Most Members Of Mankind Will Leave This Cursed World And Head Directly To Hell.
Mark 8:36-37 (NIV)
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Last week we took a short vacation and traveled to Amish country near Berlin Ohio. We attended Behalt which a round building containing the painted history of the Mennonite’s and the Amish who departed from them. It is interesting to hear how these people, the Amish, have made it their lifelong quest to avoid becoming a part of this world. As the selected verses contain a warning from Jesus Christ about the danger of becoming ensnared by worldly desires and the love of possessions, which can thus cause a person to become wealthy and by doing so, they may forfeit their immortal soul. As Jesus asked us the question, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Following is a brief description of Behalt. A description from the website https://behalt.com/. Behalt, meaning “to keep” or “to remember,” is a 10 ft tall x 265 ft long cyclorama, or mural-in-the-round. Behalt illustrates the heritage of the Amish and Mennonite people from their Anabaptist beginnings in Zürich, Switzerland in 1525 to the present day.
From the Cincinnati area it takes about 3 and ½ hours to drive to this area, and I suggest it as a good place to take a vacation. There are many good restaurants and hotel facilities in the area. Be sure to visit the cheese factories and stores in this area too. Some give free samples of many different types of cheeses they make there.
Sinners can fool some people, all the time, but we cannot fool God by seeming be a good person. As God warned Samuel when he was viewing the sons of Jesse to select the next king for Israel that Samuel should not too impressed with the good appearance of each man as they passed before him. The LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7).
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:8-10). It is difficult to strive to gain worldly possessions without becoming obsessed with the accumulation of more and more stuff. If we spend so much of our time striving to collect more things in this life, it can become a trap that gains our full attention. Thus, we have no time left for working on the treasures of heaven and learning how to gain them. This is what Jesus desires for us to spend a lot of our time to gain.
Are you spending enough time each day in studying God’s Word, and in praising Him for all we have been given? How often do you talk to God each day? Thanking God for all you have puts you in a better mindset, as we can then thank Him for our blessing, and not take credit for the accumulation of all the worldly stuff we have. This will help us control our egos and not become proud of the ownership of our possessions, as we can realize these things are blessing from God/Jesus! Do you feel blessed?
It seems important for us to remember that our salvation is based ONLY on us developing a belief that Jesus Christ came into this world to supply a means for members of mankind to have their immortal soul saved when their mortal body dies in this cursed world! In this life the only lasting purpose we can maintain is the salvation of our soul. Everything else is left behind when we die! It makes me wonder why did Jesus Christ come into this world, and choose to die for all of mankind? John wrote about the great love God/Jesus has for His created mankind. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9-11).
Please take note that most members of mankind in this world today, do NOT believe that Jesus Christ is the Way to heaven, the ONLY Way! Jesus expressed His disappointment that more people were not believing He is who He says He is! If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (John 5:46-47). Most members of mankind will leave this cursed world and head directly to hell. Now that is a gloomy way to end this commentary, but it is obviously the truth. There is a current Christian song that has a line in it something like this, “The truth is seldom told!”
Jesus told us to love everyone. Even those who choose to be our enemies. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20). Most members of mankind do not want to hear the truth. Are you working on becoming more Christ-like? Do you wish to come to know Jesus? We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3-4). Are you trying to follow His commands?
Jesus is asking our world a difficult question, “what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Mark 8:36-37 (NIV)
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Last week we took a short vacation and traveled to Amish country near Berlin Ohio. We attended Behalt which a round building containing the painted history of the Mennonite’s and the Amish who departed from them. It is interesting to hear how these people, the Amish, have made it their lifelong quest to avoid becoming a part of this world. As the selected verses contain a warning from Jesus Christ about the danger of becoming ensnared by worldly desires and the love of possessions, which can thus cause a person to become wealthy and by doing so, they may forfeit their immortal soul. As Jesus asked us the question, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Following is a brief description of Behalt. A description from the website https://behalt.com/. Behalt, meaning “to keep” or “to remember,” is a 10 ft tall x 265 ft long cyclorama, or mural-in-the-round. Behalt illustrates the heritage of the Amish and Mennonite people from their Anabaptist beginnings in Zürich, Switzerland in 1525 to the present day.
From the Cincinnati area it takes about 3 and ½ hours to drive to this area, and I suggest it as a good place to take a vacation. There are many good restaurants and hotel facilities in the area. Be sure to visit the cheese factories and stores in this area too. Some give free samples of many different types of cheeses they make there.
Sinners can fool some people, all the time, but we cannot fool God by seeming be a good person. As God warned Samuel when he was viewing the sons of Jesse to select the next king for Israel that Samuel should not too impressed with the good appearance of each man as they passed before him. The LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7).
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:8-10). It is difficult to strive to gain worldly possessions without becoming obsessed with the accumulation of more and more stuff. If we spend so much of our time striving to collect more things in this life, it can become a trap that gains our full attention. Thus, we have no time left for working on the treasures of heaven and learning how to gain them. This is what Jesus desires for us to spend a lot of our time to gain.
Are you spending enough time each day in studying God’s Word, and in praising Him for all we have been given? How often do you talk to God each day? Thanking God for all you have puts you in a better mindset, as we can then thank Him for our blessing, and not take credit for the accumulation of all the worldly stuff we have. This will help us control our egos and not become proud of the ownership of our possessions, as we can realize these things are blessing from God/Jesus! Do you feel blessed?
It seems important for us to remember that our salvation is based ONLY on us developing a belief that Jesus Christ came into this world to supply a means for members of mankind to have their immortal soul saved when their mortal body dies in this cursed world! In this life the only lasting purpose we can maintain is the salvation of our soul. Everything else is left behind when we die! It makes me wonder why did Jesus Christ come into this world, and choose to die for all of mankind? John wrote about the great love God/Jesus has for His created mankind. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9-11).
Please take note that most members of mankind in this world today, do NOT believe that Jesus Christ is the Way to heaven, the ONLY Way! Jesus expressed His disappointment that more people were not believing He is who He says He is! If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (John 5:46-47). Most members of mankind will leave this cursed world and head directly to hell. Now that is a gloomy way to end this commentary, but it is obviously the truth. There is a current Christian song that has a line in it something like this, “The truth is seldom told!”
Jesus told us to love everyone. Even those who choose to be our enemies. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20). Most members of mankind do not want to hear the truth. Are you working on becoming more Christ-like? Do you wish to come to know Jesus? We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3-4). Are you trying to follow His commands?
Jesus is asking our world a difficult question, “what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
August 15th 2021
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