JUNE 17 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#19-13 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19 “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

JUNE 17  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-13  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

169 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, thank You Lord for Your Word which is the Word of Life and only Your Words are of “life” to sustain our physical body and of “eternal life” to sustain our soul. Lord, Your Words speak volumes but Your Life and Perfect Example Teach us so much more and I Praise You for the Perfect Example of  “actions-speak-louder-than-words” TRUTH!!! Lord Jesus, my prayer is that everything I both do and say will be a Glory and Honor to Your Life which You lived to the Glory of God Almighty, our Father who abides forever in Heaven and wills that all men would be drawn to the Father through the Son, the Only Begotten Son, who paid the Ultimate Price for our Freedom from the slavery of sin!     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JUNE 17  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-13  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)      Jesus is the Master Teacher not only because He possesses Unlimited Knowledge that cannot be fathomed by the finite mind of mankind but aside from His Divine Knowledge the Lord Jesus Taught by the Perfect Example of Living His Life to Honor the Father and then pointing us to His Life and Teaching what He Lived in the form of Life Lessons which He Taught by asking us Questions that could always be answered by observing the way He Lived His Life while in the flesh! There is no Greater Sacrifice than Jesus giving up His Heavenly Glory to “become flesh and to dwell among us” (John 1:14) with the expressed purpose of coming into the world to fulfill the Father’s Will, “for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17) and we often miss the Divine Fact that Jesus lived the example of Abraham and Isaac being obedient to God as both Abraham and Isaac prepared the alter together for the Sacrifice Commanded of God and fulfilled the scripture that said “God Himself will provide the Lamb…” (Genesis 22:8) and we know that it was the Life of Jesus that the Scripture was foretelling because John the Baptist, who was the “witness” sent from God to testify that it was Jesus that is the “Light” that is the “life of all mankind” (John 1:6-9) proclaimed loudly when he saw Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world…” (John 1:29) The overlooked Truth of God is that God promised the Messiah, God declared what the Messiah was to accomplish, and then “God so loved world” that God fulfilled His Holy Scripture with the Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. That is the Gospel and the greatest part of the Gospel is that “God so loved the world” and that Jesus so Loved the Father that Jesus was Obedient unto the Fulfillment of all Scripture by willingly accepting that He MUST DIE ON THE CROSS and then Jesus first “Lived” the Perfect Example and Jesus “Died” the Perfect Example and through His “Life” and “Death” Jesus gave us the Perfect Example of the “WAY” to the Father and Eternal Life demonstrated by His Burial and Resurrection!!! Jesus with His Question about considering our “soul” and what we may “exchange” for it was saying in effect, “If you follow MY EXAMPLE then you will know the way to the Father and Eternal Life” and the Question and the Answer Produce the Results of Eternal Life for ALL who believe in the Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ living and dying the Perfect Example, just as God has proclaimed through the prophets. Jesus introduced JQ#19 with the announcement that “He must suffer…be killed…and be raised the third day…” in Matthew 16:21 and then He asks the Question in Matthew 16:26 but as always Jesus explains the answer as soon as He asks the Question: “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Matthew 16:27)  Then Jesus continues this most important Lesson of Teaching-by-Example as He takes “Peter, James, and John his brother…and led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with [Jesus].” (Matthew 17:1-3) Surely no words could express to the disciples and to all of His followers what they saw that day in the “life” of Jesus that proved that Jesus is the “Beloved of the Father” and that the eternal future of all mankind rests with the belief or rejection of Jesus!  There is no way to the Father except through the Son, are you on the Path that leads to the Narrow Gate?

