A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Wednesday, May 11^th, 2016. Today is the 132^nd Day of 2016.

Today is TYLER BAILLIEZ’ Birthday

Today is ARIC WITTMER’S FIRST Birthday

There are only 234 days left in this year; and, there are only 39 days left until Father’s Day; and, there are only 228 days left until CHRISTMAS…

A Brief Glimpse of Heaven

Our focal passage yesterday is filled with amazing insights about what Paradise (Heaven) will be like for the believer…

Luke 16:19-31
¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
²⁰ And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
²¹ who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
²² The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried,
²³ and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
²⁴ And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’
²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—
²⁸ for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’
²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

First, people who go there (like Lazarus) are still alive…

Second, people who go there still have their five senses… This is proof, by-the-way, that the senses are contained in the mind (spirit) of a person, rather than merely being a chemical reaction in the physical brain of a person.

Third, people who go there know not only each other (the Rich Man and Lazarus) but they know everyone there even though those people lived and died a long time before they were born… (i.e., Abraham)

Fourth, people who go there have direct communication with God…

Fifth, remember that Paradise was taken to be in the Third Heaven following the death of Jesus. Therefore, those who go there will not see into Hades and be aware of the sufferings of the unsaved dead.

According to Revelation 20:15 – 21:4, I am absolutely convinced that after the final judgment of the unsaved dead, all memory of them will be wiped away.

Do not miss the opportunity for Mid-Week Prayer and Bible Study Tonight from 6:30 – 8:00pm. We are studying the Second Coming of Jesus and the events that follow into the Eternal State.

Each evening features a stand-alone lesson, so if you can’t make them all; be sure you catch as many of these lessons as you can.

Carpe Diem!