In his book, Your God is Too Small, J. B. Phillips writes, “There are, for example, those who are considerably worried by the thought of God simultaneously hearing and answering the prayers and aspirations of people all over the world. That may be because their mental picture is of a harassed telephone operator answering callers at a switchboard of superhuman size. It is really better to say frankly, ‘I can imagine how it can be done’ (which is the literal truth), than to confuse the mind with the picture of an enlarged man performing the impossible.”

Do you serve a God that can? He is the God that walked with the Three Hebrew Children in the fiery furnace and rescued them out of Nebuchadnezzar’s evil hands. He is the God of Daniel who quieted the mouths of the Lions and was able to deliver him from their grasp. He is the God of Moses who parted the Red Sea and drowned the Egyptian army that pursued God’s people. He is the God of David that guided the single stone from David’s slingshot to Goliath’s head. He is the God that raised Jesus from the dead and defeated death, hell and the grave on the first Easter Sunday. He is a God that is greater than my understanding or ability to explain who He is. He is the Lord God almighty.

Ephes. 3:20 NASB “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,”

For more information on Your God is Too Small, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0684846969/fm082-20

For years, man has held a secret fear of “things that go bump in the night.” Centuries ago, men looked up to marvel at the sky’s inexplicable beauty and to tremble with dread contemplating the starry host. The word, “disaster” comes from a word meaning “bad star.” Though science has pushed the study of the sky and space forward, new discoveries indicate that the peaceful night sky may be a bigger source of danger than we realize.

One invisible risk is subatomic particles called muons. These particles are 200 times heavier than electrons, and continuously smash through our bodies. Muons are formed when cosmic rays collide with the nuclei of atoms 40 miles up in the atmosphere. When these particles pass through our bodies, they can strike critical bits of genetic material in our cells and cause mutations. Besides muons, scientists and doctors continue to caution about the effects of ultraviolet rays from the sun, which can cause skin cancer.

The recent collision of comet fragments with the planet Jupiter has given rise to concerns that such a collision could wipe out all life, if it occurred on earth. A few months ago, a 300-foot wide asteroid called 2002MN passed within 75,000 miles of earth. It was the biggest asteroid ever seen to pass that close to our planet. If the chunk of space rock had collided with earth, it would have unleashed as much energy as the biggest hydrogen bomb.

John S. Lewis of the University of Arizona in Tucson calculates that there is a 1 in 5000 chance of an impact that would cause more than a million fatalities in any given year.

—Discover, October,2002, pg 30, Things that go Bump in the Night, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalm 8:3-5 NIV “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”

After a record-breaking weather year in 2005, lawmakers in Washington DC are looking for ways to control the hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and droughts that bring destruction and heartache around the globe every year. It is still a long way away, but lawmakers hope that the government might one day be able to blast dangerous storms out of the sky or put rain clouds over parched land.

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (Republican, Texas) has introduced a bill that allows a board of scientists to dole out research money for weather modification projects. The bill initially planned to set aside $10 million dollars a year for 10 years to enable researchers to come up with ideas to control the hazards of weather or provide better water resource management. The money is less than many scientists had hoped for but still more than is being spent now to research weather modification.

Reactions to the bill have been mixed. During a November hearing, Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) said, "This is a fascinating subject to me, and the idea that we can actually impact weather is exciting, and I guess frightening in some ways." Thomas DeFelice, a past president of the Weather Modification Association says research must continue into the area. DeFelice hopes a weather research program could help solve some of the world's most pressing problems. In addition to stopping deadly storms, scientists hope they might control the weather so no one suffers from drought in the future. DeFelice added, "We don't want to play god, but we do want to help nature."

—www.foxnews.com, Bill May renew U.S. Weather Control Efforts, by Greg Simmons, December 8, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

While I believe those working on this project are well-intentioned, personally, I trust God more than I trust scientists to control the weather.

