Heaven and Hell are not spiritual places

they are physical places.

Our family has been reading thru Revelation every evening and it’s been such a joy. One thing i noted: Why does God mention that there is Sulphur in the Lake of Fire? And why so much detail about the New Jerusalem, like listing all the different types of precious stone that make up the wall? It’s so that we would understand that there is no such thing as a ‘spiritual Jasper stone’, or ‘spiritual Sulphur’ : for this is physical matter. Sulphur is Sulphur. Therefore, the Lake of Fire has real Sulphur burning in it, like we see in volcanic activity, with its overpowering stench. It IS a physical place.

So a ‘spiritual hell’ and a ‘spiritual heaven’ is a myth.

Many people mistakenly believe that Christianity is a religion

It’s not.

It’s a Father and His dearly loved children

It’s a Shepherd feeding and protecting His sheep.

It’s the Host to a feast and His wonderful welcome to undeserving guests

It’s a Warrior King and His holy army. An army of divinely empowered love.

It’s a Righteous Redeemer and sinners redeemed.

It’s a devoted Husband and His treasured bride.

It’s a Caller and the called, The Chooser and the chosen.

It’s the Sanctifier and His saints.

It’s a pilgrimage to a sacred Destination.

It’s a King and His holy nation.

http://glennchristopherson.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/the-disciples-prayer-part-4-more-thoughts-on-the-kingdom/

(worth reading the whole article)

Praise the LORD!

for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is fitting. The LORD does build up Jerusalem: he gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. The LORD lifts up the meek: he casts the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Psalm 147:1-7

What’s it like to be truly free?

Only the person who is becoming conformed to Jesus Christ, and not conformed to this world, will know. No one else will know. They will not even understand the question.

When Pilate was questioning Jesus, he was looking into the eyes of a free Man. Beaten, bloodied, even condemned to death, but free. And likewise, when the executioner came to chop off Paul’s head, he looked into the eyes of a free man.

We are not to be imprisoned by our mind, or held to ransom by our soul and emotions ; Nor by our past, and the wounds we may carry, or by wrong things we have believed in the past. There should be no chains of sin, nor of bitterness or unforgiveness. We’re not to be held back by what we were.

Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Romans 8:21

Supplications and prayers night and day

Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusts in God, and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 1 Timothy 5:5-6

Supplications means requests. Prayers suggests talking with God, not necessarily a request.

Desolate means isolated, alone, and the pain that comes with that condition.

We are not all widows, but in some sense we are all desolate while living in this world. We are instructed to trust in God. This trust can be expressed in prayers and supplications night and day.

And, surely, all who live in pleasure are dead while they live.

The joy of answered prayer

And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now have you asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24

It’s not a sin to have joy over answered prayer. Makes you want to ask the Father concerning more things. I think child-like asking is the key.

It’s amazing that the Living God would make such an offer to us, as this.

Epidemic of Tangental Thinking

A tangent is a topic nearly unrelated to the main topic, but having a point in common with it. (Wiktionary)

So, Tangental Thinking is when a person thinks their nearly unrelated point is very much related to the topic, or proposition. It has a point in common, but it misses the point. They are unaware that the points they raise in a discussion are indeed tangents.

This thinking is beginning (if it hasn’t already) to define Christian thinking in the last days. It’s rare to meet a Christian who doesn’t think tangentally.

One reason is that the religious system, by virtue of it’s spectator/audience quality, has not trained Christians to think in a sound, logical and coherent manner. When we are “the audience” then we don’t articulate the truth. It’s by articulating the truth of God’s Word that our mind is trained, reversing the effects of sin, which caused us not to have a sound mind.

Are people worth praying for?

If we don’t pray for folks, is it that we don’t consider them worth praying for? It’s good to consider a person’s worth to God. We take the time to estimate and form opinions about people, anyway. If we are going to have an opinion about someone ; if they are “worth” that much of our consideration, then surely they are worth praying for.

The LORD gently convicted me of this today: that there are people i take the time to form an opinion about, whom i don’t take the time to pray for.

My soul thirsts for God

for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:2

When shall we come and appear before God? It won’t be long till we join David there. He got the desire of his heart. He is there now.

The eighth King: watch out for him

…They are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. Revelation 17:10-13

There’s 5 kings (we assume in succession) who have all died. Number 6 doesn’t die (we assume). Number 7 only lasts a while. King number 8 is the beast.

The 10 kings are at first not kings. But they receive royal authority and then hand that authority over to the beast.

A dear child of the Father

Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling fragrance. Ephesians 5:1-2

Been dwelling on the fact that i (we) am a dear child of the Father : A much loved child.

Good to dwell on the facts.

