40 John Sung Revival Sermons
I. HEAVEN AND HELL
(Luke 16)
THEME SONG
If I should die, where will I dwell---
In heaven or in hell?
Eternal bliss, eternal shame
The choice is mine to name.
Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him, now.
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.
This afternoon I would like to speak on heaven and hell. This is a most important subject, but there are many who do not believe in heaven or in hell. Before I was born again, this was a perplexing question to me.
When I was nine years old, I saw a small black thing placed in front of our door. I asked Mother what it was and she said it was a coffin for my three-year old sister to sleep in. Mystery of mysteries! I only knew how lovable little sister was, but Mother was referring to her death. entered the room. I saw her lovable face now pale and white. Her hands and feet were ice-cold. I did not realise I had seen death.
I called to her, but she did not reply. She cared not for me. I came out and saw Mother's eyes brimming with tears. I didn't know what to do. I did not know how sister died. How was it that I who was older than she had not died? Just then, I saw someone lift little sister into the coffin. I called out to Mother, "Why don't let sister sleep in the bed, but put her in the coffin?" Mother did not listen nor did anybody else, but carried the coffin out. I asked Mother where they took sister, whether she would return. Mother said they had taken her to the lonely countryside and she would not return. Hearing this I burst into tears and wailing.
I asked Mother whether I would become like little sister and Mother said yes. I grew more gloomy. That night I dreamt that I died like little sister, and was put into a coffin. I was afraid and I cried to Daddy and Mummy, "I won't die, I want to stay with you." I woke myself up with a loud sobbing which brought also Father and Mother out of bed to inquire after me. I said, "I dreamt that I died. I was afraid. I do not want to die. Death is so fearful. It takes me to the lonely countryside. No, I won't die! I want to live with Daddy and Mummy forever."
Beloved brothers and sisters, are you afraid of death? Now I'm not afraid, not a bit. For man has to die. No one can ever escape this check-point. What is fearful is where you end up after death. This subject is worthy of our careful consideration. This afternoon is devoted to the discussion of this subject, that we may know where to go after death.
Verse 19. "There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously everyday." This rich man is what you would called a capitalist, even such an one as is found in Amoy today. He has made a great name for himself on earth but in heaven his name is not found. He cared only for the outward and not for the inside. He lived sumptuously everyday, in wine and women. Now the Bible records no other sin of this rich man save his luxurious living. Imagine for yourself: Did he ever look upwards to heaven or did he look on the things of earth? Yea, he only looked on earth, on the present. So did Emperor Yuan Shih Kai turn his eyes on the present world. He did not believe in heaven or in hell. He thought once a man died everything was over. But remember, this rich man was a worshipper of God, a son of Abraham, of the elect. Maybe he was an elder or deacon in his church. As a matter of fact he did not trust God. He was a nominal believer by his reckless godless behaviour.
Verse 20. "And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores."
There was another man called Lazarus. He was nobody on earth but his name was found in heaven. This man was sick with sores all over his body. He carried the cross daily as a beggar, not that he won't work but because of his disabled limbs and sick body. In our church today there are many like Lazarus but nobody ever cares, like the rich man in this Bible story. These rich people care only after their own comforts. This is wrong, for we should take care of one another which is our God-appointed duty.
Lazarus though in such a sad plight never thought of doing evil. For he believed there was a heaven and there was a hell. He was afraid of the retribution after this life. Many robbers and warlords there are who rob and kill, massacre and plunder, and many capitalists there are who exploit and profiteer --- because they do not believe in heaven or hell. Lazarus looked up to heaven. He looked to the future. In contrast, the rich man looked down to earth. He cared for the present. Lazarus, like Jesus, dared not seek for unrighteous mammon. When Jesus was on earth he possessed not a thing, not even a place to pillow his head. Lazarus was the same. Lazarus carried the bitter cross daily. In Lazarus we see a type of Christ. Lazarus said, “I have no desires of this world. I want to go to heaven. Heaven is my home." Many have asked me, “So many in China have neither food nor clothing, and are dying of hunger and cold in extremest misery. Who will believe your talk on heaven and hell? If they don't take care of the present, how will they give attention to the future? But I say to you, “If you believe in Jesus, then you won't worry not having food and clothing. For, in God's Kingdom, there is the rule of love among us. We take care of one another. When we love God, we logically love His children, who are now our brethren in the same kingdom. How can we see our brethren suffer in hunger and cold?"
