JUNE 18 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#19 “For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

 JUNE 18  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  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 Prayer    

JESUS, what Blessed Thought that before the Creation our future was planned even before time itself began — and to think that our future is a product of the Mind of God because His Heart was so filled with Compassion for His Creation that His Plan for all mankind included a Path of Light back to the Creator for those He Loved. Such Great Love for all mankind yet His own would not “receive” His gift!?!?  Lord Jesus, forgive me for the many times I have chosen to reside in the darkness of my sin and shun the “Light” of Your Salvation — Lord I have strayed so many times and I admit that I have used Your Gift of Free Will to purposefully get “lost” and I am among those that “loved darkness” and did not want to find Your Path of Light but walked in the shadows to self-destruction. Lord Jesus, keep my eyes always on Your Light, keep my feet always on Your Path, that I may know Your Joy in my heart ——— as  I pray right now in the depths of my desires that my soul will always be humble and repentant before the Just and Righteous God!!!            AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

Jesus wraps up the Lesson here just as He began this “soul-searching” Question that brings our attention to the eventuality of our “physical death” and the “spiritual judgment”. Jesus began the JQ#19 Lesson by announcing to His disciples that He must “be killed and be raised the third day” and when He gets their undivided attention, Jesus then directs His disciples to consider that each individual has a “soul” and that there will come a judgment of that “soul” by the Creator of all “souls”.  Until we as individuals recognize that there is nothing of earthly value that can be “exchanged” for our “souls” which are “eternal” by the design of the Creator, then we can never know the Great Price paid for our Redemption.  The Creator designed “eternity” into our existence but the Creator also designed our physical bodies with an “expiration date” and at the time of our “physical” death of our body, our “soul” is immediately in the Presence of the Creator, who as the CREATOR AND CONSTANT MONITOR of our “soul” will know if we used God’s Gift of Free Will given to each individual “soul” to become one of His children or not!?!?! Jesus made this clear when He asked “…what will man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) and then Jesus immediately said that the “Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father” and “will reward each according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). Jesus illustrated this six days later as Peter, James, and John his brother saw Jesus “transfigured before them” as Jesus was transformed instantly and “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light.” (Matthew 17:1-2) {{See also Genesis 1:3}}  This was a visual Example of what Jesus had just Taught about the “soul” being eternal and would leave our “physical” body and enter our “spiritual” form and be in the “glory [presence] of the [Creator] Father” and the fact that the disciples “recognized” both Moses and Elijah who had been dead hundreds of years is proof that all “souls” are “eternal” and we will have “spiritual understanding” of all things because how could the disciples recognize men that had been dead for hundreds of years ——— we know there were no photos taken of Moses and Elijah so how on “earth” could the disciples know Moses and Elijah without God imparting this knowledge to their “spiritual eyes”? After Peter suggested that “three tabernacles” be erected to honor Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, the voice of God spoke to them: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him.” (Matthew 17:5) The disciples were “greatly afraid” for they knew they were wrong about erecting temples to anyone other than God Almighty “But Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Arise, and do not be afraid.” (Matthew 17:7) Jesus then instructed the disciples to wait to share the vision after “the Son of Man is risen from the dead” (Matthew 17:9) and Jesus concluded this Lesson by correcting wrong doctrine that had been taught to the disciples by the tradition of their elders through the scribes. Then just as Jesus had begun the Lesson talking about His upcoming death, Jesus ended the Lesson by identifying those that would cry “crucify Him” as Jesus told the disciples that “the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” thereby revealing to the disciples that God’s Plan for His Son would culminate in the Death of the Only Begotten Son fulfilling the words of Abraham to Isaac, “God will provide the lamb.” (Genesis 22:8) but God would also demonstrate to all mankind His Supreme Power, for God would Resurrect the Son on the Third Day and then all mankind would have the Gospel — The Truth of God of the Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of the Beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ!!!! Can you think of a more important Lesson and Truth for God to impart on “all who believe”?