72. 1 The Rich Man And Lazarus

(Luke 16:19-31)

"There was once a rich man who dressed in the most expensive clothes and lived in great luxury every day. There was also a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who used to be brought to the rich man 's door, hoping to eat the bits of food that fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the feast in heaven. The rich man died and was buried, and in  Hades, where he was in great pain, he looked up and saw Abraham, far away, with Lazarus at his side. So he called out, "Father Abraham! Take pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip his finger in some water and cool off my tongue, because I am in great pain in this fire!" But Abraham said, 'Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things. But now he is enjoying himself here, while you are in pain. Besides all that, there is a deep pit lying between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, nor can anyone cross over to us from where you are.' The rich man said, 'Then I beg you, father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's house, where I have five brothers. Let him go and warn them so that they, at least, will not come to this place of pain.' Abraham said, 'Your brothers have Moses and the prophets to warn them; your brothers should listen to what they say.' The rich man answered, 'That is not enough, father Abraham! But if someone were to rise from death and go to them, then they would turn from their sins.' But Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone were to rise from death."

71.4 God The Savior Of Men In Distress

(Psalm 107:23-43)

Some sailed over the ocean in ships,
earning their living on the seas.
They saw what the Lord can do,
his wonderful acts on the seas.
He commanded, and a mighty wind began to blow
and stirred up the waves.
The ships were lifted high in the air
and plunged down into the depths.
In such danger the men lost their courage;
they stumbled and staggered like drunks--
all their skill was useless.
Then in their trouble they called their distress.
He calmed the raging storm,
and waves became quiet.
They were glad because of the calm,
and he brought them safe to the port they wanted
They must thank the Lord for his constant love,
for the wonderful things he did for them.
They must proclaim his greatness in the assembly
of the people
and praise him before the council of the leaders.

The Lord made rivers dry up completely
and stopped springs from flowing.
He made rich soil become salty wasteland
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
He changed deserts into pools of water
and dry land into flowing springs.
He let hungry people settle there,
and they built a city to live in.
They sowed the field and planted grapevines
and reaped an abundant harvest.
He blessed his people, and they had many children;
he kept their herds of cattle from decreasing.

When God's people were defeated and humiliated
by cruel oppression and suffering,
he showed contempt for their oppressors
and made them wander in trackless deserts.
But he rescued the needy from their misery
and made their families increase like flocks.
The righteous see this and are glad,
but all the wicked are put to silence.

May those who are wise think about these things;
may they consider the Lord's constant love.

71.3 Not Children Anymore, But Grown-Up People

(Ephesians 4:14-16)

Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful men, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent. Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided, so when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love.

71.2 We Thank God For His Continued Help

(1 Corinthians 1:4-9) 

I always give thanks to my God for you because of the grace he has given you through Christ Jesus. For in union with Christ you have become rich in all things, including all speech and all knowledge. The message about Christ has become so firmly established in you that you have not failed to receive a single blessing, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be faultless on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is to be trusted, the God who called you to have fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.

71.1 The Apostles Urge Us To Hold Fast

(Acts 13:42-43)

As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to come back the next Sabbath and tell them more about these things. After the people had left the meeting, Paul and Barnabas were followed by many Jews and by many Gentiles who had been converted to Judaism. The apostles spoke to them and encouraged them to keep on living in the grace of God.