In Touch Daily Devotional By Charles Stanley 15th December 2022, Thursday Message
Read In Touch Daily Devotional By Charles Stanley 15th December 2022 and be blessed.
TOPIC: What Happens After Death?
SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Luke 16:19-31
19 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day. 20 And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,
21 and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man’s table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores. 22 Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to [a]Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried.
23 And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his [b]arms. 24 And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’
25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 And [c]besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’
27 And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’
29 But Abraham *said, ‘They have [d]Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’
31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
Death is inevitable, but most people give that reality little thought until it’s too late. Now is the time to think seriously about what follows our earthly existence—while we still have the opportunity to make a decision that will affect our ultimate destination.
This life is not all there is; eternity awaits all of us. Some will live eternally in God’s presence, but the alternative is to experience everlasting torment, forever separated from Him. If we receive Jesus as Savior, our penalty for sin is paid, we are adopted into God’s family, and heaven is our eternal home. But if we suppress the truth and reject Jesus, we remain alienated from God, under condemnation for our sin, and destined for unending agony.
Some say that there are many ways to God, but don’t believe it. There is just one way—through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). He is the only mediator between fallen mankind and holy God (1 Timothy 2:5).
God welcomes every person who comes to Him through faith in His Son, regardless of background, age, or current situation. If you realize you’re a sinner and believe Jesus died on your behalf, ask Him to be your Savior. Then you can be confident that you’re forgiven and are now and forever a part of God’s family.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: 2 Timothy 1-4
REFLECT: Now is the time to decide where you will spend eternity.
READ: In Touch Daily Devotional By Charles Stanley 14th December 2022 | Facing Death
In Touch Daily Devotional By Charles Stanley 15th December 2022. He is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, both located in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Stanley’s heart’s desire is to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.