Tag: creation

Tears Of Reconciliation

Genesis 45:1-15

“Hurt people, hurt people, but healed people, help people” – Ell. When a brother or sister sins against us, it’ll leave inevitable hurt in our hearts, that if not dealt with in a timely manner, could cause more damage in the long run. While it’s rare that a fellow member of the body of Christ would intentionally seek to harm another, there are occasions when some will entertain the spirit of jealousy, that could eventually influence them to make unwise choices. In times when we are treated unjustly by our brother or sister, the Bible teaches, “if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Gal 6:1 KJV). Rather than hold a grudge, or harbor ill feelings toward someone who allows the enemy to deceive them, we who have fully submitted ourselves to God, should seek only to bring them back into right standing with the Father. This was exactly how Joseph handled the situation between himself, and his brothers. He could have easily turned his hurt into anger, which would have no doubt morphed into intense rage, but Joseph trusted God, even in his hurt, and allowed love to lead and guide all his actions. Joseph’s loud weeping was proof that he had already forgiven his brothers, even before they had visited him. What a guy! Do you hold grudges and ill feelings toward those who may have caused you intense grief, or have you allowed the love of God to penetrate deep into your heart, to reveal to you a more deeper understanding of your process?

“We live this life for purpose and reason, but not too long, for only a season.” – Ell

Eternal Emotions

Genesis 42:35-38

What is it about the human heart, that allows for it to experience both ends of the emotional spectrum and all the roller coaster feelings in between; sometimes all within mere moments of time? Being made in the image of God the creator, and after His very own likeness, mankind was designed in a very unique, and incomparable fashion. Without trying to sound braggadocious or anything of the sort, but God made us super special, in a variety of ways! Man has the ability to think, think about what they’re thinking about, then decide which thought to act upon. We can feel hurt, pain, and shame on the inside, without any physical signs of its occurrence on the outside.

Men are physical, spiritual, and soulful beings, created to exhibit the most incredible works of the One who made all things. I’ve often wondered, why did God make us so emotional, or allow for us to feel things, some of which aren’t favorable. For example, losing something, or someone that holds a special place in your heart, brings a hurt that is unlike anything else. In the Bible, Jacob thought he had lost his “favorite” son, Joseph, which left a huge hole in his heart. This pain caused him to cling even more tightly to his youngest son, Benjamin. In the same way a physical scar heals, yet continues to reveal a scar, Jacob carried the scar of supposedly losing his son, for years (until he discovered he was actually alive).

Losing a loved one never feels good, especially if they left us with unresolved issues. For this reason, I advise all men to appreciate those who remain in your life, and love them unconditionally, because you never know when will be the last time you’ll see them. In addition, sympathize, and emphasize with those who may have lost someone dear to their hearts, because it’ll never be easy for them for the rest of their life.

We live this life for purpose and reason, but not too long, for only a season.

Ell

Worth The Grind, Refined To Shine!

Romans 5:6-11

According to the website howstuffworks.com, the entire process of gold mining can be broken down roughly into four steps: prospecting, mining, extracting and refining. OceanaGold, a Waihi operation, goes into great detail concerning the gold mining process. This process includes:
1. Mining – open pit and underground
-To define the ore from the waste rock, samples are taken and assayed. Assay results are used to mark out areas of ore and waste rock, which are mined separately. Some of the harder areas require blasting to loosen the rock prior to excavation by hydraulic diggers. Dump trucks haul the rock to the primary crushers in the open pit or to the ore stockpiles from underground.
2. Crushing
-The primary crushers located at the open pit mine site, receive ore and waste at separate times. They break the larger rocks down to a size suitable for transport on the conveyor belt.
3. Transport
-A rubber belted conveyor transports the ore and waste rock from the open pit, approximately two kilometres, via a tunnel through Union Hill, to the mill and waste rock embankments. Large electromagnets remove any steel debris excavated from the old Martha Mine workings.
4. Grinding and sizing
-Ore from both open pit and underground is stockpiled separately at the mill before being fed into a S.A.G. mill with lime, water and steel balls. The larger particles from this mill are returned to the S.A.G. mill for more grinding. The finer particles receive more grinding in a ball mill, and are size classified to give a final product of 80% < microns. See more detail on grinding and sizing
5. Leaching and adsorption
-A slurry of ground ore, water and a weak cyanide solution is fed into large steel leach tanks where the gold and silver are dissolved. Following this leaching process the slurry passes through six adsorption tanks containing carbon granules which adsorb the gold and silver. This process removes 93% of the gold and 70% of the silver.
-6. Elution and electrowinning
The loaded carbon is fed into an elution column where the bullion is washed off. The barren carbon is recycled. The wash solution—pregnant electrolyte—is passed through electrowinning cells where gold and silver is won onto stainless steel cathodes.
7. Bullion production
-The loaded cathodes are rinsed to yield a gold and silver bearing sludge which is dried, mixed with fluxes and put into the furnace. After several hours the molten material is poured into a cascade of moulds producing bars of doré bullion.
8. Water treatment
-Some water from dewatering the mine, from the embankment underdrains and decant water from the tailings pond is recycled for use in the grinding circuit. Excess water is pumped to the water treatment plant and treated to the required standards before discharge into the Ohinemuri River.
9. Tailings disposal
-Waste rock from the open pit mine is used to build the embankment structures. The embankments retain the tailings slurry in a pond where solids settle and compact. Water is decanted off and used in the process plant or treated before it is discharged.

