Copyright © 2025
The seeds for "After the Cross, the Spirit" germinated while laying out the garden. It was a moving one for many of the garden's visitors with whom it was shared.
When planting I was thinking of the theme strictly from the point-of-view of how it was Jesus' suffering and then death on the Cross which gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit today. Jesus even calls Him "the Helper" in John 14:26.
After the garden was planted, I learned a friend who's an outstanding woman was very sick. When tending the garden, I began to ask God pointless "why" questions, such as: why her, God? She's much better than most of us. Then: why all the chaos in the world? After alternating between prayers and fussing for too many days, two verses came to mind, Luke 9:23, 24. "Then He said to them all; "'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.'" I was corrected.
Have you ever noticed how we often feel closest to God when we're suffering? That's the presence of the Holy Spirit. That's Jesus' lesson after the Cross too. After His death and then 40 days teaching His Apostles after the grave, He went home. Eventually, after our time here, so shall we. Meanwhile, just like Him and His believers back then, we will suffer. But never alone. John 16:7 "'Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I'll send Him to you.'"
Remember- you are not alone. Gardener Lori
The Question I'm
most often asked
when in the garden is:
"Why do I need Jesus?"
I then often hear one of the reasons below as to why the person thinks he or she doesn't:
"I'm a good person- better than most."
"I'm a good person- more good actions than bad"
"All roads lead to heaven."
"I believe in a loving God, not a punishing one."
"I'm too bad to get into heaven!"
The reasons sound... reasonable, don't they?
So why do you need Jesus to get to heaven?
The idea for the Garden began in the Fall of 2005 after a family member died in H. Katrina. The idea grew. The rocks were carved and placed in 2007.
We are not preachers, theologians, scholars or counselors. We love God, read the Bible and garden.
Our website's name, scripturerocksgarden.org is a mnemonic device. One scripture on many rocks in a garden . organized.
The garden is NOT a business NOR 501(c)3.
We do NOT accept donations.
We do NOT have any Church affiliations.
We DO support our mom & pop ministry the same way the Apostles did. We work in our trade and labor in the garden.
Why do we do this? We love Jesus & He loves you. So do we.❤️
About the Garden
Joe's Corner Fall 2025
This internet art really caught my eye because so many folks, even long-time Christians, are feeling very lost or confused right now. Which way to go? In John 14:6 the direction is made very clear. "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way...'"
"The way" can't be any clearer than that. So if you're confused, listening to too many voices saying opposite things? Forget about them.
"Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.'"
Click on "The Rocks" button below to learn why you need Jesus.
Scripture Rocks Garden's 2025 Theme is "Bit O' Heaven"
The theme is from the tale of a man I was blessed to get to meet one Saturday afternoon in late Summer. Tried to edit this story down to fit on the front page, but it was impossible. God helping, as Fall lessens garden duties, will add a new page titled "Summer Themes" where the themes from 2023 and 2024 can also be included.
October''s Bible Readings finishes Kings and moves into 1 Chronicles. The old Bible Atlas has proven to be critical in our understanding of these fast-paced chapters. Once again, we're reminded how thankful we are to be born in New Testament days, and not Old. We find ourselves often commenting to one-another: Where would we be without Salvation through Jesus! We begin each opening prayer of our reading time together thanking God for Him. ✝︎
Garden Theme 2024 "After the Cross, the Spirit"
See All Scripture Rocks here:
After sixty years of silence, I'm sharing "Ray of Light" comment based on Paul's text in 2 Corinthians 12:2.
2. "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven." KJV
Paul is writing about an experience that had happened to him 14 years previously.
How did it happen? After being stoned "to death" he was considered dead so the crowd left. He then had the above experience, about which he so briefly writes.
Why such brevity? Read the passage to find out. :)
For whom is the passage meant? Perhaps for those of us who've either had such an experience (now called NDEs) or witnessed one. We can gain a valuable lesson from Paul's descriptions - no matter how long ago "it" happened, or our age at such an event.
The lesson? The afterlife is real and it's next. It can happen anytime- even in the twinkling of an eye. Are you ready? Following Paul's example, this is all I'll write on the topic.
A Warning: Faith is a choice, not a feeling or experience. Don't let experiences, or lack thereof, corrupt genuine faith. Saving faith comes only from Jesus Christ. Choose Jesus!.
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