THE END OF OUR WORLD IS NIGH AT HAND !

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"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” 1Jn 2:15-17

I had to laugh at this below, taken from Preston Eby's latest writing. The last paragraph just slayed me. Oh, how we used to fast and pray when things in our world, were finding their death. Nothing like a good ol' religious fast to show God we were serious. Yes, we were serious alright, but oops, we found One that was more serious.

But, hey now, lets not get serious, let's get dead ....... let's get dead to the old world within us. Most importantly, our death is His work. It is His hand at work and we will neither, stay it nor remove it, until there be the total dissolution of our old heaven and old earth. In return, by the same hand we are lifted from the ashes into a new heaven and a new earth, which be our Resurrection, which be Christ. Let us know, from start to finish our death and resurrection is God's work, a work of grace. Day by day, we die a little more, and day by day, we are raised in proportion to our dieing, until Christ be All in All. In this we can REST.

Enough said, let's read a little Eby and discover something of this passing world of ours:

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (I Jn. 2:15-17). The “world” is here discovered to be just three things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. That’s the whole inspired definition! The world is really in the heart of man! It is man’s lust after, and pride in, the natural, physical, corruptible, valueless, transient things of earth instead of His love for God and things spiritual and eternal. John says that these three things are “ALL that is in the world” or the sum total of everything the world is. And the most interesting thing of all is that everything the world is — is WITHIN US!

........ We always thought the end of the world would be quite a dramatic event. Let me tell you something. The end of our world is indeed quite a dramatic event! Once our heaven and earth pass they are gone forever, they are not coming back. Go and fast for forty days to get them to come back. They still won’t show up! "
Eby

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Breakfast With Mom

Center: Mom (Hope Mills)

This past month has been filled with peace regarding my future days in this earthly realm. I do understand how precarious things are becoming and can’t deny God is on the move to very possibly wrap things up. In spite of my natural inclinations to try to prepare for all eventualities, I find myself almost unable to care.

Last weekend after considering several articles on swine flu, listening to speeches from the current government summit and partaking of numerous articles meant to make us wake up to what is happening in America, I threw up my hands and said, Lord it is certainly all out of control. So, I decided to go to the beach....lol My thinking was this fall sure could be a turning point for this sorry old world. If so, I would sure like to smell and feel the ocean before the storm hits……lol

The Lord woke me up early the next morning and reinforced that we should have a day at the beach…..I enjoyed the thirty minute drive to the Harbor House Café where I spent almost two hours reading from Lettie Cowan’s, “Streams in the Desert”…….. I found her book last year while sorting through some of my mother’s old things. Most of the pages were underlined and some had small notes in her handwriting. It seemed everything I read impacted me, as if mom and I were having breakfast together, sharing different parts of our life. I cried several times almost unaware of my surroundings. Yes, we both had come to understand, late in life, that God is in charge and that his plans are for our eventual GOOD. Regardless of the pain we each suffered. Finally, spent on the thoughts of our mutual struggle, my mind cleared of any lingering forebodings. I finished my beach adventure free from care.

This morning I found this by John Gavazzoni in one of Jan Antonsson writings…it drove home last weeks thoughts and reinforced my peace.......He wrote:

Gavazzoni~

"Daring to extrapolate the full implications of Jesus' statement,"Without Me, you can do nothing," I reached the conclusion years ago that the point of intersection of the sovereignty of God and the collective believers' subjective state is an intersection of the Father's decision to act, and our fully recognized state of utter helplessness until He does.

"I expect to see indication of the impending, final, consummate move of God in an accelerated realization of our poverty of spirit; that is, of having no autonomous spiritual resources in ourselves. As long as we imagine that God is awaiting our facilitating of His purpose, we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are not, in fact, spiritually bankrupt in and of ourselves and bereft of any ability to contribute to the doing of God.

"Nowhere are we told that we are to be God's helpers, but rather, "God is our help in time of need." But we must face how great our need is. Does the Lord simply step in to add His strength to ours? Is that the meaning of the Lord as our Helper? No, certainly not! He is the Helper of the utterly helpless, not of those who merely need Him to supercharge their efforts...

"There is no positive place in the administration of God for joint-enterprise; no place for, 'If you will do your part, God will do His'; 'God helps those who help themselves'; 'God is waiting for you to......'; 'You need to let God....';'

"The Lord has granted us in Christ a noncontributing, fully participating partnership in the fulfillment of His purpose for man for His glory, a glory that He freely gives by grace to us without any element of meriting the same. Thus, nothing can substitute for a good dose of failure to qualify one for this mode of participation. The world exalts those whom it judges to 'have the right stuff,' but it is very apparent in scripture's record of the history of the men and women within whom God worked, that their preparation for service brought them, not to a place where they said, 'I'm ready, Lord; I've got the right stuff,' but rather, if I may paraphrase a rhetorical collage of their combined attitude: 'What, me? You've got to be kidding, Lord. I don't have what it takes'." End Quote.

John has given us another excellent way to understand that everything we have and do is only by God's grace: "Grace is the gift of Christ, who exposes the gulf which separates God and man, and, by exposing it, bridges it." (Barth)

Love you and pray his keeping grace grows until we are aware it has no bounds, in our precious Lord Jesus……..
Joian

IT'S GOING TO GET HAIRY

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Ha ha. I bet you thought I had a message on the events of the world with such a title.

No my freinds, I'm talking about, being pretty much house bound these days and needing something to do. These gentlemen have inspired me!

If the blogs are slow coming you know where all my energy is going.

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IS GOD GOOD ?

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As believers, the basic dilemma we are ever confronted with, can be simply identified in the question, "is God good?"

Joian's and my friend Roy, aka Reb, is a saint of God that has suffered greatly in this world. Still, with every correspondence, I have ever received from him, Roy would find a place to share the three words, "God is good." If it wasn't in the message it was in the salutation. I am not much of one to mimic others, but with Roy's example, I hope to follow suit.

Beloved, if God has come to you with a great trial of faith, it is that you might understand God is good. 'Tis the great paradox of the Kingdom ...... we come to know the inexplicable goodness and love of our Father God, through the experiencing and being delivered out of tribulation. This speaks even to the whole of our lives, trodden out through a fallen world.

For a surety God is good, even to the sacrificing of His only son for us, in the greatest trial, any has ever known or even imagined. In this God sets the standard of love. It is one thing lay down your life ......... yes, it is one thing, to lay your own life on the altar, but it is altogether another thing, to give up your child's life as a sacrifice. Who amongst us doesn't love our child more than our self. So it is, that all that is dear to us must eventually find it's place, given unto God, because we believe one thing above all else ...... God is good.

Joian coined the saying, "It's his life for ours. We die, he lives, and then the mystery is that we live again."
So it is the same with our children and to believe that for their lives, certainly is much harder. I personally, know what it is, to come to the place, of actually believing this concerning my two precious children. Oh, the angst, the agony and the unbearable pain I suffered before I finally came to the realization, God is good ..... God is good enough, even for my children.

Dear sweet reader, have you given all to God? Have you like our father of faith, Abraham, placed upon the altar even the promise you thought was yours? Precious brother, gentle sister, all that you have, must become His. To realize this, is the path to peace, an endless life and God All in All.

Friends, Joian sent this video to me this morning. We pray it moves you to know in greater measure, "GOD IS GOOD"

For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in Him may not come to destruction but have eternal life. Jn 3:16



Note: For an embellishment of this message we have an
older blog titled, "EVERYMAN A CROSS"

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CHARADES OF A DIFFERENT SORT

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Thought, maybe to give you a chuckle after dealing with the serious matters in the previous blogs.

The E-mail message I sent to my friends and family yesterday:

I am tired of being cooped up.
I am finally going out with my oxygen cylinders .......... thought I would walk at a snail's pace with a slump while barely dragging my tank cart and I will tap along with my five foot walking stick. Hopefully, some pretty young thing will feel sorry and want to assist me with my cart, upon which I will straighten up and with my rod in hand, crossed at my chest, I should look quite impressive rather than handicapped. To the gawkers, I will lift my sunglasses while I explain in a sophisticated accent, "I don't breath the common air." lol

While I was sending the E-mail above, my daughter was experiencing her own charade of sorts:

Throwing all humility aside, let me say, my daughter Erin is quite striking as is also her dog, "Petunia Pickle." Where ever Erin and Petunia go as a couple, people stare. They also want to pet and know about the big white dog, a pure bred American Bulldog.

So yesterday, Erin decides to try a new method of giving Petunia exercise. She will take her dog for a run while she rides her bike. With Erin riding, leash attached to the bike, Petunia runs at her side. Erin thinks this is too wonderful. She further deduces this will be a great way to give Petunia her exercise, as she can ride rather than walk, or run. Who would have thought this could be so grand!

As it would happen, Erin and Petunia pass in front of a restaurant where the patrons are outside dining. Of course all eyes are caught by the pretty girl riding the bike with the awesome dog, running beside her. I mean this is a beautiful picture. Then the unexpected takes place.

Seems, in front of the restaurant was a pole, and yes, when the tethered together Erin and Petunia came upon it, Erin went around it on one side and the dog the other. Erin flies over the handle bars of her bike and Petunia does a back flip as the audience gasps. Erin gathered herself and checked her pup. When she saw they were no worse for the wear, the blushing Erin bowed to the then, laughing patrons.

My embarrassed daughter told me, that was the last and only time she will ever do that!

Below is a pic, of Erin and the one year old Petunia Pickle. It was taken this summer when they paid me a visit. I like everyone else, fell in love with the Pickle. Although dumb as a bag of rocks, she is the sweetest and friendliest of dogs. That said, I'll be darned, if I didn't get left behind to babysit the dog on the fourth of July. Petunia was terrified by the booming fireworks and the only place she felt safe was in my bed next to me. It was a long night because this dog likes her head on the pillow!

Erin and her Petunia Pickle

Erin, after a walk up the town ski hill, just a few blocks from the house. The Tetons are in the background.

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WOULDN'T THAT BE HEAVEN ON EARTH ?

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Dear sweet reader, have you like me, had your inspired plans and dreams dashed. Well, our Good Lord appeals to us, not to lose heart, for He giveth and He taketh away and then He giveth back anew, with the fullness of Life, Love and Glory. Following are some gems I have gathered on my journey. I pray you might see a bit of your reflection, which is His reflection, in some of the facets of these jewels. I have mixed in a few thoughts of my own.

At the turn of the last century, Adelaide Pollard was a toiling itinerant Bible teacher. She believed God wanted her in Africa as a missionary, but she was unable to raise funds to go. In an uncertain state of mind, she attended a prayer meeting, where she heard an elderly woman pray, “It’s all right, Lord. It doesn’t matter what You bring into our lives, just have Your own way with us.” At home that night, much encouraged, she wrote this inspired hymn.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.


From early in my walk, I had no desire to follow the rising bright stars of Christendom. I speak of the lauded preachers and evangelists, that played to the largest of crowds. Something in me told me, these stars would burn out long before they reached the celestial heights of God's throne. Instead, I desired only to share a cup of of coffee with a hidden away one ..... even a lonely widow woman that had learned in her solitude the power and glories of prayer. Surely, it shall be these that seem as forgotten, who will rule and reign in the Kingdom come. May we seek His reward deferred and prefer, today's deliverance upon others.

Blessed is he whose faith is not offended,
When all around his way
The power of God is working out deliverance
For others day by day;

Though in some prison drear his own soul languish,
Till life itself be spent,
Yet still can trust his Father's love and purpose,
And rest therein content.

Blessed is he, who through long years of suffering,
Cut off from active toil,
Still shares by prayer and praise the work of others,
And thus "divides the spoil."

Blessed are thou, O child of God, who sufferest,
And canst not understand
The reason for thy pain, yet gladly leavest
Thy life in His blest Hand.

Yea, blessed art thou whose faith is "not offended"
By trials unexplained,
By mysteries unsolved, past understanding,
Until the goal is gained.

Freda Hanbury Allen


For who could ever explain the Love of God, only realized through ideals and hopes rescinded and suffering given in return. J Preston Eby comes, oh so close with this anointed poem. Might we realize the Cross of Christ is the very Tree of Life.

Yes, I was living to myself was dead:
Self with its hopes and dreams was all I had;
But soon the Lord fulfilled my prayer to know
The power of His cross ’twas death below.

I asked contrition He sent me pain;
For purity but anguish came again;
I asked I might be meek He broke my heart;
I asked I knew not what the better part.

I asked to know what death was to the world,
And quickly all my living hopes were spoiled;
I asked to be like Him His image bear
He placed me in a furnace, sitting there

Like one refining silver, till He see
The reflex of His image bright in me.
I asked that I the daily cross might bear,
It lacerated me the wounds I wear;

I blindly prayed, not knowing how, nor what,
He took me at my word it mattered not.
Then I began to shrink from following near,
And well-nigh prayed Him to depart through fear.

To suffer was not pleasing to the flesh,
I feared to pray lest suffering come afresh;
But I had gone too far on I must go
The virtues of His cross had pierced me through.

In me His promise now fulfilled must be
Suffer with me, and you will reign with me!
Ah, I had only heard of love but now
I feel it, Oh! I feel its living glow.

He fastened on me such a look of love,
Withering to self tender, all words above;
Follow I must, whatever may betide;
I love the cross I shelter in His side!
Eby


Surely, as He is so are we in this world. And as we are so is He in this world. His wounds are ours and ours His. So identified we are with our Saviour His shadow becomes His very being. We once followed, walking behind Him but now we walk as One. As a follower of Christ we once walked where He was, now we walk where He is.

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot or side or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land.
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star.

Hast thou no scar? Hast thou not wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers spent.
Leaned me against the tree to die and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed me I swooned.

Hast thou no wound? No wound, no scar.
Yes, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole. Can he have followed far
Who has no wound or no scar?
Eby


My brother, my sister, from deep within my oft broken heart, I believe, somehow, someway, many of our dashed dreams, that seemed so surely given of Him, shall be realized in another time and another place. Wouldn't that be Heaven on Earth?

“God’s purposes are so vast and glorious, beyond all guessing now, that when they are achieved and consummated, all our sufferings and sorrows of today, even the agonies that nearly break our faith, the disasters that well nigh overwhelm us, shall, seen from that fair country where God’s age long dreams come true, bulk as little as bulk now the pieces of a broken toy upon a nursery floor, over which, thinking that all our little world was in ruins, we cried ourselves to sleep.”

Dr. Leslie Weatherhead (a Christian Universalist)


We never ask for suffering, however, we know it cannot be avoided. We eventually learn for sake of the Gospel and the increase of the Kingdom suffering can be embraced.

These promises below are yea and amen for the Kingdom has come and will continue to come until the last man knows no death, nor pain nor sorrow. Your children, my children and their children's children shall all follow in His footsteps and our footsteps until we be One in Love.

"Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation..." Hebrews 5:8-9

"Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" Luke 24:26

"For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings." Hebrews 2:10

"Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a man has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." John 16:20-22

"Those who are victorious will come from Mount Zion to rule Esau's mountain. The kingdom will belong to the LORD." Obediah 1:21

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.'" Revelation 21:3-4

Saint of God, should your plans or dreams have been thwarted, or you feel broken and discouraged today, I pray this message brought you some solace and hope.

John

BLAME TURNS TO JOY

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I was on a trip, when I heard my best friend and brother in the Lord had committed suicide. This death was the proverbial last straw and it left me crushed at the side of road, in tears so great, I could not see to drive. I had just gone through a divorce, and suffered my two young children being torn away from me and taken to a city, hundreds of mile away. I had been serving God the best I knew how but these sad occurrences were just too much. After crying a storm I actually got out of the car and lifted my fist to God and shouted, "THIS IS IT! ........ NO MAS! ..... I AM FINISHED WITH YOU! Even then, long before I would understand the whole of God's sovereignty, I knew who to blame.
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Twenty something years later l found out, although I was finished with God, He was not finished with me. He took my blame and turned it to joy.

In our last blog I shared a word on how God, in Christ, suffering as our scapegoat, even says to man "blame me. He says, "Blame me for your plight, brought about by the sinful flesh and the fallen world I have placed you in."

As far as "blame", some might think that in the way I have used the term, I might have taken a bit of liberty or exercised hyperbole. With this in mind, I would be remiss if I didn't share the progression and end of the matter.

All our shortcomings are but the acts of walking in a suit of sinful flesh that God placed our spirit in. Upon realizing our futility, which is never made more evident than in severe trials, we begin to enter into the real battle, which is our Armageddon. Understanding God's sovereignty, we initially blame Him for the trials that engulf us. I mean come on, who hasn't murmured and complained to Him as His hand seems to weigh so very heavy upon our body and soul. With this we wrestle Him, and this match seems to go back and forth. One moment we have peace and the next angst. The Victor, never in question, wears us out and then He overcomes us. He overcomes us and takes His place over the trial and within us, as Christ on the throne. This overcoming is of course progressive, with many diverse trials to follow. Slowly, we learn to find peace and joy even in the midst of darkness as we identify with our beloved Saviour. In this trial to trial cascade, we come to realize Christ is becoming the All, in All. We start seeing Him in ALL our situations and more importantly we are realizing that He is becoming ALL that we are. With this Divine work, the soul comes to an IN-STILLed knowledge, that all God does is reckoned for our good. And tribulation and trials can be encountered with joy, for by them we know we are not little unforgotten bastards running free but disciplined sons of the Almighty and overcomers in the making.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials"James 1:2

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2Cor 12:9

"This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Neh 8:10

And don't anyone tell me they can pull up a real joy out of their own self! Joy, held in the midst of a trial, like all things is God given. This joy it is not giddy and rarely is it emotional. Instead, this joy is deep and still ....... peaceful. It is truly a joy unspeakable. Who could ever come to such, save it be given of God through that which we call "faith" ... the "faith, born of Christ and not of our self." Truly this is the path of realizing God, All in All and entering into His rest.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
Heb.12:2-6


O Lord, IN-STILL within us the grace to "give up and let God." Jesus, grant us Your joy as we embrace Your cross, which is our cross. And Lord, even help me to walk more surely in all that I write.

