Salvation=Meaningless bliss? Thats what the churches teach

[Lefein]

I always put it this way.

God made everything Good, but his purpose is to make everything Glorious.

[Lefein]

Heaven is one of those things that doesn't get touched on often, either in the Bible or in churches.  I know it's been bugging my mom lately, ever since my grandmother passed away.  She'd been fretting about whether she'll recognize her in Heaven, or whether God basically strips us of all our memories and emotions so we no longer feel any personal attachments towards anything.

Relationships are a fundamental part of a person's identity.  God will not dissolve the unique identity of the beautiful creation (you, me, your grandmother, the garbage man down the street) he made, he will glorify them instead.  Relationships will be become genuine, and true; the Kingdom of God is the rule of Truth, righteousness is genuine and true goodness.

You will recognise her, anyone who preaches otherwise has an agenda (like needing to buffer an emotional problem with Hell), misunderstands, or else has a spirit of Fear; God did not give us a spirit of fear.

God put desires in your heart, relationships are amongst these.  Even in the Garden, sinless, and innocent, walking with God unhindered every day - Adam was alone, and so God made for him a helper; the first human relationship was born and it was very good.

As such, until we get there, Heaven is pretty much left up to our imaginations.  For the record, people who have had near death experiences claim that Heaven, or the afterlife, is a very mental realm with unconditional love.

Remember, Heaven is not our home - New Creation is (which includes Heaven, and the supernatural spheres what ever those may be)

All of Reality material, and otherwise is our equal inheritance with Jesus Christ.

Personally, I think Heaven is going to be something along the lines of the Garden of Eden.  This was Earth as God intended it to be, and I think we are going to be restored to that effect.  Animals got along, perhaps even spoke (hey, Eve didn't seem concered over a talking snake), you didn't have to worry about wars, disease, chemicals in the food, and all that junk.  I definately feel that we'll be able to recognize each other, too.

:thumbsup:

Think about it, God gave people emotions, and all those emotions were present before the fall, I believe.  All of them - love, fear, anger, joy, peace, etc.  Some of them simply had no reason to manifest.

Amen.  I once heard that even Guilt is a gift from God; because it drives us to the Cross, but once we go to the Cross, guilt has served its purpose.

Even fear can be an elating joy - if you've ever been startled by someone you love when they pop out of a corner and say "boo". ^^

[Beloved Servant]

Heaven, perhaps, is God's Throne.
God is the Father of Spirits.
If God rules your spirit and He sits on your throne... (!)


Joshua 24:15;
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

James 4:
7; Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8; Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

[jabcat]

Jabcat, "Interesting, and may bear more study, is when Jesus said "the kingdom is within you", He was speaking to the Pharisees.  Another interpretation of that word/phrase is 'among you' - which could mean it's in some, among others?"

I went and looked up Luke 17:21, in about 30 tranlations, most of the early 1800 to the 1900 use the word "within" after that it is "among or in the midst" Rotherham "among" Emp Diag. "in the midst."
For me, I need to re-look at that verse and re-study, it makes a difference in my reasoning. Thanks

Keep us posted!   :thumbsup:

[Ross]

Hi;
Interesting concept is shared in Col 3;3 " For you have died and your life is hid together with the Christ in God,- as soon the Christ, our life, shall be made manifest, then you also shall be made manifest together with Him."

* For you have died is stated and yet we are still alive. Seems to say that we are together with Christ as far as our Father is concerned so much so that He no longer sees the old sinful self but holds us as righteous in Christ. Deepens the meaning of In Christ.

[Nathan]

Amen to that!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Beloved Servant]

Amen.
God is not mad at anyone as He looks through the eyes of Christ.