"Heaven" . . .

[Who me]

God has loved us from before he began creation. He planned us and loved us from the moment he thought of us.

How then can we do anything to make him love us or make him love us more?

 

[Mike Mclees]

On ‎3‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 5:17 AM, Who me said:

God has loved us from before he began creation. He planned us and loved us from the moment he thought of us.

 

 

How then can we do anything to make him love us or make him love us more?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This must cover the span of humanity before creation. That is a little mind boggling. No way to grasp it. 

[Who me]

On 30 March 2019 at 11:20 PM, Mike Mclees said:

This must cover the span of humanity before creation. That is a little mind boggling. No way to grasp it.

Just accept that God's love for you is far greater than we can comprehend and rest in the assurance that being loved by such a vast love gives.

[Billiards Ball]

On 2/22/2019 at 8:43 AM, com7fy8 said:

Well, we are indeed not here in order to be pleased, ourselves. We are here so we can become pleasing to our Father, like how Jesus is so pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

So, in case anyone thinks he or she is the central reason for Heaven, yes he or she is indeed fooled. And in case one supposes Heaven is mainly for making us happy . . . we are fooled.

However > if we become like Jesus, more and more . . .

"gentle and lowly in heart" (in Matthew 11:28-30) >

we will be pleasing to our Father like Jesus is, because we are like Him gentle and humble.

But Jesus guarantees how this will be good for us, too > "you will find rest for your souls." (same scripture > Matthew 11:28-30)

Because God is very kind and tender in all-loving love. So, if we are like Jesus we become like this, and this kind and tender love in us is good for us, too, not only making us so pleasing to our Father who adopted us out of this world's selfish ways of loving.

"Well, we are indeed not here in order to be pleased, ourselves."

So, the abundant life Jesus spoke of is... ?

So, I'm to witness to unbelievers that, "Stop struggling to find joy in things besides God. Once you live to avoid all pleasure and joy, you will find joy"?

[com7fy8]

On 4/3/2019 at 9:27 AM, Billiards Ball said:

"Well, we are indeed not here in order to be pleased, ourselves."

So, the abundant life Jesus spoke of is... ?

So, I'm to witness to unbelievers that, "Stop struggling to find joy in things besides God. Once you live to avoid all pleasure and joy, you will find joy"?

I should have made it more clear > how pleasing ourselves is not the main thing. But yes certainly there is enjoyment with God.

 

I would say the main abundance is how we are becoming like Jesus so pleasing to our Father, and this is pleasing to us, also > in His joy, His peace.

 

Jesus does say to seek first His kingdom.

[Mike Mclees]

I live in Florida and at the store I saw a tee shirt that said living in paradise. Well I know about paradise and it don't exist anywhere near here. Maybe its some lonely Island in the Pacific covered with palm trees plenty of coconuts  ?.

[missmuffet]

11 minutes ago, Mike Mclees said:

I live in Florida and at the store I saw a tee shirt that said living in paradise. Well I know about paradise and it don't exist anywhere near here. Maybe its some lonely Island in the Pacific covered with palm trees plenty of coconuts  ?.

Paradise here on this earth?  Definitely not. A pastor at a Church I used to attend once said " For unbelievers earth is the closest to heaven they will ever get. For believers earth is the closest to hell they will ever get.

[Mike Mclees]

6 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

Paradise here on this earth?  Definitely not. A pastor at a Church I used to attend once said " For unbelievers earth is the closest to heaven they will ever get. For believers earth is the closest to hell they will ever get.

Got that right 

[Mike Mclees]

On ‎4‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 9:27 AM, Billiards Ball said:

"Well, we are indeed not here in order to be pleased, ourselves."

So, the abundant life Jesus spoke of is... ?

So, I'm to witness to unbelievers that, "Stop struggling to find joy in things besides God. Once you live to avoid all pleasure and joy, you will find joy"?

That deserves and Amen

[Willa]

On 2/27/2019 at 7:57 AM, Billiards Ball said:

I don't understand.

Citizenship in Heaven/being transformed to be able to enter Heaven is the chief reason Jesus descended, died, rose.

I please the Father because I'm covered in the blood of Christ, I'm adopted, beloved, translated, and am changing (a bit now, much more at the Rapture). I don't need to "do" things to "be pleasing to God".

Born agains please God, others risk eternal perishing.

Rom 5:8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom 5:9  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Rom 5:10  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Rom 5:11  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

It was so freeing to me to realize that God is pleased with me right now.  I don't have to keep trying to be pleasing and forever failing.  When freed from the self effort God was able to start transforming me into His likeness by His Spirit.  All my self effort, which became self righteousness, just got in the way of God's work in me.  The just shall live by his faith.