What’s Your Vision of Heaven and Hell?

April 30, 2021April 30, 2021 / shinecrossings / Leave a comment

What’s your vision of Heaven? Hell? Specifically? You may be wondering why that’s important. Because without a detailed vision of what you, as a Christian, will get to enjoy when your spirit passes from your earthly bodysuit to Heaven, you’ll likely make different decisions while alive. The same is true of Hell. As a Christian, if you had a vivid picture of Hell, you’d probably spend more time spreading the Gospel, so others could make an informed decision to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior?

When we don’t have a clear picture of the rewards or punishment of the future, it’s difficult to make choices to sacrifice in the present. Proverbs 29:18: Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. What relevance is vision with Heaven and Hell?

Your Vision of Heaven

If you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you become a Christian and reserve a spot in Heaven. Acceptance of Jesus Christ is not a head decision but a heart decision. Many people debate, and we’ll never know until we get there, whether you’re truly saved if you don’t have a heart change. That’s a discussion for another day.

Assuming you’re saved, you’ll will be judged by your earthly works on earth for the glory that will be bestowed upon you in Heaven. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (Corinthians 5:10). Therefore, “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). Please know that good works don’t get you into Heaven, only the grace of God, but once you are a Christian, you’re still judged and rewarded by your works by the glory you’ll receive in Heaven.

Heaven is a glorious place for eternity with God. What’s your vision of Heaven? How do you visualize it? I see 24 hours of praise and worship and basking in the power and glory of God. I feel no pain or fear and only love and complete understanding. What you see can help you make better choices in bringing more of the Kingdom to earth as it is in Heaven.

Your Vision of Hell

Have you really spent much time thinking about hell and what it must be like? I know the spiritual realm exists based on my own communing with the Holy Spirit and demonic activity pressing into my world. I do believe in specific testimonies where Jesus has given a glimpse of Heaven and Hell to certain people. When I heard their accounts of hell, it chilled my bones.

Not surprisingly, someone described seeing Hitler in Hell. What were the demons doing to him? Hitler was tied to a chair and his flesh was continuously burned off his skeleton. When Hitler was only bone, the demons replaced his skin and burned it off again and again. Can you visualize that in your mind?

I don’t know what tortures Satan has for you if you find yourself to Hell, but he won’t have mercy for anyone. His modus operandi is clear: kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). When I imagine in my mind of what Satan wants to do to every one of God’s children, I want to declare the Good News. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can join God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in Heaven. You just accept Jesus as your personal savior, who shed his blood to wash you clean. As you stand before God on Judgement Day, Jesus will then step in front of you and say, “There is no case against [your name]. The case is closed. I paid [your name] the price with my blood.”

Your Next Step

Do you want to deepen your relationship with God and Jesus? Do you want to pass from this earth and know where you’re going? If you want to talk about God, Jesus, Heaven, and/or Hell, reach out for a conversation.

About the Author: Sandra Dillon is a professional coach with an extensive background in premarital/marriage, finances, ministry, and leadership. She coaches individuals and couples to find their purpose, be the heroes of their own life stories, and help them be a shining light in this spiritually dark world. You can learn more about Sandra or engage her as you coach by reaching out to her at shinecrossings@gmail.com

Where Are You on the Spiritual Continuum?

April 28, 2021April 23, 2021 / shinecrossings / Leave a comment

We’re all on a continuum of spirituality. The question is where are you today, and what direction do you want to go? One anchor of the continuum is the Demonic Spirit with the other end as the Holy Spirit. If you think no one would sit on the right hand of Satan, think again. There are devil worshipers, witches, and warlocks walking among us. I’ve met them. From my perspective the Religious Spirit sits in the middle.

Many people may understand the difference between the Holy Spirit and Demonic Spirit but are confused in the definition of the Religious Spirit. Aren’t people who profess their faith in the Christian religion of the Holy Spirit? Not necessarily.

