The Glue of Creation

Okay, I had seen this before.  And maybe some of you have as well... But, if this is new to even one person it is worth taking the time to post it.  This is one of many scientific discoveries that prove how wonderful and thorough our Creator was and is!

FROM A DOCTOR :  A couple of days ago I was running  on my treadmill and watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio... And I was BLOWN AWAY!  I want to share what I learned.... He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is... How He spoke the universe into being... How He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire.. . Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) . And I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking..'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did did all of this???'

Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God Who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.  And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!

It was because he started talking about laminin.  I knew about laminin.  Here is how Wikipedia describes the

Laminins:   a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue' 

You see.... Laminins are what hold us together.. LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what they LOOKED LIKE..

 But now I do.  And I have thought about it a thousand times since.... Here is what the structure of laminin looks like... AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it.. If you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see....

 Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!!  Amazing.

The glue that holds us together... ALL of us.... Is in the shape of the cross.

 Immediately this scripture comes to mind:     

 'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible And invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; All things were created by him and for him.. He is before all things, and in Him All things HOLD TOGETHER.'                                         Colossians 1:15-17

Actual microscopic photo of laminin.

 Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint,  we are held together.. One cell to another.... By the cross.  You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam breathed his first breath!!

I THESSALONIANS

             "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you."  I Thessalonians 3:12

Hubble telescope photograph

The book of I Thessalonians, written by the Apostle Paul to the people at Thessalonica, is a book of advise to Believers on how to act and interact with each other and with mankind.  The book of I Thessalonians doesn't have a "3:16", so I chose the above verse as the topic for this post.







We as Believers, are supposed to be so full of love that it is overflowing to everyone.  Not just our closest friends. Not just our family. Not just to those who agree with us, dress like us, have the same skin color, speak the same language... EVERYONE.  Now, this does NOT mean that Believers shouldn't stand up for what they believe in... What it DOES mean is that these disagreements need to be handled firmly, but with the best interests of the opponent" in mind. Handled not only with love; but, with "tough love."  It can be a tough balancing act... Nevertheless, love covers a multitude of sins.... Love never fails. ( I Corinthians, chapter 13)

The Pleiades

I remember visiting a planetarium in Philadelphia when I was a teenager.  As I remember it, the planetarium was a big dome-shaped building.  We entered and stood, looking upward. Then, the lights were dimmed, and we viewed "the heavens".  All the constellations were displayed across the "sky", and they were described by a man with a deep resonant voice. It was an beautiful experience.  No fancy special effects like people today seem to think necessary; but, rather, a sense of how wonderfully and perfectly the Creator made our universe.

Hubble photo of dying star; looks like the Eye of God to me!

Now, imagine the planets and the constellations from a God's eye view, looking down past the heavens and into the planetarium which is chock-full of people.  The people are "packed in like sardines"; there number is vast. Some are sitting on the edge of the done-shaped building; others are lying down.  Everyone wants to see the heavens.  But it is so crowded.  The only ones who truly see the light are those in the center of the dome;  they see the light and they hear the resonant voice with the message. Others, further out from the center may see glimpses or hear bits and pieces, but never enough   to get the true picture. Those furthest from the center have stopped even seeking the light or the message...



But, wait!  There IS an answer!  The people in the center of the dome - those who have seen the Light and heard the Voice - can explain what they have seen and heard to the people next to them. This next group can then take the message on to the next tier of people. And so  on. And so on. Finally, the message of Heaven will reach the outermost edges of the dome; there will be someone capable of reaching and teaching every person under the dome. Everyone. BECAUSE THE LORD IS THE LIGHT AND THE LORD WILL MAKE YOUR LOVE INCREASE AND OVERFLOW FOR EACH OTHER AND FOR EVERYONE.

Often, the people who need love the most are the hardest to love.  These people have built walls around their hearts;  they are stand-offish, never letting anyone get too close.  They have experiences rejection. Or abuse. Or deep loneliness.  They need love so badly.  They need "a trip to the planetarium". They need someone to share the Light.  The Voice.

