The Rich Man and Lazarus: He who Laughs Last, Laughs Best.

Luke 16:19-31. The question that comes to my mind when i read this parable is: What was Jesus really trying to teach with this parable? Of course some possible answers are: 1) Jesus is explaining that is impossible for a rich person (who loves money) to enter in His kingdom: Matthew 19:24. 2) Jesus is confirming that if we don't show mercy towards our neighbor, we will not receive mercy: James 2:13. 3) Jesus is affirming that no one will be saved without faith in God: Hebrews 11:6. Jesus is proving that even if something miraculous happens, like someone is being raised from the dead (read Lazarus' resurrection in John 11), people will still doubt it. 4) Jesus is contradicting Rob Bell, assuring that hell is a real place and if you reject God's love you will spend eternity there (Read Post: God's Love Wins! If You Reject It, You Lose: Why Hell is "Hot" and Purgatory is "Cool"). Question: What would you prefer? A life of luxury and comfort on earth and eternity in hell or a life of hardship and suffering on earth and eternity in heaven? Unfortunately, in this post-modern christianism, hardship and suffering are synonyms of God's wrath or disapproval of His children's life, there's no place for Job, Paul, Peter, Jesus Christ in it, therefore Jesus was completely wrong when, in Matthew 5, He called the persecuted or reviled "blessed". I'm not saying here that God's will for us is a life of suffering and hardship, but i'm saying that it will come sooner or latter, if you are a God's child, that's only a matter of time. Here's Paul assurance: Acts 20:19. To me, when we become christians, we automatically enroll in the "university of adversity", a few will "graduate", but the vast majority will "fail". Matthew 22:14. Are you up for the challenge?

To BE Attitudes: Blessed ARE the Peacemakers...

Matthew 5:9. First of all, let's answer these questions:

Q: Is Jesus Christ blessed?

A: Yes He is. Psalm 118:26! Matthew 21:9.

Q: Is Jesus Christ the Son of God?

A: Yes He is! John 20:31.

Q: Is Jesus Christ a peacemaker?

A: He is not only a peacemaker, He is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6.

Q: If He is a peacemaker, why He didn't bring peace on earth when He came? Matthew 10:34. Luke 12:51.

A: He didn't come to bring peace on earth because the world didn't receive Him, He brought peace to the ones who received Him, the children of God. John 1:12. John 14:27. We, God's children, are called to be peacemakers, to bring peace to the ones God is calling to Himself. Of course, as the world rejected Jesus Christ (refused to receive God's peace), so it will do to us, but as "ambassadors" of God's Kingdom, we are called to live peaceably with everyone as much as depends on us, Romans 12:18. God's peace is not bound to our circumstances, it's not limited to our understanding and it's not defined by our emotions, God's peace is a "decision", not a feeling! Philippians 4:5-7. We, believers, have to understand that our fight is against the devil and his demons, not against people. It is a spiritual battle, not a moral or physical one. Ephesians 6:12.