Up, Up, and Away!

I think most of us have had childhood dreams of flying. I used to dream that I could lift myself up off the ground and float around... that I could move forward and fly just above the ground, or float up and touch the ceiling. It was a wonderful feeling, being free of the constraints of gravity, the burden of matter.

Imagination could be just that, or it could be rooted in an alternate reality, a different dimension, a future state, a passion of the soul. We long to be free of constraints, of critical, judgmental eyes, of condemning judgments by the unenlightened, to do what is right and to feel accepted and appreciated. We long to play unconstrained by the usual suspects. We want to be free, to float above the din, to have the power to make a difference.

We were meant to be enlightened souls. Our spirits do not need to be constrained by gravity. We long to fly because we are not matter having a spiritual experience; we are spirits having a material experience.

Alas, many have become lost in the clamor of existence, consumed by the material. The day to day can become crushing. Not enough time, not enough money, not enough stuff. Got to get more. Got to do more. Busy, busy, busy, too busy to pray, too busy to be still and listen, too busy to rise above. STOP! This is the road to nothingness, or worse. What are we going to do with all this stuff when we are gone? He with the most toys loses the most toys. Life is wasted. Time is up. The ride is over and nothing remains. When your life and mine is over, what we did will be tested by fire. The fire will consume anything that is made of straw and wood... only that which is built of rock (i.e. on "The Rock") will remain. Did we comfort the broken hearted, did we give when we saw someone in need, did we feed the poor, did we clothe the naked, pray for the sick, visit those in prison (literal or figurative)? Did we do it quietly, without seeking any recognition for our works? When we did it unto the least of God's children, we did it unto Him (and vice versa!). Did we pray often, praise often, study the Word of Truth daily, and seek to do His will? Those are the rocks. Those are the things that will last.

We are coming into a time in history when we are seeing many of the things the prophets foretold would happen in the 'end times'. 44% of Americans now believe the natural and man-made disasters could be (or are) a sign that this is the case. The cover of Newsweek this week boldly proclaimed "Armageddon Now". The very thought of this can be a shock to the soul... some protest violently against the idea, but if we are in the end time, things will happen, regardless of their protests. Many people 'come to Jesus' when they come down with a fatal illness, or are mortally wounded, when they can no longer deny their mortality. If we are in the end times, we may experience the mortality of all of humanity at once, and, if the prophets are right (and true prophets always are... that is the test of a prophet), it will be a violent and painful death for much of mankind. Is there an escape? Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me". According to the texts, those who are the true believers will be taken "Up, up, and away!" before the really nasty stuff goes down. They will be "rescued from the wrath to come".

Who are the true believers? I used to think it was anyone who 'confessed Jesus Christ as Lord, and believed God raised Him from the dead' that would go to heaven, regardless of how they lived the rest of their lives. It was an immature faith that is all too common in Christian circles today, much to our disgrace. The truth is that unless we daily work to purify our hearts like glass, to seek God's will with all that we have and all that we are, we have not made Christ Lord of our lives... it was just talk. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God". We will probably never (in this life) be perfect, but if we want to fly like superman before the big crash, we need to be committed. When the trumpet blows, I want to be on that rocket. By God's grace and mercy, the ticket to heaven is just above our heads. We need to reach up and hold on with everything we have, and never let go. "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we [the faithful] will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (I Cor 15). "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (I Thes 4) If these are truely the last days, we could be the only people in history that did not have to pass through death to get to heaven. We could fly to heaven in transformed spiritual bodies! Up, up, and away!!!

Joy Unspeakable!

"Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” So said the Master of Life. I can tell you, He knows what He is talking about. What could be more joyful, more playful, more creative, more expressive, or more spontaneous than the heart of a child? To play, to laugh, to imagine, to sing, to dance... to experience the joy of living... that is heaven on earth. To have a pure heart that is thankful and full of reverence is more precious than fine gold. To know that we are loved by our Creator is nothing less than joy unspeakable, once we deeply comprehend what that means.

I have been reading a book called "Heaven is so Real!" by Choo Thomas. It is an international best seller, translated into several different languages, with over a million copies sold. It has transformed the lives of countless people by making real a place that people had barely been able to imagine. Have you ever wondered what heaven is like? In this wonderful book, she tells how she was taken there numerous times by the Lord of Life Himself, and she describes it in glorious detail. Streets of gold are just the beginning. There are mountains and crystal clear rivers and colorful fruit trees and playful animals and majestic mansions. It is a place beyond all that we could imagine, and it is there for those who seek after goodness and truth and the Creator of all things with the heart of a child. The author sings and dances and laughs and wonders at the joys and beauty laid out before her. It is this kind of heart that is rewarded. Selfishness, materialism, jealousy, power trips, ego, fear, worry, doubt... these lead to the destruction of the soul. Goodness and godliness are health to the soul. We choose the path we walk and bear the fruit of our choices. I highly recommend getting this book and reading it for yourself. Her testimony and the 'book on tape' are also available as videos for free on Google if you search "Heaven is so Real". Don't miss this chance!

Have you ever had a puppy? They know joy!!! They love to play and are so happy and joyful. It is a pleasure to come home and have them leap for joy when we arrive. They have such amazing love... it pours out of them like a fountain. I want to be like that. I want to have that kind of joy and love in my heart. I want to have the heart of a child, to sing, to dance, to play, to laugh and to love. What could be better than that?

Living spontaneously, joyfully, with an open and pure heart is what we were made for. To appreciate the Creator as well as the creation is our purpose. To do good, to care for the needy, to help the hurting, to heal the sick and wounded, to have compassion and understanding is our calling. To speak the truth in love to those than need to hear it is our mission. We can be creative and expressive and loving and live a life that is not only rewarding now, but also in the higher level of existence that the faithful will attain in the future. We live in the matrix... the material realm is a crumbling illusion. The true reality is spiritual. When we seem to be surrounded by earthquakes and floods and nuclear disasters and the world seems to be spinning into chaos, the answer, the freedom, the liberty, the peace we seek will not be found in matter. It is found in a simple song of praise that elevates you above the matrix. Joy unspeakable is yours if you have the heart of a child!