A Message
The Gospel of Luke records this parable of Jesus,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Luke 16:19-31
No matter what I or any Christian may say some people will not believe in God. I also believe that the more wealth a person has can make it harder for them to know Christ. Jesus said,
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 19:24.
That’s not to say a rich man can’t go to heaven. And it’s not to say that having wealth is bad. Quite the contrary there are a lot of wealthy people who are Christians and doing the work of the Lord.
The problem I believe with having riches and power is that a person can rely too much on what they have materially.
In 1929 when the stock market crashed there was a spike in suicides because people put their trust in the stock market then when it collapsed found themself broke and in debt.
There are also those in power that take advantage of others as the rich man in the parable did. Power can and frequently is wrongly used. All of this is against God’s law and the person will have to give account to God, whether they believe in Him or not.
C. S. Lewis said,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes12:13,14.
The Talmud tells this story,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?” Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual? “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”
The Talmud.
While the Talmud is not considered an inspired work of God by Christians the truth of the above story could happen. God will hold all people to account.
That being said anyone can get to heaven good or bad and can have assurance of getting to heaven here in this life.
The apostle John states,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
1John 1:9-10.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans said,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”
Romans 10:9-13.
The key to getting to heaven is believing in God and that Jesus is the one and Only Son of God.
Confessing your sins to Jesus and turning from the wrong you have done. A true Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, truly confessed their sins to God and turned from them. Replacing that wrong with Love for God, their neighbour and even their enemy.
The question is do you believe this?
Please think about it.
The Gospel of Luke records this parable of Jesus,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Luke 16:19-31
No matter what I or any Christian may say some people will not believe in God. I also believe that the more wealth a person has can make it harder for them to know Christ. Jesus said,
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 19:24.
That’s not to say a rich man can’t go to heaven. And it’s not to say that having wealth is bad. Quite the contrary there are a lot of wealthy people who are Christians and doing the work of the Lord.
The problem I believe with having riches and power is that a person can rely too much on what they have materially.
In 1929 when the stock market crashed there was a spike in suicides because people put their trust in the stock market then when it collapsed found themself broke and in debt.
There are also those in power that take advantage of others as the rich man in the parable did. Power can and frequently is wrongly used. All of this is against God’s law and the person will have to give account to God, whether they believe in Him or not.
C. S. Lewis said,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes12:13,14.
The Talmud tells this story,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?” Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual? “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”
The Talmud.
While the Talmud is not considered an inspired work of God by Christians the truth of the above story could happen. God will hold all people to account.
That being said anyone can get to heaven good or bad and can have assurance of getting to heaven here in this life.
The apostle John states,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
1John 1:9-10.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans said,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”
Romans 10:9-13.
The key to getting to heaven is believing in God and that Jesus is the one and Only Son of God.
Confessing your sins to Jesus and turning from the wrong you have done. A true Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, truly confessed their sins to God and turned from them. Replacing that wrong with Love for God, their neighbour and even their enemy.
The question is do you believe this?
Please think about it.
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