The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 11:1-4,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell."
As Paul speaks of experiences he had some fourteen years earlier he talks of being caught up to paradise, to heaven. He experienced visions and revelations. He says when he was caught up to heaven he heard inexpressible things, things he was not permitted to tell.
As I'm sure with most folks, I find this fascinating! Here is a man whom many of us have spent hours with in his writings, who has seen and experienced "the other side". Creation has been designed such that normative experience never provides opportunity to look out beyond the scope of the creation we live in and are a part of. And although all of us will see and experience this dimension in one way or the other after death, while in this life we cannot see beyond. Only a precious few have seen or experienced heaven before death. Paul was one (John was another), and following these visions and revelations from the Lord, he spent some 25 years or so communicating with all who would listen. He still speaks today in his writings.
The "inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell" fascinate me. What were they? What did Paul see? What did he hear? What did he feel as he was transported to heaven? What a perspective this man had! Here is one man who was able to live out the thought, "If I had only known, I would have lived my life differently". He did know and he did live his life differently.
Just a few rambling thoughts again, but for me they point to the mystical reality of what lies beyond a heartbeat for each one of us. What we experience within this creation is only the beginning of our lives. What comes next seems to me to be sweeping, breath-taking and enchanting! Such are the things of our God!
As Paul speaks of experiences he had some fourteen years earlier he talks of being caught up to paradise, to heaven. He experienced visions and revelations. He says when he was caught up to heaven he heard inexpressible things, things he was not permitted to tell.
As I'm sure with most folks, I find this fascinating! Here is a man whom many of us have spent hours with in his writings, who has seen and experienced "the other side". Creation has been designed such that normative experience never provides opportunity to look out beyond the scope of the creation we live in and are a part of. And although all of us will see and experience this dimension in one way or the other after death, while in this life we cannot see beyond. Only a precious few have seen or experienced heaven before death. Paul was one (John was another), and following these visions and revelations from the Lord, he spent some 25 years or so communicating with all who would listen. He still speaks today in his writings.
The "inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell" fascinate me. What were they? What did Paul see? What did he hear? What did he feel as he was transported to heaven? What a perspective this man had! Here is one man who was able to live out the thought, "If I had only known, I would have lived my life differently". He did know and he did live his life differently.
Just a few rambling thoughts again, but for me they point to the mystical reality of what lies beyond a heartbeat for each one of us. What we experience within this creation is only the beginning of our lives. What comes next seems to me to be sweeping, breath-taking and enchanting! Such are the things of our God!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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