"They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all remembrance of them to perish."
In order for me to consider switching from annihilationism to the Augustinian lie of "eternal conscious torment" you would have to show me a verse anywhere in scripture that clearly and plainly backs up that view as clearly and plainly as this verse backs up annihilationism.
Do not rely on deceitful wealth, for it will be no help on the day of wrath. Ben Sira 5:8
Lose your money for relative or friend;
do not hide it under a stone to rot.
11 Dispose of your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High,
and that will profit you more than the gold. Ben Sira 29:10,11
44:9 For everything will pass away which is corruptible, and everything that dies will go away, and all present time will be forgotten, and there will be no remembrance of the present time which is polluted by evils.
44:10 For he who runs now runs in vain and he who is happy will fall quickly and be humiliated.
44:11 For that which will be in the future, that is what one will look for, and that which comes later, that is what we shall hope for. For there is a time that does not pass away.
44:12 And that period is coming which will remain forever; and there is the new world which does not carry back to corruption those who enter into its beginning, and which has no mercy on those who come into torment or those who are living in it, and it does not carry to perdition.
44:13 For those are the ones who will inherit this time of which it is spoken, and to these is the heritage of the promised time.
44:14 These are they who prepared for themselves treasures of wisdom. And stores of insight are found with them. And they have not withdrawn from mercy and they have preserved the Truth of the Torah.
44:15 For the coming world will be given to these, but the habitation of the many others will be in the fire. 2nd Baruch 44:9-15
Mammon is the a master we cannot serve. Consumerism, coveting is the god over this nation (USA) and many have fallen and will fall pursuing this at the cost of their soul.
This chapter is so perfect and God is so good, I am simply going to recommend that you read it.
Ask God to speak to you through it. There will be a verse or a section that speaks to your heart.
I know it is not easy to leave comments but maybe message me if you are touched by this chapter.
“ God wants exuberant, chaste, virtuous souls who testify of His reality, and live with remarkable freedom in the power of the new life, because they have acknowledged that in the old life there is no man good, no not one. ” Art Katz “David’s Cry For Mercy”
Years ago a friend coined the term “wage mercy”. As I read Art’s words about the beautiful Psalm 51, it seems to me we have only one job, to give away the mercy that has been given to us.
This will involve real spiritual warfare in the coming days when showing mercy to a Jew could cost you your life.
Let’s practice, look for opportunities to wage mercy.
"Happiness brought by the physical change in circumstances versus joy brought about by distress."
This little quote taken from Art's message has a deep truth.
If we use God as an "errand boy" who comes when we call and does our bidding, He is not God, we are.
If we accept and cry out for Him to help us grow through distressing times, we are in a position to know a deeper Joy.
We need to grow in our trust and begin to comprehend the amount of work yet to be done by the Spirit as He transforms us into the image of Yeshua.
The drink offering was wine poured out on top of the sacrifice that was being given to God.
“ (Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6) Though often understood as a reference to his impending death, it is more likely that Paul understood the struggles and toils of his apostolic ministry as a libation upon the sacrificial service of the churches among which he ministered.2 In the OT, the libation was offered as a portion of the fruits of the worshiper’s labor, so it is fitting for Paul to speak of his labor as a libation. His labor was offered up as drink for God, as wine to make His heart glad.” Peter Leithart
I think I put a dark, sad, spin on things sometimes that is not there. Paul being poured out as a drink offering is wine, which is typically a symbol of joy in the Bible. It is a joy for Paul to be giving his life for others. It reminds me of the "oil and wine" that are not to be harmed even in the midst of huge tribulation in the book of Revelation. (Rev. 6:6) The oil of the presence of the Spirit of God always with us and the wine of the joy of God that is "set before us" to encourage us that what we are going through is worth it and will be redeemed.
Thank you God for these words tucked away in a joyful letter to the Philippians written from a prison cell.
"being convinced of this very thing, that the One who began a good work in you will see it through to its completion on the Day of Messiah Jesus." Philippians 1:6 Blessed Hope version.
The completion is the Day of the Lord, the day by any other name, that ends the tribulation and this evil age and begins the age to come. The good work that He began in you is not completed until that day, there is no "catching away" before the end. Completion is completion, if you leave before something is over you have not completed it. God has a work to do in us, His followers, His community and He will see it through to its completion.
Paul goes on to pray that we would grow in the deep love of God, (verse 10) "so that yo can discern the things that are of greater value and importance, that you will be genuine and blameless for the Day of the Messiah, (11) filled with the fruit of reghteousness that come through Jesus the Messiah to the glory and praise of God." Once again, very cleary, seeing this through to the conclusion.
I am grateful that my Pastor preaches these truths and I pray for other Pastors to be enlightened and to not shy away from admitting they were wrong and preparing their flocks for the times that are to come.
"He shall purify the sons of Levi." Malachi 3:3