JUNE 16 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#19-12 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19 “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

JUNE 16  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-12  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

168 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Your Glory is Forever, but Lord I pray that You open my “spiritual” eyes and burn the Truth into my heart that Your Glory is also “NOW”, Your Glory has always been so I pray as did the thief on the cross that You “remember me” (Luke 23:42) for You have come into Your Kingdom and are in it “NOW” sitting at the Right Hand of God making intercession for me! Lord, You have paid the “ultimate price” to purchase back that which I sold so cheaply to sin — forgive me, Lord Jesus and “return to me the joy of Thy salvation” (Psalm 51:12). Lord, as I seek Your Truth let me go forth with confidence that You will both show me the “Way” to Your Truth and that You will “equip” me with Your Strength that I will “share” Your Truth with others that need to be bathed in Your Spiritual Light, “the life of men” (John 1:4,9) that only comes from the True Light !              AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JUNE 16  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-12  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)      Jesus, my “soul” is stirred today with the thought of the “Great Price” that You have already “paid” for my sin and I can answer the Jesus Question JQ#19, “Or what will man give in exchange for his soul?”(Matthew 16:26b)  by truthfully declaring that I possess nothing of any value to God except my soul which I had sold to the world so therefore I can only turn to the “One” that Suffered and Died for my sin that my “soul” could be Redeemed, my “Pardon” is not “Purchased” by anything of earthly value but by Heaven’s Priceless Grace! The Holy Spirit reminds us occasionally that the Final Destination holds “joys unimaginable” so therefore we must “Stay-the-Course” — “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7) This “tree of life” is the same as the one that “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden…” (Genesis 2:8-9) So we see what is meant from the Psalmist “… even from Everlasting to Everlasting, You are God!” (Psalm 90:2) for “In the beginning” God Created us, God placed us in a garden that He Himself planted, God placed us in this “Paradise of God” along with the “tree of life”, then when we forfeited the “Paradise of God” for our selfish desires, God provided an Atonement for our sin and sent His Only Begotten Son to become flesh, to suffer and die, and to “Purchase” our ticket back to “Paradise” so that at the “end times” we can again partake of the “tree of life”.  In JQ#19 Jesus asks us to consider what we can give in “Exchange for our soul” (Matthew 16:26b) and we are so caught up in ourselves that we are blinded to the “Truth” that Jesus has already given us the answer before asking the question — just prior to asking JQ#19:  “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew  16:24) then Jesus continued with more details of the price we must pay for this “exchange” as He tells the disciples, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) So once again, Jesus gives us the answer and then asks the question which makes more sense why God said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” (Luke 9:35) for here Jesus is telling us what to do to “overcome” that we may partake of the “tree of life” that awaits us in the “Paradise of God”! The real question now is “What ‘life’ is it that we must ‘lose for His sake’ and what ‘life’ will we ‘find’?” Could it be that Jesus is Teaching us another detail of the Truth of God that our body contains “physical” life which we defile, but our “spiritual” life is of God who offers “Eternal Life” which is undefiled because it is from God Himself?

JUNE 15 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#19-11 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19 “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

JUNE 15  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-11  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

167 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, You Lord are the Man of Sorrows, the Suffering Servant, You were innocent but arrested and beaten by Your accusers, Your own rejected You, You were scourged like no man ever and then You had to carry Your cross to a hill called Calvary where You accepted Your purpose as the Sacrificial Lamb of God, and though You could have called Legions of Angels to protect You, You endured the cross and instead of crying for the mercy of men, You prayed for them “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” — and even as You were nailed to that cross and hanging in agony while Your last drops of Innocent Blood were being poured out for the sake of others, Your last act was to bring Salvation and Forgiveness to a thief that was being crucified next to You! What a great picture of Your Purpose in life that You demonstrated with Your Death!! Lord forgive me as I sit in all my earthly comfort and pray to “be like Jesus” and fail to see the “Supreme Sacrifice and Suffering” of the Christ, let me never utter another complaint and to be mindful of the “spiritual needs” of others,  give me the strength to understand the Kingdom Truth of what is meant by “taking up my cross daily”.             AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JUNE 15  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-11  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)      Jesus has really opened up a new realm of Spiritual Kingdom Realities when He asks JQ#19 and places the Question before us in such a manner that we must be serious and honest with ourselves in an area that is unfamiliar and uncomfortable. If we are to answer Jesus honestly then we must consider that Jesus is telling us that in our earthly pursuit of “profit” that we must recognize that “physical/earthly” things have NO HEAVENLY VALUE and that there will come a time that we will have to face the Reality that (1) We have a “soul” which is “spiritual” and will be separated from our “physical” body at the point of death (2) there is the distinct possibility we can lose our “soul” (3) we will be required by the Creator of our “soul” to use something of acceptable Kingdom Value to “exchange” for our “soul”.  Indeed, what is of enough “Kingdom Value” to our Father in Heaven that He will accept it in “exchange” for our “soul” — the implication here is that our “soul” is not in our possession at the time of this “exchange” or no “exchange” would be necessary, and Jesus pointedly makes us aware of the  stark reality that if we had all the treasures of the earth that we would have nothing to barter with!! This Lesson was taught by Jesus to Paul and Paul expressed it as: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” ( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) So Jesus is teaching that  we were “bought at a price” and we do not “own” ourselves but God does!! Here is the answer to the Question of how valuable is our soul and what we may use to “exchange” for it ——— I’ll give you a clue, it has to do with the Holy Spirit and a transaction that occurred in the past involving God’s most valuable possession, His Only Begotten Son. Jesus is teaching about His Death and Resurrection on the Third Day and that He has come as a “gift” from the Father that we may retain possession of that part of us that is eternal, our own unique “soul” ——— so it appears that Jesus has already paid “the price” and that price is no less than His Death on the Cross ——— so how are you going to convince Jesus to just give you back your “soul” that He suffered and died for because you simply do not believe in “Spiritual” things which you think are “fairy tales”?!?!? There is Good News and Bad News here: the Bad News is that Jesus and His Questions are not going away and the Good News is that Jesus and His Questions are not going away!! Once again, the Truth of God is ever before us, are we going to choose to Trust God for the Truth or are we going to decide for ourselves what Truth is?!?! Remember, we came from God and through His Son we will return to God!