The difference between the Religious Spirit and Holy Spirit is the ability to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit. There are many people who are Christian in head knowledge and mind acceptance. These types of Christians are typically rule-based and judgmental of people and situations that don’t align with religious laws. They have no personal relationship with the Holy Spirit and aren’t able to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit for healing, miracles, and casting out demons.

Those who know the Holy Spirit have personal relationship with God through their heart connection. Although they have knowledge of the religious, they tap into the power, discernment, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The body (flesh) and the soul (mind) don’t intimately know the Holy Spirit. They go along for the ride when the heart and the Holy Spirit commune. People aligned with the Holy Spirit feel the love of Jesus Christ and are compelled to be obedient to the Lord’s calling for their life. They actively seek the knowledge from their books written in Heaven before they were born, and their greatest reward is to live out those pages for the Kingdom.

Our spiritual being is on a journey. Where are you on the spiritual continuum and where do you want to go? What will you do next to get there?

What’s Your Favorite Fruit of the Holy Spirit?

April 21, 2021 / shinecrossings / Leave a comment

Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruits of the Holy Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Quite a powerful list of fruits, which begs the question: what’s your favorite fruit?

Many Christmas cards tout love, joy, and peace, in some combination, which means they must be high on the list, don’t you think? As I reflect on which ones have the most meaning in my life, I choose joy and peace. I thank the Holy Spirit for these foremost, for what they bring me on a daily basis while I live on this earth.

Joy—there’s nothing more precious than the feeling of deep pleasure and a fulfillment so strong that there’s no void or no space for anything else—total gratitude for feeling so deliciously, soulfully, full. And then because there’s no such thing as a struggle-free life, when things try to rob you of your joy, that’s where the feeling of peace is so powerful. There’s no words to describe the awareness that you’re in a storm but that you’ll be alright, regardless of the outcome. Your chosen mindset: this too shall pass, and there will be more joy around the corner.

Joy and peace work so well together. They go hand-in-hand to keep joy at an even keel regardless of what the devil and his demons throw at you. My favorite lifetime fruits of the Holy Spirit at Joy and Peace. Amen!

So what’s your favorite fruit?

What Every Christian Needs to Know About Spiritual Realms

April 12, 2021May 19, 2021 / shinecrossings / 2 Comments

What’s at the deep of your core? As a life coach, I help my clients focus on what God put inside of them as part of His design. This same God that breathed out stars, breathed life into you. Yet, it seems so many know so little about the true nature of God, themselves, and God’s design for their life.

Where does one start when one wants to get started? The basics. Understanding the two realms that exist and how we tap into them. You’re familiar with the earthly realm, but how much do you know of or live in the spiritual realm? As children of God, we should live in both, but you can only hang out with God by having the key to the spiritual realm.

World Realms

God created two realms: God’s Kingdom (spiritual) and Earth (physical). Before the Fall (original Sin), Adam and Eve walked and talked daily with God in the Garden of Eden. Both were in the spiritual realm; all was perfect as it is in Heaven.

God’s Children

God made humans in His image, but we are comprised of three parts as we live on earth:

Body (earth suit)
Soul (mind, emotions, will)
Spirit (heart)

The Fall created separation between God and us. After the bite of the fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve hid from God. They no longer were allowed to enjoy the fruits of the spiritual realm, as they were no longer one with God. The Spirit connection was broken.

Although Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden to live out the consequences of their sin, God had a design to spiritually reconcile Him with humanity through the blood of Jesus Christ. By the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, people can choose by their free will to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

If you so believe in your heart, the Holy Spirit will connect your heart with the Father, so you can walk in the spiritual realm. When Jesus left the earth to return at some appointed time in the future, He left us with the gift of the Holy Spirit (a helper) to help guide and support us while we live in this earthly world.

Our physical body and soul cannot access the spiritual realm, only our heart spirit. Satan doesn’t have access to your heart spirit if you are a Christ believer. However, the devil and his demonic minions can attack your body and soul, and they do their best to distract and separate us from God and his design for our life.