Jack


Note: For a fuller understanding of this message you might want to read these previous blogs that explore "Christ, as our scapegoat"
http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2009/09/god-in-christ-blame-me.html

http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2009/04/economics-of-son-embracing-jesus-as.html

http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2009/05/economics-of-son-embracing-jesus-as.html


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GOD IN CHRIST SAYS, "BLAME ME"

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Please allow me to share the story of my introduction to God's sovereignty and my futility.

Some years ago I was praying and I was cut to the very core of my soul. I was beside myself with grief for the way I had raised my children. I just knew I had done them irreparable damage by my sins, more sins of omission than commission (IE. neglect). I was a complete puddle and when my pain became almost unbearable, God spoke to me as clearly and as tenderly as I have ever heard Him. He said, "you couldn't have done anything differently." In my heart was awakened a knowledge of my futility. " Whoa, did that change my tune, and yes, my theology also.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom 8:1,2

A few weeks following my epiphany, I would be led to call my son, with whom I always felt a bit of an estrangement , and I believe he with me. This, even though I mostly raised him as a single parent. I told Tyler, I had come to see him in a new light , I was proud of him and I would be in his corner no matter what. Because I had often been a scolding hard task master, I spoke to him about my negativity and asked his forgiveness. The asking of forgiveness was for both of our benefit, with unity the goal. A few weeks later, Tyler wrote a wonderful letter reminiscing different events we had shared. He ended by telling me how he thought of me as the best father a child could have. Today, I can joyfully report,we have a most wonderful relationship. I no longer impute sin against my son, even knowing he still lives under the law.

Let me add, that I also began to see my father, who was lacking in many a parenting skill and quite abusive, in a different light. Miraculously, I seem to have aquired a bent to see only the good he did for his children, which I have at times found myself tearfully appreciative. Such is the way of love for me.

Now, some years later, I believe I have been granted a deeper understanding of God's sovereignty and man's overwhelming futility. The following is a part of that which I am seeing. I pray you and I can get a hold of this, as it goes a long way in helping us love not only our neighbor but our enemy.

He was despised and rejected by people. He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces, and we didn't consider him to be worth anything. Is 53:3

The veil had been rent and Jesus had played out the drama of the innocent scapegoat right before our very eyes. Here is the holiest, purest, most spotless man that ever lived. What does the world do?
Blister Him,
Blast Him,
Bruise Him. *

He was the outcast of all outcasts; this Son of God. This Jesus, who opened not His mouth, took upon Himself the role of the despised scapegoat as people kicked Him, mocked Him, reviled Him, spat upon Him and finally killed Him.

Through the ages this world has known a thousand Gods, but there is only One that came to rescue man as an innocent scapegoat. As a scapegoat, He came, to carry away all of man's abuse, all of man's angst and the whole of the burden of man's sin. For Love's sake, the Creator became an outcast within His own creation. Surely, only by grace and on bended knee, might we ever even begin to fathom this!

And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. Isaiah 25:7

God, in Christ Jesus, stooped and became man's scapegoat. By His atonement, He not only becomes our scapegoat but He says, "I am responsible, blame Me." As always a paradox in the Kingdom; here the blameless One carries the blame. And while Jesus carries away from us the blame, He brings to us in return, justification. salvation, sanctification and resurrection. By and through His justifying, saving, sanctifying, resurecting life we are delivered from self blame and condemnation wrought by the law of sin and death. This is the "hope" birthed even before the foundations. Even before the world was created, Christ died to give forth to us His Life. As we realize this we return to Paradise, our home.

"Creation was subjected to frustration but not by its own choice. The one who subjected it to frustration did so in the hope." Rom 8:20

In summation, it is God that placed man in sinful flesh, this sinful flesh that ever frustrates man. He is responsible for the purpose and plan to frustrate and humble man by the same. Owning up to this, God, through the demonstration of Christ Jesus suffering the cross, not only takes the blame but in addition He also humbles Himself and suffers as, for and with you and me.

Jesus suffers as man .... Jesus suffered for man .... Jesus sufferd with man .... Jesus even suffers man today ..... For the cross and the love of God know no bounds of time nor space.

Oh, what a Saviour, what a Worthy Priest, what a Servant King , is our God in Chrsit and our Kinsman Redeemer!

John

*(Ravenhill)

NOTHING TO GIVE

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Blessed are thou, O child of God, who sufferest,
And canst not understand
The reason for thy pain, yet gladly leavest
Thy life in His blest Hand.

Yea, blessed art thou whose faith is "not offended"
By trials unexplained,
By mysteries unsolved, past understanding,
Until the goal is gained.

Freda Hanbury Allen

So it was this week I spent some time on a forum where most of the participants, although Universalist, espoused "free moral agency" and the belief that "evil" lays outside God's utilization and creation. We had a good debate concerning the above mentioned issues, as these guys were good thinkers and well versed in the Bible. Anyway I wrote a forum post today which I somewhat transcribed into a message for the blog. I pray you find something to contemplate or maybe confirming in these words.


God All in All
"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." Isa 45:7

From a practical and relative point of view, which makes up the realm we now reside in, we do not see all things under His feet. Our vision of God All in All is lacking, as there are still enemies about, including death, which we know to be the last foe conquered. However, from a positional perspective(throne room view) God is, was and always will be All in All. Let us understand, that we are living in only one set of dimensions of time and space and in God there are many dimensions even beyond our time and our space. I enjoy reading of the physicist and cosmologist scratching there heads, as they realize there are multiple dimensions, beyond that which we observe on earth. Their formulas tell these scientist of worlds unseen but frustration sets in when empirical evidence is found to be impossible to garner. Such are the ways of an infinite God whose ways are past finding out.

