Putting Work Clothes On Your Dreams

Once upon a time, there was a happy little boy who went out into the field wearing blue jeans, sneakers, a baseball shirt, and a very cool baseball cap.  In one hand he had a baseball and in the other hand a baseball bat.  He had the look of absolute confidence.  He had just watched his favorite baseball players on TV and knew he could one day be one.  You just have to practice.

Cocking his bat, he tossed the ball into the air saying, “I’m the greatest batter in the world!”  The he swung and missed.  “Strike one,” he said.  He then picked up the ball, examined it carefully, and then threw it into the air again.  As the ball was coming down he said, “I’m the greatest batter in the world.!  Once again he missed.  “Strike two,” he said.  This time he knocked off any sand which may have been on his sneakers, examined his bat carefully, picked up the ball, adjusted his baseball cap, and tossed the ball into the air for the third time.  He cried out again even louder, “I’m the greatest batter in the world!  He swung with all his might but he missed it and struck out.  “Wow,” he shouted, “What a pitcher.  I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!”

Confidence can be a great thing for this new year.  Our attitude toward events, our frame of mind, our determination to put work clothes on our dreams is what will make this new year a great year.  We can talk about what we are going to do every day.  However, it is not until we stop talking about what we are going to do and begin doing it that anything meaningful is going to happen.  

The Apostle Paul didn’t just talk about doing things.  He put work clothes on his dreams and made them come true.  Here is his attitude toward attaining the victor’s crown as seen in Philippians 3:12, 14.  “I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it . . . but one thing I do:  forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”    In this new year, let’s begin by putting work clothes on our dreams and not just talking about them - but doing them.  

Love Is Blind

I was talking with Ginger (church secretary) in the church office one day and I mentioned how, as a teenager, I had a crush on the film actress and one of the most beautiful women in the world, Sophia Loren.  How I was shocked that she married Carlo Ponti, a film producer.  Carlto Ponti was 5'5" tall, 23 years older than her, and not very handsome.  To make matters worse, she turned down Cary Grant who proposed to her.  How did that happen?  Ginger said, "Love is blind."

I didn't know exactly what that meant.  So I turned to William Shakespeare.  One of his favorite quotes which he used in "The Merchant of Venice,"  "Henry V," and "Two Gentlemen of Verona," was:  "But love is blind, and lovers cannot see.  The pretty follies that themselves commit."  But what does that mean?

I did a little survey and found that most people interpreted the saying as, "That's when a girl falls in love with a bad guy that treats her mean but she didn't know it at first because she thought she loved him."

I got many different responses.  I finally went back to Ginger and said, "Tell me exactly what "love is blind" means.  Ginger said, "That's when you see with your heart.  Not with your eyes."  

I got it.  I then immediately thought of how God sees us.  He doesn't look at our physical appearance.  He looks at our heart.

How do we look at other people?  Do we see only their physical faults?  Do we see only with our eyes?  Or do we see with our heart?

In this Christmas season and New Year, may we make a point to see others as God sees us.  When we look at our friends, loved ones, and even strangers.  Let us see with our heart.

The Underworld: Part II of II

So where is this place called Paradise that Jesus is talking about?  The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus found in Luke 16:19-31 helps us to understand.  Jesus is telling this story in the Old Testament course of things.  He shows Hades (it is called Sheol in the Old Testament), the land of shadows.  It is in two compartments.  In Hebrew, the first compartment was referred to as Abraham's bosom.  That was the place of the abode for the righteous dead.  Abraham's bosom in Hebrew and Paradise in the Greek or New Testament.  

On the other side it was referred to as a place of torment, which I believe was referred to as Tartarus; although properly speaking both of these places had the general category of being called Sheol in the Old Testament and Hades in the New Testament.  It was the grave, the land below, the underworld.   

Here is a picture I have drawn which may help to explain it.

II Peter 2:4-5:  "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (tartarus) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly."

Jude 1:6:  "And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day." 

Genesis 6:4-8:  "There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them.  Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.  Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  So the Lord said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.'  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."

Outside of Elijah and Enoch who went straight to heaven, everyone who died went there.  Now Jesus said the rich man being in torment  in Hades lifted up his eyes and across this gulf called to Abraham and said, "Send Lazarus back up to tell my five brothers about this place of torment and they will repent  because I don't want them to come here."  Jesus rose from the dead and still people don't believe.  This place of torment was a temporary place.  After the Final Judgment, Great White Throne judgment they will be transferred to a place called gehenna, hell, the lake of fire which burns forever.  

