13| What We Mean By Heaven | Gospel & Salvation V

Fifth episode in an arc about Gospel & Salvation, Jesus, and the Gospels. Culture, and how we do not have a good conception for concepts of Kingship and Lordship--submission to a leader is not a quality that American culture values. We've divided the concepts of "Follow Me" that Jesus introduced to His disciples into conversion and discipleship. They're not two different things. How do we understand salvation and what it means to be saved? Salvation is a relationship. Reviewing the Hebrew definition of Knowing tied more to Intimacy than to Knowing "about" or observing like our concepts of knowing. Knowing in Hebrew is more about experience or encountering. We need both types of knowing to engage in full relationship with Jesus. We tend to think of Heaven as a place, instead of a relationship-- a place you go when you die, instead of abiding in a relationship with an God who saves. Jesus, in Matthew 7, not intended to evoke fear, but to point to what saves us is relationship, not a faux relationship, or a certificate. Jesus invites us into a relationship that transforms us, and leads us to caring for the poor and marginalized. Heaven, in this sense, is being in the place where God's presence is. Susette's method of using this concept of God's presence as a form of prayer & relationship: 1. Remember first that the Kingdom of Heaven is God's presence here on earth, 2. Then I picture God's presence being here next to me. 3. Picturing Jesus sitting next to me. 4. Talk to Him. John 1; the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, or "tabernacle'd" among us. Described the tabernacle and what that means from a historical & biblical context. The temple points to holiness & being set apart. The book of Hebrews is a good place to start in learning about the Tabernacle, and Rikk Watts: https://www.regentaudio.com/collections/rikk-watts John 1:51 Jesus is referring to Jacob naming the place Bethel in Genesis 28:10-22, where he saw the presence of God.