He breaketh in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, And setteth others in their stead. Job 34:24

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Rom 11:33

Brothers and sisters, if we are to walk deep in Christ, our eye must become single and we must learn to see His goodness in all that He brings into our lives. God becoming All in All, first begins in our understanding. Then the more we see HIM, the less space there is for "self" to occupy. God must give a vision, that we will have eyes to see that not only do all things begin and end with Him, but all that transpires in the middle, serves His purposes ....... purposes, which are always moving toward a good end.

The High and Holy Circle of God
"Who is in the LORD's inner circle and sees and hears his word? Who pays attention and listens to his word?" Jer:23:18

Please note, I certainly don't understand all of why God allows all that He does. And I do get discouraged on occasion but where can I go. When I turn left He is there and when I turn right He is there. I cannot escape Him and He has shown me how helpless I am without Him. I have come to the place where I have nothing to give that is not His already. Thus I must escape my self and enter into the circular realm of God, where the Father glorifies the Son and the Son returns the favor. And as it is with the Son in this holy circle, so it is with the sons within the Son, which are you and me. This high and holy realm is surely heaven and earth met, for the Son is Father outside the eons and in the world Father is the Son. Oh what a mystery is this glorious Christ of ours. And to think we are one. Not only one with the Son but one with the Father.

"In His preparing the heavens I am there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep" Prov 8:27

Nothing to Give
We have nothing of our selves to give God, so complete is our futility. Thus, only Christ within can make an offering of Himself to God. Lord help us to rest, that we might know true communion of Father and Son.

Who of us has ever given to God, that God should repay us? Whatever is under the whole heaven is His. "If you are righteous, what do you give to Him, or what does He receive from your hand? The Omnipotent One ever humbles us when He asks,"who has given to Me that I should repay him?

Brethren, for a surety He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. To Him also be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Dear loved ones, if He hasn't already, may He soon bid you, come up hither to His throne that you might hear every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, sing in chorus, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

Tis such a glorious and holy thing, this Hitherworld, of which we are bid to come.
(Rom 11:35, Job 44:11,
Job 35:7,Col 1:17,
Rom 11:36, 1Pet 5:11
& Rev 5:13)

MY STORY
“The Lord works out everything for His own ends." Prov 16:4

Yes He does and because God is Love, all that He does, is purposed in Love. I have buried a baby, faced cancer, had all my earthly possessions stolen, and now live at the end of an oxygen hose and I know, all has been done in Love to lift me to Him and His Kingdom where there is never loss nor corruption. If things on this earth were always well with me, I should never have desired Christ, a Heavenly City nor His Kingdom come. It is sometimes so very hard to see, through the tears of sorrow, but I know all He does worketh for good.

Allow me to close with this message I found this morning in an old file. I don't know the author, but it beautifully and succinctly echos my thoughts above.

"Spiritual death belongs only to those who suffer calamity, and then cannot see God in control of it. By faith you must face apparent failure, and in tears declare that the incident is God’s love for you. This is the supernatural strength of a warrior Son."

His blessings and peace to you,

Jack

Note: These "free will/sovereignty" debates can stretch on, seemingly forever, so today, I begged off this forum discussion. I thanked all the participants and lastly noted, I once held to a belief in free will. Then, I suffered a terrible crime against me, by another man. I was about my way, to shoot this terrible evil fellow, when God told me He was responsible. I put the gun away and it was then, I began to really know and love God and His children.

Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Jn. 19:11

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NUGGETS OF PRECIOUS GOLD ...... "An Outrageous Parable"

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I enjoy trading thoughts and also discovering the same truths as my brother and friend Florian. If I know anything about Forian, he is always pulled back to the basics, and the simple truth of "Christ Jesus, crucified and made a saviour for you and me and all that dwell on this earth." My brother like myself, knows something of the never ending discussions and debates over the terms "resurrection", "eternal life", "life after death" and "the here after". No one ...... and let me state it emphatically, no one knows the whole truth behind these subjects!

So when I read the last paragraph of this author's message, where he utilizes a bit of hyperbole I thought of Florian. Robert Farrar, the writer of the message below, concludes:

"I don't believe in resurrection. I don't believe in eternal life. I don't believe in life after death. I don't believe in the hereafter. Those are all opinions. I simply trust Jesus that He will deliver to me as He rose from the dead, He will raise me. Whatever that means, however it works, I trust Him because in His death is my reconciliation and in my reconciliation is my joy in Him."

Lest you think, I might have ruined the message by revealing the conclusion let me say, this is some darn good writing and I believe you will enjoy and be edified by the thoughts of this talented wordsmith.
Jack


"The Pharisee and the Tax Collector"
Let me lay out for you the story, Jesus' parable, of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus says, "Two men went up to the temple to pray. One of them was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector."

You must remember that a tax collector was a crook. He was a person who was a Jew but he worked for the Roman government. He had a franchise, an area in which he was entitled to collect taxes. He was told by the Romans what he owed them. Anything else he made over and above that was his to pocket. The tax collectors were despised as turncoats and so on. So Jesus has set you up. He has sent in the Pharisee who was one of the most respectable people in Judaism of his time and He has sent into the temple with him this tax collector who is a mafia-style enforcer, who is a bad apple.

The Pharisee stands by himself and he prays and he says, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people. I am not a thief. I am not a rogue. I am not an adulterer. I am certainly not like this tax collector over here. I fast twice a week. I give away a tenth of my income."

That is his speech. He goes on interminably like that. Then the tax collector says (he won't look up to the heaven; he looks at his shoe tips), "God be merciful to me a sinner."

Then Jesus says, "I tell you this man (the tax collector) went to his house justified rather than the other for all who exalt themselves will be humbled and all who humble themselves will be exalted."

That is the story. Like all of Jesus' parables, it should carry a warning which is "this will be hazardous to all your previous opinions about how religion works and how God works." Jesus' parables are designed to outrage the hearers and to shock and to show how God has stood almost all of our values on their heads.

