What do you get when you inflate one splash pad and add water and two hundred ball pit balls? Happy grandchildren!Thomas, Amelia, Timothy and Ezra enjoyed hours of fun-soaked outdoor play. At one point, Timothy lounged on the edge of the inflated surround mindlessly collecting balls he had been tossing out a moment earlier. When the kids expend energy at this rate but refuse to nap, they often stare off into space, asleep on their feet. Timothy retrieved balls, trancelike, until the final green one, which had rolled slightly out of reach. He glanced up at me, pointing, and said in his most precious southern drawl, “That one ball w-a-y over there.” I tilted in my lawn chair and tossed the stray ball to him. He smiled before turning to belly flop into the water.
Our grandchildren enjoy many of our current toys in a one to one ratio. Each of the four has their own scooter at Lolly and Poppy’s house. There are four swings and the teeter totter has four seats. There are only two excavators and one zip-line, though Poppy managed to rig the two seater rocket swing up for the little boys to zip-line together. Even though there is only one slide in Caroline’s inflatable crocodile splash pad, four toddlers manage to quadruple their fun as summer approaches.
When does 1+1+1 not equal 3? As believers, when we think of Trinity, we remember one God in three persons. God the Father, God the Son in the person of Jesus, and God the indwelling Spirit. A more apt mathematical explanation would be 1×1×1=1 or one to the third power.
God moves exponentially. We see it first in creation when massive things appear with a word from their Creator. We will see it again on a cataclysmic scale at the consummation of the age when Christ returns. We are also meant to experience His mighty power daily as we live as new creations the lives of abundance He intended. (II Corinthians 5:17, John 10:10)
“By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”
Hebrews 11:3 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.11.3.NLT
“The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.”
Psalms 33:6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.33.6.NLT
“In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
So the Word became human and made his home among us.
He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
John 1:1-5, 14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.1.1-14.NLT
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”
Colossians 1:15-17 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/col.1.15-17.NLT
“And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire.
They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think.
No, he is being patient for your sake.
He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.
Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along.
On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.
But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.”
2 Peter 3:7-15 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2pe.3.7-15.NLT
I am drawn time and time again to the third chapter of second Peter. I sense the urgency with which Peter warned about Christ’s second coming. During his time with Jesus, Peter heard him say, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17) And “I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.”
(John 12:47-48) Peter saw Jesus sacrifice Himself for the mob who shouted, “Crucify Him!” His heart must have been in his throat after having denied the Lord to hear him say, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.”
“The one who believes in him is not condemned.
The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.
For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.
But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.”
John 3:18-21 NET
https://bible.com/bible/107/jhn.3.18-21.NET
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
Galatians 5:24-25 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gal.5.24-25.NLT
“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature.
You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.
(And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.
And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.
For if you live by its dictates, you will die.
But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.”
Romans 8:9-13 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.8.9-13.NLT
We cannot allow ourselves to walk through life trancelike, going through meaningless motions, unaware of the lost and dying world or worse yet, offended by it. We are commissioned and empowered by Christ himself and we are never off duty. As we go about our daily grind, we are to carry the light and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ with us.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.
Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.
For apart from me you can do nothing.
But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.
This brings great glory to my Father.”
John 15:4-5, 7-8 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.15.4-8.NLT
Jesus prayed for you and me and He continues interceding at the right hand of the Father in heaven to this day. (Hebrews 7:25) Our perfect High Priest sits enthroned in the heavens awaiting the command of the Father. “Everything is prepared. Go get your Bride.” The wedding feast of the Lamb is ever at hand. Peter wrote with urgency and warned that mockers would come, forgetting the past, disregarding the Word, denying God and His power, and refusing to believe His Son or His promises. Those of us who believe in His name, who have been crucified with Christ, who know the ultimate end of all who will not believe must not compromise even for a moment. Putting on the full armor of God, we must take a firm stand as long as we have breath, confident that we do not fight alone. The battle is the Lord’s.
““I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.
And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”
John 17:20-21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.17.21.NLT
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.
Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!
Amen.”
Ephesians 3:16-21 NLT
A Fitting Reply 
Amen! Scripture always speaks volumes! Thank you for your diligence and wisdom of the Scriptures alerting all people of Christ’s Love and the urgency to repent. Christ Jesus will come again! You are being faithful to remind others of the Holy Spirit’s power and of His never ending promises. 🙌🙌
LikeLiked by 1 person