“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”” Acts 1: 9-11 NKJV
This picture was taken on a beautiful summer day. The blue color of the sky, with the white fluffy clouds and sun brightly shining, was masterfully designed by our Father in heaven. It compels you to look up and you can not help but consider how wonderful He is! Could this be how the sky looked as He ascended? It gives us reason to contemplate.
The season and events surrounding Easter is not just a one to three day time frame. It begins with the forty day period of Lent and continues through Palm Sunday, Holy Week, the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Forty days after the resurrection Jesus ascended into Heaven to be seated at the right hand of God. Then ten days later, the day of Pentecost happened. This is when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus. This also signifies the birth of the Christian church. The Day of Pentecost also ends the Easter season.
We tend to focus mainly on resurrection day, rightly so, however, there is much more to consider. Take the time to contemplate all that took place.
The ascension and day of Pentecost both were a fulfillment of Jesus’ ministry on earth. The Bible tells us in Acts 1:9-11 that He is coming back in the manner He ascended, in the clouds! Be ever so diligent and alert! Jesus tells us He is returning and He cautions us to be watching and ready, for no one knows the exact day, only the Father in heaven. Be ready!
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” Matthew 24:42NKJV
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.” Matthew 25:31NKJV
“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”Matthew 28:6 NKJV
Oh what a glorious day, the day we call Easter, Resurrection Day! As wonderful as this is for us; it was gruesome for Jesus to get to this point. We all rejoice and need to be forever thankful that our God would send His only Son to lay down His life for us. Let us reflect on this and never forget.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” Genesis 1:1. Although we do not know the exact time frame from creation to the fall of man, in the realm of time, it came relatively quick. In chapter one we read about creation and then chapter 3 brings us to the fall of man. This put us in a dire situation, as we now were separated from God due to our sin.
This dilemma was tragic. However, God had a plan already in place. John 3:16 tells us of this plan. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 NKJV
Jesus came to save us and restore us unto Himself. “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NKJV
Therefore, God sent His only son as a little babe to earth for us and He grew and fulfilled His purpose.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:1-5 NKJV
Jesus came, He suffered, He was crucified and died for our sins. Then He rose and ascended just as He said and He is coming back again for us! We are grieved He had to suffer for us, yet we rejoice in His love and redemption. This resurrection day believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Hallelujah!
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if not I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” John 14: 1-3 NKJV
One late summer afternoon I took this picture of the sun, shining through the tree, and it’s light reflecting to the ground, onto nearby flowers. It was a very inspiring moment. I thought about how God is always there guiding us. He allows us to see Himself in many ways. What a comfort this is for us. He is always there shining bright. I thought about the Bible verse where Jesus tells us that “He is the light of the world.”
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV
As we come to this season of Christmas, let us reflect on Jesus and how He came down from heaven to save us, the lost sheep. What an amazing story, actually it is not just a story but an actual event. He left the glory of God and heaven to come to earth, for us!
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16NKJV
God sent us His son, who came as a little babe, into this world to save us all from our fallen state. This is the foundation for us, the beginning. If He never did this we would have no hope. This is our Christmas celebration. However, the story does not end here. Jesus had to complete the purpose God sent Him for. We can continue in the book of John and look at the next Bible verse to see this. John 3:17
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John.3:17NKJV
This Christmas season reflect on Him as the little babe, but never forget that the story does not end there. He wants us to “ABIDE” in Him and glorify Him so this “Good News” can spread to all. His light shines down upon us, dwells in us and permeates us, shining outward to those around. Therefore, share His light this Christmas; for He truly is “The Light of the World!”
Let us rejoice and be glad. Joy to the world! Merry Christmas and God’s Blessing to all.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 NKJV
Be “transformed”, what does this mean? A simple definition from dictionary.com states: to undergo a change in form, appearance, or character; become transformed. Fall is a season where we see transformation taking place in the trees. The leaves are “transformed” in their appearance.
A refresher on the food making process reminds us that as the amount of daylight decreases and the temperature begins to drop, the chlorophyll color of green, breaks down and goes away. When this occurs the true color of the leaves are seen, hence the beautiful Fall foliage from this transformation.
