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Do animals have a spirit and a soul?
The Bible makes the distinction between and the roles of mankind’s'
physical body, spirit, and soul. The soul is summed up as being man's mind,
will, and emotions. Since man was made in the image of God and animals were not
some people argue that our pets/service animals do not possess a spirit or a
soul. The Spirit of God reflects the heart of God. Authentic religion is the
perfect union between God and the precious souls He Created.
That being said, let's take dogs as an example almost
without exception most dogs face life with a sense of adventure, joy, and
good-will rooted in the spirit of their God-given temperament with a compelling
desire to please their master. They
possess a divine ability to love (express unconditional affection, acceptance,
respect, willingness to please...), because God created them to be that way.
What man serves God with such loyalty? Our eternal companions show us how to enjoy the present. Unlike humans they do not regret the past or fear the future.
The Restoration of All Creation
Animals are part of God's magnificent creation, therefore, we have every reason to hold fast to our belief that our furry companions will be in Heaven with us, because God will restore all of His divine creation to its original intended state. Romans 8:21 tells us that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God {Genesis 1:25} & {Revelation 21:1}. There will also be animals during the millennial kingdom {Isaiah 11:6; 65:25}.
God purposed to show for eternity that His redemptive plan for mankind included removing the curse for all His Creation which includes the animal kingdom.
Although the Bible does not specifically say that our pets and service animals will be in Heaven (New Eternal Kingdom) we can trust that God is just in all He does and has planned for those who love Him.
"Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD." {Psalm 36:6}
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God's Promise - Our Hope!
"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:6-9)
Circle of Support!
Rev. Joanne Moss
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Animal Blessing Services
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Celebration of Life
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Pastoral Care
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Prayer Requests
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Presentations
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Public Speaking
Niki Behrikis Shanahan
Niki is the author of the following Bible based books, "There Is Eternal Life For Animals," "The Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss Is Heaven's Gain," "Animal Prayer Guide," and “Who Says Animals Go To Heaven.” She has a very unique Christian animal ministry. Prayer requests for sick and lost pets, and animal companion loss is gladly received by emailing her at eternalanimals@comcast.net. For more information, please visit www.eternalanimals.com.
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