Sample 148 - Sample 63, Revisited.

You've probably noticed I posted this scene again, but this is a different picture; I played with the levels and saturation more on this one. 

"And, again I say... In God we trust, because in Christ, we trust. 

'Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.' (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 NKJV)"

- Sample 63, The Beauty In Faith

Christ established faith in us. As Christ is always with us, He develops this faith, and thank God, He is faithful to perfect this faith - He is faithful to finish the work He began in us. God is not a God of unfinished business.

There is no more room for fear. There is no more room for fear of lack or complete absence of progression. The Word says that even the righteous man may stumble seven times but he will keep coming back up. Christ is the reason why we keep coming back up. Christ is the reason we keep on going. It isn't about positive thinking more than it is about Christ-consciousness.

He is with us in the light and in the dark. He knows everything we are going through, He knows our struggles, He knows what inspires us and what drags us down... And though we may have our own ideas regarding the best possibility in every circumstance, we would do well to know that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life - Yes, He Himself is all these things, and before we try to figure out His ways, before we try to think WWJD, we would do well to just remain in J's presence. 

Christ said to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness - Well, I believe Christ HIMSELF is the absolute perfect embodiment of the nature of God's Kingdom ('...peace and joy in the Holy Spirit', per Romans 14:17), and Christ Himself is not just THE Righteousness, but OUR Righteousness. 

I guess what I'm trying to say now is before we try to figure out why that rainbow is there, let's appreciate the fact that it's there. The reasons and the revelations follow. 

It's no longer a matter of us finding Christ's presence. He's the One who's with us. He's the One who never leaves nor forsakes us. He is in us, and we are in Him. Jesus paid it all. Jesus did it all. 

I remember being in a similar state of exhilaration when I saw that rainbow for the first time. Only this time, it just seems so much clearer to me that Christ's love is as uncompromising as it is unconditional, in the sense that it just keeps coming and it never stops. 

Halleluyah! What a Savior!

Sample 71 - Moonset | Starfall (Bauang '12)

Here's a zoomed in crop of the sky, contrast adjusted and run through a noise-reduction program.

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?"

- Psalm 8:3-4

When I think of the sheer complexity of the smallest sections of the atom and the absolute enormity of the sky and the stars, I am humbled. I ask myself, how can our own minds grasp the truths of creation, and how could our own thoughts ever hope to measure up to the infinitely superior intricacy involved in the cell structure of the tiniest of insects, or in the birth and death of a star?

Truly and indeed, God's foolishness (for lack of a better word, I suppose) is far incomparable to the wisest of wisdoms we claim to formulate on our own. We will never be able to comprehend His ways from beginning to end in this life, yet He is so gracious to show in all things that He is reaching out to us to believe in Him... He reaches out to us for us to know that the best thing for us is to just run back to Him!

He is so gracious to guarantee that we can come back to Him, even in all His absolute glory and holiness, in His infinite power and wisdom. It is not by what we do that we are worthy to stay a second in His presence; no, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but would have everlasting life, an eternity with the Father!

It was Jesus Christ who took the judgment for the sins we committed, that those who believe would literally have a clean slate, clear of all guilt and condemnation, made whiter than snow.

I mean, I know I've said this all so many times in the past, but I just couldn't stop giving Him all the glory and praying for His will to be done as I shoot and post photo after photo of His creations... It is my prayer that we all would connect to Jesus Christ.

No matter what we've been through, no matter what we've dealing with now, and no matter what we have in store for us in the future, one truth remains - that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one could come to the Father except through Him.

Choose Jesus Christ today. It doesn't always make sense, but to run to Him will always be the best decision we will make.

God bless you.

_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 70 - A Sign, A Wonder (Arizona '10)

 

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
- Genesis 9:12-17
As I read these passages one morning just a few days ago, I was reminded of one particular 'rainbow' everyone saw when we were in the Grand Canyon. We were on one of the final stops on our tour of the park, when everyone suddenly lifted their cameras, from taking the breathtaking landscape to shooting the peculiar bright colors glowing on the clouds in the sky. I simply had to follow suit.

