That I might attain

[marks]

Like any other race that we have been in.....at the end.
We are not running against each other, but against ourself.

'I believe' that the Prize of the High Calling is God Himself .
'Here I Am folks ...run into Me, I am the Place, I am the Prize, I am your Mansion , your Treasure ...

He told Abraham- " the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. "

We are called as a kingdom of priests.... God said to the priesthood in Numbers... " I am thy part and thine inheritance ......”
'I believe' the Lord showed me this years ago.
I was standing in a meeting and some one was reading from Revelation...but suddenly everyone melted away, and all I heard was "Come up hither, and I will shew thee things...." I heard no other part of the reading that day.

Jesus had many disciples , but only Peter, James and John went " up the mountain" with Him.

I do not like Rick Joiners books much at all. But in The Final Quest (I think it was...) I did witness to his description of entering the Throne Room ...

He came in at the back... it was as though the throne was far in the distance it was so large an area. Some at the back by the door were weeping...he asked them " Why are you crying.".. They answered - "We can hear His voice but we cannot see His face." The angel at his elbow said to him..this crowd here are "the foolish bridesmaids group".

I am sure many of us remember the meeting days when we eagerly sat at the front right in front of the speaker ... one was not distracted there, the anointing was heavier there... At the back were young folk who weren't yet sure that they wanted to be there yet...and young family's distracted by babies etc... There is a difference.

I just know that where His Presence is the strongest...that is where I want to be I "press toward"... to be. Taking carnal risks with my spiritual walk here, is not worth the sacrifice that would come later...

Obtaining? Now that is all with God... as Jesus said to James and John...'that is My Fathers to give. '

I am no Paul...but if Paul ran the race and pressed into all God had for him , how can we do any less?

I believe that in heaven we will all be in the relationship to God, just where we are here in relationship with Him. Sticking close, or seeing how much we can get away with with one foot in each realm.

Salvation is sure...but where we spend it positionally , is decided by our daily choices. We are free...fact. But do we chose to be free to be bound.

Enough... I went on a bit here

I honestly don't see how such a throne room scenario could exist. I don't see it portrayed in the Bible, and the fact is, I ask myself . . .

Will I be more intimate, or less intimate with God than I am now, when I am in my resurrection?

I can't imagine it will be less.

Does a father marginize the son who has greater problems?

Foolish bridesmaids . . . I don't think that's what this parable is about. But that's me.

I don't think God is just about masses of people, and who is and who isn't more spiritually successful. Certainly He will try each of our hearts.

I see God as individually intimate with each of us, and that will only increase into fulness, when I am like Him because I see Him, when the Morning Star rises in my heart.

I don't see that God will leave any of us half broken, partway in and partway out of relationship with Him. Again, that's just me.

Much love!

 

[marks]

marks,
In light of the statement , i would encourage a prayerful reading of Heb 13

And especially this:

Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account, that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow, for that would be of no advantage to you.


Peace!

Hi Philip James,

I did this last night, in truth.

In this passage . . . we are to cooperate with our overseers, so that they can do there work with joy.

But what exactly does this mean to you?

Much love!

 

[farouk]

@"ByGrace" Yes, we need to keep 'looking unto Jesus' (Hebrews 12.2).

 

[marks]

Not perhaps as you do but there has been/will be a fullfillment...

Curious, why not?

If the Bible says that the 12 apostles will judge the 12 tribes in the regeneration, and that God will raise up David to be the king over Israel, why would you not believe that is what will happen?

Much love!

 

[marks]

Hello Nancy, beloved of God...

Pssst.... The guests ARE the Bride

And the Spirt and the Bride say come....

Peace be with you!

Hi Philip James,

Where can I read about this in Scripture?

Much love!

 

[marks]

What about the judgment in heaven that will is to uncover our works, even those hidden works we thought would never be revealed while we were in this life? Some will receive many stripes for their past behavior.

You are saying God's children will be beaten in the heavenlies? In the new creation?

We must have very different understandings about God and what He's done for us. This is a heaviness of heart.

Much love!

 

[Philip James]

Hi Philip James,

I did this last night, in truth.

In this passage . . . we are to cooperate with our overseers, so that they can do there work with joy.

But what exactly does this mean to you?

Much love!

marks,
You said: 'who takes which position is up to God'
And I agree. Jesus gave authority to the apostles, they in turn choose (ordained) overseers to care for the Church after them and that authority has been passed from generation to generation even until today.

That passage in Hebrews, is clear that we are to cooperate with our overseers (and accept their correction!).

Ignatius, bishop of Antioch circa 100 AD put it this way: 'do nothing without the bishop'... You can read it here: Do Nothing Without the Bishop and Presbyters.

Peace!

 

[Philip James]

Hi Philip James,

Where can I read about this in Scripture?

Much love!

Mark 2:19 is a good place to start...

Peace!

 

[Philip James]

Curious, why not?

If the Bible says that the 12 apostles will judge the 12 tribes in the regeneration, and that God will raise up David to be the king over Israel, why would you not believe that is what will happen?

Much love!

Well for starters, Jesus, the son of David, IS king over Israel, and that is an everlasting kingdom!

Peace!

 

[marks]

marks,
You said: 'who takes which position is up to God'
And I agree. Jesus gave authority to the apostles, they in turn choose (ordained) overseers to care for the Church after them and that authority has been passed from generation to generation even until today.

That passage in Hebrews, is clear that we are to cooperate with our overseers (and accept their correction!).

Ignatius, bishop of Antioch circa 100 AD put it this way: 'do nothing without the bishop'... You can read it here: Do Nothing Without the Bishop and Presbyters.

Peace!

How does this lead us to a doctrine of some higher form of salvation? Sonship, what have you?

Much love!

 

[Philip James]

How does this lead us to a doctrine of some higher form of salvation? Sonship, what have you?

Much love!

I'm not sure what you mean by 'higher form of salvation'...

I would say rather that this speaks to the unity of the Church, and how we are to 'bear with one another in love' and so together be 'led into all Truth'...

Can a house divided stand?

Peace be with you!

 

[Hope in God]

You are saying God's children will be beaten in the heavenlies? In the new creation?

We must have very different understandings about God and what He's done for us. This is a heaviness of heart.

Much love!

Luke 12:47-48
And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

These are a form of punishment.

 

[marks]

Mark 2:19 is a good place to start...

Peace!

19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

Am I getting the wrong idea here? I was thinking that you were promoting the idea of of a greater sort of "sonship", or "bride" that kind of thing, selected from among all the redeemed. Am I getting confused? I know others were talking about that, I thought you were too, but then I'm not seeing anything like that in the passages you are presenting.

Sorry if I've misunderstood!

Much love!

 

[marks]

Well for starters, Jesus, the son of David, IS king over Israel, and that is an everlasting kingdom!

Peace!

Jesus the King of Kings, and David, under Him, King of Israel, according to the Word of God in Ezekiel 37:

24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

Will David, God's servant, be king over them?

What say you?

Much love!

 

[marks]

Luke 12:47-48
And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

These are a form of punishment.

And what of our forgiveness?

Are these servants Israel? Or Christians?

Much love!

 

[Taken]

Lots of talk over the years has been on pre-trib and post-trib resurrection. There are even those who believe in numerous resurrections to come.

What is a RESURRECTION?

It is Returning LIFE, to a DEAD BODY, so that the BODY resumes LIVING.

There are many times, IN SCRIPTURE, whereby thee Lord God, Returns a Living Soul to a Dead Body, and the Body Resumes LIVING, in it's "NATURAL blood life".

A REDEMPTION, IS thee Lord God claiming, and taking, and Changing A Resurrected Body, INTO A GLORIFIED BODY.

THAT Currently ONLY APPLIES to Christ Jesus.

