HEAR THE WORD WHILE YOU STILL CAN
(Luke 16:29 — “Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.”)
HEAR THE WORD WHILE YOU STILL CAN
(Luke
16:29 — “Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them.”)
A Cry From the Other Side
Brethren and
friends, there is a cry that still trembles across eternity — not from heaven,
but from torment. In Luke 16, our Lord Jesus pulls back the curtain of the
unseen world to show us a rich man who lived for himself and a beggar named
Lazarus who suffered in life but was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom.
The rich man, now
in anguish, lifts up his eyes and pleads for his brothers who are still alive.
“Send Lazarus,” he begs, “that he may warn them.” But Abraham’s answer pierces
like thunder: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.”
Oh brethren, hear
that line again — let them hear them. The Lord is saying to every soul
today: You already have My Word. Listen to it while you still can.
Because a day is coming when no preacher can warn you, no invitation song will
call you, and no Bible will be opened to reach your heart again.
The Word They Already Had
The phrase “Moses and the prophets”
refers to the Scriptures—the Word of God that reveals His will to man. In those
days, the Jews had the Old Testament writings. Today, we have the complete
revelation of God—the Old and New Testaments combined. “All scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
Abraham was telling the rich man that God has
already spoken. There is no need for another miracle, no resurrection from the
dead, no special messenger from beyond the grave. The answer to salvation, the
warning against sin, and the hope of eternal life are all found in the
Scriptures.
Brethren, God will not send another message
because the Bible is already sufficient. It is “the faith which was once
delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)
The Tragedy of Ignoring the Word
The rich man’s brothers had the same
Scriptures. They could have read Moses, who wrote about sin and the law. They
could have read the prophets, who cried, “Turn ye, turn ye from your evil
ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11) But they did
not listen. They were too busy, too proud, too comfortable.
Just like many today, they may have thought, “I’ll
think about God later.” But later never came. And now their brother, from
the place of torment, pleads in vain.
The Word of God is not meant to entertain us;
it is meant to awaken us. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any twoedged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12) But how many treat it
lightly! We scroll through social media but not through Scripture. We fill our
ears with music but not with the message of salvation.
One day, like the rich man, many will realize
the value of the Bible—but it will be too late.
The Final Authority — No Other
Word Needed
Abraham’s response also destroys the false
hope of new revelations. Many today say, “If only God would give me a sign…
if only I could see a miracle… if only Jesus would appear to me personally,
then I would believe.”
But Abraham said, “If they hear not Moses
and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the
dead.” (Luke 16:31)
And indeed, one did rise from the
dead—our Lord Jesus Christ—but still, many did not believe. Why? Because
unbelief is not a matter of evidence—it’s a matter of the heart.
Brethren, everything we need to know for life
and godliness is already in the Bible. (2 Peter 1:3) It tells us who God is,
what sin is, how to be saved, how to worship, how to live, and how to die in
hope. There is no other revelation coming.
The Word of God is final. Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but His Word shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)
The Danger of Delayed Hearing
Many hear, but few truly listen. The Greek
word for “hear” in Luke 16:29 is ἀκούω (akouō) — it means not
just to perceive sound, but to understand and obey. When Abraham said “let
them hear them,” he meant “let them heed and obey.”
Hearing without obeying is deadly. Jesus
said, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
(Luke 6:46) Many admire the Bible but never submit to it. They quote verses but
never live by them.
Brethren, hearing is not enough. In Acts 2,
when Peter preached the Word, the people were “pricked in their heart.”
(Acts 2:37) That’s the kind of hearing that saves — hearing that leads to
obedience.
If the Word doesn’t move you to repent, to be
baptized, to live faithfully, then you’ve only heard with the ears, not with
the heart.
The Bible’s Urgent Call Today
Friend, the Bible is God’s call to you — not
tomorrow, not someday, but today. “To day if ye will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:15)
You may think you have time, but time is not
yours. Death does not send notice. The rich man thought he had more days, but
he woke up in eternity.