What this parable is about is not, as it seems to say at the end, the virtue of humility. The Pharisee's problem is not that he is showing off. It is that he really believes that his stack of good deeds is enough to save the world. And he believes it is enough if only everyone else would do what he does -- that is enough to save the whole world.

What God really says in Christ is that human goodness isn't good enough to do this trick. Human goodness cannot reconcile the world. Basically if the world could have been reconciled by good advice from God, to which human goodness would respond, the world's problems would have been solved ten minutes after Moses got down to the bottom of the mountain with the commandments. Everyone would have read the commandments and said, "Oh, yes, of course," and the problem would have been over. The trouble with the commandments is the commandments are fine, but no one has ever paid much attention to them.

The law, the commandments, are efforts at morality, humility, spirituality and, above all, are efforts at religion, are efforts at trying to do something that will get us right with God. All don't work. Therefore God, as Jesus speaks of Him, doesn't risk trying to save the world by human good behavior. The Pharisee's mistake, therefore, is not that he is saying something that it is just proud or a little bit arrogant, but that what he is saying is dead wrong. His goodness is irrelevant to the problem that he is talking about. Therefore, God says that the tax collector who simply looks at his shoe tips and says, "I'm no good," is justified. Now, why?

The point is that this parable is about death and resurrection. It is not about morality, spirituality or anything else. It is about the fact that both the Pharisee and the Publican (the tax collector), are dead ducks. The Pharisee is a very high class kind of dead duck, but they are both dead as far as being able to reconcile with God is concerned. The point about all of this is that the reconciliation God has in mind for them is totally dependent on their death.

Jesus came to raise the dead. He did not come to teach the teachable; He did not come to improve the improvable; He did not come to reform the reformable. None of those things works. Jesus taught His disciples for three years. They never caught on to very much at all. God has been teaching the world for a millennia. The world hasn't done anything much about it. The tragedies go on. The lies go on. The nonsense goes on. The twaddle goes on. All the things that are wrong with the world go on. They are not amenable to talk. They are only amenable to action and, therefore, Jesus came to raise the dead -- meaning by deadness, you in your deadness, the Pharisee in his deadness and the tax collector in his deadness.

Now you ask yourself a question. Do you like that parable? Of course, you don't like it. The point is that it violates every sense you and I have about the fact that we really are basically doing fairly well. If only other people were as nice and considerate and as wonderful as we are, the world would be a better place to live in and God says, "No. That will not work." It can't be done that way. It can't be done by people who think they are winners. It can only be done by people who are willing to admit they are losers and then who are willing to trust God in the death of their losing to do it for them, to deliver them the gift of a reconciliation with God.

Again, I ask you the question. Do you like that? Once again the answer is no you don't like that because here is this terrible tax collector who is really a monstrous character and probably rubs salt in everybody's wounds. He drives around in a stretch limo with a case of Chivas Regal in the back of the trunk and several very expensive call girls with him at all times. He has just been skimming the cream off his neighbor's milk money. The point is that the Pharisee is no less dead than that dreadful character.

So I want you to turn the parable around a little bit. Just imagine what it is like to see how the Pharisee is so wrong. Imagine God sitting in the temple at a golden card table in a golden chair and in come these two characters. The Pharisee comes across the temple and God is very busy. He is creating the universe out of nothing. He is holding the stars in their courses. He is reconciling all the generals in the Pentagon and the street walkers in Times Square and the drug addicts asleep in doorways. He is making the hair on my head grow, slowly at this point. He is doing all these things and He is very busy.

Up comes this character, this Pharisee, and he whips out a pack of cards and he does a couple of one-handed cuts and an accordion shuffle and bridges them and fans them out for God and says, "Pick a card. I want to play cards with you."

God folds the deck back up and He says, "Don't play me."

So the Pharisee says, "No, no. I've been very lucky lately. Let's play Black Jack."

He deals God a king and an ace and God pushes the card away and says, "Look, I don't want to take your money. You can't play with me. The odds are always on the house here and besides, no matter how full you think your deck is, you haven't got a full deck and you can never win playing this game of cards with me. So why don't you just be like that fellow over there who is looking at his shoes and the two of you go over and have a free drink and enjoy yourselves because you can be home free here if you will only stop this nonsense of trying to sell me, trying to win over me, trying to get an arm up on me, to do something to me to prove that you are okay. I don't care that you are not okay. I will raise you from the death of your lack of okayness. I will raise you up. Just trust me. That fellow over there, all he said was he was no good. He threw himself in trust on me. He's home free because all the dead are home free in my working of the universe, in my reconciliation of the world. All you have to do is recognize that death is the key to your salvation."

Now you ask yourself the question, do you like that version of the parable? Again, you still don't like it. I'll prove you don't like it. Suppose the tax collector goes home justified. All right. You want me to bring him back a week later. So, I'll bring him back. The first trip back, the first week after this original experience, will bring him back with no changes in his life. Same stretch limo, same girls in the back, same expensive scotch and he comes in and he goes through the same routine. He looks at his feet and says, "God, be merciful to me. I am no good."

What will God say to him? Well, in the way Jesus told the parable, God will say the same thing this week He said the week before. He will say, "This man goes home justified because he admits he is dead."

He didn't tell him the first week, "You are justified but don't do it again." He said, "I have raised you from your death. You trust that. All right. Go in peace."

The second week with no changes, the same thing. Do you like that version of the story? No. You don't like that. The rat is getting away with murder. So I will do something else. I'll give you a second version. Bring him back yet the third week for another trip to the temple, but this week bring him back with some change in his life. That is what you are itching for me to say, I think, that you want me to say something that he really needs or change his way, mend his ways at least a little. All right.

So we bring him back the third week. We'll bring him back. He is not driving a stretch limo. He is driving a Hyundai. He only has one girl in the car with him and he is drinking cheaper scotch and giving the difference to the Heart Fund.

Why would God listen to that list of two-bit improvements when He wouldn't listen to the Pharisee's list of really respectable virtues, a really solid citizen? The thing you have to ask yourself is, "Why are you itching to send the Publican, the tax collector, back with the Pharisee's speech in his pocket?"

