by Terry Wane Benton<\/p>\n
To me, one of the most sobering thoughts was when Jesus talked about the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19f).<\/p>\n
Both had lived their lives and died. One went to a place of comfort, and the other to a place of torment. The rich man wanted simple comfort but could not get it. Abraham told him to remember<\/em> his lifetime, choices, and opportunities.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most tormenting thing that will haunt people forever is how close they came to the Bible and to Christians who were trying to help them know the truth. Perhaps some will remember<\/em> sermons they heard and invitations extended. They will remember<\/em> how they dismissed it and chose to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin instead of uniting with Christ and becoming His disciple.<\/p>\n Imagine the rich man remembering<\/em> that he had “Moses and the Prophets<\/em>” but letting that precious book collect dust.<\/p>\n Imagine people remembering<\/em> forever how close they came to “so great salvation<\/em>” (Hebrews 2:1-4) and remembering<\/em> the many unimportant things that occupied their attention as they neglected<\/em> the things that mattered regarding their eternal destiny.<\/p>\n Imagine people\u00a0remembering<\/em> even this post and thinking, “I need to get my life straight with the Lord,” and then putting it aside.\u00a0Eternity is just a heartbeat away.<\/p>\n Can we study together and avoid this scene on the other side?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Terry Wane Benton To me, one of the most sobering thoughts was when Jesus talked about the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19f). Both had lived their lives and died. One went to a place of comfort, and the other to a place of torment. The rich man wanted simple comfort but could not…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[109,373],"class_list":["post-86950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-death","tag-hell"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63067,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/mistakes-of-a-rich-man\/","url_meta":{"origin":86950,"position":0},"title":"Mistakes of a Rich Man","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Luke 12:13-21 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Someone approached Jesus, asking him to settle a dispute over an inheritance. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jesus declined, stating that it wasn\u2019t his occupation \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But he pointed out the root problem between the brothers \u2013 greed \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We know this without even knowing the facts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1590,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-happens-to-you-when-you-die\/","url_meta":{"origin":86950,"position":1},"title":"What happens to you when you die?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 20, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What happens to you when you die? Answer: The Bible teaches us that human beings are made in three parts. \"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1466,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-hell-like\/","url_meta":{"origin":86950,"position":2},"title":"What Is Hell Like? (Article)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 1, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton When Jesus taught with parables, each story is based on true events: people do purchase fields, widows do lose coins, and fishermen do catch a variety of things in their nets. In one story, Jesus tells of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28690,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/though-poor-they-are-rich\/","url_meta":{"origin":86950,"position":3},"title":"Though Poor, They Are Rich","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant \"South of the Border\" is a delightful song that I remember from my boyhood, telling us of our neighbors \"down Mexico way.\" The tune came to mind as I was reading the reports of brethren Robert Turner and V. N. Collins in Plain Talk\u00a0some time ago.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/poverty-in-Mexico.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":63681,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-hell-like-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":86950,"position":4},"title":"What is Hell Like? (Sermon)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 10, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Read Luke 16:19-31 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In every parable of Jesus, the illustration is used to teach a larger message. But every parable is based on true facts. People do purchase fields, widows do lose coins. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Notice the facts in this story: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Two men lived \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Two men died \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62881,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/its-not-what-i-expected\/","url_meta":{"origin":86950,"position":5},"title":"It\u2019s Not What I Expected","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 23, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 53:1-12 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps you are wondering \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Where are the special Christmas displays and decorations? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How come the bulletin doesn\u2019t mention the Christ\u2019s birth? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This is not what I expected! II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Naaman - II Kings 5:1-19 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Naaman was expecting Elisha to come out of his house,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86950\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}