Re: All Pets Go To Heaven: The Spiritual Lives Of The Animals We Love Download 22
Sondra Pevy
As a pastor I am often asked if pets go to heaven? The question may sound childish, or even sentimental, but it is extremely important for those who ask it. As the owner of a beloved German Shepherd myself, Winston, I know the deep love we can have for our animal companions. The good news is, that God not only shares the same type of love for animals we do, his love exceeds our own. Animals are his creation and as such, beloved of God.
With all these references to animals, many integral to the story of Scripture, it seem strange God would not make a way for them to be with us. Again, God obviously loves animals, and he knows that we do to. They are part of his story, and therefore ours. They are caught up in this drama of God saving the world.
All Pets Go To Heaven: The Spiritual Lives of the Animals We Love download 22
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This subject to me just goes without saying. When my daughter was 11 years old she said something to me that just put all us adults who would have had any doubt in our minds, in our place. She said, Animals never sinned, therefore they dont need to be saved. They are already saved.
Animals possess intelligence. They have better moral values and skills than most people. Fidelity, and love, are one of the highest and strongest attributes of the soul, and is greatest in animals. Many people can honestly say that their companion animals are the ones that have truly taught them what love is really all about. I know I can say that.
Animals, especially domesticated animals, exhibit numerous attributes some of which are love, hate, unselfishness, pride, jealousy, loyalty, body and verbal language, friendship, reasoning abilities, memory, foresight of consequences, and a sense of moral responsibility, all of which belong to the spirit and not the body. Animals posses knowledge, intellect, thoughts, dreaming abilities, physical and emotional feelings, and free will. Instinct is also a very strong attribute of the soul, and it is superior to man. They receive their knowledge/instinct directly from God and are governed by the same physical and mental laws as man. The law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only changed from one form to another. I believe that applies to the spirits of animals and humans as well.
Communication with animals is a spiritual thing, not physical. The eye cannot see without a souls presence. Every movement and sound they make is a result of messages to the brain that have linzeynothing to do with their physiology. The soul is in the heart/brain/mind. Matter cannot think or speak. Matter - cannot move without the spirit.
Our pets are Gods creatures and He loves them. He created them. He even created them before He created man. He made them and He called His creation good. And just as we believe that Gods love continues to unite us to those departed persons whom we have loved and no longer see, I believe it is the same with animals who are members of our families. We entrust these creatures into Gods hands when they pass away, and that helps us let go. I am sure that our merciful God will not let any loved creature perish into oblivion. To deny this hope to all other species except our own strikes me as an arrogantly mean God. Since Gods compassion is far greater than our own, how can God not love Poochie or Kitty or Bunny as much as we do?
The Bible suggests from beginning to end that animals have souls. The Hebrew word nepesh for soul is used to refer to humans as well as animals. And the Greek word psuche which can mean heart, mind, or soul, is also used for both humans and animals.
The animals praise God according to Scripture, and according to their own nature. You must have a spirit in order to worship God! The Bible actually says that they have spirits, and that they are going to Heaven.
Wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praise the Name of the LORD
Psalm 148:10-13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!Revelation 5:13
How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.
Psalm 104:24-30
This tells us that after they die and return to the earth, God sends His Spirit and then they are created, or re-created, because He is referring to the ones here who have returned to the dust, and then the earth is renewed.
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together
Isaiah 40:5
The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Wow. all means all, mankind and the animals.
Isaiah 52:10
For the earnest expectation of the creature (this means the whole creation) waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature (the whole creation) was made subject to vanity (animals are also victims of the Fall), not willingly (Adam and Eve had a choice) but by reason of him (man) who has subjected the same in hope, Because the creature (the whole creation) itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption (mans subjection to aging and death) into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Romans 8:19-21
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive..All flesh is not the same; Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and stars differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body there is also a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:22,39-44
For God was pleased .. to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in Heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under Heaven
Colossians 1:19,20,23
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through Whom He made the universe.
Hebrews 1:1,2
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isaiah 11:6
In Strongs Dictionary the word flesh in these scriptures means the flesh of all living things, animal, human, mankind. The word all means each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything. The word creature means things created, of individual things, beings, a creature, a creation, anything created.
There is a book called The Immortality of Animals" And the Relation of Man as Guardian, From a Biblical and Philosophical Hypothesis by E.D. Buckner. It helped to give me so much peace and comfort and confirmation of what I already felt in my heart that our pets would indeed be in Heaven. Instead of limiting God's goodness and power and love to humans like so many people do today, he shows how God extends His love to ALL of His creation. It is an amazing book on animal afterlife written more than 100 years ago!
There are awesome, profound, moral and rational teachings and explanations about the nature of animals and afterlife found within the pages of this book. It is a comprehensive look at reality by a mature, loving, and complete human mind. Respect for animal life, and similarities between mankind and animals in relation to the soul/mind in which all living souls are immortal is discussed. Man and woman and animal are all created/formed out of the earth and all have the same God-breathed breath.
Christ was born amongst the animals and He fasted 40 days living amongst the animals. He referred to Himself as the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd, and a dove represented the Holy Spirit. The New Testament is the `animals Bible', for the poor in spirit. God made a covenant with Noah and with the animals that He will never again cut off all life with a flood.
God said, "Every animal is Mine." There is a lot of Scripture in this book, but concerning Mr. Buckner's own thoughts on this subject I was amazed at his brilliant intellect. I kept going "wow, that's right! I never thought of that, yeah!"
He explains how the animals are objects of God's creative love. They cannot sin, and are under no moral law. Their sufferings, as well as man's, are a result of the Fall; then of man. The effects of the Fall changed the nature of our eating, health and lifespan. Animals will be rewarded for their sufferings. There is God's justice in the end for them.
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