"I am convinced of God" - Astronaut viewing the Earth

Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan is quoted as saying,
"The earth looks big and beautiful and blue and white! You can see from the Antarctic to the North Pole and the continental shores.  The earth looks so perfect.  There are no strings to hold it up, no fulcrum upon which it rests.  You think of the infinity of space and the infinity of time. You feel a little selfish, like you are looking back to earth as God must be looking now and as He must have when He created it. I am convinced of God by the order out in space."

A Rose survived 1700 degree flame for over an hour

When beloved Catholic priest Monsignor John A. Trese died at age 81 in Oct. 2004, he was cremated. Before his body went into the furnace, which burns at 1700 degrees, a rose was placed on his body.  When the cremation was complete, the door was opened, and all that was found was ashes... and the rose, intact.  His parishioners at St. Columban Catholic Church in Birmingham, MI were not at all surprised that he of all people would be honored by this symbolic message, apparently from God, that there was something very special about this priest.  The funeral director stated that in all his years he had never seen that happen before.

The rose was given as a keepsake to Trese family friend Sister Mary Fran Gilleran, IHM, president of the IHM congregation in Monroe, Michigan, who died July 9, 2011.   

                                                                  Father Jack Trese

The Cross found in the debris of the World Trade Center, 9/11

See a video discussing this unusual coincidence, and the reactions shown by the rescuers when they first saw it.  What it apparently communicated to them. It was exactly what they needed to feel at this time of horrible tragedy.  According to the speaker, the two girders were not constructed in this relative arrangement, but met by chance and were fused together into this perfect shape of a cross.  On the left arm of the cross hangs a large piece of melted metal sheathing.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2YGFCeRfL4.

The name of God is stronger...

Dan G. was ordained as a Deacon last year, and he told this story about God's name protecting him from a spiritual attack. Dan is a regular guy just like most of the fellows in the Men's Fellowship at my church.  I have gone to that church for years and not heard any discussion about the devil and so most of us don't pay any attention to that topic.  Dan was the same way.  Until he decided to commit himself to the Lord's service as a Deacon. He was told by his trainers at the seminary (also a pretty level headed bunch, notwithstanding their dedication to God) that historically, the closer the seminarians got to making the commitment, the more frequently bad things would happen to them.  They interpreted it as being a spiritual attack from the devil to get them to change their minds. Dan told me, "I said to myself, yeah sure, like that's going to really happen."  Because he, like me, had not before this given so much total attention to the service of God, nor had he had any event happen that he could have attributed to the devil.
On the day of his ordination, he and the other Deacons were prostrating themselves on the floor in a sign of servitude to God when all of a sudden, Dan felt the worst pain in his chest he had ever felt in his life.  He suddenly began to believe the warning.  So Dan said angrily, "In the name of God, GO AWAY!", and the pain vanished.
Dan is now a committed Deacon.   : )

Rays of Sunshine at exactly the right moment

On April 16, 2011, a huge Christian outdoor prayer rally organized by EACHtoday.com was scheduled to be held outdoors. All the weather forecasts predicted rain all morning, and so the 20,000 staunch participant who showed up came prepared with rain gear.  As I was driving to the event, and just one mile away from the parking, the rain was coming down HARD.  But I was surprised by what I heard on the radio. Broadcasters who were standing in the main center of the event said that where they were standing, the rain had just STOPPED.  When I got there, local TV Weatherman  (and MC for the event) Chuck Gaidica was speaking from the main stage. He said that he and his colleagues had predicted rain all morning. And he believed that the sudden dryness at this time and this place could only be credited to God. The crowd cheered in agreement. At that point the crowd was awed as the sun broke through the dark clouds, sending a wide, piercing ray of sun down on the the event parking lot. It was as if God was saying "Yes, that was me."
Gasps were heard in every direction, because of the coincidental timing of all these events.

See slideshow with narrative:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkDG_PrLwRo

God Whispered to Her

One time when my wife was in college and really overwhelmed by the massive amounts of tough homework and by the lack of contact with her family and friends, she was feeling very depressed.  She didn't have much energy for anything, but found five minutes to clear her mind and pray.  In that five minutes, she appealed to God for something that would help her.  She very clearly "heard" Him whisper "Do you have any idea how much I love you?".

Her depression went away. She felt completely loved by the author of Love and the tedium and burdens didn't seem to matter.  She had the wherewithall to keep moving forward after that. 

My observation about the characteristics of this message from God:
1.   It's loving and authoritative.
2.   He identifies himself as being a different person than you.
3.   His message is in response to what your current need is.
4.   His message corresponds to Biblical teaching.
5.   The impact on the listener is to both support the listener and bring them closer to God.

