Who is your true god?

Source: The Journeys Project

"Jesus looked at him and said, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'" - Luke 18:24-25 (NIV)

Today's verses do not imply any problems with wealth, nor does it reference the discussions about the rich people in the world as brought up by groups such as Occupy Wall Street. Rather, it is part of a passage from the Gospels (Luke 18:15:-30) in which Jesus first rebukes his disciples for rejecting children coming to him, then probes the heart of a rich ruler who questioned him.

In this passage, Jesus gets the ruler, his disciples and the reader to probe their own hearts on what is their god. Is it God himself, as revealed through Jesus Christ? Or is it something else, whether it is money, possessions, career, sex, or anything else?

Pastor Brooks Simpson of Grace Community Church in North Liberty, Iowa, discussed this recently.

Are you self-righteous?

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." - Luke 18:14 (NIV)

Most people are aware and generally do not like it when people pump themselves more than they are. We see it all the time with athletes, movie stars, and even amongst us. We ourselves can be guilty of it by looking down on those who do not have our viewpoints, whether we are liberal or conservative politically, root for a rival sports team, and other positions. Christians also have been accused of this, looking down on those who do not believe as they do.

Pastor Brooks Simpson of Grace Community Church in North Liberty, Iowa, recently spoke on this topic, referencing Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.

What is Hell?

Source: OpusDeiAlert.com

"In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’" - Luke 16:23-24 (NIV)

The Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) record that Jesus talked about Hell 70 times in 58 verses. This is almost as many times as he talked about love, which is what He is truly known for. This means that despite the wishes of some people, Hell is a very real place, and a topic that should be taken seriously.

Rather than explain it more here, check out this talk recorded yesterday, Sunday, April 15, by Pastor Brooks Simpson at Grace Community Church in North Liberty, Iowa, as he explains what Hell is all about.