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Heaven
First of all I want to apologize for adding the writing long after adding the photo. I just didn't have the time for the write up. I hope this writing doesn't change your comments which you already added. Thank you.
Something appealed to me when I took this photo and that's because it reminded of heaven (or more of Garden of Eden). It appealed to me not because I know how heaven feels or looks like, but because around the day I took the photo I was thinking about heaven. Here were my thoughts:
What is the advantage of having a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ? Can we say that we now have peace, but before we became Christians we didn't? Well, yes, now we have inner peace that's unshakable and transcends understanding. But we can't say that before we became Christians we never had peace, or at least peaceful moments. Even if it was false peace, such as feeling peace after doing "good works" as if we can please God by our own efforts without grace.
Can we say that we now have joy, but before we became Christians we didn't? I don't need to put a lengthy argument here because we all know that non-Christians laugh, and have sincere joyful moments. So what is the real blessing that we have as Christians that we never had before? Eternal salvation? Yes, but that's after we die. What blessing do we have now that we didn't have before we became Christians?
Then it hit me, "Knowing this wonderful, gentle, loving, wise, powerful, creative God of the Bible: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…is our real and unique blessing". Knowing God the Father is a blessing we can never attain without the Son, Jesus Christ.
Isn't God's presence what heaven is all about? Wasn't this—knowing God personally and walking with Him, and being in His presence—Adam's and Eve's biggest loss of sinning against God and being banished from the Garden of Eden?
Saint Augustine wrote, "Our heart is restless until it rests in you [God]." What is the point of laughter here and there, and occasional false peace if our hearts are not continually resting in Him? And how can our heart rest in Him if we are banished from His presence? All thanks are to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who through His death made it possible for God's just to forgive us our sins and His holiness to look upon us. We are truly blessed to have access to His presence.
(Ontario Place, Toronto, ON; summer 2009.)
Heaven
First of all I want to apologize for adding the writing long after adding the photo. I just didn't have the time for the write up. I hope this writing doesn't change your comments which you already added. Thank you.
Something appealed to me when I took this photo and that's because it reminded of heaven (or more of Garden of Eden). It appealed to me not because I know how heaven feels or looks like, but because around the day I took the photo I was thinking about heaven. Here were my thoughts:
What is the advantage of having a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ? Can we say that we now have peace, but before we became Christians we didn't? Well, yes, now we have inner peace that's unshakable and transcends understanding. But we can't say that before we became Christians we never had peace, or at least peaceful moments. Even if it was false peace, such as feeling peace after doing "good works" as if we can please God by our own efforts without grace.
Can we say that we now have joy, but before we became Christians we didn't? I don't need to put a lengthy argument here because we all know that non-Christians laugh, and have sincere joyful moments. So what is the real blessing that we have as Christians that we never had before? Eternal salvation? Yes, but that's after we die. What blessing do we have now that we didn't have before we became Christians?
Then it hit me, "Knowing this wonderful, gentle, loving, wise, powerful, creative God of the Bible: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…is our real and unique blessing". Knowing God the Father is a blessing we can never attain without the Son, Jesus Christ.
Isn't God's presence what heaven is all about? Wasn't this—knowing God personally and walking with Him, and being in His presence—Adam's and Eve's biggest loss of sinning against God and being banished from the Garden of Eden?
Saint Augustine wrote, "Our heart is restless until it rests in you [God]." What is the point of laughter here and there, and occasional false peace if our hearts are not continually resting in Him? And how can our heart rest in Him if we are banished from His presence? All thanks are to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who through His death made it possible for God's just to forgive us our sins and His holiness to look upon us. We are truly blessed to have access to His presence.
(Ontario Place, Toronto, ON; summer 2009.)