JUNE 14 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#19-10 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19 “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

JUNE 14  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-10  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

166 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, all Praise, all Glory, and all Honor to the Son that was willing to Sacrifice Himself that all might be Saved from the curse and slavery of sin which entered the world because of an act of disobedience that has been repeated in each individual’s personal life as we continue to live for ourselves and ignore the “Gift” of True Freedom that God has so generously offered everyone that will but “receive” the Grace extended to all. Lord Jesus, even when we have accepted the “gift” we need daily reminders that we must guard against slipping back into the sin of disobedience when we take the shadowy path of self gratification and turn from the Light and drift away from the True Path to the Narrow Gate, a Path that never goes through the Valley of Self, but remains day-by-day clearly marked by the Beacon of God’s Truth.     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JUNE 14  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-10  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)     Jesus never lets any circumstance in our lives to degrade into losing ground to the enemy and therefore it is clearly God’s “Intent” that we see the Truth and use God’s Truth so that we can guard against attacks from the deceiver!  JQ#19 is an excellent example of the depth that God will go to Teach us that we must be on guard against these attacks from the enemy that the enemy launches by infecting us with a “virus” attached to our “good intentions” that will actually create a distance between ourselves and God which is a major victory for the enemy. Jesus is Teaching in JQ#19 the eternal value of the “soul” which is an eternal unique gift from God. We must continually be aware that if the enemy can cause us to not appreciate God’s gift then we are in effect not receiving the “gift” in a manner that “honors” the “Gift-Giver”. The enemy knows how much God desires for us to accept His “Gift” and to use it to defend against the attacks from the enemy — but this is a sad thing, that instead of using the “Gift” to defend ourselves from the enemy that we disrespect  the “Gift” and end up aiding the enemy in his desire to keep us from God. This is a very fine point but if we do not “understand” its significance then we will suffer defeat from within and fall victim to the sin of disobedience and self-destruction. Jesus had commanded us when Teaching us about sharing the Love of the Father that we must pay close attention to not go the way of the world but to follow the example of Jesus and the Father as Jesus said: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) And lest we overlook the fine print, remember that Jesus was Teaching us that by being obedient to the Father that we would be on the True Path and “…that [we] may be sons [and daughters] of [our] Father in heaven…” (Matthew 5:45). If we fail to read the “fine print” we will lose all the benefits of being “heirs to the kingdom” if we like Esau will sell our “birthright” for a bowl of stew to satisfy a worldly hunger. Selling our “spiritual birthright to the kingdom” is what we are doing if we do not keep on guard for the attack of the enemy from within ourselves as we think with all honorable intentions that God needs our limited finite abilities to work out a “Spiritual” problem for Him!?!?. This is why Jesus calls our attention to the fact that He “must … suffer many things … be killed … and be raised the third day …” (Matthew 16:21) and then why He reacted the way He did when Peter (with all good intentions succumbed to an attack from the enemy from within) as Peter “took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke Him saying, ‘far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matthew 16:22) Peter had been the one that God had revealed to Peter that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)  and now here is Peter telling Jesus that the things that Jesus said “must” happen, “… shall not happen …” ?!? Definitely this is an attack from within and Jesus calls out the enemy post haste: “But [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23) Jesus makes it very clear in these three verses that we “MUST” be on guard from these internal attacks from the enemy that uses our “good intentions” as Trojan Horses to hurt our relationship with God. Do you not see that when we think we can “take control” of God’s Plan that we become an “offense” to God and can’t you hear the enemy laughing out loud at us and pointing his crooked little finger saying “Don’t look at me, you did it yourself” ?!?!? The Good News here is that Jesus won’t let that happen because He cannot be fooled by Satan like we can, and remember Jesus promised: “… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matthew 28:20) 