Verse 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." Lazarus sat daily at the rich man's doorway waiting to feed on the tit-bits that fell off his table. Nobody loved Lazarus. For, he was a decrepit, he could not work. Dogs were his friends, who comforted him. When Christ was on earth neither did the people love Him nor receive Him. He was assailed wherever He went. He found his friends among the tax collectors and sinners, the despised of society. These loved Jesus, who were poor and sinful, and a few others. Now Lazarus' eyes were lifted to heaven and the rich man's eyes were fixed on the earth in abandonment.
Verse 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.” Whom would you choose to be of the two? Who would like to be the rich man and who Lazarus? True, Lazarus died first, since he was a poor sick man with no one to care for him. But he was not afraid to die. He was very happy in fact. He knelt and prayed to Jesus, “Lord, I am coming home!” Was Lazarus' death the end of everything? No, He was carried by angels to his father Abraham's bosom, in paradise, which is heaven. This is evidence that heaven is real. When I go to the villages to preach and meet with some old, zealous church member's death, it is one in which angels have come to receive the departed. Now Lazarus could not afford a burial. His body being discarded in the wilderness was eaten by dogs. What a contrast with some member's death in which they make such a big show and celebration, and drum up with a procession. A funeral looks more like a religious festival to welcome the gods. Beloved brothers and sisters. See what luxury must also be lavished on a dead man, and all this for what? Was such a celebration made for Jesus' death? But Jesus did not bequeath to this earth even one of his bones. Sakymuni, Confucius, Laotse, Mohammed, died and left behind their bones. Only Jesus did not. Now, you spend such a lot on a dead body and what do you get? Look! This rich man has a five-storey mansion, a house full of wives and concubines, attired in velvet and eating the fat. But now he is down with illness. Around him are gathered his wife and secondary wives up to No. 7. These are trembling and at a loss what medicine the doctor should give to the rich man. The rich man, afraid to die, gives in to a whirl of dreadful dreams and visions. Could he now enjoy all the good things of life? He couldn't even know anything about these things. All he worries about is death. Why? There is the pain of judgment after death! Could he know after his death the best of coffins they put him in and the best of clothes they put on him? Could he see the farce they make for him and the noise of celebration that excel even a festival of the gods? Those who come for the funeral and all the on-lookers make a festive noise. Does he know? How many fat members of the church, fat deacons, fat elders and fat pastors when they die make such a show-off in their funerals, no different from what was done for this rich man! Their merry-making is to celebrate his home-going to heaven? What does the Bible say? Where did all his luxury go once he died and was buried? And the burial ended everything? The material and the spiritual parts of the man had now come to an end? No!
When I was preaching in Shantung, a college student from Tsinan came to see me. I asked him his philosophy of life. To which he answered, “Enjoy-myself philosophy." When I asked him what would happen to him when he died, he said death ended all things for him. I asked him if that was the case, why should he pursue his education and go to the university? Would it not be better to spend that money on self-enjoyment? He was dumb-founded. Beloved, let me tell you what comes to end after death. The body is finished, but not the soul!
Verse 23. “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." How is it after death now? The rich man ends up in hades, in hell, to suffer in the fire that is not quenched and to be bitten by worms that dieth not. This proves hell is real. So death does not end all. Should you ask me where heaven and hell are, astronomers have observed a place in space where there are no stars, wide and empty in the heavens, surrounded on its borders by galaxies of stars. This region is in the north. This is heaven since in Isaiah it is said God's throne is “in the sides of the north." Where is hell? In science you have studied that there is fire in the heart of the earth, fire that is of extreme heat. Where did the rich man go? Is it to the fire inside the centre of the earth? I say hell is right there! Now there are those who ask, “Since God is all-loving why will He punish men in an everlasting hell?” But you must carefully consider this fact that God has given man the chance to repent, and has sent His beloved Son Jesus to tell that unbelievers will be condemned. Now, if you refuse to repent, what further can be done? When you prick your flesh with a needle, does it produce pain in the flesh or pain in the soul? Know this that without the soul there would be no feeling. So, to keep on pricking when it produces pain is to suffer pain of your own choosing. Not to repent from knowledgeable sin will meet with punishment. God is a God who judges between good and evil and metes out the retribution. This is manifestation of the justice of His love. The rich man went to hell to be tormented in fire. The pain of thirst in the fire is unbearable and he now realises his mistake. He begs Abraham to tell Lazarus give him a drop of water to cool his thirst, but there is no intercommunication. He did not look up to heaven until he was landed in trouble, but it was too late. Here is a mystery: It is that after death a man's spiritual eyes can see great distances, from hell to heaven, but not while living on earth. Because we cannot see afar nor into the future, so many are unwittingly seeking the pleasures of the present. Hence the sufferings they have to bear after death. Brothers, sisters , wake up!
