12/28/13

From Gary... The Heavens, the Earth and Beyond...























Once in awhile, I look at the NASA website and as I reviewed December's pictures today, two pictures caught my eye.  The top one is from Fairbanks, Alaska and shows how the Northern lights can change over a mere half hour period.  Below that is a picture of the sun, with slices showing how it looks using various wavelengths of light.  These are stunning pictures and to me seem to SHOUT the wonderfulness that awaits our viewing.  But what about the spiritual realm?  We can see how God affects Christians as they continually change (like the top picture) and how their actions in all aspects of their lives reveal the Spirit working in their day-to-day existence (second one).  But what awaits us beyond these things?  Several very, very large books could be written on this, but I would just like to consider just ONE of the myriad passages from the Scriptures that we COULD consider...

Revelation, Chapter 4

  1 After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, “Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this.” 

  2  Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne  3 that looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at.  4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones. On the thrones were twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white garments, with crowns of gold on their heads.  5 Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.  6 Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the midst of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.  7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle.  8 The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!” 

  9  When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever,  10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!” 


This world is a marvelous place, filled with so many wonders that I could spend a lifetime presenting pictures of its magnificence and still there would be untold thousands of pictures to view.  But- to see God in all HIS SPLENDOR and then realize that he loves me so much that HE would DIE for ME.  How could anyone possibly find words to describe these things???  I do not have that ability, but, for today, just think about these things and ask myself: Am I doing everything that I could do to please the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE? Since the answer is obviously,"NO", then, I must do something about it!!!  How about you????