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"Kingdom of the heavens"
Amrhrasach:
"Dear Ray,
I decided to write again. Still lots of questions, but I have been reading the LOF series. I surfed the net tonight for the first time in months to read about hell, and it just makes me angry. All of it. I am frustrated thanks to your site.:-) I am understanding so much, but not everything-well not alot to be honest. I am so hungry to read everything but have to take it all in stride. My question for you has to do with the kingdom of Heaven. Is this only speaking of the kingdom in which the elect will rule with Christ, or that as well as where we all will be after everything is restored.
Are those who follow Him here and now already in that Kingdom, spiritually speaking? I realize this is a broad subject-maybe you have a particular paper on this subject that you can point me to. Whatever help is appreciated. I continue to search to understand. To "see" and "hear". I do not want to be lead astray, lied to, decieved. I want to know and follow the truth. It's hard for me to trust completely in anything right now. It's like I am being stripped of everything I thought was the truth at one point. I am in a quandry-not fun. I ask and pray for peace-haven't gotten it yet. I feel farther away from God than I have ever felt, at the same time I want so much to feel close to Him. My heart aches as I continue to read and pray for peace in all of this.
Thank you for your time.
Seeking Christ,
Beth
Dear Beth:
The "Kingdom of God" also known as the "Kingdom of the heavenS," is God'd domain, where He resides. To the degree that we have God's Spirit is the degree to which we reside in this Kingdom. At present we are merely begotten, awaiting a new birth into His Kingdom. This Kingdom has no end after the physical has passed away. Etc. Too big a subject for an email.
God be with you,
Ray"
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4138.0.html
Would anyone have additional insight into the underlined portion?...., or perhaps point to another email/document that Ray has written more extensively on the matter?
Gary
mharrell08:
Excerpt from 'How Hard is Getting Saved' (http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3849.0.html):
Jesus Christ never converted a person in His whole ministry. It’s just amazing. If you said that in a church they’d be throwing rotten tomatoes at you. But in His whole ministry Jesus Christ never converted one person! Not one!
The 11 second sinner’s prayer… they have not a clue what they are talking about!!
When came around Pentecost time though, a whole bunch of them were converted, about 120 of them. But Christ was leading them up to that. And He’s probably leading some of us up to that.
All these things take a lifetime. We’re going to live "the seals." A third part of the man died... that’s a third part of the man in us that is going to die, a third part of the carnality. God works in increments, He wipes out some of the trees and then He burns some of the grass… what is the trees and the grass? These are all things in us. We have islands, and mountains, and trees, and grass. All of these are belief systems and ideas and doctrines and philosophies of life and all these things. And they are all going to be burned out and broken down and destroyed. All of those seven seals, seven trumpets, seven plagues, they are all things that must happen in our lives.
You say, 'Well I don’t remember any trees being burned down.' First of all, you won’t even know some of it is happening until it’s over. Some of you will remember, I have this in my Lake of Fire Series: “And I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day and I heard a voice BEHIND me as the voice of a trumpet and I turned to see the voice that spoke to me and being turned I saw…” You won’t see some of these things until they are behind you. You’re going to have to look behind you to see where you came from, to see where God has been taking you. Some of us wouldn’t want to live tomorrow if we knew what was coming, you know. Be thankful that you don’t know everything that’s coming. Be thankful that you only have to take one day at a time. You don’t want to know what every day has to hold. Take it one day at a time as God presents it to you.
And there will come a time, when you can look behind you, as I can, and see where God’s been taking you all these years. You’ll see it plain as day. I could sit here for hours and tell you all about it. I can tell you about trees and grass and mountains coming down, I know what it means. It’s all one, all this stuff. Are you getting it? It’s all one thing. Whether you believe on Christ or enter the door of Christ or call upon the name of Christ or accept His grace through the faith of Christ, it’s all one thing. It’s all Christ coming to you, living His life in you!
You notice how many things in Revelation are described as “for a times, time and half a time” - “for a year, years, and half a year” - “for a season, seasons, and half a season” - “for 42 months” - "for 1260 days." How much is 3½ years, 3½ seasons, 1260 days and 42 months? How much is that? It’s all the same! It’s a symbol of something spiritual. I think I can prove, although it’s not as easy as you might think, that Christ’s ministry lasted 3½ years. You know how long that is? 42 months - 1260 days... Why do we have these, why are they in there? Why is that over and over in there? Because Christ lived in the flesh in his ministry for 1260 days, 42 months, 3½ years. He’s going to live that ministry in us!
And that’s why we live these things that take 42 months, 1260 days and 3½ years. And that 3½ years will be His ministry. Maybe it will take 4½ years to live His ministry in us, maybe it will take 40½ years… it’s a symbol, however long it takes. And it’s going to go through this generation of believers and then this one, then this one and on and on because Jesus Christ is, was and will be. He’s not in the past and coming again in the future, He’s here now! And He was here before and He’ll be there in the future, He is, was and will be!
This is just referring to the fact that God works in you, in increments...never more than you can bear.
1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
2 Cor 4:10-11 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
Hope this helps,
Marques
Astrapho:
--- Quote ---All these things take a lifetime. We’re going to live "the seals." A third part of the man died... that’s a third part of the man in us that is going to die, a third part of the carnality. God works in increments, He wipes out some of the trees and then He burns some of the grass… what is the trees and the grass? These are all things in us. We have islands, and mountains, and trees, and grass. All of these are belief systems and ideas and doctrines and philosophies of life and all these things. And they are all going to be burned out and broken down and destroyed. All of those seven seals, seven trumpets, seven plagues, they are all things that must happen in our lives.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---And there will come a time, when you can look behind you, as I can, and see where God’s been taking you all these years.
--- End quote ---
Wow... Wow! I see teh lighttt. At least, I think I do.
Thanks for the great post, Marques.
Amrhrasach:
Thank you, Marques.
Allow me to re-phrase.
It appears based on Ray’s statement (and your posting) that we live “spiritually” in two “zones” if you will, ie: carnal and the kingdom of heaven. That’s what it appears to me, albeit, that assessment may not be correct.
Now, to review the contents of your post it appears that would be a correct assessment, as in, “increments”, “1/3”, “burned out”, “looking back”. Still carnal but moving toward full spirituality as God sees fit.
So we have only a “portion” of God’s spirit at any one time...but not complete until the resurrection? In other words, we’re never truly ever spiritually “converted” while we remain on this earth? And Romans 8:11 would be a spiritual match?
“Rom 8:11 and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you.”
Key word: “dying” (not dead)
Gary
Astrapho:
-Gets OHHHH feeling-
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