The battle for healing...

This is a response to a question someone had for me on another blog. For those of you who read here alot this will be redundant but it will clear up any cofusion you might have about my view on forgiveness and repentance. I figured I typed so much I might as well use it as a post. enjoy!

Hell In a Jewish understanding is simply a result not a punishment. Does
that make sense? Check out the words in Hebrew sometime. there are about four
used in the Old Testament They all describe a pit which was not dug by God but
by man. Hell Is metaphorically described as "a pit he dug for himself."

Another thing some Jews believe, as do I, is that Heaven and Hell are
here and continue on into eternity. We see Hell (and try not to think
of this as a place but a state of being) all around us. Have you heard about
Darfur or Rawanda. Hell is where things are completely screwed up, no where near
where God wants it to be. Now, we have Hell in our lives. There are rotten
places inside us that are not the way they're supposed to be. God's plan is for
us to be healed, restored. Awesome huh? We see heaven too (please try not to
think of this as a place) or we see glimpses I should say. Have you ever
experienced any kind of beauty? Have you ever seen love acted out? peace,
compassion, hope... these things cannot be overcome by darkness they exsist in
the darkess and go unreconized. They are in harmony with God.

Our task is to bring heaven here, not to go there someday. If you read
Revelation 21 He wil come here. "My dwelling place will be with man." About
forgiveness... You can be fully forgiven and persue Hell and recieve it. God is
standing at the door knocking, not so he can forgive you but that you may be
healed. He wants you to persue heaven.

Part of being healed is knowing you're forgiven. Have you ever had a
conflict with a friend and then didn't see him or her for a while afterward?
That's the worst feeling because you don't know what it's gonna be like next
time you see them. are they going to forgive you? you don't know. so, what if
your friend forgave you right afterward? would that change thw bad feeling you
have? no. You're already forgiven you just don't know it. Knowing it changes
everything it frees you. repentance, T'shuva, simply means to bo back. Shuva
literally means "return" . When Jesus said "repent for the kingdom of heaven is
here" (or at hand) He was saying return to the life God originally intended for
you, the life of heaven.

Now, the Rabbi's at this time saw the Torah as the "way, the truth and the
life" it way the way to the father, back to the "Olam Habah" (litereally "the
life to come" but it was always talked about as in the past implying the life of
eden.)Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life" meaning He was the way to
the Father to the Olam Habah. Jesus way is the only way. Following Him "gets us
there" so to speak, not just being forgiven by Him.

Forgiveness is required but the battle is over, haleluiah. Now there is a
ne battle. Implementing that forgiveness, is our task. "we've been given the
ministry of reconciliation" the task to rebuild the world, to restore it, to
Bring heaven here. Hell is not a punnishment, it's a natural consequece for
"what direction you're going." Are you returning to the Olam Habah or living in
the shame of your past? Are you burdened? are you persueing Hell?

"Come to me..." Jesus said... "
All you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

Comments

IMO said…
Amen brother!