The Middle

Well good morning friends. I love that I can call you that. You guys really are my friends :-) I mean of course I know I don't have any relation to some of you guys at all, but in the weirdest of ways there is a connection. I am thinking that God has something to do with that. :-)

Okay, for today's writing I decided to write about the middle. I'm not talking about that comedic television show with the lady who was the wife in "Everybody Loves Raymond." No, I'm talking about what some people may have heard as purgatory. When I was growing up, I was taught that once you die, you kind of are like in a waiting room called Purgatory while a decision is being made whether you're going up to heaven or down to Hell. I was also taught that people down here on Earth can even pray for your soul.

Then, thank you God, I became a child of the Lord God Almighty and my eyes were opened to the truth.  Scripturally speaking, AKA the genuine truth from God, it doesn't say anything about such a middle place in the Bible. Nor does it say anywhere that people down here on Earth can pray for our souls. In other words, no one here on Earth can contribute or give a boost to push someone into going into heaven.

No, it doesn't work like that. If you are one who believes any of that, you are being deceived. When you die, when I die, when anyone dies, they will either go directly up to heaven and be with Jesus forever or down to Hell and be damned to eternal punishment, torture, gnashing of teeth, actually all that is bad forever!

Remember, the story of Jesus on the cross after his crucifixion. There was this other man on the other side of him who was also crucified. That was his punishment since he chose to entertain his evil ways. This man asked Jesus to please remember him when he gets to heaven. Then, Jesus, assured him that he will be remembered and will be with him in heaven.

Nowhere in what Jesus said was there something like, "Okay I will keep you in my thoughts while you're sitting down waiting in purgatory." Friends, when you die, when I die, when anyone dies, I will say it again, when we die we will go directly to heaven or directly to hell. This life is temporary. Friends, I'm definitely not saying that you should not enjoy your life and you should want to die. I am saying if you haven't thought about it yet, you should. You should think about how to get to heaven. Because, scripturally speaking, the place known as hell does not sound like a pretty fun place. Hell is not somewhere you would want to spend eternity. Please think about that. I'm going to end this writing with what Greg Laurie said.

Switchfoot - This is Your Life

"That means we don't have to be afraid. It doesn't mean we want to die. But we don't have to be afraid. "

This is your life. Are you who you want to be? This is your life are you who Jesus wants you to be?"

Luke 23:39-43 ESV

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”