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What exactly is heaven?
GaryK:
--- Quote from: Gordon on May 20, 2011, 12:51:15 PM ---Here's more, all these inserts are from this website, hope this can sum up this topic.
The Kingdom of God/Heaven are one in the same. It is the abode/mind of God in perfect goodness, holiness and truth. It is not a place, but a spiritual realm.
Your identity is your mind that produce thoughts, attitudes, behavior, intellect, awareness, reason, ideas and memory that come into our awareness from our experiences/life. This is an invisible realm, it's our inner awareness/personality... our heaven. When we begin to learn the knowledge of the truth, we are developing the mind of God, the process of being made into His image.
Luke 17:21 nor will they say, "See here!' or "See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
GOD’S HEAVEN IS HIGHER THAN MAN’S HEAVEN
Satan is the god of this world (I Cor. 4:4). Satan possesses ALL the kingdoms of the world (Matt. 4:8-9). Satan appears to the heads of his nations as an angel of light (I Cor. 11:12). It was Satan who appealed to the heaven of Eve’s mind. It was Satan that caused the people to build a tower that would reach MAN’S concept of heaven. The heaven of the minds of those conceiving of such lofty things. It was Satan who caused the king of Babylon to be lifted up in his own heaven, his own mind. Listen to his own words:
God has a heaven. It is a SPIRIT REALM. It is where God lives and has His Being. Men too have a heaven. It is likewise, the REALM where they live and have their being—they spiritually live in their own minds, their own heavens.
--- End quote ---
Good stuff Gordon, that's appreciated and from a personal stand, timely as well. That's heavy stuff, at least to me, and a mind can get lost, quickly, in the thoughts of the matter.
Let the thread keep rolling folks. Interesting veiwpoints here and as Kat has said, it's a discussion, and we're all big boys and girls.
I can see where Marques is coming from and I'm leaning that way myself, however, that said, I think we're all probably in for surprises. But it's a good to read the mind of others.
Mark, this>>>>>>>: "Coming together and sharing with like-minded brethren is a blessing, not a curse." Yes indeed Mark, and so many times I've thought I didn't have the worthiness to even look on scriptures and Ray's teachings. Seeing this kind of thinking from other members makes the return trip here, to this forum, always worthwhile and points a wayward child back in the right direction. Good stuff Mark. ;)
gk
DougE6:
What about the Apostle Paul? Did he not exhibit a remarkable level of "perfection"?
2Co 11:18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
2Co 11:19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!
2Co 11:20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.
2Co 11:21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast of that.
2Co 11:22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.
2Co 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
2Co 11:24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
2Co 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
2Co 11:26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
2Co 11:27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
2Co 11:28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
2Co 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
2Co 11:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
2Co 11:31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
Pretty impressive spiritual resume. The thing is, is one doesn't know what he has, until he is tested. There was some very severe testing there. And the motive has to be right. The motive has to be love.
1Co 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
So how great is your love? Your "perfection" is not really based on your knowledge, but on your love, and how you have proven it.
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