The answer is we fear salvation that is so cheap that it saves everyone in his or her death. Death. Death of sin, death of disaster, dead of grief. That is where God works. God works in the losers of the world. He works in all of us. What it means, the reason we fear it so much, is that it means in the long run that death is catholic. Death is universal. Death gets us all, and if death is the only ticket anyone needs into the reconciliation in Jesus and if everybody has that ticket, then God has no taste. God is vulgar. God is indiscriminate. God is immoral. He lets in Hitler because He forgives Hitler's sins. He does, in Jesus. He lets in my brother-in-law. He lets in me. He lets in you. All we have to do is believe it, not earn it.

We have a God, in Jesus' proclamation, a God who couldn't get a union card in the God union, who couldn't make it because we have set up the rules for God. A God has to be a punisher; a God has to be a judge; a God has to be a respectable God. He has to do all the things that enforce morality, and God doesn't. On the cross, in Jesus, He drops dead to the whole subject of sin and shuts up about the whole subject of condemnation. It is over. As St. Paul says in the beginning of the 8th Chapter of Romans: "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."

Therefore, this parable is about death and it is about the resurrection from the dead. The point is that death is all of the resurrection that we can know now. The most important thing is that we believe in Jesus. The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and they will live.

I don't believe in resurrection. I don't believe in eternal life. I don't believe in life after death. I don't believe in the hereafter. Those are all opinions. I simply trust Jesus that He will deliver to me as He rose from the dead, He will raise me. Whatever that means, however it works, I trust Him because in His death is my reconciliation and in my reconciliation is my joy in Him.
Robert Farrar

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THE STILL SOUL

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"For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His." Heb 4:10
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NO MISTAKES IN GOD
The "fee will/works theology" is a strong barrier standing before our rest. The belief in "free will and works" is such a terrific burden to dispel, as the carnal soul ever wants to participate in it's own salvation. Even though my life is laid at Jesus' feet, still on occasion, I catch myself thinking, "if only I had or I should have." Forget for a moment, the utterances of "I will".

There is a better way that many of us, who live surrendered lives, are realizing.
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Alas, we have discovered, when we came to Zion, there are no mistakes in God. We do, what would be considered by some, as some pretty dumb stuff, even as we grow up in Christ. After, what would be perceived as a costly error in judgement through our doing, our tendency is to say, "I must remember that mistake, that I not make it again." I believe, the better and more perfect way, is to believe, all my ways are committed to Him that He might have His way with me. He does any way, doesn't He (lol). We also learn that our foibles and follies are ordained to humble us, that we might ever lean more on Him. Such is the increase of our rest, for our residence in the Spirit of Christ Jesus is our Sabbath.

WHEN WE FALL
When we stumble or fall we get up and fasten anew, our eyes upon Him. Self condemnation is not our job and even God does not input sin against us. Instead we have confidence that His judgements if and when forthcoming are ordained in Love and for our perfection.

I like the advice of Fentelon concerning a fault committed. He said, "if some distraction or other should hide Him for a moment, without stopping to look at it, we simply turn again to Him from whom we had departed. If we commit faults, we repent with a repentance wholly of love, and, returning to God, he makes us feel whatever we ought. Sin seems hideous, but we love the humiliation of which it is the cause, and for which God permitted it."

The Christian mystic, Julian of Norwich also claimed, she knew of no lover of God who was kept safe from falling. She is voicing the understanding, that to descend is God's will... the fall, the descent, and its subsequent humility can be seen as another form of blessing."

SLAVE TO SIN
How many of us, before we learned of God's rest, used to utilize every human effort possible to fight sin. We thought we were overcoming, but instead, might we have been a slave to sin. I speak of another type of "slave to sin" than that which we normally think of. I copied this from somewhere in my Internet travels and it speaks to this "slavery".

"The term "slave to sin" is very nuanced. People automatically assume that it means that you are a slave to your selfish desires. Yes, you can be a slave to sin in this manner.

You can also be a slave to sin by constantly focusing on sin and battling it. If you are constantly preoccupied with "overcoming" sin, then you are a slave to sin. You are a slave to the concept of sin. You are a slave to battling sin. You are supposed to be dead to sin. Sin should be of no consequence to you anymore because you know the truth- that nothing you do can separate you from God or make him love and accept you any more or any less. This doesn't give you license to sin, but it allows you to REST from worry over sin. You now don't have to concern yourself with sin. When you don't concern yourself with sin, you are dead to sin. If you are constantly battling sin and trying desperately to overcome it, then you are a slave to sin."

DOING OUR PART?
Again, there are some that would believe and say, that as soon as we meet all the conditions, God will act. They hold to the idea, that we will see all our needs met and even our full resurrection, when we are totally obedient to the Father's will. These are often "fast and pray" people as I was once. Oh my! How, I ever tried to beat the flesh into submission.

John Gavazonni spells out the dilemma so many face, while following the tenants of the organized church.
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"Institutional Christianity is addicted to the idea that for things to work out right between us and God, "we have to do our part," and if we do, then "God will do His part." That makes God dependent upon us "getting it right" before He can get on with His purpose and will. At the heart of our flesh's alienation from God, at the heart of our blindness and ignorance, is the desire to get credited for "holding up our part of the deal." We like the idea of grace, as long as the successful operation of grace is attributable to us "letting God" do what He wants to do."
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GIVE UP AND LET GOD
So what about obedience? Today, I know there is only One that is obedient and we need only but rest in Him. We can do nothing of ourselves that is pleasing unto God. The truth be told, our efforts are but hindrances. Our trust is that God, through Christ Jesus, will sustain and finish the work He began in us. "Give up and let God", is a favorite saying of mine.

"For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His." Heb 4:10

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" Phil 1:6

"He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1Cor 1:8

THE STILL SOUL
Lastly, as far as works, if you are like me, you have gone through the self questioning and even been queried by a church goer or two. The familiar question is, "why are you not more busy ...... why are you not laboring?" Dear reader, there is a greater work being done by Christ in you and me. And this greater work, will manifest even greater works in the fullness of time when patience has done it's perfect work. For this you are reserved and neither you nor I can speed it up nor hinder it. We must rest until that Glorious Day.