Companies around the globe, work the looooooong mining process for years, to recover precious and valuable ore from beneath the rocks. In the eyes of men, the value of gold (and other precious elements) is worth sacrificing days of hard labor, to gain only a little at a time. In addition, the benefits men gain from mining gold include jewelry, finances, such as gold bars or bullion, conductor for electronics, computer edge connectors and memory chips, dental fillings or crowns, as part of a radioactive solution for some medical diagnoses, awards or decorative gilding.

Everyone born into the earth, take on a sinful nature, and are shaped in iniquity. It’s an unfortunate circumstance, but the cause of such a curse was due to the fall of the first man. While men are inherently unclean, they still have hidden value that comes to surface once they allow Jesus to perform the mining process of their hearts.

For centuries, men have sacrifice time and hard labor to possess gold, but Jesus sacrificed His very life, so that the true value of God’s greatest creation could be revealed. Humans are by far, God’s most prized creation, and once a man or woman fully commits themselves to God’s authority, He will literally reveal their shine to all the world.

Believers are the most precious commodities in the earth, and while gold, silver, and platinum may hold some value, those cannot begin to compare to a Saint of the living God. Giving His life on the cross, was an extremely hard thing for Jesus to experience, but all the suffering, shame, pain, and agony He went through, was well worth it, so that the true worth of God’s people could finally come to light.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Real Love

John 14:18-24

If God is something, then that which God is, should be reverenced, respected, and imitated. The Bible declares throughout the scriptures (but more directly in 1 John 4:8), God is love. Allow your mind to ponder on that for a brief moment. If God is love, then that can aslo be translated, love is God. All your life, you’ve been under the impression that love is emotions, googly eyes, butterflies in your tummy, and all those attributes that are associated with things you like, but once you realize the true extent of what love really is, you’ll see life from a totally different perspective.

The true essence of love extends far beyond human emotions, and can be seen in action throughout history. God’s love is unlike that which the world operates in, because the love offered by the world is conditional, and usually comes with a price. Conversely, the love of the Father is unconditional, and is freely given to all men. The world abuses, misuses, and disrespects what real love stands for, but God continues to shower His endless love over all mankind. “For God so loved the world He gave…” (John 3:16a). 

Love is comprised of a host of virtues including (but not limited to) sacrifice, patience, obedience, action, understanding, trust, commitment, and most importantly, humility. It’s because of God’s love, men can be saved from the eternal penalty of their sins. It’s because of God’s love, we can have a right to the tree of life we had lost access to, from Adam’s big mistake. It’s because of God’s love, we can come boldly before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. It’s because of God’s love, I can have hope for a brighter tomorrow. It’s because of God’s love, the church can stand strong in the time of trouble, because the Holy Spirit will keep us encouraged. It’s because of God’s love, we who remain alive today, have opportunities to continue spreading the message of God’s life-changing Gospel.

When in sin, let love in, and allow it to make you all over again. God loves you, and I do too!

