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earful
indianabob:
And we will see them again in the resurrection, in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus, in the age to come, here on this earth, here in the garden of paradise that our Lord will create once again for our contentment.
...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10
ez2u:
that is a good
loretta:
Since coming to BT, this is one matter that has bothered me. What really does happen after we die. Ray taught that our spirits return to God for safekeeping until the resurrection and our bodies sleep in the dust, knowing nothing. But how comforting is the thought, or rather the Word, if it be true? Personally, I like heaven, cherub, harps and all. :)
My neighbor passed away recently. My six year old called her chocolate aunty. So I told her that chocolate aunty had died, she'd been sick awhile. My daughter looked sad, then asked, 'what will she do with her house, will she never come alive? She will, I replied. When? When Jesus comes back. When will that be? Soon, I smiled. She seemed to have no problem accepting the truth. Perhaps that's why Jesus said we ought to be like little children if we are to inherit the Kingdom.
I think that if our understanding of the Word is true, it will comfort. Jesus is our comforter and He is the Word.
Dave in Tenn:
Loretta, it IS a comfort to understand death. Scripture likens it to 'sleep'. Think about it...if the dead know nothing, then the last thing we know in life is LIFE...even if that life was diseased, or about to suffer some grave injury, or about to die in some other way. The next thing we KNOW is LIFE again. Even your little girl can understand that. What difference does it make to the dead if they 'sleep' for a few days or a greatly long time? We go from LIFE to LIFE. It's not just those who are alive and remain that will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
Now, I'm not about to go picket funerals or pass out fliers of Rays' paper A Comforting Thought About Death. But the truth of the matter IS comforting...and most especially for those whose hearts are full of fear about Hell and eternal separation. I'll gladly give up visions of fluffy clouds and cherubs to spare them even the remotest pain of religious certainty or doubt that their loved ones are eternally without hope.
loretta:
--- Quote ---But the truth of the matter IS comforting...and most especially for those whose hearts are full of fear about Hell and eternal separation. I'll gladly give up visions of fluffy clouds and cherubs to spare them even the remotest pain of religious certainty or doubt that their loved ones are eternally without hope.
--- End quote ---
You're right Dave. If we were to believe in heaven, then there must be hell too. Fear of hell and eternal separation keeps us from having a relationship with God as we attempt to navigate our own way, ostensibly away from hell and eternal punishment. The Catholics have their sacraments, the Protestants and Evangelicals think they're born again and headed straight to heaven, the Hindus have reincarnation, the Muslims have the holy jihad...
So we must teach the truth as it has been revealed to us.
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