by David Brenneman
"He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:33-36.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."
John 5:24.
"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”" Romans 10:8-18.
Saw a bumper sticker that read "Heaven has a wall with a strict immigration policy. Hell has open borders".
Death and life are before everyone.
The choice is yours and mine.
Truth is what Jesus Himself testified to. He wasn't story telling. He wasn't talking in parables. Jesus testified to the lifes of two people. A rich man and Lazarus. Consider it too that the poorer of the two earned a place in human history forever in the Word of God.
The worldly exalted one was brought low in the eyes of God for his disregard of the Word of God involving his life.
Right now we're in a season yet again here in the United States for voting for a President.
People in every so-called influential group are taking great pains to sway the people of this nation. Every so-called celebrity, newscaster, political parties etc. is trying to convince all who to give up on and who to vote for.
Truth of God is this. He sets up rulers and He removes them.
In all things from things such as this to anything significant in your life...take it to Jesus in prayer.
The so-called ruler of this world will use all those self-important people to sway the masses. That's all he can do and all he can use.
The greater issue is just where are we with salvation? My Dear Reader did you read those opening passages thoroughly?
In the days of Jesus some 2,000 plus years ago extremely few people were looking for the Messiah to come. We read of those who were listening and looking for His coming in the Gospels.
Both in the Bible and other records outside of the Bible we read of the life and times of Jesus on the Earth. Proof that He really was who He said He was. As my Pastor often says that He called His shot and pulled it off. Repeatedly told of how He was going to die. How he would return again and did it.
He also said that He was going to do all this in obedience to His Father. Said that He was going to return again.
That day He spoke of is no fictional day. His testimony of what happened in the bowels of the Earth with regards to this certain rich man and Lazarus are an absolute truth.
This rich man had no regard for the truth of God until he died and came face-to-face with it. He could do nothing but comply with it. The harsh reality that it was both permanent and excruciating set in quickly.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him.
Living to only get the best out of life for yourself and ignoring the truth of God concerning you is exactly what this certain rich man did.
Your only advantage is to heed the words of Jesus. To believe Him and believe in Him.
Believing that He exists isn't enough. For crying out loud...as the Bible says...every single demon believes that Jesus is real.
You must take it farther. You.
There are no lawyers to present your case before the Holy God of all Creation. You will have nothing to stand on to even try to defend yourself before this same Holy God.
The bar is set at perfection. Tell me my Dear Reader...just how do you plan to reach that? The only way is through Jesus who IS perfection.
When you read of this rich man in Hell...do you read of his concerns for anything in this world apart from his family? Hear about is riches? Nope. His storehouses? Nope. Missing the game? Nope. Missing other rich people? Nope. Missed opportunities to gain more wealth or prosperity? Nope.
We only see him rattled to the very core of his being.
Face-to-face with the truth.
Face-to-face with his eternity because he rejected the truth of God for him in Christ. Sure this took place before Jesus went down to free all who were with Abraham and as of the resurrection there are no Believers in what was Paradise. Paradise where we saw Lazarus go to left with Jesus to go to Heaven.
Face-to-face is where you are right now...if indeed you have eyes to see and ears to hear the gentle calling of Jesus to you from the other side of the door of your heart.
One minute after people die there are no cares about anything they had in their lives except for family and friends.
Those who reject Jesus never want anyone they know to experience the painful torment they now have in Hell.
Those who received the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus only want those who they left behind to join them.
What is an interesting underlying message in this true story of the Rich man and Lazarus...both groups...both...after they die...are praying for those who yet live. One praying that they never join them, the other praying that they join them.
I wouldn't be who I am in Christ if it wasn't for the prayers of others concerning me all those decades ago. The living and the dead pray that people would find Jesus and that He would become the leader of their lives and the forgiver of their sins. This my Dear Reader is more important than any celebrity. More important than any event.
Where you spend eternity is even more important than your health.
Jesus is calling for you and for me. He's waiting and watching. Telling you that forgiveness and freedom is one prayer away from reality in your life.
Do you have ears to hear and eyes that see Jesus calling for you?
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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