Getting Exicited About The Kingdom

[Rhys 🕊]

I listened to this audio recently and I can't get this 2nd  passage out of my mind. Please read:

http://bible-truths.com/audio/9-2-06MobileConf.5.mp3

There's nothing that says He can't build a kingdom and make it bigger and bigger. But it does say that He is perfect, and He doesn't change. That is the most solid and stable thing we could hang our hopes and dreams on. Our God will never change and that He is already perfect, wow!

And later on:

Now we are going to be part of a kingdom, where there is going to be nothing but prosperity; friendly, health, safety, happiness, welfare, rest, peace, ect., with no end. Pleasures at His right hand and growth into the circle. The reason we're not more excited about this, is for one thing, we don't think about these things. Because they're not real to you, it's sometimes you come to listen to me say and then you go home and just forget about it. You don't believe it is real, something that is just so many years down the pike, that's how close it is.
Like Paul said, "Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed." (Rom. 13:11)

I've been trying to figure out why this has been eating away at me and maybe it's because I just don't think enough about these things. It's like I understand about the kingdom but I just don't think about it all the time. I feel it is real to me but ask myself – yes but how real is it to you. Maybe I am one like Ray says you listen to it then you go home and forget about it.

I feel that there is so many other things that go on in this life that take our time and concerns and of course the problems that constantly come up and issues we need to deal with. I'm sure I could go on.

To be honest it makes me a bit teary eyed this passage. I wish I could be more focused on these things of the kingdom, just not know about it but be excited about it everyday. It seems something that is far off but it isn't.

I wonder if I'm alone on this one. I don't spend my day focused on this. I focus on work and everything else and helping others or encouraging others like I hope I do on the forum.

I think I need to be a lot more excited about this and then I guess I would become a better person. I need to do more what this verse says:


Php 4:8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

I just wonder how you get to this place. I think it would wash away so many other concerns of this life. Thing is I want to be there yesterday yet I find myself confused at the moment. I'm sure God is doing a work in me or I wouldn't be thinking it about it as much as I am.

Seems a struggle for me to be really excited. Is it a struggle for others?

I hope I kinda make sense, just trying to process my thoughts.

Rhys

[Gina]

It makes total sense.  Thanks for the great reminder.  I haven't read that in a long, long time. 

Everyone's at different places in their walk with the Lord.  We're not even walking yet, apparently because as we've been told by Ray, we're not even born yet.  We've only been begotten.  Can a fetus really know and understand all that awaits them when they exit the womb?  No, but they can sort of kinda see light coming through the mothers belly -- when it's able to get through, that is.  (For now, we see as through a glass darkly.)  We probably don't think of these things like this because they truly aren't a reality at the present time.

But we can imagine based on what little we do know.

[Rhys 🕊]

Thanks for that Shorty. I guess it would be great to think more like this. I mean about the things of the kingdom. It might help a lot in getting through this life. Sure is going to be awesome when we are there. 

[Gina]

Indeed.  Man, I think to myself, No more sorrow?  No more tears?  Well just what are the implications of that? 

Have you ever just had your mind blown thinking about it on those rare occasions when God gives you the power to push everything else out that's vying for that prime piece of real estate in our mental condominiums?   I bet you know what I'm talking about.

One thing's for sure, there's absolutely no harm in "thinking on these things."  None at all.  And it feels so good.

[Rhys 🕊]

I think it's quite hard to figure it out in our minds at this time. Mind you even now I'm getting more excited about it. It's like it's good to talk about these things and is something we should do more of because we feel encouraged in our spirit like lifted up and it's just a great feeling to have and to be able to encourage each other with these things.

I get the condominiums bit. I have a $10 million dollar one. Ha ha God's gotta bit work to do in me.

[thewatchman]

You don't get there overnight Rhys, you grow into it. You can't manufacture it. For me it is Christ who captures my thoughts through his dealings and my afflictions. Otherwise my mind would be caught up with the cares of this world. It's not natural for man to think about God because of our selfish carnal natures. We don't naturally choose good.  When I think it's not necessarily lofty thoughts, but deep ones. The cares of the day are enough for me. 