Let us look at what God tells us in Romans 12:2. First He tells us to not be “conformed” to this world. What does it mean to be conformed? Again dictionary.com gives us an idea of what it means to conform. It simply states: to comply or act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc. that a group or society adhere too. The Bible speaks of the ways of the “world” versus the ways of God. The standards of society do not meet the standards that God hasfor us in His word. We especially see our society falling deeper away from God’s ways, where immorality and lawlessness seem to prevail. We are not to conform to these ideas.
While God warns us that we should not conform to the ways of the world; He at the same time urges us to be “transformed, by the renewing of our mind”. How do we do this? When we accept Jesus as our Lord, God sends His Holy Spirit to dwell in us. We have the mind of Christ in us and we are being renewed and transformed to God’s ways. Perhaps this transformation is not as outward or visible as we see with the leaves, however, it is a real and amazing process. It is a character transformation and is done inwardly. However, the change should be visible in our behavior.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20NKJV
God stands strong throughout time. He is our true foundation!
This picture intrigues me. I look at it and see the cross in the forefront, standing strong, with the church behind it. Let’s say the church represents God, although it is just a building it has come to depict God. We also see the cross, which we need to go through, to get to God. This is the only way to restoration with God, through Jesus, God’s only son. Jesus took our sins upon Himself as He hung on the cross with arms stretched out for us. This picture illustrates that for us. In the Bible we read about salvation through Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John.3.16NKJV
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John.14.6NKJV
Jesus tells us in His word, that He will never leave us nor forsake us. See Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6NKJV
Looking at this picture I not only see the cross to remind me of what Jesus did for us, but also how God stands strong. He is always there for us. He is the true foundation that we must hold on to. Again, the above photo illustrates this for us.
There is an old hymn “The Churches One Foundation” written by Samuel John Stone, which is now public domain. Read the lyrics below and prayerfully reflect on them. Help us to not let His foundation crumble.
1 The church’s one Foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; she is His new creation, by water and the Word; from heav’n He came and sought her to be His holy bride; with His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation, yet one o’er all the earth, her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth; one holy Name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued.
3 Tho’ with a scornful wonder, men see her sore oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed, yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, “How long?” And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.
4 The church shall never perish! Her dear Lord, to defend, to guide, sustain, and cherish, is with her to the end; tho’ there be those that hate her and false sons in her pale, against the foe or traitor she ever shall prevail.
5 ‘Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war, she waits the consummation of peace for evermore; till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest, and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.
6 Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won. O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we, like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee.
“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)
When I look at this setting, I am overwhelmed with peacefulness. It takes me to a quiet place, away from all the daily struggles. It was important to Jesus to get away by Himself, as well. He was also concerned for His disciples who were so busy they didn’t even take time to eat.
In the Bible verses below we read about the Apostles going to Jesus and sharing all that they had been doing. We see His response of concern for them in their weariness. Jesus admonished them to go away to a quiet place.
“Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.” Mark 6: 30-32 (NKJV)
This shows us that Jesus clearly considered the condition of His apostles and insisted they go away to a deserted place to get some rest. He knew they needed to be refreshed and renewed to be able to carry on effectively.
In the scriptures we learn how Jesus, Himself, needed time to get away. He would go to be alone, with God, and pray. It was not just on one occasion this occurred, but several times. It was a consistent practice. Jesus would go and pray by Himself before and after a teaching event among the crowds who came to hear Him. See below what the Bible teaches us about this behavior.
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’” Mark.1: 35-37(NKJV)
“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:” Luke.6: 12-13(NKJV)
“However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” Luke 5: 15-16(NKJV)
“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.” Matthew 14:23(NKJV)
We can see a definite pattern here, nothing was done without prayer and supplication with God the Father! 1. He prayed for strength and wisdom before going out among the crowds. See Mark 1:35-37. 2. Before making any major decision Jesus went and prayed. See Luke 6:12-13. 3. In order to be filled before He went to teach, preach and heal Jesus prayed. See Luke 5:15-16. 4. After He was done with a major event He went away alone to pray for refreshment and renewal. See Matthew 14:23.