Job 5:9-10 (MSG) "After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises. [10] He gives rain, for instance, across the wide earth, sends water to irrigate the fields."

The impact of recent hurricanes has renewed discussions about whether or not the United States Government has the technology to stop, weaken or steer catastrophic storms away from major population centers. Atmospheric scientists say it wishful thinking to believe that technology could destroy or influence something as huge and powerful as a hurricane.

After several hurricanes struck the East Coast of the United States in the 1950s, the federal government developed a plan called Project Stormfury. They conducted tests on several hurricanes by seeding them with materials to slow them. Sometimes, the experiments worked on a small scale, but eventually they abandoned the project because the data was inconclusive.

Matthew Klesch of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado says, "The amount of energy involved in a hurricane is far greater that anything we're going to impart to it." Even if researchers dropped a nuclear weapon to shatter a hurricane, the storm would dwarf such measures. According to the center for atmospheric research, the heart energy released by a hurricane equals 50 to 200 trillion watts, roughly the same amount of energy released by exploding a 10-megaton nuclear weapon every 20 minutes. Klesch adds, "It would be like trying to move a car with a pea shooter."

—Associated Press, Scientists Dispute Hurricane Blaster Idea, September 23, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Though it doesn't even come close, one way for us to begin to think about God's power is to know that just as there is nothing we can do to stop a storm, there is no power great enough to stop the hand of God.

Psalms 65:6-7 (NCV) "You made the mountains by your strength; you are dressed in power. [7] You stopped the roaring seas, the roaring waves, and the uproar of the nations."

When Albert Einstein suggested "dark energy" was fueling the expansion of the universe, many of his colleagues called the proposal Einstein's "greatest blunder." Einstein originally proposed the theory to explain why the universe did not collapse under the pull of gravity at a time when most scientists believed the universe remained constant. When scientists found that the universe was expanding, they believed the universe was expanding at a constant rate as predicted by the "Big Bang Theory." New discoveries by the Hubble Space Telescope suggest Einstein's theory was right, because the universe is not only expanding, but the expansion is accelerating.

Scientists studying the expansion of exploding white dwarf stars known as supernovae have found that older supernovae, whose light had traveled a greater distance to reach the telescope, were moving away from Earth slower than supernovae located closer to Earth. The findings suggest some mysterious force is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate over time. Researchers think Dark energy might be some property of space itself, but admit now they are not sure what it is. Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist at California Institute to Technology says, "Dark energy makes us nervous. It fits the data, but it's not what we really expected."

—http://people.tribe.net/carpenternj/blog/ef5edcd3-cc9a-4c89-a56c-cfa5f06a84dd. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalms 104:2 (GW) "You cover yourself with light as though it were a robe. You stretch out the heavens as though they were curtains."

In 2005, Time magazine's annual "Person of the Year" may not be person at all. "Mother Nature" topped the official list of nominees at a recent panel discussion. Time magazine does not prepare or publish a formal list of the nominees. Each year the editors make a selection after reporting by the staff, and plan to announce this year's selection on the magazine's Web site December 18th.

Each year pundits play a guessing game until the selection is officially announced. The criterion for selection is the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or for ill and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse." The person of the year has not always been a person. In 1966 Time choose "The 25 and under Generation." in 1998 their choice was the "Endangered Earth." and in 2003, "The American Soldier."

NBC news anchor Brian Williams was one of the panelists who gathered to debate the selection this year. Williams said Mother Nature includes all of the natural disasters from the Asian Tsunami to Hurricane Katrina and the Pakistani earthquake raised issues ranging from presidential politics to race to oil and leadership. Williams added, "It has laid bare so many cracks and fissures in our system."

—Reuters, Mother Natures tops Time person of the year list, November 15, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalms 46:1-3 (NASB) "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; [3] Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah."

