Lazarus and the Rich Man

The people of this island (country) have different beliefs about where man goes after he dies. Some say that he goes to...................or..................... (Give name of places in your area). Others say the people go to a holy mountain. But the people only think this. It is not true. No one has come back from the dead to tell them. But the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, has told us true words about where people go after they die. He told us about two men of Judea.

One was a very rich man who had many possessions, and he held many feasts. But this man trusted in riches, not in God. The other man was Lazarus, who was very poor. He could not walk about because he had sores on his legs. But Lazarus loved God, and he had a happy heart. Some of Lazarus's friends carried him to the door of the rich man's house so he could eat any food that the rich man might give him. The rich man did not give him medicine for his bad legs, but the dogs came and licked his sores. At the end, which one will win, between those two men? What do you think?

Jesus told us that these two men died. God's angels took Lazarus (to Hades), to the place where Abraham and God's people stayed after they died. The time the rich man died he left all of his riches behind, and he went to (the other side of) Hades, to the bad side, and had great suffering in the fire. In torment he looked across to (the other side and saw) Lazarus having a good time with Abraham. He cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." But Abraham said, "Son, remember when you were alive, you had a good time, and Lazarus had a hard time; but now, he is comforted, and you have a hard time in the fire. And between the side where you stay, and the side where we stay, there is a great gulf (hole, fixed); so that you cannot pass over to us, and we cannot go to you".

The rich man knew that it was too late for him, so he asked Abraham to send Lazarus to talk to his five brothers who were still alive, and warn them, so that they would not come to this bad place. But Abraham said that they had God's Word to tell them to repent, and if they did not believe God's Word, they would not believe the word of a man if he became alive again from the dead. No, he was not allowed to send Lazarus.

Today, those who trust in Jesus, and obey His Word, when they die they will go to be with Jesus in Heaven. But those who do not belong to Jesus, but who go their own way, when they die they will first go to (the bad side of) Hades and there await God's big court, and after that they will go into the sea of fire forever.

Brothers and sisters, you do not know when you will die. It is better that you take Jesus today as your Saviour and Lord; then follow Him truly all of your days.