In Lk. 16:19-31

We have the continuation of 5 parables, some teach that this is an actual event that Jesus described and not a parable the arguments for this is that Jesus used the word certain however he also said certain in another place

(Mt 21 33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder,) also they say because Jesus used a name ( Lazarus ) but there is a good reason for this which I will go into in this article.

There are many reasons why this cannot be an actual story one being Jesus only spoke about the mysteries of the kingdom to the pharisees in parables,

  but most of all it is a fitting description of the Jew and the Gentiles, which is primarily what Jesus was always speaking to the people about because he came to the Lost sheep of the house of Israel and to establish a new covenant by His blood.

19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

The rich man is the religious Jew his riches was his inheritance and the promises of God , the purple speaks of kingship the linen speaks of priesthood “A King-Priest ministry”.

 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

The term laying at the gate was a common term used toward the gentiles, also crumbs was a common thought for that day an example the Syrophonesian woman ask for crumbs to bring healing for her daughter,  they the Gentiles were also called dogs.This spiritual beggar called Lazarus stands for the nations of the world and is right at Judah’s gateway so to speak. The Greek ‘Lazarus’ has it’s counterpart in Hebrew ‘Eleazer’ which means: ‘he whom God helps’ or ‘whom God aids’. The Greek word for name is ‘onoma’ and not only means ‘a name’ but implies ‘one possessing a certain character’ or characteristic. Thus it could be written: ‘Outside the gate of Judah there were the nations of the world, whose characteristic was they were beggars and diseased, all needing the help of God’.

 22 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;

Notice the beggar was carried by the angels it doesn’t say he was buried, and the rich man was buried (the grave) but both systems died this is symbolic, representing a change in the order.   Lazarus carried into the bosom of Abraham represents the heathen nations of the world and we see the transfer of relationship.Matthew 21:43‘Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof’ It is Judah (Jews, so called) represented here.

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

In Hades ( the grave; not Gehenna )  In torment (not torture) “fear has torment” it means a place of anguish of mind or soul.   He still had good vision to see Abraham and Lazarus in his breast or bosom. ‘Notice How he cries to Abraham for mercy (They said to Jesus in Jn. 8:39 We have Abraham as our father)   Consider the following for a moment.  If he was engulfed in Hell-fire as many suggest, how on earth would he be able to hold a conversation with someone else? Any human being having been caught in such torture would be consumed, his hair burned off, his skin blistered infinitely worse than third degree burns. The trauma of such a “consuming fire, along with the shock to a human being would be intolerable.”

24 And 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.

Here is a rich man who cries from a long way off must have had a good strong voice and good eye sight,  he calls Abraham his father (a term of respect and relationship) He still had the presence of mind to know Lazarus asking only for him to put his finger in some water, now in a fire of torture he would need more than a dip of water, if he was a selfish rich man you would think he would have asked for the fire to be completely put out,  the word tormented in this flame cannot be taken as a literal fire, this was a term more common among the people of that day.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Abraham called him son (again denoting relationship), surely having good things would not be enough to cause him to spend eternity in hell?   this is saying because of the Jews rejection of the Messiah they were tormented.

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

A great gulf or chasm symbolizes that these two systems are over, God has brought in a new and everlasting covenant through His son greater than Abraham.   He has broken every barrier down, removed all hindrances and opened up the way to full restoration. Galatians 3:28 ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus’ Ephesians 2:13-18 ‘But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Here he shows his love for his family, His prayer though was to Abraham not to God not acknowledging The messiah Jesus, but still looking to Abraham.    It is also significant to the people of that day and they would have known,  that Judah ( the Jew ) had 5 brothers again showing the rich man as the Jew.

 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

The Jews had been given the law through Moses

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

If the Jews would not hear what was written of the Messiah through Moses and the prophets then neither would they hear when Jesus was raised from the dead.

Eph. 5:27 That He may present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

This verse is better translated to present as himself, she is already presented to him holy and without blame, but she has not been presented as him to all the earth.

The church that is not being presented as him is the one who has the spots and wrinkles of an old covenant and an old man.

Eph.3;10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

7 Things about a Glorious church:

1—-Jesus is the builder of it. He builds from the inside out. God never starts anything he hasn’t already finished. In Exodus 25 in the Tabernacle of Moses, God started with his view from the most holy place then revealed ( disclosed ) His pattern to all the people.

2—Proverbs 7 is a description ‘or an allegory’ of a harlot church which can be defined as that which substitutes for the headship of Jesus Christ, not a particular denomination or group.

In contrast to this Proverbs 31 is a glorious church, a virtuous woman whose husband is made known in all the gates. The children rise up and call her blessed, the law of kindness is in her tongue not the law of wrath and judgment.