While I pulled up these pictures I took almost 4 years ago, I wanted to know the exact term for this 'rainbow in the clouds'; after a few seconds of Googling I found out that what we saw was a small section of what's known as a circumhorizonal arc.

I spoke to my girlfriend about what I read in Genesis, and what I shot and we agreed that we are also to be, in some way or form, a sign - a reminder to all of God's faithfulness and love towards us - that when people see us in our own daily lives, they are reminded in one way or the other of how God is faithful and true to His word.

Now that I type this, I remember the days when we just started our relationship. I was literally 'on fire' in telling everyone my story before, during, and after we agreed to be more than just friends. That I was living a life of idolatry, until the Lord brought me through the most trying of valley experiences. By God's grace and in His perfect timing, I came out so much more boldly, declaring that, indeed, those who call out the name of the Lord will be saved! 

I'd love to go in detail regarding this... next time. But this is what I want to say for now. As followers of Christ, I believe we would do well to heed His word in Revelation 12:11, which says that we overcome the enemy by the blood of Jesus Christ, and by the word of our testimony.

The rainbow exists to remind us of God's faithfulness to his word. Let our lives remind all of the same thing.

Lord, by the blood of Jesus Christ and by the power of Your Spirit, use us. Work in and through us, that none should perish, but for all to come to repentance. Take all the glory, Lord! In Jesus Christ's Name I pray, amen!

View in Monochrome:

_________________________

jb.redeemed

email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 69 - Self-Portrait

Mansion House Lake, October 2010

A House Divided Cannot Stand

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."

- Matthew 12:22-30

 

I haven't felt so attached to a picture for the longest time.

Conflict exists in all levels; from the deepest personal thoughts to the highest forms of human government. If not addressed, all conflict leads to desolation, as Christ mentioned.

Introspection may prove counterproductive in the sense that we would see so much conflict in ourselves... But for those of us who believe, we have the option to choose to take what filth we see beneath the surface as a stern reminder of our humanity, and the futility of our flesh. That what we do of our own strength and power is done in vain, and it is God's strength that is made perfect in our weakness.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we would do well to continually call out on the name of the Lord, for His strength to be made perfect in our own personal lives, through all the highs and lows, through times of silence and of great anguish. We are able, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to behold the Lord's strength to be made perfect in our own lives - and, eventually, as we continue to declare God's will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven, we will see the Lord's goodness manifest in our own houses, our communities, our cities, our countries, our world!

Truly, everything will be put in its rightful place, everything will be in order, when we give EVERYTHING to Jesus Christ.

Father, let Your Kingdom come, and let Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

To You be all the glory, and praise, and worship, forever and ever. In Jesus Christ's Name, amen.

_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 68 - Higher Heights Through Jesus (Pike's Peak '11)

Psalm 2

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.”

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.

Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”

“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.

Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

---

Indeed, when we are in Jesus Christ, we are just so blessed. Because of His death and resurrection for our sake, for all to know the Father, what else can we do but to just give Him all the glory?

Despite all our worries, all our concerns for this day and for the rest of the year, let us always remember that God's lovingkindess endures forever.

That we should not be anxious for and about anything, but that we should lift any and all of our concerns to Him in prayer, supplication and thanksgiving - for His peace which goes beyond all human reasoning will protect our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Let us always remember that God loves us, and He loves us with an everlasting love - Though our lives fall short of His grace, by the blood of Jesus and by the power of His spirit we are stepping up, from glory to glory!

Honestly, I have reasons to be worried right now, but I know beyond doubt that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus.

The enemy may try to take us down, but let us always look beyond the darkness, knowing that God's light shines brighter... And He saw the light, and that it is good.

To God be all the glory and praise forever and ever! Indeed, blessed are those who place their trust in Jesus Christ.

