kcalbat1

I was reading Ecclesiastes last night and came across these verses: (Ecclesiastes 3:19-21) Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both. As one dies, so dies the others. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. . . All go to the same place; all come from dust and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth? Now. If an animal doesn't have a spirit, as many people believe, don't you think God would have had someone correct the writer of Ecclesiastes before now? I believe that animals do have a spirit. Only difference is, they never sinned. Humans sinned. But not the animal kingdom. Several years ago, I rescued a dog from a group of boys who were kicking it around. It was a stray. I took it home and let it live on my back porch until I could find it a home. The back porch was closed in, so it was safe. I had a bunch of blankets for the dog to sleep on, fresh dog food, fresh water and a fan to blow on it during the night. It was hot outside. After trying to find a home for the dog, and not being able to, my husband and I decided to keep it. We both came up with the name, Brownie. This young pup was very large for its age. One day while I was talking to a friend over the phone, I had asked her to pray with me about something. After the prayer, I told her about Brownie and how we decided to keep him. She paused a moment, and then said, "You may call him Brownie, but the Holy Spirit calls him Defender." I thought, wow, even God knows about our new dog. After I got off the phone, I sat there and looked at Brownie for a moment, and then I said, "Defender," very casually, and Brownie turned around and looked at me. It was so weird. You know how dog's eyes reflect the light around them. Brownie's eyes always reflected a turquoise color. Even when I took a picture of him, he didn't have that "red eye" that animals have. His eyes were naturally brown in color but when you looked down into his eyes, the reflection was always turquoise no matter what color you were wearing. When he was about 10, he got some kind of bacteria on his lips and we began treating him with Simplicit. Every day for four years. During that time of medication, his eyes changed from the beautiful turquoise to a gold color. Years later, he fell down and hurt himself. He was so old we decided to put him to sleep. We had planned to take him to the vet but he was too large to carry out to the car so the veterinarian came to the house and gave him the injection. The day before he was put to sleep, my husband dug the grave. The weather was forcasting thunderstorms for the entire week. We were afraid we would have to bury him in a watery grave. So, we prayed for good weather. We prayed that God would hold off the thunderstorms until we got Brownie in the ground. The next day came and not a cloud in sight. The vet came and put him to sleep. I'm funny about putting animals to sleep. I want to make sure they're dead, not in a comma. So, I waited 3 hours after the injection. I kept checking him to make sure he was getting cold and not staying warm. At the end of the 3 hours, we put him in a wheel barrel and wheeled him over to the peach tree and buried him beneath it. I sat on the back steps of my mother-in-law's porch and me, my husband and my mother-in-law sat and talked for about a half hour. Then, we went home. We hadn't been in the house but a few minutes when it started raining. Raining and pouring so hard, thundering and lightning. I started laughing because God had held off the storm until we got Brownie into the ground. And then allowed us 30 minutes more to sit around and talk on the back porch before the thunderstorm came back. That night on the news, they showed the map of the state where I live. And the storms were completely covering the area plus two other states. But there was a small break in the storm, a clearing right over the city where I live. The weather person stated it was unusual for the storms to have stopped for that short time but then they resumed. I knew why they had stopped. Willow325 that is amazing

oops i found the thread with that question I will read through. Not knowing is discouraging. I understand the basic truths, but without some answers, I can understand why its hard to believe those truths and why we are here. From the other thread Things like this make me question the point of life. I thought we had a choice? I just cannot fathom why we were created and "loved" when He knows who is going to hell and who isn't. And its kind of hard to sit back and accept the mystery when basically, our fate hangs in the balance. And whats the point of ministry and spreading the Word if we are "pre chosen" or not? Ack, this is difficult!

I am a believer, but am new so I have a question. If God knows past, present, and future then He knew when He created Adam and Eve that they would sin? But reading Genesis, it doesn't seem so. If He knew they would sin, and then why did He create them and then allow them to procreate? Also, if God is omnipotent, then He knows who is going to choose to accept Jesus into their hearts and who will reject Him, how is this a choice and why does He continue to allow life to continue? Sometimes, to me, it makes no sense that we have this choice to make, but in the end it doesn't matter since He already knows our decision. I mean, how can He desire and long for us to come to Him, when He already knows who will and who wont. Help?

Basically as a tool to bring others to Him? I mean that not in a harsh way...but that just seems the gist of it.

Then why is such a big deal placed on the need for fellowship and loving friends and enemies and how we treat others? I am new to all this, so please take no offense to the questions I ask. Without hope of knowing friends and family in Heaven, why do I want to get married and have children and love them here on earth only. I mean, its not about looking back and longing for things, I am just thinking, "whats the point then?"

Sorry if I got that in the wrong context. I wasn't thinking on terms of respect...thats something we don't deserve. But He seems to care enough about us individually to reunite us with our families and friends, why not our pets?

I have been wondering this as well. My thoughts are from what I've read that God is a personal God and if He cares as much to reunited us with our personal family and friends, then why not our pets. I mean, I dont see my pets as possessions like materials, since these are living creatures He created. Doesn't He care for every life He made? I mean, He made us each individually and personally, why would that change when we go to Heaven? I understand we will not want or desire, nor have a need to care, but I just think God is personal enough to allow us to reunite with our pets. Of course, there is nothing to back this up. Its just a thought.

Oh I am by no means rich or whatnot and we struggle financially, but I am just grateful for what we have. Thats why I was wondering. I am grateful to God for these things.

Just a thought. I have been away from God for a while. I want and have come back to Him. There is so much to be thankful for. Through all my troubles, I think I have still been blessed with so much. I am thankful I have a house, a job, a car ect. But these things I got away from God, so does God still bless you with good things in life even though you stray from Him?

Oh, I never thought of it that way. Which makes sense. Man was given the responsibility over animals, so we are then obligated to make moral choices regarding owning and breeding them responsibly? Another thought, I mean I read that they have no spirit and do not have to make the choice of accepting Christ, they do not enter Heaven. But does it matter since they are not burdened with what we are? God is a personal God, from what I read so why wouldnt he allow our pets into Heaven? Doesn't He care about every single creature he creates? (not questioning Him at all, I thought this was true?)

Hi, I am new here and have been wondering about this for a while. I am a dog groomer and an animal lover. I feel such a love and attatchment towards my animals so my first question is...where do they stand in this world and afterwards? I understand they have no souls but are they not important? I mean, I have read that in Heaven we are still our individual selves and we will be reunited with our families when we go to Heaven. So do you think God will allow us to reuntied with our beloved animals? Sorry if there is an obvious answer, I just dont know it. Another thing I have been thinking of. Is dog breeding. So I have some very very opinionated views on this subject because of some experiencea I had as a child. I am a BIG spay and neuter advocate. With so many dogs being euthanized in shelters and dying in the streets there is little need to breed dogs other than breed preservation.(that is breeding dogs that are proven and healthy examples of the breed through conformation and working rings and genetic health screening.) Is that not the ethical choice? This seems so far fetched but from a moral, Christian point of view, where does that stand?