It took scientist four years of work, but researchers say they have written a computer program that can duplicate the random, symmetrical beauty of snowflakes. In nature snowflakes form when water molecules crystallize around a speck of dust or other material in the atmosphere. Snowflakes form intricate fern like stars, needles and prism shapes. They often have tiny ridges and circular markings.

Wisconsin researcher David Griffeath said the program is complicated. He said,

“Even though we’ve artfully stripped down the model over several years so that it’s as simple and efficient as possible, it still takes us a day to grow one of these things.”Griffeath says the computer model may help meteorologists predict how snowflake types affect the amount of water reaching the ground. He said the water molecule was a real inspiration, adding, “Water is the most amazing molecules in the universe, pure and simple. It’s just three little storms, but its physics and chemistry are unbelievable.”

--Scientists build computer model for snowflakes, http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/090225/odds/odd_us_snowflakes_odd; February 25, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Psalm 147:15-16 CEV “As soon as God speaks, the earth obeys.

He covers the ground with snow like a blanket of wool, and he scatters frost

like ashes on the ground.”

GOD’S POWER

An Idaho man says a rock formation that appeared in his backyard while he was going through hard times reminded him of the ever-present hand of God in his life. Now he is auctioning exclusive rights to use the rock formation in movies, books, and other media on the Internet. Paul Grayhek says the 9-foot tall hand shaped formation formed about 20 feet from his house just after he lost his job. Since there are rarely falls in the area, he felt the new formation was a symbol reminding him of God’s power in his life.

Grayhek plans to use the money raised in the auction to pursue an unpaid internship in counseling when he graduates from school in a couple of years. Grayhek says he hopes the formation inspires many other people. "People think I'm some holier-than-thou person trying to get rich. I'm not," Grayhek said. "The purpose is to spread the story of God and eBay is just a vehicle."

--‘Hand of God” rock being sold on eBay, http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/26/idaho.rock.auction/index.html?iref=mpstoryview,
April 26, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalm 89:13 GW Your arm is mighty. Your hand is strong. Your right hand is lifted high.

New research into the nature of the universe may revolutionize our current understanding of gravity and matter. An international team of astronomers have discovered an unexpected link between mysterious ‘dark matter’ and the visible stars and gas contained in galaxies. The researchers found that another unknown force appears to be acting on the theoretical dark matter in the universe.

Current scientific understanding suggests only 4 per cent of the universe consists of known material. Stars and gas within galaxies move so rapidly that scientists theorize that gravity from a hypothetical invisible ring of dark mark is needed to account for the motion. The problem is no one knows what dark matter is or if it even exists. The new research suggests there a force is acting on the all matter in the universe controlling the dark matter with an invisible hand, leaving identical fingerprints on all galaxies no matter their shape size, or age.

Scientists theorize the force, which might be called dark energy, could be responsible for controlling the expansion of the universe itself. This unknown force seems to be omnipresent and a constant energy acting on all matter. Dr. Benoit Famaey explained the findings saying,
“The dark matter seems to ‘know’ how the visible matter is distributed. They seem to conspire with each other such that the gravity of the visible matter at the characteristic radius of the dark halo is always the same. This is extremely surprising since one would rather expect the balance between visible and dark matter to strongly depend on the individual history of each galaxy.”

Is Unknown Force In Universe Acting on Dark Matter?; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022154644.htm ; October 23, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

The Bible seems to have provided the answer these scientists are looking for, before they knew the question.

Colossians 1:16-17 (NASB) “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. (17) He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

The recent rescue of 33 trapped miners in the nation of Chile had the attention of the entire world. Though it was less reported, the nation of Chile believed the rescue of the miner was a spiritual matter. After the miners were discovered alive 17 days after the collapse of the mine, churches across the nation began praying and did so until the first miner was safely at the surface. Chile’s President thanked the families for maintaining faith saying, “This faith that ended up moving mountains.”

