THE PLACE OF TORMENT! “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.’ ” It is hard to wrap our minds around eternal life in a place of pleasure— Heaven where…

LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL! The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. —Luke 16:14 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” —Luke 16:13 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for…

HEAVEN REJOICES! In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. —Luke 15:10 Heaven is impacted by a sinner who repents! You and I can also be involved in that rejoicing as we see a sinner repent and trust the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness, relationship with God through Jesus, eternal life and an inheritance that will never fade away. When was the last time you and I rejoice over a sinner who repented? When was the last time heaven was impacted because of our faithfulness in sharing the gospel and seeing a lost person repent?…

LOVE’S EVIDENCE IS OBEDIENCE But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” —I Samuel 15:22-23 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be…

HEARTACHE But his (Samuel’s) sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. —I Samuel 8:3 These are sad words. Any parent’s heart aches for a child who does not follow the Lord. I know mine does. I pray for him daily and for his wife and for their soon to be born child… sometimes multiple times each day. This song expresses how I want to live, but also how I desire to see my son, his wife and their soon to be born daughter to live as well. O Lord, may it be so! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLX83HbefrI Yes, may it be so…

PEACE—ONLY IN JESUS Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” —Luke 12:51-53 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me. —Matthew 10:21-22 There are those who still think that peace will…

THE BLESSING OF CHILDREN In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” —I Samuel 1:10-11 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for…

YOUR ARE GOD’S CHOICE Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. —Ruth 4:21-22 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife. —Matthew 1:5-6 The son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon. —Luke 3:31-32 In this section of the genealogy of our Lord Jesus we see a harlot, a Moabite and…

HEAR AND OBEY EQUALS BLESSING He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”—Luke 11:28 What is God saying to you through His Word? Are you listening? Do you understand? Will you obey? Jesus said it is those who not only hear the Word of God, but those who do it— they are the ones who are blessed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JK_6osCH74 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not…

SERVE A NEIGHBOR! On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem…