Heaven

Heaven

Spelled Pronunciation [hev-uh n]
–noun
1.the abode of God, the angels, and the spirits of the righteous after death; the place or state of existence of the blessed after the mortal life.
2.(initial capital letter ) Often, Heavens. the celestial powers; God.
3.a metonym for God (used in expressions of emphasis, surprise, etc.): For heaven's sake!
4.heavens,
a.(used interjectionally to express emphasis, surprise, etc.): Heavens, what a cold room!
b.(used with a singular verb ) a wooden roof or canopy over the outer stage of an Elizabethan theater.

5.Usually, heavens. the sky, firmament, or expanse of space surrounding the earth.
6.a place or state of supreme happiness: She made his life a heaven on earth.


In the beginning, there were the heavens and the earth. God created the heavens first. He might have done that out of His profound mercy for us that we would have a home after this earthly one. His love for us surpassed even His creating us. He knew we would need a place to be after these earthly bodies failed. He knew we would choose to disobey Him and turn away from Him. And still, He created the heavens and the earth. That is some kind of love.

Because we can understand that the love He has for us is there in spite of what we do to go against His plan, we try to understand what the place, heaven, might be like.
Some of us have picture is our heads of angels playing harps to their hearts content. Some of us have a favorite thing that we imagine might be there in abundance. Some still might have visions of healing comfort, eternal peace. Though these things might be the truth, we really have no idea what it will be like. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God has ready for those who love Him. 1Cor 2:9
As the children sing:

Heaven is a wonderful place,
Filled with glory and grace,
I want to see my Savior’s face,
Yes, heaven is a wonderful place.
I wanna to go there!

The children want to go, though they barely have enough understanding to want to go. How do they know? We have all been created like a jigsaw puzzle with a piece missing. We go along day by day doing and being, but we feel the absence of that one piece. Some of us look to money to fill the space. Others search through food or power or lust or one of the many other vices that tend to take us nowhere. As we age, we begin to see more and more references to that idyllic place called heaven, thereby increasing our desire to go there as well. If we begin to search out God’s word, we find that all the answers and the ticket to heaven have already been given. All we have to do is say Amen. Amen to Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen to His request of loving God with all of our hearts, with all of our minds, with all of our souls.
It is as simple as, “Amen.” It is as Peter tells us,…. we have been given a new birth unto hope which draws itself from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; a birth to an imperishable inheritance, incapable of fading or defilement, which is kept in heaven for you who are guarded with God’s power.
1 Peter 1:4
Heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace. Wanna go there?

In
in
–preposition
1. (used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, or limits): walking in the park.
2. (used to indicate inclusion within something abstract or immaterial): in politics; in the autumn.
3. (used to indicate inclusion within or occurrence during a period or limit of time): in ancient times; a task done in ten minutes.
4. (used to indicate limitation or qualification, as of situation, condition, relation, manner, action, etc.): to speak in a whisper; to be similar in appearance.

There are more samples to be sure, but none pertinent here.



adverb

Over and over, in the definitions for “in”, are the words, ”used to indicate an inclusion” or “to be included.” To be included in the family of Christianity is an important position. To be included is to be invited. Through our baptism we have been invited, we have been included in God’s family. We have been marked and chosen to share in the eternal life that Jesus offers us.
Have you ever seen a movie where the people are all standing in line to get into a popular nightclub? Perhaps you have even stood in one of those lines. The place is so popular that the owners can now be choosey about who comes in and who doesn’t. The guy at the door has the power to use his discretion as to who is cool enough to be let into the club.
The club that I am referring to though, is the eternal life club. We, the baptized, are already card-carrying cool enough! We are permanently “in”!
During the Exodus out of Egypt, the Israelites were told to put the blood of a spotless lamb on their door frames. The angel of death passed over those particular door frames in the night. Those homes were spared. The angels only took the first born of the houses whose doorposts were not marked. Because of our baptisms, we have been marked by the blood of the Lamb too. The Lamb this time, spotless once again, was Jesus. Only this time, it is we who are invited into the kingdom which is, of course, the coolest club around! We get to go right up to the gold rope and St. Peter will recognize us as one of the elect. He will unclip the rope and welcome us home. We are in! How cool are we now?