[santgem]

There is a saying............
   
    When we stop demanding to have it all now, we'll discover that we
    have plenty already. Learn to experience joy where we are,
    and we'll experience it in abundance.

[gregorydc]

Rhys,
I believe that a lot of our problems now is our instant gratification, we all have in our lives now.  We get instant "letters" to others of faith, we don't have to wait for days or weeks to see a response from any one else. So I can see why it is hard to get excited about the future kingdom at times. But ,I do know I am, at times allowed to think about things that are good when I am working, it is a wonderful thing to do.
Greg

[Gina]

Lately I have been learning to spot the lie and falsehood in my thoughts - for me it's like overcoming the panic feeling of when you get left lost as a kid (this happened to me once being separated from my mother in a supermarket - sob - but she was freaking out too looking for me) and then I noticed that this residual feeling of panic transferred into how I viewed our Heavenly Father (I guess the 'Left Behind" series on the rapture didn't help much either) All of these negative thoughts and feelings must bow down to the reality of Our Heavenly Father who IS LOVE and He will never fail us or leave us - blows me away

I can totally relate to that.

[Rhys 🕊]

I can see that too Hayley. I enjoyed reading your comments especially that part learning to spot the lie and falsehood in my thoughts. That's something I too deal with especially since being on the forum. A bit like cleaning out the cupboard of all the junk and replacing it with the gems we get from discovering more of God's truth. I guess being part of a process the things of the kingdom become more of a reality. It's that dealing with the carnal man stuff and discovering more and more our place in Him and like Ray says we can hang out hopes and dreams on and knowing that our God never changes and that He is always there for us. I will finish like Ray said wow!

Rhys

[se7en]

Rhys,

I know exactly what you mean. and Heyley, you are so right. I remember getting caught under my waterbed looking for a toy one time... I wiggled under the headboard and then couldn't wiggle myself back out. It's frightening to be stuck with no logical way out. My body started to pump adrenaline though my system, my heart was racing and I could have flipped out and really hurt myself. I know the Lord was with me even at that young age, He gave me the wisdom to stop what I was thinking (hopelessness, i'll never get out) and to change what I thought about the situation. Instead of going into a panic, my body began to slow itself down again and I started to think clearer and wiggled my way out. It's amazing that what we think about effects everything around us!

I think that's what we are talking about... our focus. I'm still fairly new to BT (9 months now?) so I still get extremely excited about the messages I hear Ray speak about or the articles I read over and over just so I can try and understand everything. It's still currently taking me this long to re-train my thoughts to accept and live out truth instead of the other garbage that I had believed for 15 plus years.

I was also reading this book from a psychologist the other day and he was talking about the different studies that have been done about the feeling of "happyness". What caught my attention was the "frog in hot water" syndrome when it comes to being "happy". We get used to things, and we no longer have a sense of happyness in our once new house we moved into. Rich or poor, as long as basic living needs are met, studies have shown that everyone succumbs to the "frog in hot water" syndrome.  To combat it.... once a day for a minute write a couple of sentences about a time that made you feel "happy" or an amazing moment in your life that filled you with wonder or amazement.  The psychologist was saying that there is some type of connection with writing thoughts out on paper instead of just thinking about it.  Basically he's saying the same thing we are talking about in this thread.... What do we choose to focus on? If we stop for a minute a day and write about some of the cool things that our awesome heavenly Father has in store for us.... we may get excited and happy about it

Thought I would share this as a practical approach, I hope it helps?

[se7en]

Oh, guys I have to add this footnote.....

There is this presentation on tedtalks that this guy speaks about for 15 minutes on "the magic washing machine".  Talk about feeling "happy". You will feel so very blessed just to have a washing machine!!!! There are around 7 billion people on the planet and 5 billion people have NO WASHING MACHINE!  They still go down by the creek or washpan to wash their clothes. It's time consuming and hard labourous work. Now I don't think... "Oh, man I have to wash clothes, I hate doing the laundry".... instead, lately, I think "THANK GOD I HAVE A WASHING MACHINE!!! THANK YOU LORD!!!"

