SCRIPTURE CHALLENGE!

A go to a school where we start every class with a prayer (even biology, and math, and non-religion classes). The students say the prayers. We can pray for whatever we like. It usually starts out being grateful for this day, grateful that we can study here at this school, then people pray that we can feel the Holy Spirit to help guide us through the day, then some people pray we will remember what we need to for the tests, and that we will learn the things that we need to learn, and have a good rest of the day. The prayers, of course, vary depending on who says them. But they are pretty similar in an average prayer.

Today, I got to say the opening prayer for my New Testament Class. I prayed that we could learn the things that God wants us to learn, and that we can help to share it with others.

And, so, that's what I'm doing. 

Because Faith without works is dead, (as I learned in James 2:17), I decided to act on my Faith that I have in God, and work, by helping to share it with others. 

I'm presenting a Scripture Challenge for today, for anyone, and everyone reading this blog, I present to you this scripture challenge.

First: 

1-Go to the scriptures: This can include, but is not limited to, the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. 

2-Online Scriptures work best, because it is easier to find specific words/phrases, so you can go to www.lds.org/scriptures/search 

3- In the Search bar, type in "God" 

4- Write down, or type, as many of the characteristics of God that you can find.

5- Pray about them and Ponder them

In class, my teacher mentioned a book called "The Great Divorce" It is By C.S. Lewis, also the author of the Chronicles of Narnia. 

In the book, C.S. Lewis explains people on a bus to Heaven. Anyone is welcome on board, and anyone can leave, if they so choose, at any time. The bus first passes by hell, and those can choose if they want to come on the bus or not.

The story then takes the bus to Heaven, and some people get out, and some people stay in the bus. Some people even get out of the bus, walk around, and then get back in the bus to go back. 

I haven't read the book, so I don't know what the Author was trying to get across.

However, my challenge, my idea,

is wondering if I or if You would be on that bus. 

And, if we would stay on the bus. 

and, if when we arrived to heaven,

we would get off the bus,

and rest forever, in Heaven, as our final destination.

Heaven to me, is a place that is with God. A place where we get to dwell with God Eternally. Dwell, or live, or hangout, or whatever you want to call it. It just means being with God, in the presence of Him.

My last step of the challenge is 

6-Ask yourself: The God you found, the characteristics of Him, is that someone that you would feel comfortable with your whole entire life, and for the rest of eternity?

Maybe it seems like an easy question: Who wouldn't want to be with someone who is so loving and kind and caring every single second of their life? Why wouldn't I want to be with someone like that? 

I think sometimes, especially with my family, the times when I don't want to be with them the most is when I feel guilty. And, when I feel guilty, but I still know that they love me, and they treat me love, even when I'm not feeling love.

I think that's the point of the bus to Heaven.

I know it's the point of Heaven. Heaven won't be forced. It will be a place where if we want to go, we can go there. But if we don't feel comfortable there, then God won't force us there. He has other kingdoms set apart for people who don't feel comfortable being with someone that loving and forgiving, for whatever reason. 

Heaven will be a very glorious place. However, it may not be glorious for people who don't want to be there, or don't feel like they belong there, or feel to guilty to even face God, or even don't want to believe or acknowledge God. 

God won't force us to dwell with him forever. It will be our choice. 

I think that's why works are important. When we work on becoming Christ-Like, and loving people and forgiving people, and caring for people, we become more like Heavenly Father, and when we become more like him, it's more likely that we will want to spend Eternity in his presence. 

I feel that Heaven will be a joyous thing, a wondrous thing, a place where we can be happy. The happiness that we want, that we choose, that we feel comfortable with, that happiness can be ours.

In Jesus' Name,

-Amen 

(View from Haiku Stairs, October 4th 2014)