(Article adapted from a letter written to all the Shepherds of the Church in St. Kitts and Nevis in the year 2005 of the Lord Yeshua.)
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
…
THEY will build houses and inhabit them;
THEY will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
….”
(Isaiah 65:17a, 21 NASB emphasis mine)
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Heaven is better or worse based on the judgment pronounced on the nation of Israel—the body of believers—in accordance to their collective works. For, as i have always reasoned with you from scripture, it is by our deeds that we are judged. The work of believing in the work of Christ renders us as new born resurrected babes in Him with a minimum balance to our account, canceling our debt of sin. As we go through the process of sanctification we have to credit into our account good deeds/fruit/works so that we may fetch dividends in the age to come. In judging ourselves as i see it today, there is little for that Lazarus out there to quench and feed his spiritual, physical, social, mental, and emotional thirst and hunger. Remember the story of the old rich woman who passed away? When she was received in heaven her limousine was taking her to her quarters. She passed by many mansions which she approved for her living quarters but the chauffeur would not stop at any of those mansions. Finally he dropped her at the ghetto and said, “This is where you will spend the rest of your life because that reflects how much you invested in heaven.” Dear friends, tithing is not applicable to us today for Christ said, “By the standard that we measure unto others, it will be measured unto us.” Remember, we have to exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees who were scrupulous in paying their tithes (Matt. 5:20). Also remember the woman who put two coins into the offering box? Yeshua said of her, “She gave all she had. She is more righteous than all others who gave out of their abundance.” We are to give wholly to God. Everything must be geared in such a way so as to bring maximum glory to Him.
In a human body the mouth that receives the food and fluids, the eyes and ears that receive the word (spirit) and the nose that receives the air, are located in the head. Note that there is no hole in the ribcage for the stomach nor is there any direct access to food for any member to make its own supply. The central heart supplies the blood to the whole body. Therefore, in a one nation under God, Cesar is also God’s representative or the Vicar of Christ on earth. Now, just as we make provision to eat diet and read good books that are especially good for the brain, provision should be made in the democratic theocratic state to receive freewill offerings for the Teacher along with other taxes that the state receives.
Christ prayed for our unity and He does place servants in charge of His household (Jn. 17:23; Matt. 24:45). The Pope is a symbol of visible unity in the Church. God Himself acknowledges that when we are united, nothing will be impossible for us (Gen. 11:6). Properly elected by the body in Christ, it is through the Pope, Christ is lifted up macroscopically (even as we do it microscopically) for everyone to see so that whoever believes after seeing and hearing can have eternal life. He is the moral voice of restraint in the world. You might say theocracy has nothing to do with democracy. Have you not read it written, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all?” That is Democracy 101. As i see it today, each one wants to spread their own empire, not the empire of Christ. It began with Constantine appointing the Bishop of Rome as the head of the Roman Catholic church, and the Bishop of Rome in turn anointing Constantine as the king of Rome.
Dear brethren, those soldiers who died in Iraq in order to spread freedom and democracy have not died in vain. When democracy has had its full course, truth (Christ) will emerge as the victorious One, lifted up and exalted above everyone else.
This democratic spirit is found in Paul too who writes, “There must be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.”
Architecting heaven is Christ’s current business. Paul calls us God’s fellow-workers (1 Cor. 3:9); John calls us Christ’s bride (Rev. 19:7) and therefore we are His helpmate; Christ Himself calls us His friends who know what He is doing (Jn. 15:15); and the Bible is replete with the fact that we are not the children of darkness but of light. After telling us that He is going to the Father’s house where there are many dwelling places to prepare a place for us there, He says that we know the Way where He is going (Jn. 14:2-6 NASB). He is the Way and we can go there and help prepare a place for all of us there. The next crisis is in showing them the Father and in making them believe what He is saying is the truth. Then He says, “If you have known me, you would have known the Father also. From now on you have known Him and seen Him.” Likewise i say to you today, if you have known me, you would have known Christ also; from now on you know Him and have seen Him. Marvel not! But if you are a resurrected child of God, you too can say those very words yourself and mean it from the bottom of your heart. It is Christ who lives in you through the Holy Spirit and is one body with you (Jn. 14:16-18). However, we are all not alike, in that we are all not one member, then where would the body be? But now there is one body but many members (1 Cor. 12:19, 20). Even if you are that tiny toe, you can confidently say, “I am He!” The difference between then and now is: Christ was only one person then—Yeshua the Nazarene; today however, He is many persons according to the measure of each man’s faith. So heaven is what we in Him and He in us make it out to be.
Dear Yeshua, Ruler of our hearts, we pray that you be fully formed in us as the nervous system forms in the human body, so that we may correctly represent you. You who made all this possible by shedding your precious blood, we experience you. Yet we long to see you. Come! Come soon Lord Yeshua! Amen!
Thus says the Lord: Luke 17:12-19; Jn. 4:18; Matt. 23:37-39. Luke 13:18-21; Jn. 3:26-30; Luke 22:47-53 John 6:61-63 NIRV (… The body means nothing at all….); John 13:21 Help us Lord not to be hypocritical and thus betray you. Amen!
Thus says the Lord: Jn. 18:22-23; Matt. 17:1-5