Is it semantics or focus / crossroads ?

[Ed Sutton]

Getting ready for Heaven or( Heaven / Christ in you), is it semantics or (focus / crossroads) ?

[Larry Lyons]

Getting ready for Heaven or Heaven / Christ in you, is it semantics or focus / crossroads ?

Ed, that is a little too cryptic for me to understand. Can you decode it for me?

[dedication]

It's not semantics, it is Biblical truth.

The only way to "prepare" for heaven, is to have the kingdom of heaven within you now.

Behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21

 Jesus answered, "The kingdom of God cometh not with outward show: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." The kingdom of God begins in the heart.


""Except ye be born again," said Christ, "ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." To enter heaven, a man must have Christ formed within, the hope of glory, and take heaven with him. The Lord Jesus alone can fashion and change the character. For want of patience, kindness, forbearance, unselfishness, and love, the revealings of the traits flash forth involuntarily when off guard, and unchristian words, unchristlikeness of character burst forth sometimes to the ruin of the soul.  {FE 279.1}

"God's way is to work in power. He gives grace if the sick man realizes that he needs it. God proposes to purify and refine the defiled soul, then he will implant in the heart his own righteousness and peace and health, and man will become complete in him. This is the kingdom of God within you. Day by day men are revealing whether the kingdom of God is within them."   {HL 43} 

[Ed Sutton]

Getting ready for Heaven or ( Heaven / Christ in you), is it semantics or (focus / crossroads)

Getting ready for Heaven <always trying to improve a dead horse > or( Heaven / Christ in you) the valley of dry bones work of God making a dead horse alive and perfectly whole again ?, is it semantics <play on words> or (focus / crossroads) who you behold and follow after taking His higher road .

       Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, "Love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts.  {DA 641.3} 
     But "if thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works?" Proverbs 24:11, 12. In the great Judgment day, those who have not worked for Christ, who have drifted along thinking of themselves, caring for themselves, will be placed by the Judge of the whole earth with those who did evil. They receive the same condemnation.  {DA 641.4} 
     To every soul a trust is given. Of everyone the Chief Shepherd will demand, "Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?" And "what wilt thou say when He shall punish thee?" Jeremiah 13:20, 21.  {DA 641.5}   

What Biblically is love ?  Sum of all these parts = how Jesus has loved.

 ( like precious faith + righteousness of God and  Saviour Jesus Christ:
+   Grace and peace - through knowing God +  diligence +virtue + knowledge+ temperance+patience+godliness+ brotherly kindness+ charity<26> )

John 17:26  And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love <26> wherewith thou hast loved <25> (5656) me may be in them, and I in them.


26 ἀγάπη agape ag-ah’-pay

from 25; n f; TDNT-1:21,5;  {See TDNT 10}

AV-love 86, charity 27, dear 1, charitably+ 2596 1, feast of charity 1; 116

1) {Singular} brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence {#Joh 15:13 Ro 13:10 1Jo 4:18}
1a) Of the love of men to men; esp. Christians towards Christians which is enjoined and prompted by their religion, whether the love be viewed as in the soul or expressed {#Mt 14:12 1Co 13:1-4,8 14:1 2Co 2:4 Ga 5:6 Phm 5,7 1Ti 1:5 Heb 6:10 10:24 1Jo 4:7 Re 2:4,19} &c
1b) Of the love of men towards God {#Lu 11:42 Joh 5:42 1Jo 2:15 3:17 4:12 5:3}
1c) Of the love of God towards man {#Ro 5:8 8:39 2Co 13:14}
1d) Of the love of God towards Christ {#Joh 15:10 17:26}
1e) Of the love of Christ towards men {#Joh 15:8-13 2Co 5:14 Ro 8:35 Eph 3:19}
2) {plural} love feasts expressing and fostering mutual love which used to be held by Christians before the celebration of the Lord’s supper, and at which the poorer Christians mingled with the wealthier and partook in common with the rest of the food provided at the expense of the wealthy. {#Jude 12 2Pe 2:13 Ac 2:42,46 1Co 11:17-34}

Syn.: φιλία 5373 ἀγάπη, signifying properly (v. s. αγαραω 25) love which chooses its object, is taken from the LXX, where its connotation is more general, into the NT, and there used exclusively to express that spiritual bond of love between God and man and between man and man, in Christ which is characteristic of Christianity. It is thus distinct from φιλία, friendship (#Jas 4:4 only), στοργη, natural affection (in the NT only in its compounds, v. s. ἄστοργος 794) and ερως sexual love, which is not used in the NT, in its place being taken by επιηυμια 1939.

[newbie]

yup, LOVE opens the heart ... then showers of heaven pour in...