Sample 67 - Very Much Alive (Otay Lake '12)

 

Psalm 1

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

1     Blessed is the man
       Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
        Nor stands in the path of sinners,
        Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2     But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
        And in His law he meditates day and night.
3     He shall be like a tree
        Planted by the rivers of water,
        That brings forth its fruit in its season,
        Whose leaf also shall not wither;
       And whatever he does shall prosper.

4     The ungodly are not so,
       But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5     Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
      Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6     For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
       But the way of the ungodly shall perish.


_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 64 - In Pace Requiescat

This was taken just outside the Echo Lake Lodge on the way down from the Summit of Mount Evans. This particular picture (verse and all) was part of a project I had way way back to publish a book. I thought to myself, maybe it's better if I actually started sharing the pictures instead of getting ahead of myself (and ultimately keeping the pictures to myself).

I just came to the realization that the Lord's glory and grace is known in our trials... not only by courage and not with the strength and wisdom we demonstrate, but also in the peace that He gives us. This peace is no ordinary peace, indeed it is a peace that goes beyond all understanding, as it is described in Philippians 4:6-7. 

The grace, the peace that God is so thoughtful and faithful to abound is us - it is far greater than the pressure and distress that a situation, a trial can bring! Though our bodies are trained to 'fight and flight', the peace of the Lord gives us the option to think things through and respond in the best way possible!

I believe this, because I know my heart was pounding and my body was gearing up for conflict when I was recently confronted, but God, in His faithfulness and by the power of His Spirit, led me to say what needed to be said, to do what needed to be done (pray, pray, pray!) for His Name to be glorified. Praise God for these times, and praise God because I know I am blessed, even when I am persecuted and ridiculed for His Name's sake! 

God bless you!

_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 63 - The Beauty In Faith

'Just Another Rainbow' - Sure, we can call this another phenomena that naturally happens when rain and the light of the sun are in one place at one time. However, the Bible says that rainbows are also a sign of God's promise that He will never allow the earth to be completely covered in water, ever again.

 It's time to speak up.

Just because God doesn't do what you want Him to do, doesn't mean He doesn't exist.

My father died even if we prayed, and prayed hard for His healing.

My life isn't exactly what the common person would call fun and cool.

I don't have everything I want. I don't get everything I ask for.

But I have peace. I have peace due to the fact that 2,000 years ago, a Man named Jesus Christ, steadfast before the most trying of temptations, compassionate, merciful before the hardest of hearts, Life dwelling among death and decay, sinless before God and man - this Man chose to be subject to betrayal, arrest, ridicule, torture;

He was perfect & sinless before God & man, yet He suffered as a criminal in the eyes of both God &man - the most painful & shattering scourging, topped off with a humiliating, slow death hanging naked, nailed to a cross - all the while forsaken by God the Father, separated from all Hope, and love, and all that is good... All for us. All so we would not suffer the same fate.

All so we would be saved, because we couldn't save ourselves.

In God we trust, because in Christ, we trust.

We may be emotional. We may come out as fanatical. But above all that the world perceives, one thing is definite: we choose to place our trust, our fate, our future to Jesus Christ. We keep believing because He causes everything to happen for the good of those who love Him. We keep believing because through all that has happened, all that is happening, and all that will happen, we know that God never fails, and that He is good, all the time He is good.

In Christ, there is peace, there is hope.

And, again I say... In God we trust, because in Christ, we trust.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 NKJV)

_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 62 - Flow (A Testimony)

110512

I cannot allow this day to end without sharing how the Lord has been so faithful to me, indeed, even in times when I was absolutely faithless.

A few days ago, I was writing down as usual on my handy-dandy notebook. I wrote two questions. The first question was, "What's your 'win' in your photography?" to which I answered, 'Many people awestruck and inspired by the glory of God seen in pictures/video.'

Recently an acquaintance, a friend I had in Facebook left a comment on what I thought was one of my 'desperation shots' (I.E. The shots I post for the heck of it; caused oftentimes by lack of inspiration or just plain laziness); He said something to the effect that he was inspired (and he really used the word 'inspire') by my photographs. Here I was, not really minding, more concerned about sharing - 'Hope In Sight' had 50 plus 'samples' in - and it was only at this time - on this particular shot - that I received this feedback.

