Eternal Companions in Heaven

Redemption25

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We're resurrected in a new body, in flesh. We aren't disincorporated spirits forever.
That's one of the promises of God.
A physical, bodily resurrection. That eats, and drinks.
Heaven is a layover, not our final destination.
as far as me....
I expect to be basically an orphan.
None of my family believes, and none of my family will really pay attention when I try to tell them about Jesus. They think He must have been a great person, but they do not believe He was God, or the son of God, and if they even believe at all in any God, it's not in a biblical way it's in some spinoza/agnostic/pantheist way.
It's a "smile and nod" topic for them if not outright ridicule.. uncles it's outright ridicule... mom will smile and nod, Dad I'm pretty sure died in his sin, mom and him were divorced before I came to faith myself, and only thing he'd taught me was well, eastern philosophies, yin and yang.. both he and mom were borderline new age. Sister it's a smile and nod topic.
They "respect" that I believe, but I have a feeling that my own life is used as evidence against what I believe, being crippled, single, childless, disabled and unable to work... yeah it doesn't make the best testimony to them.
Aw, I'm truly sorry.. but I beg to differ actually.. Your life is actually a strong and wonderful testimony. Honestly.. I believe the Rapture of the Church is on our doorstep, it's so close now, that I believe you will be free soon of your disabiity and you will have your perfect glorified body. We will no longer cry and suffer and have pain. There will be no more evil, and no more sin.

It only takes a moment for someone to cry out to God and repent, so keep on praying for your family, as the possibility of them joining you in Heaven is still possible. , In fact during the Great Tribulation, there will be the greatest revival, I understand. If you disappear all of a sudden, and they are not saved, they will have a great opportunity of believing that your faith in Jesus was true afterall.
 
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Redemption25

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You are right. I have the same borderline new age, divorced, ying yang mod hip suave and kewl family myself. Smile and nod but I was speaking about generic family, the ideal one that you would invite for Thanksgiving dinner and not have to do a separate 1 for Veggi 2 for gluten free 3 make separate pies with Sweeta for the no sugar bunch.
I will orphan around with you in the hereafter. You will not be alone.
Oh my gosh lol Thanksgiving doesn't sound much fun.. Nobody will be an orphan, we are the adopted family under Jesus Christ. We are the children of God. We will all be loved, there will be millions of us.
 
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Jamdoc

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Aw, I'm truly sorry.. but I beg to differ actually.. Your life is actually a strong and wonderful testimony. Honestly.. I believe the Rapture of the Church is on our doorstep, it's so close now, that I believe you will be free soon of your disabiity and you will have your perfect glorified body. We will no longer cry and suffer and have pain. There will be no more evil, and no more sin.

It only takes a moment for someone to cry out to God and repent, so keep on praying for your family, as the possibility of them joining you in Heaven is still possible. , In fact during the Great Tribulation, there will be the greatest revival, I understand. If you disappear all of a sudden, and they are not saved, they will have a great opportunity of believing that your faith in Jesus was true afterall.
it's like "you believe in Jesus, and everything bad happens to you, maybe it's a curse"
 
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Redemption25

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It's difficult to witness to them at all. Because they have "heard it all" but not really, they tune out what you do try to tell them, and they partially believe that there is "a" God, just not the bible, and they believe there was a historic Jesus, but they don't believe the gospel. They believe in heaven but believe in universalist concepts. Pope Francis, which, non believers basically see as the face of Christianity, doesn't help.
Then there's friends who grew up Christians but then "came to the age of reasoning" and dropped it. I hope they're like me and just being a prodigal son for a season and then coming back to their Father but.. it's even harder to witness to them because they know the scriptures, they know the Gospel they just refuse to believe it.
so it's just a sense of "wow, all the people I've ever really known, they're going to hell, and they won't listen to me, and I'm gonna be surrounded by a bunch of strangers reuniting with family and friends.. and I'm just gonna stand around awkwardly like the odd man out when the slow song comes on at a school dance and everyone else paired up before you asked anyone"
That's a big fear for me. being alone in a crowd.
Many don't accept Christ because of pride. It's not a situation of logic, but of the heart. They think they are good, and they want to be their own god, and do whatever makes them happy. We can only plant seeds, and it sounds like you've done that. We can't force anyone to believe because it's the Holy Spirit work at conviction, so keep praying without ceasing. Maybe someone will come along to water those seeds and then to harvest them. Sometimes those closest to you are hardest to reach, they will respond better to a stranger. But it's not always so, but what I have personally observed.