Ecstatic Experiences

“Ecstatic experiences” from the Holy Spirit? It depends on what you mean by “ecstatic.” Give me some Biblical examples.

Let’s take an “ecstatic experience” to mean a supernatural experience : A wider definition than being overcome with joy, alone. E.g. Tongues is often called an “ecstatic utterance” : meaning an utterance of a supernatural source. Here, ecstatic could be taken to mean the supernatural aspect, and not solely being filled with joy.

You’re well acquainted with the NT examples of such supernatural experiences, i’m sure.

Here’s some key words/phrases to punch into your Bible search: “filled with the Holy Spirit”, “prophesied”, “spoke with tongues”, “vision” etc..

Here’s one:
Act 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied.

We could call this an ecstatic spiritual experience, as distinct from merely an emotional or natural one.

With every NT example of the filling of the Holy Spirit, if you asked these people what they experienced, what would they say? I was filled with joy, and love. I met God. etc.. They certainly FELT something. It was not merely an intellectual exercise.

I’m sure some would want to go off on to tangents with these statements. Like, Oh we shouldn’t seek experiences! or feelings! …. i agree. But the issue is, are there genuine supernatural experiences from the Holy Spirit? Yes.

But there are many evangelical leaders who’ve never had any such experience, so they read the NT with a bias, as if anything supernatural today couldn’t possibly be of God and must be of the devil.

(It also should be noted that with every example of a supernatural experience in the NT, NONE were seeking “an experience”)

http://slaughteringthesheep.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/rick-joyner-releases-todd-bentley-back-into-ministry/#comment-8174″

Genuine Faith

When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice; and I am persuaded in you also. 2 Timothy 1:5

Paul notes that it’s a genuine or sincere faith that is in Timothy. This means that there is also a faith which is not genuine or sincere. Paul makes the distinction.

The greatest personality ‘cult’

is the Church of Jesus Christ, for it is all about the Person of Jesus. Lesser personality cults follow lesser persons.

Prophecy News Watch

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/currentedition.htm

To Aussie readers:

The hung parliament has, i think, taken everyone by surprise. I’m praying that God will spare us leaders who support evil. I’m talking about Labor and the Greens. The Libs are mostly not Christians, but they are certainly the lesser of two evils. So i’m asking the Father for the lesser evil.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior… 1Timothy 2:1-3

Paul’s relationship to his readers

(I’ve written on this before)
When we read Paul’s letters, let us remember that he knew the people he was writing to. Like, when we write to our friends, we know what they can understand, and we write in that context. I wouldn’t write a rocket science letter to a friend who had never been to school.

If we consider this, then it’s astounding how illuminated Paul’s friends were. They understood every word he wrote to them. Remember, it’s a man writing to his friends: people he knows very well. He will only write in terms fully understandable to them.

How different today.

The power of the Word of God

2 Timothy is the last we hear of Paul. He is in chains, in Rome, knowing that he is near the end of the race, and he will soon be gone. He has lost most of his former friends, and, to his knowledge, the fruit of much of his work is uncertain. So many had turned away.

Could he have foreseen what God would do with his letters? Could he have foreseen that centuries later a man would invent a printing press for the express purpose of printing his letters and the rest of the Bible, and that it would become the most widely read and most influential document the world has ever known?

Could he have known all this as he waited his execution; cold, lonely, forsaken?

What we can glean from this is to obey God and leave the results up to God, as Paul did. The result will be glory.

Let’s never be shallow people

Shallow people see life as a play that is staged for their entertainment. You are simply just one of the players in that play. To the shallow person, that is your function, to play your particular role in the play, and they are entertained. They see people as being useful to them, or not. If they don’t consider you useful, then you won’t be hearing from them anytime soon.

I’m referring to shallow Christianity. It’s a waste of our life if we simply are being used by people. It’s not real fellowship, or church.

Let’s never be shallow people.

It is God who works in you

both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

Daily, a great encouragement for us is when we are aware that our very life consists of God working in us. Not us working for God, but God working in us. This is the very heart of what it means to walk with God, to abide in Christ.

We should always be aware that in the midst of our daily life, He is working in us to do His will: revealing and doing His will. This way, our life is a continuous unfolding of the will of God being revealed to us, and He performing His will in us as we obey in faith.

When we get up in the morning and we meet with God and commune with Him, our attitude should be: Father, what are you revealing in me today? What have you to say to me today concerning your will for me? What do YOU want to do in me and with me today?

And this is the whole meaning of all the passages in the NT which refer to church life and order, like 1 Cor. 14 and Ephesians 4. It reveals a people who understand that God is working in all His people: revealing His will to all, and doing His will thru all. We come together and share what God is working in us, and revealing in us and doing in us and with us.