I have spent a lot of my last 6 ½ years since joining RITA Now thinking about what our day-in-day-out lives will be like, say in the Millennium, starting in about 7 ½ years from now. The world will be in a rebuilding state – homes, towns, burgs, shires, villages, all coming together … Maybe at first a lot of mortals (maybe we too?) will enjoy tilling the soil in lush fruitful climates, planting their trees, and soon laid back enjoying life. We are told that the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as waters cover the sea. Everyone, mortals and immortals alike, will be then all about sharing – loving their neighbors as themselves. But will all competition have vanished? Forever? Suppose that sometime within the next 500 years, you with some friends come up with a fantastic means to do something or invent something that would have a far-reaching benefit to mankind. Something no one ever thought of, say extending the life of the average 350-year-old by another 150 years (see Isaiah 65:20)! You are endowed with eternal philanthropy and so you share your research and development results (R&D) with scores or hundreds of other interested enterprises and establish a high global recognition incentive to be granted to the company who brings it to market soonest at the most reasonable price. Competition for the good of mankind is the appeal, not for the greed of the shareholders, even though the monetary rewards might just be astonishing for all the cooperating companies. Zooming back to the present for a moment: Driving home from church the other morning I saw a Tesla electric car drive by. The R&D that had to go into its design was undoubtedly guarded carefully. Why? Simple: competition for the electric car dollar. But with Christ on the Throne soon and our ruling and reigning with Him, how might commerce and competition then be different? Forbidden? Fostered? Flourishing? Another fun potential scenario regarding competition in the Kingdom: You and your former spouse down here were very good bridge players. Your great grandfather, a Christian believer whom you eventually found, also excelled in playing an earlier 19th century version of bridge. The games differ in some ways so you start by formalizing rules. After all, games are pointless wastes of time without rules. But maybe if competition in the Kingdom is actually discouraged, rules would languish. Perhaps players could agree to simply shuffle the cards with skill, then cut and deal them. No strategy or bidding skill is needed. Nor desired. Then after the cards are dealt, they are all regathered, pushed back together, reshuffled, cut and dealt. Yawn! Perhaps no winners, but happily no losers either! Maybe the winners are those who stay awake. That might be easier for us immortals. Another one – sports: Someone redesigns and manufactures new basketball, football, and hockey gear. Mortals have a lot of leisure time on their hands, so they buy all kinds of sporting goods. Teams are formed and local rules are written, and everyone, mortals and immortals alike, have a good time trying to be the best they can be. Competiton again. But it soon becomes clear that leagues are needed. For example basketball games are more easily won by we immortals who according to Isaiah 40 can mount up with wings as eagles… Have you ever thought there might be competition of any kind in the Kingdom? What would you hope it looks like? Finally, will immortals and mortals mix in any way? Be next-door neighbors maybe? Dan :unsure: :wacko: :scratch: :feedback Aww thank you. You guys are very funny and make me laugh. :yes: Well the Lord has put me in some crazy job assignments. I will share this one since I was required to make the dreaded coffee. After graduating from college and before I got a permanent job I worked for this small company - it was a 2 week temp. assignment. The person I had to report to was a chauvinist guy and I just refused to be a victim to all of his shenanigans. He kept using the intercom to interrupt me as I was typing to ask for the craziest things. One intercom request was to come into his office and when I walked in he had his feet on the desk, he is leaning back in his desk chair and he was reading the NY Times. He had the nerve to say “see this stapler and box of staples? I want you to refill my stapler”. Both were just sitting there on top of his desk. I said “are you serious?” And he replied “yes” with a smirk on his face. So I took them both back to my desk. Almost an hour went by before he intercoms me and asked for his stapler back. I told him “I’m not finished yet, I’m still putting staples in it”. I made him wait