Revelation 20:10 tells us, "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.  And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

Satan is not in charge of hell.  He will not rule in hell.  He will be tormented in hell.  Also, remember that Satan does not even live in hell now.  His headquarters is in heavenly places.   


Ephesians 6:12:  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."  

Ephesians 3:10:  "To the extent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places."

Headquarters of Satan is not on earth or under the earth.

Genesis 1:1:  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Heaven is plural and earth is singular.  One earth but more than one heaven.  Paul tells us in II Corinthians.

II Corinthians 12:2-4:  "I know a man  in Christ who fourteen years ago - whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows - such a one was caught up to the third heaven.  And I know such a man - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know - God knows - how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

Here Paul identifies the third heaven with Paradise and Paradise (since the resurrection of Christ) is located in heaven.  The first heaven is the visible heaven that we see if you walk outside and look up into the sky.  Then Revelation talks about a mid heaven and then there is the heaven which is the dwelling place of God and identified with Paradise.  Thus, three heavens.  The heavenlies, where Satan has his headquarters, must be the mid heaven which lies between the visible heaven and the third heaven which is God's dwelling place.

Christians do not go before the Final Judgment.  That is for unbelievers, remember?  Christians will go before the Judgment Seat of Christ.  

II Corinthians 5:10:  "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

This has nothing to do with salvation.  The Judgment Seat of Christ is for believers.  The Final Judgment, Great White Throne Judgment is for unbelievers.  Hear what Jesus tells us from John:

John 5:24:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My words and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

This is why Paul can say in Corinthians.

II Corinthians 5:8:  "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."

I Peter 3:18-20:  "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water."  (The prison was Hades).  

At some point in Jesus' descent into the underworld, having been made alive in the Spirit went and preached.  What did Jesus preach to these spirits in prison?  The word preach in Greek means euangellion.  The Greek word used here is kerygma, not euangellion.  This word means to proclaim.  Jesus is here making a proclamation to the spirits in prison.  

What did Jesus proclaim?  I don't think it was an offer of mercy or a second chance.  I think Jesus made a proclamation that He now was in charge and Lord over life and death.  Jesus now held the keys of Hades and death.

Revelation 1:18:  "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.  Amen.  And I have the keys of Hades and Death."  

Hebrews 2:14:  "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil."

I Corinthians 15:55-56:  "O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?  The sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Gospel was also preached though.

I Peter 4:5-6:  "They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.  For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (preached is euangellion).  

In Hades there was also the other side separated by the gulf which is referred to as Paradise or Abraham's Bosom.  This was made up of the souls of the believers from all previous ages.  Abraham and all the other believers.  They had a separate place in Hades separated by a  great abyss from the souls of the wicked.  Remember the story of the poor man who died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's Bosom and he lifted up his eyes and saw the rich man in the other part of Hades suffering moment.  

So they are in Paradise.  They had died in faith but had never received the promise.  So Jesus preached to these souls of the righteous.  He preached the gospel to them basically saying that it is finished and you can go free now.  I have paid the penalty.  At this time they were transferred out of Hades and into heaven.  He emptied this segment of the underworld.  This side is empty today.  Jesus moved Paradise from their into he presence of the Father.  That's why Paul can say, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord."

Jesus went down into the underworld.  He endured the entire wrath of almighty God in all aspects.  Having finished that, He was made alive in the Spirit.  He made a proclamation to the wicked dead that He is now Lord of life and death, and preached the gospel to the righteous believers telling them that it was finished and they were free to go to heaven.

When a person dies one of two things happen.  They either go immediately to be with the Lord; or they go to the other place in the underworld, Hades, where there is torment and wait until the Final Judgment at which time they will be cast into the lake of fire.  The Bible calls it eternal judgment.  

The good news for all of us is this.  Because of what Jesus has done for us - we will spend all eternity in the presence and power of love.  

John 14:6:  "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Romans 10:9:  "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Romans 10:13:  "For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

John 3:16:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  


Copyright © 2014 by Allen C. Minor

A Better Note

It has been four months since my wife has died and I have had time to reflect on what has happened.  

I want you to know how much my friends and loved ones have helped me through this process.  Your generosity and kindness have alleviated much of my pain through this journey.  The outpouring of love was seen in how many prayers and cards Reva received through her illness and beyond.  

I have been very humbled by this entire experience and am eternally grateful for everything everyone has done.  

I am now ready to continue the next chapter of my life.  This blog, "The Underworld," has taken many years of research to finally understand it completely.  In order to examine difficult passages of Scripture from the Bible, it is imperative that you understand the original language it was written in.  Bible translators have made mistakes as it is difficult to translate one language into another.  As such, I have been extremely careful in providing what the original koine text reveals.  I believe you will have a greater understanding of the Underworld after reading this.  

