A Study Of The Soul, Part #2 of 6

A Place of Refuge

In the creative works of God, the soul is defined as the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being. Genesis 2:7 says, "God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul."  In this statement, there is no reference to the beast of the field or innate objects.  As the knowledge of good and evil increased, the definition of the soul began to change in that animals and even rivers are said to have souls.  Different religions have always existed and they all have different ideologies as pertaining to the soul.  According to the Hebrew scripture the God of Abraham once actively intervened in the affairs of man to prevent the spread of false religions.  After the divorce of his chosen people, the freewill nature of man is allowed to proceed until the Day of Judgment.  There are many false narratives and false doctrines surrounding the soul.  

In the first part of this series according to the teaching of Jesus, the soul maintains consciousness after death.  This is undeniable, but because it does not fit the narrative of select groups, Jesus' lecture is reinterpreted as a parable rather that an illustration of life.  The authority on life, death, the soul, and resurrection reside with the Christ. Therefore, we should study closely the thoughts that are attributed to him.  The illustration given in Luke 16: 19-23 provides all of the necessary data for formulating the status of the righteous and the unrighteous souls at the time of death.  There is no need to use words like, Paul said or Ecclesiastes said, Jesus said is the only citation needed to establish the concept and status of the righteous and unrighteous soul.  The problem is many of us are not prepared to accept the cold reality of Heaven and Hell.  

To promote a false type of rhetoric the altering of the definition of the soul, and heaven is in line with the different religious beliefs or lack of religious belief. Wealthy talk show host and even Tele-evangelist have altered the spirituality of Christ, now he is presentented as just another prophet.  The believability of God is at an all time low as men and women search out ways to challenge the Christian belief.  The Christian belief, which is based upon the teaching of Christ, should be uniform in its belief and application. Yet such things such as salvation, soul sleep, the reincarnation of the soul and even the non-existence of the soul has become a part of the so-called Christian experience.  Much of the confusion is derived from referencing the writing of other authors in an attempt to explain what Jesus said.   We should remember the trick the Devil preformed in the Garden of Eden, how he was successful in explaining to Eve what God said.

In the narrative of Lazarus's death there are numerous keys to understanding the events taking place.  "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;" (Luke 16:22).  From this verse, we learn that both men died, but it is what took place after they were buried that should be of great interest to the Christian.  Death can be thought of as separation. Physical death is the separation of our body from our soul/spirit, while spiritual death is the separation of our soul from God. The simplicity of that statement indicates that Adam died a spiritual death the day he sinned.  Jesus died a physical death on the cross.  Jesus taught that we ought not to fear physical death, but we should be most concerned about spiritual death. (Luke 12:4-5)

Luke 16:22 also reference a place called Abraham's bosom.  Jesus did not say Lazarus was carried into Heaven, or before the Throne of God.  In Luke 23:43, Jesus has a conversation with one of those crucified with him.  The thief who was hanging beside him asks Jesus, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom."  Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise.” The simplest explanation is that on that same day the thief and Jesus would enter the intermediate resting place of the dead who were waiting for the Resurrection.   What is and where is the resting place of the dead?  In the Jewish theology, there were three "heavens." The first heaven deals with the atmospheric region (Deuteronomy 11:17; 28:12; Judges 5:4; Acts 14:17). The second heaven deals with the region of outer space (Psalm 19:4,6; Jeremiah 8:2; Isaiah 13:10). The third heaven is God's dwelling place (1 Kings 8:30; Psalm 2:4; Matthew 5:16).

Luke 16:26, " And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from there."  A barrier or gulf that separates the spiritual world from the natural world and man in his natural state cannot cross over.

John20:17, sheds light on the ideology that upon his death Jesus did not return to his Father's side.  "Jesus said unto her, Mary. She turned, and said unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Teacher. Jesus said unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."  Eight days later, he allowed Thomas to touch and handle him.

There are many exotic messages designed to stimulate based upon the resting place of the souls as they await the resurrection.  We are told that the dead is in Heaven looking down on us, yet the scripture says, the rich man saw Lazarus resting, but it did not say Lazarus saw the rich man being tormented.  If Lazarus were able to see the tourment of his fellowman this no doubt would have cause him to suffer a form of tourment.  Thus it seems as if he was able to enjoy a perfect state of bliss, resting in the "Bosom of Abraham." 

On the cross, Jesus referred to Paradise as the next step, and in the story of Lazarus, he referred to it as Abraham's bosom. Thus they both are the same.  "Bosom of Abraham" refers to the place of comfort in the Biblical Sheol (or Hades in the Greek Septuagint version of the Hebrew scriptures from around 200 BC, and therefore so described in the New Testament) where the righteous dead await Judgment Day.

