That old rascal Satan has made the creations
of the Maker an abomination where only
fools go to offer cheap tokens in hope that empty promises will bring eternal rewards.
Choose Life or Death continued...

Spiritual warfare takes place in souls through flesh!

When the Spirit of the Lord enters a  soul – “soul” being just another word for “mind” – each body inhabited by a soul is the recipient of the “Life” needed to function. So, we can assume that “ministering angels,” and all other good or bad spirits, enter souls in the same way as the Holy Spirit.

"And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak;
Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know
the things that come into your MIND, every one of them."  Ezekiel 11:5

When we think of a soul as a retainer of spirits, we began to understand why the words “psychological” and “spiritual” can be understood as synonymous terms. Is Truth a Spirit? Is Love a Spirit? Is Beauty a Spirit? Is God a Spirit? The answer to these questions is -- “Yes!”

What about ministering angels in the form of spirits who motivate people to think and behave in conformity with the desires of God? What about demons that cause people to lie, steal, kill, or destroy? What about the thousands of other spirits that motivate people to think, communicate, and act in a multitude of different ways?

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12

If God is the Creator, and Satan is the imitator, can’t we assume that lies are just evil versions of Truth? Can’t we assume that lust is just a cheap copy of Love? Can’t we assume that corruption is just a dirty replica of Beauty?

Somewhere within all of the ideas, philosophical concepts, and religious theories swirling through the minds of people in this wicked world, we will find portions of God’s reality. However, we will never fully discover the goodness and fullness of Perfection until Lord Jesus Christ delivers us from all forms of evil coming out of the corruptible heart of the Adversary!

"John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."  Revelation 1:4-6

The opposite of God is Satan; the opposite of Life is death!

It is the restoration of “Life” for departed good souls that proves God’s desire and ability to preserve His children for eternity. It is the “death” of human bodies that demonstrates Satan’s desire and ability to kill and destroy.
Satan can destroy a body, but he can’t kill a soul or restore it to Life; God has the ability to destroy both corrupt bodies and evil souls, and He can restore both bodies and souls to Life according to His desires!

"What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  Matthew 10:27&28

Many things created by God in Heaven and on this planet are both visible and invisible!

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."  Colossians 1:15-18

Jesus often used parables to teach His disciples! In our contemporary culture, the word "parable" defined means: “storytelling.” A variety of synonyms include: “allegory, fable, fallacy, false belief, false knowledge, folklore, legend, lore, moral, myth, superstition, superstitious belief, tale, tradition, yarn, emblem, figuration, story, symbolism, and tale.”

"Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?"  Luke 12:41

"He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none..."
Luke 13:6

"And he spake this parable unto them, saying..."  Luke 15:3. Near the end of the parable, we read these words about a son that had not actually died, but had returned after being gone: "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry..." 
Luke 15:24

While continuing to teach His disciples, we read this account of another parable: "And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man..."  Luke 16:1

Jesus often used earthly images and events to explain heavenly realities! His use of the "certain rich man" phrase is an interesting clue.

Rather than evaluating the teaching of Jesus leading up to this story which shows a pattern of speaking parables, many Christians simply assume it is a true story, because Jesus did not specifically say that it was a parable. At the same time, other scripture that contradicts false assumptions based on the “rich man” and “Lazarus” parable is usually ignored or explained away by those who are carnally minded.

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to
be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 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; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 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..."  Luke 16:19-24

This parable spoken by Jesus has been mistakenly used by theologians
to teach that souls are immediately conscious after death, that souls can become thirsty and experience torment in Hell, and that souls can see or talk to other souls in Heaven. After reading this explanation about the parable from Jesus, how many Christian leaders will correct the error of their ways? Will they turn loose of pride that keeps them from admitting mistakes, and try to explain what the “rich man in Hell parable” was really trying to teach?

Bible scholars need to be asking why the “dead in Christ” will rise before those who are alive in Christ – and how much Earth time will pass between these two events?

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:16&17

As we have seen confirmed by verses from the Bible, “many” souls remain asleep until the last trump – even though those who are alive in Christ will not be “sleeping in their graves” when the Master calls!

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”  1 Corinthians 15:51&52

How many hours, days, weeks, months or years will the “last trump” be sounding? Will the good souls awake to "everlasting life" before evil souls awake to "shame and everlasting contempt" -- or will all sleeping souls awake and be judged by God at the exact same time?

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some
to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."  
Daniel 12:2