toldailytopic: How does one get to heaven?

[Cracked]

-Vote Republican or possibly Tea Party(already been mentioned)
-Watch Fox News and listen to Rush Limbaugh
-Join the NRA
-Hate Socialism
-Love Capitalism
-Hate Taxes
-Love Military
-Legislate your worldview first--changing hearts is secondary (possibly unnecessary)
-Hate "entitlements" like education and health care but accept any and all government loopholes and bonuses as long as they benefit you
-Hate environmentalism and related concerns because monetary profit is more important than a few kids with autism
-Adhere to ridged dogma that condemns believers to hell because of some nonessential variation in belief

Actually, you caught me--it is none of those things! Folks who have read the Bible know that. However, folks who haven't may not. Yet, our ambassadorship often consists of the above. :idunno:

 

[Frank Ernest]

-Vote Republican or possibly Tea Party(already been mentioned)

Ok.

-Watch Fox News and listen to Rush Limbaugh

Ok Do that.

-Join the NRA

Ok. Did that too.

-Hate Socialism

Don't have to. I already know it doesn't and won't work.

-Love Capitalism

I recognize capitalism as the way the world works. I don't have to get all emotional about it.

-Hate Taxes

When taxes fund the necessary functions of government, fine.

-Love Military

The military is a necessary function of any nation.

-Legislate your worldview first--changing hearts is secondary (possibly unnecessary)

That would be the socialist/communist method of command-and-control. Those folks don't want your love, just your compliance.

-Hate "entitlements" like education and health care but accept any and all government loopholes and bonuses as long as they benefit you

Amazing how some socialist tax breaks become "loopholes and bonuses" when the political need arises.

-Hate environmentalism and related concerns because monetary profit is more important than a few kids with autism

:darwinsm: You just fall out of a tree or what? Those are not the either/or alternatives.

-Adhere to ridged dogma that condemns believers to hell because of some nonessential variation in belief

:rotfl: You can if you want. I have no idea what "some nonessential variation in belief" might be. I suspect it means anybody who disagrees with you.

Actually, you caught me--it is none of those things! Folks who have read the Bible know that. However, folks who haven't may not. Yet, our ambassadorship often consists of the above. :idunno:

Folks who have read the Bible know what -- exactly?

 

[Glenda]

"Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?"

Even though there is much disagreement among men, about how to get to "heaven," so to speak, it is a loving and merciful God, who is, at the same time, a just and Holy God, who is our final Judge.

Many men feel extremely confident in certain scriptures, and that they have figured out the "exact" formula to be saved, and have boxed God in. They have decided for Him, in a sense.

Others are so focused on pleasing either a God whom can not possibly truly forgive and understand them, or think He is a bookkeeper, looking for the slightest error in their ledgers. They then begin focusing on crossing every tee and dotting every I.

I simply and truly believe that God is not going to make a single mistake in His final judgment concerning each individual.

He is not going to eliminate anyone on a technicality, nor accept a person who simply said a "sinner's prayer", even with tears, once upon a time, but whose heart was never really turned towards God, and others.

None of us is going to be able to "fool" God. Nor will we be able to persuade Him with false words, and promises. Neither will we be able to deny His overwhelming desire for love and mercy.

The people in my life whom, I have known and I think are saved, have several things in common.

They came to a point in their lives where they were broken over themselves and sin. They called out to God for mercy and to change them. They received some type of answer and some real change within themselves. {It is not exactly the same for everyone}

Though they are not perfect in word or deed, they always return to seeking and following after God and His word. They are more humble and contrite, than proud and stubborn.

I have found Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, people in every denomination, and unchurched people, whom 'I think' are God's children, and are following Him; despite errors in their own thinking, and the teaching that they are receiving.

I also see many people who are only fooling themselves. They are following a religion without a Redeemer, and are trusting in a method, or themselves, for an afterlife.

We are in a lost world and God is seeking us, and pursuing us. We must respond, when we hear His voice. He responded when He finally heard mine.

:first:

 

[Ps82]

Christ, our Lord Jesus, provided the miracle that makes this possible.

Being God he is more than the fleshly image that appeared upon this earth unto the eyes of men. His presence represented the image of our divine Father Lord (IOW, God appearing as Emmanuel), but this time the presence of God was manifested as a fleshly Lordly Son (Emmanuel).

Before God ever created mankind he had established the WAY to transform us from this world and into a new body by a divine miracle. That miracle was completed by the manifestation of God's presence with a mortal body - known as the WORD of God upon earth as Emmanuel.

Through the death of that body (the blood and the bread), our God was able to provide the eternal anti-venom for us snake bitten mortals.
He was also able to arise to establish a PLACE for believers to be with him after their mortal deaths.
He made it possible for the Holy spirit of God to meld with those saved humans, so that they are held unto their transfer into that PLACE.

