WHEN COMFORT AND OBEDIENCE COLLIDE, DO YOU HAVE AN ETERNAL FOCUS ?

The world that we live in is made up of SO MANY DIFFERENT REALITIES. All of these various realities will impact us in our search for Relationship With God. Monetary economics, Essential Goods, Places of Residence, Cultural Norms, Governmental Control, and many other perceived and real “things” impact us all daily. Often it is the very true gap of those who “have” and those who “do not have”. This extends far beyond just material goods, but also embraces things like Freedom, Opportunity, and Choice. Scripture tells us that we are simply a “vapor” here on earth as we move through our human earthly lives. God is ETERNAL, and in Christ, we are also Eternal Kingdom Citizens. Our treasures here will eventually be “dust”; our true treasures will await us in Heaven. Earthly treasures generally revolve around assets collected, positions obtained, or relationships built. Heavenly treasures are gained by serving God and letting our actions glorify Him and His Kingdom. Luke 16:19-31 is a Parable that should open the eyes of every Christian Everywhere. It specifically deals with how difficult it can be to have a proper focus on Gods two main commandments when one is OH SO COMFORTABLE IN ONE’S EARTHLY EXISTENCE. It is the battle of SELF and COMFORT vs. OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND HIS WAYS. Luke 16 parable from Jesus shows us just what can happen when WE get too Comfortable in our circumstances and stop “Loving our Neighbor As We Love Ourselves. In the parable, a rich man chooses to ignore the plight of “Lazarus” the beggar who in affliction sat at his gate every day. Lazarus had nothing. He awaited the opportunity to scoop up the crumbs of the rich man just to eek out Survival. Eventually both of them died…and boy was their Eternal Outcome Different ! Lazarus is by the side of Abraham in what we perceive as the Heavenly Realm, while the rich man is engulfed in the fire of Hades. He simply begs for a cool drop of water on his tongue, if only Lazarus could be so kind. Abraham astutely points out that the rich man received his “good things” during his earthly life; Lazarus has received his comfort in an Eternal way instead. The chasm between the two places of existence is simply too great for anyone to cross over. IT BEGS A SIMPLE QUESTION FOR US ALL. “IS OUR FOCUS ON OUR COMFORT RIGHT NOW, OR DO WE UNDERSTAND AND CARE ABOUT OUR ETERNAL LIFE IN A MORE IMPORTANT MANNER ?”

DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT IF YOU PRESENT YOURSELF TO ANYONE AS OBEDIENT SLAVES, YOU ARE SLAVES OF THE ONE WHOM YOU OBEY, EITHER OF SIN, WHICH LEADS TO DEATH, OR OF OBEDIENCE, WHICH LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. Romans 6:16

WHOEVER HAS MY COMMANDMENTS AND KEEPS THEM, HE IT IS WHO LOVES ME. AND HE WHO LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY MY FATHER, AND I WILL LOVE HIM AND MANIFEST MYSELF TO HIM. John 14:21

AS OBEDIENT CHILDREN, DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THE PASSIONS OF YOUR FORMER IGNORANCE. 1 Peter 1:14

The rich man was truly distraught. Comfort in his earthly life had been but momentary, and now he was in Eternal Torment. Realizing that his brothers who had not died had the same focus as he had, he begged Abraham to send Lazarus to warn them and keep them from Hades. Abraham reminded him: “They have Moses and the Prophets; they should listen to them.” No said the rich man “If someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. Abraham simply points out that “If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.” ALL OF GOD’S WORD IS POWERFUL AND FULL OF THE TRUTH ! THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS PAINT A PERFECT PICTURE OF GOD THE FATHER, JESUS HIS SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ! Comfort is truly a Challenge for all of us. It is So Very Nice to exist in It ! We desire it SO STRONGLY, and God does promise us many blessings and truly ABUNDANT LIFE…IF…We are OBEDIENT TO HIS COMMANDMENTS ON HOW TO LIVE AND HOW WE ENGAGE OTHERS AND OUR VERY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD HIMSELF. Do we focus on Ourself and Our life now, or do we surrender in OBEDIENCE to what God desires and Commands us ? For many, it is too challenging to visualize giving up “any” of the comfort we Have Earned. Have WE earned it, or is it the blessings that GOD sends our way ? JESUS came to earth to build a Bridge across the chasm that separates us from God. THE CHOICE to believe in HIM comes to us in THIS LIFE. Right NOW where we each reside. Once death comes upon us, the choice is no longer ours to make. Our comfort here is traded for ETERNAL separation from GOD HIMSELF. WHY WOULD ANYONE CHOOSE THAT ? Sadly, many do…and yet, Jesus keeps knocking at the doors of their hearts.

COME TO ME, ALL WHO LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND LOWLY IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. FOR MY YOKE IS EASY, AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT. Matthew 11: 28-30

BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF MERCIES AND GOD OF ALL COMFORT, WHO COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR AFFLICTION, SO THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE IN ANY AFFLICTION, WITH THE COMFORT WITH WHICH WE OURSELVES ARE COMFORTED BY GOD. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4

Comfort of the world is a False Comfort. True Comfort only comes from an OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ! All the earthly possessions we amass, covet, treasure, and Die For are MEANINGLESS ! GOD is our true treasure, and a relationship through the Gift Of Jesus is the ONLY WAY one can come to The Father and His Kingdom. JESUS IS LIFE !!! ETERNALLY ! Open up YOUR HEART to see it and Embrace It. He Will speak to your heart if you simply ask and desire it. Surrender false comfort and trust in the world and yourself to be a NEW CREATION. OBEDIENT TO HIM AND HIS WAYS. Like many of the rich men that we see in the Parable above, they will MISS HIM WHO HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, because their hearts were hardened and they didn’t understand that JESUS IS PROCLAIMED IN ALL THE SCRIPTURE ! FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION ! DON’T MISS HIM, FOR HE LOVES YOU. HE IS THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE :)

BUT YOU ARE A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION, THAT YOU MAY PROCLAIM THE EXCELLENCIES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF THE DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT. 1 Peter 2:9

BE ChOSEN/JAA