But I hear what you are saying, it's can be frustrating.

I don't think you will stand out, or be the odd man, you won't be an orphan. That sounds like hell on earth, which is what we have experienced in this fallen world since we've been born. There will be never ending unfathomable love and fellowship. You might find it helpful to watch some videos or read some articles on Heaven and what it will be like to reassure, encourage and comfort you. It will not be like it is on earth, nor will you be treated badly by others. There will be no sin.. We will be like Jesus, and He died for his enemies. That's amazing love. If I ever meet you in Heaven, I will give you a big hug!

 
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Jamdoc

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Many don't accept Christ because of pride. It's not a situation of logic, but of the heart. They think they are good, and they want to be their own god, and do whatever makes them happy. We can only plant seeds, and it sounds like you've done that. We can't force anyone to believe because it's the Holy Spirit work at conviction, so keep praying without ceasing. Maybe someone will come along to water those seeds and then to harvest them. Sometimes those closest to you are hardest to reach, they will respond better to a stranger. But it's not always so, but what I have personally observed.

But I hear what you are saying, it's can be frustrating.

I don't think you will stand out, or be the odd man, you won't be an orphan. That sounds like hell on earth, which is what we have experienced in this fallen world since we've been born. There will be never ending unfathomable love and fellowship. You might find it helpful to watch some videos or read some articles on Heaven and what it will be like to reassure, encourage and comfort you. It will not be like it is on earth, nor will you be treated badly by others. There will be no sin.. We will be like Jesus, and He died for his enemies. That's amazing love. If I ever meet you in Heaven, I will give you a big hug!
I've watched a ton of videos on eternity for that very purpose but the thing that I fear most about the biblical description of it, that it's just falling on our face singing around the throne for eternity, is the thing they always fall back on and they try to pump it up like "why would you want to do anything else, you'll want to do that forever!"
and I just.. sink, because of how many people propose that. They try and reassure me with saying "oh there's so much GLORY that you will be totally fulfilled and won't want anything else" which #1. I don't care about glory, promising me glory just doesn't do anything for me. Glory isn't even the attribute of God I care about. For some people I can understand that that's what they need from God, to be glorious and exalted above all things. But what appealed to me and made me love God is Jesus, who came in humility, and was meek, self sacrificing, forgiving.
Islam preaches a glorious and exalted God. but I could never love Allah, because Allah does not exhibit the compassion, meekness, and self sacrificing love that our God does.
#2. That sounds more like a drug high than heaven. To just have your brain bombarded by a happy switch so that you're happy no matter what you're doing, like the guy narcing out in total euphoria because of the heroin coursing through his brain thinking everything is perfect and right, while in reality he's in a terrible place and everything is wrong.
Not saying being in the presence of God is the same as being in a crackhouse, but just the idea that you're happy even if you're doing something that doesn't normally make you happy, which for me is singing, sounds more like a drug than actual joy.
I'm looking for a life not a high. So for me to see myself actually being happy in heaven, I need to see a picture of a life, of activity, of doing new things every day that don't become monotonous or boring or mundane. A life of meaningful relationships, not isolation, and not just being surrounded by a bunch of acquaintances that only love you and you love them because you both love Jesus, which feels more like an obligation than actual love.
Right now in church that's how it usually feels.. like this.. rainpuddle depth love that hinges on one thing, you both love the same God, you know nothing else about that person, they know nothing else about you. It may be unconditional and secure because of that, but it's shallow. It makes everyone generic.
In essence instead of a life of meaningful relationships, the way most people preach heaven and the new earth is a 24/7 worship service with 1 meaningful relationship (the relationship with God) and millions of other robots singing around you that are just generic choir members like yourself.
 
