By: Evangelist Joseph Olorunnisola

Date: January 29, 2012

The Mystery of the Purgatory

The greatest misfortune and catastrophe that can befall any human being is to ignore his/her eternal destination after death in his/her reckless pursuit of the vanities of this condemned world. A day shall soon emerge when the mighty shall fall to rise no more and the weapons of war shall go into ruin: when ungodly ambition and desires shall be seen as products of mental disorder, and wealth, power, fame, and honor acquired without heart of charity, as unreasonable dissipation and sacrifice of real everlasting substance for worthless earthly vanities and emptiness. Three doors are instantly evident when we close our eyes in this world: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The ultimate, however, is either Hell or Heaven. "And when Abraham was ninety and nine years old, the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said unto him: I am Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect." Gen. 17:1 The truth remains that man has to be sound, flawless, and blameless before God the Father when, after death, he appears before Him to render an account of his life. Holy and awesome is the name of the Most High, a just and fearsome God of equity, who regards nobody; dwelling in an unapproachable, blinding light of total righteousness. The least and minutest of sin can never move close to Him. Only holy Souls have direct access to the blissful abode where nothing unclean shall enter. Therefore, every trace of attachment to evil must be eliminated, and every imperfection of the Soul corrected, because Him that has called us into His presence of fullness of joy is holy, we must also, of necessity be holy. "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect," says the Lord Jesus Christ in Matth. 5:48. The place for this correction of imperfections is Purgatory. Purgatory is a place where a serious process of purification and refinement take place, a place of atonement for sins and purging of the effect of sins from the Soul. It is not only a profound and holy mystery, but also an appalling mystery whose frightening aspects cannot be glossed over. It is a place for the application of God's justice on stubborn Souls. It is to conform you in totality to the perfection of Heavens and the mindset of Jesus Christ that decrees in Luke 6:27-31 27 But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise." This is the profile of those who are admissible to heavens. Your compliance to this mindset is compulsory if you are to escape a lengthy period of stay in an abode of severe suffering and agony called purgatory. The purification process is by fire and the intensity of the burning fire and duration of the stay in this pit of punishment and agonizing suffering is according to the individual's weight of sins not yet atoned while

on earth through works of charity, love, repentance, contrition, fasting, prayer and worship. The heavier the sins, the deeper down the purgatory is that individual's cell of fire. According to the righteous evidence of the Keeper of the Purgatory, the confinement of some Souls may last till the end of the world while others stay are for shorter periods of one to hundreds of years. At the end of the purification period the Soul is visited by the mercy of Christ and is released into the presence of God's love in Heaven. Not all sinners will have the grace of passing through the purgatory for the cleansing of their sins - only those whose sins are not unto death. Both apostles Paul and John are united in the Holy Spirit in their classification of sins. Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 5:24 "Some men's sins are open before hand, going before them to judgment, and some men they follow after". In 1 John 5:16-17, it is similarly written:" If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he should pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin and there is sin not unto death". A number of sins are evidently doomed for eternal hell fire without compromise. It is settled by divine pronouncement in Matth. 13:40-43, 1Cor. 6:9, Rev. 21:8, and Rev. 22, that the following shall spend their eternity in the Lake of horrifying fire burning with sulfur and brimstone ,with cries of severe agony and excruciating pain and torture day and night without any period of respite. Wizards, witches, sorcerers, occultists, herbalists, all idolaters, fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, murderers, magicians, liars, revilers, covetous, whoremongers, thieves, robbers, extortionists, the unbelieving, the fearful and the abominable. Hell, is the greatest catastrophe of man. Examination of the situation in the Purgatory revealed that most of the Souls suffering and lamenting through the painful process of purification were believers and true worshippers when they were on earth but they were deficient in their love for others. The commonest sin for which most of them were sentenced to various terms in the purgatory is lack of spirit of forgiveness. Failure to let go, and forgive others their sins resulting in their forfeiture of Christ's mercy and forgiveness.(Matth. 18:15-35) Other offences include anger, bitterness, hatred, malice, envy, pride, and lack of mercy/charity. Some were even sent there because of their uncaring and wicked attitude towards their spouses or children. Amazingly, where the surviving loved ones, offspring or relative of the Soul in the purgatory is a devotee to God, a worker of righteousness and generous giver, the Soul in the purgatory is sometimes allowed , through the compassion of Christ, to appeal to that pious relative to make intercession for him/her. The intercessory prayer and works of charity of that surviving relative or minister of God can mitigate the suffering, shorten the period of confinement in the cell of fire, and hasten the acceptance of the Soul into heaven. Brethren, signs abound all over revealing that we at the very verge of the end of Church age when believers shall be raptured into heavens and the unbelieving world left to suffer the seven years of dreadful tribulation followed by the era of brutality and ruthless reign of terror of the anti-Christ. Now, pause to reflect on your ways and your reckless pursuits of the emptiness of this pervasive world. Remember that great kings had ruled and left their crowns to others, powerful presidents and commander in chiefs had governed and are no more to be seen, billionaires had left their fortunes for those unknown to them, celebrities had come and forever gone and works of renowned intellectuals have been consigned into the archives. Whatever your ambition or achievement in this world may be, it will eventually be forgotten. Why would you spend your eternity in the lake of everlasting pain and agony? The night is far spent, the day is at hand : Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Flee today completely from sins and all shades of evil, withdraw from the multitude heading for eternal hell; withdraw from unprofitable gospels of miracle, abundance and magic and concentrate your focus on the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Today is the day of salvation, surrender your life entirely to Jesus Christ today, because tomorrow may be too late. Confess Him, Worship God and keep the laws of the Most High, endure your tribulations patiently, knowing well that it is more profitable to go through this earthly hell of trials and end up joyously in the companies of holy angels above than to enjoy the vanities of sins in this world and end up in eternal lake of fire. The choice is yours!!!