CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Having read some of the other threads, it's got my mind wandering a bit, which a can at times not necessarily be a good thing, but not this time.

I think one of the biggest challenges for us as human beings is to think "outside the box", as we are so focused, and rightly so on our immediate environment and the needs within. But at times like this I get to daydreaming what "life beyond life" will really be like.

God promises it to be perfect, we know that.

He promises that we'll be reunited with those gone from this world who have embraced Him, we know that too.

No sin, disease, pain or suffering forevermore. That's on the list as well.

But beyond those profound realities, what will daily life be like for us?

After a lot of thought and time spent studying the Bible and trying to see "the big picture" as God does to whatever degree I'm able to, I've come up with a few things I think may be on the horizon.

As I look back to Genesis, where it all began for us, some immediate things come to mind, such as Adam and Eve both being created to care for and tend to the needs of the garden about them. I'm thinking God's plan may involve getting back to those original elements which He came up with and liked to begin with, before we messed things up.

In other words I think we'll be once again given stewardship over the New Earth with the responsibility to care for it. To basically fulfill the failed plan originally entrusted to Adam and Eve before sin had entered into the picture.

The main difference is that sin will not be a factor we have to deal with any longer and can really get down to the business God had intended all along...plans that got put on the back burner since that time when a certain pair had decided to bite into that apple.

With this current age closed, we will for the first time really get to see what God had in mind for man all along, and that is exciting. I have no idea what He has planned, but I know it's got to be amazing.

For the first time, mankind will be able to really see his potential fulfilled the way God had intended, and to what heights and places He will take us on that eternal journey is beyond my finite mind to grasp.

I get goosebumps just trying to think about it!

Right now, we're sort of egocentric out of necessity, because God has aimed us as believers this way in order to fulfill the Great Commission. Since humanity is on His mind, it's naturally on ours too. But once we get beyond all that, and the Bible's prophecies come to pass, and gets put up on the eternal shelf, as "Project Completed", what new uncharted, unfathomable chapter begins as a new book is written for mankind?

I don't know about you guys, but I'm not sittin' on no dumb cloud with a harp singin' stuff in latin for eternity. I think God would get pretty bored of that too. He strikes me as the action oriented sort of God, so I imagine He's got a lot of off the hook stuff planned.

Anyone else find themselves thinking about this stuff from time to time?

Not really, but now that you mention it I am Have you ever read the Ted Dekker book Black? When I was reading your post, I was reminded of the first part of the book; a world that is a paradise, where everyone has daily interactions with God (or Elyon in this case) and even 'play times' (eg he got rid of gravity for a day or so). Human interactions were also different, esp the concept of romance.

Anyway, it sounds really strange if you haven't read the book (which i suggest you do!!) but I guess that's kinda what I am thinking it will be like, except we will be able to see/ talk to/ touch Jesus.

Nope, haven't read it, but it sounds interesting. I'll have to look for it next time I'm out at the bookstore. =)

Do do do!!! If you lived nearby, I would drive over there, tie you to a chair, prop your eyes open and MAKE you read the books

Do I live nearby enough to have you do that to me? That book sounds really good!

I too often wonder about what it will be like. I simply can't fathom it.

hmmmm... 6 hours.... nope! it has to be 5 mins away hehehe

anyway, I guess the song "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me pretty much sums it up

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By Your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When Your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

{Chorus}:
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still
Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

If I'm ever at Brian Houston's Hillsong's church I'll be sure to bring some rope for the chair. But you'd have to feed me too, as I like to snack when reading. =)

I think I can handle that. O, and Hillsong isn't -that- far away... still longer than 5 mins, but I think I could make an exception considering you probably would have to travel an extremely long distance to get there.

What's your fav food? I can make you cookies!

Favorite foods would be curried beef buns, a mouthwatering treat from India, Japanese and Chinese food and Tacos. And I love a good steak with onion rings. =)

Cookies are always a welcome sight in my eyes, too!

Anyone else out there have some thoughts on life for us believers after the Second Coming they want to share? This is just for fun, nothing theological.

Well I had never thought Heaven would be boring but the whole concept of Heaven and Eternal Life there really is beyond human comprehension. I would like to think it would be a lot of fun and I never did like the idea of sitting on a cloud, playing a harp and singing in Latin!

Personally, I dont really see whats bad with playing a harp and singing latin. I've never sang in latin before, and harps look really nifty!

W4J wrote...

Well I had never thought Heaven would be boring but the whole concept of Heaven and Eternal Life there really is beyond human comprehension.

Beyond human comprehension is right.

What we see now, we see only in glimpses. When we look at the earth around us, we see many beautiful things given to us by God, though they too know the ravages of sin. As beautiful as the mountains, forests and tropical "paradises" are, they are but a mere distorted reflection of their true forms never realized because of The Fall.

When the new Heavens and Earth are formed, as the Word describes, only then will we truly get to marvel at God's craftsmenship unblemished and in its perfect state.

Won't that be something!

It is too much for us to grasp with our limited minds in our current state, but still it's exciting to let the mind wander and anticipate the future. It's kind of like when I was a kid waiting for Christmas morning to arrive. I had an idea of what things would be like, but until I was really experiencing the opening of presents, seeing the uncle I rarely got to see and that kind of thing, it never could quite capture the experience until I was living it...

