LESSON FROM THE RICH FOOL

LESSON FROM THE RICH FOOL - LUKE 12:16-21 Read and Share if you care...
…“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Basic Truths:
He was rich in treasures of this world but was poor towards God.
He did not go to hell because he was a rich man.
He was very selfish and did not care about the poor.
He trusted in unrighteous riches and not in God.

What God Expects from us:
God expects us to believe and accept Jesus Christ his only son as our Lord and Saviour (Be Born Again John 3:16, and converted as a little child Matt 18:3)…The only recommended atonement for our sins and the only redemption for the soul of man. Acts 4:12.

God expects us to lay our treasures in heaven thereby being rich towards Him… In alms giving, praying, reading His word and in obedient tithing and offering, evangelism, supporting our local church and other Kingdom services Matt 6:20.

God expects us to walk in holiness and righteousness…. Putting away every unclean thing since our body is His temple and eschewing evil. Lev 20:7, Job 1:1, Heb 4:14, 12:14.

Put Away the OLD MAN and put on the NEW

ANOTHER PATHETIC STORY

Rita, an exceptionally talented sister in song and extraordinarily gifted in leadership and organization, who served the Lord in school fellowship with the testifier was also seen at the bank of hell. Read Rita’s story.

“A-ll-en, A-ll-en,” shouted the lady.

I was shocked to the root to hear my name in hell. I didn’t recognize on time who the person was, because the face was marred and disfigured by the fire; the skin was blackened by the flame and littered by sores.

Who? Who? Who are you? I asked with great inquisitiveness. She shouted again:

A-Il-en Bamgbose, I am Rita; your hostel mate in the Grammar School. “O-o-oh I’m hungry, p-l-e-a-s-e help m-e-e...”

I was flabbergasted at seeing Rita in hell. Rita in hell? No! It must be a dream. But Rita died a good Christian! I soliloquized all these questions right on the same spot. To cut a long story short, human feelings griped me and I thought I could help her out of that predicament. Thus, I took a step to move to her, but my legs were too heavy for me to lift. I looked around for my friendly angel again, he was nowhere to be found.

“Rita, why are you here? You are a child of God, why did you miss heaven? We organized concerts, carols and quiz competitions in our school fellowship and you didn’t disappoint God. You were very good at sword drill and impromptu speech. “Why?” “How?’ I sobbed out these statements.

“Yes, I did all that in the Grammar School, Allen,” she replied “But, later in life and two months to my graduation in the University, I yielded to a sinful affair with a boy at home during a short break. I thought of repenting in the campus chapel when the school resumed. But on returning from home, I had a motor accident. The next thing I discovered was that I found myself in the gate over there and the angel asked me to go to the left road which ends in this place,” she revealed.

“O-o-oh Rita, why did you allow this, after all the evangelism in the boarding house, choruses and prayer meetings? What were you doing till your flesh inflicted this temptation on you and conquered?” I asked with lament.

While I was lamenting over this tragic scene, the fire as red as it were erupted like a volcano around the place she was, immediately, she sank. I was afraid of God right there. I didn’t see Rita again throughout my vision.

PRAYER

Father Lord, help me to discover and the forsake deeds that are capable of finding me out on the last day. Grant me grace to put away the OLD MAN and to put on the NEW MAN. Ephe 4:22-25

Extract from the book, “4 HOUR INTERVIEWS IN HELL”. Yemi Bankole, 1999.

CONFESS and FORSAKE your SINS NOW or NEVER

STORY THAT TOUCHES THE HEART:

A Church Overseer, who contributed immensely to early missionary activities in Nigeria and other African states after he took over from the church founder in the early fifties (Name withheld), found himself in the abyss, after he had served the Lord for over 32 years. Read the conversation between the Reverend and the man who saw him by the bank of the Abyss.

“Sir, what happened?”, I reverently asked.

“Friend, from where? Do you know me?” he asked.

“It seems so Sir! I think you were Reverend so and so”, I replied with heaviness of mind.

“Yes, you’re right,” he retorted.

“I pity the tragic condition of this place. Upon all the struggling for preaching of those years,” I continued.

“Dear, I never dreamt of coming to a place like here too. My waking thought was heaven while on earth, but, for a lesson learned too late my hope became a mirage.

Friend, this is what happened. I preached for thirty-two years in the world. I preached salvation by grace; hell fire as a reality and the imminent coming of Christ called the rapture. Presently in heaven, are good number of those who heard these good teachings from me. But, two years before death struck. I took part of the church money meant for Church Building to conduct a wedding ceremony for my Grand Daughter. And this being unknown to anybody, I let it go. At the end of that year, I wrote the financial report revealing that the whole amount contributed was spent for the project - After a sermon one Sunday evening, I took ill which ended in my death. Before I got to the main gate I was basking in joy that I had made it at last, not until I was diverted here. I doubted it, until the hook of record was opened which carried all my good Christian services. But underneath all the rendered services it is written “Not to be remembered, because he took a holy thing”. The angel in charge further disclosed that the church money which I took was contributed out of sweat by the church members and faithfulness demands for a just and true account.

He added that my report was not in conformity with the gospel standard of stewardship and that the act betrayed my office as a minister, he explained.

“But, Sir, did you plead for mercy? I asked.

“I did, but the angel replied that forgiveness is possible only in the world, but reward or judgement is determined there at the gate”, he answered.

LESSON

FRIEND, the lesson I have learnt from this story is that we should never neglect warnings and convictions by the Holy Spirit. I want to believe that for 2 years this reverend gentleman was given opportunity to confess his sins and afterwards make restitution but he blatantly refused as a result of pride. If he had told the church board that he used church money, the worst that could have happened to him would have been for the board to ask him to repay the money or probably compel him to resign as an overseer. Now this man has found himself in hell and there is no more chance for repentance or forgiveness. Rom 8: 22.

PRAYER

Oh Lord my Father, help me to discover and to repent of SINS that are capable of making me GUILTY on the LAST DAY. Help me to always listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and to do according to His leading. Gal 5:16, 25. Rom. 8:14. 1 John 1:8-10.

Story from the book, “4 HOUR INTERVIEWS IN HELL”. Yemi Bankole, 1999.