Where are the Dead? (A Guided Tour of Hell)

Jesus *said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.' " John 20:17

Jesus said this after He had been in the tomb for 3 days. So . . . where do the dead go?  I thought the dead went to heaven!  Well, they do but…. Let’s work our way through some of what the Bible actually says concerning the realm of the dead.  Most have drawn their conclusions based on tradition and various sources rather than scripture leaving vast gaps in their understanding. 

Let’s look in on one of Jesus’ conversations. 

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. Luke 16:14

So, Jesus was being ridiculed by a group of Pharisees and they got more than they bargained for…

Jesus gave them a guided tour of hell.  Want to tag along?  I’ll reproduce the text in it’s entirety then we’ll digest it below.

The rich man and Lazarus

Luke 16

19.  "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.

20.  "And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,

 21.  and longing to be fed with the {crumbs} which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.

 22.  "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

 23.  "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

 24.  "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.'

Muhammad Speaks on Terror

You can determine the "Real Islam" for yourself!

“ The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Lying is wrong, except in three things: the lie of a man to his wife to make her content with him; a lie in war, for war is deception; or a lie to settle trouble between people”” [Ahmad, 6.459. H]

 
I have completed another study on Islam which I will share with this mailing.  It is like another page off the evening news.  Note that this is not a blind forward, I have prepared this information myself.  As we have noted in previous emails there has been an ongoing argument in the press about whether the “real Islam” is peaceful… Or whether the “real Islam” is the terrorizing and murdering Islam of Al-Qaeda  or Hezbollah .  (The links take you to Wikipedia articles on each organization)

My recommendation is to go back to the Islamic texts and run a word search .  Then we can see for ourselves what the koran, or the hadith teaches. (Here's an online Koran w/ a search engine.) Today's Research is on "Terror." 

I will have very little to add.  Below is every instance of the word “terror” in the Koran.  This approach does not limit us to what the local news may want us to know.  It is neither Republican or Democrat, nor is it  a Christian trying to criticize Islam.  What we get to witness is Muhammad speaking for himself on Terror within Islam.  We cannot go back to the 6th century, but we can read his words from the 6th century.

Please watch this Fox news video and see if what you see, matches up with the text you read below. And here is a muslim explaining why “terror” is legitimate to further Islam.  You can compare what he says, to what the text below requires of Muslims.  i.e. What Muhammad himself required of Muslims.

You can click on the chapter headings and see any of these verses in context.

 
The Koran records Muhammad's
Statements on the Use of Terror...

But Jesus, I Didn't Know I was a Liberal

" Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”    Matthew 7:22-23

In today’s mailing I would like to consider the impact of this prophecy straight from the mouth of Jesus.  I like to call this section of scripture “a sneak peek at the final judgment!”  Four things come out rather clearly about said judgment:

1. You are not going to just stand there like a bump on a log before the throne of God.  You will speak, present your case, and be judged largely on what you have done with the words of Jesus. (Vs 24)
2. What is today often described as “liberalism” would seem to be the direct cause of the condemnation of a vast majority of Christians in the day of judgment. I.E. A good conscience was not a substitute for a scriptural foundation for their faith.
3. A religion based on hype rather than substance is an utter failure. I. E. Spirited, emotional worship is just not enough. (see also John 4:24)
4. These folks absolutely did not consider themselves “liberal.”  They would likely have called themselves “conservative”… but their works are of their own contrivance, i.e. they were not the works of Jesus.  

Jesus Teaches Us How To Judge a Church (Part 2)

*If you missed Part 1 of this post, click HERE!*
Today's post is lesson 15 from my Learn Your Bible series...

Now it’s time to get out of the car, and go inside. . .   

Jesus teaches us how to judge a church from the inside. . .

(Yes, Jesus has even more to say about that.)

Can you image assembling at church one Lord’s Day and. . . Receiving a letter from Jesus himself? Can you imagine it being addressed to your church? Well, it happened to seven churches!

The book that today we call the Revelation is actually a letter or series of letters written to the seven churches of Asia.  The main body of the book of Revelation (AKA the Apocalypse) is for all, but chapters 2 and 3 are seven “cover letters” to those seven churches. 

These letters arrived in about 96 AD.  The church had gone from it’s infancy to maturity.  The Christians of these churches were much like us.  They had not seen the events of the Bible.  They were “told” of the resurrection. The Apostles, (with the exception of John) were long dead. 