JUNE 13 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#19-09 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19 “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

JUNE 13  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-09  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

165 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, thank You Lord for the years that You have given us to know You and the prayers that the Holy Spirit has guided us in praying that gives us glimpses of the True and Living God, for only the True God could answer so many prayers in so many unexplained ways and all proclaim the Glory of God. I pray again one of the timeless prayers You gave to me on July 13, 2004 as the Holy Spirit was showing me the “Path” to the “Narrow Gate”: “Jesus, the Creator of life and the author of our Salvation, who gave up the Glories of Heaven to come to earth and dwell among us, not as a God among men but as a man among sinners and yet lived a “Perfect” life in obedience to the will of the Father. Then after a humble life of serving all around Him, He then became a Sacrifice and an Atonement for the sins of the world that we might have True Forgiveness of our sins and appear Righteous before the Father, and being blameless before the Father because of Your Sacrifice we become heirs to the Kingdom of God and all God asks in return for His Grace is that we ‘love one another’”.     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JUNE 13  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-09  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)     Jesus has such a Powerful Message because He not only used the “Words of God” to give us “understanding of the Truth of God” but Jesus “Lived” out the “Words of God” by His Actions. Many times His Actions spoke louder that His Words, which is a Bonus Lesson that the Master Teacher includes in His “life saving” Lessons that He was continually Teaching. As we consider JQ#19 and the myriad of Lessons contained in these very serious “soul” searching back-to-back Questions Jesus asks us in His efforts to bring   Divine Aid for the purpose of “saving” our “soul” from “eternal lostness”, we must look not only at the “His Words” but we must observe “His Actions” which are a visual demonstration of what the Master Teacher is “Teaching” for what Lesson is of any value if the Teacher does not “walk the walk”?  Jesus takes us deeper into the Truth of God as He builds our “understanding” by building on the previous Lesson “precept upon precept” and for this very serious “soul-searching” JQ#19 we see a shift in the Lessons that Jesus was Teaching His disciples as we read in the account written in Matthew, “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised the third day.” (Matthew 16:21) Once Jesus “began to show” His disciples this very, very serious side of His Purpose on earth, we see a shift in how the disciples reacted to these advanced Teachings of Jesus. Remember Peter stepping out of the boat on faith and actually walking on water to Jesus, well we read that when Jesus started teaching that He must “suffer” and “be killed” that Peter demonstrated that if we are not careful that we will default back to the teaching of the world and miss the Truth of God that is presented to us by the Word of God. Matthew records that Peter reacted to this new precept Jesus was Teaching them in a way that led Jesus to “get serious” and this is the circumstances leading to the “soul searching” Question JQ#19. Peter reacted to this new revelation from Jesus that He must suffer, die, and “be raised the third day” thusly:”Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matthew 16:22) Peter is reacting to Jesus as all of us react when we fail to see the Glory of God in the Will of God in our lives — All Peter could understand was from a worldly viewpoint because he overlooked the Glory of God and only saw the “suffering” and “death” of Jesus as a victory for the world and not  the “Ultimate Victory” of Jesus over death and the grave! Peter could only see “suffering and death” and the world had blinded him to the Truth of God that Jesus would by the Glory of God “be raised the third day”! How many times do we look upon hardship, suffering, and deaths of our loved ones and question God as Peter did? Jesus is following the Will of God and we must look beyond that which the world has taught us about “physical death” and see the Truth of God that Jesus Teaches us about “Eternal Spiritual Life”! This “soul” question JQ#19 must be answered not from a worldly “physical” viewpoint but we must look through “spiritual eyes” and focus on the Glory of God — don’t you agree that we can see very little with our physical eyes except the world’s “darkness” but how clear things become when we look through our “spiritual eyes” aided by the Light of God’s Glory?