[John from Kentucky]

Oh, guys I have to add this footnote.....

There is this presentation on tedtalks that this guy speaks about for 15 minutes on "the magic washing machine".  Talk about feeling "happy". You will feel so very blessed just to have a washing machine!!!! There are around 7 billion people on the planet and 5 billion people have NO WASHING MACHINE!  They still go down by the creek or washpan to wash their clothes. It's time consuming and hard labourous work. Now I don't think... "Oh, man I have to wash clothes, I hate doing the laundry".... instead, lately, I think "THANK GOD I HAVE A WASHING MACHINE!!! THANK YOU LORD!!!"

    Now you're making me feel guilty.  I have all the appliances, but I'm too lazy to use them.  So I've decided to hire a housekeeper.  Which gives me more time to outline the Book of Deuteronomy; which makes being lazy O.K. ?  God just didn't design men to do housework.  Much easier to kill something and drag it back to the cave, and let the little lady clean it up.   

[GaryK]

which makes being lazy O.K. ?  God just didn't design men to do housework.  Much easier to kill something and drag it back to the cave, and let the little lady clean it up.   

You are absolutely correct John.   Don't you feel a bit of guilt.   Lookey>> I found this handy little, but not very often used, verse.   It's paraphrased a bit, but hey, I'm pretty sure I used the correct paraphrasing technique.

Proverbs 12:27   A man of laziness who does not cook his meat shall have a diligent woman perform the roasting.

As a bonus, if you paraphrase this verse enough I'm pretty sure you can get a (your) woman to paint your house, cut the grass, change the oil, trim large trees and general heating and air conditioning repairs.

[GaryK]

I just wonder how you get to this place. I think it would wash away so many other concerns of this life. Rhys

Rhys, I was attempting some light humor with the above posting but now I'll take a stab at being a bit serious.


Mankind is spiritually broken and a complete mess of the heart.  Ray has talked about this much.  Ray says: 'we (mankind) have no integrity'.  In my own heart and mind I believe that is true.  That is, I do now after spending a serious amount of time the last 5 years thinking on it.  So if that is true how can we, as spiritualy degenerate as we are, think on these things of Php 4:8?...this 'pure-ness' that it speaks of?

My own grandmother was as godly a person and as close to saint as anyone could possibly be on this earth but even she loved that front-porch-swing gossip with the girls.

So to what can we compare?   We know nothing about pure, save one.  We can try at it, but we'll fall short. 

Ray has said:

"we don't think about these things. Because they're not real to you."   

I'll add that if heavenly things are true and pure, then, we can't know it in it's pureness now or in it's 'real-ness'.  Not while we're on this earth.   To add, did Paul go to the 3rd heaven in spirit?   He didn't know, how can we?    Ray says in order to experience the knowledge of heat we must know of cold, of light, dark, and on and on comparisons.  Tell me of anything on this earth that we can know that is 'pure'?  Nothing.  Save one.  The one christ.

The book of Proverbs repeats numerous times, many many verses, 'trust in the Lord'.   

But theres's a problem.  Ray also says....and scripture says....

John 6:65

65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."



I'm beginning to believe that we'll never 'think on these things' unless and until he gives us the ability to.........think on these things.  We can try but we'll never really succeed.  We of ourselves can do nothing. 

I'm not trying to be purposely negative but in a way there's no way around it and I believe these somewhat negative words actually re-inforce the positive and that is 'trust the Lord'.

Of all the stuff we think on, of all the stuff we write, of all the stuff we can discuss and debate we are left with something I've personally come to really, really beleive and take to heart within these last five years and that is this:

"Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God."

I've (we've) dreamed, I've (we've) spoken, I've (we've) discussed and I've (we've) debated and it's all meaningless.  What I don't do enough of is 'fear God'.  I have lost respect for him and Ray talks of that too, but I'm coming around to seeing Ray's words about scripture about 'every event under the sun'.  Everything is part of the plan.  I won't gain back that respect and I won't fear until he gives me that respect and fear.