In a practical way, we could describe these letters as Jesus’ evaluation of these churches. We hear a lot today about “this” or “that” making no difference (all churches being acceptable). 

Since Jesus dictated these letters, Himself!  Let’s put the modern attitudes to the test.

Does it matter to Jesus whether your church follows the Word of God?

1. Read Revelation 1:9-18  Where was John? ______________   Who appeared?  ______________  What was John’s reaction? _____________________ What would your reaction be? _____________________________
2. Read Revelation 2:1-7  Which church received this letter? ________________ Vs 2-3  Was this a working church? _____  Did they put teachers/teachings/practices to the test? _________   Did Jesus rebuke or compliment this? __________  Vs 4  What is Jesus’ complaint? ______________ _______________  Vs 5  What is the “threat?” ________________________________________  Application:  Will Jesus just ignore a problem in a church? ______  What do you suppose it meant to the people there if Jesus withdrew his acceptance of them? ______________________  Vs 6  Today we run from the term hate.  Can  it be appropriate to hate? ________  Is it appropriate to name names? _______  Does Jesus speak in such abstract terms they would have considered Him “politically correct?” ________________
3. Read Revelation 2:8-11  Which church received this letter? _____________  Is it possible on earth to operate in such a way that Jesus has no complaints? __________  What lay in store for them? ____________________  Did Jesus encourage them? _________  When Jesus “evaluated” them, did they pass? ____________
4. Read Revelation 2:12-17   Vs 12-13 Which church received this  letter?  __________ What happened there?  __________________   Vs 14  Does Jesus get upset over allowing false teaching in a church? _________  When he describes said teaching,  what name does he use to characterize it?  _________ What are the two key elements of this teaching given? _______ _________________________  Turn to I Corinthians 10:20-22  Does this scripture deal with Jesus’ complaint?  _______  Did this church “knowingly” ignore scripture? ___________  Turn to I Corinthians 11:18-22  Do churches today ignore this scripture in the next chapter? ________   Read Revelation 2:15  closely.  Are we supposed to note principles from scripture? _________  How large would the Bible be if it were simply lists of every detail of what to do or not to do? _____________  If our actions are “in the same way.”  Should we be concerned? ________  This church is obviously ignoring I Corinthians 10:20-22… Would your church be wise to ignore I Corinthians 11:18-22? _________Revelation 2:16 Would you like to be in that congregation?  _________ 
5. Read Revelation 2:18-29  Which church received this letter? _______________  Vs 18-19  Was this church “more” or “less” than when it began?  _____________  Vs 20  Should the church be “tolerant” of teaching such of this?  ____________  What two fields of toleration are listed? ___________________ Which passage in I Corinthians deals with the eating sin described here? ___________  Vs 22 if you support this church, how does it affect you? ___________________   Vs 23  What does this mean for the children of this church? _________________________________________________
6. Read Revelation 3:1-6  Which church received this letter? ____________    Vs 1 despite the name and the appearance is it possible for a church to be dead inside? _________ Vs 2  How is deadness to be determined? _______________________    Vs 3 What are they to do? ____________ ________________  Vs 4-6  Look closely at Vs 5  What is the implied threat?  _________________________________  Can the church’s actions affect your eternity? ___________  
7. Read Revelation 3:7-13  Vs 7-8  Who opens and closes doors for churches? _______________   Vs 9  are there those who claim to follow God that in fact do not? ______   Vs 10 are they commended for their new and different ways to serve God? ___________  What are they commended for?  ________________________________   Vs 11 What is possible for someone else to do? _____________  Can they do it against your will? __________________  What are you to do to resist? ________________   Vs 12  What should you strive to be? _____________________
8. Read Revelation 3:14-22  What church received this letter?  __________  Vs 14-16 What is the worst sin? ______________ __________  Is it fair to say this makes the Lord sick to his stomach? __________ Vs 17  Can a church become so wrapped up in wealth they miss the point? __________  Does this sound like a lot of churches today? _______  Would it be fair to say they put their trust in wealth? __________  Is Jesus a jealous God? ___________________ Vs 18-22 What does Jesus council them to do? __________________ John 7:24. "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." Application:
9.  Does Jesus evaluate churches?  _________
10. Should you use the same standards Jesus uses to evaluate churches? ______________
11. Does it appear that one church is as good as another in the eyes of Jesus?  ___________
12. Read II Thessalonians 2:1-13  Does it appear that God expected there to be a departure from the truth?  ________________  Sometimes the Bible is addressed to churches, sometimes individuals.  What makes up a church? _________________  Vs 3 What must happen before the end?  _______________________  People have constantly tried to figure out what specific point in history this is referring to.  Let’s ignore that for this study and look at the principles that emerge.   Is it important for you to identify and avoid apostasy? ______________   Vs 5 Did Paul warn of such things to his generation? ___________  Shouldn’t we do the same? ________  Vs 9  Is the grandiose display to be a part of the presentation of erroneous teaching? ____________________  (Compare Vs 9 to the teaching of Jesus in Matt 7:13-14   What is one of the earmarks of most false teaching? ______________ II Thessalonians 2:10 what is the fatal flaw of those who loose out? __________ _______________________ Vs 11  is there a sense in which God can be said to be behind this? ________  Vs 12 Why would God allow such a thing? ________________________ 