The second question I wrote down was, "What's your 'win' in leading worship?" to which I answered, 'To set and atmosphere of hearts open for the Holy Spirit to minister to.'

A few hours ago, the worship team planned on doing the usual grind when it came to leading the people with song - '2 fast, 2 slow'; 2 Fast Songs and 2 Slow Songs, something I noticed most churches observe nowadays. We sang 'Everyday' and 'By Your Side' (both by Hillsong). I remember being just the slightest bit nervous about leading because I had some minor issues in memorizing the precise lyrics for each song. But that didn't matter as we sang the first slow song - "Jesus, Hope Of The Nations".

What a beautiful song, with such great lyrics! At that moment we were all so into the song - pastors, worship team, congregation - I believe we were all put in place as worshippers before the Lord, singing to the top of our lungs, arms and hands raised in absolute praise... At that point there was no need to continue with the second slow song because I believe the Holy Spirit was there, touching every heart... I got further confirmation from Pastor Poppo, who said that he felt the presence of the Lord, and that it lingered even until the final prayer and dismissal of the people.

I forgot to mention that the same friend who left the timely compliment regarding my photos was there in that same service. You can bet that I was pretty serious when I told him that we should shoot one time.

I mean, it would be easy to look at these two events as just ordinary things, 'another day's work'... But I believe they happened as a direct result of my prayer with Pao at another separate occasion, where I simply asked the Lord that I also wanted what she regularly prays for - For us to see how the Lord works in our lives.

And has He worked!

Last Saturday night one of our core members in the 5pm service - Sister Norma - said she wanted to talk to me. I was quite nervous to hear what she wanted to tell me, only to find out that she wanted to borrow my camera. This was discussed with a fellow photography enthusiast - Brother Nolan - who said he was into it back in the film days, and didn't have the time to shoot anymore. We came into an informal agreement that I would borrow his film camera, and I would lend my DSLR to Norma.

Recently I've been writing on my blog, Hope In Sight, regarding how I needed to bring my writing and my publishing up to speed, considering that the photographs I intend to share are no longer just reasons to brag, rather reflections of my own being, testimonies in their own right. I took the intentions of Sister Norma as signals for me to stop shooting and to focus on what I've already shot.

I was reminded of a shot I took in Otay Lake in Chula Vista, which showcased the white trunks and branches of trees jutting out in the middle of the lake. They were lifeless - no longer trees but mere perches for the local avian wildlife. I discussed this with Sister Norma, continuing by saying that if the blessings I already have are not being moved (or used), they would stagnate and not just be useless on their own but hazardous to everything else in my life. 

A picture of a stream I shot over at the Mt. Evans area over at Colorado came into my mind - A reminder that there is beauty in moving water. There is beauty to behold when blessings move. I remember how Brother Marion told me how it was impressed on him to tell me that I was as a 'wild river' - I'm thinking this is what he means. 

Chromatic Aberration is pretty apparent on the 18-55mm.

Needless to say, I knew exactly why I brought my camera to church that day - to lend it to Sister Norma. I am meeting her again tomorrow with a fellow young enthusiast, Bunjo, to teach them some basics they need to know when it comes to using that wonder of metal and plastic and glass. I remember telling Bunjo about it, saying these exact same words - 'see, a good way for you to know how much you actually know about a certain craft is for you to teach it - and I absolutely sucked in teaching you!'; It's time to step up!

Right now, I'm really into that one part of the chorus in that one song by Hillsong, "Children of the Light":

"The world is Yours, and I know

 everything will find its place

 under Your name!"

