3.06.2009

clarifying the thoughts about heaven...

This is Tamy ...

I guess I would say that God does not care about us going to heaven in the way that most of America believes. I do believe he is very concerned with what happens when we live. I believe that we are living eternally now, that the life we lead and live is a participation either in heaven or hell. As far as the destination of our souls when we die and whether or not it goes up or down I don't really buy into I don't think, because I think that as our physical bodies come to rest our souls have already began an eternal life living in the presence of God or not. What if following Jesus was more about particiapting in a divine reality that exists now that most of us do not see, instead of being about where you go when you die. What would that mean for our sense of "calling to Christ". Some smart person said it once that God's concern is not getting people into heaven but rather HEAVEN into PEOPLE. How many Christians are oozing out heaven everywhere they go??? (Not me but I am trying!!) I know that this blog was a bit of a rant and I am sorry for that. However I am really tired of christianity being a social club for people with the right beliefs who are destined to go to the same place when they die. Christianity is a group of people following Jesus into the same revolutionary life he lead to overthrow injustice, peel off oppression, cast out hopelessness, unify the divided, and to do all this by an unashamed, unconditional love and humility for everything around us. This sounds so very big and lofty I know but why is the call to Christ to be a small call of a good life and being a good person. Is that all that is really possible with Christ??? I don't believe so.

So where does this huge call of Christ start, I think at his cross where we as a church need to come and die and pick up Jesus' life for us. When I said as a Church I meant ME and YOU cause we are the Church!!!! So my prayer is that Christ's bride would get down on her knees and repent for being concerned only for herself and not truly trusting her only love and then get back up loved and restored to walk out her days loving her Bridegroom. I am down on my knees are you???

And I believe that Christ's life for us is filled with connection to him in an intimate way ( so we gotta be spending time with him, praying and LISTENING to him), connection to the rest of the people connected to him (so Community, the church), seeking to grow up in him (discipleship), and a passionate love of the world around us (John 3:16 ...he loved the world enough to die for it, DO WE???)

Lord I am sorry for being concerned only for myself and for thinking so often of myself first!!!! I desire to be a woman full of the passion and love of Christ, I desire for heaven to ooze out of me into this world that so badly wants to be loved. May I be a woman quick to love and repent and slow to judge and condemn. May the pride that I often feel myself full of be laid down and instead a love of all things good be picked up. May I no longer make excuses but instead walk into the realm of faith. Can I become the woman that is for my husband, my children and those around me, can I be a dream caster and encourager instead of a dream killer. Jesus I love you, I love your promise of redemption for this world and your faithfullness to walk that out even as we fail in doing so!!!!

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