"We are not again commending ourselves to you but {are} giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have {an answer} for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart." II Corinthians 5:12.

Hi I am glad you stopped by our blog. These articles are from an emailing that we did several years ago.   Today most of our work is on facebook

You can follow my personal page on Facebook by clicking on this link    ...  

  Jerry Blount 

You can follow the postings on the congregation's page by clicking on this link....   

Las Vegas church of Christ 

If you wish to worship with us....

Las Vegas church of Christ

709 Dora Celeste

Las Vegas, NM 87701

Our meeting times are

10am Sunday morning for Bible study.

11am Sunday morning for the worship service.

6pm Wednesday evening for Midweek Bible study.

If you wish to contact me...

yakipreacher@gmail.com

Be well 

Jerry Blount

Jesus Teaches Us How To Judge a Church (Part 1)

13.  "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13-14

 Most people today have misunderstood Jesus’ warning about making judgments (Matthew 7:1ff) to the point they are quite surprised to find out that Bible has a lot to say about us making sound judgments.  They are even more surprised to find that the Bible actually spends a lot of time teaching us how to judge appropriately…

Then, Jesus (and the rest of the Bible) aggressively admonishes us to judge!

Today’s email will consist of two articles sent together.  You might wish to separate your consideration of them into two parts.   The first, as the title indicates, is some teaching on the manner in which to guide our snap judgments.  The second (part 2) is a study sheet on the 7 letters dictated by Jesus Christ describing how to judge churches from the inside!

We all make judgments based on names.  We all realize that the Baptist, Methodist, or even the Lutheran churches are not the same church.  Folks spend a lot of time wringing their hands and hiding from the obvious.  Many will drive right past one church to attend the church of “their choice,” yet swear one church is as good as another.   

Let’s consider the very famous passage reproduced above.  (Matthew 7:13-14). Have you ever considered the fact that, directly from the mouth of Jesus Christ,  you have your first clue on how to judge a church and you don’t’ even need to leave the car?

The sizes of the churches do in fact vary by the overall attitudes of a local community.  Suppose you have two churches, in the same community…. Right down the road from each other, with the same name.  Which would be your first choice?  Let’s say one is a large church, and one is small.   If this situation exists (as it does in our community) one would almost certainly be much larger than the other.

Which would you choose to look at first and why?  Aren’t we all prone to go with the larger, nicer one church?  Wouldn’t we all assume that they had more going on? i.e. That they have it “together?”  In fairness, I think that is the natural inclination of all of us.  Now consider the words of Jesus.  “"Enter through the narrow gate.” 

As the leader of my family, should I direct them towards the very multitudes that Jesus warned us to avoid?  Didn’t the Lord Jesus in fact leave us with a principle that (all other things being equal)…. We are to go the opposite direction of  the crowds?

As a rule, size is an inverse indication of faithfulness. (According to Jesus)

The Apostle John echoed the teaching of the Master.    I John 4:5-6

“They are from the world; therefore they speak {as} from the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

What did Jesus say? “The way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  So, can you now judge  from the car, which church is the most likely to be teaching the truth?  By way of contrast, which is the most likely to have things going on inside that shouldn’t be there? 