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Redemption25

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I've watched a ton of videos on eternity for that very purpose but the thing that I fear most about the biblical description of it, that it's just falling on our face singing around the throne for eternity, is the thing they always fall back on and they try to pump it up like "why would you want to do anything else, you'll want to do that forever!"
and I just.. sink, because of how many people propose that. They try and reassure me with saying "oh there's so much GLORY that you will be totally fulfilled and won't want anything else" which #1. I don't care about glory, promising me glory just doesn't do anything for me. Glory isn't even the attribute of God I care about. For some people I can understand that that's what they need from God, to be glorious and exalted above all things. But what appealed to me and made me love God is Jesus, who came in humility, and was meek, self sacrificing, forgiving.
Islam preaches a glorious and exalted God. but I could never love Allah, because Allah does not exhibit the compassion, meekness, and self sacrificing love that our God does.
#2. That sounds more like a drug high than heaven. To just have your brain bombarded by a happy switch so that you're happy no matter what you're doing, like the guy narcing out in total euphoria because of the heroin coursing through his brain thinking everything is perfect and right, while in reality he's in a terrible place and everything is wrong.
Not saying being in the presence of God is the same as being in a crackhouse, but just the idea that you're happy even if you're doing something that doesn't normally make you happy, which for me is singing, sounds more like a drug than actual joy.
I'm looking for a life not a high. So for me to see myself actually being happy in heaven, I need to see a picture of a life, of activity, of doing new things every day that don't become monotonous or boring or mundane. A life of meaningful relationships, not isolation, and not just being surrounded by a bunch of acquaintances that only love you and you love them because you both love Jesus, which feels more like an obligation than actual love.
Right now in church that's how it usually feels.. like this.. rainpuddle depth love that hinges on one thing, you both love the same God, you know nothing else about that person, they know nothing else about you. It may be unconditional and secure because of that, but it's shallow. It makes everyone generic.
In essence instead of a life of meaningful relationships, the way most people preach heaven and the new earth is a 24/7 worship service with 1 meaningful relationship (the relationship with God) and millions of other robots singing around you that are just generic choir members like yourself.
 
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Redemption25

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Aw.. I have never seen any videos like that.. I don't believe they are true at all. I have seen videos that actually describe your deepest longing you just shared here (except for an eternal companion). I am sure you will be singing, but you will be singing to the One who appeals to you and who you love so much.. I can't imagine how beautiful that is.. Whatever the case, I think we will find out real soon what Heaven will be like.. I am ready to go and waiting to hear the trumpet blow!
 
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Jamdoc

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Aw.. I have never seen any videos like that.. I don't believe they are true at all. I have seen videos that actually describe your deepest longing you just shared here (except for an eternal companion). I am sure you will be singing, but you will be singing to the One who appeals to you and who you love so much.. I can't imagine how beautiful that is.. Whatever the case, I think we will find out real soon what Heaven will be like.. I am ready to go and waiting to hear the trumpet blow!
I hope at least in Heaven God would be through with the testing of "do something you hate doing to prove you love me". If God loved me, He'd know what I would prefer to do to express joy and glorify Him, and it's not singing.
If I sing, it's not out of joy but only obedience.
 