Brethren, every time you hear God’s Word, you
are standing on holy ground — a decision point between heaven and hell. The
same Word that saves today will judge tomorrow. “He that rejecteth me, and
receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48)
The Bible Before It’s Too Late
Let me speak to your heart, my friend. You
have Moses and the prophets. You have Christ and His apostles. You have the
full Bible in your hands. The question is: are you listening?
Do not wait for a sign. Do not wait for a
tragedy. Do not wait for a more convenient time. Felix said, “Go thy way for
this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” (Acts
24:25) But that convenient season never came.
Before it’s too late, open the Bible. Read
it. Believe it. Obey it.
The Call to Action
If you are not yet in Christ, the Bible tells
you clearly what to do:
- Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark
16:16)
- Repent of your sins (Acts 2:38)
- Confess that Jesus is the Son of God
(Romans 10:9–10)
- Be baptized for the remission of your
sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16)
And if you have once obeyed the gospel but
have grown cold, let the Word convict you again. Return to your first love.
Repent, and do the first works. (Revelation 2:4–5)
Brethren, the Bible is not just a book—it is
the voice of God pleading with you. It is the difference between torment and
comfort, between regret and reward.
Listen to it before it’s too late.
“He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear.” (Matthew 11:15)
Closing Appeal – Hear While
Heaven Still Speaks
Brethren, friends — this is the moment to
listen. The rich man’s voice comes from eternity to plead with us: Don’t
make my mistake.
You have the Word of God in your hands, not a
whisper from the grave but the living voice of heaven itself. The same
Scriptures that could have saved him are now speaking to you.
If you are outside of Christ — believe,
repent, confess His name, and be baptized for the remission of
sins. (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-10)
If you are a Christian who has wandered, return.
The door of mercy is still open, but not forever.
So while heaven still speaks, while the Bible
is still within your reach, while breath is still in your body — hear the
Word while you still can.
“He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear.” (Matthew 11:15)
by
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PAKINGGAN ANG SALITA HABANG MAY PANAHON PA
(Lucas 16:29 — “Sinabi sa kaniya ni Abraham, Nasa kanila si Moises at ang mga propeta; pakinggan nila sila.”)
PAKINGGAN ANG SALITA HABANG MAY
PANAHON PA
(Lucas
16:29 — “Sinabi sa kaniya ni Abraham, Nasa kanila si Moises at ang mga propeta;
pakinggan nila sila.”)
Isang Sigaw Mula sa Kabilang
Buhay
Mga kapatid, mga
kaibigan — may tinig na hanggang sa ngayon ay umaalingawngaw mula sa kabilang-buhay.
Hindi ito mula sa langit, kundi mula sa lugar ng pagdurusa. Sa Lucas 16, hinawi
ni Jesus ang tabing ng kamatayan upang ipakita sa atin ang dalawang kalagayan:
isang mayamang nabuhay sa karangyaan ngunit nasa Hades na nasa mga pagdurusa,
at isang pulubing nagngangalang Lazaro na nagtiis ngunit dinala ng mga anghel
sa sinapupunan ni Abraham.
At mula sa
kalaliman ng pagdurusa, sumigaw ang mayamang lalaki — hindi para sa sarili,
kundi para sa kaniyang mga kapatid na buhay pa. “Amang Abraham,” wika
niya, “ipadala mo si Lazaro sa bahay ng aking ama upang siya’y magpatotoo sa
kanila.”
Ngunit ang tugon ni
Abraham ay malakas at malinaw:
“Nasa kanila si Moises at ang mga propeta; bayaang sila'y pakinggan
nila.”
Mga kapatid, iyon
ay paalala sa atin ngayon: May Salita na ang Diyos — pakinggan mo ito habang
may panahon pa.
Darating ang araw
na wala nang mangangaral na tatawag, wala nang Biblia na mabubuksan, at wala
nang paanyayang maririnig. Kaya’t habang may pagkakataon pa, pakinggan ang
Salita ng Diyos ngayon.
Ang Salitang Nasa Kanila Na
Ang “Moises
at ang mga propeta” ay tumutukoy sa Kasulatan
— ang Salita ng Diyos na ibinigay upang ihayag ang Kaniyang kalooban. Noon,
ang mga Hudyo ay may Lumang Tipan; ngayon, tayo’y may ganap na kapahayagan ng
Diyos — ang Lumang at Bagong Tipan, buo, kumpleto, at sapat.
Sabi ni Pablo, “Ang lahat ng kasulatan ay
kinasihan ng Diyos, at mapapakinabangan sa pagtuturo, sa pagsaway, sa
pagtutuwid, at sa pagsasanay sa katuwiran.” (2 Timoteo 3:16)
Hindi na kailangan ng bagong tanda, hindi ng
bagong pangitain, hindi ng bagong sugo. Ang Biblia ay sapat na upang ihayag ang
daan patungo sa kaligtasan. Kaya’t sinabi ni Abraham, “sila'y pakinggan nila.”
Mga kapatid, hindi na kailangang bumalik ang
sinuman mula sa libingan para maniwala tayo. Ang Diyos ay nagsalita na. Ang
tanong: nakikinig ka ba?
Ang Kalunos-lunos na Bunga ng
Hindi Pakikinig
Ang mga kapatid ng mayaman ay may parehong
Kasulatan. Naroon ang mga aklat ni Moises — nagsasabi kung ano ang kasalanan at
ano ang kabanalan. Naroon ang mga propeta — sumisigaw, “…manumbalik kayo,
manumbalik kayo na mula sa inyong masasamang lakad; sapagka't bakit kayo
mangamamatay…?” (Ezekiel 33:11)
Ngunit hindi sila nakinig. Marahil abala sila
sa negosyo, sa kayamanan, sa kasiyahan ng buhay. Hanggang sa dumating ang araw
ng kamatayan — huli na ang lahat.
Ganyan din ngayon. Marami ang may Biblia sa
bahay, ngunit hindi binubuksan. Marami ang may oras sa telepono, ngunit walang
oras sa Salita ng Diyos. Marami ang nakikinig sa balita, ngunit bingi sa
Ebanghelyo.
At kapag dumating ang araw ng paghuhukom,
saka lamang nila mauunawaan kung gaano kahalaga ang Bibliya — ngunit mahuhuli
na ang lahat.
Walang Ibang Kapangyarihan Kundi
ang Salita ng Diyos
Ang sagot ni Abraham ay nagpapakita rin ng
katotohanang walang ibang kapangyarihan sa kaligtasan kundi ang Salita ng Diyos
(Roma 1:16).
May mga nagsasabi ngayon, “Kung makakita
lang ako ng himala, maniniwala ako.” O, “Kung may mensahe lang akong
marinig mula sa langit, magbabago ako.”
Ngunit sabi ni Abraham, “Kung di nila
pinakikinggan si Moises at ang mga propeta, ay di rin mangahihikayat sila,
kahit ang isa'y magbangon sa mga patay.” (Lucas 16:31)
At totoo nga — si Jesus ay nabuhay na
mag-uli, ngunit marami pa ring hindi naniniwala.
Bakit? Sapagka’t ang problema ay hindi
kakulangan ng ebidensya, kundi katigasan ng puso.
Mga kapatid, sapat na ang Biblia. Hindi ito
kulang. Hindi ito lipas. Ito ang Salita ng Diyos na buhay at makapangyarihan,
mas matalas pa sa alinmang tabak na may dalawang talim. (Hebreo 4:12)
Ang Panganib ng Pakikinig Lamang
Ngunit Walang Pagtalima
Ang salitang “pakinggan” sa Lucas
16:29 ay mula sa salitang Griyego na akouō,
na ang ibig sabihin ay hindi lang basta makarinig, kundi sumunod at tumalima.
Kaya’t nang sabihin ni Abraham, “Pakinggan
nila sila,” ang ibig niyang sabihin: “Sundin nila ang Salita.”