Which church is more likely to honor man, then override the teaching of God  . . . The big church or the little church?

Have you ever noticed that Jesus went out of His way to “reduce” and scatter the church in Jerusalem?  In Acts 2, when the church started 3000 souls were added to it Acts 2:41.  In a very short time, it was up to 5000 Acts 4:4.  But!  In Acts 8, through persecution, the church was scattered.

If we trust in Jesus, we are left with a brutal reality. In effect, when you see the multitudes… Run!

"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" Matthew 7:22-23

Click HERE to view part 2 of this post!

Hi I am glad you stopped by our blog. These articles are from an emailing that we did several years ago.   Today most of our work is on facebook

You can follow my personal page on Facebook by clicking on this link    ...  

  Jerry Blount 

You can follow the postings on the congregation's page by clicking on this link....   

Las Vegas church of Christ 

If you wish to worship with us....

Las Vegas church of Christ

709 Dora Celeste

Las Vegas, NM 87701

Our meeting times are

10am Sunday morning for Bible study.

11am Sunday morning for the worship service.

6pm Wednesday evening for Midweek Bible study.

If you wish to contact me...

yakipreacher@gmail.com

Be well 

Jerry Blount

Muhammad's Teaching & Behavior Relevant to Young Girls

(This post is a continuation of "Did Muhammad Promote Pedophilia?" and "Muhammad's Teaching Relevant to Boys")

The obvious place to start, is with Aisha. Muhammad married her when he was approximately age 55 and she was approximately age 6.  Muhammad had sex with her at age 9.  She was 18-19 when Muhammad died.  I feel compelled to explain my use of the term “approximate.”  The Hadith is not consistent on this.  How could it be?  It takes legitimate inspiration for multiple versions of events to be recorded without flaw.  The Hadith in its various forms is anything but flawless.  In this case, it only varies by a year either way.

"'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old." [Sahih Muslim Book 008, Number 3311]

Aisha also reported these events herself:

"The Messenger of God married me in Shawwal in the tenth year after of his prophethood, three years before the Migration as I was six years old. I was nine years old when he consummated the marriage with me.     [Tabaqat, 8:58; Abu Dawud, Nikah 34; Ansab al-ashraf, 1:410; Usd al-ghaba, 5:501] "Narrated Hisham's father: Khadija died three years before the Prophet departed to Medina. He stayed in Medina for two years or so and then he married 'Aisha.  At this time she was a girl of six years of age, and he consummated that marriage when she was nine years old." [Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 236:]

Muhammad's Teaching Relevant to Boys

(This post is a continuation of my previous post, "Did Muhammad Promote Pedophilia?")

This goes far beyond the recent scandals within Catholicism.  The reason is that this is sanctioned.  Homosexuality is condemned within Islam.  Now we pose an interesting dilemma.  Define homosexuality!  Apparently boys and men are viewed differently.  

There is a dilemma here when we start trying to get at the true teaching of the Koran.  What does it say?  It says that in paradise, you will have an unlimited supply of boys to satisfy you! I wish that I were making this up.  I feel compelled to apologize for the disturbing nature of the image.  Unfortunately though, the worst thing would be to hide from it.

Most of us have been muttering for some time about the image of being surrounded by the perpetual virgins  in the Islamic view of paradise.  By the same token, most in the West have not picked up on the teaching that you’ll also be given in unlimited supply of boys if you make it to the Muslim paradise.

Here are three translations of the same verse from the Koran.  I am afraid to only give one.  If I quote either of the two accurate translations you’ll think I am picking and choosing. (Pickthal, a more western friendly version, softens it.)

• 052.024 YUSUFALI: Round about them will serve, (devoted) to them, young male servants (handsome) as Pearls well-guarded.
• PICKTHAL: And there go round, waiting on them menservants of their own, as they were hidden pearls.
• SHAKIR: And round them shall go boys of theirs as if they were hidden pearls.

Did Muhammad Promote Pedophilia?

This is by far the most sensitive of our studies on Islam.  I have chopped a couple of the quotes down because I don’t want to rate this list “R”!  I have given you the references … you can look up the remainder of said quotes by using the links if you are so inclined.  By any Christian measure these standards presented by Islam are vile, even criminal.  The only thing more criminal would be to just hand over the keys to our way of life to them and embrace this nonsense.

