Hades(Sheol) vs. Hell

  For those of us that was raised in church, we know about God's Word speaking of a place called Hell. It is a real place where people who do not accept Christ and continue to live and do sinful things end up there. Some of us was raised in church with the preachers preaching about this place. We've had Evangelists come and reveal things to us about it as well. How well do the rest of the world know about Hell and Hades? What's the difference between the two places? The answer lies in God's Word about both places. First, let's take a look at Hades or Sheol. The name Sheol means, "a place of torment or punishment"(same as Hades). Torment? Punishment? For who? According to God's Word, it's a place for human beings and no one else. When Lucifer was cast out of Heaven along with thousands of angels that followed him, God created a place for him and the angels to dwell in that was the opposite of Heaven. It is not a pleasant place for him. When they entered into Hades, their appearance changed. They became very ugly beings with wings. Remember, they're still angels. When God made mankind, He set order and instructions for us to live by. By disobedience, we failed God. God had to create a place within Hades for man to receive punishment and torment. In Hades(Sheol), God created chambers for humans to be in the walls of Hades, your own personal chamber. You alone is in there burning by fire that is seven times hotter than the fire on Earth. The fire starts at your feet and continue to raise up to consume your whole body until you're a pile of ashes. A few minutes later, you're back whole again just for the process to repeat itself. Also, during that time, you're being tormented by demons. Whatever that one sin is that brought you down there, is the sin that you pay for by demons, and there is a t.v. screen in front of your chamber showing and reminding you of that sin that brought you down there as well. That is Hades(Sheol) In Luke Ch. 16:23, this scripture mentions Hades as a place of torment. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus was told by Jesus to let us know about how rich people treat the poor. This rich man in this story ignored a man named Lazarus(not the same Lazarus that Jesus raised from the dead), who begged the rich man for food at his gate to his mansion. When both men died, Lazarus went to Heaven and the rich man went to Hades. In Revelation Ch. 20:14, God cast Death and Hades into the Lake of fire. What does that mean? It means the after the final judgement, where both books will be opened(the book of Life and the "Other" book), everyone that was cast into Hades for punishment will be cast into the Lake of fire along with the demons and Satan(Lucifer) himself for ALL to suffer torment in Hell. Hell is a place that God is going to create just for that purpose. You see, in the final judgement, demons and Satan himself will also be judged and found guilty for deceiving people into sin and iniquity(hidden sins). Their punishment will be the same for all of humanity who never repented and went back to God through Jesus Christ. Humans will be judged again in this final judging, even the ones that already suffered in Hades. So now you know the difference between Hades(Sheol) and Hell. God's Word tells us, "I set before you good and evil, choose this day who you will serve". Remember, these places are real. Hell is not created, yet but it will be when God destroys Hades. People who do not believe in Hell or Hades is in for a shock after death. You cannot return after death to tell it.

