Good or Better Choices?

Luke‬ ‭16:19-31‬ - There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 

But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 

So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to  Abraham’s bosom. 

The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." 

But Abraham said, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things [hardships]; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us." 

Then he said, "I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment." 

Abraham said to him, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." 

And he said, "No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent." 

But he said to him, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."

These verses show the difference between heaven and hell. They also prove the lie that ALL people go to heaven when they die. Again, if that were true then it was yet another lie that Jesus died on the cross for no reason at all, that by our "works" or our status, our perceived goodness, we could enter. He died for all mankind, but only those who look to and trust in Him will be forgiven. 

We choose in this lifetime whom we will follow. Have we heard about the commandments, heard the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed, humbled ourselves before Him? Have we made a decision to believe? Do we follow, obey and trust in Jesus Christ or man...or self? The time to choose is now. If someone would die within the next few minutes without Christ, he/she could be in the same predicament as the rich man above. 

Interesting, that last sentence. If they did not listen to God through His Laws that had been given to them for life and to worship God, nor the prophets, there was no way they would be persuaded if they saw one rise from the dead. Sounds like a prediction to occur later, that Jesus would come once again to proclaim His message of life and His resurrection! Still many would not/do not believe. 

What will it take anyone to believe that heaven and hell are real and not to be taken lightly? It's exactly why Jesus calls us...that none would perish. 

Are the good things of life we can put in our hands and handle and delight in today more important than the better things of eternity? It's a choice we make. I leave you with that thought.

Romans 8:2-5 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 

He Shall Surely Live

Ezekiel 18:4-5,9 - “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die. But if a man is just and does what is lawful and right...If he has walked in My statutes and kept My judgments faithfully—he is just; he shall surely live!” says the Lord GOD.

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I’ve been reading the book of Ezekiel and came to Ezekiel 18:4. The soul of the father and the soul of the son are both God’s. If the father chooses not to believe in God and lives unrighteously, God says he will die. However, if the son sees the unrighteousness of his father and chooses not to follow In his father's ways, he will live. This to me speaks of personal relationship.  

This is what Jesus says: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. ‭(John‬ ‭14:6) No one comes to the father but through Him. No one will receive eternal life without first receiving Christ. It’s a personal choice. It’s my decision alone. It’s your decision. If you have heard the Gospel and choose to be like the father above, you’ve made your decision. If you choose to be like the son, you’ve made a good choice. Knowing someone who knows the Lord doesn’t count. 

There is another scripture that tells us that the road to destruction is very wide but the road to eternal life is very narrow. This is also talking about those who will receive Christ and those who will not. There are many religions in the world but not all of them lead to God the Father. There is only one God, one Son, one Spirit and one way. Only one legitimate God. 

God cannot honor someone who looks to a myriad of animals as gods or bows to lifeless statues or the dead that have no power to save. He is not going to honor a religion that believes killing, not loving, is the right thing and treats its women with disrespect. 

There is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. All souls are His. He has the right to decide who lives or dies...but, thankfully, we have been given instructions on what to do. It’s very plain, very simple. The way He has chosen is receiving His Son, no matter how sinful we might be. He will forgive our sins. But we can’t do it on our own; it must be through Jesus. The rest is also spelled out...Follow Me. Be obedient to His Word. 

Just because someone attends church every week doesn’t mean they will go to heaven. If it’s an obligation or a work (law) it doesn’t count. No man has control over another’s spiritual life. Only God/Jesus. Some will point us toward Jesus but only we can make the decision. It's not based on what we think is good. What counts is having met Christ, realizing our sins, repenting of those sins and then living for Christ from that day on. It’s not living for Him one day a week but every day. It’s having been met by Christ and changing heart attitudes and lifestyles. 

Today is still available to make the decision for Christ. Do what is right in the eyes of God. 

Joshua‬ ‭24:15‬ ‭- And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

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Good or Better Choices?

Luke‬ ‭16:19-31‬ - There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 

But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 

So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to  Abraham’s bosom. 

The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." 

But Abraham said, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things [hardships]; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us." 

Then he said, "I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment." 

Abraham said to him, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." 

And he said, "No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent." 

But he said to him, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."

These verses show the difference between heaven and hell.They also prove the lie that ALL people go to heaven when they die. Again, if that were true then it was yet another lie that Jesus died on the cross for no reason at all, that by our "works" or our status, we could enter. He died for all mankind, but only those who receive Him will be forgiven. 

We choose in this lifetime whom we will follow. Have we heard about the commandments, heard the gospel that Jesus proclaimed, humbled ourselves before Him? Do we follow, obey and trust in Jesus Christ or man...or self? The time to choose is now. If someone would die within the next few minutes without Christ he/she could be in the same predicament as the rich man above. 

Interesting, the last sentence. If they did not listen to God through His Laws that had been given to them for life and to worship God, nor the prophets, they wouldn't even be persuaded if they saw one rise from the dead. Hmmm, sounds like a prediction to occur later, that Jesus would come once again to proclaim His message of life and His resurrection! Still many would not believe. And so on it goes...

What will it take anyone to believe that heaven and hell are real and not to be taken lightly. So it's exactly why Jesus calls us...that none would perish. 

Are the good things of life we can handle and delight in today more important than the better things of eternity? It's a choice we make. Think about it...

John 3:16-17 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever Believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.