JUNE 12 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#19-08 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19 “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

JUNE 12  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-08  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

164 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Your [Word] is Truth and we know “In the beginning was the [Word], and the [Word] was with God, and the [Word] was God…” (John 1:1) and we also know that it was the Spirit of God that was the Creative Power displayed as God used only words to accomplish His Creation and the first words God spoke were “Let there be light.” (Genesis 1:3)  So Lord, let us be led by “The Light” which is Jesus, the Truth which is Jesus, and the Way to the Father  which is Jesus — Jesus we need You and Your Mercy, Compassion, and Grace to fall daily on our “thirsty” souls which we now and forever commend to Your Spirit.             AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JUNE 12  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-08  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)     Jesus and the Holy Spirit is leading me today to add the second part of this most enlightening Jesus Question so that JQ#19 reads: “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) and to consider in an effort to “understanding” this “Deeper Still Teaching” of what Jesus is asking as we consider the “words” Jesus used to rebut Satan immediately after Jesus was “baptized” and then “led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil…” (Matthew 4:1) We read the words that the Spirit had led Matthew to write of this confrontation between Jesus and Satan: “Now when the tempter came to [Jesus], he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (Matthew 4:3) Matthew noted that Jesus has been without food and was hungry after fasting forty days and forty nights when Satan approached Him and Matthew then records these words Jesus used to rebuke Satan: “But [Jesus answered Satan] and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) This exchange of words between Satan and Jesus Teaches us where Jesus is going with JQ#19 and brings our attention to the most serious problem we will face in all eternity, “How do we prevent losing our ‘soul’ and what is the price that we must pay to gain eternal possession of our own ‘soul’?” First of all it was Satan that tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the temptation was in the form of words Satan spoke that put doubt in the mind of Eve about God’s instructions to her and Adam. The power of words surface in this encounter for Satan tempted Jesus to doubt the will of God when Satan challenged Jesus to prove Himself to be the Son of God by turning stones into bread and Jesus rebuked Satan’s attack by quoting scripture thereby giving us an example of the power of reading the “written word of God” and also the power of “speaking the word of God” when we face trials and temptations. When Jesus asks us to consider our “soul” and its “value” to God, we must go to the scripture to “understand the magnitude” of the problem, and once we “understand” the “eternal consequences” of our answer, we can more fully appreciate the “compassion” that Jesus demonstrates by making us face the sin issue head on with His Question that brings into sharp focus the TRUTH of God that our “soul” is a “gift of God” and all things of God are “eternal” so our “souls are eternal”!!! God has written over and over again in His Word that Satan admits that he goes “to and fro on the earth” and Peter reminds us that Satan makes his rounds on the earth “seeking those he can destroy” (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus had warned us previously that we shouldn’t worry about those that can “kill the body” but we should be very concerned about those that are “able to destroy both soul and body in hell…” (Matthew 10:28) God has provided us with the scriptures and the scriptures are about God’s love for His Creation and the great extent that He has gone to in order to demonstrate that Love by sending His Son to “redeem” us… (and this “redemption” sounds exactly like “exchange”)! God is making it clear that nothing on earth can be used to “exchange” for our “soul” even if we possessed the “whole world” but there will be a day coming when He will ask us “who owns your soul?” In other words, God and Satan both are interested in our “eternal soul” which has “infinite” value to God who has proved over and over that He wants to give us “Eternal Life” and the only thing Satan has demonstrated is that he wants to “destroy” our soul and doom us to “Eternal Death” in hell where we will spend our eternity separated from the Father who Loves us so much He sent His Only Begotten Son to die on a cross and “exchange” His death for our life! Jesus is therefore asking us to take inventory of our lives and decide whose words are we listening to, the lies of Satan or the Truth of God?

JUNE 11 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#19-07 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19 “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

JUNE 11  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-07  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

163 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, thank You Lord for the outpouring of Your Spirit as we witnessed Your Salvation in the lives of Malachi and Mariah and their “obedience” to Your command to be “spiritually baptized” as our confession before men that we have accepted You as the Son of God and have placed our lives and desires into Your Capable and Loving Hands. Lord Jesus, it amazes me at how You have loved me and how You are leading me “through” this “valley of the shadow of death” and how over twelve years ago now that the prayers that the Holy Spirit gave me still witness to Your Great Love and Your Divine Purpose so today I pray again a prayer lifted up on July 11, 2004 that shows that Your Message and Your Purpose are the TRUE WAY, YEAH YOU ARE TRUTH ITSELF: (from 7/11/04 I pray again —) “Jesus, praise be the Holy and matchless Name of Jesus, the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world, an acceptable Sacrifice because the Lamb of God was without blemish and was the First Born Only Begotten Son of our Father in heaven!! Lord, Your life was a perfect example of Humility, Service, and Sacrifice for the Glory of God! Lord Jesus, we are sinners and God KNEW we were sinners when He sent You, and You KNEW were were sinners when You took the form of the Sacrificial Lamb, and both You and the Father KNEW that man would continue sinning after the cross and yet You Loved the Father enough to Obey His Will and die at Calvary for our sins!?! Lord, may my heart be wholly Thine, and that for the number of my days that You grant that I may have left in this life, let those days be driven by my “purpose” to do the Will of the Father and as You showed by example that I will simply “TRUST AND OBEY”, for there is no other “WAY”.     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JUNE 11  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#19-07  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#19  “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)     Jesus has really put a challenge to our “Spiritual awareness” by asking the JQ#19 Question of “profit” and “gain” and in the same breath He reminds us of our “physical frailty” and the ultimate disaster of our worldly journey of the reality that if we walk the wrong path that we could not only “lose our way” but get so lost that we can “lose our own soul” (Matthew 16:26a). Then to exacerbate the already serious issue of the losing of our eternal “soul”, Jesus ties our earthly hands as He asks in the same breath, “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26b) which is in essence saying that we have fallen into a deep pit and the walls have caved in on us and we are required to dig ourselves out without the use of our hands or a shovel!?!?! There is no greater fear in my life now than to have to live without God because I know that the world and my sins not only have tied my hands and left me to die in a pit, but before I was thrown into the pit the enemy bound me in shackles and chains and like the really dumb person I was, I actually asked the enemy to abuse me!?!?! Jesus knows that sin in our lives is really that serious therefore Jesus is making us face the ultimate reality by asking this very tough Question and potentially the most dangerous issue we will face. Our honest answer to Jesus will impact our eternal destiny in which there are only two options for our eternal souls: (1) we will lose our “soul” which is our connection to God and if we lose our connection to God we will spend our “eternity” separated from God or (2) we do not lose our “soul” which is our only connection to God and if we stay “connected” to God then we will be under His Guidance and Perfect Love Forever (and Forever, AMEN)  We need look no further than the Words Jesus spoke just prior to asking us this eternally important question about “losing” our “soul” as we hear Jesus preface JQ#19 with this Teaching: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) Once again, Jesus gives us the answer first and then asks the question, demonstrating that God will Provide everything we need to KNOW HIM and to have ACCESS TO HIM and that “Questions” are never asked without first giving us the answer so that we can give the “correct response” to the JESUS Questions that are asked on behalf of our “eternal souls” and by giving the “correct response” then we in effect will not have to be judged as we read this Promise from Jesus: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24) Aren’t you seeing a pattern emerging from these Questions that demonstrates that God will give us the answer first but He insists that we “understand” what He is Teaching with His Questions??? His Questions are not for His benefit but for ours!