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Absolute Authority

John 5:19-24

After studying this lesson, it brought my mind back to a time when I was a young lad, nearing the end of the third grade school year. I wasn’t the smartest in the class, but I had earned the teachers respect by maintaining perfect attendance, behaving respectfully toward my classmates, and always making the honor roll. You can tell just by those merits, haters were gonna hate, but my parents raised their children to be respectful, and to take schooling serious. So, I did, and my scholarly conduct earned me a few extra perks with my teacher. One day during class, my teacher had to leave the room for something important, and left me in charge to monitor my classmates until she returned. Boy, why did she do that? Knowing I would report those who acted out of character in the teacher’s absence, there were some who deliberately acted a fool, just to get under my skin. What my fellow law breaking students failed to realize was, whatever I reported to the teacher, would be taken as if she had witnessed things with her own eyes. My words, would in essence be her words, and my judgments the same. Despite how anyone else felt about the teacher’s delegation, or that we were all the same age, my words were the authority in that classroom, until our teacher returned.

This flashback is kinda on par with the lesson’s text. God the Father, is the omnipotent, and sovereign ruler of all creation. He alone has the power to do as it pleases Himself. But in the earth, the Father left all judgment to the Son, and by this delegation, all men should honor the Son, just as they would the Father. So those who dishonor Jesus, are literally dishonoring God the Father also. Jesus, the Son, does the same works as the the Father. In addition, He has absolute and unlimited power and authority from God, to do as God directs Him. Just as my classmates were under the authority of our teacher, on behalf of little ole’ me, all men are to reverence Jesus, the Savior of the world, in the same way they honor and respect the God of all creation.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Like A Boss!!!

Numbers 3:11-13

Questions: Why did God create the heaven, and the earth? Why did God organize the sun, moon, stars, seas, land, trees, plants, and animals the way they are, even today? Why did God create a man? Why did God create a man in His image, after His likeness, and with the freedom to choose? Why did God put the man to sleep, then remove a rib from his body (the lower rib, which is capable of regeneration… cool, right?), and create a woman (man with a womb)? Why did God give the man dominion over the whole earth? Why did God kill an animal, in order to clothe the man and woman, after they had sinned (when they saw they were naked)? Why did God shorten the lifespan of man, after removing them from their godly habitation? Why did God continue to bless the man and woman, even after they willingly sinned in His sight? Why did God tell Noah to build an ark, when no man had ever seen rain? Why did God command Abraham to leave his country, kindred, and his father’s house, in order for his purpose to be initiated? Why did God tell Moses (even with his speech impediment), to confront Pharoah, and demand that he release the children of God from slavery? Why did God allow Joseph to suffer, rather than make his path to glory easy? Why did God allow Job to suffer greatly, while even losing his ten children? Why did God forgive king David, after getting a man killed, to cover up his affair with that same man’s wife? Why did God entrust king Solomon with more wisdom than any man who ever lived? Why did God speak so vividly through the prophets, trusting that they would deliver His words, just as He had spoken them? Why did God send His Son, to save a world that cares more for themselves, than His everlasting love? Why did God deposit His power into 12 “Average Joes”, and allow them to perform miracles by His Son’s name? Why did God allow His only begotten Son to be beaten, bruised, abused, tortured, shamed, embarrassed, speared, spit on, mocked, ridiculed, slandered, and disrespected publicly? Why did God provide a plan of salvation, so that all could have the opportunity and privilege to come to repentance? Why did God allow you to be born? What makes you so special, until God wanted you to exist in a time such as this? Have you ever considered, you are still here to help reveal the power and majesty of the everlasting God to men of this perverse generation? Have you wondered why those goals and dreams you’ve been trying to reach since graduating high school, have yet to be attained? Could it be, God has other plans in mind for your life? Why does God allow sin to run rampant in the earth? Why won’t He just empower all His people to zap away every demonic force forever? Why does God rain on the just, and the unjust? Why did God preserve His Word, all these years? Answer: Because He’s the Boss!!!

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Work Work, Sweat Sweat!

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

In the beginning, God made everything beautiful! All the inhabitants of the earth, were masterfully created by the everlasting Father Himself. The earth was originally made in a self-sustaining state, so that man could enjoy it forever, without working to maintain it. Unfortunately, that pretty picture didn’t last too long, after the man gave in to deception, and sinned against God.

From the time of Adam and Eve’s eviction from the Garden of Eden, to now, men are required to work, in order to maintain a living in the earth. Work can be a hassle at times, but our reward comes in the form of a paycheck. With that paycheck, we are then able to accommodate a decent living (in most cases). The Bible teaches, if a man doesn’t work, then he doesn’t eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). In other words, lazy people will suffer, because their lack of consistent work, won’t grant them the resources they need to survive.

