ABOUT 2 years ago my wife and I visited a retired Welsh sheep farmer and his wife who were well into their 90's.

During the course of conversation the old lady suddenly looked at us very solemnly and said, "There's too much of this God is love today! God is just!" How right she was! Sadly God is looked upon as being so loving that He will virtually welcome everyone into heaven unless they have been very, very wicked.

Because Jesus said He would be killed but rise from the dead, He could speak with absolute authority about life beyond the grave. To illustrate this He spoke about a selfish rich man who lived for finance, fashion and food. ( Luke 16:19 ] He did nothing to please God but everything to please himself.

Outside the rich man's gate lay a beggar named Lazarus, which means, God is my help. He was covered with sores and would have been glad to eat the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table so the dog's that licked his sores gave him more comfort than the rich man!

Jesus tells us that Lazarus died and was carried by the angels to Heaven, where Abraham lived. The rich man also died but although, unlike Lazarus, he was buried with dignity, he lifted up his eyes in Hell and saw Lazarus afar off in Heaven. He cried, "Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame." Abraham said this was impossible so the rich man pleaded with him to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers about this place of torment but Abraham said, "They wouldn't believe even if someone rose from the dead!" Jesus has risen from the dead but millions still don't believe.