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Redemption25

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I think that is works based thinking.. Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV says, we are saved by grace through faith alone, and not works, lest we boast. We are saved only for/unto works which has no effect on our Salvation. On this earth God does not ask us to prove ourselves and our love for Him, our Salvation is based solely on belief - believing Jesus was who he said he was, and what He did on the cross for us. He did it all for us saying on the cross, "It is finished." Anything that we do on earth for God is based on our free will, and it is He who fully and completely sanctifies us, glorifies us, and justifies. So, I don't think that God will ask us to do something we hate doing, for that reason alone.. But we also won't have the sin nature, so I don't think we will even feel those kinds of emotions. I understand that in Heaven, we will free will, just like we do on earth. We won't be robots.. I think that if we chose Jesus and were saved in this fallen world, we will probably love Him 1000X more when we get to Heaven. We will both fully realize what we have been spared from (hell), and we will be so in awe of this amazing gift we received of etrenal life in Heaven, for free. I think that you may very well be very happy to sing for Jesus.. But having said all that... these are just my own thoughts, I don't pretend to know. I'm sure you know that.. : )
 
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Jamdoc

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I think that is works based thinking.. Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV says, we are saved by grace through faith alone, and not works, lest we boast. We are saved only for/unto works which has no effect on our Salvation. On this earth God does not ask us to prove ourselves and our love for Him, our Salvation is based solely on belief - believing Jesus was who he said he was, and what He did on the cross for us. He did it all for us saying on the cross, "It is finished." Anything that we do on earth for God is based on our free will, and it is He who fully and completely sanctifies us, glorifies us, and justifies. So, I don't think that God will ask us to do something we hate doing, for that reason alone.. But we also won't have the sin nature, so I don't think we will even feel those kinds of emotions. I understand that in Heaven, we will free will, just like we do on earth. We won't be robots.. I think that if we chose Jesus and were saved in this fallen world, we will probably love Him 1000X more when we get to Heaven. We will both fully realize what we have been spared from (hell), and we will be so in awe of this amazing gift we received of etrenal life in Heaven, for free. I think that you may very well be very happy to sing for Jesus.. But having said all that... these are just my own thoughts, I don't pretend to know. I'm sure you know that.. : )
It's not works based salvation but it is being obedient out of love, even if it does not affect your salvation you obey commandments because you love Him even if they are unpleasant to do. We're commanded to sing, the Greek uses Sing in the imperative form, a command (IE "Sing!"). The bible also commands us to not love our lives more than we love Him, many Christians are basically commanded to be martyrs. Nobody wants to be murdered.
So not everything commanded is something that is joyous to everyone.
 
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Sketcher

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What Ravi Zacharias is failing to address is that the Pharisees of Jesus time were marrying the woman JUST TO PRODUCE heirs to the family name. Not for LOVE <3... And they didn't believe in Eternal life in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, in the scriptures spoke about Resurrected bodies being like the Angels he was referring to us being UNABLE to reproduce any more children in the eternal dominion). Our days of childbearing are OVER!! But, our Heavenly companions ( those true love eternal souls God puts us with goes on FOREVER!! ) As it was in the days of ADAM & EVE .. .BEFORE THE FALL when everything was PERFECT he put one man & one woman together that NOBODY SHOULD COME BETWEEN THEM.... that GOD HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER!! And not death shall separate. There is no death, dying, sin or anything in heaven. People need to properly read the WOG. And NOT put their own interpretation on it. Shalom
Heaven is the end of death and dying, but if that's the reason for no more reproduction in Heaven, it breaks the parallel with the created order before the fall of man - because Adam and Eve were fertile before they ate the fruit, and death for humanity was introduced (Genesis 1:28, Genesis 3:16). Adam and Eve were given a mission for this world; but Heaven is the next world. Therefore, we can't take a detail of Genesis 1-2 and rightly claim that it will be in Heaven without other Scriptures corroborating that detail.

