedia

Linda Evans Shepherd

If you’ve ever seen a Mentos and Diet Coke geyser, you’ll know how powerful the combination of these two ingredients can be.  But is is possible to compare this experient to a relationship with God?  Perhaps you’ll see that Finding God is like a Mentos and Diet Coke Experiment when you consider the facts.

First, let’s examine what happens when you add a package of Mentos to a 2- liter bottle of Diet Coke. According Wikapedia, “The numerous small pores on the candy’s surface catalyze the release of carbon dioxide gas from the soda, resulting in the rapid expulsion of copious amounts of foam.”

So, in otherwords, the plastic bottle cannot contain the explosive-action created with this combination.

Consider then that the same thing happens when you add the living spirit of God to a human soul.  The God-action created with this explosive combination will soon cause joy and love to bubble out of the human soul and into the lives of others.

But note, God will not breath his spirit into a human soul unless that human invites his presence into their life.

Here are the instructions on how to do that:

      1. First recognize that you are not perfect and that you need a real relationship or friendship with God.
      2. Next, invite the presence of God into your soul through prayer (talking to God).  Keep in mind that God can hear every whisper, spoken aloud or not.  That prayer can be varied, but must include these elements:
      • Recognize you are a sinner.
      • Recognize that Jesus, the son of God who died on a cross, died for your sins.  Good news: God’s power brought Jesus back to life three days after he was buried in a tomb. Jesus is still alive and is with God now.
      • Ask God to forgive you for your sins though both the the goodness and sacrifice of Jesus.
      • Invite the presence of God into your life.

When these steps are complete, the human will undergo an explosive change. It’s not that the human becomes God, it’s that the human is filled with God’s presence.

This bubbling over can continue though allowing God’s presence to grow and expand through daily Bible study, a good teaching church, and prayer.

So as you can see, Finding God is like a Mentos and Diet Coke Experiment.  

To see an example of this experiment, watch the video below:

To see the original source Wikapedia article, click HERE.

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Finding God in the Sounds of the Universe

September 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Photo used by permission from the Wikipedia website. A star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. NASA/ESA image

Are scientists finding God in the sounds of the universe?

Yes, says evangelist Louie Giglio at the Desiring God National Conference in Minnesota where he explained that the function of the universe was to praise God.

      Does Louie’s proclamation agree with the Bible? Yes, in fact Psalm 148:3-6 says,

“Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created. He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.”

    (NIV)

This is an astounding thought, especially coupled with the sounds scientists are recording from deep space with highly advanced electromagnetic telescopes. According to The Christian Posts, Giglio also a song writer, played some of these sounds.

    “One sounded like a percussion instrument, and the other like the church organ. Then he played the whale sound under the water.”

The article futher stated,

    When Giglio played the tapes together, “un-doctored and unedited,” it sounded like a symphony. That’s what it is, he said, “the symphony of God’s praise from all creation.” He then led the audience to sing Chris Tomlin’s “How great is our God” with the “symphony of the universe” playing in the background.

This is amazing. Even when the people of our tiny golf ball called earth refuse to praise God, the earth around them and even the stars cry out, “How great is our God!”

To watch Louie help his audience worship God to these sounds, watch the video below:

Sing along and enjoy finding God in the sounds of the universe.

For more on the article that appeared in the Christian Post, click HERE.

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