Engineers who worked on the project gave God credit saying the effort was 75 percent engineering and 25 percent miracle. The miners were lead in prayer by one of their own each day, and one miner, 19 year-old- Jimmy Sanchez said there were 34 men in the mine because God never left them. 40 year old Mario Sepulveda told reporters through a translator, “I was with God and I was with the devil. But God won. I held on to God’s hand. At no point did I doubt that God would get me out of there.”

--Rescued Chilean Miner: God won, http://www.christianpost.com/article/20101014/rescued-chilean-miner-god-won; October 14, 2010. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Romans 1:20 (NASB77) “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

In Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt writes, “God delights in using ordinary Christians who come to the end of themselves and choose to trust in his extraordinary provision. He stands ready to allocate his power to all who are radically dependent on him and radically devoted to making much of him.”

Ephesians 3:12 (CEV) “Christ now gives us courage and confidence, so that we can come to God by faith.”

Fruit Farmers in California are turning to a new type of cannon to protect their crops. The cannons, called hail cannons, use explosive acetylene gas to shoot 200 mph sonic shockwaves into the air. In theory, the shockwaves break up hail in the clouds and turn it into extra rain before it hits the ground. While experts question the effectiveness of the cannons, farmers swear by them. Meteorologists and weather control experts argue the only way to prevent hailstones from falling is to focus on the beginning stages of hail formation using cloud seeding techniques.

Meteorologist Steve Johnson says as far as science is concerned, the cannons do not work. Newton Wimer, owner of Newton Cannons disagrees; He started building the giant weather guns six years ago. Wimer says his research indicates the cannons protect crops for a radius of 190 square miles. Farmer Mike Thurlow is convinced, He told reporters, “I’ve seen them work. I’ve been in the middle of hailstorms next to them, and you get about a couple hundred acres of protection from a single hail cannon.” He added, “They work.”

Sonic Boom! A Gun That Can Control Weather?, http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/16/sonic-boom-gun-control-weather; February 18, 2011, Illustraton by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Psalm 147:17-18 (HCSB) (17) He throws His hailstones like crumbs. Who can withstand His cold? (18) He sends His word and melts them; He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow.

In Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt writes, “The reality is that the church I lead can accomplish more during the next month in the power of God’s Spirit than we can in the next hundred years apart from his provision. His power is so superior to ours. Why do we not desperately seek it?”

In Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt writes, “I am part of a system that has created a whole host of means and methods, plans and strategies for doing church that require little if any power from God. And it’s not just pastors who are involved in this charade. I am concerned that all of us—pastors and church members in our culture—have blindly embraced an American dream mentality that emphasizes our abilities and exalts our names in the ways we do church.”

Psalms 65:6-7 (NCV) "You made the mountains by your strength; you are dressed in power. [7] You stopped the roaring seas, the roaring waves, and the uproar of the nations."

Astronomers from the University of Hawaii have captured what they believe is the first direct image of the forming of a planet. Adam Kraus from the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy said the planet is forming out of dust and gas circling a star about 450 light years away. According to the current scientific understanding of how planets form, astronomers think the new planet, named LkCa 15 b, is the youngest ever observed and has been forming between 50,000 to 100,000 years. They say observing planets while they form can help scientists answer questions such as whether planets form early in the life of a star, or later in its lifespan.

Astronomers had never been able to see such young planets before because they bright light of the stars they orbit outshines them. New Technology made the new photos possible using a new technique, which removes distortions caused by the earth’s atmosphere and a masking technique allowing astronomers to see the faint planetary light next to the bright light of the star. Kraus said seeing the planet so early will answer basic questions that could only be answered by observing the early stages of the formation process. He plans to continue studying the star system and observe other planets that might form. He added, “We’re catching this object at the perfect time. We see this young star, it has a disc around it that planets are probably forming out of and we see something right in the middle of a gap in the disc.”

--Hawaii astronomer captures image of forming planet, http://news.yahoo.com/hawaii-astronomer-captures-image-forming-planet-230958310.html?utm_medium=ht&utm_source; October 20, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalm 8:3-5 (CEV) I often think of the heavens your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place. (4) Then I ask, "Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?" (5) You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us with glory and honor.