Christian Spirituality

Unfortunately, many Christians only have head knowledge and not heart knowledge of Jesus and God. They’ve never communed with God in the Spirit. The devil rejoices if he can keep you out of the spirit.

In some circles, you may hear that many Christians are 18 inches from salvation: the average distance between a person’s head and heart. Others say you can get into heaven based on a mind commitment but beware Judgement Day with the Father.

The more I try to talk and walk with God, the stronger my personal relationship with Him grows. I live in this world, but I don’t want to be of this world. And yes, the devil tempts and does his darndest to distract me.

How to Connect with the Spirit

Your soul can help you connect with your spirit through the renewing of your mind. Read the Bible (even small passages), reflect, and implement the Word. Pray. These actions help you focus on connecting with God through the Holy Spirit and hearing God’s voice. Mediate, quiet your mind, listen for God’s messages, and wait for God’s visions.

Forgive others, so unforgiveness doesn’t poison your heart. I believe God looks at unforgiveness as the greatest sin. Why? Because Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice was dying on the cross to forgive us our sins. If we won’t do so for others, when we have been gifted ultimate grace, we truly don’t know the heart of our Father.

Role of the Church

Since many pastors don’t preach on the spiritual realm, they don’t cover these building blocks and how we can connect spiritually connect with God. If you don’t get these concepts, you won’t understand how the spiritual realm and earthly battlefields interact and how demons work against you in discovering and living out God’s design for your life.

Christianity is the expression of a personal relationship with God in the spiritual realm. Religion is only man’s interpretation of God’s Kingdom on earth carried out through a set of rules. If you’ve never experienced God in the spiritual realm, you’ll likely believe Christianity is a bunch of “do good” rules to follow.

Gospel Conversations Made Easier

April 7, 2021April 6, 2021 / shinecrossings / Leave a comment

Where are my Christian brothers and sisters? I pray that you enjoyed celebrating Easter—your gift of Salvation from our brother, Jesus, when he rose from the grave on the third day after his slaughter as the sacrificial lamb for our everlasting life. Our Christianity, a faith that embraces diversity and inclusion, invites everyone to believe. No one is excluded from the gift of grace. Now that is Good News worth talking about. So, brothers and sisters, when was the last time you shared the Gospel with an unbeliever?

I know, having a Gospel conversation can be uncomfortable, especially when you haven’t done it or it’s been awhile. Feeling a bit unpracticed? Feeling unskilled? You are absolutely equipped where you stand, because you are a Christian. Remember that you’re not responsible for bringing people to Christ, because that’s God’s job, but you are responsible for having the conversation and letting the Holy Spirit do His work.

I have a suggestion on how to have easier Gospel conversations. Be inviting and open so people will share their own personal struggles. You don’t have to have walked in their shoes, but you can share how the Gospel has changed your life as a way to connect.

Start with a response with “Can I share with you something that helped me when I struggled?” Most people will give their permission. If paper and pen are available, use them, because pictures always help. If not, do the best you can to tell the story. The conversation unfolds around 3 circles connected by 3 arrows.

Make the story your own but include the following points:

God has a design (circle) for your life to bring all good things for you
Sin (arrow) was created and takes us to our
Brokenness (circle) which can manifest in addiction, anger, broken relationships, and despair
When we repent and believe (arrow) in Jesus as our personal savior we live out
The Gospel (circle) which allows us to
Recover and pursue (arrow) all the God has for our lives and allows us to live out God’s Design.

Use your own testimony that follows this simple full circle process. Think through and practice your own testimony that brings the 3-circle methodology to life.

You can wrap the conversation with questions with “Is there anything that would prevent you from repenting and believing in Jesus as your personal savior right now?” Be prepared to lead them in the words to invite Christ into their heart. If they aren’t ready to make the commitment, let them know you are always open for another conversation.

Good luck and don’t be afraid. The Holy Spirit is with you.

Shine Crossings Ministry

Hope, Perspective, and Tools for Relationships and Finances

Month: April 2021