I'm writing this right now in an attempt to practice wisdom - as wholehearted as I imagine myself to be it is my intention to encourage whoever reads this to keep their eyes on the Lord, because He really knows how to keep you going in a way so tailor-fit for the edification of your heart and for those around you, for His glory. It is my prayer that we keep pressing on, keeping our eyes on the prize - but not before we testify about these things, about how the Lord puts everything together, how He indeed makes all things work for the good of those who love Him.

Dear Lord, take all the glory and all the praise in my life forever and ever... I love you so very much, Lord Jesus Christ..

_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 61 - Bulb Off, Light On (San Diego '12)

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." -Matthew 3:13-16

Isaiah 36:3 speaks of one Asaph, 'the recorder'; I suppose that keeping records of events had a degree of importance during those times that a person was assigned specifically to make them. I believe it is important for us to record what happens, what is revealed to us, for references to be created, and ultimately, as Christians, for the glory of God to be made known in fullness.

"...Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed..." -Jeremiah 51:8

I do not doubt that a change begins in us the moment we believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. There was a time in my life that I expected change to come immediately after I accepted Jesus Christ with all earnest, but now that I look back at those times, the 'change' I wanted to see was in my own terms, and not God's. 

"Everyone proud in heart is an abomination... none will go unpunished..." -Proverbs 16:5

By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, I see now that there are certain things that needed to be taken away immediately, and even more things that were worked on (and still being worked on) over the course of time, up until now. This ultimately results in us truly dying to ourselves, dying to our sinful, prideful flesh, and giving everything to Jesus Christ. 

"...A throne is established by righteousness..." -Proverbs 16:12

The moment we placed our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we were saved by His blood. His blood continually sanctifies, justifies, and redeems us. While we are still in this world we will never meet up to the standards of an absolutely holy God by our own strength, which is why we should depends solely on the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for our sins. His blood justifies us - not our own actions. We will never be righteous on our own; the righteousness we have comes from Jesus Christ. 

"I have loved you with an everlasting love, with lovingkindness have I drawn you..." -Jeremiah 31:3

I record that before Jesus Christ came into my life, I was a totally wayward soul, and when I placed my trust in Him as my Lord and Savior, I was made a new creation by His blood, totally free from the obligations of sinful nature. Only by the blood of Jesus Christ have I been placed in the proper position to receive the love and grace of God the Father, an everlasting love that literally explodes in me that I cannot contain it. By God's grace am I gracious. By God's love, I can love! And it was all because He loved me first, as seen through Jesus Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascension! 

To God be the glory!

_________________________ 

jb.redeemed

email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 60 - Light Shines Brighter (Brent Baguio '09)

"For You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD shall enlighten my darkness." -2 Samuel 22:29

I just have to stop when I think about all the darkness trying to make its way in this life God has given me, in the relationships He has established, in the household I have been given charge over, in the church He brought me to serve in, in this country and around the world. It's overwhelming to think that the enemy is assaulting us in all fronts, and by myself I can imagine how he comes down like a massive tidal wave against a wooden joke of a boat, barely floating on its own.

Alas, I am that boat, but my God is my anchor! And though the darkness grows darker in these last days, I stand only by the grace of God, by righteousness only by the blood of Jesus Christ, in excellence only by the power of the Holy Spirit in me, for the glory of the Lord, and for His Will to be done!

I will overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of my testimony! God, be glorified up until my last breath! I know You will never leave nor forsake us! In Jesus Christ's Name I pray, Amen!  

"In the darkness, God's light shines..." - Hillsong United, 'You Deserve'

God bless us all.
_________________________ 
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 59 - Comfort

My uncle who I got the 'J' in my 'JB' from is gone. I opened up to my mom about his passing, and I was plenty honest when I said that I was more affected by his passing more than my own father's - and I meant that in the sense that I knew where my father is right now, but I don't know where my uncle is.

I base that last sentence on what Romans 10:9 says. I know my dad confessed with his mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and I am certain that he believed that God raised him from the dead. I couldn't say the same thing about my uncle, but on the other hand, I haven't exactly been hanging out with him as much as I did with my own dad.