another hour before giving him back his stapler. He really didn’t need it. He was still reading his paper. Then out of the blue he wanted me to make coffee for his board meeting. I kindly warned him I can’t make the coffee because I hate the smell of coffee, I don’t drink it and I don’t know how to. But he insisted I make it instead of asking someone who was experienced. I didn’t see any scoop at the coffee station and there were no directions on the coffee can so I dumped the entire can of coffee grounds into the coffee maker. It was a professional coffee maker but on the smaller size. As it brewed the smell was getting extremely potent and just made me sick. I had to keep checking the machine waiting for the light to turn on indicating it was done. I informed him when his coffee was ready. It wasn’t very long afterwards he filled his cup and then quickly spit it out and said this taste like mud, what did you do? I reminded him I don’t know how to make coffee so I dumped the whole can into the machine. He said I never want you near this machine again and asked someone else to quickly brewed a new pot. I was happy with that announcement! Meanwhile his boardroom meeting started and nobody had coffee for the meeting. I wish I was the fly on the wall when he had to explained to his boss of why there was no coffee ready. There was one more demand he made before giving up. He wanted me to pick up his suits from the dry cleaners. I said I can’t do that unless he is willing to pay and tip the taxi cab driver. My car happened to be in the shop and I got a ride into work that day. The look on his face was priceless when I asked for the money to pay the taxi cab driver and he said never mind he will pick them up himself while muttering the taxi cab would cost way more than the actual dry cleaning bill. The last day of that assignment, he was signing my timesheet and admitted he loved to harass all the temps - he claims he got a kick out of them crying on the phone as they demanded a new assignment from the temp agency. He said I had guts and admired that and I lasted the longest. I told him he needs Jesus and I got a chance to witness to him. He listened and took the Bible tract. I love that old movie "Nine to Five." I guess humbling yourself has great value in the sight of the Lord, but probably far less value in the face of a manipulative self-important fool. Wouldn't it be cool if he came up to you someday in Glory and asked if you remember the tract you gave him? Sigh! He'd probably be glad to hear then that you still won't be making coffee. Perhaps in her glorified body she will actually like the sent of coffee and offer him one! I can picture you putting one staple at a time in the stapler wearing a sly grin! :mdrmdr: I love the "whole can in the machine" part! I remember when Mr. Coffee coffee makers came out and I didn't know how much coffee to put in. I didn't put the whole can in but I put too much in. Totally undrinkable! Tasted about like that stuff the overpriced Seattle company makes. Well if I’m stuck with barista duties at the espresso coffee booth, you can rest assure I’m keeping close tabs on all those who love “fish”. 7 drops of Omega fish oil will be added to their coffee .... with a grin from me “Ofishally brewed just for you” will be my eternal slogan ... oy vey! :whistle: Oh and the staples - I broke into quarter inches and they were strategically placed into the stapler about every 20 minutes. He was satisfied with my skills because I got a good review from him when the agency sent over the paperwork to complete. He said he was VERY satisfied with my work. :yes: “Ofishally brewed just for you” :mdrmdr: Love it! But the review form had no blank to mark for "Obstinance." :whistle: LOL .... chances are that question must have been on the 3rd page. I’m almost certain he failed to attached that page when he sent it back by snail mail because ... he ran out of staples again. :yes: Psst ... I never fully refilled his stapler up. I needed more time. Soo ... what is your view about football in heaven? I despise that sport and hope its not allowed up in heaven :negative: Just wondering if there is a connection between loving fish, coffee and the game of football? I rather see baseball. Its the all American sport. :good: Remember the jingle “They go to together in the good ole USA - baseball, apple pie and Football may be allowed in the universal field only! TR Oh man, Geri! Yohanan is going to feel really cheated if football is prohibited. So I guess, "It's not whether you win or lose, but whether you play the game." And so, my fellow saints: ask not what your Kingdom can do for