No Purgatory

Mom grew up, as I did in a certain denomination that taught when we died we would reside in a place called purgatory for a while before we went on to be with the Lord.   Your family and friends that were still alive would pray for you and that would help you move on toward your final destination, Heaven.  Mom later learned in life that this was a false doctrine and not to be believed.  I wonder how many people reading this may have the same belief.  I believe this is untrue as well and could be a source of fear for some...something God never meant us to have.  While I don't usually address doctrinal issue in this blog, I'm making a exception here since my Mom thought it important enough to include in her journal, I will share it with you.  No one should fear dying if they belong to Jesus.  Also, Mom feared that others would get the belief that they would be "prayed into Heaven" by others, that their choices in this life wouldn't count.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.

From Mom:

Some believe purgatory is a holding cell where souls are tormented for earthy sins before being released into heaven.

Sort of like a second chance.  Wrong.  If we don't choose Jesus here on Earth, choose God, there is only one place for our soul to go.

Luke 16:23-26   and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.  24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’  25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

These verses clearly state there is no "stopping off point in between"  Hades (Hell) and Heaven.

From me:

Once you're where you're going (Heaven or Hell) you're there.  There is no crossing over.  That is why it is so important to choose Jesus now.  Deuteronomy 30:19  “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!  Choose Jesus, choose life and blessings, choose to ignore or reject Him, is choosing death and curses.  Eternal life and joy or eternal death and torment.  Now is the time to make the choice.

When we choose Jesus we need not fear death, it is just a doorway to His Presence.  Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 5:1-9  For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.  6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.  

I can't say exactly how all this works out....the logistics of it I leave in the Lord's capable hands.  He's got the plan.  I only know that choosing Jesus, is choosing to live for eternity in the most glorious place that is beyond anything we can imagine.  And not choosing Him is the saddest, most regrettable decision anyone can make.  So please, I implore you with all my heart to seek Him, accept the forgiveness He so freely offers, the love He longs to give.  His death bought our freedom from sin, His resurrection brought our happily ever after.  Life on this earth is never going to be easy, but with Jesus it is so much better because we always have the hope of  Heaven.

Lord, I ask You now, for all reading this to choose Jesus.  He is the way, the truth and the life.  Lord, let us all lay down beliefs that are not in line with Scripture and seek the truth that only You give.  Lord, if there are any who don't know You, please speak to their hearts today and show them the way to You.  Thank You for the amazing privilege of being Your redeemed child.  Thank You for the amazing future we have with You in Your home of Heaven.  Thank You for each and every soul your bring to Yourself through this writing today.  It's in the Name of our awesome Savior I pray.  Amen

Choose Jesus, choose life!