Verse 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." Now the rich man knows how to pray. Though he requests Abraham his father to send him help through Lazarus, it is not possible by reason of a great gulf separating them. The rich man is all wailing and misery. Despite his remorse, his loud cries of prayer, he has now to suffer the retribution of his sins.
Verse 25. “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst the good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” Did Abraham love the rich man? Yes. Abraham loved him and God loved him too. God used every means of salvation to save the rich man, but he refused to repent. Now he must taste its bitterness. Dear brothers, God has used all kinds of methods to save you. If you repent not, He has no other.
Verse 26. “And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” No way out! For there is a great gulf fixed between you and God. Though God is omnipotent, yet He cannot help because you have not repented while He waited and now you are to suffer for what you deserve.
Verse 27. “Then he said, I pray thee, therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house.” Ah! The rich man shows love for his five brothers. He begs Abraham to send Lazarus to go and tell them that they might know there is a heaven and a hell that they might repent from their evils. But time did not permit this. The brothers had others to tell them. It was not necessary for someone from the dead to do this.
Verse 28-31. “For I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
Abraham said, they have the Bible, the Words of the prophets telling them. If they believe not the Bible, there is no other way. I also did not believe in heaven or hell before, being blinded by a worldly education and scientific knowledge. Praise the Lord, He has shown me heaven and hell that I might return to Him. If we open the Book of Revelation we shall know what heaven is like. What I say of seeing heaven is what Revelation tells us, they are exactly the same. God has revealed heaven to us that we might understand the most beautiful spot on earth is not equal to it. God has also shown hell to me. When I was in the lunatic asylum, there was a patient warded in a room next to me. This madman would weep and pray when night fell. He would recount the sins he had committed and bite his tongue. When daylight came he stopped. When night fell he repeated the same process. This demented fellow would see flames burning all around him. At first I did not understand this. I asked God and He said to me, “In hell, the immates have nothing else to do except think upon the sorrows, and the more they think about them, the more acute their suffering becomes. So those who repent not will have to face up to all these sins with increasing sorrow to torment them. Whatever they think about will become their punishment.” I have had this experience. The more I recall the sins I committed the more I become tormented. When I could bear it no longer, I remembered I needed to pray. When I prayed all my sorrows vanished and peace returned. Have you repented of your sins? If not, you will never be at peace!
When I was preaching in Peking, there was a girl surnamed Chow. She died at the age of fifteen. She got sick at first for four months and was warded at the Central Hospital. When she came to hear me preach, the Holy Spirit worked in her heart to save her soul before death. After she repented of her sins, her illness worsened, so she asked her brother to seek for Pastor Wang (Ming-tao?) to baptise her. She found peace after baptism, yea, even joy unspeakable. Before she died she asked to see her father. She said to him, “You must believe there is a living God." Father replied, “I'm an opium smoker and a great sinner. How will God want such a sinner like me?” She said to her father, “God is love. He loves sinners. He loves you. If you don't trust in God, I shall never see you again." Father was moved by her pleas, so he knelt down to confess his sins.
Now she asked to see her elder brother. “Big brother,” she said, “You must believe in the living and true God. God is love. If you repent and confess your sins before Him, He will save you. If you refuse to repent and believe not in Him, I shall never see you again.” Big brother was also moved to repentance and returned to God.
Similarly she summoned her younger brothers and sisters who also repented and returned to God. She saved a whole family. She was overjoyed. Finally she asked her parents and the whole family to come before her. She said, “My sickness is fatal. Though I know I'm going to die, I am very happy. For I'm going to a happy place. Daddy and Mummy, brothers and sisters will all be there too. We shall meet over there, and live forevermore. Now angels are coming. Jesus comes! I'm going home. Don't be sad nor weep to make me sorrowful.” Thus saying, she departed. A smile broadened over her face. She had gone to the heavenly home.
Beloved brothers and sisters, may you also prepare to return home to God.
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约翰·宋的40篇复兴布道
一、天堂与地狱
（路加福音16章）
主题曲
如果我死了，我将住在哪里？
天堂还是地狱？
永恒的幸福，永恒的耻辱
选择权在我手中。
唯有信靠祂，唯有信靠祂，
唯有信靠祂，现在就信靠祂。
祂会拯救你，祂会拯救你，
祂现在就会拯救你。
今天下午我想谈谈天堂和地狱。这是一个极其重要的话题，但许多人并不相信天堂或地狱的存在。在我重生之前，这对我来说也是一个令人困惑的问题。
我九岁那年，看到一个黑色的小东西放在我们家门口。我问妈妈那是什么，她说那是给我三岁妹妹准备的棺材。真是个谜！ 我只知道妹妹有多么可爱，但母亲却说的是她的死。我走进房间，看到她那张可爱的脸庞如今苍白无力，手脚冰凉。我这才意识到，我目睹了死亡。
我呼唤她，她却无动于衷。她根本不在乎我。我走出房间，看到母亲的眼眶里噙满了泪水。我不知所措，不知道妹妹是怎么死的。为什么比她大的我却还活着？就在这时，我看到有人把妹妹抬进了棺材。我冲着母亲喊道：“为什么不让妹妹睡在床上，而是把她放进棺材里？”母亲没有理会，其他人也没有，只是抬着棺材走了出去。我问母亲他们把妹妹带到哪里去了，她还会回来吗？母亲说他们把她带到了偏僻的乡下，她再也回不来了。听到这话，我嚎啕大哭起来。
我问母亲，我会不会也变成像妹妹那样的人，母亲说是的。 我变得越来越沮丧。那天晚上，我梦见自己像妹妹一样死了，被放进了棺材。我害怕极了，哭着对爸爸妈妈说：“我不想死，我想和你们在一起。”我哭醒了，爸爸妈妈也从床上爬起来，问我怎么了。我说：“我梦见自己死了。我好害怕。我不想死。死亡太可怕了。它会把我带到荒凉的乡下。不，我不想死！我想永远和爸爸妈妈在一起。”
亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，你们害怕死亡吗？现在我不怕了，一点也不怕。因为人终有一死。没有人能逃脱这个终点。真正可怕的是死后会去哪里。这个问题值得我们认真思考。今天下午我们将讨论这个问题，以便我们了解死后会去哪里。