3—-The Glorious Church brings forth the seed in the earth meaning she bares the image or fruit of Christ in both character and ministry.

4—-The Glorious Church is relational not religious toward Jesus and toward one another.

5—-The Glorious Church is eternal. She is not a concubine until he can get to his true bride, she is not a Delta Dawn with her faded rose in her hand waiting for her lover to take her home, but she is the eternal wife of Jesus Christ.

6—-The Glorious Church has dominion in the earth not through violence, but through the overcoming Lamb of God shepherding the nations with his love, beauty and strength.

7—-The Glorious Church is a standard of divine justice for all men revealing God’s mercy, wisdom and forgiveness.

Scott Stimson Sr

1 Corinthians 15:44-46 (Amplified Bible)

It is not what we have done it is how we get up and move forward from what we have done. When we fail it is part of our journey, but not our destiny.

7 ways to recover through grace after we fail:

1—-Release yourself from your failures by turning away from them in your thinking, We belong to Him and we have no right to turn on nor accuse ourselves. God has favoured us based on His love for us not our failures.

2—- Think on achievements and draw strength from them whenever we have wronged others or hurt them by our decisions. We should take responsibility for our actions, make it right if possible and keep moving. We don’t have to live in bondage to the regrets of the past nor the worries of tomorrow.

3—-Understand that God’s ability is not limited to our failures. The simple truth is He is greater than our mistakes and failures.

4—-Don’t allow the failures of the past to define you. Our identity is in Christ; we are sons of God even if we don’t live or act like it.

5—-Wash yourself with the liberating truth of the Word of God concerning who you are in Christ and who He is in you. Refuse to listen to the old religious dragon in your mind or in someone else accusing you based on the old law of Moses.

6—-Thanksgiving is the cure for negativity. Understand that we have a right to praise Him in-spite of what we may have done in the place of defeat Praise Him!

7—-God knew we would fail before we did. When He made those promises to us He knew what we would do, he will use it now to work humility in us by teaching us to trust Him rather than ourselves.

Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it. Eph. 4:29 Amp.

(This includes speaking to yourself)

Scott Stimson Sr.

In Luke 7:34-35     Jesus said that because He enjoyed life  (J.B. Phillips translation),  He was called a friend of tax-collectors and sinners;   He answers this by saying wisdom will be vindicated by those who are the children of wisdom meaning that our life and our deeds will speak for themselves.     7 things we need to know about becoming a friend of sinners according to religious standards.     1——Understand that God’s purpose is not to get the world into the church, but the church into the world. The church that Jesus builds is the instrument of the kingdom of God in the earth. ( Mt.5:14-16 )   2——-Understand God’s ownership of the planet. The Earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof;   the world and ALL they who dwell there in. Ps 24:1   3——- Understand the difference between separate and separated.  We can be separate from the world without being separated (2 Cor.6:17)  When we are delivered from the world, that is from its control and binding influence we can than be sent to the world. (Acts 26:17)   4——-See them as already saved and love them in their present condition not trying to change them or manipulate them into what we want them to do or be, but show them Jesus by showing them mercy.   (Epe.2:4-5)   5——-By identifying with them as Jesus identified with us, then showing them respect, anyone we don’t respect will be repelled from our life those we do respect we will draw.   (Jn.8:3-11)   6——-By knowing the power of God over all flesh; light is greater then darkness, life is greater then death.  Be a people lifter give them hope and help!  (Jn.3:17)   7——-By learning to communicate with people who don’t think, talk, or act like us,maybe they are not religious, but they are probably blinded by religion “Note”  The entire book of Esther was written without any reference to God yet He is found all through the book. (1 Cor.14:23) Scott Stimson Sr

A Prophetic People ~     A prophetic people are not known by much prophesying, visions, dreams, and predictions, although all of these may accompany a prophetic people, their focus is on Christ and His Kingdom.     Proverbs 29:18(a) — Where there is no vision (prophetic revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint). The context of this passage has to do with child rearing  — Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your heart.     This helps us to see beyond the un-disciplined nature of a child and into the beauty of a mature son. Prophetic revelation will keep us on course and moving forward in the right direction individually and corporately.     7 Attributes Of A Prophetic People —   (1) — They re-present Jesus to the nations — The nations have had a view of Jesus that is marred by religion and tradition, yet they have not seen Him in grace and truth.   (2) —  They make known the heart of the Father — His heart is for His children, and to make His Glory known throughout the whole earth.   (3) —  They have a limitless vision — As it was said to Abraham, “look in all directions, and as far as you can see, I have given it to you.”   (4) —   They are a people of passion, not casual-ism — casual-ism is the doctrine that ‘chance prevails in all things’. We don’t  live by chance, but our pursuit is the Person and Principles of Jesus.   (5) —    They live by the New Covenant faith of Jesus — His faith has already defeated every enemy we could ever face includingdeath.   (6) —    They are a people of rest living from the finished work of Christ — The battle we are in, He has already won, and we now live out of His victory and come to rest in what is His death, burial, and resurrection.   (7) —    They are obsessed with His presence — In His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. There is nothing on earth that compares to the presence of God filling our mind, emotions, and will.     Scott Stimson Sr.