Bottom line:  when he gives it to know him, we'll know pure.  Not a second of time sooner.

I look forward to knowing and understanding the real fear of God because I've come to believe when you have it, the rest will flow like living water.

My simple thoughts have turned into a wall of words which I really didn't want so I'll close with a quote from what I consider to be the most honest thread in all of BT Forum since I've been around (and I've been here for awhile), a real masterpeice of a thread: 




"my answers to your questions and other ramblings"

"There have been a lot of questions lately about what is going to happen in the future, what's next in scripture, what does a word mean, etc. etc

I am going to answer with an answer I can be sure of.....I don't know. 

We can speculate, we can glean some ideas from Ray's teaching and study of scripture but we just don't know.  How can we know?"

and:

"If today God gave us all the knowledge we search for, will it make us more Christ like? A better human? Parent?  Friend?  Does knowledge cause a display of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in us? Or would full knowledge grow our already overbearing egos to gigantic proportions?"

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,14757.0.html[/color][/color]

[Rhys 🕊]

Thanks for that. I like this passage from Ray below. Overcoming issues in my life seems to help and I get more focused on God when I do. I guess it's the tough training that we have to go through which makes it hard to get excited at the time


From: CAN WE LOSE GOD'S SPIRIT AND EONIAN LIFE? . Biblestudy March 2008

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,7047.0.html

"TO HIM THAT OVERCOMES"

No matter how hard these things are they are benefits, all of this doing of this stuff is called OVERCOMING. I have a lot of stuff to overcome yet.

Here is an interesting thing. You live a while and you overcome certain sins. God gives you the victory over them and you feel good about that. Then your conscience is clean, because you can look back yesterday and you know in your heart and mind you were not flagrantly, willingly, willfully, knowingly sinning, practicing sin. You were trying to do what's right, you are getting in the habit and the routine of doing what's right.

Then low and behold you have to do it all over again. How so? God sends a bigger trial, bigger. What happens? Well with the same capacity of spirituality that you had yesterday and was making progress, it's not enough to beat this trial today, it's not enough. If you don't get help from someplace, then you are going down. Is this a secret to any of you? It's like whoa, I thought we were doing pretty good when I wiped out some of those other hurdles, you know (I kind of amuse myself with God sometimes). I thought that was a pretty good victory there. Now it's not some strange thing from outer space, it's the same trials you always have. Paul says;

1Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

These are things that are common, these are common to humanity, they just get bigger. I could deal with that, but now God hits me with this and this amount of spirituality from yesterday isn't going to take care of this problem today. That's what it means when we have to grow in grace and knowledge. Grace trains us, now you've got to grow in your training.

It's like you go to boat camp in army. They call it basic training. Why is it basic? Because what you do the first week gets harder the second week and the third and forth. It gets harder, but you get good at doing the stuff that was hard on the first day. Now they give you stuff that's harder yet.

Low and behold if you should ever want to be an officer. Boy they really put the thumb screws to you then. I use to just hang around the corner in Fort Knox, Kentucky and watch. They would be training officers out on the grounds and I would just watch and I would pretend, could I take that kind of harassment and physical excursion, if I were trying to be an officer. It's pretty tough, pretty tough stuff.

So it's all overcoming. Paul likens this to overcoming and John wrote the first three chapters of Revelation, "To him that overcomes."

Repenting of your past sins, accepting Jesus as your Saviour and receiving God's Spirit does not pronounce you "SAVED." It is not the conclusion of your spiritual life, but rather the very beginning.

What Paul did is called "overcoming," and it's the hardest thing in life to do, but the rewards are high. A few fringe benefits are:

Access to the TREE OF LIFE, which means you will be given immortality, never die again or fear death or worry about death.

You avoid THE SECOND DEATH, which is not only the second death spiritually, but all the judgment and stuff that goes with it. Why? Because you are judged now, if you are judged here you don't need to be judged and condemned with the world later.

