Dear Stuart,
Thank you for the great reply. This is exactly the type of conversation I
was hoping would come out of those questions; the concept has fascinated me
ever since I found out there were proven more than the dimensions we see and
experience here in our life.
You said; "Paul also said to 'let this mind
be in you which was also in Christ Jesus' (Phil2:5). Clearly he is
implying that this is a present possibility, to have the same
spirituality, or mind, as Christ Jesus."
I think of and actually experience this fact in the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit, as I mature in Christ and in the process of sanctification I become
"one" in mind with Christ. My hubby and I were talking about this tonight.
That the more of the Bible I learn, the more I realize that the
"personality" of Christ through the Holy Spirit dwelling in me is truly
already in me and coming out of me without my realizing it. As I abide
assume it will flourish. We were talking about when I make up my mind about
something it is 100% no holds barred, I do it all the way, no fence riding.
Then I realized it is not only how we are told to follow Christ which may be
a first step, but it is also a Biblical concept, the Bible says; "let your
yeas be yeas and your nays be nays" and "do all things as unto the Lord" So
without even trying I have grown a Biblical concept, I attribute this to the
Holy Spirit, since He is one with the "Word" and he dwells in me.
It was a beautiful realization.
I do not believe Heaven is a state of mind, but rather a different
dimension. The fact that there seems to be referred to different "levels" in
heaven. The first being our plane, the second being where the angels, fallen
angels and demons and the Holy angels remain mostly hidden and the third
heaven, where God is. I think it is in Job where Satan ascends to the "third
heaven" this would obviously be, yet another dimension. Who knows how many
there are. I believe Holy angels go to and fro in all three. Satan, demons
and fallen angels remain in the second.
I believe also that the Bible was written within the constructs of time but
many times the subject matter falls outside of those limits, and this is why
many things are so hard to understand. Especially things about heaven, the
hereafter and the future. How could one describe an event (in a realm bound
by time) that happened without the confines of time and space? This would be
nearly impossible which would definitely explain why "we see through a
mirror dimly, or glass darkly". I am further perplexed by the statement that
Lucifer makes when he says, "I will set up my throne in the North and rule
the nations" (sorry, my paraphrase) According to the popular idea of when
this took place, there WERE no nations. Lucifer is commonly accepted as NOT
being omnicient, so how did he know what was to come to pass before it
happened? What nations was he referring to? I'm thinking THIS (from the fall
of man to the return of Christ) is his rebellion, that before and after do
not pertain in eternity, so he is in his rebellion now, this is his attempt
to overthrow God and when he is destroyed in Revelation that is the "casting
down" that is spoken of in Isaiah. The Bible having been written and read
and understood all in the confines of time; HAS to seemingly have a before
during and after.......but in reality it doesn't. Boggles the mind, doesn't
it? I haven't thoroughly researched this yet, so go easy on me if I'm
completely and obviously wrong, if not, just consider it.
Just a thought.
Ps. Just think, my brain turns stuff like this over and over non-stop, my
brain is like a rock tumbler. Which would confirm my husband's revelation
that I have rocks in my head....just kidding:)
Sincerely,
Sondra
>From: "Stuart d Kirkley" <stucandu@lycos.com>
>Reply-To: stucandu@lycos.com
>To: asa@calvin.edu, "Sondra Brasile" <sbrasile@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: Change of subject
>Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 14:56:01 -0400
>
> Hello Sondra,
>Your questions are thought provoking. I guess you need to determine whether
>you can explain eternity and infinity in physical terms or through
>spiritual ideas. The physical universe is, by it's very definitiion,
>finite, so it is hard to conceive of eternity as existing there. Where does
>eternity exist then? Heaven is often thought of as existing in eternity,
>but I don't think rational thinking will allow that heaven is a physical
>location. What is it then? I feel that it is a divine state of mind that is
>accessible in the here and now, not some future world destination that can
>only be found after one dies. If it is a divine state of mind, then
>eternity must also be a part of this mind. We must admit that time is a
>human construct. If you remove time from the equation of reality, you are
>left with an infinite stillness in the infinitude of Now. Yes, there is
>movement there, but it is the movement of moments, not of time, and moments
>can be thought of as thoughts, or ideas, dawn
>ing on the consciousness. Paul declared, that we 'live and move and have
>our being' in God (Acts 17:28). The scriptures repeatedly refer to God as
>Spirit, so, from Pauls declaration, it would follow that we have our being
>in Spirit, or God. If you view the concept of eternity from this
>standpoint, it is easier to discern eternity as a spiritual quality of
>God, as the forever unfolding of spiritual ideas and their fulfillment,
>which emanate from the one true source of being, Spirit, or God. An
>understanding of this reveals the validity of my previous statement, that
>heaven is a divine state of mind. Paul also said to 'let this mind be in
>you which was also in Christ Jesus' (Phil2:5). Clearly he is implying that
>this is a present possibility, to have the same spirituality, or mind, as
>Christ Jesus. If heaven is a spiritual state of being, or state of mind,
>then if we are able to follow Pauls injunction, and if we recognise Christ
>as being the highest state of mind yet known, the
>n we too can experience the heavenly bliss of spiritual eternity in the
>here and now.
>
>Regards,
>Stuart Kirkley
>--
>
>--
>
>On Wed, 15 May 2002 10:43:16
> Sondra Brasile wrote:
> >
> >
> >Now I want to ask you guys a question I have been wondering about a long
> >time. If eternity as we understand it goes on forever in all directions,
>it
> >would probably cross this timeline we are in now, at least once, right?
>Plus
> >wouldn't we be there, in eternity, right now in some way shape or form,
> >since it doesn't have a beginning and doesn't have an end? So, this may
> >explain the predestination/free will question and "knowing us before the
> >foundations of the world", right? Do you think there is any interaction
> >between ourselves in eternity(heaven) and ourselves here now (dejavu's
>and
> >stuff)?
> >Also, Do you guys think that our resurrected bodies will be these same
> >bodies, just without sin? Like, since Jesus still had the marks of
> >crucifiction, will I still have the scar on my ankle per se? Do you think
> >our brains, being bigger than what is thought to be used here, is for use
> >then? This could also explain deja vu's and other unexplained stuff,
> >couldn't it?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Sondra
> >
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>
>
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