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Beauty (Part Two)

I have faced some of the worst things in life and viewed the depravity of humanity around the world. As one of the most traveled persons in history, what my eyes have seen, my ears heard and what I have experienced and felt is astounding and profound.

Time and again I have prayed and asked God to erase from my mind the sights and sounds my eyes have seen and my ears heard. I have sought Jesus to restore my emotions and desires and perfect Himself in me. To absorb the evil one is exposed to is to become a partaker. To receive within you the words spoken to you or even to others is destructive.

In this world today it is impossible to escape the exposure to evil and sin. What we must do is to know how to deflect from our personal self the destruction and live with a clean heart and pure mind reflecting God and not corruption.

I tell you I have experienced life on this earth. I have heard the worst words, seen the worst actions and known the horror of what the human heart is capable of. As I have carried the cross on foot around the world and in every nation I have heard the vibrations of the sounds of mocking voices mixed with curses and mockery but I chose ‘Not’ to receive those words into my heart, mind, spirit or soul. Those vibrations do not register ‘In’ me! I just brush them off and make up new words like the people are excited to see the cross and are praising the Lord. I simply reply “and God bless you too’, “Praise the Lord’, etc. No point in e-mailing me bad words because when I see the first words I simply hit delete and praise the Lord.

I am laying the foundation for the columns I am writing.

I have made a choice.

I have chosen to focus on the beauty of life and of God. I have chosen to hear God’s Words about me and not the words of the world. I have chosen to see people through I pray the eyes of God and not through the impressions of TV or the news or gossip our even my own prejudices.

I have made a clear and simple decision to see the beauty of God and people and this earth. I will not let the perversion of what God said was ‘Good’ to be bad or depressing or boring or not exciting.

You and I have both seen enough ugly things, so take a break and let’s explore together the beauty of life, God, people and this earth.

God made a Beautiful World

The Bible begins in Genesis with God making a beautiful world.

The Bible ends with Revelation and God making a beautiful ‘new’ heaven and earth.

Genesis 1:31

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.

Revelation 21:1-4

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth,

for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.

God Himself will be with them and be their God.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

The Bible begins with a beautiful garden with rivers and the Tree of Life.

The Bible ends with a beautiful river and the Tree of Life.

Genesis 2:8-10

The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden,

and there He put the man whom He had formed.

And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow

that is pleasant to the sigh and good for food.

The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden,

and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden,

and from there it parted and became four riverheads.

Revelation 22:1-3

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,

proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life,

which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it

and His servants shall serve Him.

In between the beginning and the end of the Bible is much beauty! It is a love story of God loving a fallen creation and working to restore that which was lost. This is the greatest love story every told or known. It is a love story made in heaven and expressed on earth.

Because of the fall of humanity in the Garden and the entry of evil on earth we can see clearly the Love of God. It is like evil is the black backdrop for the Light of the World to shine even more brightly. One light bulb in a room with a thousand lights is not even noticed but one light in a totally dark room shines bright.

God’s love and beauty shines and shows in this world throughout all history. We just need the eyes to see and the will to focus on the beauty of God’s glorious master plan.

Jesus made everything that is made:

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through Him,

and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Jesus has did not change between Genesis 1 and Revelation 21.

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

There is beauty not only through the pages of the Bible but in the two thousand years of human history since then and even now.

As I write this column I am with my love, Denise, my adorable wife and with my daughter Sophia as we carry the cross in the mountains of Southwestern Colorado. Today I carried the cross past beautiful flowers, green grass and a flowing stream. I could see the high mountains with snow covering them in part. The clouds kept making art work of the sky. The breeze was cool on a sunny day. Some beautiful people stopped to talk and pray and love was everywhere on this summer day. Jesus was walking with me and we talked and fellowshipped. He had me call some friends on my cell phone and it was wonderful. Late this evening Denise, Sophia and I took a swim and frolicked in the water. I came back to the room and am at my computer writing this column. Oh, this afternoon I arrived at the van where Denise and Sophia were waiting for me. Sophia called out ‘Daddy’ as I arrived with the cross. I let her out of the van and she rushed into the grass and flowers to play. It was so beautiful to see her enjoying God’s creation. She picked her Mother some flowers and gave them to her with a big beautiful smile! Oh, how good life is! Sure some days we have to look harder for the beauty but it’s always there.

I wake up this morning and here is Denise and Sophia. Sophia opens the curtain and God’s beautiful light shines in. The road is ahead and we move forward.

“Lord God open our eyes to see your love and beauty and the beauty of others and of your creation.’

Be filled with the beauty today.

Pilgrim followers of Jesus,

Arthur and Denise Blessitt

Luke 18:1