CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR OCTOBER 13, 2021 : TOPIC - LIFE IN HELL (I)
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Wednesday, October 13, 2021 - International Day for Disaster Reduction
LIFE IN HELL (I)
Read: Luke 16:19-31
Luke 16:19-31 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
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;
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
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.
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.
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.
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
MEMORISE:
And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom (Luke 16:23)
EXPOSITION
When you tell the tale of a place you have personally visited, people tend to believe you more, because experience, they say, is the best teacher. If you have experienced it, you can preach it better. No one is more qualified to talk about hell and the life there, than someone who had passed a night at least there. How is the place like? What are they doing there? Who are the people there? Can there be any greater disaster to man's soul than hell, even as the world remembers International Day For National Disaster Reduction?
One thing that is common with the testimonies of those who claim they have visited hell, whether in dream, trance, or real life, is the agony and anguish the people there are subjected to. You wouldn't want to visit such a place, whether in real life or in the dream world. To strengthen your resolve not to visit or end up in hell, listen to the account of the rich man in Luke 16. While we cannot totally believe the claims of those hell visitors that we have around us today, so to say, this account cannot be debunked, because it is from the Master Himself, who alone came down from heaven. His testimony is real and faultless.
This episode is the real picture of what hell is, from the very mouth of the Truth. It is true. The rich man ended in hell after enjoying all the goodness of this world, but Lazarus was comforted in the bosom of Abraham. Torment and comfort are two parallel experiences (v. 25). How do we know that the place is not habitable? Part of the torment is that water was not available to quench the rich man's thirst. Was there no water, or was it deliberately withdrawn? How satisfying would a fingertip-drop of water can be? He believed that with that he could be satisfied. What a torment! Considering the rate at which you use water here to bath, drink, cook, etc., would you be able to cope where water crises will rob you of even a single drop to quench your thirst? Think of it and make necessary amends before its too late.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, help me not to end my life in hell, come what may.
2. Lord Jesus, don't let me be eternally separated from You.
3. Lord, deliver our rich men from overconfidence in their riches, so that they can honour You with their substances, and better the lots of people around them.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Isaiah 24:10 - 28:3; Philippians 2:24 - 3:15
Reviewed by Muyiwa Abodunrin (Muyilight)
on
October 13, 2021
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