If a Resurrected body is perfect, then it can't be infertile (i.e., an imperfection); that's a paradox.
Perfect for Heaven, or perfect for Earth as we know it? And perfect in whose opinion? 1 Corinthians 15:36-58 teaches us that the bodies we have will be different kinds of bodies, for eternity with God in Heaven. Since life in Heaven is going to have different imperatives, it makes sense that reproduction would not be among those imperatives. I'm also not seeing consistency in this claim of a perfect and fertile body with the earlier claim of childbearing being over. If the days of childbearing are over, what use is fertility? Is it not just as easy to claim that a fertile body in a world where there will be no childbearing is unnecessarily inefficient by maintaining the reproductive parts and psychology, and therefore imperfect for that world?
 
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Jamdoc

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Heaven is the end of death and dying, but if that's the reason for no more reproduction in Heaven, it breaks the parallel with the created order before the fall of man - because Adam and Eve were fertile before they ate the fruit, and death for humanity was introduced (Genesis 1:28, Genesis 3:16). Adam and Eve were given a mission for this world; but Heaven is the next world. Therefore, we can't take a detail of Genesis 1-2 and rightly claim that it will be in Heaven without other Scriptures corroborating that detail.


Perfect for Heaven, or perfect for Earth as we know it? And perfect in whose opinion? 1 Corinthians 15:36-58 teaches us that the bodies we have will be different kinds of bodies, for eternity with God in Heaven. Since life in Heaven is going to have different imperatives, it makes sense that reproduction would not be among those imperatives. I'm also not seeing consistency in this claim of a perfect and fertile body with the earlier claim of childbearing being over. If the days of childbearing are over, what use is fertility? Is it not just as easy to claim that a fertile body in a world where there will be no childbearing is unnecessarily inefficient by maintaining the reproductive parts and psychology, and therefore imperfect for that world?

I sure hope God doesn't see Marriage as just a means for procreation.
The fact that first century Jews did is pretty sad if you ask me.
 
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ImAllLikeOkWaitWat

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I sure hope God doesn't see Marriage as just a means for procreation.
The fact that first century Jews did is pretty sad if you ask me.

One thing I was thinking is imagine having children in the new earth. How awesome that would be. Just something to think about.
 
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Sketcher

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I sure hope God doesn't see Marriage as just a means for procreation.
The fact that first century Jews did is pretty sad if you ask me.
I don't think he does, but procreation is part of the picture in his design for marriage. It therefore makes sense that marriage would be replaced by something else if procreation is no longer going to be happening. Remember, in Ephesians 5:22-33, marriage is also an allegory for the relationship of Christ to the church, and that relationship will culminate and be perfectly revealed in Heaven. If we're going to have that, why would we need the allegory anymore.

I will say that it's not what I personally would like Heaven to be. I would like there to be marriage and procreation there, I would be able to start and raise a family without the troubles of this world. But the Bible doesn't report what I would like to be true, so I have to trust that what God has in store for us is better - an upgrade of our bodies and our minds and our desires that we cannot comprehend, in a world that is too wonderful for us to comprehend.
 
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Jamdoc

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One thing I was thinking is imagine having children in the new earth. How awesome that would be. Just something to think about.
Raising kids that will never sin
Raising kids that you will never fear for being kidnapped or getting into drugs or getting into accidents or getting hurt that would never be sad, that you could introduce to Jesus face to face right on their birth day and see the joy between our Father and His new child... yeah.. but as far as we know is a dream that will be unrealized.
 
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Jamdoc

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I don't think he does, but procreation is part of the picture in his design for marriage. It therefore makes sense that marriage would be replaced by something else if procreation is no longer going to be happening. Remember, in Ephesians 5:22-33, marriage is also an allegory for the relationship of Christ to the church, and that relationship will culminate and be perfectly revealed in Heaven. If we're going to have that, why would we need the allegory anymore.

