Good Morning Ya'll

If there is anything we need to hear more often in life, it is the word of God. Many people don't create time to read God's word which is not good in terms of their spiritual growth. Today, I want to share with you the understanding I git frim God's word. I hope it blesses you.

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Text: Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:19 - "There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption.

Luke 16:20 -- A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep.

Luke 16:21 -- All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man's table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores.

Luke 16:22 -- "Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

Luke 16:23 -- In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap.

Luke 16:24 -- He called out, 'Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I'm in agony in this fire.'

Luke 16:25 -- "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It's not like that here. Here he's consoled and you're tormented.

Luke 16:26 -- Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.'

Luke 16:27 -- "The rich man said, 'Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father

Luke 16:28 -- where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won't end up here in this place of torment.'

Luke 16:29 -- "Abraham answered, 'They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.'

Luke 16:30 -- "'I know, Father Abraham,' he said, 'but they're not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.'

Luke 16:31--"Abraham replied, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the Prophets, they're not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.'"

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Source

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Note the following core truths from this text:

• MAN IS AN IMMORTAL BEING:

That means everyone God creates will live forever, whether he is a righteous man or a sinner. God made us to become living souls. That means we will never really die, though the body will later be separated from the spirit through physical death. For that, God has also prepared two distinct eternal destinations for these two categories of people.

Heaven is prepared for those who live to please God and hell is prepared for the devil and his angels, and all those who have refused to give their lives to Christ. Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. If you are not prepared then it certainly means you will spend your eternity in the agonizing lake of fire. Be Prepared! !

• MAN IS A CREATION OF CHOICE:

Going to hell or heaven is a matter of choice. When God vreated man, He gave him self-will. He gave us the ability and liberty to choose. So it's up to you to choose where you want to spend eternity.

The rich man did not go to hell because he was rich, no! It was rather because his priorities were not set right. The wrong pursuit made him end up at the wrong destination. Lazarus though physically poor was saved and went to heaven, he made the right eternal choice.

It’s even possible that the rich man was born again before but later lost his standing in God. He called Abraham father and Abraham called him son. You must daily guard your spirit against wrong and worldly influences. Don’t be deceived, neglect can cause a man to fall from grace.

Whatever you do and wherever you are, you are there first as a Christian. That should determine your behavior and attitude. Don’t yield to the ungodly pressure and manipulations of the world, otherwise you will get drowned with their iniquity.

• MAN’S LIFE ON EARTH WILL END ONE DAY:

DEATH IS INEVITABLE!

None will live on this earth forever. We are all sojourners here and one day, we will all leave this world through death. I see many people who recklessly as though this mother earth is their home. It is not our home. Our home is far better than this earth. So if you want to make part of that home. Live right.

Death is a physical separation of the body from the spirit. Man is a spirit that has a soul and lives in a body. When a man dies, the body returns to the dust where it belongs while the spirit returns unto God for reckoning.

Why then should we spend money on our bodies which will later rust, then neglect our spirits which lives eternally. It’s okay to look good but what investments are you also doing for your spirit? Death is a summons to stand before God and give account of your life.

Every privilege God gives you is for you to use and advance His kingdom, not to pursue ephemeral things which have no spiritual value. If you’re truly born again, your flesh should not be more pronounced than your spirit because your taste buds and appetite are coloured by God’s Word.

• GOD'S ’s MERCY IS AVAILABLE WHILE WE ARE STILL ALIVE:

THERE IS NO REPENTANCE AFTER DEATH!!

If the rich man had cried for mercy on time, he would not have ended up in hell. He prayed the right prayer by asking for mercy but he did that at the wrong time, after he had already died, and the door of mercy closed against him.

It doesn’t matter where life has kept you or the wrong things you did in the past, if you come to God today, His mercy is still available for you now. Anyone who obtains mercy from God must have a ‘before’ life and a new/future life.

Now, we can boldly approach God’s throne of mercy. Time will come however when that throne will become a throne of judgement and accountability. Today while you still have God’s invitation open, harden not your heart, embrace His mercy and salvation now.

• WE ARE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION TO OUR WORLD:

At the rich man’s request that someone be sent to the world to preach to his sinful brothers, Abraham answered him that the prophets and preachers are already doing that. This refers to the believers that are still alive. When you become born again, the next assignment God puts in your hand is to preach His Word. Don’t be blinded by this world’s fancy riches and people’s high societal statuses. There are just two categories of people; those who’re saved and those who’re lost. Don’t hide the gospel from them.

The ultimate assignment which God gives every believer is soul winning. If whatever else you do for God does not translate to winning souls into His kingdom, you are operating out of God’s purpose and will have no reward from Him.

Interestingly, when we seek the advancement of God’s kingdom through soul winning, God adds for us the basic things we need in life (Matt 6:33), so we don’t even need to run after them. We are to hear God’s Word from His mouth and warn the world.

FINAL CHARGE:

The cure for our generation is the word of God we preach. Every believer is called to preach God’s Word. There’s no special anointing for that. Preaching is not the exclusive preserve of pastors; all believers have been called, commissioned and mandated to preach God’s Word of salvation. Receive the mercy of God today for your life. Receive the fire to preach the gospel to the people you meet daily at your office, school, business premises. Don’t be silent anymore. God is counting on you. As you do, He will supply everything you need in your life.

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HEAVEN IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK, RUN TO JESUS.

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VOTE "STEEMGIGS" AS WITNESS.