Even if you ignored all the people Muhammad killed and the forcible rapes he committed…  He would have done hard time in a federal prison if he practiced the Islam he established in our country today.  If the Muslims among us practiced what Muhammad taught… so would they.  The age of consent, for both boys and girls is one of the things we will give up if Islam gains influence in America. It is important that you recognize the Ayatollah Khomeini’s name on the first quote below.   He is the one who originally established the Islamic state of Iran in 1979.

Beyond that, please note that I have gone to great lengths to allow Muhammad to speak for himself in this essay. These aren’t Christian quotes, they are Muslim.

         
"A man can have sexual pleasure from a child as young as a baby. However, he should not ***.” [Ayatollah Khomeini]    

(Yes, I censored this one.  -JB)

I have heard many times that Islam is a religion a religion of peace. I have also heard that Islam is a religion based on strong morals etc.  I guess my reaction is to ask a simple question.  Can you define “moral?”

In reality, Islam is a hostile invading force.  The West is not by any means a “Christian” society.  However…The West is definitely a society that has been massively influenced by Christianity, and we should make no apology for that.  To understand the implications of this invasion, we must know what we are being invaded by.

Sex with very young minors is integral to Islam.  Muhammad claimed that he was the ultimate example of right and wrong.  Many today believe this claim unquestionably.  For example, when Iran’s clerics overthrew the Shaw and established and Islamic state… the age of marriage for girls dropped first to 13, then to 9.  You’ll understand why when you read the story of Aisha below. 

Islam in the West is very different from the East.  i.e. Islam when it is a minority is very different from Islam when it rules! 

Let’s divide this study into two parts:
            1) Islam and sex relevant to young boys. (CLICK HERE)
            2) Islam and sex relevant to young girls. (CLICK HERE)

Hi I am glad you stopped by our blog. These articles are from an emailing that we did several years ago.   Today most of our work is on facebook

You can follow my personal page on Facebook by clicking on this link    ...  

  Jerry Blount 

You can follow the postings on the congregation's page by clicking on this link....   

Las Vegas church of Christ 

If you wish to worship with us....

Las Vegas church of Christ

709 Dora Celeste

Las Vegas, NM 87701

Our meeting times are

10am Sunday morning for Bible study.

11am Sunday morning for the worship service.

6pm Wednesday evening for Midweek Bible study.

If you wish to contact me...

yakipreacher@gmail.com

Be well 

Jerry Blount

What Islam Means to Women, Part 5

Supplements and documentation to this study

I have reproduced Muhammad’s farewell sermon here in it’s entirety.

• So that the text can be seen in it’s context
• A good short overview of Islam by its founder can be seen

The Prophet Muhmmad's (p.b.u.h.) Farewell Sermon, translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller:

"O people, hear me well: I explain to you. For I do not know; I may well not meet you again in this place where I now stand, after this year of mine. 

O people: your lives and your property, until the very day you meet your Lord, are as inviolable to each other as the inviolability of this day you are now in, and the month you are now in. Have I given the message? -- O Allah, be my witness. So let whoever has been given something for safekeeping give it back to him who gave him it. 

What Islam Means to Women, Part 4

Women, Intelligence and Hell fire

Muhammad had 15 wives; he allowed everyone else to have 4. By the end of his life, he appears to have been pretty cynical.  In a nutshell, women in Islam have been largely consigned to hell because of their supposed lack of intellect and ungratefulness.

Here are a group of women complaining to Muhammad about his teaching regarding them.  Muhammad explains why:

"[Muhammad said]: O womenfolk, you should give charity and ask much forgiveness for I saw you in bulk amongst the dwellers of Hell. A wise lady among them said: Why is it, Messenger of Allah, that our folk is in bulk in Hell? Upon this the Holy Prophet observed: You curse too much and are ungrateful to your spouses. I have seen none lacking in common sense and failing in religion but (at the same time) robbing the wisdom of the wise, besides you.
Upon this the woman remarked: What is wrong with our common sense and with religion? He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Your lack of common sense (can be well judged from the fact) that the evidence of two women is equal to one man, that is a proof of the lack of common sense”  [Sahih Muslim, Abdul Hamid Siddiqi, tr., Number 142.]

Note that it takes two women to override the testimony of one man in a court of law.  Crimes against women when they finally do come about are very difficult to prove for obvious reasons.