Joian shared a poem by Lettie Cowman with me, last week. It stilled my soul and encouraged me to live,"choosing not to choose." I pray this message along with Lettie's poem, does the same for you.
Jack


I longed to walk along an easy road,
And leave behind the dull routine of home,
Thinking in other fields to serve my God;
But Jesus said, "My time has not yet come."

I longed to sow the seed in other soil,
To be unfettered in the work, and free,
To join with other laborers in their toil;
But Jesus said, "'Tis not My choice for thee."

I longed to leave the desert, and be led
To work where souls were sunk in sin and shame,
That I might win them; but the Master said,
"I have not called thee, publish here My name."

I longed to fight the battles of my King,
Lift high His standards in the thickest strife;
But my great Captain bade me wait and sing
Songs of His conquests in my quiet life.

I longed to leave the uncongenial sphere,
Where all alone I seemed to stand and wait,
To feel I had some human helper near,
But Jesus bade me guard one lonely gate.

I longed to leave the round of daily toil,
Where no one seemed to understand or care;
But Jesus said, "I choose for thee this soil,
That thou might'st raise for Me some blossoms rare."

And now I have no longing but to do
At home, or else afar, His blessed will,
To work amid the many or the few;
Thus, "choosing not to choose," my heart is still.

Note: even the "choosing" is ordained of God, for "He worketh all things"—absolutely all things, without any exceptions—"after the counsel of his own will." Eph. 1:11

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SPARROW

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A number of years ago, I met a little gal named Sparrow on Tentmaker forums. She was not brought up in the church and knew little of the protocol and traditions of the system. She also knew little of the Bible and was, even if I might say, leaning a little new age in her beliefs. Lord knows, the liberal enticements were there and if we be honest, we would say, "we all have been tempted at one time ourselves, with one or another of the 'new thought' doctrines."

So it was, that although Sparrow and myself took opposites sides in some very heated forum discussions, we also became friends. Our bond first took place when I began to pray for an injured dog my sister was ministering to. Sparrow is one that has been captured by the glory of all God's creatures and worked in a job that rehabilitated and cared for the neglected and abused animals in her city. After much shared prayer, Sparrow actually adopted this little dog we were praying for. In this period we became buds of a sort and although like many in the Kingdom, we don't communicate all that much, we do trade notes of encouragement once in awhile. So it was tonight that I sent Sparrow an-e-mail after reading some of her messages in a forum discussion. In this discussion, you have those that believe "by your obedience you gain healing and even immortality." This as we know, is just another form of works where we qualify His gifts by our works (ie. obedience). How few see this, but glory to God my sister Sparrow does and that encouraged and thrilled my soul.

Here is my E-mail to this dear sister, who is becoming a strong and respected voice for the 'deeper truth.' Her anointed messages are in dark red.


"Death is merely a doorway to life. I truly believe that.
But we know that what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal.

Death can be an enemy to those on this side of the grave.
But it can also be a friend.
It is both.
Depending on your perspective.
I've had both perspectives in my life.
At the same time, even."

and

What is wrong with death? It is the doorway to life.

Further, while yes, God CAN heal if he so chooses.
But this is not the point of this life.

Afflictions bring us closer to Him.

Those who are not healed, are NOT lacking.
I'm not saying that anyone here is saying that.
But it IS what some DO say. And I feel that is a dangerous teaching.

and

Hebrews 2

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of
death--that is, the devil--

15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear
of death.

I do not fear death.
Jesus has shown me by His death and resurrection that we are no longer to fear.
Not that we WON'T die...but that death is no longer the enemy in our minds. We see that now in a spiritual sense because we see the "unseen". We know that while we are separated from loved ones who have died, we will be reunited. This is why Jesus told us not to grieve as those without hope. We have HOPE! Because of Jesus. Jesus conquered death. He has freed us from the slavery of the fear of death. Death does not have power over us any longer in the sense that we should not fear it. Not that it won't happen, but that we not fear. And at the resurrection, it will come full circle and death will be destroyed forever.
Well this is just the way I see it. "not all shall sleep" that's fine! I don't doubt that. But it doesn't say "ALL should NOT DIE!" it says "not all shall sleep".

2Corinthians 1

9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this
happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the
dead.

10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.
On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,

2Corintuinians 5

1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have
a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do
not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so
that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and
at home with the Lord.



Sparrow, I am so proud of what Christ has done in your life. This, I quoted above, is full of such amazing truth !

Sis, I have for many years been free from a fear of death and also been healed of many life threatening infirmities. I also have suffered a number of other physical maladies where there was not healing. Last month, I ended up in the hospital where I was diagnosed with COPD and Congestive Heart Failure. Since then I have been tethered 24/7 to an oxygen concentrator by a hose. I am basically home-bound and the prognosis is, I will be in this state until I die. Fifty percent with my disease die within five years, eighty percent in eight years. God has given me a peace and an acceptance of my state should that be His will. While yet still, I hope for restoration and healing for my lungs and heart. This is the taking of "two perspectives simultaneously" that you wrote of. For a number of years, I have taken this mindset into a day by day mode. And didn't Paul share this same perspective Sparrow, when he wrote, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Phil.1:21
Granted, I have my moments of weakness and depression but by His grace, they have been limited and few up until this time.

Oh my Sparrow, how my heart sang and my eyes watered as I read this particular anointed message of yours (below). I know God has taken you to some very deep glorious hidden places in Him. I always look forward to read your forum posts as they confirm so much of that which I have seen. How rare to find such a kinsman sojourner as you. I thank God for you, little sis.

In His Sweet Lord Jesus,
Jack


"Death is merely a doorway to life. I truly believe that.
But we know that what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal.

Death can be an enemy to those on this side of the grave.
But it can also be a friend.
It is both.
Depending on your perspective.
I've had both perspectives in my life.
At the same time, even."

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