I wonder if there will be a Starbucks.

I suppose if someone wanted one, there might well be. Who knows, maybe Jesus likes coffee. God invented the stuff to begin with, so it's possible. =)

Ah, the perfect cup of coffee everytime. That sounds like a bit of heaven to me.

Speaking of coffee (well I'm the only one speaking about it, actually)...think I'll go make some. =)

EDIT: Yeah, harps are pretty cool actually!

Latin is a very nice language, but it's not the language of heaven.

Heaven is not a quiet place - it's filled with the sounds of worship. It's filled with people shouting and singing God's praises. It really doesn't look like you'd think it would, either.

It's hard to imagine heaven. And to be honest, I think every envisionment will be way off. I think once we see it, we'll be shocked. I think it's just impossible for us to imagine right now. But we do know that there will be no sadness, fear, or anger, but only happiness with God forever. That alone is re-assuring. And I know we won't need sleep or food or drink or anything like that. I like to try to imagine it all, but I'll never be able to imagine it accurately. Even the concept of living on and on forever without an end goes against my brain. But as Paul said, right now we see through a glass darkly. But it will all be clear in due time. ^^

The mediveal idea of heaven was of an orchard or garden.It will literally be
Eden restored.
I think it won't matter what we speak when we get there we'll all be able to understand each other.

Life after life has always posed an existentialist puzzle for me (as it must for the rest of you). On the one hand, once redeemed, we are snatched from the jaws of death. On the other hand, this is no excuse to sit around and do nothing and await our fate. Idleness is often condemned in the Bible. The whole thing seems circular and mentally tiring.

But this topic brings to mind a course I'm taking right now (one which I promised myself wouldn't "get to me", but did anyway). Henry David Thoreau (with whom I disagree on all but a few points) said that we are often bombarded with many imagined needs that we have forgotten to live simply and live life deliberately. In Kafka's The Trial, the main character is hounded by an anonyous authority and Law, whose power is paradoxically both illusory and absolute and as a result, he gradually becomes powerless. But although both works are very different from each other--one is an American memoir/normative text, and the other is a German novel--they both resonate on the same plane as far as being ruled by some... thing whose power we could possibly ignore or do without, but who nevertheless has a death grip on us. For Thoreau it is materialism, and for Kafka it is "the Law." What is it for me?

It is career. It is obligations. It is the compulsion to go school like everyone should do, to get a job to sustain ourselves. What ever happened to God being our Provider? Did not even the Son of Man not even have a hole or a nest? This whole compulsion to "live life", handed down to us by no one but our own bad selves obfuscates the very eternal realities of our faith. When one compares the drudgery of living life (some people in remote corners of the earth consider living life a horror) to the inexplicable bliss that cannot even begin to articulate, one realizes that perhaps life, as we know it, is the result of a curse.

You know we have for ever in heaven. So one of the things I was planning to do when I get some "free time" (The whole end of the Earth and anything else we don't know about I have to be around for) well anyways When I get some free time, I'm getting a never ever running out bottle of Jones and lieing down in a nice field for a trillion or so years.

The world may end, but remember there is a new world going to be formed

Heaven had better have sphere pools.

Rai

Of course nobody knows exactly what Heaven will be like. But I think it will be a very creative place, where we will be allowed to be creative ourselves, along with God. One thing is for sure (in my mind) -- it won't be boring.

Ingemar wrote:On the one hand, once redeemed, we are snatched from the jaws of death. On the other hand, this is no excuse to sit around and do nothing and await our fate. Idleness is often condemned in the Bible.

Yeah, that unforfunately was somewhat of a theme not too long ago. People were told not to worry about school, careers and all that because "Jesus was comin'!"

Though its true that He is, idleness is something we ought not have time for. Rest, yes, idleness, no. Not with the "Great Commission" on our hands. There's too much work to do, which includes taking care of our physical needs and advancing ourselves as much as possible with things like education and working hard....

My pastor once said don't be so spiritually minded that you're of no earthly value. Even Jesus labored hard by building things with his hands to put food on the table. So if He can do it, so can we.

When He comes back, and if it happens to be in my life time, I wanna be able for Him to see that I've been busy doing the best with what He gave me and not like the man who did nothing with what he was given in the Parable of the Talents.

But yeah, getting back on topic, whatever heaving is like, it'll be far better than anything we can envision and is the prize we, as Paul puts it "for which we run the race to win", and not be distracted by the momentary and oft misleading pleasures of this life.

Enjoy life in all its abundance in the here and now, to be sure, but with a focus set above, and without compromise.

Heaven is the Cubs winning the World Series!

Ok,now seriously:It's probably good that the Bible doesn't tell us much about dying,death or heaven or else we would turn them into idols.It's also
good thing that we don't know too much about hell either as we would probably be too scared to be of much use from worrying.
Do Purgatory and Limbo exist?
I can't say,so I'll leave it up to our Catholic friends here.
And what about all those people who died either before Christ was incarnated or before they could hear about the gospel?
I don't think God is unjust.I believe that in those circumstances he will
judge according to the person's light that he or she possessed.
I personally think that those Righteous Pagans who lived before
Christ such as Plato and Socrates are in heaven right now.