African-American History

Most people think our history started here in America through slavery, it didn't. Our history started in Africa with the most influential kings and queens of all time. Nefertiti being one that was a warrior as well as a mother and wife to powerful Pharoah. We had our summer games in the oldest colliseum in Timbuktu before the Greeks knew about summer games. We as Africans taught the Greeks about those games. We as African women, especially from Kemet(modern day Egypt), taught the Greeks Math, Algebra, Trigonometry, and Calculus. What we did in Africa, we contribute all over the world. We cultivated chocolate and coffee and exported them all over the world, including Mexico, Central and South America. When we were brought to America, we also brought sweet potatoes, watermelon, okra, yams, potatoes, especially the purple potatoes. Our history in Africa spans from Northern to Southern Africa. We had tribes that fought for our freedom like the Zulu tribe that fought hard to keep Europeans from settling in South Africa. Nubia(modern day Sudan) and Kemet were twin sister cities that shared kingdoms. Ethiopia was also part of the Northern kingdoms of Kemet and Nubia. We brought to America our relationship to Jesus Christ. Some people believe that the Europeans converted us to Christianity-they didn't! We brought our love for dance, including Praise Dancing. A method of dance we do to praise God. You will see this type of dancing in church. Popping, Crumping, and Break Dancing, to name a few, all came from Africa. They were done for tribal reasons as well as religious reasons. People here in America are so influenced by African culture, that they imitate what they see and hear us do from dancing to cooking like us. Hair braiding and corn rolls have a wonderful history in Africa. It told what tribe and social status that individual came from depending on how the hair was braided and styled. When in America, braid styles and corn rolls was done to send messages and used as maps to let other slaves know where to go when escaping from the plantations. Rap music started in Africa. It was called Rhetoric, where they added rhythm and rhymed with the beat of the drums. Here in America, Countee Cullen created rap through the poems he wrote and also added rhythm and melodies to his. This African-American was the first to be called the Godfather of Rap Music. Because of the popularity of A'Capella, this method of "Rap" music did not pick up until the '70's and '80's and ran like wild fire in the '90's. It continues to this day.

Black Hair Issue

  There is definately an issue here happening in this country! We as African-Americans in this country have been keeping our culture and our heritage alive all different ways that associate us to our ancestry in Africa. Our hair, which is one of the ways we have expressed our gifts of art & during slavery, used our hair to send messages. In Africa, we have & still do express our life of social status & royalty through our hair. Whether its through braids, corn rolls, or by twists. This is our heritage, our roots in history, our voice in protests. We now are back in the 1960's, when we now have to use our hair as a voice again in protest to keep our heritage, our hair in schools & in the workforce, & this is 2020!!! They say history repeats itself & boy are they right! Not only are we having our identity as African-Americans taken from us from Whites & Mexicans that are wearing our hair styles, but now we have to fight to keep them. I just saw on my local news that a young African-American teenage boy had to get a hair cut because he had braids that were too long for sports. This is a huge problem because as we are striving to keep our hair styles, no one is saying anything to the White & Mexican kids in school for wearing our hair styles too long or telling them that they can't wear it because its too cultural or what they say its "too ethnic"! They are not saying anything to the adult White & Mexican people that wear our hair styles to work. I see celebrities that are not African-American wearing our hair styles & yet nothing is being said about them or to them for wearing it. I took African Studies in college, so I know about our culture & history. Non-African Americans do not & do not want to know about it, just take. When I see people that are not African-American wearing our hair styles, including now the "smoothing down the baby hair", I say that they are experiencing a heavy, terrible identity crisis!! They don't know who they want to be! They say they are proud to be their race, but really they're not. I wouldn't look right walking & talking like a Mexican, so why act like us? You don't look or sound right imitating us. Next time you want to put braids or corn rolls in your head, ask yourself this, "am I really proud of who I am?" Most likely the answer will be NO. My fellow African-Americans, keep fighting for our identity & our culture. God Bless.

Aesop's Fables?

  We've all heard of Aesop's Fables. The book of wisdom told through fables by the famous old century writer, Aesop. Have you ever thought, while reading his book, that it had a lot of Biblical aspects to it? Or you just read it thinking it's a great book to read and learn about wise choices. Well, it's actually both. You see, as I was studying God's Word(Bible), I came across Jesus' parables in the New Testament. As I was reading about the parable of the Kingdom of Heaven, I came across a prophecy that Asaph(Aesop) quoted about Jesus' message of wisdom to the multitude. I have a Bible that has the footnotes on the bottom of the page so when I read the footnotes, I read that this Asaph(Aesop) was the same man that wrote Aesop's Fables! It gave me the scriptures to read the prophecy about Jesus, Psalms 78:2. I went there and also discovered that he was also a singer and that he wrote several songs along with King David. He wrote chapters 73-83 in the book of Psalms. Wow! I was surprised that this same man that wrote these "fables" really was a righteous prophet that was a singer and songwriter. So, these "fables" aren't really fables. They are parables that Jesus told to the multitudes that followed Him during His ministry. Why did Jesus speak parables to the lost? Because it was the only way for unbelievers to understand His message about salvation and repentance through every day life situations like farming, the parable of the sower and the parable of the mustard seed. The parable of the wheat and tares is also a farming story but these parables have a wise lesson to be learned. There are more parables that Jesus told that deal with other life issues through every day life occupations and personalities. Asaph(Aesop) either wrote the book, "Aesop's Fables" or someone else did but, either way, these wise sayings are adapted from God's Word and should be read with an open mind to learn from others past mistakes and not to make the same mistakes others made. Asaph(Aesop) wrote in the book of Psalms about the mistakes of the children of Israel and the consequences they had to suffer. So, whether you read Asaph's(Aesop's) book or read and study Jesus' message through these parables, you will learn wise lessons to live by.