第19节：“有一个财主，穿着紫色细麻布衣服，天天奢华宴乐。”这位财主就是我们今天在厦门常见的资本家。他在世上声名显赫，但在天上却无人知晓他的名字。他只注重外表，不注重内心。他终日沉溺于酒色，过着奢靡的生活。圣经记载这位财主除了奢靡的生活方式外，没有其他罪行。试想一下：他是否仰望过天，还是只关注地上的事？是的，他只关注地上的事，只关注眼前的事物。袁世凯皇帝也是如此，他只关注眼前的世界。他不相信天堂，也不相信地狱。他认为人死后一切就都结束了。但请记住，这位财主也是上帝的信徒，是亚伯拉罕的后裔，是上帝的选民。他或许还是教会的长老或执事。事实上，他并不信靠上帝。 他名义上是信徒，实则行事鲁莽，毫无敬畏之心。
第20节：“有一个讨饭的，名叫拉撒路，浑身生疮，被人放在他门口。”
还有一个人也叫拉撒路。他在世上默默无闻，但他的名字却传到了天上。这个人浑身生疮，每日背负十字架乞讨，并非不愿工作，而是因为他肢体残疾，身体虚弱。如今，我们教会里有许多像拉撒路一样的人，却无人关心，就像圣经故事中的那个富人一样。这些富人只关心自己的舒适安逸。这是错误的，因为我们应该彼此关爱，这是我们蒙神赋予的职责。
拉撒路虽然身处如此悲惨的境地，却从未想过作恶。因为他相信有天堂和地狱。他畏惧来世的惩罚。世上有许多强盗和军阀，他们抢劫杀人、屠杀掠夺；也有许多资本家，他们剥削牟利——因为他们不相信天堂和地狱的存在。拉撒路仰望天堂，他展望未来。与此相反，富人低头看地，只顾眼前。拉撒路和耶稣一样，不敢追求不义的财富。耶稣在世时一无所有，甚至连个枕头的地方都没有。拉撒路也是如此。他日复一日地背负着苦难的十字架。在拉撒路身上，我们看到了基督的预表。拉撒路说：“我不要这世上的东西。我只想上天堂。天堂是我的家。” 许多人问我：“中国有那么多人食不果腹、衣不蔽体，在极度的苦难中饿死冻死。谁会相信你讲的天堂地狱？如果他们连现在都顾不上，又怎能顾及未来呢？”但我告诉你们：“如果你们信耶稣，就不会为衣不蔽体而忧虑。因为在神的国度里，爱是我们彼此相爱的准则。我们彼此关爱。当我们爱神时，自然也会爱祂的儿女，他们如今都是我们在同一个国度里的弟兄姐妹。” 我们怎能眼睁睁地看着弟兄姐妹在饥寒中受苦呢？
第21节：“他渴望得财主桌子上掉下来的碎渣儿充饥；不仅如此，狗也来舔他的疮。”拉撒路每日坐在财主的门口，等着吃掉桌上掉下来的残羹剩饭。没有人爱拉撒路，因为他年老体衰，无法工作。狗是他的朋友，安慰着他。当基督在世上时，人们也不爱他，也不接纳他。他所到之处都受到攻击。他最终在税吏和罪人中找到了朋友，这些被社会鄙视的人。他们爱耶稣，他们贫穷而有罪，还有一些人也爱他。如今，拉撒路的目光仰望天空，而财主的目光则落在被遗弃的地上。
第22节：“后来那乞丐死了，被天使带到亚伯拉罕的墓前。” 胸怀：那个富人也死了，并且被埋葬了。”你会选择成为他们两人中的哪一个？谁想成为富人，谁又想成为拉撒路？的确，拉撒路先死了，因为他是一个贫穷的病人，无人照料。但他并不害怕死亡。事实上，他非常高兴。他跪下向耶稣祷告说：“主啊，我要回家了！” 拉撒路的死就是一切的终结吗？不，他被天使接回他父亲亚伯拉罕的怀抱，回到乐园——也就是天堂。这证明天堂是真实存在的。当我去乡村传道，遇到一些年迈虔诚的教会成员去世时，我常常看到天使前来接走逝者。拉撒路当时连葬礼都办不起，他的尸体被丢弃在旷野，被狗啃食殆尽。这与某些成员的死形成了多么鲜明的对比！他们大张旗鼓地庆祝，举行盛大的送葬队伍。葬礼看起来更像是迎接神灵的宗教节日。亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，看看这死者也需要如此奢华的待遇，这一切又是为了什么呢？耶稣的死也曾如此隆重吗？