If Jesus, God’s son, our Lord and savior, had the need to humbly take time and go to His Father in Heaven in prayer, then how much more should we? You don’t have to pack up and go somewhere to do this. Go to a quiet room, go for a walk, go to a park, yes the mountains or beach, wherever you can be calm and seek the Lord. This is the most important part of our Christian life. We need His filling and strength to be effective for Him. If we neglect this we will be walking in our own strength not His. I implore you to “Come away and rest awhile with Him.”
Wow, sometimes the best things come in the morning. A new day, a fresh beginning for us to behold. As I stepped outside, early one morning, I was surprised and delighted to see such glorious beauty in front of me. The fresh morning dew lay quietly upon the roses, shining and glittering for all to see. They were still while receiving their refreshment for the new day. Yes, God cares for all His creation! How much more does He care for each and everyone of us, whom He has fearfully and wonderfully made. Take time today to be still and refreshed by our Heavenly Father and others will surely be blessed as well.
Take time to consider these scriptures from God’s word. Be blessed.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
“ For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)
There is an old hymn, now public domain, called “In The Garden.” Read the lyrics below and reflect on our loving God and Creator of all.
I come to the garden alone While the dew is still on the roses And the voice I hear falling on my ear The Son of God discloses
And He walks with me And He talks with me And He tells me I am his own And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known
He speaks and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing And the melody that He gave to me Within my heart is ringing
And He walks with me And He talks with me And He tells me I am his own And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known
Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. May God Bless you!
“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 NKJV
When you look at this picture what is one thing you can say for sure? Upon looking at it you can definitely say this is an Amish Buggy. It surely belongs to the Amish. What is it then that makes us know and be able to say, “There is the Amish?”They have certain beliefs and live them out through their lifestyle. Faith, family, community and simplicity are important to them. They believe worldliness can cause them to not be close to God. They choose not to use electricity, modern machines, equipment or vehicles. The Amish adhere to modest and distinct clothing, which they all wear. The Amish live out their beliefs, to the best they can, and they do have a unique lifestyle,which definitely gets noticed. They must comply with the Ordnung rules or face the possibility of being excommunicated or shunned. It is a strict lifestyle to uphold. They exemplify the scripture below.
“Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 NKJV
Now the obvious question to us who are Christians is, “How shall they know us?” We also have faith and a belief system. We too believe in God and try, to the best of our ability, to live according to His will as is stated in the Bible, God’s word. Faith, family and community are important to us, as well. We, like the Amish, believe that worldliness is not gain for us, as while we are in the world, we are not of it. God warns us about this.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 NKJV
“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:19 NKJV
We, unlike the Amish, use the advantages that modern technology can offer. When used properly and in moderation they can be helpful in our lives. Our dress, although not a specific dress code as the Amish adhere to, should reflect God’s standards. We look to God’s word to guide us in walking according to His will and ways. If we are Christians and truly believe in Jesus as our Savior, then we do have a responsibility to follow how God wants us to behave. Jesus gave us two commandments, they have become known as “The Greatest Commandments.”
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22: 37-40 NKJV
Our example is not as obvious or outward as The Amish, but more inward, led by the Spirit of God dwelling in us. We have a lifestyle that is unique also. Our behavior should reflect the fruit of the spirit, given to us through His helper, The Holy Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
To answer the question “How shall they know us?”, we need to look at what Jesus tells us in His word. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 NKJV
DO THEY KNOW US? CAN PEOPLE SAY ABOUT US THEY ARE CHRISTIANS? ARE WE LOVING ONE ANOTHER AS GOD HAS TOLD US TO?
The light shines in the darkness to guide the way.
“The Light shines in the darkness, And the darknesshas not overcome it.” John 1:5
We are all familiarwith Lighthouses. I remember learning that the first lighthouse dates back to over 2,000 years ago. They were and are used as navigational aids, helping sailors navigate through the seaways. Many of the early forms of lighthouses were just bonfires set on beaches along the shore. Sadly, over time lighthouses have become somewhat obsolete with the advances in technology. Lighthouses still stand in many places and are a reminder and a comfort to sea going ships, even if they are not technically needed.
