The Rich Man and Lazarus

Verses: Luke 16 : 19 - 31

My thoughts about the verses:

Let us look closely at the story and how this parable can apply to our lives.  There are two important figures in the story.  Lazarus, the poor man, had nothing and was on the very bottom of society.  The second figure is The rich man who had everything that he needed here on Earth.  How ironic that the poor man who had nothing is named where the man who had everything was given no name in the story.

I believe that he wasn't given a name for a sole purpose to show us how to live our lives.  See you can think that you are on top of the world, yet if you do not have Jesus in your life you are missing the biggest part.  People often look down on those in society that they feel are beneath them.  Yet, it doesn't mean if you are rich or poor with Jesus you are important.

As I was writing this today the story of Justin Bieber's most recent escapade was all over the news.  Now here is a young man that could make a difference in so many lives.  If he had lived a life of example he could lead young people to do good causes.  They love his music and fall over head and heel to be just like him.  Yet, most of his escapades are either dangerous or (how can I put this) wrong in the eyes of society.  Those that follow his lead are being led down a very deep and dangerous path.

Yet, as I was thinking about how he acted another personality flashed on the screen.  One that I have a feeling more parents wished their kids would follow her footsteps.  Dolly Parton didn't lose her roots.  Her first love of music was at the church and with her family.  No matter what people say or how large a legend she has become she hasn't forgotten her roots.  She is an example of being on the top yet knowing the pedestal could be knocked under you in any moment.

See it is harder to be on the top of the world and be humble enough to accept Christ into your life.  It is hard to admit that you have to have something other than yourself to be complete.  The person on no matter what level they are on cannot make it across the void of Heaven without the blood covering their spots.

See we have all sinned and came short of God.  Yet, when you accept Christ into your life the blemishes are cleaned.  There are no more stains you are walking free in the spirit.  Even if things look bleak here in this world you know that your future will be better.  Yet, if you haven't asked Jesus to cover your sins your heavy burdens will follow you to the afterlife.

I chose this picture because of the simple act that it shows how easy it is to be cleansed.  The blood is just waiting for us to walk up to it.  As soon as we ask God into our life we have all the water and nourishment we will ever need.  Yes, we may struggle and have a hard life here on Earth but the next Realms rewards will more than make up for what happens here.

Imagine if you were the rich man.  Begging for one drip of water to cool you from the worse pain you can imagine.  Seeing it right in sight but not being able to get to it because of the void, wall, you built between yourself and the salvation of Jesus.  You know the Angels would want to give it to you but there are not able to reach out and help.  You can almost imagine them standing with water basins right at the gulf hoping to send a little refreshing water.  Yet, they cannot cross over.

Prayer:

Thank you God for the gift of love.  Thank you for the sacrifice that you made so that we may have a prosperous everlasting life.  Help us as we go through this world being the people that you desire us to be.  Help us keep from hurting the people that you love so deeply.  Let us always remember that we are to be the least to be the most important.  Help us always to understand that we are not to be important here on Earth.  In the name of the True Lamb we pray.  Amen

Questions:

When we look at our life we need to determine have we walked up to the basin and ask Jesus to cleanse us of our trespasses?  Do we think we do not need Jesus in our lives?  Are we living our life to be the perfect role model or are we are stumbling blocks for others?  Are we putting the achievements that we have here on Earth before our connection with God?

The Smallest Part of the Law Cannot be changed

Verses: Luke 16 : 14 - 18

My thoughts about the verses:

People have a tendency to think that they can pick and choose the laws that are to be followed.  That if I stay within these boundaries that I will earn the keys to Heaven.  They look at others and think that they are breaking laws that they feel are important.  Yet, at the same time they forget that they are breaking different part of the laws also.

There are so many laws that come from the Hebrew Scriptures.  If you look at them closely many of the laws were made so that the tribes could survive.  The cleanliness issues allowed the tribe to keep from getting illnesses.  It also made them put their love of God before anything else.

Yet, what happens we cannot obey every law that was every written in the Hebrew Scriptures.  The fact is that God knew that we could not obey the Ten Commandments let alone the Leviticus laws. Therefor God opened a way so that the ones that were broken could be forgotten by our loving Savior. This does not mean that we should not strive to obey as many of the laws as we can.  Yet, we should realize we all make mistakes and go outside the laws that God has set forth.

