What Qualifies Us for “Heaven”?

Paul tells us it is our Father, and Him alone, that makes it possible for us to enjoy the “life abundant” that Jesus said He came to give us.

Colossians 1:12   Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath [past tense, not when we say or do something] made us meet [2427. ἱκανόω hikanoo, hik-an-o´-o; from 2425; to enable, i.e. qualify: — make able (meet]. to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

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Go Within and See the Invisible

Please read the contemplations The Kingdom of God Is Within and Listening from Within when you read this one.

For some time now, since it was revealed to me that I was being motivated by my ego (see “Understanding”), I have been meditating on who I would be without my ego. There is a scene in a movie, “Peaceful Warrior,” where the main character is on the top of a tower contemplating suicide, and his ego asks him that question, “Who would you be without me?”

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Understanding

For many decades I read the Bible constantly, sometimes several times a year. But when God began to reveal to me alternative readings of Scripture (see Cost of Knowing Truth, Encouragement to Continue and But What About . . .?), I confess that I really ceased to read the Bible as I had previously. I would only read what God was bringing to my remembrance at the time. When I would read an entire book of the Bible, I would become confused and afraid as I attempted to understand what I was reading. So I spent a lot of my time reading and listening to those who didn’t have the orthodox upbringing that I had and who could see in all Scripture the “true God” that Jesus revealed and prayed that we would know.

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Married to Christ the King

Last night I was watching a television drama series on the life of Queen Elizabeth II entitled “The Crown.” Her father, King George, knowing that his death is eminent, tells Elizabeth’s husband Philip that he will have to give up his career as a naval officer to support and love Elizabeth when she becomes Queen. Then he sends them away on the commonwealth tour in his stead. The King dies while they are away, and Elizabeth finds herself Queen much sooner than she desired or expected.

There is a very moving scene when her plane lands in London and Philip steps forward to escort his wife Elizabeth off the plane as he has always done, but is now told that he must give way to the Crown. So he walks behind her, thereby paying homage to her as his Queen. Later we see her sister, mother, and even grandmother, also bowing to her as their Queen.

We “democratic,” “all men are created equal,” irreverent Americans really have no understanding of this. This is not to say anything for or against either a democracy or a monarchy. Indeed, we know that God didn’t want Israel to have an earthly king, but He did want to Himself be their King and has used throughout Scripture the metaphor of both king and husband to describe the relationship that He has with us—man, created in His own image and likeness.

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Obedience Is Better than Sacrifice

 

[May 6, 2015] I have been in hell, that place of torment, fear, depression and despair. I knew all the promises of God concerning the peace that passes all our understanding. But there was no peace. I became obsessed with my physical body and death. I could think of little else. Nothing could distract me from these fears—cooking, cleaning, exercise, listening to tapes, reading books, watching TV, traveling—nothing at all. I almost wished I would die, but I was afraid of dying. I was afraid of everything. I almost wished I would get Alzheimer’s so I could get some relief. My pills I got for what my doctor called an “anxiety disorder” would sometimes seem to work (if I was tired enough to go to sleep), but at other times it was like eating candy.

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Powers and Principalities and Rulers of the Darkness

As I’ve said earlier (see But What About …?), I have learned to just continue to read Scriptures without attempting to understand them through reasoning or searching out what others have said about them. I have become confident that when they are needed or when I’m ready to hear, God will reveal their meaning for me—for it is only the words that He speaks to me that are Spirit and life:
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Knowledge or Love

In our spiritual journey, we all continue to increase in our knowledge of God. Many of us have the revelation that there is but one Power (God Omnipotent) and that it is always good, that there are not two powers, one of evil that we must “overcome” while we are in “this world.” We know that the kingdom of God is within each of us and that we can experience that kingdom now, that we don’t have to wait until we die to enter it. We know that every man is God in expression, made in His image and likeness and given dominion over all the rest of creation.

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