Have you experienced catastrophe?

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

The Grand Canyon Park bookstore operated by the National Park Service found itself in the midst of some controversy a few years ago when they were selling a book written by creationists much to the ire of the National Center for Science Education.

The book detailed how the Grand Canyon could have been formed from a "catastrophic" event -- a catastrophe such as the flood of Noah's day. Imagine that, it may have been a catastrophe that created such beauty!

Nearly 2000 years ago, the disciples witnessed a catastrophe -- the crucifixion of our Lord. But the Lord used this tragedy to redeem all mankind. This great catastrophe was turned to ultimate beauty.

Each of us has experienced tragedy in our lives. Inevitably the question arises -- Why? Let's be encouraged by one of God's most beautiful masterpieces. The Lord can turn our great catastrophes into great beauty -- into great victory!

Let's turn to the Lord with our catastrophes. He can turn the most difficult tragedy into an incredible work of art!

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There is a sacred truth buried deep in Scripture that many believers never fully embrace: you have been given authority through the Messiah, not someday, but now. It is not reserved for the spiritually elite. It is not earned through effort. It is your inheritance as a child of God. And this authority was purchased at the Cross and activated the moment you were born again.

Many of us can recite Yeshua’s (Jesus’) words about the two greatest commandments—loving God and loving our neighbor—but we often miss how deeply intertwined they are. We treat them like separate tasks: one for God, one for people. But in Greek, Yeshua uses the phrase homoia aute, which means “like to it.” The second commandment isn’t just next in line—it shares the same nature. This small detail radically changes how we understand the passage: loving others is essential to loving God.

In today’s culture, freedom is often defined as doing whatever you want—living without restrictions, chasing your happiness, and controlling your destiny. But when you dig into the Greek word eleutheros, meaning “free,” you discover that real freedom isn’t about cutting all ties—it’s about being connected to the right things. True freedom isn’t found in isolation, but in surrender to God.