Word for the Day December 4
By: Evang. Cascille Hammack
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“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 16:31
Jesus told a parable of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus.
The rich man lived in luxury and dressed in the finest clothes daily. Luke 16:20,21 says, "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 beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died
and went to hell. Luke 16:23,24 says, "In Hades, 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.’
Once our physical bodies die, there can be no change in the destination of our souls forever.
Upon his request, Abraham explained to the rich man, "‘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 set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can
anyone cross over from there to us.’" We do not know how the rich man accumulated all of his wealth
or how he spent his time on earth amassing it. All we know is that the rich man had great wealth and Lazarus
sat at his gate begging him with sores on his body. I am sure the rich man passed him many times a day with a hardened
heart and turned away from the poor beggar's suffering. The rich man was concerned only about his own comfort and security.
How foolish the rich man was. We are in our bodies for such a short period of time. Our spirits are eternal and our
destination when we leave this life can not be changed once our bodies have died. James 4:14 says, "Why, you do not even
know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."
Luke 16:27-31 tells the sad reality for the rich man as he begged for
help from hell for his brothers. “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,
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."
This parable of the rich man in hell warns us of the reality of living
for oneself with a hardened heart toward the suffering of others. The hard, stony heart of the rich man sent him to
hell forever. The parable says that Lazarus sat begging with sores at the rich man's gate while they were on the earth.
Daily the rich man clinched his heart in hardness to the need of Lazarus. Daily his tight fist remained over his small,
stony heart, even as Lazarus suffered and begged him. The rich man could see his need but he turned away with his
stony, clinched heart. The result is the tight fisted claws of the rich man holding all the wealth to his own small,
heart resulted in him ultimately choking himself for eternity. The tightness with which he held on selfishly to
his wealth strangled him forever. He did not know as he went about his day on the earth probably thinking to
himself, "I will never be in the position of this beggar" and ignoring him daily, that he was securing his
place in the flames of eternal torment in hell forever. The bonds of selfishness and greed in the tight fisted
claw of his heart that withheld from Lazarus in his suffering, were used to bind him for all eternity. God's Word,
"judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
It was no mistake that Lazarus was set at the rich man's gate daily. God engineers our circumstances.
Through each one, God gives us the opportunity to obey Him and store our treasures in heaven. He also gives us the right
to roam and secure our destiny in hell.
Psalm 78:39
says, "He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return." What we do here will
determine our eternal destiny.
World Faith Outreach Service Today
4:30pm
4:00 Prayer
Downtown Baton Rouge, La. (in
the Kress building)