The show is a live documentary experience that combines animatronics, puppetry, costumes, and lighting effects. All of the dinosaurs presented are life sized and pain-stakingly realistic. You literally feel as though you are sitting in an NBA arena watching real living dinosaurs walk around in front of you.

But as I watched these replica beasts walk around in front of me I couldn’t help but think of the sovereignty of God.

These majestic animals haven’t walked the earth for nearly 60 million years- give or take 59.985 million years depending on your view of creation. But why would such amazing animals go extinct long before man ever walked the earth (again depending on your interpretation of Biblical creation)?

God creates everything for His purposes. God is sovereign and governs the affairs of the universe and uses things like catastrophe, evil dictators, weather, nations, and even animals to carry out his will. But why create the dinosaurs, let them successfully fill the earth for tens of millions of years (…that whole creation time thing again…), only to kill them all off mysteriously and suddenly?

What was the dinosaurs purpose? What was the purpose of destroying them? What is the reason for them not being around today? We’re they simply, somehow, preparing life on earth for man?

My thoughts could travel forever on this train but I’ll spare you the trip.

In closing, I’m not an ‘all dogs go to heaven’ type guy, but someday when all the wrongs of this world have been right’ed and we are face to face with Jesus, I wouldn’t mind seeing a dinosaur or two. Riding one wouldn’t be so bad either- just say’n.

Earlier this week I wrote about how I have been given gifts for the Kingdom, but lack the power to use them and I must rely on the Spitit’s power daily to utilize my gifts.

But I’ve been thinking about how as a Christian the Holy Spirit lives in me.

I’ve been meditating on the verse that states the same power that rose Christ from the grave is alive and well in me.

As a Follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in me!

And that same power that could bring life to the dead and spin universes into existence is ALIVE and WELL in ME by the will of the Father, because of the sacrifice of Christ, through the Holy Spirit!

I have access to unlimited power that creates and restores!

Will I use that power at my disposal for my benefit like I own some sort of magical genie- no way! Instead I will utilize it to advance the Kingdom of God in earth and bring health to His Body.

Earlier I wrote how I lacked power. Today I have it. The question now, for you and for me, is how will we use it?

 Observation Facts

 Even though there’s plenty to see all around us-

Things that bring fear, despair, and confusion,

There is something happening that we can see,

But not with our eyes:

Something that shows us events happening behind the scenes.

 Even though there’s plenty to hear in this world-

Things that invoke hatred, selfishness, and discrimination,

There are things going on around us that we can hear,

But not with our ears:

Things that tell us a shift is taking place.

 Even though there’s plenty to smell during these times-

Scents of smoke, chemicals, and gun powder,

There is an aroma rising that we can smell,

But not with our noses:

An aroma of things to come.

 Even though there’s plenty to taste in this world-

Tastes of dirty water, dry rice, and dust,

There is something that we can taste,

But not with our tongues:

A taste of expectation and mystery.

 Even though there is much to touch and feel around us-

Skin, metal, earth, plastic, and pain,

There is something that we can touch,

But not with our fingers:

Something that feels so real, yet so unfamiliar.

 War, hurricanes, terrorism, tsunamis, genocide, earthquakes, intolerance, global climate changes, poverty, famine, crime, disease, pollution, extinction, Big Brother, volcanic eruptions, moral confusion-

These are all things that we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.

They are all very real, very now, very felt- to our core.

 These things are happening alright!

But they are only signs,

Only consequences,

Only pains of what’s to come…

 Her-

 I look at her.

She is beautiful.

Every curve of her body peaks with promise!

The way she was taken advantage of-

It was disgusting, it was cruel, and it was- unthinkable.

 So ironic, that the very thing that defiled her-

Now brings her so much hope, so much expectation.

This expectation has grown so much within her that-

That now her abdomen is stretched to its limit.

This hope is so large now- What a lovely Child she will bare!

 Her breasts are swollen with nourishment for her unborn Child.

Every once in a while, I can see her begin to lactate-

Just a small glimpse of what’s to come.

She’s not as active as she used to be for the Child comes soon.

But she still maintains the beauty of her youth- After all that she’s gone through.

 Her labor pains began so soon.

But there are parts of her body, and the child’s, which are not yet ready.

The contractions have always been heavy, always been strong.

But never this strong- never like this.

She is fully dilated now, but her child waits…waits.

 She is in a hospital, filled with doctors.

But each one has misdiagnosed her.

They try to cure her of something that is inevitable.

Not one of them knows that she carries a Child.

There are far too many doctors, but not enough midwives in this hospital.

 Her pain causes her to groan.

So agonizingly, that every part of her longs for relief.

So loud now, that all can hear her.

From the top of her head to the soles of her feet-

She feels, she sees, she knows the pain.

 All that she’s been through-

From her beginning to now:

She is still good in His sight.

She is still beautiful.

She will soon be clothed, once again, in white.

 Waiting

Man is created in the Image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). After God created man, He said that everything He created was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

God clearly gave man one simple command upon his creation;” You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;  but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Man disobeyed God’s command, thus sinning against Him (Genesis 3). The consequences of sinning against God were: 1.] Losing direct fellowship with God (1 John 4:18; Psalm 5:3-5; Exodus 33:20; Matthew 27:46). 2.] Death (Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:19; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27). 3.] Losing fellowship with fellow man and the rest of creation (Genesis 3:7; Genesis 3:12; Genesis 3:16-19; Genesis 3:21; Genesis 9:2-3; Romans 8:22). 4.] And Experiencing eternal life apart from God in Hell (Psalm 55:15; Malachi 4:1; Matthew 13:50; Revelation 20:14).

Because of man’s original sin (Genesis 3); all men have a sinful nature (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10-18; Romans 8:7-8), sin (Proverbs 20:9; Hosea 6:7; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8) , and suffer the consequences of sin (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21, 1 Corinthians 15:45-50; and see Scripture  references in paragraph above for ‘the consequences of sinning’ ).

Man is totally depraved (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10-18; Romans 8:7-8) and completely unable to save himself from sin or its consequences (Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 2:12).

God is not completely comprehensible to the human mind (Isaiah 45:15), but He reveals many important things to us about Himself through His creation (Psalm 19:1-3; Romans 1:20), His goodness (James 1:17), and most importantly His Word (Luke 16:29-31).

There is only one god (Deuteronomy 4:35; John 5:44) who exists co-equally and eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

God is superior to humanity in that He is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-12), omniscient (Psalm 147:5), omnipotent (Job 42:2), immutable (Hebrews 13:8), eternal (Psalm 93:2), and sovereign (Psalm 103:19).

God gave humanity the ability to share some or strive towards some of His attributes (Genesis 1:26): spirit (Psalm 103:19), holiness (1 Peter 1:16), love (1 John 4:8), goodness (Psalm 84:11), truth (John 14:6), justice and righteousness (Exodus 34:7), mercy (Titus 3:5), and beauty (Psalm 27:4).

God not only posses these attributes, but literally is them. For example 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” It doesn’t say that God only posse’s love or feels love or acts out love, but that He is love. And not only does God have the ability to be perfect, holy, and pure; He actually is perfect, holy, and pure (1 Peter 1:16).

God created everything in existence from nothing for His pleasure and purpose (Colossians 1:15-17; Revelation 4:10-12).

All of the paper in the world could not be used to write down all of the wonders of God.

Tomorrow? The Person and Work of Jesus.