Next

The Spirit World

A Study Of The Soul, Part #1 of 6

What is the Soul?

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." 

In a Bible discussion, I asked for a show of hands of those who believed in ghost. Only one, maybe two students ventured to raise their hand. The rest stared at me as if I had lost control of my mental faculties. When I rephrased the question and asked, "who believe in God," the show of hands was unanimous. In our Bible studies we talk freely about the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit, often failing to accept the relationship of these entities as residents of the spirit world. There is the spirit of God, and there is the spirit of the Devil.

To state that I believe in a metaphysical God, but I do not believe in the spirit world or I do not believe in ghost or spirits is a contradiction in belief.  The question of the soul and where it resides after death translates into questions of the spirit world that we shall attempt to answer in this six-part series.  To believe in and understand the soul one must have a firm belief in the spirit world.

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth". (John 4:24)  God is a spirit, thus the soul is a spirit.  If we are to accept God as the Lord of the universe, we must accept the spirit world as the ruling authority. To worship God, we must worship him in our spirit. Ancient culture believed strongly in the spirit world whereas modern day societies have learned to doubt even the simple manifestation of a ghost while offering prayers to a metaphysical God.  

We live in an environment of opposites such as good and bad, and there are night and day. There is the natural world, and there is the spiritual world. The natural world consists of elements that we interact with on a natural level and we interact with the spiritual world on a spiritual level. The spirit world consists of what is known as the heavens. In the Jewish theology, there were three "heavens." "We will provide scriptural documentation in a detail discussion of these places of interest and the resident of the soul later." 

To entertain the question of the soul and it existence after death we must adjust our perspective so that our view is spiritual rather than natural. The Bible teaches us in the New Testament that we continue as a spiritual being after death. Those who teach that the soul sleep often refers to the Old Testament and obtain their doctrine from it alone. This is a violation of Paul's admonition to, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth". (2nd Timothy 2:15) A couple of scriptures that are often referenced is as follows:

· Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

· Ecclesiastes 12:7, "then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." 

Those that hold this position and refer to Ecclesiastes forget the keys to understanding the scripture. Context and perspective are two important keys to understanding the word of God. Here again, is Paul admonition, " All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2nd Timothy 3:16). All scriptures are not to be used as doctrine; some are to be used as bases of reproof. Surgically removing a verse from its supporting scriptures that determine it context and presenting it as a complete thought are the making of a polluted mess. The context and the perspective are established in the first three verses of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-3, "The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit has a man of all his labor, which he takes under the sun?

The Preacher is writing about things from a human perspective, from that which is "under the sun." He is not providing doctrinal statements about life after death. From the human perspective, when you die the dead do not know anything in that the spirit returns to God who gave it and the body returns to dust. These statements do not mean the soul ceases to exist when a person dies. Those who advocate the pro-soul sleep will say that "the dead not knowing anything" means they do not exist. However, here again, this is written from the perspective of people on earth. He has made it clear that he is speaking from a human perspective. We cannot interpret the New Testament in light of the Old Testament. The New Testament interprets the Old Testament. This is why we look to what the word of God says in totality.

Matthew 17:1-8, "And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his clothing was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you will, let us make here three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear you him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face and were much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, except Jesus only".

This is known as the Transfiguration of Christ. What is important to note is that Moses and Elijah were both alive in their, so to speak, dead state. In other words, they are not united in their resurrected bodies because the general resurrection has not yet happened. Therefore, we can clearly see that there are at least two people who are alive, after death, who are not in their physical bodies.

Jesus gave a startling dissertation of a righteous beggar and a rich man living and dying. (Luke 16:23) And in hell he lifts up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. In that elucidation, we are privy to a conversation between two dead men. There is no indication that Lazarus saw the rich man in Hell, This would have been too traumatic, but the rich man saw Lazarus, which added to his torment. .” (Luke 16:24-25) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” If one came back from the dead would it make any difference to what we already know? There is much to be learned here without the twisting and shaping of these verses. 

We can see in the story of Lazarus and the rich man that after each has died, both were conscious and self-aware. Jesus is obviously teaching that the soul survives after death. Still, there are those who will say that this is a parable. Of course, the problem with this theory is that parables do not have proper names in them. In this case, there is a specific individual named: Lazarus. Also, if it were a parable, then what is Jesus saying with the illustration of consciousness after death and before the resurrection? The most logical answer is that Jesus was teaching us that there is life after death. 

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Paul is telling us that he would rather be outside of his body, "absent from the body," and be at home with the Lord. If soul sleep is a true doctrine, then how is it possible to be outside of the body and also be home with the Lord? It wouldn't make any sense.