Thank you for being understanding and caring.  

A sad note

My wife Reva died this morning at 4:35 a.m.  She died peacefully beside me in bed.  I want to thank everyone who sent letters and prayers how very much we are grateful to you for helping us get through this.  

A sad note

Sorry for the delay for the second part of this blog, but my wife is gravely ill, and I try to spend as much time as I can with her.  I will try to post the last part of this blog when I can.  Thank you so much for those of you who have been praying for her.  

The Underworld: Part I of II

Where did Jesus go between His crucifixion and His resurrection? 

Luke 23:42-43:  "Then he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.'  And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.'"

So where is this place called Paradise that Jesus is talking about?  We will find out shortly but let's first understand why Jesus had to go there.  He had to fulfill prophesy.

Romans 3:23:  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  

Romans 6:23:  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  

Romans 5:8:  "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us."

Hebrews 2:9:  "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." 

The Bible tells us that Jesus didn't just die for a group of people.  He died specifically for each individual.  If there was only you, He would have died for you.  It's not just a group experience.  That's why we have a personal relationship with Christ.  Jesus came to earth in human form in total dependence on the Father.  No life except through the Father.  He never sinned so continual fellowship with God.

John 6:57:  "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me."

When Jesus became our sacrifice on the cross, His union with God was broken by sin.  Jesus died on the cross.  Forsaken by His Father.  

Matthew 27:46:  "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

Abandoned.  No answer from heaven.  First time Jesus prayed and did not get an answer.  Why was His prayer not answered?  It was because He had taken on sin at the cross.  The sins of all humanity.  Thus, cannot be in His presence anymore.  Sin separates the person from God.  At that moment He was rejected on earth and not accepted in heaven.  

Luke 23:46:  "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."

When the spirit of Jesus left His body on the cross, His physical body was taken down from the cross and wrapped in linen clothes. Placed in the tomb and lay their from Friday afternoon until early Sunday morning.

His spirit had much more to do.  His spirit descended into Hades or Sheol.  In the Old Testament, the word is Sheol.  In the New testament, the word is Hades.  It is exactly the same place.  This is the realm below the earth referred to as the underworld.  This is where the wicked are imprisoned awaiting the final judgment.  Don't confuse Hades or Sheol with the lake of fire.  The lake of fire is gehenna which is hell.  No one will be sent there until after the Final Judgment which is for unbelievers.  That is also where the souls and spirits of the righteous were waiting for the time when Jesus would come and declare deliverance to the captives.

Jesus, after His physical death, in spirit, descended into Sheol, or Hades.

Psalm 16:10:  "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption."  

These words spoken by David are quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost.  He is talking about Jesus Christ.  In regard to some of the Psalms of David, David speaks in the first person about many things that are not about him.  For example, 

Psalm 22:1:  "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

Notice that "Me" is capitalized.  (New King James Version).

Psalm 22:16-18:  "For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.  They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones.  They look and stare at Me.  They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."

This never happened to David.  David is not talking about himself. He's talking about Jesus.  Why would David do this?  You need to know.

I Peter 1:10-11:  "Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow."  

What this means is that the Spirit of Christ was in David.  It is very possible that David may have wondered why he was speaking these prophesies himself.  The Bible tells us that it was not really David the man speaking here, but rather David the anointed one was speaking in a prophetic way about what was to happen to the Messiah.  So, when we read these words in some of the Psalms of David, although they are spoken in the first person, they really do not apply to David but rather to Jesus.

Psalm 16:10:  "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption."  

Here David is talking about the Holy One again which would be the Messiah.  When David says, "nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption, what he is referring to is that Jesus' physical body resting in the tomb did not see corruption which would be a physical miracle.  

On the day of Pentecost, Peter says these words as recorded in Acts.

Acts 2:25-32:  "For David says concerning Him:  'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.  Therefore, my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.  For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption.  You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.'  "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to Him that of the fruit of His body, according to the flesh, He would raise Christ to sit on His throne, He, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.  This Jesus God has raised up, for which we are all witnesses."

You can see this also in Ephesians 4:8-10:  "Therefore he says, 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.'  Now this, "He ascended" what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?  He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things."

We can see clearly that Jesus did not ascend into heaven  until He first descended into the lower parts of the earth, Hades, Sheol; the underworld.

So we can see clearly that while the body of Jesus rested in the tomb, the soul, the spirit of Jesus descended into "Sheol, Hades."

  

So, where is this place called Paradise that Jesus is talking about?