Final Appointment

Tuesday 16 August
READ: : Luk. 16:19-31
MORE LESSON: Heb. 9:27

Death is a leveller, it happens to all. It is not only the poor or the needy that die, the rich also die, 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: Lk. 16:22. We all have an appointment with our Maker, whether we are ready for it or not depends on what we do for Jesus now.
There was this story of an ambulance driver who indulged in alcohol trying to warm himself on a rainy Saturday morning by drinking on the job. He didn't get warm, but actually got lost with the corpse in the ambulance on the way to the cemetery. The funeral procession waited in vain at the grave for hours. Late that evening, the police found the driver asleep in the ambulance by the way side. By then it was too late for the burial, and the cemetery wouldn't accept the casket on Sunday. On Monday, the news paper reported that the body of the 82 years old woman was finally laid to rest two days late for the final appointment. But I am sure you know that appointment was kept right on time. The late burial did not alter the fact that her conscious soul had passed into eternity precisely at God's appointed time.
As Lazarus was carried immediately by the angels to Abraham's bosom and the ungodly rich man to hell will keep repeating itself until Christ comes, and will be true of every one of us. For the child of God, death immediately lifts the spirit into the presence of God (II Cor. 5:8). Death instantly closes the door to Heaven and opens another to Christless eternity called ”hell” where the unbelievers begin their eternity in torment of fire.
Someday, you will have to leave here and when you do, where will you be? That is, those who died on earth without Jesus will have to die again and shall have their part in the lake of fire. It is either that you are born again and stay born again or die again, “the second death” (Rev. 21:8). Choose to be born again so that you will not die again. You can do it right now! Say, Lord Jesus, I acknowledge you as my Lord and Saviour, save me now, forgive me my many sins, have mercy on me, give me power not to sin again and write my name in the Lamb book of Life. Thank You for saving me, now I'm born again and a candidate for Heaven when I die. One more step to take is to look for a believer in Christ to share your experience with immediately so that he will guide you on how to live your new life.

PRAYER/ACTION
* O Father, help me to keep my salvation experience to the end.
* Sin no longer has dominion over me, in Jesus’ name.
* Jesus, the Saviour of everyone in the world, save those who need salvation today, in Jesus’ mighty name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I receive the seal of the Holy Ghost to walk through a troop and leap over a wall without harm, in the name of Jesus.