Big City Astronomy

 

Psalm 19:1 King James Version

19 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

 

Big City Astronomy

 

 

Great astronomical observatories tend to be on high mountains far away from the dwellings of people, with good reason—city lights. Go out in a parking lot sometime and look up. It’s almost impossible to tell whether it is cloudy or clear. At the right times, you may see the moon.

Last week my brother sent me a text message with his first picture of two dots of light in a dark sky between two palm trees. The upper one (brighter) is Venus and the other Jupiter. On Sabbath morning, I went to my bedroom window before 6:00 a.m. and could see the dots, one nestled on the top electric line. I have blue circles in the second picture, around the dots to help you find them. That one was almost too late to be able to see them. The out-of-focus square lines are the mosquito netting on my bedroom window. I took the last picture at 5:00 this morning (August 11). Do you see how close the planets appear to be to each other? The picture was highly adjusted by my phone to make it look more like daylight. The planets are close together above the fencepost. From here on out, you will be able to see both of them before sunrise, but they will be separating steadily. It is major chore to see God’s handiwork in today’s illuminated world.

The sad fact is that today’s light successfully obscures most astronomical events to us living in town. For many years I used to take a group of my students up to Las Vegas to a major computer show. On our way home we would stop at a casino and buy supper. Then we would caravan down I-15 freeway in the dark, I would often exit the freeway in the middle of the Mojave desert, miles from any lights. The caravan would follow me off the freeway. When we stopped in pitch darkness, the students would all run up to my car as I got out, enquiring: “What’s wrong Dr. Clarke?” “Why did you stop?”

When I had their attention and their eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I would point skyward and say “look up!” Expressions of amazement would escape their mouths. These city slickers had never before seen the glory of God’s vast starry heavens.

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” Psalm 33:6.

I know this is easier written than done, but go out into a very dark night miles away from all city lights, and take you time looking at the marvelous astronomical handiwork of our caring Creator. Spend 20 minutes or more letting the peace of God flood your soul.

Jesus our loving savior will become more real to you, after all He is the one who created this universe: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1: 1-3 Take your mind off of the emaciated, persecuted, haggard, bloody star of “The Passion” And become astounded by the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, almighty God—Jesus Christ.

His redeeming grace is freely offered to you, and His steadfast love and invincible power will see you through to the home He has prepared for you.

 

 

 

 

Christ and a Military Base

[1]

Romans 8:28 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

  ²⁸We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan.

 

When I was 12 I was sent off to boarding school. Up until that time I had led a very sheltered life. I attended a preparatory school connected with a college where Dad was a much respected teacher. Over the next six years I picked up my “street smarts.” Originally I found it expedient to stand up for the opinions of the authorities. I regarded their rules, their opinions, and their decisions as sacrosanct.

This submersion in boarding school was like taking large helpings of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Being a somewhat normal if nerdy teenager, I tried lots of forbidden things just for the kicks. I tried alcohol and tobacco, shoplifting, and other obvious sins. Worse, I learned subterfuge, deceit, and general distrust of the establishment.

The establishment had taught me the legal aspects of Christianity. They taught me to read inspiration their way. Their way supported church authority at all costs. Therefore I read the Bible with their interpretation. I read the Spirit of Prophecy with their interpretation. Everything I read showed me how evil I had become. Indeed I quickly recognized that I was damned. Furthermore, there was no way I could change that status.  This led me deeper and deeper into a sinful, lawless life. My fellow students were quick to urge me on in my descent towards hell.

But God had decided to defeat the seeming triumph of Satan and evil over my life. He led me to Germany. I went there to learn German−at another boarding school. This time my fellow students were all German. Knowing no German initially, I felt cut off from my fellow humans. Because of this, I attended a Sunday church on the American army base and joined its choir, merely for companionship. They spoke English, so we could understand each other.

These new friends came from all walks of life and all religious persuasions. Some came to church for exactly the same reason as I had, for companionship. They had as much Christianity as I did. Others came because they loved Jesus and wanted fellowship with other Christians. One of these made it his mission to introduce Jesus to me.

Yes, I knew Jesus. He carried around a big black book with all of my misdeeds in it underlined in red. He was seeking to punish me for all of my evil deeds. This new Jesus, according to this young Christian, was a savior. At first I didn’t really know what that word meant. But with long patience this missionary taught me. He had a very simplistic understanding of Jesus, even childlike. But that’s exactly what Jesus had declared as essential to being a Christian. Finally I accepted this new concept of Jesus. I then spent many years unlearning what my early training had so successfully drummed into every facet of my psyche.

Now I was learning from and about a Jesus who loves me unconditionally—all the time!

Thank you, Lord, for working out circumstances for my good. Help me to communicate Your love to those You bring to me.

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[1] U.S. Army Military Base at Darmstadt am Main Germany https://www.pinterest.com/pin/565061084476668082/

Created for Good Works

[i]

Ephesians 2:10 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

¹⁰ For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Earlier in January I went uptown to a stamp show. With all of my cancer fight and what that has entailed, I hadn’t been to one for well over a year. One of the dealers whom I count as a personal friend told me he has been seeing blood in his urine. He is, of course, running scared. He pointed out that we are both well into our seventies and both born under Aquarius—not that I attach any meaning to Zodiacal signs.

His father was a conservative Christian pastor, and my friend had attended a conservative Christian university where he took a theology major. But the years have jaded some of his Christian zeal. His Christian world view, however, still affects his life. I encouraged him to get some immediate medical attention. Between dozens of interruptions by visitors to his booth, we also spent some very meaningful time reviewing the marvelous hope we have in Christ Jesus.

A couple days ago there was another stamp show uptown. I told my wife that I felt I needed to go to this one, too, in order to see my dealer friend. He was there, and I spent several more hours at his booth. He, his wife, and I were able to chat some more. Things had not gotten any better. In fact not only was there still blood in his urine, his wife mentioned that his bowels had also been totally shut down for over a month now.

He had looked gaunt last time and appeared even more so this time. At least he now had several appointments this week for various medical checkups, lab work, x-rays, and other tests. I have fears that things may not go well with him, but at least he seems to have a blessed hope in Christ and his future. I pray for his well being and wisdom on his part and the medical people who help him.

The very next day I had an appointment with a doctor whom I have known for many years. I sat in the waiting room and in an examination room for over two hours. When the doctor came into my room, he closed the door behind him. He sat down and told how a mutual friend of 50 plus years is now on life-support in intensive care. He told me further that he had been chosen as the chair of his church’s finance committee. The experience has been a real eye-opener to him as to how church policies are actually implemented—or simply ignored.

I told him about our experience when my wife and I first went to Africa as full time employees of the church as missionaries. Over the first two years we were shocked at what happened, how policies were ignored, how lies were told, etc. It became a real crisis in our Christian experience: After all, we were working for an organization that we considered to be God’s organization on earth most closely connected with our hope of salvation. After discussing and praying about it, we decided that we were still working for Jesus Christ but were being paid by a human organization. Furthermore, we chose not to fault our Savior for this weak, imperfect, and at times corrupt big business—the church.

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the privilege of working for You for our entire career. We pray not only for our own salvation but also for those devoted, but often confused, humans who do things in Your name and for Your sake.

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[i] https://www.tsdastamps.com/