you, but ask, "How can we get the KFL started." Sides of the North Conference... (SNC) ?? Kingdom Cup? Australian Rules... ?? :mdrmdr: very funny! Well .... I like TenderReed’s version better .. football played in the universal field only ... I reckon we don’t need the moon any more ... yep the Lord said there will be no need of the sun or moon anymore ... so I’m sure the Lord will permit a temporary football field over on that planet. Just think no gravity ... everybody floating in slow mo ... that would be priceless to watch and a never ending game. I would definitely forfeit 3 minutes of my precious eternity time to watch before heading back over to an exciting baseball game on Diamond Run Field. A few of my favorite Yankee players are believers so its going to be one fine day to watch them play! :popcorn Yankee players won't be allowed. Neither will Patriot's players. They've received their glory here 😉 Whaaat? You mean you don’t want to see Mickey Mantle hit a few homers out of the pearly gates? I agree with you though on the NO Patriots allowed on the playing field with their shenanigans of deflategate. :negative: I’m pretty sure the only “FOOTBALL”games inside the Kingdom will be .. SOCCER ... and I expect our pets to be included in those games too. So watch out for “The Thumping Tails United Soccer League” .... games will be held on Rainbow Bridge Field. My puppy is already looking forward to the tough kingdom competitions! He was seen practicing his soccer moves earlier today and destroyed his brand new ball in just under 10 minutes flat ... setting a new worlds record in deflategate! :mdrmdr: :mdrmdr: That is too funny!!! What a cool dog! But while some of the dogs will be playing soccer, the big dogs will be over here: :mdrmdr: LOL Good heavens ... that is one mean lookin picture! What is that thing over on to the far right? Truly looks half prehistoric trans beast!!! And those fangs :wacko: were they sharpened on some Dino bones? Ok ... I’m waving my white flag in surrender ... you win Having re-read this thread I must say that many are in need of prayer. It's all a mystery as to what all of heavenly life will entail. There will time to study the books of time and learn lessons from the failures of men. We will certainly be schooled in the area of whatever our calling will be in heaven. We will also have times of teaching those in mortal flesh the ideals and principles of spiritual living. We will also have quality time, one on one with the Lord whenever we desire it. We will also be allowed to explore the full creations of God, in this world and others. And lastly, I believe that there will time set aside for the fellow-shipping of the saints. Or R & R! But first and foremost we will trained in corporate and personal praise and worship of Him! With regards to coffee and fish, I'll defer to Geri7. Indeed a bright, witty and humorous sister. But I won't hold that against her. Jealousy in Heaven just wouldn't be kosher! Competition perhaps, but games and commerce not as we understand them. If everyone's idea of Heaven were granted heaven couldn't contain them. We will simply have to adapt to what will be present. Indeed work, play, rest & relaxation, exploration, fellowship, praise & worship, study and learning, as well as intimate time with the Lord. Seems like a pretty full schedule. Not to mention the ways and times that we can express our own creative urges. I can surely see Dan, Yohanan and Geri7 having a comedy act! Lady and the chumps? TR revisiting. TR Oy Vey T.R. I see you bumped this old thread. :wacko: Well ... I’m pleased to have another oppor-tuna-ty to share with you, while unpacking my box of books, I found 2 of my trusted Bible reference books! One is called the “Weak’s” Concordance and the other the “Old’s” Bible Dictionary and they are both in-sync that heaven will only be a peaceful place with no violence whatsoever. The cross referenced example they consider to be a-trout-cious behavior and not fitting in the Kingdom is ... “there will be no battering of the fish!” :whistle: Oh and that’s not all ... they both mentioned Heaven will ALWAYS be sunny! Then they cross referenced this picture as the only beverage NOT permitted beyond the pearly gates If for no other reason, with you and the Lord in the same place, how glorious it will be! TR
Chevrolet chariots”. Sure sounds like baseball will be up in heaven!
... you influenced me .... I’m agreeing football WILL be in heaven .... that’s right ... football WILL be in heaven. However .... it will be the “flag” football version. :whistle:
So there you have it ... more proof heaven is going to be so delightful. B-)