耶稣死后，甚至没有留下一根骨头。释迦牟尼、孔子、老子、穆罕默德都去世了，留下了他们的遗骨。只有耶稣没有。而你们却如此挥霍无度。 死人身上有很多东西，结果呢？瞧！这位富翁拥有一座五层楼的豪宅，妻妾成群，身着天鹅绒，吃着肥肉。但现在他病倒了。他的妻子和七位妾都围在他身边。她们瑟瑟发抖，不知医生该给这位富翁开什么药。富翁害怕死亡，陷入了可怕的梦境和幻象之中。他还能享受生前的一切美好吗？他甚至对此一无所知。他唯一担心的就是死亡。为什么？因为死后要承受审判的痛苦！他死后能知道人们会给他装上最好的棺材，给他穿上最好的衣服吗？他能看到人们为他上演的闹剧，以及比神明的节日还要盛大的庆祝场面吗？前来参加葬礼的人和所有围观者都发出欢呼声。他知道吗？有多少肥胖的成员…… 教会里那些肥胖的执事、长老和牧师，死后都铺张浪费地办葬礼，跟这位富翁的葬礼如出一辙！他们如此欢庆，是为了庆祝他升入天堂吗？圣经是怎么说的？他死后埋葬，他所有的奢华都到哪里去了？难道葬礼就结束了一切？这个人的物质和精神层面都到此为止了吗？不！
我在山东讲道时，一位来自西南的大学生来找我。我问他人生哲学是什么，他回答说：“享乐主义哲学。”我问他死后会怎样，他说死亡就意味着一切的终结。我问他，如果真是这样，他为什么还要继续读书上大学呢？把钱花在享乐上岂不是更好吗？他哑口无言。亲爱的弟兄姊妹，让我来告诉你们，死后什么才是终结的。肉体消亡了，但灵魂永存！
第23节：“他在阴间受痛苦，举目远远地望见亚伯拉罕，又望见拉撒路在他怀里。”死后究竟如何呢？富人最终会下到阴间，下到地狱，在永不熄灭的烈火中受苦，被不死的蛆虫叮咬。这证明地狱是真实存在的。所以，死亡并非一切的终结。 如果你问我天堂和地狱在哪里，天文学家观测到宇宙中有一个地方，那里没有星星，天空辽阔空旷，四周环绕着星系。这个区域位于北方。这就是天堂，因为以赛亚书中说，上帝的宝座“在北方的极处”。地狱在哪里？你们在科学中已经学习到，地球中心有烈火，那是极热的火焰。那个富人去了哪里？是去了地球中心的烈火吗？我说，地狱就在那里！现在有人会问：“既然上帝是全能的，为什么祂还要把人送入永恒的地狱惩罚他们呢？”但你必须仔细思考这个事实：上帝给了人悔改的机会，并差遣祂的爱子耶稣来告诉世人，不信的人必将受审判。如果你拒绝悔改，还能怎么办呢？当你用针刺破皮肤时，是肉体感到疼痛，还是灵魂感到疼痛？要知道，没有灵魂，就没有感觉。 所以，明知会痛却仍继续自残，就是自寻苦楚。明知故犯却不悔改，必将遭受惩罚。上帝是审判善恶并施以报应的神，这正是祂爱的公义彰显。那位富翁下地狱受火刑折磨。火中干渴的痛苦难以忍受，他这才意识到自己的错误。他恳求亚伯拉罕吩咐拉撒路给他一滴水解渴，但亚伯拉罕无法回应。直到身陷困境，他才仰望苍穹，但为时已晚。这里有一个奥秘：人死后，属灵的眼睛可以看见遥远的距离，从地狱到天堂，但在世上却无法做到。因为我们无法看清远方，也无法预见未来，所以许多人在不知不觉中追求当下的享乐，因此死后必将承受苦难。弟兄姐妹们，醒醒吧！
第24节：“他喊着说：‘我祖亚伯拉罕啊，可怜我吧！打发拉撒路来，用指头尖蘸点水，凉凉我的舌头，因为我在这火焰里极其痛苦。’”这位财主懂得如何祷告。他请求父亲亚伯拉罕通过拉撒路帮助他，但由于他们之间隔着一道鸿沟，这是不可能的。财主悲痛欲绝，哀号哀号。尽管他悔恨不已，大声祷告，如今他仍要承受自己罪孽的报应。
第25节：“亚伯拉罕说：‘儿啊，你当回想你生前享过福，拉撒路也受过苦；如今他得安慰，你倒受痛苦。’”亚伯拉罕爱这位财主吗？是的。亚伯拉罕爱他，神也爱他。神用尽一切救赎之道拯救这位财主，但他却拒绝悔改。如今他必须尝到悔改的苦果。亲爱的弟兄们，神也用尽各种方法拯救你们。 如果你不悔改，祂别无选择。
