What We Can Learn From Elephants

THE ELEPHANTS' JOURNEY

TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS.

BUT HOW DID THEY KNOW?

Some will say there is no God. 

Tell that to elephants.

Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller "The Elephant Whisperer," bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over

the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during the US invasion in 2003.

On March 7, 2012, Lawrence Anthony died.

He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons & numerous elephants.

Two days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home, led by two large matriarchs. Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved man-friend. A total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African House.

Witnessing this spectacle, humans were obviously in awe, not only

because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence's passing, but also because of

the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked

in such an organized way.

Walking slowly - for days - making their way in a solemn

one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house.

Lawrence's wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for some years! Yet, they knew where they were going.

The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects,

honouring their friend who'd saved their lives - so much respect

that they stayed for 2 days 2 nights without eating anything. 

Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back home.

SOMETHING IN THE UNIVERSE IS GREATER

AND DEEPER THAN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE!

Click on the links below to learn more about this remarkable man, these amazing animals, and their omnipotent Creator:

• Wild Elephants gather inexplicably, mourn death of “Elephant Whisperer”
• Lawrence Anthony - Bio
• Lawrence Anthony Foundation
• Lawrence Anthony's Rehabilitation of Elephants
• Elephants Mourn Loss of "Elephant Whisperer" Lawrence Anthony
• "Who is God?"
• "Does God exist? Is there evidence for the existence of God?"
• "What are the attributes of God?"
• Who Is Jesus, Anyway?
• Popular Questions About Jesus Christ
• Who Is Jesus, Anyway? #1 of 3 (John MacArthur)

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

A special someone recently shared this amazing tale with me, and I found it so compelling that I just had to share it further. I hope it will be a blessing to someone else too.

('n Spesiale mensie deel onlangs die stukkie in 'n epos met my en dit was vir my so aangrypend dat ek dit net verder moes deel. Ek hoop dit sal vir iemand anders ook tot seën wees. - Afrikaans)

Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens. 'Great', she thought. 'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.' She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there. She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse 'The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.' She thought, 'Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is.. Please help me.' Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, 'Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?' Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it! The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, 'Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You.' I think it would do all of us some good to say, 'God, I don't know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will.' God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. I love GOD. He is my source of existence and my Savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him... I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13) Please feel free to share this, if God leads you to do so.

Ons goeie hoop

Vanoggend se luister na pragtige lofgesang, het my laat besef hoe geseënd ons is om in tye van voorspoed en swaerkry ons te kan wend na ons "Goeie Hoop," wat ons nooit beskaam nie.

Tydens my Bybelstudie vanoggend, sien ek toe: die woord "hoop" verskyn 139 keer in die AOV en "goeie hoop" een maal. Dit laat my toe dink aan hoe Jesus eenmalig ons almal se "beste en enigste hoop" geword het deur Sy lewe vir ons sin te verruil en dat ons lewende God ons enigste ware hoop is in nood.

Ek deel graag die verse met jou, ter erkenning aan ons "Goeie Hoop."

Ps.146:

1Halleluja! Loof die HERE, o my siel! 2Ek wil die HERE prys solank as ek lewe; ek wil psalmsing tot eer van my God solank as ek nog daar is. 3Vertrou nie op prinse, op die mensekind, by wie geen heil is nie.4Sy gees gaan uit, hy keer terug na sy aarde toe; op daardie dag is dit met sy planne gedaan. 5Welgeluksalig is hy wat die God van Jakob het as sy hulp, wie se hoop is op die HERE sy God, 6wat hemel en aarde gemaak het, die see en alles wat daarin is; wat trou bly tot in ewigheid; 7wat aan die verdruktes reg doen, wat aan die hongeriges brood gee. Die HERE maak die gevangenes los. 8Die HERE open die oë van die blindes; die HERE rig die wat geboë is, op; die HERE het die regverdiges lief. 9Die HERE behoed die vreemdelinge; Hy rig wees en weduwee weer op; maar die weg van die goddelose maak Hy krom. 10Die HERE is vir ewig Koning; jou God, o Sion, is van geslag tot geslag! Halleluja!

2Tess.2:16:

En mag onse Here Jesus Christus self en onse God en Vader, wat ons liefgehad het en 'n ewige troos en goeie hoop in genade gegee het, 17julle harte vertroos en julle versterk in alle goeie woorde en werke.

Please consider the environment before printing this. Thank you. © 2013. Lizette De Klerk. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reagan's Rule

Some wonder why the Reagan years were considered the Republic Party's golden years?
When God is for you, nothing else matters!!!

What a profound message and witness.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/OvN1jTkzXbY?rel=0

"What does it mean to honor my father and mother?"

Question: "What does it mean to honor my father and mother?"

Answer: Honoring your father and mother is being respectful in word and action and having an inward attitude of esteem for their position. The Greek word for honor means "to revere, prize, and value." Honor is giving respect not only for merit but also for rank. For example, some Americans may disagree with the President's decisions, but they should still respect his position as leader of their country. Similarly, children of all ages should honor their parents, regardless of whether or not their parents "deserve" honor.

God exhorts us to honor father and mother. He values honoring parents enough to include it in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12) and again in the New Testament: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth" (Ephesians 6:1-3). Honoring parents is the only command in Scripture that promises long life as a reward. Those who honor their parents are blessed (Jeremiah 35:18-19). In contrast, those with a "depraved mind" and those who exhibit ungodliness in the last days are characterized by disobedience to parents (Romans 1:30; 2 Timothy 3:2).

Solomon, the wisest man, urged children to respect their parents (Proverbs 1:8; 13:1; 30:17). Although we may no longer be directly under their authority, we cannot outgrow God's command to honor our parents. Even Jesus, God the Son, submitted Himself to both His earthly parents (Luke 2:51) and His heavenly Father (Matthew 26:39). Following Christ's example, we should treat our parents the way we would reverentially approach our heavenly Father (Hebrews 12:9; Malachi 1:6).

Obviously, we are commanded to honor our parents, but how? Honor them with both actions and attitudes (Mark 7:6). Honor their unspoken as well as spoken wishes. "A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke" (Proverbs 13:1). In Matthew 15:3-9, Jesus reminded the Pharisees of the command of God to honor their father and mother. They were obeying the letter of the law, but they had added their own traditions that essentially overruled it. While they honored their parents in word, their actions proved their real motive. Honor is more than lip service. The word "honor" in this passage is a verb and, as such, demands a right action. 

We should seek to honor our parents in much the same way that we strive to bring glory to God—in our thoughts, words, and actions. For a young child, obeying parents goes hand in hand with honoring them. That includes listening, heeding, and submitting to their authority. After children mature, the obedience that they learned as children will serve them well in honoring other authorities such as government, police, and employers. 

While we are required to honor parents, that doesn't include imitating ungodly ones (Ezekiel 20:18-19). If a parent ever instructs a child to do something that clearly contradicts God's commands, that child must obey God rather than his/her parents (Acts 5:29).

Honor begets honor. God will not honor those who will not obey His command to honor their parents. If we desire to please God and be blessed, we should honor our parents. Honoring is not easy, is not always fun, and certainly is not possible in our own strength. But honor is a certain path to our purpose in life—glorifying God. "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord" (Colossians 3:20).

Recommended Resource: Your Family God's Way by Wayne Mack.

from GotQuestions.org

May this Mother's Day be more than just another day to you and yours, and be a blesses day full of God's love, peace and comfort.

Our thoughts are with you.

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Warmest regards,

 

Lizette De Klerk & family

 

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"Did God create evil?"

Question: "Did God create evil?"

Answer: At first it might seem that if God created all things, then evil must have been created by God. However, evil is not a "thing" like a rock or electricity. You cannot have a jar of evil. Evil has no existence of its own; it is really the absence of good. For example, holes are real but they only exist in something else. We call the absence of dirt a hole, but it cannot be separated from the dirt. So when God created, it is true that all He created was good. One of the good things God made was creatures who had the freedom to choose good. In order to have a real choice, God had to allow there to be something besides good to choose. So, God allowed these free angels and humans to choose good or reject good (evil). When a bad relationship exists between two good things we call that evil, but it does not become a "thing" that required God to create it.

Perhaps a further illustration will help. If a person is asked, "Does cold exist?" the answer would likely be "yes." However, this is incorrect. Cold does not exist. Cold is the absence of heat. Similarly, darkness does not exist; it is the absence of light. Evil is the absence of good, or better, evil is the absence of God. God did not have to create evil, but rather only allow for the absence of good.

God did not create evil, but He does allow evil. If God had not allowed for the possibility of evil, both mankind and angels would be serving God out of obligation, not choice. He did not want "robots" that simply did what He wanted them to do because of their "programming." God allowed for the possibility of evil so that we could genuinely have a free will and choose whether or not we wanted to serve Him.

As finite human beings, we can never fully understand an infinite God (Romans 11:33-34). Sometimes we think we understand why God is doing something, only to find out later that it was for a different purpose than we originally thought. God looks at things from a holy, eternal perspective. We look at things from a sinful, earthly, and temporal perspective. Why did God put man on earth knowing that Adam and Eve would sin and therefore bring evil, death, and suffering on all mankind? Why didn't He just create us all and leave us in heaven where we would be perfect and without suffering? These questions cannot be adequately answered this side of eternity. What we can know is whatever God does is holy and perfect and ultimately will glorify Him. God allowed for the possibility of evil in order to give us a true choice in regards to whether we worship Him. God did not create evil, but He allowed it. If He had not allowed evil, we would be worshipping Him out of obligation, not by a choice of our own will.

Recommended Resource: If God, Why Evil?: A New Way to Think about the Question by Norman Geisler.

From: GotQuestions.org Newsletter (http://www.gotquestions.org/) with thanks.

Further reading:

Why does God allow evil? - http://www.compellingtruth.org/God-allow-evil.html

Why does God allow evil men like Hitler and Saddam to come into power? - http://www.gotquestions.org/Hitler-Saddam.html

How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? - http://www.gotquestions.org/goodness-of-God.html

What is theodicy? - http://www.gotquestions.org/theodicy.html

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Regards,

 

Lizette De Klerk

 

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