2 Corinthians 12:1-4 It is not expedient for me doubtless to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

To properly understand this section of Scripture we need to know what is meant by the term "third heaven." In the Jewish theology, there were three "heavens." The first heaven deals with the atmospheric region (Deuteronomy 11:17; 28:12; Judges 5:4; Acts 14:17). The second heaven deals with the region of outer space (Psalm 19:4,6; Jeremiah 8:2; Isaiah 13:10). The third heaven is God's dwelling place (1 Kings 8:30; Psalm 2:4; Matthew 5:16).

So, when Paul says that knew someone who was caught up to the third heaven, he was speaking about entering into that dwelling place of God. What is important is that it occurred either in the body or out of the body of which he did not know. If soul sleep is a true doctrine, it could not be said that such a person who is outside of his body (who had died), was also with God at the same time. It just wouldn't make any sense. Therefore, soul sleep is wrong.

Continued in Part #2

A Place Of Refuge

Living In A Deteriorating Society, Part #5

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Now on Sale

In a deteriorating society, the shifting of perspective is necessary to bring into focus those once unacceptable elements of society.  To facilitate changes a process of indoctrination shifts the perspective of the individuals, thereby infecting the masses with an alien viewpoint.  It is acceptable to offend, but to be offended is taboo.  The political correctness of society allows subjects that once were unthinkable or unnecessary to become a part of our daily conversation. That which once was evil has become good, and good becomes evil.  It was a subtle process, perfected by the godless one.   First practiced in the Garden of Eden, the perspective shifted from obeying God to being like God.  The shifting that many are motivated to speak off has caused our home, church, and community to suffer.  Even, our modern day approach to Christianity is the major cause the believability of God is suffering.

Those that we have lifted up as leaders for no other reason than they appear in the media as sports player, talk show host, or self-proclaimed messengers of God, reveling in their success, they have leading people astray.  The live their lives detached from society only to appear in the media professing a way of life that is contrary to the Word of God and because of the "false clothes" they are wearing we call them our heroes. 

As society deteriorates, the cry of martial law heard throughout the world has become a viable option for many nations.  Many countries have become the breeding ground of hateful rhetoric and false narratives.  Newly minted leaders have emerged, claiming the power to eradicate hate through the implementation of laws and conversations.  Not only is this a false narrative it defies the power of God.  God in his infinitive wisdom knows that in the present world afflicted by the Devil "opposites" exist.  To destroy hate, you must also destroy love and what is left is chaos.   God's plan to rectify this unholy dilemma is after we have passed the test is to create a new Heaven and Earth, one without opposites.  Revelation 21:1, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea (Sea and Land)." Revelation 22:5, and there shall be no night there; (Night and Day) and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever.

Now On Sale

When man succumbed to the antics of the Devil and failed to carry out the mandate of his creator, destruction became the conclusion of the matter.   There is no escaping this destruction.   It was through God love for his creation that he gave the man and the world a chance to redeem himself.  This is reiterated in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  The Devil have used humanity for more than 6,000 years in every conceivable form and fashion in his attempt to destroy the creative works of God.

Matthew 24:7 for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers' places.

The ancient writing of the Bible rings true in today's world as the death toll from wars continues to rise, new diseases are emerging, and a food crisis looms on the horizon. Famines are becoming commonplace as once wealthy nations are finding it hard to feed their populace.  Venezuela, an oil-rich country is sinking deeper into chaos as overspending has left the economy shattered and is now facing a large food shortage.  Those that have are seeking to barricade themselves awhile the have-nots are knocking at their door, a classic example of the events that took place in the day of Noah.      

Following the rule of proper interpretation, Kingdoms reference those seats of power or domains that exist within the boundaries of a country or nation.  Within a nation, there are states, within a state, there are cities, within a city, there are communities and within communities, there are the so-called leaders.   When these entities fail to work together for the good of all humanity and the knowledge of God, the leaders is the cause of error.  There are speeches, rhetoric and false narratives designed to bring about social unrest.  Social unrest has torn many nations apart, and it is knocking at the door of those countries that once escaped. 

Mark 13:8 reiterates the same theme advanced in Matthew 24:7 that speak of unrest in humanity and the world.  "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers' places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows."

Luke 21:11 speaks of earthquakes, famines, and pestilences: and fearful sights.  "And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven."  While around us these events are taking place, there are those who proudly proclaim that God is in the blessing business.  The organized Church, the Church that Jesus condemned in the book of Revelation is akin to Nero the Roman Emperor, who fiddled and danced while Rome burned.   Money, motivation, and entertainment, the gods of paganism has become the mainstay of many ministries in an attempt to merge the gods of Esau with the God of Jacob.    Humanity finds comfort in the fact that through his vast knowledge of good and evil he can explain most of these things away.  