Strange Message on a Chalkboard

When I was in my early 20's I went every Friday to a folk dancing event in the Old Main building on the campus of Wayne State University. I was not a committed Christian at that time, but was researching out of curiosity.  I had just finished a popular book titled "The Road Less Traveled" by Dr. Scott Peck.  It discusses in easy-to-follow language the options for living and thinking.  It presents Christianity in a favorable light. 

The 'Old Main' Building on Wayne State's campus

During a break in the dancing, I left the gymnasium to go find a quiet classroom to think.  I walked into this quaint old...

(continue reading this story at WTNESS.ORG)

Spoke in Navajo without knowing what it was

My church's deacon Bob O told this story about 10 years ago.  Bob is considered a very Godly person and would never make this up.  Before Bob and his wife Kathy had children, they spent some time doing mission work on a Navajo reservation out west.  In the months preceding the trip, they did a lot of praying, and had a strange event happen:  Bob felt the urge to pray "in tongues" (yes, that's strange to me too... but keep reading).  He spoke the same thing at several points in time, so he wrote down the sounds on paper and kept them with him.  He asked some people if they understood it, and they said no. 

God encountered at Navajo Reservation

A few months later, after they had been on the Navajo reservation for a while, Bob was sharing this story with one of the Navajo leaders, and the leader did not dismiss him.  He asked to hear the sounds, which Bob promptly repeated.  The Navajo leader surprised Bob by saying that it was perfect Navajo language and that it was a message praising God.  (!)

Terrorist converts to Christ because he is loved by Christians

Trained from childhood to fight in jihad for the cause of Allah, former terrorist Kamal Saleem says he learned early to hate Christians and Jews. The response he got from Christians, however, changed his life. He was in a terrible car accident, and all his caregivers showed him the love of Christ.  He at first thought it was a conspiracy.  When he realized the care for his safety was real, he began to seek.


Read the story at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2011/June08/0881.html

Stood there being spit upon

In the book ‘Run Baby Run’,  murderous gang leader Nicky Cruz tells of how he swore at, spit on, and threatened 'hood preacher David Wilkinson when Wilkinson first told Nicky about God.  Later he recalls that David was one of the only people who broke through Nicky’s hard shell and it was because David stood there and took it and did not run out of fear and did not get angry.

Nicky later came to God in a strong way, and brought other gang members to God.

Nicky Cruz and David Wilkerson

                                                      

Doctor Death - Jack Kevorkian

From June 6, 2011

I was glad when on Christian Radio AM 990, Al Kresta told a story about the vast difference of perception about human life between Dr. Jack Kevorkian (the late advocate of assisted suicide) and an Alzheimer’s caregiver.  Al said that when he interviewed Kevorkian in the late 80’s, Jack said that an Alzheimer’s patient was "a cipher, a zero, a nothing".  Coincidentally, the very next person being interviewed by Al was an Alzheimer’s caregiver.  That man said that the Alzheimer’s patient was certainly a human being to the very end.  Al summarized it as the difference between a Satanic (I don't like the strong adjective chosen, but that's what Al said) and a Samaritan point of view on life.  The Satanic point of view diminishes the importance of life and hope in the quality of the future life.  Satan finds any method of introducing doubt and despair.  In so doing, he can cast doubt on the value of God in that life. 
The Samaritan views what is coming with hope.  The hope of Christ.  And find value in life.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian

Al Kresta

 

That wonderful quiet "voice"

From June 6, 2011

This morning I was parked in the car pool parking lot - first one there.  So I closed my eyes to pray.  Started thinking immediately about the argument with my wife yesterday night.  I just had to let it come up.  I was going through the human reactions of anger; of a desire to withhold my home repair work if she’s not going to appreciate it; of not talking to her until she apologized or told me she would try to be more appreciative.  That heavy wooden barrel had quite a bit of momentum and would have kept rolling down a very long hill picking up steam if I had not allowed the spirit to talk me out of it.  I do feel that He speaks to us in a calming language.  With almost 5 months of practice really listening, I am starting to recognize his voice right away.  Voice may not be the correct word.  Calming presence.  Accompanying that calming presence are thoughts that seem to come from outside myself.  “Give her what she needs even though she isn’t giving you what you need.”   It was un-human in origin, and so in tune with the style of Jesus found in the Bible.  A tone of sacrifice for others, even those others who do not deserve it.  In it was inherent the willingness to set aside ego and focus on the will of God, who wants harmony and love.  Only He could author such simple mastery.  The barrel of upset stopped rolling down the hill.  I felt like I had my answer.