19) "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20) But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21) desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fee from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22) So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23) and being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:19-23 NKJV ( I did not print the remaining chapter due to space constraints but please read the rest on your own).    

     I was asked a very thought provoking question the other day. I was meeting with a life insurance agent about some coverage when the agent "dropped a bomb" of sorts on me. The agent asked me, "How would your family fare today if you had died yesterday?" This question was de- signed to make me examine the financial decisions that I had made in the past and the actions (non- actions) that followed. The main point of asking the question in that manner was to spur me to immediate action.

     The unspoken point that I focused on was that whatever the answer was, I would be powerless to act because I would have been dead. Under that scenario, I would have squandered my chance to secure a good today for my family by failing to take advantage of the opportunities of yesterday. I concluded that I needed to do something today so that on tomorrow I would not have to wish that I had acted yesterday!

     Did you follow all of that? Please allow me to take the same question and apply it in a different context. Where would you be on your way to spend eternity if you had died yesterday? Remember, just as before, in our scenario, it is too late to change anything because you are already dead. Would you be heaven bound and happy or hell bound and despondent? The Bible records the lives, deaths, and destination of a "certain rich man" and a beggar named Lazarus. Jesus gave a parable that illustrated each man's situation.

     Lazarus was a beggar, in bad health, whom no one would help. It seems that only the dogs paid attention to him. The rich man had the best of everything. He had a gated house, fine clothes, and the best food to eat every day. It would appear that Lazarus, while poor by earthly standards was rich by God's standards (Matt. 5:3; Luke 4:16-21; James 2:5). Conversely, the rich man had an abundance of material goods but he was seemingly spiritually bankrupt (Matt 16:26; Luke 18:25). Both men died and woke up "on the other side". The rich man woke up in torments while Lazarus woke up in Abraham's bosom. The rich man begged for help but it was too late. The rich man was aware of his family and past life, so, he had and Abraham even referred to the fact that he had, re- ceived his "good things" in life. His yesterday doomed his today and his eternity.

     Where would we have awakened today if we had , in fact, died yesterday? Which side of that "gulf" would we be on? Have we lived our life in such a way that we would be comforted in eternity or would we too lift up our eyes in Hades? The Lord is coming back to take vengeance on those who do not know God and who do not obey the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:5-8). Do you know God? Have you obeyed the Gospel ( 1 Co 15:1-4; Rom 6:3-7; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:15-16)? Don't look back and say, "if only I had obeyed God, yesterday!"

Bro Eli