Where Will You Spend Eternity?

Where Will You Spend Eternity?

"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead." (Luke 16:19-31, ESV)

Many people including Christians do not spend time thinking about life after death. That we shall all die is quietly acknowledged but its inevitability is not usually something we dwell on. Jesus told a parable of a rich man and a poor man. The rich man had everything money could buy and lived luxuriously. He had  worked hard, probably had good business acumen, was successful in the eyes of the world and would most likely have made the Who's Who list. He dressed well and expensively and had the sort of lifestyle that the majority in the 21st century can only dream about. He was an unbeliever who had what many Christians are clamouring for today - wealth, influence, status, and prominence. His money bought him anything he needed. Isn't that the picture of paradise, paradise on earth? Maybe, but a short-lived paradise, nevertheless. 

The poor man on the other hand had problems, to put it lightly. He was hungry, had sores that attracted dogs to him, was miserable and longed for the crumps from the rich man's table. Nothing looked good for the poor man and his life was a nightmare compared to the rich man's life. However, the inevitable end came for both men. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived said about life, ".....Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?"(Ecclesiastes 1:2-3). Sooner or later everybody gets to their last day on earth and nothing can bring one back to life once that day arrived. There is a finality about death - no one can escape that day, no amount of wealth or influence can reverse the outcome, no amount of wishful thinking can turn that day away. Nobody can live on earth forever; there is an exit day for everyone whether we like it or not. And God determines that day. It is irreversible. The question therefore is not whether death will come, it is where we will spend eternity. The rich man went straight to Hades (Hell) and being in torment, longed for a drop of water to quench his thirst. He said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame." How on earth could a drop of water quench his thirst? His longing for just a drop of water shows that his anguish was indescribable. 

The rich man went to hell because he served his money rather than God. He relegated God to the background, ignored calls for repentance, lived by his own self-centred rules, lived in sin and felt he was in control. Money can provide a lot of things or toys, but money cannot save, cannot give life, cannot save from sin. Only Jesus can save from sin. The Bible says, "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12)

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). You don't have to end up like the rich man. You can enjoy eternal life and be at peace and rest with Jesus on this earth and when you leave this earth. Someone once said, "If you miss Heaven, you can never miss hell". The rich man had everything going for him while he was here on earth. He went to bed several times and woke up the next morning. But one day, the end came as will surely come for all of us. No one is exempt. All the applause in the world, all the money in the bank, all the academic qualifications, all the nice cars, all the travel experiences, all the connections, etc. will not be able to pull back the curtain of death. ARE YOU READY FOR ETERNITY? 

Please come to Jesus today. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus (Roman 6:23). Every one is born a sinner (Romans 3:23) but Jesus can cleanse us from all sin and unrighteousness so that we will draw nearer to God and spend eternity with Him. What do you say?

Jesus said John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." 

Satan is deceiving many people today as he has been deceiving mankind for thousands of years. Many think that miracles will usher them into Heaven. They are mistaken. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]."

Miracles, signs and wonders will not take anyone to Heaven. Charisma, head knowledge of the Scriptures,  titles, positions of responsibility within the Church will not give anyone an advantage. In other words, it is possible to a bishop, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher and still go to hell. Once in hell, there is no escape. Why this message? We are in the season of Advent and many would seek to enjoy the season without knowing or even caring for the Reason for the season. The Reason is Jesus, LORD of lords, KING of kings and the Saviour of the whole world. He alone has the key to eternal life. He alone can set captives free from the bondage of sin and Satan. He alone is the Way to Heaven. And that is why He came in the first place. His incarnation was a deliberate plan to set us free by His crucifixion on the cross of Calvary. You don't have to be like the rich man who basically lost everything because at the end of the day, he was unable to take any of his fine linen or delicious meals with him. Can you imagine the depth of his regret and remorse in hell? No amount of  repentance could change his situation - a hopeless one for that matter. Think about the despair and utter helplessness knowing that the situation was not a short term one. It would have been manageable, I suppose, if after a billion years there was a prospect of release. THERE IS SIMPLY NO ESCAPE FROM HELL. Period. The Bible says, "For we have brought nothing into the world, so [it is clear that] we cannot take anything out of it, either." (1 Timothy 6:7, AMP)

This is not a popular message but I really do not care for popular messages because most of them are rooted in deception - deception to keep people from making Heaven. God wants you to make Heaven. Come to Jesus and He will set you free from sin and enable you to live righteously by the power of the Holy Spirit. May we focus on Jesus during this season. May we examine our live during this season. May we draw near to God so that He will draw near to us. 

If you are one of the atheists or agnostics, or even someone who refuses to acknowledge Jesus as Lord, let me ask you - What is the reason for disbelief? What is your proof for the nonexistence of God? At the end of the day, there is none. None, except your personal preference. That is your right. However, the rich man exercised that right and ended up in hell. 

Believing in God has implications which include letting go and letting God have His way. It means surrendering all to Jesus and leaning not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-7 reads, "Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]." (AMP)

Let God direct you paths through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit and you will experience peace that surpasses all understanding of man. The Bible says, "But what does it say? “The word is near you , in your mouth and in your heart ”—that is, the word [the message, the basis] of faith which we preach— because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Saviour] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation." (Romans 10:8-10, AMP). Jesus is waiting. Please call upon Him in repentance, confess your sins, and receive Him as Lord and Saviour today. Please prepare yourself for eternity. Have a blessed day.