第26节：“此外，在我们和你们之间有一道鸿沟，以致从这边到你们那边的人不能过去，从你们那边到我们这边的人也不能过去。” 无路可逃！因为你和上帝之间有一道鸿沟。虽然上帝全能，但祂也无能为力，因为在祂等待期间你没有悔改，现在你必将承受你应得的惩罚。
第27节：“于是他说：‘我父啊，求你差遣他到我父家去。’”啊！这位财主对他的五个兄弟充满了爱。他恳求亚伯拉罕差遣拉撒路去告诉他们天堂和地狱的存在，好让他们悔改。但时间不允许。兄弟们已经有其他人告诉他们了。没有必要让一个死人来做这件事。
第28-31节：“因为我还有五个弟兄，他可以对他们作见证，免得他们也来到这痛苦的地方。”亚伯拉罕对他说：“他们有摩西和先知的话，让他们听从吧。”拉撒路说：“不，我父亚伯拉罕，若有一个从死里复活的到他们那里去，他们必要悔改。”亚伯拉罕说：“他们若不听从摩西和先知的话，就是有一个从死里复活的，他们也是不信服的。”
亚伯拉罕说，他们有圣经，有先知的话语告诉他们。如果他们不相信圣经，那就没有别的出路了。我以前也不相信天堂和地狱，因为我被世俗的教育和科学知识蒙蔽了双眼。感谢主，祂向我展示了天堂和地狱，使我能够回到祂身边。如果我们打开《启示录》，就会知道天堂是什么样子。我所说的看到天堂，正是《启示录》告诉我们的，它们完全一样。上帝向我们揭示了天堂，使我们明白世上最美的地方也无法与之相比。上帝也向我展示了地狱。当我在精神病院时，我隔壁房间住着一个病人。这个疯子会在夜幕降临时哭泣祈祷。他会细数自己犯下的罪孽，然后咬紧牙关。天亮时，他会停止。夜幕降临时，他又会重复同样的动作。这个精神错乱的人会看到周围燃烧着火焰。起初我不明白这是怎么回事。 我向上帝祷告，祂对我说：“在地狱里，囚犯们除了反复思量自己的罪孽之外，别无他事可做；他们越是思量，痛苦就越剧烈。所以，那些不悔改的人，将不得不面对自己所有的罪孽，承受越来越深的痛苦折磨。他们所想的，都将成为他们的惩罚。” 我曾有过这样的经历。我越是回想自己犯下的罪，就越是痛苦不堪。当我再也无法忍受时，我便想起自己需要祷告。当我祷告时，所有的痛苦都消失了，平安重新回到我的心中。你是否已经悔改了自己的罪？如果没有，你将永远无法获得平安！
我在北京传道时，遇到一位姓周的女孩。她十五岁就去世了。起初她病了四个月，在中央医院住院。后来她来听我讲道，圣灵在她心中动工，在她临终前拯救了她的灵魂。 她悔改之后，病情却加重了，于是她请哥哥去找王牧师（可能是王明涛）为她施洗。受洗后，她找到了平安，甚至感受到了难以言喻的喜乐。临终前，她要求见父亲一面。她对父亲说：“你必须相信有一位永活的神。”父亲回答说：“我吸食鸦片，罪孽深重。神怎么会要我这样的罪人呢？”她对父亲说：“神就是爱。他爱罪人。他爱你。如果你不信神，我就再也见不到你了。”父亲被她的恳求所感动，跪下来认罪。
现在，她又要求见哥哥一面。“哥哥，”她说，“你必须相信那位永活的真神。神就是爱。如果你悔改，向他认罪，他必拯救你。如果你不悔改，不信他，我就再也见不到你了。” 哥哥也悔改归向神。
同样，她召集了弟弟妹妹们，他们也都悔改归向神。她拯救了整个家庭。她欣喜若狂。最后，她请父母和全家人到她面前。她说：“我的病是致命的。虽然我知道自己即将离世，但我非常高兴。因为我要去一个快乐的地方。爸爸妈妈、兄弟姐妹们都会在那里。我们会在那里重聚，永远生活在一起。天使们来了。耶稣来了！我要回家了。不要悲伤，不要哭泣，以免我难过。”说完，她就离开了。她的脸上绽放出灿烂的笑容。她已经回到了天家。
亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，愿你们也预备好回到神的家。
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