Secrets we do NOT need to know!

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 29: 29


It seems that the more we learn and know about God and His miraculous nature and
creation, the more we long to know even more. Maybe it's a human nature thing; we are
inquisitive and seek to broaden our knowledge. Yet, it seems to me that many of God's
secrets ought to remain His, alone. It is possible that we aren't capable or able
to comprehend a lot of those things we seek answers to. Somewhere along the way we
need to accept the fact that all questions will be or may not need to be answered when
we fall asleep and our souls are in Heaven.

So, what are some of the unanswered questions that you would like to know when you
arrive? I have some.....

How come God chose folks that weren't exactly perfect to be major players in His plan?
You know, King David, Moses, Abraham...  Well, that answer is almost self-evident. No one,
not even these great Biblical characters is/was perfect, except, of course, the Son of God.

What about election and predestination? Why are some chosen and others apparently not?
Since God alone can bring salvation, how did He make these decisions?

What about time, as it applies to God? is time just a human dimension? If God can see
all of time laid out before Him, can he go back and make changes?

Could Jesus have sinned? We knew that he was tempted in the same way humans are
tempted and we know that He lived a perfect, Holy life, but could He have?

Why did God give humans the possibility of redemption and not the angels? 

What will the new earth and the new heaven be like? What about those new, perfect
resurrected bodies? 

Will we see loved ones in Heaven? Will we recognize them and have similar relationships
with them?

Well, I could certainly go on. While it is fun to ponder some of these issues, there is
plenty that has been revealed to us in God's word and creation. Obviously, we haven't
been given all the details... maybe they are to come and maybe we just won't
really care.

I am looking forward to the future. Come, Jesus! We are certainly ready to take
to our knees and exalt You!!

Happy Thanksgiving Day..same for tomorrow...same for...

Yes, I know. It's October 31st, Halloween. Not really much but a Hallmark holiday,  now
that I am older. Now I still enjoy a Hershey Bar now and then. But, it's really Thanksgiving
Day. It also will be Thanksgiving Day tomorrow, etc.

How can that be? There is an "official" Thanksgiving Day on tap for Thursday, Nov. 28th.
That's the day when everyone eats turkey, takes a nap and then piles in the mini-van
to head out for a shopping frenzy.

Well that may be well and good, but how about we celebrate Thanksgiving Day today!

We can be thankful for being alive today, thanks to the grace of God. There are a whole
bunch of things that have to be working correctly for us to haul ourselves out of bed, and
I don't mean the coffee grinder. This body we inhabit has to be functioning in an amazing
number of ways for us to make it a good day. The heart, amazingly complex and
intricate. The brain, even on those foggy mornings, that mass of gray stuff is allowing
us to think, feel, communicate and even write blogs! Truly magnificent.

We can be thankful for being justified, thanks to the gospel of Jesus Christ. For those
of us who call ourselves Christians, that means that by faith alone, by belief in Jesus,
we are made acceptable to a God who, by our own actions and ways, would not even
think about forgiving us. It is by His grace that we have been adopted into the family
of God. Our sins have been paid for by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Paid in full. Absolutely not happening based upon our efforts or self-righteousness.
How could we be anything but thankful today, and every day, for this unbelievable
gift. 

We can be thankful that we do not have to face the difficulties and challenges of living
in this broken world, alone. We all will face sadness, illness, the list goes on. There
are difficult times ahead. We struggle with sin and the temptations of the Evil One.
Yet, God has provided sustaining grace, filling us with hope, strength and wisdom.
Encouraging us by assuring us that He is with us and has equipped us to face even the
most daunting of challenges.

Thanksgiving Day..today, tomorrow and every day of your life. Praising and loving God
with all your heart. It's a day to be thankful. It's a day to remember what God has done
for us! Praise Him!!!

Of course animals have souls!!

Love to be controversial. My question once was whether there would be animals in
heaven. Here's the way I see it. There certainly were animals in the creation, the garden
of Eden, and, if I am understanding Revelation, there are animals as the end times
draw to close...awesome horses ridden by celestial entities. So, I have decided to
believe that there will, indeed, be animals there.

So, what about the question of souls? Scripture declares that God has given to man
dominion over the creatures of this earth. I would suggest that this may be seen as
having stewardship over the fish, birds and animals He created. The fact that there
is an organization named the SPCA, would suggest that we haven't really done so
well with that stewardship. We have hunted some animals into extinction and done
a pretty fair job of messing up the balance of nature in a lot of ways. Top of the food
chain? Well that works if we hunt with weapons. Yet, standing in a zoo and just
looking at a large cat, like a tiger, leads me to believe that in places like the African
veldt, man might be running and hiding from lower food-chain creatures.

But what about the concept of a soul? I don't know of any scientific evidence
that "animals" have souls. Man is the only creature that is aware of his mortality!
I have seen plenty of examples of animals mourning the loss of a loving owner
or even the death of a fellow pet or animal. I know that when I look into the eyes
of my cat, Samantha, who has to be the orneriest feline on the planet, I see depth
there that leads me to believe that we tend to underestimate the intelligence and
feelings of animals.

So, do they have souls? Animals, I mean. Oh, wait...WE are animals! Like I
said, Of Course Animals have Souls!!!  Samantha says so!

What I Believe....

I believe...
In God!
That God is limitless, in every facet
That life is precious and that every single heartbeat and breath we take is
   a gift
In grace...forgiveness that I may repent...not repentance so I may be forgiven
In the sanctity of life, from conception to its final breath
In Heaven
That God loves us even though He knows us
That all the answers we need to know will be revealed when we see God
That prayer is a two-way communication
That the two most glorious moments in the history of this world were
   the birth and resurrection of Jesus
That the Bible is truth
That there is good in every person, but that people are sinful and in need
   of salvation
That my daughter, Olivia, is precious to me..yet she belongs to God
That this Earth is a glorious place full of things that reflect the existence of
    God
That we were not meant to endure the difficult times in life alone
That a good book and a cup of Joe are an excellent way to pass time
That I will someday be able to hold the hands of Jesus from a kneeling position
That my every thought, feeling and desire are known to God
That I have been blessed beyond anything I may deserve

Now... what do you believe?

thomaskearns8@gmail.com