Okay....

I sit here with my fingers on the keyboard and wonder what is going to pop out of them today. Apparently planting and gardening are not resonating with my followers. Of course, it's my blog, so they get to read whatever I write. They don't have to respond...or even make a scratch on the doorpost that they were here. It's all ok.

I went to a church about 30 miles away last night with a long-time friend and fellow church member. We hadn't been there in a long time, and they are having special meetings this week.

The speaker was interesting and punctual. We were finished an hour after the service began! Of course, there were few "preliminaries" to dispense with. A worship team (couple) led us in 3 choruses and we were ready to go on a discussion of "hell".

Things we learned were that "sheol" and "hades" mean the same thing. "Sheol" is used in the Old Testament, so I'm guessing that it is Hebrew. "Hades" is used in the New Testament, so it's probably Greek. Of course, Greek mythology also refers to "hades", so that's another reason to believe the word is Greek.

Apparently "hades/sheol" holds the non-believers. At the end time, "hades/sheol" will be emptied into "hell", the lake that burns with unending fire.

The story that gave rise to this discussion is found in Luke 16, where Jesus tells of the beggar named Lazarus who dies and is carried by the angels into (paradise) Abraham's bosom. The rich man who had ignored Lazarus also dies and is buried and is in hades. There is a great gulf between the two places, but in this story they can communicate. Paradise/heaven is definitely a better place to be than hades. And, after one is deceased, he cannot make any further choice concerning his environment.