PiChron

Inspirational Picture Chronicles

Tea with the King…

View from the Marriot revolving restaurant in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (now closed) - roof of parliament hill - tea pot, tea cups, brown sugar cubes.

Galatians 6:7-8 (King James Version)
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Dear one,

I invite you to join me on this special occasion – let’s have tea (or coffee for the coffee lovers ☺) with the King…

Today, I would like to have one of those “not so popular” chat for many of us.  Not to worry, as harsh as it may sound – it is still all part of Christs’ love for humanity….

Disclaimer: please know that in no way is this write-up meant to condemn anyone, rather, it is intended to lead us into the loving arms of the King of kings…

Our heavenly Father does not want any of His creation to perish in immorality…and we are reminded of this in Proverbs 3:12 (Amplified Bible) – which says – “For those whom the Lord loves He corrects, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”

Now if you as a parent corrects your child(ren); how much more your Creator?…Should He also not do the same?…

Over the years, I have had a few discussions with questions like – “why would a loving God allow so much evil/pain/suffering?” or “why does it seem like evil doers are prospering?”

Dearly beloved, our God is a loving God and truly wants to see us all repent from anything that hinders our walk with Him.  You see, though it may seem like the wicked are prospering – be rest assured that there is “judgement day” for us all.

How do you know this – you ask?

Well, because the Word of God tells me so – Ecclesiastes 12:14 – Amplified Bible
“For God will bring every act to judgment, every hidden and secret thing, whether it is good or evil.” If you read the verse before (verse 13 – “When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person.”) it gives us the guideline to follow before the “judgement” in verse 14.

Now someone may say – “well that is the old testament, and Christs’ love overrides the old testament.” Well, let’s not forget that Christ said He is one with His Father (John 10:30).  Since we know this, we also know that God is Holy and hates sin.  Jesus went on to say – “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” – Matthew 12:36-37 – (English Standard Version).

Our God is patient and kind as He wants to give His children the opportunity to make things right – Romans 2:4-8 (Amplified Bible):
“Or do you have no regard for the wealth of His kindness and tolerance and patience [in withholding His wrath]? Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]?  But because of your callous stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are [deliberately] storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will pay back to each person according to his deeds [justly, as his deeds deserve]: to those who by persistence in doing good seek [unseen but certain heavenly] glory, honor, and immortality, [He will give the gift of] eternal life. But for those who are selfishly ambitious and self-seeking and disobedient to the truth but responsive to wickedness, [there will be] wrath and indignation.”

But – Fear not!…

In as much as sin can hinder our relationship with God – He has given us a way out… John 3:16 (English Standard Version) says that…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

You say – “that’s it? So, all I have to do is to just accept this free gift and believe?” – well, yes!…

But that’s not all…

As long as we are still breathing, we will need to continuously fix our eyes on Christ our “saving grace” – if we want to be victorious over sin and evil…

Be well…

The best is yet to come…

 

***The above picture was taken many, many years ago at a “rotating restaurant” – the Merlot Rooftop Grill (now closed) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada***

 

 

Good Good Father…

Father teaching two boys (toddlers) how to plant. Father and children's face covered with emojis

Lol! So! Let me first of all get the laugh out of the way – and yay! It’s planting season! 😁…

Now this….

John 15:9 (Amplified Bible)
“I have loved you just as the Father has loved Me; remain in My love [and do not doubt My love for you].”

To be honest, I wasn’t planning on doing a “Father’s Day” post – especially since I didn’t do one for “Mother’s Day” 💐….  However, after receiving the above picture – my heart melted 🤗…. so I got permission from the owner to use it for my blog.

My apologies, but to respect their privacy, I had to cover their faces…

There are so many verses in the bible that is fit for fathers.  However, I decided to go with the above as I felt these were encouraging words for everyone…

I recognize that today may be sensitive for some of you out there.  Which is why I wanted to remind you that – whether or not you had a good relationship with your earthly father – or perhaps you never knew your earthly father – or maybe you recently lost your earthly father and are still grieving – or whatever the case may be…

Be rest-assured that you have a heavenly Father who never breaks His promises…

And…

If He says He loves you – believe Him!

I love the picture above as it is a reminder of how our heavenly Father teaches, trains, nurtures, protects, and guides us.

Happy Father’s Day to you “Z” – and thank you for giving me permission to use this picture…

Happy Father’s Day also to all the wonderful fathers out there!

We see you!  We love you! And we thank you!

Be well…

The best is yet to come….

 

Just Stand….

Image of Palm trees on a sand beach Montego Bay, Jamaica

Palm trees at a beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica

John 1:3-5 – New Living Translation (NLT)
“God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created,[a] and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it…”

In the midst of a storm, defy all odds – and be like the palm trees in the picture above.

While writing this post, I found out from my research that there are so many different types of palm trees!  I never knew 😇…I also learnt from the encyclopedia, that there are even male and female palm trees – again, who knew?  In addition, palm trees are considered a “symbol of victory or triumph”…

Ok, that’s it for me on the research part of this great creation…

What comes to mind when you see a palm tree?

Well, I’m glad you asked ☺…  for me, I’ve always been fascinated with the palm tree – and its many uses. I have seen it being used as medicine (healing), I have seen it bear fruit (fruitful), I have seen it being used to build homes (shelter), I have seen it being used for basket weaving or turned into traditional brooms (household products), I have seen it turned into drinks – called palm wine (memories of my #Nigerian roots 😁)….

I am sure there are many other things that could be added to the list above…..but I’ll stop here…

Now, with all of the above from one tree,  you can see why I am fascinated.  I thought to myself – now, if God can put all these in one tree, how much more what He has instilled in us (humans?) I believe that our Creator has given us strength just like or if not more than a palm tree – to withstand life’s challenges – though not always easy for sure…

Many of you out there have encountered, endured, and persevered through extreme hardship which some of us may not have survived.

YET!…You are still standing today!

This! In itself  – is victory!

Dear one, these are challenging times indeed, and I feel it with you! It may not be on the same scale – and I may never know your stories.  However, on this day (1st of March 2023), I just stopped by again to encourage someone.

And…

Even as things fall apart, and you feel there is no way out – I pray that you do not despair, but stand firm! – just like the Palm tree.  Know that the light still shines in the darkness. Cry out to your Creator if you have to, but lift your head up and know who you are – A chosen one!

And, after you’ve done all that you can…. just stand!…

Be well….

The best is yet to come…

 

Ephesians 6:13-14 – English Standard Version (ESV)
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,…”

 

***Picture taken at Montego Bay, Jamaica***

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