This particular lighthouse, in the photo, stands on Lighthouse Point, where The Oswegatchie River flows into The Saint Lawrence River, along The Saint Lawrence Seaway. Although not officially in commission it has been restored by the owner, who lives in the house. In October of 2011 the lighthouse was relit as a tribute to its history. Once again all the many large ships that travel this seaway can see and enjoy the light.
We find ourselves sailing through another year, we refer to it as “A New Year.” It lies before us fresh like a blank book, just waiting for us to fill in the pages, as we navigate our way. There is so much unknown ahead, we surely need guidance to help us.
As the sailor set out upon the open seaways, the lighthouses directed them. They stood steadfast, they were their light in the darkness, marking the pathway and warning them of danger. We, like the sailors, can use all the guidance and direction we can get, as we venture out into the unknown before us. Thankfully, we have God,the creator of all, to call upon. We are not left alone to get through our passage on earth. Do not let Him become past tense.
As I contemplated the plight of the lighthouse, I thoughtfully considered our dilemma in a world where technology takes center stage. Has God become somewhat second place or worse yet, obsolete to us, as our guide. This is a great danger. Has technology, social media, the meta verse, the cloud, with all its capabilities, distractions, attractions and gadgets caused the need for the true light of the world, our Lord, to grow dim? Let this not become the case!!
God tells us, in His word, to look unto Him. He is the light of the world. He is the way maker and He will never leave us nor forsake us, we need to heed His word. Let us regard the following scripture verses.
John 8:12 “ I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (NKJV)
Isaiah 43:16 “Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, And a path through the mighty waters” (NKJV)
Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (NKJV)
Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (NKJV)
Proverbs 3:6 “ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (NKJV)
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (NIV)
Heed His word!! Do not let the ways of the world take the place of God. Do not let His light grow dim in these unsettling times. We need Him even more than ever. Never let Him become obsolete in our lives. He is the only true light of the world. Reach out today, He is waiting.
God sent His son to us as a little babe. A gift beyond measure,wrapped in swaddling cloths.
This is such an important Bible verse. Probably, many of you have it memorized. It tells us about our God, the creator of heaven and earth, loving us so much, He willingly sent His only Son to earth, so that we might have eternal life.
If we turn to the first verse in the Bible we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (NKJV) He made the world, then the animals, then man and woman. See in Genesis 1:31, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Yes, “God so loved the world.”
We see how much God loved theworld, in which, He created. Therefore, one can only wonder why God sent His only begotten Son to earth for us? We seem to forget about the fall of man. In Genesis chapter 3, we can read the account of this tragic event and the consequences of it, for us all.
All creation had sweet fellowship with the living God before the fall ofman. After this tragic event, everything changed, our sin separated us from God the Father. In ourselves there was no way back, we were now lost. However, our loving God had a plan all ready for us. He had a plan to save His creation, whom He loved greatly.
His plan began by sending His only Son to earth. He was sent as a little babe. This was the first step. If He never came it would never have worked. We see in The Apostles Creed, the plan.It is stated as follows:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Now this sums it all up for us. God sent His Son, Jesus, who was conceived by the Holy Spirt, born of the virgin Mary, was crucified for our sins, actually died, and was buried. He descended to the dead, yet on the third day He rose from the dead. He is seated at the right hand of God, the Father almighty. This is also stated in the scripture verse, John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son …” He was sent, He came, He died for our sins, He rose again and is seated with God, in eternal life. It is now up to us to believe in Him and what He has done for us, so we too, can have eternal life with Him. As I said at the start of this blog, John 3:16, is a very special Bible verse.
Look closely at the photo of the sun setting. As it is going down the glow that is emanating from it is reflecting the symbol of the cross onto the river. It is reflecting the color red on the water. I think about the blood and water that came out of Jesus’ side when pierced. He shed His blood for us that we may have eternal life. Isn’t this truly the gift beyond measure? As Christmas is quickly approaching, take time to ponder the depth of this act for us. This is the reason and meaning of Christmas.
1John 5:6 (NKJV). “This is He who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.”
May God richly bless you this Christmas. Rejoice in the new born king.
Denise's Scriptural Photography 