Now here comes the part that is hard for people to understand.  Our interpretation of the law causes some to turn from the grace of God.  We put up stumbling blocks that cause people to move further away from God.  It is vital that we do not add anything to the way laws are written.  We should also not add our own understanding into the laws.

It is important not to judge others.  We are to make sure that when we look at the laws that we understand their purpose and how they affect us since Jesus died on the cross.  To put your own interpretation into the laws actually is a form of judging others.  You cannot change the laws.  Yet, even though you cannot change the laws you should not use the laws to hurt others.

Simply put do not bend the laws to fit your needs.  At the same time do not bend the laws to convict others.  Leave the judgment and application of the laws to God.

Prayer:

Dear God thank you for loving us.  Thank you for covering our life with your blood.  Help us not judge others.  Help us treat others with dignity and respect.  In the name of the Holy One we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you judged others?  Are you bending the laws to fit your needs?  Are you bending the laws so that they convict others?  What do you need to do today to show God's grace to others?

You cannot love God and the Things of the Earth at the same time

Verses: Luke 16 : 1 - 13

My thoughts about the verses:

Imagine how it would be if you had to responsibilities that were at different points of the specter.  You either had to do something that would bring good or something that would cause bad things to happen.  How could you handle both responsibilities at the same time?  How could you be loyal to both and still have peace?

That is what it is like when you are weighing the love of God and the things of the Earth.  simply put the things of Earth will pass away.  Yet, the eternal rewards will be with you forever.  If you spend all of your energy on trying to accomplish a relationship with God your life will have reaches beyond reward.  Yet, if you concentrate on getting to a higher level here on Earth you will eventually lose out when you move from this life.

Jesus wanted us to understand that we should put working for God before building abundance here on Earth.  That doesn't mean that you should not work hard providing for yourself and your family.  Instead it means your heart and mind should concentrate on how those things will also help serve God.  If you are a Christian people will always be looking at your life and judging you.  They will tell be the way you do things if you are more worried about collecting things here on the Earth instead of being a spiritual witness.

Those individuals that serve God first will show their true spirit as they go about their walk here on Earth.  They will not block the path for others instead through their day to day life they will be witnessing the connection and love of God.  The things that they have will be less important than worshiping and serving God.

I know that for myself there was a time that all  worried about was making money and moving up the corporate ladder.  I had achieved a lot yet I had sacrificed my relationship with God.   I was allowing myself to stray away from God by working on getting things that one day disappears.  I know now that I was a stumbling block for so many.  I claimed to be a Christian yet,  was putting all my energy into a job that would go away.

Jesus has a way of reaching his people as they stray.  I know for me God took the ladder right from underneath my feet.  God took me down from what I thought was my achievement and showed that what I really needed was God in my life.  I was taken to a place where I had to become humble.  To see that I needed to be the witness that I was meant to be.

God opened many doors once I turned back from the life I was living.  In fact, I am living better now than I was when I was what I thought was the perfect path.  There is nothing like realizing that you have wasted time by trying to serve two masters at once.  I believe that God opened the door so that  could start sharing my life through this blog.  God showed me that being there for others was much more important than trying to be a boss of a company.  Jesus has opened my eyes to the things that I can do.  Even limited mobility and concentration have not kept me from reaching the goals that I so needed to meet.

The important thing for us all to do is look at our life.  As a Christian you should be showing others God's love in all you do.  If the things that you are doing are forcing you to stray away from God you need to decide am I doing the right thing.  People can love God and do things to influence people by their actions.  Remember it is your actions and love that need to be shown to others.  if the love of the world is showing just remember that you may be creating a stumbling block that is keeping someone you care about from accepting Christ as Savior.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for loving us.  We thank you for helping us when we do not deserve t.  We thank you for the ladders that you have pulled out from our life so that we can serve you.  Help us be the Christian that puts you first.  Help us be a witness and not a stumbling block. In the Name of the One that has set us free we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Are you serving God or are you working to obtain the riches of the world?  What do you need to do today so that you can have a closer walk with God?  Is there something that you must leave so that your call to serve can be truly live?  Are you willing to accept that God wants only the best for you?