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I was wondering if you all have heard of Akiane Kramarik? Her parents were supposedly atheists when Akiane started receiving visions from heaven. This happened when she was a small child. She started painting her visions and I think her paintings are amazing. Here is a video of Akiane and some of her work. I hope you Enjoy.

As Christians how can we increase our measure of impact on society?

False foundations, paradigms, illegitimate structures, systems, and limitations must bow to the Father's Kingdom. His Kingdom is perpetually coming to earth, and one day will fill the earth in Father's glory, as the water covers the sea. The Kingdom of God is within us and, whether we are noticing it or not, will continue to break through on earth as it is in Heaven. The shaking must happen, and yet those who desire to live in His inheritance that Christ paid for will see His glory now, in the midst of the natural chaos that is seemingly all around them. SOME REMINDERS OF THE FATHER'S KINGDOM 1. Kingdom is within: "The Kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within (or among) you." Luke 17:20-21 2. Kingdom approached through understanding: "When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." Mark 12:34 3. Kingdom accepted like a child: "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10:15 4. Kingdom entered through spiritual rebirth: "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit." John 3:5 5. Kingdom entered through doing the will of God: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the will of My Father who is in Heaven." Matthew 7:21 6. Kingdom that will be inherited by the righteous: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God?" 1 Corinthians 6:9 OUR INHERITANCE IS NOW Father desires for us to live in His inheritance now, intimate and obedient to Him, accessing God's PURPOSE for our life on this planet, while eternity unfolds. One of the big reasons we have not seen the power of God through the Body of Christ is because most of the Body of Christ does not UNDERSTAND THEIR INHERITANCE THROUGH THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST, nor the incredible eternal seed of Father's glory that is within them. We are stuck in the idea of waiting on Jesus and Heaven, while Jesus and the substance of Heaven is waiting on us. So the shaking and awakening continues as the Lord brings us from our bankrupt paradigms and lifestyles, to Ambassadors of His Kingdom and influencers of His Heavenly Substance. EMBRACING HIS LOVE We must embrace His love on a continuum and not rely on what we see. As we seek His Kingdom, His love, His righteousness, what we need will be added, and Father will remove all fear and limitations that have kept us from His best. Healing and wholeness for the journey will come as we allow His light to dispel the darkness in our souls. Matthew 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Our identity is in Him, as movers and shakers of faith motivated by His love, and He has given us freedom to live, move, and have our being in His PURPOSE for our life and in His ways. By His Spirit we can choose to abandon fear and hopelessness, and embrace the DESTINY that has been deposited within each of us. AFFIRMATIONS: I am ready to expand my reality and become the destiny for which I have been predestined. I live my life with a sense of my unique devine destiny supported by goals and aims. As I look toward heaven, God is pointing me toward my destiny. I seek God for my destiny, and don't lose sight of the heavenly vision -- the advancement of His Kingdom. My promised land (my DESTINY) lies on the other side of fear. As I speak the Word over my own life and prophesy my own DESTINY in agreement with Him, I release the Holy Spirit in greater measure to bring the Word to pass. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Exodus 33:18,22,23 - "Then Moses said, "I pray Thee, show my Thy glory!" And it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. "Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen." When Moses saw the Lord's back, what did he see? When we think of seeing His glory we think of everything from beautiful colors to some perception of His nature. Is it possible that Moses prophetically saw the stripes that were on His back? Remember, the Lord was crucified from the beginning. When He created the world He knew that He would also have to suffer and even die for it, yet He continued. There is nothing else that will ever more fully reveal His glory. When we truly behold what He did for us we will be changed. Colossians 1:13,16,17 - "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). THE ETERNAL IS THE UNSEEN SUBSTANCE OF HEAVEN We're not supposed to fix our eyes on what's temporal and get stuck there. The temporal things aren't going to last. Instead, we need to focus on what's eternal because what's eternal is going to last forever and it's in the Spirit realm. The eternal is the unseen substance of what's in Heaven. In fact, the eternal overrules the material or physical realm -- the physical symptoms of the sickness that are in your body, and the physical circumstances of your life. Therefore, we need to say, "Come Holy Spirit; so as it is in Heaven, it will begin to be on earth." As we invite the Kingdom of God and as we say, "Holy Spirit come," He brings the realm of God; He brings the activity of God. When the Holy Spirit shows up, a superior order shows up, and it breaks the law of science, it breaks every doctor's report and what every person has said about you concerning what you can and cannot do. It breaks the law of physics and the realm of the impossible. It begins to open up the impossible! It begins to open up the eternal! It begins to open up the supernatural! "When evening had come, they brought to Him (Jesus) many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick" (Matthew 8:16). Casting out demons with a word and healing the sick are manifestations of the Kingdom of God! Later, Jesus said, "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matthew 12:28). Believing for a manifestation of God's Kingdom in our lives and walking in a Kingdom mindset is vital. Why? Because we were created on purpose for this purpose! We are body and we are spirit; we are born from above. Jesus told Nicodemus that no one could see the Kingdom of God unless that person is born again or born from above. Jesus said, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3). AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, SO LET IT BE DONE ON EARTH Being born from above opens up a whole new world to us! It means that you're not just supposed to experience life on the earth with our natural senses and it all ends there. No! But as a spirit being born from above and born again, we're to experience the Heavenly realm with our spiritual senses. To live in that Heavenly realm and to walk in the spirit is to live and believe as it is in Heaven so let it be done on earth (Matthew 6:10). The whole ministry of Jesus Christ was a demonstration, picture, and manifestation of the Kingdom of God. His whole ministry of the Kingdom of God involved bringing creative power out of the Heavens to override the natural and the impossible in the earth, and to release the supernatural of God. For those who believe in Jesus and who are born again, we will do the same works that Jesus did, and greater works than that (John 14:12). God wants us to know that all believers can lay hands on the sick, because He opened it up for all believers to have the ministry and the function of the Kingdom of Heaven. He opened it up for the saints to be released in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us (Romans 8:11). The very Holy Spirit that was hovering over the face of the deep in the beginning, before the manifestation of the world as we know it -- He is the release of creative power. THE GOSPEL OF GOD IS THE POWER OF GOD It's time to receive a revelation about God's creative power--the power that goes hand in hand with the gospel of the Kingdom and the release of miracles. The sick cannot NOT be healed! Do you believe that God wants to release you into a ministry of miracles and give you an impartation of that anointing? Romans 1:16 - "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." When we get a revelation of what the apostle Paul is saying, we will see miracles happen. For the gospel of God is the power of God. It's very important that we understand, that the gospel without power is not the gospel of Jesus Christ the way He meant it to be proclaimed. A gospel without people being saved and healed, and without people being delivered and radically changed, is not the gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus never said the gospel was just a message you share with people so they can be saved. Paul said, "For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power...." (1 Thessalonians 1:5). And Paul also said, "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:4). Paul had a radical revelation of the gospel in the ministry of Jesus and what that looked like. Jesus always connected the Kingdom of God and the gospel together. The Kingdom is the creative power of God taken out of the Heavens onto an earthly scene for supernatural miracles to be released. The gospel, in a nutshell, is the message that God so loved the world that He came to seek and save those who were lost, and that you need to be born again. Yes, that is the gospel. But the gospel is more than a message. It's also a demonstration of the power of God. WE MUST BELIEVE IN THE DEMONSTRATABLE POWER OF GOD If we believe that you can be a Christian without power or you can be a Christian without miracles, signs, and wonders (believing that miracles passed away with the age of the disciples), then we actually believe that the gospel is powerless. Our mind is saying that Jesus didn't really die and rise again, and the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead really doesn't live inside of us. To say that Jesus doesn't still do miracles today, is like saying that the gospel is just having to convince someone enough until they can have an emotional experience; or we can argue them into the Kingdom if we can just convince them by facts and theology. If we are living in the high CALLING of God's PURPOSE for our life, it doesn't matter what the natural world says. It doesn't matter what we feel. It doesn't matter what we see. It doesn't matter what we think. We are living by another set of rules. We are living by a superior order. We are in the realm of God. We are in the activity of God. So we need to begin to believe that. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

"Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:24 "But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom..." - 1 Corinthians 1:30 God is offering to each of us a much higher Wisdom released by the Spirit of God. Now is the time to embrace true Wisdom, Christ Himself. You might be asking how to obtain this much-desired Divine Wisdom—the passionate quest and resounding question throughout human history. The Holy Scriptures clearly reveal the answer. God's Divine Wisdom isn't reserved for the special few, but is available to all Believers who hunger for intimacy with the Lord and sincerely seek to advance His Kingdom. "If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God Who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him." - James 1:5 WISDOM PROMISES "But to man He said, Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is Wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." - Job 28:28 "The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever." - Psalm 111:10 "The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline." - Proverbs 1:7 "The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding." - Proverbs 9:10 STEPS TO RECEIVING WISDOM FROM ABOVE First, we must ask for the Wisdom of God—and keep on asking, doubting nothing. Second, and then we must understand that the Lord's Divine Wisdom is entered through two gates, holiness (as expressed in humility) and reverence or fear of the Lord. These are the gates leading to the pathway of Wisdom. God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5). What is this grace that He bestows upon the humble? It is the grace or divine ability to know Him and His strategies for bringing His Kingdom to earth—the grace for Divine Wisdom. DIVINE WISDOM - THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT It is indeed the Holy Spirit alone who imparts Divine Wisdom. Notice the words of Christ recorded in John 16:13: "But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future." The Teacher who will lead us into Wisdom is God's Holy Spirit. The Spirit alone—not our natural minds—can guide us into all Truth, Truth in the Person of Christ Jesus our Lord. Specifically, the Spirit "will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]." Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of your understanding: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened..." - Ephesians 1:17-18 If we ask in simple faith, believing His Word, God will liberally bestow this much needed Wisdom: "If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him." - James 1:5 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Revelation 3:7 - "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens." TAKING HOLD OF THE KEY OF DAVID The key of David is entering into the most holy place where the glory dwells. The tangible presence and glory of God is accessed through intimate Throne Room worship. Jesus paid the price and shed His Blood so that we could enter in to the holiest of all through Him (Hebrews 10:19-22) Colossians 1:27 - "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." We must enter the "Throne Zone" in order to see the tangible glory of God manifested in our midst. It is in that place that we find the glory and anointing needed to transform atmospheres on earth. We are called to be carriers of His glory. By laying hold of the KEY OF DAVID, we lay hold of the glory of His Spirit allowing Him to manifest in us and through us. It is all about having a throne room paradigm. This is the proper perspective for believers. SEEING FROM THE HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE Ephesians 2:5,6 - "Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." We are not to see things from an earthly vantage point but from a Heavenly perspective. It is there that we are seated in the Heavenly places ablove all demonic forces. As we take hold of this key of worship in the glory, we move into deeper realms of intimacy with God, greater revelation and understanding of His divine purposes, and we have the anointing to establish and plant His Kingdom in the earth. Psalm 18:33 - "He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places." The Lord is calling us up higher. When God begins to manifest His glory, we need to make sure that we don't try to pitch tents and build debasing structures. Jesus was transfigured before the eyes of Peter, James and John. Peter suggested tents be build, but this was not the heart of God. When man sees the glory, there is the fleshly reaction to capitalize on what God is doing--building earthly structures, etc. NEW WINESKIN THINKING Mark 2:22 - "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins." If we are to partake in what God is pouring out in this hour, we must have a new mindset--a new wineskin ie. we don't lean on our own understanding. Leaning on natural thinking and old ways are like crusty and stiff wineskins. These mindsets cannot carry the new wine of God's glory that is being poured out. WE SHOULD HOLD TRUE TO THE WORD, BUT REMAIN FLEXIBLE IN REGARDS TO HOW THINGS SHOULD LOOK IN REGARDS TO THE MOVING OF GOD'S SPIRIT. 1 Corinthians 2:11 - "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God." As believers we need to set our natural thinking aside, and ask the Lord to help us see with the eyes of His Spirit. The natural man cannot understand the ways of the Spirit. But our spirit within us is created to see and understand His ways. We commit ourselves to see with the eyes of our hearts and allow God to blow our minds with His limitless power! Affirmations: NOW IS THE TIME FOR ME TO MOVE INTO GLORY REALM WORSHIP. I APPREHEND THAT TANGIBLE GLORY OF GOD IN MY LIFE AND SETTLE FOR NOTHING LESS! MY MISSION IS TO CARRY HIS GLORY AND RELEASE IT. I AM DRAWN TO HIS HEART BY THE TRUE RICHES OF HIS PRESENCE. I CRAVE INTIMACY WITH THE LORD. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