Might that someone be you?

JONAH

               "But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish tree days
 and  three nights."   (Jonah 1:16  NIV)

    The story of Jonah and the great fish is a popular one.  The great fish topic is much-debated among scholars and scientists.  I have seen photos of big fish with human skeletons in them, so this story is not a myth!  Because its  uniqueness, it is often told in children's Sunday school classes.  But, aside from the fascination with the great fish, there are many lessons to be learned from the four brief chapters of Jonah.

     The unusual lesson that I glean from Jonah's story is that God is so awesome that He will even take our mistakes and use them for His    glory! Now, you might ask, "How did she come up with THAT  from reading about a man and a great big fish?"  Well, let's go back to the beginning of the story...


 The story begins with Jonah, a known prophet and man of God.  God instructed Jonah to go and preach to the people of Ninevah.  But, Jonah didn't want to go there. The people of Ninevah were enemies with Jonah's people, and he simply did not want to go.  So, Jonah disobeyed God.  (There's that obedience thing cropping up again!)  Jonah went in the opposite direction, trying to run away from God.  But, when God gives us a mission to fulfill, He expects us to work at it... not run from it.

courtesy, National Maritime Museum

  
     Jonah was the passenger on a boat - heading away from Ninevah - when God sent a violent storm onto the sea.  The boat was in grave danger.  Trying to save their ship, the sailors threw all the cargo overboard to lighten the load. All of these sailors were pagans, and they cried out to their various gods - in vain. Jonah said nothing, although he knew that the storm was the wrath of God and that it was aimed at him.  He went below board.  The captain went down, saw Jonah, reprimanded him, and implored him to call out to "his god", as the sailors were.
     When Jonah came back up on deck, the sailors were casting lots to see who was responsible for the situation.  The lot fell to Jonah.  They began to question Jonah, and he finally admitted that he worshiped the God of heaven, the Creator of the land and the sea. And he confessed that he was trying to run away from God.  The pagan sailors were terrified and asked Jonah what they should do to calm the sea.(Sadly, at this point, the pagan sailors showed more respect for the LORD than the "man of God" did!  Only after being reprimanded by the captain did Jonah join the sailors.  Until then he was too wrapped up in himself to consider their peril.  Jonah knew the storm was because of his disobedience, but didn't admit it until the casting of lots turned all eyes upon him.  Then, he FINALLY  acted like the man of God that he should have been in the first place!)

painting by Louise August

  
    Jonah told the pagans to throw him into the sea.  That bit of selflessness was what the LORD was asking of him in the first place when He told Jonah to go to Ninevah!  But, even in this Jonah wasn't very brave... Why did he expect the other men to throw him in?  Why not voluntarily jump in? We people sure do mess things up with our wrong attitudes, don't we?
     The pagan sailors showed more compassion for Jonah than he showed for them.  When he told them to throw him overboard, they refused.  Instead, they tried rowing even harder.  They tried to row back to land, but were unable to do so. Then, they cried out to God, asking for forgiveness for taking Jonah's life, and they threw him into the sea.
  

teddyallen.blogspot.com

  

       The sea grew calm, and the sailors made vows to God and greatly feared Him.
     God provided a great fish to swallow up Jonah.  After three days and three nights (which I am certain were filled with repentance, fear, and awe), Jonah was spewed onto land by the great fish.
     So, you see, even our mistakes can be turned around and used for God's glory. Once Jonah got honest with God, himself, and the sailors, he became a living testimony of God's power and mercy.  The once-pagan sailors now knew God..
  

my photo of the Sea of Galillee

     Often, admitting our past sins and mistakes can help lead another to God.  God is not looking for perfection.  None of us has perfection to offer.  God is looking for you and me - "as is" - because each of us has a story to tell.  What is your story?  You probably weren't swallowed by a great fish, but I'll bet there was some sort of storm involved... Share it.  Your testimony could help a "pagan sailor" or two...