Your presence is a treasure I am seeking...

I took this picture 2 years ago when we were in Clearwater, FL.  Heaven...that's all I can think about when I look at this.  I believe that God gives us glimpses of what Heaven will be like, even though it's not even a tiny piece of how it's really going to look.  


How can you look at this picture and not believe in God.  That someone so much greater and more powerful could create something as beautiful as this.  The creation of a sunset appears in just seconds.  Imagine how beautiful Heaven is going to be knowing that right before Jesus died, He told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them (and us).  That was over 2000 years ago and even though God's time is not our time, it is still awesome think about how absolutely amazing paradise will be.  We can't even fathom what the paradise of Heaven will be like.  Our minds can't comprehend it.  

This picture of Golgotha was taken while I was standing in the Garden Tomb area.  This is Skull Hill, the site where  Jesus was crucified.   After they took Him down from the cross, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus carried Jesus' body to the tomb and lay it inside.  The tomb is only a meer 100 meters away from the site of Jesus' crucifixion.

                                              

As you can tell, there was a huge line waiting to go inside of the tomb.  The Bible tells us that the tomb that Jesus was placed in was in the side of a mountain, this is why based on area and location of Skull Hill, this tomb was the only place where Jesus' body could have been taken.  Inside the tomb to your right, it is gated off.  This is where they say that the body of Jesus lay.  You can not touch the spot because of the gate, but to just be inside the tomb is amazing.  The door of the tomb has a sign on the back of it that says "He is not here, for He has risen..."  Those words send chills down my back.

I couldn't imagine being in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' death.  With Him being up on the cross and people standing by on the streets, shouting at Him.  It's bad enough to be going through a public death, but to be insulted at the same time, Jesus didn't stand a chance.  Jesus had to rely on His Father's love to get Him through His suffering on the cross, because that is the ONLY way He could have endured the pain for as long as He did.  In the book of John it talks about Jesus' mother being close enough to Him while He was on the cross to talk to Him.  Could you imagine? Watching your son hang on a cross, knowing that He came into the world to die that way.  Jesus was mocked by the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders and after hearing them yell at Him to come down off the cross if He was really the King of Israel, could have have been a temptation for Him.  He could have very easily done just that, but He didn't.  He had to endure the pain and suffering to carry out God's plan.  He had to finish what He started and what He came on earth to do.  He cried out "It is finished."  (John 19:30)  


Jesus went through all of the pain and suffering and literal torture to pay the atonement for our sins.  I mean He knew how He was going to die, yet He still carried out God's plans.  How many times do we not do something because we don't know the outcome OR we do know what the outcome is going to be, which REALLY makes us steer clear of the opportunity.  


I can't even begin to imagine what Jesus looked like after He was raised up and appeared to Mary Magdelene.  I mean she was there during the crucifixion and it was only 3 days later that He appeared to her when she was at the tomb.  She couldn't have possibly forgotten what He looked like, yet the very sight of Jesus, stopped her in her tracks and she didn't even recognize Him.   She was standing there in TEARS over the thought that someone had taken Jesus' body.  She wanted to annoint His body.  She was so thankful for the freedom that Jesus had given her when he drove the seven demons out of her body.  


Mary Magdalene was truly passionate about Jesus and knew that He had saved her from the pit of hell.  She was there when His disciples were not.  She watched the agony that Jesus endured and I believe that He honored that by appearing to Her first at the tomb.  I believe she was exactly where she was supposed to be at that time and place.  She possessed the same attitude that we should have when it comes to Jesus.  She had a childlike faith that allowed her to just obey instead of questioning Jesus.  How many times have we questioned God?  How many times have we chartered our own course instead of letting God handle it for us.  


So many times we forget that this life is not our own.  I'm so thankful that God loves me enough that He would send His ONLY son down to earth to live a short life and die such a horrible death so that I could have eternity in Heaven.  God has given us a free invitation to Heaven's party.  Don't throw away your invite, do something with it.  We are all called at some point in our life.  Everyone goes through a time in their life when they go through conviction.  Jesus is standing at the door of your life and knocking.  Are you going to let Him in or are you going to turn Him away?  


I'm so thankful that I have the opportunity to have a personal relationship with Jesus.  A relationship that can never be compared to anyone or anything in this world.  My heart has changed so much over these past few months and it has only came from God.  My life has nothing to do with me.  Unfortunately, that is the type of world we are living in these days.  A me, me, me world.  


Now is the time to realize that "me" could have never been possible without God.  He created "me" which means this life is not my own.  It's time to obey instead of asking questions.  It's time to get down to business.  In God's eyes, there isn't much time...don't waste the time that is left.  Remember that all of the materialistic things in life are not going to matter when it's our time to give up our bodies.  We will be going to a new heaven...a new paradise.  One that is being prepared for us.  One that will never see darkness again...


Thank you Jesus for finishing what You came on earth to start.  Thank You for Your obedience.  Thank You for bearing the sin of the world on Your shoulders.  I can't wait to worship and praise You for eternity...

You are enthroned above the heavens
The earth and all creation bow before You
You are crowned with strength and glory
The angels crying holy all surround You
For you will stand
Your kingdom has no end

Oh Holy God
I stay amazed
You are so much than words could ever say
Oh Holy God I pour out my praise
On the One who never ceases to amaze me

You are loving beyond treasure
Your presence is a treasure I am seeking
You are all consuming fire I am Your desire and You are mine

Im pouring out my praise on You
Im pouring out my love on You 

"Stay Amazed" by Elizabeth Clark & Klaus Kuehn