I take this all as a lesson for myself and for my family - that we are able to do so much more to reach out to our own blood regarding the knowledge of salvation that comes only through Jesus Christ. We can actually reach out to them in their own afflictions, iniquities, sharing that we have our struggles as well, but it all works out and results in us feeling peace beyond all understanding simply because we have Jesus Christ in our lives.

"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2

Lord, I pray we continue to serve You at the highest capacity. Let Your Will be done. In Jesus Christ's Name, amen.

I miss you, Uncle Joe.
 

_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 58 - Building Blocks (Los Angeles '09)

Best viewed while listening to the SimCity 2000 Theme... in MIDI Format.

Communication restores, builds, updates, motivates, and inspires. Communication is essential for relationships to flourish. Without communication relationships of any sort wither and die. We need to constantly communicate, and our relationship with God is no exception to the rule. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for this line of communication to be made possible for all of us who believe... Are we communicating? Are we pouring our hearts out to the Lord? Are we listening to what He has to say? If not, we don't know what we're missing!

We're talking about talking to the Creator of the Universe here; how can it get any better? My friends, before we complain, before we shut our lips, before we curl up in a ball and waste away... Call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!

Here's a passage, an excerpt from God's Word that kept me sane and in line this week:

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us[a] with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

- Romans 8:26-27

 God bless us all.


_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 57 - Wrath (Benguet '10) (1)

This was from my first time in Kabuyao, Mt. Sto Tomas, Benguet; I was blessed by some good friends of mine by being called to join them during this sunrise shoot.

Psalm 109

New King James Version (NKJV)
Plea for Judgment of False Accusers
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

109 Do not keep silent,
O God of my praise!
2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful
Have opened against me;
They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me without a cause.
4 In return for my love they are my accusers,
But I give myself to prayer.
5 Thus they have rewarded me evil for good,
And hatred for my love.

6 Set a wicked man over him,
And let an accuser[a] stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
And let his prayer become sin.
8 Let his days be few,
And let another take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless,
And his wife a widow.
10 Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg;
Let them seek their bread[b] also from their desolate places.
11 Let the creditor seize all that he has,
And let strangers plunder his labor.
12 Let there be none to extend mercy to him,
Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off,
And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 Let them be continually before the Lord,
That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth;
16 Because he did not remember to show mercy,
But persecuted the poor and needy man,
That he might even slay the broken in heart.
17 As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;
As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18 As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
So let it enter his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,
And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.
20 Let this be the Lord’s reward to my accusers,
And to those who speak evil against my person.

21 But You, O GOD the Lord,
Deal with me for Your name’s sake;
Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy,
And my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting,
And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.
25 I also have become a reproach to them;
When they look at me, they shake their heads.

26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Oh, save me according to Your mercy,
27 That they may know that this is Your hand—
That You, Lord, have done it!
28 Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, let them be ashamed,
But let Your servant rejoice.
29 Let my accusers be clothed with shame,
And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;
Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
31 For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
To save him from those who condemn him.

Right now, with so much happening in my life, with so many trials, I cannot help but get angry; It's hard to 'be angry, but do not sin,' but it is possible; Praise God for His Spirit that aids us, by making intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26). Praise God for the peace that goes beyond all understanding, that protects our hearts and minds as we lift all of our junk to the Lord... He is forever faithful, forever His love reigns! Thank You, Jesus!

Father, let Your perfect will be done for all of us. Glorify Your Name! In Jesus Christ's Name I pray, Amen!

_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 55 - Sentinel (Colorado '08)

"But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it - lest you even be found to fight against God."
- Acts 5:39

Here's something I learned today: Be willing to share as long as what you share is of God's will, and according to His word.

Just sharing. :)

God bless you.


_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 51 - A Clear Path To Follow (Vail, CO '11) (1)

This was taken from the gondola that took us to the top of one of the mountains overlooking Vail, and the glass I needed to shoot through gave this shot some extra blur. Couldn't complain though; the shot looked nice when I played with it as I converted it to black and white.