Although Adam messed things up for all of us, God honors our work ethics, and endorses the command for us to enjoy the fruit of our labor. I know…I know… life sucks, people are wicked, the government is evil, the world is coming to an abrupt end, so why should I focus on being consistent on a job that’ll eventually fade away into nonexistence? Surprisingly, the wisest man who ever lived felt this same way. King Solomon had a moment when he hated life! Can you believe that? In his own words, he said, “Therefore, I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” (Proverbs 2:17). I’m not certain whether or not the great king was going through mid-life crisis, but he literally pondered the reasoning behind working for vain things, when everything he worked for would be left for others to enjoy.

We all go through those moments, when we are tired of the cycles of life, but God never gets tired of seeing His children prosper. Whether they be at work, school or university, or taking the message of His Gospel around the world, the people of God can honor Him in whatever capacity of life they find themselves. While we all have to work, let’s do it considering the fact that we will get paid (lol), but most importantly, God can use us on our jobs, or wherever we are, to influence others to get closer to Him. Take pride in what you do to earn a living, and treat yourself from time to time. God knows the struggle is real, but He also knows you can handle it.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

The Well-Trodden Path

Proverbs 2:20-22, 4:24-27

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of, “The Well-Trodden Path.” Starring, Grandpa Joe, and his grandson Charlie! I’m your host, “holyell”, and I’ll be bringing you all the details of tonight’s most fascinating scenes!

(Grandpa Joe decided to take little Charlie on a road trip, to view all the wonderful sights of God’s beautiful creation)

Charlie: Hey grandpa, where are we going?

Grandpa Joe: Sit tight little one, because I’m taking you to see all the amazing things God created, including towering mountains, crystal clear rivers, and even scary deep canyons!

Charlie: Wow grandpa! That sounds like fun! I’m so excited! I’m so excited! I’m so…

Grandpa Joe: Alright, alright Charlie (as he chuckles). Strap on your safety belt, and let’s be on our way!

(About 2 hours into the drive, Charlie begins to point out all the massive trees, different animals, and even mountains in the distance)

Grandpa Joe: So Charlie, how are you enjoying the trip so far?

Charlie: This is fun grandpa! I never saw so many trees, and animals, and birds, and those mountains that look so close, but we haven’t even got close to them yet.

Grandpa Joe: (laughs out loud), well mountain views can be a little deceiving at times, because they are great in size.

(As they continue to travel, grandpa Joe notices the car begins to shake uncontrollably, then it spins out of control. Finally, it lands in the shrubs of a nearby forest)

Grandpa Joe: Charlie! Charlie! Are you ok?

Charlie: Yeah grandpa, that was scary and fun at the same time!

Grandpa Joe: Thank heavens you’re ok! Sigh…

Charlie: Grandpa, what will we do now? How will we get back to the road?

Grandpa Joe: First, let’s pray Charlie. God, it’s me again, I know you see our situation, and know that we are in need of help. We’ve been placed far away from the road, and have no sense of direction how to return there. We ask that you help us find our way back, in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.

Charlie: Amen. Grandpa, I’m scared. I only see trees and stuff, but no way out of here.

Grandpa Joe: Don’t worry little Charlie. God will take care of us.

Charlie: Okay grandpa, I trust you.

(Grandpa takes Charlie out of the car, and the two begin searching for a way out of the frightening forest. After searching for a while, Charlie notices a beaten path amongst the trees)

Charlie: Hey grandpa! I think I see something (as he points toward the path).

Grandpa Joe: Good eye Charlie! Maybe this path will lead us to safety. Hold my hand, don’t stray from this path, and let’s trust God to keep us safe.

Charlie: Okay grandpa, let’s do it!

(The day begins to darken, and Charlie and grandpa Joe become startled by various animal noises from within the forest. Charlie then sees a flicker of light away from the path.)

Charlie: Grandpa I see a light over there!

Grandpa Joe: Where Charlie?

Charlie: Over there grandpa (he points assuredly).

Grandpa Joe: Charlie, if we go to investigate that light, it’ll take us way off this path. I don’t think it’s wise to stray away.

Charlie: But grandpa, maybe it’s people over there, and maybe they can help us…

Grandpa Joe: Charlie, I doubt there is anyone other than us, in this forest. Trust me. Don’t get distracted by things that may seem to be good, because it could be a trap.

(Charlie clings tight to grandpa’s hand, and the two continue down the trodden path. As they continue to walk in the thick darkness that engulfed the forest, grandpa smells something burning in the distance.)

