(06/10/2013) The End of Pain?

Confusions about the state of the dead are the topic, today, along with more on whether the Bible is always positive.  A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “in-cog-ni-t0” (Level 2 with 775 points, December 23, 2010) posted the following:

If all pain and suffering as we know it ends when we die…?

If all pain and suffering as we know it ends when we die, how then are we still connected to our loved ones who are living?

Many Christian/religious people believe all sorrow and pain ends when we die. Thereafter, we live blissfully in Heaven forever. That’s something that I will have to see for myself to believe because no living person can confirm it.

What causes a little confusion for me is when I hear people say “I know (insert deceased person’s name) is looking down on me. As a whole, this seems like an oxymoron to me because most pain and grief stems from loved ones.

So, am I to believe that a person dies, and their spirit stays connected to the family with no emotional association. Am I to believe, the spirit hovers over the living as they experience heartache and distress but has no sense of feeling? Or, is this just something we say to comfort ourselves?

THE BATTLE AXE:  Scriptures and Sayings? (06/09/2013)— (6)  The Bible is itself a sacred reality, and conveys the being and spirit substance of GOD.  Just as death is to be understood as “natural” and “normal” for mankind, the acknowledgment of GOD and sacred actuality are to be natural and normal, requiring truth, rather than special ceremonies and ritual.  Both the negative and positive accounts of Scripture are needed in order for mankind to receive the multiple levels of awareness, divine completeness, sanctification, and mature understanding that establish the new life in Christ.  Even so, the process of life that unfolds is in accordance with divine content, rather than data and factual knowledge.

THE GOLDEN ARROW:  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:  for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:  for the former things are passed away.  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write:  for these words are true and faithful.  And he said unto me, It is done.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:  which is the second death.  (Revelation 21:  1-8, King James Version)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  Must We Really Die? (05/13/2013); Can GOD Die? (05/14/2013); Death Has Been Transformed (05/09/2013); Loving the Enemy? (05/10/2013); What’s The Way Out? (04/20/2013); A Kindness to Mary? (04/21/2013)

“in-cog-ni-to”, many long-time Christian believers also feel confused and uncertain regarding the Gospel teachings on death and eternal life.  Often, it is not that they are ignorant of their Bibles; it is that they still condemn, hesitate to accept, and refuse to acknowledge the clear statements put before them as sacred truth.  Even so, here are some points to consider that you may find useful for your further spiritual growth:

(1)  Consciousness of GOD and of spiritual truth does not directly and immediately result from awareness that comes by the flesh, a set of mechanisms for continuing our physical being.  Included in the flesh are appetite (e.g., hunger, thirst, sexual craving), sensation (e.g., hearing, seeing, touching), and mental functions (e.g., desire, fantasy, forgetting, imagination, recall).

(2)  The holy writings teach that the dead lose all awareness that permits participation in the world, a set of mechanisms for continuing our emotional, psychological and social being.  While the earth is the creation of GOD, the world is the creation of mankind.  Included in the world are culture, family, language, money, politics, religion, science and technology.

(3)  The comfort from GOD for those in bereavement includes proclamations, promises, and prophecies that pertain to the restoration of life to the dead (we say, the word of GOD, and hope).  Many seek to claim the benefit of the divine truths, and the sacred hope that is the inheritance of believers without also submitting themselves to GOD by obedience, rebirth, repentance, reverence, service, and trust.

(4)  The completion of mortality (we say, death) is not the completion of existence.  We all know that there are many objects that have being that do not possess the peculiar spirit that is life (e.g., door knobs, floor boards, mirrors, stones).  The holy writings teach that GOD uses death as a tool to continue Creation; and that resurrection is the divine tool for reuniting of body and spirit for deceased persons along with the aspects of their character, inner make-up, and integrity as human.

There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (5)  Resurrection pertains to judgment, and the revelation of divinity among created beings and living creatures.  Dead persons do not exist in the direct celestial presence; the eminent being of GOD makes it that all are alive before him for the purpose of righteous judgment.  (The accused must be present for just and impartial hearing.)  Presently, only GOD is immortal; the holy angels and sacred beasts of heaven are neither immortal nor mortal.  Judgment of the wicked and the second death will eliminate all sin; and mortality will no longer exist.  All humans will have been transformed to be immortal and incorruptible.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(06/01/2013) The Place of GOD?

Access to GOD, heaven, and the location of GOD is the topic, today. A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using ID “deepak” (Level 1 with 200 points, a member since July 9, 2010) posted the following:

Where is God?. Please tell me the correct answers.?

Where is God?

THE GOLDEN ARROW: For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57: 15, King James Version)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER: An Earth to Fix A Heaven? (05/18/2013); The Need to Purify Heaven (01/17/2013); The Golden Age? (01/10/2013); The Place for Eternal Life (01/06/2013); Therefore There Was Trust (01/07/2013); The Ascension of Christ? (12/19/2012)

“deepak”, here are some thoughts shared by many mature Christian believers that may be useful as you build and complete your understanding:

(1) GOD is a spirit, and cannot be known and understood by created beings and living creatures that rely only upon awareness generated by the flesh, or the world. The flesh includes appetite (hunger, thirst, sexual cravings), sensation (hearing, seeing, touching), and mental functions (fantasy, recall, thought). The world includes such mechanisms for exchange and survival as history, institutions, nations, language, money, science, and technology.

(2) Data and information from the various operations of the flesh (i.e., human body and mind) are routinely focused, integrated and applied using such intellectual frameworks as dimension, form, time and space. Because Almighty GOD is unbounded and unlimited, these frameworks (at best) allow us only incomplete and questionable descriptions of Divine Person.

(3) Because divinity consists of substances that are not carnal, material, or social in nature, we agree GOD must be known by the spirit substance supplied to mankind at the Creation. Included are faith, holiness, joy, longsuffering, wisdom, and wrath against sin.

(4) The will of GOD does not put forth or respond to sin. Sin has so corrupted self-will in created beings and living creatures that, GOD has appeared in the earth through Jesus Christ (we say, incarnate), and has made it possible for believers to receive additional spirit substance now necessary to identify and resist sin.

There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (5) We traditionally speak of Heaven as the place of celestial presence as though a physical location is intended instead of an aspect of being and existence. Along with the human inability to perfectly focus our spirit content, we habitually choose to interact in the terms of our flesh and our world. Thus, believers must all pursue spiritual discipline to become clear, compete, direct, and stable when seeking to speak of divinity. Practices in ones routine of life must appear that include forbearance, forgiveness, giving, prayer, always speaking the truth, study of the holy writings, and group worship.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(05/18/2013) An Earth to Fix A Heaven?

      Creation, heaven, and reconciliation are topics, today. The “Yahoo! Answers” writer using ID “The Bearded One” (Level 3 with 1,386 points, a member since July 24, 2012) posted the following:

Why didn’t god just create everybody on heaven?

If he was that powerful and loving, he would have the ability to do so.

THE BATTLE AXE: The “Jesus Way”? (05/17/2013)—(5.) Reconciliation may be understood as part of a larger sacred process that includes incarnation, judgment and salvation whereby divine person is revealed (i.e., made known; made visible) to all Creation. To be known by created beings and living creatures as more than an abstract idea, or passing thought in their minds, divinity must also exist as a concrete and tangible presence. Similarly, for mankind to continue in divine awareness as more than a mere object within the eternal expanse of divine mind, divinity must also appear and operate as unique person. The work of reconciliation transforms created beings and living creatures from remote objects under the gaze of eternal spirit to recognizable events and expressions that themselves constitute the existence of GOD. By abiding as what we are, while also continuing to be as divinity, GOD may relate to mankind as persons that communicate, exchange, and realize relationship. The person of Jesus is that aspect of full divine being that endures within the many finite frameworks for existence provided to created beings and living creatures. As Christ, GOD experiences both human and sacred events. Included are advent, bereavement, change, growth, humiliation, increase, loss, pain, progression, suffering, and three-fold glory. See Matthew 4: 1-11, James 1: 1-14 and Hebrews 4: 14-16, KJV. (6.) The divine work that has been performed on behalf of Creation through Jesus Christ cannot be altered, copied, counterfeited, repeated, or replaced. For this reason, many say, Jesus is the only way. The reconciliation of GOD to the created goes beyond allowing and embracing their otherwise unacceptable behavior and misconduct through sin. Incompatible levels of being and existence that result in conflict, corruption, and contradiction must be brought into harmony, and union through the direct action of GOD. Thus, all created beings and living creatures are to accept Christ as a “one of a kind” act of GOD. See John 14: 1-6, John 11: 21-27, 1st Corinthians 3: 11, Hebrews 9: 27-28, Hebrews 10: 4-14, 1st Peter 3: 18 and 2nd John 1: 9, KJV.

THE GOLDEN ARROW: Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. (Deuteronomy 10: 14, KJV)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Why Blood? (04/13/2013); Time Before the Sun? (04/14/2013); Before Abraham Was… (03/14/2013); On Titles and Respect (03/15/2013); The Need to Purify Heaven (01/17/2013)

    
     The Bearded One, here are some points to consider that agree with teachings from the Holy Bible:

(1.) Through its own internal devices, the finite, limited mind that is bound within frames of time and space can not conceive of a living universe, or the eternal, uninterrupted self-emanation of GOD. Only by actions and events that make visible the presence of divinity, and the directed will of GOD, are humans able to have correct knowledge of the love, possibilities, and power from the true and living GOD. See 1st Corinthians 2: 9-10, KJV.

(2.) The separation from celestial presence established through the creation of both heaven and earth permits change, diversity, growth and progression within a full sphere of divine aspect that itself is only enduring, fixed, immortal, immutable, incorruptible, permanent, and stable. Distance must be maintained between the Creator and the created that will continue ongoing sacred operations as balanced, complete, impartial, righteous, and sound.

(3.) Given that sin was first found to be present among the holy angels, the earth and its inhabitants may be understood as a sacred device to demonstrate and establish the sovereign will of GOD. Sin has not been created by GOD, and has no divine origin. Sin is not a material thing or spirit creation; yet, sin may dominate the self-will of created beings and living creatures. Sin opposes the existence of divine law, sacred person, and the universe of divine creation. Sin cannot be detected or resisted simply by applications of imagination, intelligence, and finite mind.
    
     There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (4.) Breaking-off the spread of sin in the place of celestial presence, and repair of the damage to all demands divine operations that may only be accomplished through the incarnation of GOD as Jesus Christ. There must be atonement, purification and sanctification that will permanently eliminate all sin.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC