His day was like all the others. The hours were filled with hoping and wondering. Hoping for a few pieces of food to fall from this man's table and wondering when it would be.
I do not know if he had any family. Those that placed him in front of the rich man's house each day, could have been his friends. I am just assuming they were beggars also, if not they could have fed him with crumbs from their tables.
He was lame, since he was placed in front of this man's house. So, he was dependent on someone for his food, transportation, and everything else, to keep him alive. He was so weak, he couldn't keep the dogs from gathering to lick his sores. Although this could have soothed his pain, I do not know. This was written for us to realize the magnitude of his suffering.
His pain each and every day was from hunger, thirst, diseased infested flesh, loneliness, weather conditions, and dwindling hope. I think this fully describes his rock bottom. I do not know if his rock bottom was a result of his wrong choices or just being born with an affliction.
The man I am writing about is a certain beggar mentioned by Christ in Luke 16:19-31. His name was Lazarus.
The past few month's I have met some people very close to being at this extreme rock bottom. They want to turn their lives around, but they do not have the means, discipline, family, and friends to help them do so. 100 percent are facing rock bottom, as a result of very bad choices they have made in their lives. It will be hard for them to find much success on this earth, unless they have a burning desire to do so.
Why did Christ tell those listening to Him about this beggar Lazarus and why was it written down and protected all of these years for us to read?
This is the extreme of rock bottom in this fallen world. Lazarus's hope of being any better in this world was depleted, but I believe he knew God and was living with a faith that someday would become sight.
Why do I believe this? Lazarus died and the angels came and carried him to Abraham's bosom. What was this? Lazarus was now with Abraham in the paradise side of Hades, waiting for the final judgement. Why did Jesus choose to mention Abraham? The Jews believed Abraham died a righteous man, who trusted God.
The most beautiful part of this story is Lazarus had nothing to give anyone. His life was miserable, but he still believed and trusted in God or Christ would not have said, he was in Abraham's bosom. He still awaits there today. On judgement day, he will go to heaven. There he will find the treasures he laid up by believing and trusting in God on earth.
He was the perfect example of being at rock bottom, while here on earth, but his soul was still healthy and prosperous.
This is the eternal hope we have. Even if we hit rock bottom as Lazarus, we still can have a soul that is successful, in Christ.
What if you were the richest person on this earth, but your soul was lost and at rock bottom. Your riches would only benefit you a maximum of 100 years and at death, your soul would be in torment, away from God, for all eternity. What are you willing to make this trade for? The whole world? (Matthew 16:26)
I noticed that Lazarus never complained or asked God why he suffered so, while on earth. He never asked Abraham to send someone back to tell his family about the paradise he was in and for them to love and obey God so they could join him someday.
God wants all of us to be in heaven with Him someday. We will be there, if we love Him and abide in His will. He doesn't want any to perish. (John 3:15-21)
God is not slack in His promises to us. He is longsuffering toward us and not willing that any should perish, but all come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9)
Jesus wants us to go everywhere to teach this good news, that God wants to save us and that Jesus died in our place. We must teach them to believe it and then be buried with Him in baptism, putting on Christ, and burying the old man of sin. Then their sins will be forgiven and they will be saved. (Mark 16:15-16)
This is the reason we should go out and teach those who are suffering. Many get back in to drugs, because they believe they have no hope. We need to tell them Lazarus was in a bad shape, having no hope of success in this life, but he trusted and believed in God and is now and forever will receive the crown of life.
This is why I write. I see so many hurting people being deceived by the evil in this world. We all need to be faithful unto death and we will receive the crown of life. (Revelations 2:10) Christians, we are the only ones designated and commissioned to tell them the good news.
We will see a difference in our communities, when we do as Christ commanded.
If you have any comments or are approaching rock bottom, send me an email to rhepler52@gmail.com
You can purchase my book: The Heart Behind the Stone:Develop a Giant Slaying Heart, by going to: http://amzn.to/1Mi2AXW
Thank you for reading and please share with someone who is hurting.
Rick Hepler
Monday, July 30, 2018
Friday, July 27, 2018
He Broke Out of The Box of Traditional Thinking
There were twelve of them. They were sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. They were gone forty days. The land was truly fruitful as God promised, but they saw some giants. Ten of the twelve reported to the people the giants viewed them as grasshoppers before them and they even viewed themselves as grasshoppers in their own sight.
The ten spies had the traditional fears with "in the box" thinking of, they are bigger and stronger. Even though God promised them the land, their fear was larger than believing God. Joshua and Caleb did not identify with these thoughts and were ready to go, possess the land, and defeat any of its inhabitants, because God said He would be with them.
Results of in the box thinking, ruled by traditional fears, were to those who complained, twenty years old and above, would die in the wilderness wandering of forty years. Only Joshua, Caleb, and those under twenty years of age would go to the promised land, but they to had to wander forty years with their fathers.
This is an example of herd mentality. They had previously seen God's miracles in their deliverance from Egypt, but their fears overcame their belief and trust in God. These ten men swayed the others to do the same.
Now moving forward many years, we see God's people dealing with a giant named Goliath. Did their ancestors instill in them the same fearful thoughts of facing giants as they had? You know after causing their children the hardships of wandering in the wilderness, they had to picture the giants as large and ferocious. They had to come up with some excuse for their cowardliness and not trusting in God. Was this told from generation to generation implanting this fear in their subconscious minds?
Now we come to a point in time, where the descendants of those in Numbers chapter 13 are facing one giant, Goliath. We can again see the same fear. In 1 Samuel chapter 17, we can read of the retreating of God's armies as those in Numbers 13.
When Goliath approached them morning and evening for forty days, king Saul and all Israel were dismayed and greatly afraid. When they heard him they fled. Their "in the box" thinking was to fear all giants.
However, there was one among them, who was to show them, with God, you can erase those traditional thoughts of fear.
The young shepherd boy, David, was about to teach them a lesson, and us, of "out of the box" thinking. He had developed "God confidence" and not self confidence. Being alone with God and those few sheep in the wilderness, had made him into a man after God's own heart.
David's mission was to bring supplies to his brothers that day. He didn't come to face a giant, but he had already let God prepare him for any task, large or small.
David immediately identifies his "cause" with this question, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine , that should defy the armies of the living God?".
He is now faced with a barrage of traditional "in the box" thinking.
First, his older brother, Eliab, accuses him of being prideful and disrespectful. He also tries to humiliate him by referencing he is only a shepherd boy, overseeing a few sheep, and who does he think he is by coming and questioning the armies of God.
Secondly, King Saul tells him, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth".
Finally, Saul clothed him with his armor and put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail and fastened his sword to his armor. This was the best weaponry of the times.
Let me summarize this traditional "in the box" thinking.
1. You cannot question others more experienced, when you have less "status" in life than they. That is powerful and keeps many today from doing the purpose God created them to do. I believe this is the first, most powerful, resistance we have in overcoming the traditional "in the box" thinking. If we don't overcome this one, the others following will never test us.
2. You do not have the experience. You are too young. You cannot do what others have been doing since their youth and are now older being well experienced in what they do. If you can even make it to this number two line of thought, this one has a very large success rate of sending those who try back to their old pattern of thought.
3. You do not have the specialized equipment for the task at hand. This is strike three. This presents the final road block between you and following your impossible dream, of doing your best with the talent God has given you. This delays the work on your dreams, and for many, I mean very many, buries their dreams in the grave with them, never to influence or to help those left behind.
David had "an out of the box, God confident, thinking". This thinking led him to do many, above average, activities. How could he have this and none of the other men of Israel have it? Their thinking was based on man made thoughts and David's allowed his thoughts to be formed by thinking God's thoughts.
David believed in God by seeing His glory in creation every day. He valued God's word and God's commandments as to be more desired than fine gold and sweeter than honey. And David wanted to be pleasing to his God. Please reread Psalm 19.
David's faith and trust in God was seen by the Philistines and all Israel. The influence of this faith, manifested by killing Goliath, caused the armies of God, who once fled from the enemy, to actively pursue the enemy.
David thinking "out of the box", was needed to show God's glory at a time when the enemies could see it and all of Israel.
Has our traditional "in the box" thinking today, limited our service to God and spreading the Gospel? We can't put God in a box and we must break out of the box of thinking as the world thinks.
I hope you can think outside the box to do great things for God and not have any regrets buried with you.
Thank you so much for reading. Please share with others on Facebook or send me your thoughts at rhepler52@gmail.com.
Also, if you haven't read my book, please go to: http://amzn.to/1Mi2AXW to purchase.
Please do not let the wrong "in the box thinking" keep you from serving and loving God.
Thank you.
Rick Hepler
The ten spies had the traditional fears with "in the box" thinking of, they are bigger and stronger. Even though God promised them the land, their fear was larger than believing God. Joshua and Caleb did not identify with these thoughts and were ready to go, possess the land, and defeat any of its inhabitants, because God said He would be with them.
Results of in the box thinking, ruled by traditional fears, were to those who complained, twenty years old and above, would die in the wilderness wandering of forty years. Only Joshua, Caleb, and those under twenty years of age would go to the promised land, but they to had to wander forty years with their fathers.
This is an example of herd mentality. They had previously seen God's miracles in their deliverance from Egypt, but their fears overcame their belief and trust in God. These ten men swayed the others to do the same.
Now moving forward many years, we see God's people dealing with a giant named Goliath. Did their ancestors instill in them the same fearful thoughts of facing giants as they had? You know after causing their children the hardships of wandering in the wilderness, they had to picture the giants as large and ferocious. They had to come up with some excuse for their cowardliness and not trusting in God. Was this told from generation to generation implanting this fear in their subconscious minds?
Now we come to a point in time, where the descendants of those in Numbers chapter 13 are facing one giant, Goliath. We can again see the same fear. In 1 Samuel chapter 17, we can read of the retreating of God's armies as those in Numbers 13.
When Goliath approached them morning and evening for forty days, king Saul and all Israel were dismayed and greatly afraid. When they heard him they fled. Their "in the box" thinking was to fear all giants.
However, there was one among them, who was to show them, with God, you can erase those traditional thoughts of fear.
The young shepherd boy, David, was about to teach them a lesson, and us, of "out of the box" thinking. He had developed "God confidence" and not self confidence. Being alone with God and those few sheep in the wilderness, had made him into a man after God's own heart.
David's mission was to bring supplies to his brothers that day. He didn't come to face a giant, but he had already let God prepare him for any task, large or small.
David immediately identifies his "cause" with this question, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine , that should defy the armies of the living God?".
He is now faced with a barrage of traditional "in the box" thinking.
First, his older brother, Eliab, accuses him of being prideful and disrespectful. He also tries to humiliate him by referencing he is only a shepherd boy, overseeing a few sheep, and who does he think he is by coming and questioning the armies of God.
Secondly, King Saul tells him, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth".
Finally, Saul clothed him with his armor and put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail and fastened his sword to his armor. This was the best weaponry of the times.
Let me summarize this traditional "in the box" thinking.
1. You cannot question others more experienced, when you have less "status" in life than they. That is powerful and keeps many today from doing the purpose God created them to do. I believe this is the first, most powerful, resistance we have in overcoming the traditional "in the box" thinking. If we don't overcome this one, the others following will never test us.
2. You do not have the experience. You are too young. You cannot do what others have been doing since their youth and are now older being well experienced in what they do. If you can even make it to this number two line of thought, this one has a very large success rate of sending those who try back to their old pattern of thought.
3. You do not have the specialized equipment for the task at hand. This is strike three. This presents the final road block between you and following your impossible dream, of doing your best with the talent God has given you. This delays the work on your dreams, and for many, I mean very many, buries their dreams in the grave with them, never to influence or to help those left behind.
David had "an out of the box, God confident, thinking". This thinking led him to do many, above average, activities. How could he have this and none of the other men of Israel have it? Their thinking was based on man made thoughts and David's allowed his thoughts to be formed by thinking God's thoughts.
David believed in God by seeing His glory in creation every day. He valued God's word and God's commandments as to be more desired than fine gold and sweeter than honey. And David wanted to be pleasing to his God. Please reread Psalm 19.
David's faith and trust in God was seen by the Philistines and all Israel. The influence of this faith, manifested by killing Goliath, caused the armies of God, who once fled from the enemy, to actively pursue the enemy.
David thinking "out of the box", was needed to show God's glory at a time when the enemies could see it and all of Israel.
Has our traditional "in the box" thinking today, limited our service to God and spreading the Gospel? We can't put God in a box and we must break out of the box of thinking as the world thinks.
I hope you can think outside the box to do great things for God and not have any regrets buried with you.
Thank you so much for reading. Please share with others on Facebook or send me your thoughts at rhepler52@gmail.com.
Also, if you haven't read my book, please go to: http://amzn.to/1Mi2AXW to purchase.
Please do not let the wrong "in the box thinking" keep you from serving and loving God.
Thank you.
Rick Hepler
Sunday, July 22, 2018
The Cowardly (Fearful) Christians Will Be There Too!
Fear can keep you from danger, hurt, pain, and suffering. It can also keep you from some of God's richest blessings. It caused the children of Israel to wander in the wilderness for forty years, Peter to deny his Lord three times, the one talent man to be cast into outer darkness, and many today to follow a sinful, least resistant life path, ending in being lost eternally.
The scriptures below were overlooked by me for several years. Self righteously pounding my chest, I was sound in doctrine, and my name was not and would never be on that list. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son, but the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation21:7-8, NKJV)
Notice the first word on the list above is cowardly. The King James version says, "the fearful". In this verse, cowardly is referring to Christians who, through cowardice, give way under persecution and apostatize.-(Thayer's Lexicon) Confessing Jesus was the Son of God, could get you killed in those times. In some places in the world today, it still can.
What does this word mean to you and me today? If we say we are Christians, are we strong or cowardly Christians? Is this serious? You betcha! You ever heard a sermon on the topic of "being cowardly"? Do you really think the Devil wants you to?
What does God want? He wants us to believe in Him and trust Him. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV) God does not want us to doubt Him nor not trust in what He promises or commands us to do.
The definition in Strong's Lexicon for the above faith is: belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or Christ, springing from faith in the same. You and I must trust God and believe who He is.
If I act fearfully or cowardly, I am afraid of losing something. I am still fearful, although God has said, He will never leave me nor forsake me. What am I afraid of losing? I believe the number one fear is losing favor with friends, peers, and family.
If I live a cowardly Christian life, I will not only take my place in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, I will take my peers, friends, and family with me.
I want to be a Christian with a courageous love for God and you, my neighbor. If I love you as I love myself, we will both make it to heaven. And it doesn't matter neighbor, if you are scarred, tattooed, or wounded, I want to show God's love to you by my love for you. This will change us both, back to the image and likeness we were created in.
I believe you will agree, the people in this great land need to focus on loving one another, instead of all the hate we see each day on the news.
--Rick Hepler
The scriptures below were overlooked by me for several years. Self righteously pounding my chest, I was sound in doctrine, and my name was not and would never be on that list. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son, but the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation21:7-8, NKJV)
Notice the first word on the list above is cowardly. The King James version says, "the fearful". In this verse, cowardly is referring to Christians who, through cowardice, give way under persecution and apostatize.-(Thayer's Lexicon) Confessing Jesus was the Son of God, could get you killed in those times. In some places in the world today, it still can.
What does this word mean to you and me today? If we say we are Christians, are we strong or cowardly Christians? Is this serious? You betcha! You ever heard a sermon on the topic of "being cowardly"? Do you really think the Devil wants you to?
What does God want? He wants us to believe in Him and trust Him. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV) God does not want us to doubt Him nor not trust in what He promises or commands us to do.
The definition in Strong's Lexicon for the above faith is: belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or Christ, springing from faith in the same. You and I must trust God and believe who He is.
If I act fearfully or cowardly, I am afraid of losing something. I am still fearful, although God has said, He will never leave me nor forsake me. What am I afraid of losing? I believe the number one fear is losing favor with friends, peers, and family.
According to The Center for Study of
Global Christianity, in 1970 the United States had 90.9 percent of
its people professing to be Christians and that number declined to 69.4
percent in 2010. It is projected to be 66 percent in 2020.
In the mid 1960s and early 1970s in this country,
in my opinion, there were seeds planted that have now produced uncontrollable
giants. The anything goes sexual revolution, prochoice movement,
and removing God's name, and any form associated with it, from every public institution, seemed to test our
society. Only a small number started this and the uniformed went along with it.
Did the 90.9 percent professing to be Christians catch your attention? Is this telling me that the 9.1 percent not professing to be Christians, in that same time period, had more power than those professing to be Christians? What happened? The salt lost its flavor and the light was hidden under a basket. You and I, professing Christians, lost it. We ran and hid, as did David's brothers, along with God's army, when Goliath challenged them morning and evening for 40 days.
David was the only one who had a cause and a backbone to go with it. He was the only one to have a pleasing faith toward God. One young man, slayed a giant, causing God's army to come out of hiding and defeat the army of the Philistines. God was with David and he knew it. God was with us in the 70s, but evidently we didn't know it.
Today, July 22, 2018, the three giants have grown to an uncontrollable strength. The approximately 68 percent of those still professing to be Christians are weaker than the 90.9 percent in the 70s. Of these only a small portion will worship God in spirit and truth this Sunday.
The "light of the world" is hidden not under a basket, but under the roof of multi-million dollar "church" building and the "salt of the earth" is in this same building as salt in a salt shaker, not yet to be shaken.
Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 3:16-21, warns God's people and we are warned against being cowardly in Revelation 21:8. You and I can't go back and start a new beginning, but we can begin today and make a new and better ending.
Being lukewarm in our faith is not going to get the job done. (Revelation 3:14-17) You and I need to examine our faith, because our children and grandchildren are watching. Do we want them to go to heaven?
Thanks for reading. Comments can be sent to rhepler52@gmail.com .
You can go to: http://amzn.to/1Mi2AXW to purchase my book, "The Heart Behind the Stone:Develop a Giant Slaying Heart". I tell about the three giants mentioned above and what we as Christians can do to defeat them.
Rick Hepler.
If I live a cowardly Christian life, I will not only take my place in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, I will take my peers, friends, and family with me.
I want to be a Christian with a courageous love for God and you, my neighbor. If I love you as I love myself, we will both make it to heaven. And it doesn't matter neighbor, if you are scarred, tattooed, or wounded, I want to show God's love to you by my love for you. This will change us both, back to the image and likeness we were created in.
I believe you will agree, the people in this great land need to focus on loving one another, instead of all the hate we see each day on the news.
--Rick Hepler
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