Those that wish to condemn Christianity often refer to the things done in the past in the name of Christianity to validate their argument.  Recently the presidents said, "And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the crusades and the inquisition Christians committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ …"  This is a distortion of facts, the same as if I would say, "If you eat sugar you will die."  The stain is not on Christianity, the stain is on humanity.  This is not unique to one group or one religion.   In a deteriorating society, Christians and Pagans have always preformed sinful acts in the name of their God or gods.  There is a tendency in us, a sinful tendency to seek to justify sin to advance our agenda.  That is what pervert and distort our faith.

Living In A Deteriorating Society, Part #4

Revelation 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

The visions in this chapter are two distinct "beasts," each with peculiar characteristics, yet closely related, they deriving their power from a common source; aiding each other in the accomplishment of the same object, and manifestly relating to the same power under different forms.  

One of the characteristics of the first beast, mention in Revelation 13:1-10 is that it comes out of the sea, signifies the death of a nation and the creation of another.  The use of the word "Sea" symbolizes a state of confusion. This verse indicates that a new nation is born out of the commotion, the agitation and manipulation of confused people.  Under the tutelage of one who possess the spirit of Antichrist, a new and ungodly nation will spring up from those disturbing elements.  Laws and constitutions will be set aside; in today's terminology, this is MARTIAL LAW.   In that day the blood of the Christians, the jihadist,  the protestors of every race, creed and color will mingle together in the streets and run like a river.

This beast with seven heads (rulers or Kings) and ten horns (the ultimate war machines) will crush the European nations that once stood as the vanguard of Christianity.  Using a cliché of the supposed enlightened, one does not have to be a "Rocket Scientist" to see the confusion, the changes, and manipulation that are taking place worldwide.   The attempt to establish a one-world government is a reality.  This transformation began with the reemerging of a false religion, one that look like the real thing but deny the true power of God, it purpose is to crush the heads of Christianity.

Durning the early sixties, a young man stood before his friends and in a drug introduced stupor declared, "God is dead".  The media practiced exploitation rather than censorship, all in the name of greed.  The metaphysical lightning bolt did not appear and strike him dead as many feared would happen.   In that highly publicized moment when it seems as if God had failed to defend himself, the fear of God began to vanish.   There was no shame or public outcry when the Rock Star stood on stage and decried he was more popular than Jesus Christ was, and the band played on.

Many of the older generation grew up in an age when we respected God and the Flag.   In school, our morning ritual began with the Lord's Prayer and a recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.    This did not make us less of a person; in fact, I would say it made us a better person.   It taught or gave us a sense of respect, a thing that our younger generation is searching for with guns, crime and drugs.  What can be so asinine as to disrespect the thing or entity that provide for your existence?  Our nation, our homes, our communities and the organized churches failing to police their sphere of influence as greed, and/or corruption becomes the status quo.   

The same as Jesus posed the question, "will I find the faith when I return", I often pose the same question.  The posting on the internet said, "Within 11 days, God will open your delayed money doors." "If you believe, LIKE and type men and share."  The number of people who respond to this type of "skullduggery" is amazing.  On the internet, in the church and on the street the transformation is complete; the God who offered the world salvation is now a God of money.  The great things that God is doing today usually involve money.  An interesting side note: If Jesus and the Apostles had ascribed to the prosperity and blessing Gospel, they would have lived a glorious life here on earth.

When I listen to a motivational message about planting seeds and reaping blessing the question that clouds my mind is; "do we really believe in God?"  What is our belief in God based upon?  Is it based upon God giving us the things he promised us?  My next question would is, "What did God promise us?"  One answer to the question would be, "He promised to be with us until the end of time".  Another said, "He promised to heal my body."  Once we get pass the platitudes without substance, it becomes clear we are serving God for what we can get.

The further we travel down the road of corruption the easier it become to trivialize the works of God.  Trivialization and corruption become the essence of false teaching.  I offer this, not for the sake of condemnation but for consideration, Jesus spoke or touched the sick and healed them.  Even the raising of Lazarus from the dead was not to prolong his life; it was so that those standing there might believe.  A miracle once was something that, in awe men and women proclaimed it the works of God.  In today's Christian environment healing and blessing is an inducement.  The redefinition of miracles and blessing allows one to enter the hospital for a surgical procedure and testify of the healing power of God. 

I often hear those that are enlightened speak of what God is doing.  Like the man said sitting by the side of the road if God is doing so much for the world, why is the world in such bad shape?  Now come the irrelevant platitudes and clichés, but they are not the answer.  The only thing standing between this sinful world and an angry God is the blood of Jesus. The religious right has become a part of the problem, like Nero fiddling while Rome burned.  Dumbing down and selling out to an alternate belief structure, promising blessings and favors while the wrath of God is building. On the horizon, the dark clouds are rising,  the world, even America, once that vanguard nation is now adrift in a sea of confusion.