You get a NEW NAME, this means a lot of things, but it's like you have to believe in the name and the name is everything that it represents and not just a new name, a better name.

POWER over the nation.

RIGHTEOUS garments, which mean we will be clothed in a perfect attitude, perfect righteousness.

Your new name will be CONFESSED BEFORE GOD THE FATHER.

Made a PILLAR, a mainstay, a vital support in the Temple of God.

SIT WITH CHRIST IN HIS THRONE.
(Rev. 2 & 3)

That's a lot of good stuff. In fact here's a problem with it. It's too profound, we almost don't even meditate on it. See if you could go into some kind of training and after so long you would be like a cabinet member of the president of the United States, you would say that would be pretty neat. You might put up with a lot to go into some kind of training like that, because you would hob knob with the president on Air Force One, that a pretty neat plane. You would meet all the other royalty around the world and so on and that would be pretty good.

Don't you reckon this is a little higher calling then that? It is a high calling! Really high! Probably too high for our spirit to take it in. We're just... oh okay that is pretty cool. But it really is great and I suppose, I'm thinking the further we go in life, if we believe these things, then it becomes more tangible. Not only will we believe them and think about them, we'll start expecting them. Where the King James uses hope the Concordant uses expectation. We will expect it, we'll be looking for it that much.

___________________________________________

That's how I feel too in the last paragraph that it's too high for my spirit to take in and it blows my mind when I think about to too much.

I recall a time when I was praying one night and was standing at the time and I felt a voice tell me to sit down. It was pretty clear so I did. Then from the outside wall of the house I could sense someone walk in and they walked up to me and looked down on me and for the next 30 minutes they were speaking things into my life. I don't know what but I could feel it each time and a change happening. After that they turned and walked away. I tried to stop whoever it was because I wanted to talk to them and for them to stay longer as it was so good but they had to leave.

It was a strange experience but a wonderful one. Something I will never forget. Maybe if I knew what exactly what was being said it would have been too much for me to fathom. So I just go on day by day and as God enables me to deal with my issues. It's a tough process but a worthwhile one. I find myself thinking more and more know that I just have to trust Him through the fiery trial and grow in grace and knowledge.

I have to say I get times when I am quite excited but they seem to be short live. I'm glad they happen as I feel quite encouraged when they do. Perhaps if it was too much I would be too overwhelmed by it all. It's a high calling and there seems much to be done.


Rhys

[Heidi]

"I find myself thinking more and more know that I just have to trust Him through the fiery trial and grow in grace and knowledge."

That is soo true Rhys. It is during these trials that we should be rejoicing because it is teaching us to overcome.  I always ask God for the grace to understand that which He is trying to teach me and the knowledge to help me to apply it so that I can become more like Jesus.  I rejoice when the going gets tough and the tough gets going. 

Heidi
PS my husband and I visit Whakatane last week, what a beautiful city....I love the cliff and town centre, stopped at the south africa shop and bought some biltong!

[Rhys 🕊]

Very true Heidi. Great to hear from you.

Shame I didn't know you were coming here I would of rolled out the red carpet and got some trumpet players in.

God bless

Rhys

[Heidi]

  red carpet hey  he-he-he

[Kat]

Hi Rhys,

Heb 12:1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
v. 2  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

We have a truly "great cloud of witnesses," the Scripture to help in our search for the truth and then to add to that we have the work that Ray has done to help explain these truths to us.

I think what Ray meant about it being 'real,' is that if we truly believe and anticipate being in the kingdom, then it would be on our mind a lot. I mean I think we look at it as something really far off, but it could potentially be very near. If we knew that it was right around the corner that would probably change the way and how much we thought about it.

I think about the kingdom a lot, not because I think I can figure it all out, but because I do hope and long for it and maybe God will help my understanding with a few things.

We just have to do the best we can with what we are given and we've been given quite a lot here and certainly in the Scriptures. As long as we are striving we have hope of making it. Whether it's near or far off, I don't think we can look at this race as a sprint, but more like a marathon, so we have to stick to it for the long haul.

mercy, peace and love
Kat