We are moving into a time of God revealing to us more about Himself. We are in a time when our lives on earth can change radically as we understand what Jesus said, "...on earth as it is in Heaven." Matthew 6:10. We can be at peace in the midst of any situation when we understand things from a heavenly perspective. The veil between Heaven and Earth is opening up more as we are entering into great times of global harvest and revival. Heaven is very real and interactive; it is not just a place we go to when we die. Whether you are aware of it or not, your spirit is interacting with Heaven every day. This can be through things like dreams and visions or God speaking to you. HEAVEN REVEALED Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3 Jesus is not just talking about Heaven being a place we experience in the future—rather He is saying He will return to our lives on Earth and open the door to experience Heaven now. This also indicates that He is drawing us to a closer relationship, as we can sit in places of closer communion with Him. This is essential to hearing the voice of God and understanding the eartly DESTINY in Christ you are being CALLED into. PROPHETIC MYSTERIES REVEALED After Jesus returned to Heaven, God sent us the Holy Spirit. The first disciples began to get greater revelation once they received the Holy Spirit —about the new season they were in. Each generation needs fresh revelation -- Get ready to cross over into a new season of heavenly interactions, prophetic downloads and greater understanding. "The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people." Colossians 1:26 "I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:3 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

l. What is the Kingdom of God? Answer: Your spirit in union with God and the laws that govern that spirit realm. "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." -Romans 14:17 "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly,truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" - John 3:3 "The kingdom of God does not come visibly, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'there it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." - Luke 17:20,21 2. Is it God's will for us to experience life as it is in the Kingdom of God? Answer: Find answer in the scriptures. "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you...for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." - Luke 12;31,32 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." -Ephesians 1:3 "And raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:6 3. What law governs the Kingdom of God? Answer: Find answer in the scriptures. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." - Romans 8:2 "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the spirit." - Galatians 5:25 4. What is the righteousness of God? Answer: The ability to stand in the presence of God without the sense of sin, guilt, or inferiority. "Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The 'curtain' into God's presence is his body... -- full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out." - Hebrews 10:21,22 The Message "Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." - Romans 8:1 5. How do we receive His righteousness? Answer: We receive our righteousness by faith in the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Adams sin brought punishment to all but Christ's righteousness makes men right with God, so that they can live." - Romans 5:18 "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." - Romans 3:22 "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5:21 INTO ACTION: Affirm and meditate on the indicated scriptures several times daily until the renewing of your mind is made real to your spirit. AFFIRMATIONS: The Kingdom of God -- which is righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit -- is within me. (Luke 17:21 & Romans 14:17) As I seek the Kingdom of God, all things God has for me will be added. (Luke 12:30-32) Since I am in Christ Jesus, God has made available to me wisdom, righteousness and sanctification, and redemption through faith in the blood of Jesus. (Romans 3:25) ALBERT FINCH MINSITRY

Psalm 40:17 - "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art, my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God." It is clear that king David was very rich, so far as worldly goods are concerened. The eyes of his inner man were not set on earthly wealth, so it was as though he really was poor -- poor in spirit, as the Lord would have us. Matthew 5:3 - "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven." Galatians 6:7,8 - "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Observation: He has revealed the endless crop of boredom I will harvest when I base my life on pleasure-seeking instead of sowing acts of goodness and love for a harvest of eternal life. Luke 21:31 - "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." Affirmations: I ASK THE LORD TO PROPEL ME INTO THE NEXT LEVEL OF MY GROWTH AND DESTINY. I AM DETERMINED THAT I WILL COOPERATE WITH HIM. Matthew 5:6 - "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

"Heaven." We sing songs about it; we quote Scripture about it, but I don't think we know the first thing about it in reality. WHERE is "Heaven?" It IS knowable, according to the Scriptures! WHAT is "Heaven?" Perhaps, that is the question that should be addressed first. I've bought several books about "Heaven," and they all basically come to the same conclusions. HOWEVER, if they really knew what "Heaven" is, I think they would change their minds! Okay, let's start with the common rhetoric. Tell me what you currently believe about it. Then, let's explore some definitions and Scripture passages about it.