ART

Art
art
–verb Archaic.
2nd pers. sing. pres. indic. of BE. Also the 3rd person plural

________________________________________
Origin:
equiv. to ear- (see ARE 1 ) + -t ending of 2nd pers. sing.


It is so interesting that Jesus would use the word art or are as the case may be. Our Father who are in heaven….. If he was speaking to only one person, he would have said Our Father who is in heaven. Notice that the definition above speaks of the second person singular. It comes from the verb to be. If we were to conjugate that verb, we would get:

I am
You are(2nd person singular)
He/She is
We are
You are (2nd person plural)
They are


The second person singular would be used when addressing the Father only, thereby making it, Our Father who is in heaven, but that is not what Jesus said. He said who are in heaven. On the other hand the 2nd person plural can be used if the entire Trinity were being addressed. How do we know which Jesus was teaching us to use? All we need do is read, “The Father and I are one” John 10:30
It stands to reason that Jesus was teaching us to speak to the Father as more than one person! It is a very subtle change all with the use of the word “are.” He knew this prayer would go on through the ages and that we would still be using it in the 21st Century. Therefore, He used the word, “are” to show more than one person. To be specific, He showed us that we were really speaking to 3 persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All of that by using one simple interchangeable verb “are or art.”
I love knowing that this prayer is addressed to all three persons of the Holy Trinity! Some of us automatically relate better to the Father. Some relate better to Jesus. And some relate better to the Holy Spirit. Behold what manner of love is here for us that we can focus on the whole Trinity or just one person of the Trinity.


And speaking of the word art, the other definition would be that which is held as beauty in the eye of the beholder. Here is another appropriate name for us to call our heavenly Father. We, who revere Him, hold him in our hearts as exactly that, something or rather someone of great beauty. The words of Daniel honor Him as praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever. Dan3:52. If that’s not art, what is?

Together these two meanings, the conjugated BE, and the beauty, give us the glory of the Trinity. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit all woven together, all painted together, all given together to us as art, a beautiful thing to behold.

Who

Who
Who
Spelled Pronunciation [hoo]
–pronoun; possessive whose; objective whom.
1. what person or persons?
2. (of a person) of what character, origin, position, importance, etc
3. the person that or any person that
4. Archaic. the person or persons who.

Who do you say that I am? Jesus asked this question of Peter, and the disciples in the books of Mark and of Matthew. Some of the answers that he got were Elijah, John the Baptist, and some of the prophets. But Jesus repeated, “Who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered Him, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Wow. Can you imagine knowing someone so closely and intimately as Jesus? Can you imagine knowing that he is God? Again I say Wow!
The “who” that we talk about today is the Father, rather than Jesus.
He is referred to in the Old Testament as Yahweh, as Jehovah, as the Great I Am. He is the Creator, He is the Alpha and He is The Omega.
Which of these titles best speaks to your heart about the greatness, the wonder, the beauty of the WHO that is the Father?
Is it Yahweh? It is a word that was hardly ever spoken aloud because of all of the glory it implied. It was not used because to use it meant that you were starting to disrespect the Almighty by presuming to be so familiar with such a great power. It is, even now, not used in some religions because it is so filled with holiness that we can never presume to deem ourselves worthy enough even to speak His name.
Is it “I Am Who AM” that speaks to you? He just is! He has no beginning. He has no end. He is the Alpha and the Omega. It is tough to wrap your head around that idea. We are so used to things having a beginning and an ending because all things and people do, except for Him, who is, who was, who always will be. Notice all the who’s here?
Could it be the title, Creator, that makes the most sense to you? Yes, we are familiar with creating. We see things created all the time. Take a lump of clay and turn it into a dish. Take a paper and paint and turn them into art. Take some ingredients and turn them into a delicacy for the palate. Imagine though, take nothing, and turn it into the world filled with all the other somethings that we know and love, we then use those things to create for ourselves. That’s some kind of power. That’s some kind of might. That’s the Creator.
So choose for yourself who the “Who” is for you. It’s all the same person. What will you say when He asks you, ”Who do you say that I am?

Father

Father

–noun
1. a male parent.
2. A father-in-law, stepfather, or adoptive father.
3. any male ancestor, esp. the founder of a race, family, or line; progenitor.
4. a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; paternal protector or provider:
5. a person who has originated or established something: the father of modern psychology; the founding fathers.
6. a precursor, prototype, or early form: The horseless carriage was the father of the modern automobile.
7. one of the leading men in a city, town, etc.: a scandal involving several of the city fathers.
8. Chiefly British. the oldest member of a society, profession, etc. Compare DEAN 1 def. 3.
9. priest
10. Theology. The Supreme Being and Creator; God.
11. a title of respect for an elderly man
12. The Father, Theology. the first person of the Trinity.
13. Also called church father. Church History. any of the chief early Christian writers, whose works are the main sources for the history, doctrines, and observances of the church in the early ages.
14. Ecclesiastical. Pertaining to the Church
15. 15(often initial capital letter ) a title of reverence, as for church dignitaries, officers of monasteries, monks, confessors, and esp. priests
16. Fathers, Roman History. CONSCRIPT FATH/ERS.

–verb (used with object)
17. to beget
18. be the creator, founder, or author of; originate.
19. act as a father toward
20. acknowledge oneself the father of.
21. assume as one's own; take the responsibility of.



As incredible as it may seem, every single definition in this section points directly to the Heavenly Father. In the following comments, each number corresponds to its definition number. 1. Our heavenly Father has always portrayed himself, down through history, as a male parent. Jesus confirmed it for us. 2. Yes, He has adopted us in a covenant that will never be broken. In Romans 8, St. Paul reminds us that we did not receive the spirit of slavery but of adoption, through which we cry out,”Abba”, (that is father.) 3. Since we were created in His image, He certainly is the founder of this human race. “Let us make man in our image” Genesis 1:26. 4. How many times throughout salvation history has He shown His paternal care over us as a people? Starting with Adam and continuing all the way down to you and me. 5. How about the originator of the world? 6. Yes! He is certainly our precursor, here before all of us. 7. He most assuredly is the leading man in the heavenly Jerusalem. 8. We could call Him, ”The Father of Mankind.” 9. He is the most high priest there is! 10. Absolutely, Yes, Yes, Yes, He is the Supreme Being! 11. Well, here’s hoping that all people will one day be respecting Him. He is the Ancient of Days. Isaiah7:9 12. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen! 13. If our Father is not the main source for the history and the doctrines and the observances of the early church, then who is? 14. Yes! Yes, and Amen to Father God who of course, pertains to the church. 15. Hopefully we will all someday reverence Him.16. He is certainly in charge of the Vatican and all of the Roman fathers of the Church. 17. As with Adam, He breathed life into him. And so He did beget us all. Any questions? 18. And to think, He created the entire world, all in just 6 days! 19. I am in the Father and the Father is in me. John14:10 20. Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12 20. He continues to do so for all of us. Aren’t we so very blessed? 21. He is the Father of all mercies.
Isn’t it amazing?

The
Our
Father

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Our
–pronoun
(a form of the possessive case of we used as an attributive adjective):
Compare OURS to me
Me–pronoun
1.the nominative singular pronoun, used by a speaker in referring to himself or herself.

When something is ours, as opposed to mine, there is an implied ownership belonging to many rather than to one. The use of the word, “our”, in the Our Father then, makes us no longer individuals dealing with God, but a group of individuals dealing with God. Just by the mere use of the word, we are no longer alone. We belong to something much bigger than ourselves alone. We belong to a family. It is the family of the Church. It is the family of all Christians. It is the family of man.
Imagine for a moment that when the disciples asked Jesus, “How are we to pray, Lord?” That He answered, “My Father who art in heaven.” It would have changed the entire feeling of the prayer. It would then have been about “Me” and “Me” alone.
Some of us might think that that would be a good thing. That may be the case, but look at what happens when we start to say, ”Give me this day my daily bread? Wow, now it is really starting to sound more and more selfish. It seems to no longer be a prayer, but turns, more or less, into a demand.
When Jesus gave the word “Our” at the beginning of The Lord’s Prayer, he certainly knew what He was doing! He had us stand together instead of apart. He connected us to one another instead of separating us from one another. He gave us a family in which to pray, together. And we all know that the family that prays together stays together.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for giving us one another. Whose Father is he anyway? Why, he’s ours.

“Lord, teach us how to pray.” Those are the words of an unidentified disciple in the gospel of Luke (11:1) The words from Jesus that followed, The Our Father, have become the prayer that all Christians pray. This prayer has successfully crossed all lines of much Christian division. It is prayed by all of the 27,000 Christian churches. They are the words of Jesus, so highly revered by us all.
Knowing how much these words are repeated, in my own experience, I try to make them more meaningful by praying them in different ways. One of the ways, which you will see here, is to concentrate a while on each word. Actually stop and meditate on one word at a time. This can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 40 days. The latter is what you will see in this book.
This 40 day method took me, day by day, through the Lenten season. Each day, I meditated on just one word, or group of words, for a few minutes. Then I began to write.
Those of you who journal, already know the value in writing down your thoughts. You can learn things about yourself when you just go, go, go with the pen, or the laptop, or whatever means you choose. Not only can you learn about yourself, but when you invite the Holy Spirit into your experience, you can also learn about what God might have in store for you.
Before seeing my thoughts, you will see the actual definitions of all of the words in the Our Father. There are numerous definitions for each of these words. Each one places a different twist to the word in the prayer. You will see all of the definitions here for that exact reason. Everyone’s interpretation of any given word is somewhat different. Therefore reading through them will perhaps, give you new insights to the prayer itself.

I now invite you into my journaling experience. I offer the suggestion of reading only one or two at a time so that you give the words and definitions time to steep in your head. That will allow you to see what inspirations they may hold for your life. Perhaps God will speak to you through each one as well as He did me. Perhaps He will answer some question that you have had. You may well be surprised at where each word has taken me, or where it will take you. Perhaps it will inspire you to begin your own journal in the same manner. Whichever it is for you, welcome!
The ending words, “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.” are not a part of this meditation. That call was made because those were not words spoken by Jesus, but were added later. As beautiful as they are, they are not studied here.
God speaks to all of us in a myriad of ways. Some people get burning bushes. Others tablets of stone. Yet others through what they read. Some just use a pen. More proof that the pen is mightier than the sword.

Deb Potts