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The threads is about philosophy and logic, and NOT about scientific proofs and existence of God.
So, in among almost all faiths, the followers and believers, are guaranteed a spot in heaven.
It’s not the works, remember. It’s just having the belief, and that’s it; a cosmic red carpet welcome is awaiting.
If that’s the case then what’s the point of living a life on earth anymore?
Why the struggle of getting up every morning to go work, and pay taxes, deal with daily stress, and suffer illnesses, and go thru the slow grind of old age, and see the world’s pain and misery and crime and racism, and poverty and hunger and inflation, and disease, and tornadoes and hurricanes and earth quakes and tsunamis n whatnot?
Why not just pray to have your life ended, and be in heaven and escape all of it? Why not put your faith to test?
One response I received was, “yes I am going to heaven but I love my cat or my dog”.
I think the counter is, isn’t heaven a place of blissful eternity? There is absolutely no worry of any sort in heaven regardless of your circumstances and relationships and emotional attachments with anything in this world.
Or, the old saying goes true for such faiths, “Everyone wants to go heaven but no one wants to die.”
Or, the faiths where the believer believes to have a guaranteed spot reserved in heaven, seems to fail this test of logic?
Because no one really knows for sure. I live in "beat yourself into the chest how religious I am" Pentecostal environment and it is amazing to see, regardless of how "faithful" and "righteous" and "chosen" they are, how they all are afraid to die.
This is a great dilemma of the true believer and a poser.
As a person of deep faith, I've given it to God to end my life when He sees fit... and when the time comes, I prefer to be in my bed... and not out on the street run over by a drunk driver. This happened to someone I know a few years ago. Very shocking and sad.
So we must deal with all the trials and tribulations of life... the good, the bad and the ugly, which there are many. But we weren't created just to live here on this earth. I believe there is another world that awaits, which is very similar to this one, and that hell is a place, but it's not eternal... all will eventually be redeemed.
My 86-year-old aunt brought this subject up not long ago. She said she has wondered why God hasn't taken her because she is ready to go, but then she came across an old book from the 1950s, and the part she read was about still living because you have something you are still supposed to do.
My 86-year-old aunt brought this subject up not long ago. She said she has wondered why God hasn't taken her because she is ready to go, but then she came across an old book from the 1950s, and the part she read was about still living because you have something you are still supposed to do.
People who get saved through Jesus Spirit should not turn around and forsake God and His blessing, which would dishonor the God of Life which would be like Judas Iscariot rebellion ...... See everyone has a place in heaven and is called by God to repent of sin and surrender to Jesus Christ and be blessed with life eternal, this life from God is not put on people against the will
The threads is about philosophy and logic, and NOT about scientific proofs and existence of God.
So, in among almost all faiths, the followers and believers, are guaranteed a spot in heaven.
It’s not the works, remember. It’s just having the belief, and that’s it; a cosmic red carpet welcome is awaiting.
If that’s the case then what’s the point of living a life on earth anymore?
Why the struggle of getting up every morning to go work, and pay taxes, deal with daily stress, and suffer illnesses, and go thru the slow grind of old age, and see the world’s pain and misery and crime and racism, and poverty and hunger and inflation, and disease, and tornadoes and hurricanes and earth quakes and tsunamis n whatnot?
Why not just pray to have your life ended, and be in heaven and escape all of it? Why not put your faith to test?
One response I received was, “yes I am going to heaven but I love my cat or my dog”.
I think the counter is, isn’t heaven a place of blissful eternity? There is absolutely no worry of any sort in heaven regardless of your circumstances and relationships and emotional attachments with anything in this world.
Or, the old saying goes true for such faiths, “Everyone wants to go heaven but no one wants to die.”
Or, the faiths where the believer believes to have a guaranteed spot reserved in heaven, seems to fail this test of logic?
Oh, believe me I would love to die and be done with this world. Ever since my husband passed away unexpectedly a few years ago life has held little earthly joy for me. All my joy and comfort has come from the Lord Jesus and I wouldn't give it a second thought if I had the choice of staying here or being in my eternal home--I would much rather be in the latter.
But as long as we are on this world, the Lord has a purpose for us; though I would much rather not be here while I am yet breathing I will strive to live in a way that is pleasing to God (and fail miserably many many times due to my remaining sin; ever grateful there is always the Lord to turn to and that he is far more patient with me than I am with others).
I know I've "prayed" for the Lord to call me home many a night; it will be on his own eternally wise time line however. Not quite sure I'd call it praying however; more of a cry of sorrow to the Lord though of how I really don't want to be here anymore.
I think a lot of people here, especially in these first world countries, have a little bit of a heaven on earth many times in their lives. I know that when I was with my husband, the thought of dying and going to heaven wasn't very pleasing to me. So I can understand if a believer has a nice joyful life with those they love how the thought of cutting those earthly strings would be hard. God cut them loose for me though by taking away my husband, so the world doesn't have much happiness here for me anymore. There's a good reason why in a land of wealth, the Lord Jesus doesn't hold much appeal there--why would you need someone like that when you got everything you need already? Those who have very little in the world have an easier time believing in a better place than the one in which they live in now.
I am on God's timetable. But I will tell you this much. God can have me any time he wants me and I have confessed this to Him many times. I have asked him not to take me before my mother passes. She lost 1 son already and it would be terrible to lose another. Parents are supposed to go before their kids. It is tragic to lose a kid. But I have confessed to God that he can have me any time after that.
What do I need another meal for, or movie, or vacation, or even a beautiful sunset. What is waiting for me in Heaven dwarfs anything I can find here on earth. Just being in the presence of Christ 24/7 dwarfs anything here on earth. That is all I need. Being with Him.
I don't pray for my death and I am not in a hurry to let go of the known and familiar, especially now since I have gotten my freedom back with retirement, but if I learned tomorrow that I have 30 days to live, after getting over the shock and trauma, I know my attitude would be "good". Here I come, Jesus. I'm coming home!
My 86-year-old aunt brought this subject up not long ago. She said she has wondered why God hasn't taken her because she is ready to go, but then she came across an old book from the 1950s, and the part she read was about still living because you have something you are still supposed to do.
My 88 year old mother is in progressively failing health. She is ready and anxious to join Dad in Heaven. She doesn't want another day of crumbling quality of life. She sure has a good attitude toward it though. She is tolerant either way. What will be, will be. But she is really ready do go and wants to go. She has had enough of the earth.
NOT before Christmas though... She LOVES Christmas.
Your line "why not put your faith to test" got my attention.
"Do not put the LORD your God to the test as you did at Massah."
Then when Satan is tempting Jesus in the desert, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
I understand the distinction where you said "test your faith" not "test God". It just caught my attention. For me, puttingh my faith to test would sort of be putting God to test. "Gee, are you going to keep your promise or not"?
I suspect you did not mean it that way.
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We are here to overcome and endure to the end.