I wanted to share a viewpoint I have just recently started to consider. While listening to 2 Peter 3:10, another idea came to mind about what maybe meant by “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements melt with fervent heat…”. At first look, this seems to be talking about the heavens we see above our heads. I had the expectation that with some sort of loud noise, maybe even a violent disruption, the heavens would disappear. I had even thought this disappearing and the elements melting with fervent heat maybe due to a nuclear explosion. So my thought process started like this. Imagine being given the key to the entire library of God’s knowledge. All the wisdom that God used to create the heavens and the earth is within your grasp. You have access to his thoughts and ideas for how things need to be. You are entitled to learn everything there is about what God has to offer. This library is the source for unbound knowledge. Deeper than the oceans, and higher than the stars. Every question answered. Every answered question. You can absorb and learn as much as you desire. The magnitude of this library in human terms is this: It is humanly impossible to be ever without a moment of learning in this library. Where is heaven? What I see is more about where heaven is rather than how many there are. For the sake of argument, the key is: heaven is where God dwells. Israel, through Moses, was given this exact key. With this key, they were in the presence of the Creator himself and had access to His library. He made his abode with them (Ex 29:43-46). [Exo 29:45 KJV] And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. From here, the path leads me to a connection between heaven, Israel, and the temple. Isaiah 66 and Exodus 25 further this connection. Isaiah 66 declares heaven is God’s throne. [Isa 66:1 KJV] Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? Exodus 25 says God will meet with the children of Israel from his throne, or heaven. As with any, the throne is where the king holds court, passes judgment, issues decrees, and talks with the people, and in this case, atones for sin. Exodus gives instruction from the Creator about how to build his throne, and what it was to be used for. [Exo 25:21, 22 KJV] And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. [22] And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. ( as a side note: John 20:11, 12 show an interesting “fulfillment” between those Exodus verses and Christ’s sepulcher. ) The verses in Exodus and Isaiah lead me to believe that heaven, God’s thrones, is actually in the Holy of Holies of the temple, if not the entire temple itself. This is significant. What makes this so significant? This is the part that may raise some questions. [2Pe 3:10 KJV]But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. The children of Israel, and specifically the priests, scribes, and Pharisees, had direct access to the God of the universe, the Creator of all. When this access was given to everyone (including the Gentiles) this, to me seems like a VERY traumatic event. It could be the end of an age. This event would be the end of a way of life for the past 1200+ years. What are your thoughts on these connections?

IS HEAVEN IN YOUR FUTURE? God promised that the righteous would live on earth. “For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land, And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” Psalms 37:9,10,11 Examine the example of Abraham. 1. God promised Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession."And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession: and I will be their God." Genesis 17:8 2. God even promised Abraham and his offspring that they would inherit the world.“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Romans 4:13 3. Gentiles can receive the promises of Abraham through the seed, Jesus Christ.“in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might came to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:14 4. If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.“And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:29 5. Abraham is the father of the righteous. “For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” Romans 4:16 6. But, Abraham did not receive even a foot of ground."And He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground; and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his offspring after him.” Acts 7:5 7. So, if we trust God that his promise to Abraham is good, and since Abraham hasn't yet received his inheritance then it follows that Abraham and his righteous descendants (even righteous Gentiles) will inherit the earth at some future time. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 "And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." Revelation 5:10 The Scriptures very plainly say that the righteous will inherit the earth; so why does everyone talk about going to heaven? Where in the Bible does it say the righteous will go to heaven? “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling,” (Hebrews 3:1), “those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,” (Hebrews 6:4), “be assured that a place has been prepared for you,” (John 14:2), “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,” (Revelation 21:2), “and the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of our LORD, and of His Messiah; and He will reign forever and ever,” (Revelation 11:15). I invite your comments.

