THE AFTERLIFE - PART II ~ PRECIOUS VICTOR AKAH

We're continuing from our discussion last week on the lessons from the story told by Jesus about The Rich Man and Lazarus. We've looked at four lessons so far. Incase you've not read it, click here to read it first before reading today's blog post. God bless you as you do so.

Lesson continues...

• Never give up the precious privilege to spend eternity in heaven for temporary pleasures or comfort on earth. Don't compromise your faith in God. Don't forsake Jesus because of life's challenges, hardship, suffering, hunger, poverty, lack or insufficiency. Nothing should separate you from the love of Christ. Every challenge that comes to test (try or challenge) your faith in God can be overcome with the truth of God's Word. And even if the situation seem unsurmountable, don't throw in the towel and trade the privilege to live forever in heaven for fleeting pleasures, riches and comfort. Lazarus suffered on earth but he is comforted in heaven while the rich man who enjoyed comfort on earth is in severe agony and torment in hell till now (Luke 16:25). There is comfort for you - "For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" 2 Corinthians 4:17

• Whoever goes to heaven or to hell will be there forever. There is nothing like you'll be in hell for a short time and then God will have mercy and send you to heaven. No, don't buy that dangerous lie from the devil. If anyone goes to hell, they'll be there forever, from everlasting to everlasting. This is why Jesus warns us about hell and encourages us to do our very best to enter through the narrow gate to heaven. Father Abraham revealed a VERY IMPORTANT TRUTH to us in the reply he gave to the rich man's request. He said, there is a GREAT CHASM that has been fixed between heaven and hell, so that those who want to go from heaven to hell (probably to attempt to rescue their loved ones in hell) cannot go, and those who want to cross over from hell to heaven cannot. This reveals the everlasting nature of each state and abode (heaven and hell). Whoever goes to heaven or to hell will be there FOREVER. There is nothing like a sinner will be in hell for a short time or in a temporary place of torment, then God will extend His mercy to him and send him to heaven. Nothing like that at all. Avoid hell at all cost. Whoever enters hell cannot come out (Luke 16:26). Repent of your sins, accept Jesus Christ and live holy on earth to qualify to live forever in heaven.

• Once we transit from earth to the world beyond, we will have knowledge of all things. The rich man immediately identified Father Abraham and called him by his name even though they both lived in different generations. So those who do not believe in the existence of God nor in the salvation that Jesus brought to mankind, when they leave earth and go to the world beyond, they'll believe in the reality of the existence of God and Jesus' offer of salvation without being persuaded to believe; just like the rich man who ignored God on earth came to believe that God is real after he died, and was begging Father Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers about the reality of hell (Luke 16:23-24, vs 27-28). Hell is real. Believe it now and use the escape line God has provided through Jesus Christ His Son. 

• Some people say that they'll only believe in the reality of heaven and hell when someone very close to them or someone of uncompromising integrity dies and goes to hell or heaven and come back to life to tell of the reality of heaven and hell. But according to Father Abraham, if these people cannot believe what the written Word of God (the Holy Bible) has said about the reality of heaven and hell and what other people who have had visions, encounters and near-death experience of heaven and hell has narrated, they will not also believe when someone close to them shares their experience of heaven and hell if they died and rose from the dead. This also means that if you're still in doubt about the reality of heaven and hell, you don't need anyone to convince you (not even someone from the dead), the moment you believe that the Word of God is infallible and written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you'll believe what it says about the reality of heaven and hell and do the needful as soon as possible. Luke 16:30-31

Let's all do our very best to miss hell and not miss heaven. Be ready for the rapture of the saints by becoming a saint (through accepting Jesus, repenting and forsaking your sins and living righteous) and guarding your sainthood.

Shalom.