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Today’s Devotional – September 9th

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Eternal Torment?

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Part 2: “Proper Weights”

TO READ PART 1, CLICK HERE…September 8th (Eternal Torment?)

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Have you ever been on a jury? Well, if you have, then perhaps you have discovered how convincing it is, to hear just one side of the case. In other words, when you only hear one side of the story, it almost seems like an open-and-shut case, doesn’t it?

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But then comes the hour when the defense begins their presentation! Then comes the moment when there begins to be a balance struck! Yes, just like this photo with Lady Justice holding her scales, representing the weight of evidence from both sides, tipping the scales one way or the other.

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Lady justice jury – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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SOME DEEPER TRUTHS NOT SO CLEAR

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Well, God has written much of the Bible in the very same way! Oh no, the truths concerning the basic plan of Salvation are clear enough, so that none need stumble.

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But other truths, such as the exact nature of Hell have not been made so clear. And God has purposely done this. Yes, God has given some passages which seem to support this church-doctrine called “Eternal Torment”. And yet many other passages seem to support the doctrine which the Bible often refers to as “sleep”.

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And so, in order to properly understand the true nature of Hell, a serious Bible student must examine all the related passages, and attempt to be “rightly dividing the Word of Truth”.

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Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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YESTERDAY’S DEVOTIONAL: BORN AGAIN

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“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” John 3:6, 7

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In yesterday’s devotional (click here), it was discussed about the three-step process to discovering the truth concerning the nature of Hell. And the very first step in discovering the deeper truths of the Bible is to make sure that one is not still living in the flesh. You see, unless one is truly “Born Again”, he or she cannot know the deeper truths of the Bible.

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Henry Ossawa Tanner – Jesus and Nicodemus – Wikimedia – US public domain

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“LOVE OF THE TRUTH”

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Now the second step in discovering hidden Bible truth is to have a love for truth, which causes that truth-seeker to desire, above all things, the truth!

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But love for truth is a gift of God, and does not occur naturally.

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Listen… “And then shall that Wicked be revealed…Even him, whose coming…And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2nd Thessalonians 2:8-12

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As this above passage reveals, all those who still love this present world, will be deluded when they attempt to understand the Bible!

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And so, we must accomplish the first step, before we can accomplish this second step! And what is the second step?

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La Bible, Notre-Dame – cropped – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License

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SEEMINGLY OPPOSING VERSES

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The second step is to realize that this question regarding the nature of Hell is complicated, because God has given many seemingly opposing scriptures about the nature of Hell. And it is only when we are willing to let go of our cherished traditional understanding, and begin to explore all these different passages in the Bible, that we now begin to see the truth!

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But of course, when you attend a Bible study on the nature of Hell, you will mostly notice an overwhelming bias in what is being taught. In other words, the teacher is more desirous to convince his pupils of his own church interpretation, than he is with laying out all sides of the issue on the table, and allow his students to see all the relevant passages.

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So here is the crux of the problem! Do Bible teachers love their cherished church traditions more than they love truth? Well, one thing is for sure: and as already revealed in this devotional, the love of truth is the gift of God.

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – public domain

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KEEP DOCTRINE PURE

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“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure…” Philippians 4:8

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And so, this second step in discovering the true nature of Hell, can be concisely said to be the gathering of all related Bible passages, and rejecting all non-biblical terminology which gives a false balance to the scales of truth!

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Listen… “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 4:2

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Holy Bible – Wikimedia – cropped – Creative Commons Lic.

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TO READ PART 3, CLICK HERE…

September 10th (Eternal Torment? Part 3: Meekness)

David’s sorrow – cropped image – Wikigallery – Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Give me a love for truth. Take away my personal prejudices and keep me from all bias when interpreting doctrine…

Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Planet of Rest: Doctrine of Eternal Torment” or you can also read… “Mark of the Beast–”They Have No Rest, Day Nor Night””

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

 

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WOMAN FLEEING TO NARROW GATE

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LOCATION

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This most amazing phenomenon is seen throughout the winter. Although it can be observed most of the winter, it is seen best when it is the western part of the sky, at winter’s end (The end of winter being the final scene of this heavenly Gospel story). Orion , the Dragon, and the Glorious White Horse are beginning to descend into the western horizon (sketch to right is Winter Constellations descending into western horizon. This can actually be seen as early as December, in the pre-dawn hours).

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And at this point it is apparent that the Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation is veering toward the two bright stars, known as Castor and Pollux (sketch to left). But the Wide Gate Stars are composed of the two brightest stars of the Auriga Constellation, known as the star, Capella, and the star, Menkalinan. The two stars, Castor and Pollux, make up the concept of the Orion’s Narrow Gate Stars.

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This can even be observed into June in the western sky (for a short time just after dark). While a dark night is best for seeing the Woman Constellation, the 4 stars which comprise the Narrow Gate/Wide Gate Stars can be seen even under mediocre conditions. It begins with the Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation (AKA Ursa Major) going towards these two doors.

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The sketch to left shows, the two doors are each composed of two bright stars. The two bright stars that comprise the Narrow Gate are the two brightest stars of the Orion the Reaper’s sickle. The two stars that comprise the ‘Wide Gate’ Stars are the two brightest stars of the wave of water that comes out of the Dragon Constellation’s mouth (for explanation of “Wave of Water”, just click here). The stars that make up the ‘Narrow Gate’ are about half the width of the Wide Gate (see sketch below left).

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(For more information on Orion’s sickle, just click here,“Orion The Reaper”.)

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Editor’s note: These sketches on this page are merely sketches. The stars are not in their exact place. However, they are close enough to find them in the night sky. But as with most stars, it takes persistence to finally locate them.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Revelation 12 Woman & The Narrow Gate Stars (Orion’s Gate to Heaven)”

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TOMORROW:

“September 10th (Eternal Torment? Part 3: Meekness)”

David’s sorrow – cropped image – Wikigallery – Public Domain

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. 

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THIS IS STUDY #250 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

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Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain

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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on the provided image credit link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing names, details, and tags, and all other necessary info on any particular photo.