GOOD NEWS: HEAVEN IS REAL
BAD NEWS: SO IS HELL!
I will quote from the Bible the story of the rich man whose ground brought forth plentifully; and he had no more room to bestow his goods and decided to pull down his barns and build a greater one. Luke 12:19-21 " And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry'. But God said unto him, 'Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be require of thee, then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided'? So is he that layesth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
This great farmer decided only to be rich toward earthly goods and not toward God. He decided to enjoy life and concentrate only on early richness. He valued earthly things more than spiritual things. Well, don't misunderstand me I don't mean that if you are rich and enjoy life you will go to hell, but you have to be rich toward God and enjoy life within the rules and ways of God. God should be your priority in life.
Heaven and hell are a reality and what’s at stake? People’s eternal destiny is at stake. In eternity there are two places, a heaven or a hell and the path that leads to these two places is on EARTH.
The farmer's attitude is the same as many in the world today. Many people are laying up treasures for themselves upon this earth and saying 'let's eat, drink and be merry, and just enjoy the pleasures of life today and don't think about tomorrow'. They take no thought whatsoever about eternal things. But God says "You fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee". Jesus also said in Matthew 16:26 26 "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul"? Really nothing at all; the soul cannot be exchanged for any earthly treasure.
Other people might say 'I can't believe in heaven and hell; I can't believe that a good God will send people to hell'. Well, what about the earthly jurisdictional system? Why do legal courts condemn criminals to prison? Why can't they just let them walk around killing and stealing without judging them? It is because without ultimate justice, people’s sense of moral obligation dissolves; and social bonds are broken. Those people have no fear of God and consequently no fear of man, and no respect for human laws and authority. Life cannot go on without justice being applied. No one can get away with wickedness. If our earthy legal sinful judges have the right to pronounce a fatal verdict on criminals, how much more our heavenly holy and just Almighty God, has the authority to judge men?
Some people want only a grace-filled, loving God. They want to live their lives and at the end fast and pray and say "well, God will forgive me". You cannot be that simple, you cannot take God for granted. The Word of God tells us that God is a loving God, but also judgmental and, most importantly, just.
Some highly intellectual minds would say, well when we die, then that's it? I hope I am not offending anyone by asking those highly "intellectual" people "do you really think that we were created or exist just to eat, drink and then die like animals?" There is definitely much more to this life than just eating and drinking and dying. Life is much more precious and more mysterious than this. We were not created to just live and die like animals? We were created in the image of an intelligent God, a Mastermind!
I will quote what Paul wrote in his letter (1 Corinthians 15:32) "if there is no final resurrection from the dead, then “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” but instead Paul commented, “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin…” (15:34) for we have the knowledge of God. And it is to our shame if we do not live it and share it.
Reading: Second Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Amen.
Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, forgive me, my heart is far from pure. I confess to you all my innermost thoughts. Help me walk in the right path and help me become more conscious about my eternal life. Thank you that you have given me life and I praise you. Amen.
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