I will say that it's not what I personally would like Heaven to be. I would like there to be marriage and procreation there, I would be able to start and raise a family without the troubles of this world. But the Bible doesn't report what I would like to be true, so I have to trust that what God has in store for us is better - an upgrade of our bodies and our minds and our desires that we cannot comprehend, in a world that is too wonderful for us to comprehend.
Because the Allegory is in itself a beautiful thing.
I've always hated CS Lewis' chocolate and sex analogy. Nobody I've ever known just said they never want to eat chocolate again once they lose their virginity, so his reasoning was garbage.
Having one intimate relationship with Jesus does not mean you won't want many meaningful and intimate relationships.. but.. as far as we know, we get 1 intimate relationship and then a bunch of.. acquaintances.. "brothers and sisters", people that you love for one singular reason only. It seems so generic.
 
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VCR-2000

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No, Jesus was clear in Matthew 22 that there is no marriage in heaven. He clearly states that we shall be “as the angels” meaning that we will be single in the resurrection.
Frankly, you are sounding flippant.
 
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VCR-2000

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Many don't accept Christ because of pride. It's not a situation of logic, but of the heart. They think they are good, and they want to be their own god, and do whatever makes them happy. We can only plant seeds, and it sounds like you've done that. We can't force anyone to believe because it's the Holy Spirit work at conviction, so keep praying without ceasing. Maybe someone will come along to water those seeds and then to harvest them. Sometimes those closest to you are hardest to reach, they will respond better to a stranger. But it's not always so, but what I have personally observed.

Do you believe that to want to be your own God and do whatever makes you happy is inherently by itself a bad idea or philosophy? I honestly don't see that as a bad thing in theory, even though in practice we are doing that and admittedly it is causing negative consequences. So, if the law of the scope of consequences was different, then I would agree that doing what makes you happy is what life should be about. Why would free will be important otherwise, and we all ought to do only what makes God happy, as if God is akin to a glorified omnipotent and omnipresent version of the government or state?
 
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I've watched a ton of videos on eternity for that very purpose but the thing that I fear most about the biblical description of it, that it's just falling on our face singing around the throne for eternity, is the thing they always fall back on and they try to pump it up like "why would you want to do anything else, you'll want to do that forever!"
and I just.. sink, because of how many people propose that. They try and reassure me with saying "oh there's so much GLORY that you will be totally fulfilled and won't want anything else" which #1. I don't care about glory, promising me glory just doesn't do anything for me. Glory isn't even the attribute of God I care about. For some people I can understand that that's what they need from God, to be glorious and exalted above all things. But what appealed to me and made me love God is Jesus, who came in humility, and was meek, self sacrificing, forgiving.
Islam preaches a glorious and exalted God. but I could never love Allah, because Allah does not exhibit the compassion, meekness, and self sacrificing love that our God does.
#2. That sounds more like a drug high than heaven. To just have your brain bombarded by a happy switch so that you're happy no matter what you're doing, like the guy narcing out in total euphoria because of the heroin coursing through his brain thinking everything is perfect and right, while in reality he's in a terrible place and everything is wrong.
Not saying being in the presence of God is the same as being in a crackhouse, but just the idea that you're happy even if you're doing something that doesn't normally make you happy, which for me is singing, sounds more like a drug than actual joy.
I'm looking for a life not a high. So for me to see myself actually being happy in heaven, I need to see a picture of a life, of activity, of doing new things every day that don't become monotonous or boring or mundane. A life of meaningful relationships, not isolation, and not just being surrounded by a bunch of acquaintances that only love you and you love them because you both love Jesus, which feels more like an obligation than actual love.
Right now in church that's how it usually feels.. like this.. rainpuddle depth love that hinges on one thing, you both love the same God, you know nothing else about that person, they know nothing else about you. It may be unconditional and secure because of that, but it's shallow. It makes everyone generic.
In essence instead of a life of meaningful relationships, the way most people preach heaven and the new earth is a 24/7 worship service with 1 meaningful relationship (the relationship with God) and millions of other robots singing around you that are just generic choir members like yourself.
About the Heaven thing, I feel you where it sounds like being made to feel something or not feel something for eternity is a big-time manipulation of free will.
 
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