Moore Heavenly Thoughts

Joan Hart

Shared with Your friends and Ruby's friends

You all know how upset I have been with FB for not showing comments. The only way around it is to repost a comment as a status. This is one I wrote to Ruby Greene and I wanted to be sure she saw it plus there are others on this group who like to read my Bible-related posts.

I didn't mean to ignore your question, I was just trying to think how to answer it without typing a book. And I don't want to start a Biblical argument because there is so much controversy about the book of Revelation. I can only say that many people get hung up on taking much of the language literally when it is meant to be a visual representation of something we can’t grasp in our mind (until we get there) by putting it in the language of something we CAN understand.

It is the “typology” part that I wrote about earlier. A “type” of something in Biblical language means it is an example or an illustration.

Gold is the most costly substance on earth in the understanding of most people. It is precious, valuable, etc. So when it is used in the

Bible it signifies the most precious spiritual truths - salvation, birth, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ (the Wise Men brought gifts of gold). The Old Testament tabernacle is a perfect illustration of God’s church and at other times an illustration of the plan of salvation.

IMPORTANT: When I use the word church in my writings I am not referring to any particular denomination. The word itself refers to a “called out people”, it means everybody who has been called out of sin and worldly things and committed to serve Jesus Christ, regardless of denomination, or creed, or doctrinal practices. Those are all things that can actually divide us, unfortunately, but believing in the Virgin Birth of Christ, his sacrificial death and Resurrection is something we can all agree on and the “church” is composed solely and only people who have those beliefs....doesn’t matter the name of the church on the door.

So back to the Old Testament tabernacle, everything in it was made of gold except the wood and linen and animal skins and even those represent something else. I wish I had the time and energy to post stuff like this on FB but I just get too tired of writing anymore and it would take so much time.

Let me give you 2 more examples of “types”. The story of Abraham being told to sacrifice his son and then God stopped it is a perfect example of how God had to allow His Son to be the perfect sacrifice and not even God the Father could stop that.

And then another one about heaven. Those pearly gates are meant to signify the trials and tribulations and persecutions we Christians are called to go through in order to make it to heaven. A pearl is created by a piece of sand or other irritant works its way into an oyster. The oyster secretes a fluid to coat the irritant and layers of that fluid on the grain of sand eventually creates a pearl.

The pearly gates remind us that it is those things which have caused us pain that makes us fit for heaven as we learn to overcome them.

I have done this type of preaching for 25 years over and over on these lessons. I never used notes and I never used a pulpit so I held my Bible as I stood, and in later years, had to sit so unfortunately I have no manuscripts to copy and post. If I did, I could put together a book. I was often asked to do so, but never had time.

Final word, will the streets really be gold. I don’t know and I don’t care because I know what the language stands for. I do know the Bible in one place refers to the streets as being transparent gold. I never saw any gold you can see through!

COMMUNION ON THE MOON

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. (Melody Beattie) Americans need a day dedicated to gratitude. I have noticed that in the lineup of most of our holidays that Thanksgiving is perhaps the one least given over to secularism - the one we still observe in a traditional fashion. We need it to keep our focus clear and to teach our children what it means to be thankful for family, friendship and faith. We need a time to gather around the table with extended family and enjoy turkey and dressing and gravy, two kinds of potatoes, cranberries, hot rolls, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and whipped cream. We need it, not for the calories, but to create an awareness that there are those who don’t have those blessings, because in the hectic pace of our everyday lives we tend to forget those in need. Family and food are important, but above all else, Americans need a rededication to our faith. Faith brought the pilgrims to the ne...

FELINE GHOSTS

FELINE GHOSTS... Feeling ghosts around me today Shadows of cats I have known Feline ghosts, I call them, Cats who have made this their home. Sometimes I feel the gentleness Of soft fur nestled close in my arms And it seems I can hear the soft purring Of remembered kitty cat charms I see them move through the shadows Just a glimpse, then out of my sight Sometimes it’s the white tail tipping That I see in the dark of the night The movements are quiet and fleeting I see them at nighttime and day Just figments of my imagination Grayson, Annie, or Ollie at play. They knew this house was their castle They reigned in each room where they played They slept when they wanted and ate all they could Feline memories stay close, they don’t fade. It’s autumn that I really miss them When hickory nuts start to fall I can see kitty faces so precious In the windows that line up my wall The hickory tree looks in the windows As squirrels ...

SIGNERS OF DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

I wrote this for the newspaper several years ago. Not political. Just history about the signers of the Declaration of Independence but extremely interesting. Not because I wrote it, but because it is history we have either forgotten, or maybe never learned it in school to begin with. Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well ...

Straight From The Hart

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