Space

Smiling Galaxy Cluster (SDSS J1038+4849 from Hubble)

Posted on by Shameless Plug

You may have heard on the news of the recent finding by the Hubble Space Telescope… a smile found on galaxy cluster SDSS J1038+4849 seen here :

hubble
(Taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope)

Much like last year’s Hand Of God, you can’t help but think of God smiling down at us. It’s funny how all the “stars aligned” to bring us this image. But it’s a great reminder to know that we give God pleasure and make Him smile.

How do we make Him smile/happy? Some ways are by making Him a priority, obeying and serving Him. We should have faith and hope in Him, revering and honoring Him. Psalm 147:11 even says “the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.”

God created all and it is for His pleasure that everything exists and was created. How are you doing in your walks with Him? Where can you grow in your life to continue giving God reasons to smile? Remember that He takes delight in His people (Psalm 149:4) so as you live faithfully and humbly for Him and His glory, worship Him and enjoy the close & intimate relationship He offers us all!

To quote our song Here Today: “His love is intimate, His power is infinite”! We get to know this mighty and awesome God and He wants to be a part of your life. We hope today you are reminded of His faithfulness and presence in your life as He smiles on you and makes His face shine upon you (Numbers 6:25)!

Reflection Song: Here Today

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Hand Of God

Posted on by Shameless Plug

Yesterday, news emerged of NASA’s NuSTAR space telescope capturing this image of a star exploding 17,000 light-years away…

A star that exploded 17,000 light-years away was named the “Hand Of God”

What do you see?

Well, the astronomers who captured this called it the “Hand Of God”. What’s going on scientifically is that as the star is dying, a cloud of particles leftover are interacting with the nearby areas of magnetic fields, causing it to glow. The star is about 12 miles in diameter and is spinning nearly seven times a second!

How amazing that this was the snapshot it took… Do you see God’s hand at work in your life? I think this discovery is a great reminder of how great, how big, how massive God is! …and ultimately how small we are.

1 Peter 5:6-7 says that we ought to humble ourselves beneath God’s hand – quiet ourselves to His will, His way, and rest safe in the shadow of His wings. But the best part comes in verse 7: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

It’s not likely that we’ll see a physical hand at work in our lives, which is why I think it’s great that this reminder comes from farther than we can see with our own eyes. This giant hand in the image above helps us to remember that there are indescribable things going on in our small lives, guided by a big God who cares and has a plan for you! We need to speak to Him, listen to Him, and trust Him to lead us in both joy and anxiety… because He cares!

Why do I feel like Louie Giglio will use this NASA finding in a future sermon? #Laminin

Reflection Song: Here I Stand