Black History in Music & Entertainment: Lena Horne

  Lena Horne was born in 1917. She was a singer & an actor. She was known & loved not only for her musical and dramatic talents but also for her continual interest in & support of many causes. She started in show business with the chorus line at the Cotton Club in 1933. From there she toured with Noble Sissle's orchestra, & she later joined Charlie Barrett's Band, with which she made her first records.
  In the early 1940's, Horne went to Hollywood, where she became the first black woman to sign a a term contract in film. Her films include Panama Hattie(1942), Cabin in the Sky(1943), & Stormy Weather(1943). Her most popular recordings include, "Stormy Weather", "The Lady is a Tramp", & "Mad About the Boy". In 1981, Horne opened a one-woman show on Broadway called Lena Horne: The Lady & Her Music, for which she received a Tony Award.

Black History in Music: Mahalia Jackson

  Mahalia Jackson was a Gospel singer who was born in 1911 & died in 1972. She was labeled, The "Queen of Gospel Music". She left a legacy of gospel recordings & performances that remain unmatched to this day. She grew up in New Orleans, & although she was familiar with records of Bessie Smith & other blues singers, her father, who was a preacher, allowed only religious music to be played at home. Jackson made her first record in 1934, & eleven years later, she achieved national fame with "Move On Up A Little Higher", which sold a million copies. In 1950, she made her first appearance at Carnegie Hall.
  Jackson has been credited with popularizing the gospel sound with her unforgettable recordings, Precious Lord, Bless This Household, & Let the Church Role On. She won Grammy Awards for her albums Great Songs of Love, Faith, & Make a Joyful Noise.

Black History in Literature & Music: Countee Cullen

  Countee Cullen was born in 1903 & died in 1946. He was a writer & a poet & was one of the strongest voices associated with the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of black art & literature in New York City in the 1920's. Not much is known about his early childhood except that he was born Countee Porter & adopted by Rev. & Mrs. Frederick Cullen, who provided him with a fine education. He excelled in his studies, receiving honors in Latin, mathematics, English, history, & French. In 1925, he graduated phi beta kappa from New York University & published his first book of poems, Color.
  After receiving his Master's degree from Harvard University, Cullen became an editor & critic & later wrote plays & novels, but it was his poetry that singled him out as a voice to be listened to. Though he wrote on universal themes such as love, religion, & death, Cullen believed in the richness & importance of his African-American heritage & deftly applied traditional forms of verse, using melodic meter & rhyme to African-American themes.

Countee Cullen created "rap" music through his poems by inserting rhythm & music. Because Opera & Jazz singing reigned more during that time, "rap"(rhyming with poetry) was not easily carried into the 30's & 40's. It didn't pick up until the late 70's & on into the 80's & beyond, paving the way for artists like, Run DMC, The Fat Boys, NWA, Queen Latifah, & MC Lyte, to name a few. In ancient Africa, talking in rhyme & adding the drum beat while rocking back & forth was called Rhetoric.