Marami ngayon ang nakaririnig ng Salita
tuwing Linggo, ngunit walang pagbabago sa buhay. Nakikinig, ngunit hindi
sumusunod. Ngunit sabi ni Jesus, “At bakit tinatawag ninyo ako, Panginoon,
Panginoon, at di ninyo ginagawa ang mga bagay na aking sinasabi?” (Lucas
6:46)
Mga kapatid, ang pakikinig lamang ay hindi
sapat. Sa Araw ng Pentekostes, nang marinig ng mga tao ang pangangaral ni
Pedro, sila ay “nangasaktan ang
kanilang puso.” (Gawa 2:37) Iyan ang tunay na pakikinig — yaong
nagbubunga ng pagsisisi at pagsunod.
Ang Paanyaya ng Salita — Ngayon,
Hindi Bukas
Kaibigan, ang Biblia ay tinig ng Diyos na
tumatawag sa iyo ngayon. Hindi bukas, hindi “kapag may oras na ako,” kundi
ngayon.
Sabi ng Hebreo 3:15, “kung marinig ninyo
ang kaniyang tinig, Huwag ninyong papagmatigasin ang inyong mga puso.”
Marami ang gaya ni Felix sa Gawa 24:25 —
nakinig, nanginginig, ngunit sinabi, “Sa ibang panahon na lamang.”
Ngunit dumating pa ba ang panahong iyon? Hindi
na.
Bawat araw na nilalampasan mo ang Salita ng
Diyos ay isang hakbang palapit sa walang-hanggan. Ang parehong Salitang
nagbibigay-buhay ngayon ang siyang hahatol sa atin sa huling araw. (Juan 12:48)
Bago Pa Mahuli ang Lahat
Kapatid, baka tulad ng mayamang lalaki, ay
may Biblia ka rin ngunit di mo binabasa. May oras sa lahat, pero walang oras
para sa Diyos. Ngunit darating ang araw na hindi mo na maririnig ang pangaral.
Hindi mo na mabubuksan ang Biblia. Hindi mo na maririnig ang tinig ng paanyaya.
Kaya’t ngayon pa lang, buksan mo ang Salita
ng Diyos. Basahin mo ito. Maniwala ka. Sumunod ka. Habang may panahon pa.
Ang Paanyaya ng Ebanghelyo
Kung ikaw ay hindi pa ligtas kay Cristo,
narito ang malinaw na daan ayon sa Biblia:
- Maniwala sa Panginoong Jesucristo.
(Marcos 16:16)
- Magsisi sa iyong mga kasalanan. (Gawa
2:38)
- Ipahayag na si Jesus ay Anak ng Diyos.
(Roma 10:9–10)
- Magpabautismo sa Kaniyang pangalan sa
ikapagpapatawad ng mga kasalanan. (Gawa 22:16)
At kung ikaw naman ay kapatid na dati nang
sumunod ngunit lumamig, bumalik ka. Ang Biblia ay muling kumakatok sa iyong
puso. Magsisi, at gawin muli ang mga unang gawa. (Apocalipsis 2:5)
Muling Panawagan — Pakinggan
Habang Nagsasalita Pa ang Langit
Mga kapatid, mga kaibigan — ito ang sandali
ng pakikinig. Ang tinig ng mayamang lalaki ay sumisigaw mula sa kabilang buhay:
“Huwag ninyong tularan ang aking pagkakamali.”
Nasa iyong mga kamay ang Salita ng Diyos —
hindi bulong mula sa libingan, kundi buhay na tinig mula sa langit. Ang
parehong Kasulatan na sana’y nagligtas sa kanya, ay siya ngayong nagsasalita sa
iyo.
Kung ikaw ay wala pa kay Cristo — manampalataya,
magsisi, ipahayag si Jesus bilang Anak ng Diyos, at magpabautismo sa
ikapagpapatawad ng mga kasalanan. (Marcos 16:16; Gawa 2:38; Roma 10:9–10)
At kung ikaw ay kapatid na lumamig, bumalik
ka. Bukas pa ang pintuan ng awa, ngunit hindi habang panahon.
Kaya habang nagsasalita pa ang langit, habang
ang Biblia’y abot mo pa, habang ang buhay ay nasa iyo pa — pakinggan ang
Salita habang may panahon pa.
“Ang may pakinig ay makinig.” (Mateo 11:15)
by
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