Heb. 10:14    For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

We have many in the Body of Christ who aspire to be an Apostle thinking that it will give them some special place of honor, much like the CEO  or leader of a business, while even insisting that they be referred to by the title.

While we should give honor to whom honor is due there is something out of place when it has to be demanded, simply said the example of a true Apostle is laid out in scripture and also history for us all to see.

Signs of an Apostle:

2 Cor.12:12  Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. NKJ

(1) All patience or perseverance—-My definition of patience is… “Being filled with confidence that God is in control no matter how things appear”…

“Patience is the willingness to give up immediate pleasure for long time gain”…..

“Patience is postponing our desire until the proper time”.

Perseverance…. “Continuing forward in-spite of disappointing set backs and on going opposition”.

(2) Signs Wonders and Mighty deeds —- In reading the book of Acts signs and wonders accompanied the apostles, they were not limited to just people falling under the power and laughing or a few minor healing’s.

True Apostles like this were powerful enough that they could not be ignored or explained away; they either brought a revival or a riot they changed entire cities making religious and political leaders to tremble where ever they would go.

Rom 15:18– For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me in word or in deed to make the Gentiles obedient.

19– in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illiyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

True apostolic ministry is not about recruiting sons to take care of them or looking for the praise of men it is not about more money or prestige, but true apostolic ministry is being willing to spend and be spent

It is about being counted as the off scouring while giving thanks to God for the honor of suffering for His names sake, it is about being a parent that lays up for their children, not the children for the parents, it is about dying daily so others can live, it is through this kind of ministry that the true signs of an apostle are accomplished.

Scott Stimson Sr.

(1)   When beginning a new relationship never ignore warning signals… example: disrespect for you or your family, rudeness toward others or gossip — if they will gossip to you they will gossip about you. “gossip means malicious intent” (2)   You should never have to change who you are in order to be liked, on the other hand we should always improve upon ourselves to improve our lifestyle. (3)   We should be able to disagree on issues and ideas without damaging the relationship. (4)   Real relationships should never be forced (through control or manipulation)  they should be built through love and mutual respect through the test of time and difficulty. (5)   Beware when it is all one-sided when the conversation’s are always about them. When they make a conscious attempt to convince you of their own success or if they are the center of attention, but have no real interest in you or your wishes could be toxic. (6)   It will not be political in nature which is simply self serving, for money, popularity, or to fill a rejection need. (7)   God will bring people into our lives who help equip and balance us they are leaders, some are spiritual parents, and mentors in where we need to grow, they will not change who they are to fit us they will have to be pursued by us and God will make the changes in us through His grace. Scott Stimson Sr.

 All leaders could benefit by these simple nuggets be they preachers or not.

(1) Whenever there is a leadership problem of communication it does not rest entirely on the people but with the leaders who then must avoid the temptation of either becoming a people pleaser or a controller of them.

 

 (2) Study to show (yourself) approved unto the Lord “not to find a sermon.”Notice it is show yourself approved not show the Lord or somebody else.

 

(a)—Preparation for speaking after knowing the subject is better found in good spiritual, mental and physical rest:

 

(b)—Experience the word you preach from the finished work of Christ let it season in you in all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding

 

(3)—–Learn to preach with them not at them this comes by having a connection with the people. 

 

(a)—-We connect by identifying with the people through relationship, learn to use the terms we and Him instead of I and you.

 

(b)—–Respect and honor the ones you will be speaking to,  believe in them it will go a long way.

 

(4)—–Learn proper protocol– if your in another place respect the authority, the order, and the custom you don’t always have to be right.

 

(5)—-Your not there for an offering your there to be one. We should always be aware of the temptation to put our eyes on the finances if this happens we will find ourselves led by finances instead of the Holy Spirit.

 

 (6)—–In public speaking know when your done—Let the people determine how long you preach or teach let them demand more from you remember your there for them not them for you.

 

 (7) Bring forth bread and wine that means both the word and the moving of the spirit ( the gifts of the spirit) not just through you but through the body; Learn what it is to ascend and descend.

 

  Scott Stimson Sr.