An Atheist’s View On Life I will live my life according to these beliefs God does not exist It is just foolish to think That there is a God with a cosmic plan That an all-powerful God brings purpose to the pain and suffering in the world It’s a comforting thought however Is only wishful...thinking People can do as they please without eternal consequences The idea that I am deserving of Hell Because of sin Is a lie meant to make me a slave to those in power The more you have the happier you will be Our existence has no grand meaning or purpose In a world with no God There is freedom to be who I want to be But with God Everything is fine It is ridiculous to think I am lost and in need of saving Versus A Christian’s View On Life (Now…read from bottom to top to see a different view.) I am lost and in need of saving It is ridiculous to think Everything is fine But with God There is freedom to be who I want to be In a world with no God Our existence has no grand meaning or purpose The more you have the happier you will be Is a lie meant to make me a slave to those in power Because of sin I am deserving of Hell The idea that People can do as they please without eternal consequences Is only wishful thinking Is a comforting thought, however That an all-powerful God brings purpose to the pain and suffering in the world That there is a God with a cosmic plan It is just foolish to think God does not exist I will live my life according to these beliefs ~ Author Unknown

Nice to meet you again rollingthunder, and thank you for your thoughtfull and educational reply to my post. Yes, no problem with the above, we meet him in the air: 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Notice that in the passage above, it says that God will bring with Jesus, those who have died. That sounds downward to me, but I could be wrong. Bring is toward us, take is away from us. The point is, we are going up to be with Him. Passage also mentions angels and trump, so I think we are on the same page there. However, the passage states He comes down, and we go up, and does not say whether we come down with Him, or we go up with Him after we meet in the air. I basically disagree with you about the two different types of coming. I find the one where Jesus comes again, after the tribulation, where He gathers the elects, from the earth, the living and the dead saints, and brings us to earth with Him, but I cannot find the other one. The only distinctions I notice in comings, are the words used, primarily parousia (coming alongside, coming to be present) and ercomai, (I come, I go). Context though as always, will generally tell you what is meant, but the Greek can shed light as well. Again, it does not state in that verse, what direction we go from that meeting, up or down. I hope I am misunderstanding you, but it looks to me like you are saying that in that verse (Mark 13:37) that that is not Jesus second coming to the earth. I must be misunderstanding you because immediately before the verse you quoted we see exactly what this is describing: 24"But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26"Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. 27"And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. (the upper case letters above are from the NASB, not my doing) The fact that verse 27 begins with "and" connects it to the verse before it, so it is saying "After the tribulation, things happen and Jesus comes in power and glory and gathers His elect. 100% consistant with what I am saying and what I believe. I do not disagree with you, as far as I can tell all verses and passages about Jesus coming are at His revelation or His appearing. I don't think that is the case. There are more that one sort of judgement. God can judge the earth and inflict his wrath upon it, just as the flood was a judgement, and Sodom and Gommorah were judgements. Those judgements are against a people and are not the judgement that is eternal. I am sure I do not have to convince you of that, it is for the benefit of those who might be reading this thread, who are not as well studied as you are. To that end I offer the following passage. Matt 11:23,24: 23"And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24"Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you." This demonstrates that there is yet a judgement to come upon Sodom. I beleive this will also be the case when the Lord come in Judgment. So no, I do not beleive beleive I have my judgements confused, I am noting the distinction of punishment on earth and punishment in eternity. That is not quite fair, I am not importing anything, I am using the parable of the wheat and tares to demonstrate that there is a type of person, who can appear outwardly like a beleiver, but is in fact, counterfiet. Nothing more need be implied than that. If it has no relation to the ten virgins, why does it start out saying "The kingdom of heaven is like . . ."