Grandpa Joe: Hey Charlie, you smell that?

Charlie: Smell what grandpa?

Grandpa Joe: If I’m not mistaken, I can smell food coming from that way. I think we’re nearing the end of this path.

(Grandpa Joe and Charlie indeed reach the end of the trodden path, that led them to a nearby cottage, where they were able to get assistance for their famished bodies, as well as locate their damaged vehicle again.)

Grandpa Joe: You see Charlie, if we had strayed away from that beaten path, who knows what would have happened to us in that forest.

Charlie: Right grandpa! I’ll make sure that if I ever get lost again, I’ll search for a path where others walked before. Then I’ll know I’ll soon find safety.

Grandpa Joe: That’s a good lad.

Being a Christian, and living a righteous life won’t always be a cakewalk, but as long as we follow the path Christ walked before us, we’ll always be led to a place of refuge.

“That thou mayest walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous.” (Proverbs 2:20).

This concludes another episode of, “The Well-Trodden Path”! Thanks for tuning in.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

No god Like Our God

Psalm 86:1-13

Who can do what God does? Can a doctor truly understand, and explain the code of human DNA? While they may see an in-depth analysis of cell function, no one can truly understand how cells do, what they do. Can a bird sing, except God grace him with the necessary parts to do so? Birds were uniquely formed to inhabit the heavens, and show forth God’s unmatched intellect. Do you believe in gravity? I do, but can you honestly say, you understand it fully? Can you contain it in a jar, analyze it, or paint it purple? Although we know the purpose of gravity, and what it does, no one can fully make sense of it. What is light, except the illumination of dark spaces? We see the light, but how does it exist? What substance is it composed of?

God is amazing, and the things He does are sometimes beyond human comprehension. I tried once to contain God in my finite brain, then had a headache for a few hours after. God has the power to speak things into existence, heal sick bodies, raise men from the dead, inhabit praise from those who love Him, and bless men so, until curses are unable to penetrate their lives. As I write, I have millions of thoughts running through my mind, concerning how good God is, and how He does so much for everyone! I don’t understand all the ways of God, but I’ve learned how to keep His attention, from studying the Bible.

King David left great examples of how to stay in union with God, until He creates opportunities, just so He can bless. David understood that one must first cleanse the evil from their hearts, before even attempting to ask anything from the Father. A pure heart, coupled with a consistent holy lifestyle, will always keep you in a position where God CANNOT refuse to grant your prayer requests. The almighty, all-knowing, all-wise God, looks down on the earth, and desires to perform some amazing things in the lives of the people, but many don’t believe in Him, nor in His Word, so they willingly forfeit themselves from receiving blessings that can only come from God. While men find temporary satisfaction from pleasures in the world, only God can give things that offer lasting joy, and satisfaction.

Who can do what God does? No one. Think on that for a moment, and consider adjusting your life to where it always has God’s attention.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Words Of Authority

Genesis 1:4-9, Amos 5:8-9

“And God said, Let there be…and it was so.” Those words alone, hold the utmost authority and power of all I’ve ever read in my life! To literally speak things into existence, deems one omnipotent, by default, despite what anyone says, in my opinion. As a kid, I tried time and time again, to call things from the sky, including money, candy, other things 80’s kids enjoyed during those days, but I assumed my voice wasn’t as strong as God’s, to call things into existence, because I was never able to make any of those things appear out of thin air. Obviously, my naivety got the best of me, but I soon gained a greater respect for the awesomeness of the power God operates in. In the beginning, God created, and set things in order with the power of His words. He divided light from darkness, placed the firmament of Heaven in the midst of the waters, and it divided the waters from the waters. God set the sun, moon, stars, and everything else in place, as they remain to this day. God created ecosystems in nature, times and seasons, and cycles, so that the earth and all its inhabitants, could be self-sustaining over time. The world in its “pre-tainted” state, was absolutely incredible! Ahh, if only I could have basked in the glory of such a pristine environment. God, in all His glory and awesomeness, still sits high and looks low upon this earth, awaiting the moment to gather His people together, and treat them to an eternity of peace, majesty, glory, and splendor in the new Heaven, and new earth. Will I see you there?

“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17 KJV)

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.” (Isaiah 66:22 KJV)

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” (Matthew 24:29-33 KJV)

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:10-13 KJV)

Walk in love,

Ell