I liken an achievement as getting from one place to another. You were in one place/condition and you ended up somewhere better.

There can be many paths to get from one place to another. Some paths are less taken than others. Some paths are clearly the best routes to take. It's rare but possible for us to make our own paths to achieve something.

It's easy to fall into the temptation of over-assessing a situation and all the paths to the next step. Something I thought about this morning:

Thinking too much about everything + focusing on nothing = Headless Chicken.

I found out that I can rely on coffee to help out in thinking about everything, but if I'm not focused on anything, frustration can suddenly take over.

Sometimes it's best to let other people go on with their own paths, while we take our time in assessing, consulting when we can, and praying all the way.

That last bit was important. Solomon was absolutely correct in stating in Proverbs 3:6, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."

The quickest and most effective path to take is taken while walking with the Holy Spirit.

God bless you.

 
_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 49 - No Longer Just Wallpaper (Arizona '10)

I'll have to admit, we weren't in the Canyon at the best time of the day, but who was I to complain? Shooting in the Grand Canyon was a great experience, and an absolute blessing! The colors in this shot may be a bit too saturated for some, but there's more from this shoot to follow...

"It's not about where it's coming from, but where it's going. It's not about where you get your power but for who you're doing it for." -Pao

The opportunities I've had to shoot in the Grand Canyon and in other scenic locations in the USA were definitely blessings. There was just one issue.

I had the gear. I'd like to believe I had enough skill. I prayed, and I prayed to the Lord again for creativity and boldness. When I went out there with my family, I usually find myself wanting before, during, and after the shoot.

Then, earlier this morning, while I was having yet another beautiful conversation with Pao, it hit me. I was asking the Lord for His power, love, and sound judgment, sure. But I wasn't doing it for the Lord.

Thank God. Indeed, thank God because though I think I wasted my time, He definitely did not waste His. It took me a long, long yet sweet time to realize this: That it isn't about the gear AND the photographer but it's all about the Lord. I say this in the sense that our desire to serve and praise Him is what gets us stepping forward, and the gear, the skill, the locations, all that follows.

We were created by the Father, saved by the Son, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. God's power is manifested in us through the Holy Spirit.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow...

_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 47 - The Frozen Waterfall (to Vail, CO '11)

So in the previous Sample I said something to the lines of 'Thank God for giving us opportunities to shoot even when the sun is up high in the sky"; Well, thank God for also giving us opportunities even on the road. This was shot en route to Vail.

Recently I've been fighting all thoughts I had about me being in a standstill - that everything I have going on for me is on hold or on pending. I've been fighting these thoughts by rationalizing; I would overcompensate on certain activities that I knew I had ease in executing just to think that I was actually doing something. In short, I was productive on my own terms, and sadly I was satisfied just feeling that I was productive.

It's so good to know the facts of who we are and what we have in Jesus Christ, as mentioned in the Word. Jesus Christ Himself mentioned that it was necessary for Him to go away (to die) in order for the Holy Spirit to be sent to convict the world (see John 14) accordingly. He went on by saying that the Holy Spirit convicts those who do not believe in Christ of their sin, therefore stressing the futility of salvation through any effort and work that man has to put on the plate. The Holy Spirit also convicts those who believe of their righteousness, therefore placing focus on the victory Jesus Christ won over any more obligation we have to our sinful nature.

It's been revealed to me during these past days that any worker despite his or her vocation depends on both tools and skill. A worker who has raised his life to Jesus Christ is not only dependent (and consequently empowered) by just tools and skill, but also by the Holy Spirit who directs him into the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:4).

I've been a Christian working only with my tools and skill, without really acknowledging that I have the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. A Christian who doesn't regularly and constantly acknowledge what can be done with the proper power and sound judgment the Holy Spirit gives is bound for burnout, or like the case of waterfalls in the winter, standstills.

If we yield to what the Holy Spirit has to say to us, and cast aside any other thought that glorifies itself above Christ, then we can hear council that strikes deep into our core, deep beneath the hard surface that some of us have in our hearts. In my case, around a few hours back, I was told in a service filled with the anointing of the Holy Spirit that God had a word for me:

"You have not failed Me."