God PREPARED a BODY FOR the WORD of God, for WHEN He would Come forth out from the Father God in Heaven and APPEAR Before earthly men, ON EARTH, in the LIKENESS AS a MAN, BE Mans EXAMPLE, for man TO SEE and OFFER "THAT" Body unto DEATH....FOR ANY AND ALL Men to Accept his Offering for their Own salvation and quickening to be accomplished (or NOT Accept).

A man IN THE OT, who Accepted, the WORD of God....BECAME Called "saints"....and Jesus Himself Redeemed their BODIES from the Ground.

Jesus shall ALSO Redeem HIS Church from the Face of the Earth, UP to the Clouds, raising them UP IN Glorified Bodies.

After the 1,000 year Reign...God shall Gather TOGETHER, ALL Bodies, IN GLORY, that were FAITHFUL, and "MADE" saved (soul) and quickened (spirit)....From the beginning of mankind to the ending of mankinds days as we know them.

THAT is the FIRST Resurrection.

The SECOND Resurection, is Gods Gathering together ALL Bodies of men, from the beginning of mankind until the end of the 1,000 years reign....OF MEN "WHO" while ALIVE in their own natural flesh and blood life...Rejected God, and the Word of God....

The DIVISION, between those Saved and those NOT Saved....meet their FINAL SEPARATION After the 1,000 year reign.

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[Hope in God]

Oh ouch!

I cannot do that ...

Agree Truth does not change, Jesus Christ = The Way, The Truth, and The Life ....changes not.

Man if fallible ...he will always fail us.

Psalm 148:3 "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help."

Micah 7:5 "Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide..."

I understand your position, you have been taught differently .

____________________________________
I agree, Grace. It is awfully tempting for some to be taken in by all the pomp and circumstance, ritual, ceremony, liturgy and show that abounds within Catholicism. The wearing of a collar to indicate attainment to the priesthood, as though others outside that training are not priests, is some comfort to some people. They want someone who is wholly dedicated and living contrary to the standard family unit.

But to what has that solitude, monasticism and cloistered living led to? Do we hear or read of any contributions either written or spoken to the body of Christ in general from those hidden within religious confines? I don't. From the fathers who serve parishes, indeed we hear sermons, although often very short, but from within the hidden communities, little seems to penetrate through those walls.

What is being learned by them through their commitment to isolated celibacy? Personally, I really don't have a clue. This is why it is so easy for outsiders to liken the confined to penitentiary life, where certain rules must be followed or there will be some kind of punishment given. Also, the expression of one's sexuality comes in question.

 

[marks]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'higher form of salvation'...

I would say rather that this speaks to the unity of the Church, and how we are to 'bear with one another in love' and so together be 'led into all Truth'...

Can a house divided stand?

Peace be with you!

As I mentioned in another post, I may be a bit confused on what you believe on these things. I had understood you as thinking the same as some, that we can be born again, and saved, but if we're really really good, or something like that, we can become not just the the audience, the guests, the crowd, but we can become the Sons, an elite group, or, IF we're really really really good, we may be chosen to be the Bride, an even more elite group. Or whatever names others use.

I don't believe those things.

I believe we are all saved just the same, that we are all the church, the body of Christ. We will have differences between us according to our faithfulness to His call to us, in rewards and glory, but not that these will separate us into different groups. I believe that God called us to be unified together by being unified with Him.

Much love!

 

[Philip James]

. I believe that God called us to be unified together by being unified with Him

Indeed! It is only in Him and through Him that we are united with each other...

And all of us, the Church, are His bride...

Eph 5:31-32

"For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church

You too! are welcome to come to the wedding feast of the Lamb of God!

Peace!

 

[Philip James]

Do we hear or read of any contributions either written or spoken to the body of Christ in general from those hidden within religious confines

Hello Hope,
How many examples would you like?
Here's one: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

Further, because we are one in Christ, when they give praise and glory to the Lord, we all do!
Are all teachers? Are all prayer warriors? Are all pastors?
Can we say of any part of the Body, I don't need you?
Because their function is different from mine, are they unnecessary?

Peace be with you!