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Topic: It Is Very Real
[DCLM Daily Manna 11 August 2020 Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Luke 16:19-31 (KJV)
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
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29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Key Verse: “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” – (Luke 16:23)
MESSAGE:
Sir Francis Newport, head of an English infidel club, said this on his deathbed in the 18th Century: “You need not tell me there is no hell, for I already feel my soul slipping into its fires! Wretches, cease your idle talk about there being hope for me! I know I am lost forever.”
The story of the rich man and Lazarus is so popular that anyone familiar with the Bible should have read or heard of it. This is not a parable at all but a real story told by our Lord Jesus Christ. Lazarus, a poor beggar eventually died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom, while the rich man died and went to hell, a place of torment. He was conscious enough in hell to acknowledge his pains and torments. He was intelligent enough to remember he had five godless brethren who could come to the same place of torment if nothing was done to bring them to salvation.
There are important lessons to learn from this story. First, the rich man did not go to hell because of his riches, but his trust in his money which became his idol. It was not Lazarus’ lack of earthly possessions and riches that took him to heaven. Though he lacked even the most basic things on earth, he lived a godly life without complaint. The second lesson is the undeniable fact that hell indeed exists. Some people, like Russell, who cannot understand why a merciful God would condemn people to hell, have questioned the very existence of hell. Some erroneous teachers characterised it as a place where sinners are annihilated completely. But the cries of the rich man seal the scriptural description of hell as a place of eternal and unending torments.
What should be done then? Repent, if you are yet to and receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour in order to escape it. Warn others of its reality; never mind if they believe it or not. One day, they will.
Thought For The Day: We must run away from sin to avoid hell.
The Bible In One Year: Philemon 1
