AP: Thunder + Lightning = Heaven

Last night we had some pretty powerful storms here in Kansas City. The thunder and lightning was tremendous and woke me up several times during the night. But I didn't care because my favorite thing ever is thunder, lightning, and the sound of a heavy rain. There are two main reasons I love storms.

1) They put man in his place. By this I mean that it shows man that there are things he cannot control and is therefore subject to something and someone greater than himself. It shows the power, majesty, and incredible strength of God. It again shows us how small we are and how big He is.

2) There is thunder and lightning all around the throne in heaven. In my opinion, storms are the closest thing we have to what it is like in heaven staring at the throne with one seated on it whose eyes are like flames of fire. Watching a storm is like we are actually there right in front of the throne!

Revelation 4:5 "From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder."

Storms are such that you feel calm and peaceful while it is crazy and wild. Also, God's voice is described as sounding like peals of thunder.

Psalm 29:3 "The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters."

Psalm 29:7 "The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning."

3) I forgot there was a third thing. =) I love the sound of heavy rain because it is an auditory reminder that God cares about the little things in life, like the grass, plants, and animals, and is sending the earth refreshment. He is also cleansing everything from its impurities! =)

Sooooooooo............. I LOVE STORMS!!!!!!! =)

Then last night at the Awakening, Allen Hood was describing attributes of Jesus and he mentioned something I thought was profound. He was basically rebuking us for believing that God was not powerful enough to defeat the demons that are continually breathing down our back. (like depression, suicide, guilt, shame, self hatred, etc.) He told us to imagine this:

The city of God is 1,500 miles long, 1,500 miles wide, and 1,500 miles high. The atmosphere of earth is only 800 miles high. So the holy city extends into the cosmos. It says in Revelation 21:23 "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." God's face lights up that huge city! Rather, Jesus' face sense He is the Lamb. Not only does His face light up the city but His glory lights up the entire universe!!!! Ponder on that for a moment.........the universe never ends......and Jesus' face lights up the entire universe!!!!! Did you know that Jesus has a glorified human body? His human face lights up the universe!

Did you know that God choose to take on human form forever? That is why Satan hates the human frame and therefore lies to us telling us we are too small here, too big there, not pretty enough, not the right shape, blah, blah, blah. Why do we believe this? Our God's face lights up the entire universe! And we think He's not strong enough to defeat the demons mentioned above that torment us daily and we just have to live with it? The demons begged Jesus, BEGGED Him, not to destroy them. They asked Him if He had come to destroy them. His answer, "Yes."

Matthew 8:28-32 "When He arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time? Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.

The demons knew He had the power to destroy them and knew He will destroy them in the end times (they asked if He was going to destroy them before the appointed time). So why do we think that Jesus cannot destroy them? They begged Him not to destroy them!

My friends, we need a major thought adjustment!

Allen also gave an example using his marriage. He said, "If I saw a young man beating on my wife, I would do anything in order to rescue her. I would introduce that young man to the 5 fold ministry of laying on of hands (raising his fist.). I know I'm not a better husband than He is. So what makes you think that He would do anything less for His bride? What makes you think He would just sit back and watch His bride be tormented and beaten? He is fighting for you, Beloved!"

Well, that's all that has been going through my mind lately. Talk to you later! =) Have a blessed day!