The 2012 shooting at a Colorado movie theater has produced a miracle that shows how uniquely God has made each person. Petra Anderson was hit by buckshot four times during rampage. Three pellets hit the woman in her arm, and a fourth passed through her nose into her brain and lodged in the back of her head. When she was brought into the hospital, doctors placed Anderson in intensive care expecting the worst, which included the possibility of severe brain damage.

When surgeons went in to retrieve the shotgun pellet, they found Anderson had an unknown birth defect that allowed the pellet to pass all the way through her brain without causing much damage. They described the anomaly as a small fluid filled channel, like a tiny vein in a glass marble, running from the front to the rear of her brain. A CAT scan might have detected it, but Anderson would never have known it even existed. When the pellet entered her nose it lined up perfectly with the channel and was carried around brain tissue, causing very little damage.

Doctors described the occurrences as “fortunate” and “lucky” but her pastor, Brad Strait said he knew a miracle when he saw it. Strait noted that one millimeter difference either way and the brain would have suffered damage. Strait pointed out that God knows our future from the day we are born. Writing in a blog, the pastor said, “God working ahead of time for a particular event in the future. It’s just like the God I follow to plan the route of a bullet through a brain long before Batman ever rises.” Strait added that Anderson is beginning to recover and is already able to talk.

Miracle Emerges from Colorado tragedy, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2012/July/Miracle-Emerges-from-Colorado-Tragedy; Accessed July 25, 2012.

Psalm 139:13-14 ESV For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Social media site, Facebook has announced that they have removed the final portion of an old privacy feature that allowed users to be hidden from the site’s search feature. The feature, when enabled, allowed users to prevent their page from being located even if someone entered their name directly into the search parameters. Facebook says the changes were made because the usage of the site has changed. They say Facebook used to be more like a directory and removing your name from the search made it difficult for strangers to access a given profile. Now, the focus has shifted more to controlling content on user pages. They say users had reported that they could not find someone they knew personally, even when they were in a Facebook group together. Directors at the site say the changes make it harder to hide, but stress the importance of checking other privacy features so that material on your Timeline is only visible to friends. —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Facebook no longer lets users hide from search, by Lauren Hockenson, http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/10/facebook-search-privacy/2962643, Accessed October 10, 2013.

Psalm 139:7-10 (NASB) Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? (8) If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. (9) If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, (10) Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

GOD’S POWER

Noise from strong winds prompted a Niagara Falls, New York resident to ask the local police to stop the wind from blowing. An audio recording released by the department reveals how a dispatcher handled the unusual request. She said, “All cars be advised, someone called to see if the police could stop the wind from blowing so they could sleep.” The dispatcher then asked any officers with command over the elements to contact dispatch. She said, “If any of you guys could do that, could you let me know?”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Niagara Falls resident called police to 'stop the wind from blowing',By Daniel Uria

Mark 4:41 (HCSB)“And they were terrified and asked one another, ‘Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!’”

As the twin-engine airplane descended to the runway at Orlando Executive Airport, an 11-foot alligator attacked it. The 500-pound gator was crossing the runway at when it snapped at wing of the low-flying aircraft. The alligator died instantly after making contact with the plane’s wing.

An alligator attacking an airplane makes about as much sense as we humans making plans to overcome God. The Psalmist says that God in His Heaven laughs at our greatest attempts. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Fashion brand Louis Vuitton was looking forward to his fall fashion show which was to be held in France at an outdoor venue. Worried about the weather, Vuitton hired a shaman to ensure that no rain would fall during the show. Something worked because there was no rain during the show. The unidentified holy man from Brazil reportedly only travels by private jet and commands a six-figure fee for every act of weather control.

While God does indeed control the rain, he does not give His authority over the rain to others for monetary gain. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.