This spoke to my heart more than anything else I heard today - that though I may be dilly-dollying by my own standards, the Lord comes and says to me, confirms that He indeed makes things happen for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I just have to say that without the Lord in my life, without the Holy Spirit working in me, and without the confirmation of the Holy Spirit working in me, confusion and chaos is inevitable.

So come, Holy Spirit, and continue to minister to us in our lives as we keep on dying to ourselves every day - though there may be times that we may see that the flow we're used to seeing is frozen, help us always to remember that You never waste Your time. Help us to always remember that though we may be seeing ice, that Your Spirit, like water, is still moving inside, in one way or the other. Thank You Lord, for Your revelations. October 21, 2012 is a memorable day for me, for Your glory. In Jesus Christ's Name I pray, Amen.


_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 45 - Solid. (Bauang, La Union '12)

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

Ephesians 1:13-14

In Jesus Christ I have peace, indeed it is peace that goes beyond all understanding. Whenever things happen, whether they are blessing or trial to me, I am constantly ministered to by the Holy Spirit, constantly reminded of that powerful promised that all things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

When I joined the men's group in our church in an overnight outing over at Bauang, we camped out at a beach full of bamboo shacks. There was also this one bamboo shack that was situated around 50 meters off the shore and on the water. Apparently there are people who prefer drinking and/or sleeping on a bamboo house seemingly afloat on the sea.

I say 'seemingly afloat' because I learned from a friend of mine who was there before that this shack has legs that go all the way to the ground underneath. That house isn't just anchored, but grounded.

Grounded. We have a ministry that calls itself 'grounded'. I suppose each and every one of us who makes the choice to walk with Jesus Christ is reminded, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to stay focused on the prize, to forget what lies behind. This means that we should always, always remember that it is not about what we think or do, not about what we have, but it is all about the Lord whom we serve, and even in serving we are empowered only by the Holy Spirit. we are to recognize how hopeless we are on our own, and how all our hope is really on God through Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is what I believe is being 'grounded' in a Christian sense.

What we are blessed to have in this world may be anchors, but it is our relationship with God - made possible by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit - it is our relationship with God that really keeps us afloat and upright no matter how the wind and waves blow against us.

"Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

Ephesians 1:15-23

God bless you.

_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Checkpoint 4.5 - Pahabol (or, 'And it gets deeper!')

There's more that I want to accomplish with my blog besides showing where I've been. I keep telling myself this, and I pray with all sincerity that Jesus Christ is promoted more than anything else in my posts, from concept to shoot to process to post. Father, take all the glory! In Jesus Christ's Name I pray, amen!

Mga kaibigan, hindi po ito pasikatan, inggitan, pagalingan, o pagandahan. There is a message that is communicated with every picture we take. Each and every one of us that has a camera of any sort, whether it be a camera on a cellphone or a Leica S2(!), it is our responsibility to ensure that we deliver the right message every time.

Technicalities may need to be observed. Creativity has a vital role. Providence could be all that matters at times.

But for those of us who follow Jesus Christ and just happen to have cameras, well... We need the Holy Spirit, more so in this craft. In a field so full of people with their own unique and wonderful perspectives, it's near impossible to stand out - but because we have the Holy Spirit, God's presence in our lives made possible through Jesus Christ, we have peace regardless of what our own established standards say.

Zechariah 4:5-7 says it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God that a mountain can be reduced to a plain. I've often heard 'wala sa pana (gear) pero nasa Indian (the photographer him/herself) yun.' Well, I'm led to believe that it is not by our gear, not by our skill, but primarily by the Holy Spirit in our photography that makes every exposure stand out in a way that it gives God all the glory!

It might be a good idea to worship and draw near to God before a shoot, now that I think of it.

God bless you! If this doesn't make any sense at all to you, ask Jesus Christ into your life! :)