YOUR UNVEILING IS COMING!

It was twilight last Friday evening and Jesus and I headed out – equipped with my camera gear and a mind whirling with the excitement and hope of witnessing the predicted rare phenomenon. I say “Jesus and I” because photography is something we do together and that’s a marvelous story for another time.

The evening of May 10 through the early morning of the 11^th marked a historic, and for many, a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon in the night sky. A series of massive solar flares sent wave after wave of charged solar particles slamming into the Earth’s magnetic field resulting in a rare level G5 geomagnetic storm.

Many experts predicted that the light show might be seen as far south as Florida. And they were right. Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights), most observed in the earth’s arctic region and northern Canada hit North America with an unforgettable appearance!

On a rural gravel road in the middle of sagebrush-covered rolling hills near Grand Coulee, Washington I located a spot with a good view of the northern sky.

It was twilight or blue hour – the period after the sun sets and before it is completely dark. I found a little pond that I hoped would make a good foreground for a photo composition. As my eyes adjusted to the low light, I noticed gray streaks across the sky. Wondering where the clouds had suddenly come from, I put my camera up to my eye only to realize the streaks were the Northern lights coming on stage! And they were not showing in the Northeast like normal. Instead, they were everywhere, overhead and in all directions with a strong stream from east to northwest. As the storm increased, they grew brighter. Shortly, the colors were visible to the naked eye. At one point, it got so bright outside I had to turn my camera ISO below 1,000 so the photos did not overexpose. It was as bright as if it had been a full moon.

Here I was, in the presence of Jesus surrounded by the fragrance of blooming sagebrush, the scent of the muddy grasses that framed the pond, and the symphonic croaking of frogs. In that place, I found myself under the most colorful aerial light dance, unlike anything I had ever seen!

I exclaimed – again and again, “Jesus, what are you doing? This is amazing! You are amazing!” In between shots, I joined the dance, jumping up and down, spinning, and shouting “Yahoo!” I was celebrating the Creator, cheering His talent, and honored that I had a front-row seat to His magnificent show!

Around 3 AM Saturday, after visiting several locations and taking nearly 700 photos, I headed home feeling satisfied and overwhelmed by what I had just experienced!

Still buzzing from the excitement, I drifted off into sleep and continued to witness the dancing lights in my dreams.

The takeaway? Well, for starters, these are some of the best nighttime photos I have ever taken. But also, an awareness!

Let me share it with you.

“Creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”

A groaning – deep within me. An unexplainable discontent: an anticipation. Like a global transition is in process and I can’t put my finger on it. The Holy Spirit is speaking, “Be ready. Be patient. Hold fast. Trust me.” Looking toward the future, I feel like I’m walking in the dark and have a flashlight with a beam just enough to see directly at my feet, but no further. I find it difficult to plan or to imagine what life may look like in 5 years. There is so much uncertainty and upheaval.

The groaning is especially triggered when I witness the growing worldwide tragedies of war, violence, injustice, famine, and oppression along with the surge in societal restlessness and frustration. One could be tempted to fear and depression. I have been tempted.

Friday evening, watching the Northern Lights, I was triggered again. I thought of the recent solar eclipse to which much of the secular media gave credit to God. And all the natural disasters and spectacles! Are they on the rise? Will we be seeing more frequent historical record-breaking natural events?

I don’t know about it all, but here’s what I am confident in and this is what came to mind that evening under Aurora:

“For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship]. For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it—[yet] with the hope That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God’s children. We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God’s sons).” ~ Romans 8:19-23 (AMPC)

The entire universe is in the birth pains of labor! As the due date approaches, the labor pains intensify and become more frequent. And what is to be born?

The unveiling of the “Sons [children] of God”! That is YOU, my friend!

Humankind’s sin brought a curse on God’s creation. And it is still suffering under sin’s curse. We who are IN JESUS have been delivered from the curse, set free, and redeemed. We have an eternal relationship with God through Jesus, and His Spirit lives inside of us and us in Him.

WE ARE:

Blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, entrusted, God’s inheritance, we exist for the praise of His glory, we are made alive with Christ, raised up with Him, and seated together with Him in Heavenly places! Loved by God! We are saved by grace through faith. We are His workmanship! God’s worker!

But more is coming. The glorification of our earthly bodies! The consummation of perfect intimacy with God. At the sound of the trumpet and in the twinkling of an eye, our corruptible bodies will be exchanged for incorruptible (heavenly) bodies. Our mortal bodies will be exchanged for immortality! See 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.

We are encouraged in Colossians 3:1-20

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

This is the moment! The grand crescendo! The birth of which all of creation is waiting! The revelation of you in your glorified body alongside Jesus and announced to the entire universe as the precious, spotless Bride of Christ!

The groanings and moanings of creation are about your revelation to the world. The revealing of you IN JESUS! A child of God! Completed to perfection in Jesus – body, soul, and spirit!

The upheaval. The turmoil. The shifting. It’s labor pains! Creation longs and yearns to see YOU in Christ’s glory. In PERFECT intimacy and harmony with the CREATOR! It’s what you are made for!

IN JESUS you are delivered. Now creation waits for its own deliverance, and it will come when YOU are revealed (presented)!

“…because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” ~ Romans 8:21

Your true identity is NOT defined by the things of this earth. It is defined by WHO you are IN JESUS.

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” ~ 1 John 3:2-3

So then, be of good courage.

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” ~ Luke 21:25-28

“Grafikós Aurora”