In the end, God will return to bring the kingdom of our LORD with him and will in the end finally usher in his kingdom in a renewed world.

Believers are literally placed IN CHRIST ... in that PLACE that he has provided... and the process begins when the Holy Spirit of God is implanted IN THEM. Because his spirit is IN US ... we are IN HIM - held through out the process of God's making all things new.

Jesus is savior ... is our Lord... is , being God an infinite spirit, also a spiritual realm where we can dwell safely ... until all the enemies of God are placed under his feet ... enemies being defeated and put in their own predestined place or "in a state of being or of not being" established by God from the beginning. This finally takes place when God does away with DEATH and HELL.

Those not saved will go to the place or state of being established for their father, the devil ... but the saved will go to the PLACE and state of existence which was established for them by their Father - the LORD ... the LORD God.
Isaiah 43:11 KJV

 

[elohiym]

Nicodemus asked Jesus about how one gets to heaven, and Jesus gave him the best answer.

 

[Livelystone]

My confidence lies in the ability of Jesus to finish what He has started in me rather than anything of my own ability

My faith is not faith in Jesus but the faith of Jesus in me that started as a mustard seed but from manna and blessings from heaven, the seed that is Christ has taken root in me.

Therefore and by His Grace it grows more and more in the image of the tree of life that it came from.

Our faith is what we believe and if what we believe is the truth of Christ, then we our of "great faith". On the other hand if what we believe in is only the doctrines and traditions of man, then we will only be of little faith. If the latter is the case we will only do little works rather than the greater works to come spoken of by Jesus.

 

[elohiym]

We should be doing the greater works now, if we believe.

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

 

[Ps82]

Nicodemus asked Jesus about how one gets to heaven, and Jesus gave him the best answer.

How nice of you to point us to this conversation!

Jesus explained how a human would enter the kingdom of God.
The answer was to be BORN of water and the Spirit. He goes on to explain this idea of born of water and spirit by saying:
born of flesh and born of The Spirit.

Before anyone can enter the kingdom ... they must first, at least, be conceived in the natural waters of life of humanity. People, who are in the waters of the womb of humanity have the potential of entering the kingdom.

That alone is not enough for they must also be BORN of The Spirit as well. I happen to believe that this process of 'being born of the Spirit' has more to do with God's CHOICE and less to do with man's choice. Yet, they both seem to play a role for conscious cognoscente people ... because men of freewill can choose to reject the GIFT of the Spirit.

We are born of the Spirit ... due to the miracle God performed through the LORD Jesus, Emmanuel. He made the WAY for us to be born of the spirit and even preached the good news of the arrival of this provision for mankind to those already dead!

I compared God's miracle to providing the anti-venom for our snake bitten condition ... so is it any wonder the God had Moses to lift up a dead snake upon a pole in order to heal the snake bitten people of Israel, who believed that looking upon it would be their salvation?

God came in the form of a snake bitten mortal ... and in that body He was able to provide what we needed to save our spiritual essence and our physical essence. Is it any wonder that blood and WATER poured out of his side ... as a SIGN for those who understood the miracle of our being born of blood (waters of humanity) and of SPIRIT (water of our salvation), which God would transform and provide through His/our mortal savior?

 

[elohiym]

Jesus said we are not of this world, in the same way that he is not of this world.

In what way was Jesus not of this world? The same applies to us.

John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 

[Livelystone]

I like the idea of anti-venom for the serpent seed that Adam took on through disobedience and consuming the seeds of knowledge of evil and good.

........ and we should/could be doing the greater works had the original church not been hijacked and fallen away from the truths of God that has caused it to become a modern day Tower of Babble, made in the image of man instead of being made in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

My encouragement comes from Daniel who said in the end times knowledge would be increased because the only knowledge the Bible is concerned about is for us worshipping in spirit and in truth........ and from Jesus who said the temple would be perfected in the third day, that IMO we have entered into time-wise.

The early church was run by Apostles ordained by God who saw fit to work signs and wonders through obedient souls given to serving the Lord..... I believe those days are soon going to return; not in great numbers at the start, but given time God's glory will fill the earth

 

[Ps82]

I like the idea of anti-venom for the serpent seed that Adam took on through disobedience and consuming the seeds of knowledge of evil and good.

........ and we should/could be doing the greater works had the original church not been hijacked and fallen away from the truths of God that has caused it to become a modern day Tower of Babble, made in the image of man instead of being made in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

My encouragement comes from Daniel who said in the end times knowledge would be increased because the only knowledge the Bible is concerned about is for us worshipping in spirit and in truth........ and from Jesus who said the temple would be perfected in the third day, that IMO we have entered into time-wise.

The early church was run by Apostles ordained by God who saw fit to work signs and wonders through obedient souls given to serving the Lord..... I believe those days are soon going to return; not in great numbers at the start, but given time God's glory will fill the earth

I'll 'second' that idea.