? and in the parable of the tares and the parable of the virgins, the result is the same, weeping and gnashing of teeth for some, I think you are trying to hard to make distinctions that need not be made. A parable is only a parable after all, not everything in it has a one to one correlation with comething else. Being how parables are at times designed to obscure meaning, I prefer ones that the bible interprets, without me bringing too much into it myself. If you show me where what you are saying about them, are in the explanations Jesus gave, I am all ears, I apologize, if I am not quite as open to what you think it means. Again, as in many replies so far, my point is being glossed over and other details are being imported that I am not even talking about, except to answer off topic (to me) replies. Restating my point yet again: "So, the answer to our question of "when?" is: When the master comes and assigns the lazy slave to the place where the hypocrites are and there is wailing and knashing of teeth, THEN it will be comparable to ten virgins. In Matt 24, the topic is clearly not the rapture, but Jesus second coming, His glorious appearing after the tribulation. Also, we see this "wailing and gnashing of teeth language from Jesus, elsewhere in the book of Matthew, chapter 13 Well, it makes sense to me, and I do not feel that you have even remotely made a case for how it does not. Making sense, is not even what concerns me, I know my ways are not God's ways, so it certainly need not make sense to me to be true. I am not interested in what makes sense as much as I am interested in what the bible actually says. Whether or not it makes sense to us, it harmonizes with all passages (not all interpretations of all passages), does not need to infer anything that is not stated, or at least does not contradict anything that is stated, that is to say it is not contradicted by scripture, and is the plainest understanding of the related passages. I am not quite sure I even understand what your overall view is rollingthunder, so I am not sure how much we agree or disagree on other details of end times. It at least seems to me that you have Jesus coming back twice (as in the pretrib scenario), but I always marvel that no one has been able to produce a single verse that states any such notion, it is all infered in their view, but that inference is imported to the text, not extraced from it. Similar to another tenent of pretribism, which I also fail to understand, the notion of imminence, but that is another topic for another thread, and has likely already be discussed to death. Thank you for your wonderful tone and teaching spirit.

Jesus spoke the gospel, which is the voice of God, because His created existence is called the "Word". The Word is spoken through all God's servants called the prophets and saints because we're one in the mind of God. John 1 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2: He was in the beginning with God; 3: all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4: In him was life, and the life was the light of men. Ephesians 1 1: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus: 2: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4: even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. 5: He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 9: For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ 10: as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11: In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, 12: we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory. 13: In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Romans 9: 28: We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. 29: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. 30: And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. These scriptures are testimonies by the messenger within us, who has us (the glorified flesh) speak for our Creator. I Corinthians 2: 7: But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. 8: None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Will our beloved pets be with us in heaven? Randy Alcorn, who wrote a book called “Heaven” believes that animals will be present in Heaven. C. S. Lewis, and hundreds of others; the list of pastors, theologians, and true Christians are numerous. Many believe this to be true. Youtube Randy Alcorn about Pets being with us. What does the bible say about animals? Does God care less about animals as some people do? Or is God's heart more like those who love and care about animals? Why did God create animals in the first place? Why not just skip that part, and create all edible plants that would be suffice for our diet? Were animals in the garden meant to die or were they meant to be eaten? Or even meant to suffer? NO! They were created, like us, to be eternal... Because of the fall of man, ALL creation was caused to suffer... mankind and animals alike! This is not a modern day question; Solomon pondered and said in Ecclesiastes 3:18-21: “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ( or literally “spirit“); humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” But does God care about animals? Genesis 9:9-10 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.” Genesis 9:16; “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Why would God include animals in His covenant? WOW, God loves His created ANIMALS! So much that He made the same covenant with them as He did man. Isn't it safe to say that God loves animals? Now granted, it is VERY clear that mankind's value is much greater than other creations but that doesn't mean that animals don't have any value at all... because they do have an earthly and heavenly value; (Mat 10:29 NASB) "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And (Mat 10:31 NASB) "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." He didn't say "You have value and they do not" but rather He said that we are more valuable than animals... they have value both on earth and in heaven, as written in; Hosea 2:18 “In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.” ALL… And this covenant was made... it has been established. Animals will not fear death because they will be imperishable, as they were in the beginning. And again, Isaiah 11:6-9 reads, “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.” Obviously this isn’t a picture of this old earth! Impossible! This is a description of a new earth and new HEAVEN! Isn’t that a WONDEFUL image? It will be GLORIOUS! “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away,…”(Rev 21:1 NASB) God didn't create animals as meat, originally, for mankind nor as just some chunk of expendable flesh... Unfortunately, after the fall of man, they were transitioned into an earthly value… but He does have a heavenly value in them as well... and He knows every one of them individually as their Creator. He originally designed/created them to be imperishable, eternal. And in the end, they will be that again! 1Co 15:35-42 (NASB) But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?" You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; WOW again, this sounds like all qualifying creation will be raised in an imperishable body. God's children, through Christ... but animals can't obtain eternal life through Christ, because they don’t have the soul of man, but it does obtain eternal life through God's covenant, as mention and written in Hosea 2 (See above scripture). All creatures great and small, past and future, damned and saved, will say in; Rev 5:13 (NASB) And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." ALL created things in heaven and on earth… No created thing left out, ALL… past, present and future… ALL. So the question remains, does this include our beloved pets? I believe that our beloved pets are included in "every created thing which is in heaven and on earth, and all things in them". Why would every created thing, God's people, the unsaved, heavily beings, and animals alike, be included but not our beloved pets? Why would they be specifically excluded? Absurd! Unfortunately, although the unsaved will acknowledge and say these things, they will not enjoy the reward of eternal life with God. But because of God’s covenant with His created creatures, they will not perish or suffer after this Glorious acknowledgment of Christ’s Sovereignty, but rather be possibly put on the new earth. I mean think about it, will these created things that had died and turn to dust be raised up temporarily to acknowledge Christ Sovereignty, and then return to dust once again? That’s not what I read and believe. I have a little notebook that I have kept for over 10 years... and in it I write down all animals that I have either owned, or have known, in it. Each one according to it's name. This notebook, although written on earth, is part of my treasures that I store in heaven. Now of course I have more valuable treasures, family, brothers and sisters in Christ value, that I store in Heaven, but God willing, I will hold this notebook in my hands upon reaching the pearly gates, and declare the names written in it as part of my valued treasures. And I will once again be able to enjoy their love and companionship. This is what I believe and hold to, unwavering. An Illustration for those who still don’t get it; Imagine if were a sculptor… and you loved to form and create things. One day you created a creature of some sort, it had four legs, eyes and a mouth. Once finished with it, you sat back and stared at it… and you saw that it was well done… and you began thinking of a little unique personality for it, an organic living program. Oh… you say, it would eat berries, run in the field, it will adapt to its environment, socialize with your other creations, learning to its limited ability. It won’t know right from wrong, and it won’t know corruption. It will however be lovable and, in its simplistic way, will be capable of giving affection. After thinking a while, you wanted it to be eternal like you… and after imagining every aspect of this art piece, you raise your hand to your mouth and you breathe into its mouth and behold what was not, is now alive. It is the product of your creation and you are happy with it. Now I don’t expect anyone to fully understand or relate to this… because you have never experienced this. You don’t have the ability to create living creatures. You don’t have the ability breathe life into anything… but if you were able to, could you imagine the bond between you and that creation?

Firestormx, There is only one unforgivible sin,, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Putting it plainly,, the sin of disbelief is the only sin that can keep you out of Heaven. As for the Rev. verses you share.. This comes in a time after the rapture.. Christians well already be gone by the time these verses come into play.. God owes the Jews 7 years in which to repent and take Jesus as the promised saviour. Give me about 3 months of saturdays and I'll outline the whole deal.. Just keep studying with the Holy Spirit at your side and all this will come to you. God bless Linehaul