August 30th 2026
Jesus Paid The Price Of Admission To A Wonderful Place, And Jesus Said, “You Know The Way To The Place Where I Am Going."
Matthew 8:27 (NIV)
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
In the NIV Translation of our Bible the word “obey” is referenced 46 times! Yet this word has been removed from a typical wedding vow! Obey has become a bad word in our world today, because it seems no one wants to feel the need to comply with a standard for behavior. That is, most people do not want to be told what they should or should or not do! Many people will not wear a seatbelt when riding in a vehicle, and because of that they become statistics when the vehicle is wrecked and they die!
In this account Jesus and His disciples are in a boat, and the sea becomes stormy and Jesus is asleep and unaware of the peril of the boat sinking. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:25-26). Then His disciples are amazed at His ability to control even the weather conditions, and thus they asked themselves, "What kind of man is this?
In this cursed world we will hear many claims made by men that if we listen to them and believe what they are saying is true, then we will allow ourselves to be directed by their ideas or claims! This is extremely dangerous and may lead us to be injured or even to end our life needlessly. As in the example above someone has convinced a person that wearing seatbelts is unnecessary and just makes you uncomfortable when driving or riding in a car!
Of course, there are many knowledgeable men in this world, and they can give us good advice and help us lead a good life and remain healthy by taking this good advice! The best advice for living in this world Jesus created for us is contained in a book Jesus also supplied the information for and continues to guide it through translations into different languages, and to updates in each language. John wrote about the creation of all things and who directed it. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1). Here John is referring to Jesus Christ as the Word!
"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father." Then Jesus’ disciples said, "Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God." "You believe at last!" Jesus answered. (John 16:25-31).
In this world today there are believers and non-believers, when Jesus came into this world there were chosen people and gentiles! The immortal soul of true believers will end up in heaven, but the souls of non-believers will end up in hell. This simplistic description makes it difficult to justify all the separate church buildings we observe in this world. Paul wrote about this to the church in Rome and for us. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:4-5). Christians certainly do not agree with this oneness, but if we all claim to follow Jesus Christ, do followers think this way?
Jesus knew that His coming to this earth would not bring peace, as some seem to think was the main purpose. Jesus once said, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." (Luke 12:51-53).
Note this division is within an earthly family, which does not necessarily equate to a church family, but it does seem to carry over. The advice often given to someone to select a church of their choice is to look for like-minded people for you to fit well in this church of your choice! When Paul was working with Timothy and teaching him about being a leader of a church and how God would bless him to become a good leader Paul wrote this advice. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7).
This cursed world offers a lot of enticing opportunities for having fun and committing sins in the search for pleasurable things, and our sinful nature allows us to seek out such activities. Jesus talked about this and termed it as “whoever wants to save his life!” So, if you decide to live according to the choices of your sinful nature will then “will lose it!” For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:25-26).
Therefore, if you invest all your lifetime living in the ways of the world, even if you gain fame and fortune, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world!” If you built no riches in heaven by believing in Jesus and doing good works then that person has earthly riches, “yet forfeits his soul?” Such a person leaves all their riches behind, and they have nothing to exchange for their soul! Jesus poses a question, “what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Now for the good news! There is a Way that you can escape this temporary world with your immortal soul intact and go to a place prepared for you by Jesus Christ. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." (John 14:1-4).
Jesus paid the price of admission to a wonderful place, and Jesus said, “You know the way to the place where I am going."
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Matthew 8:27 (NIV)
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
In the NIV Translation of our Bible the word “obey” is referenced 46 times! Yet this word has been removed from a typical wedding vow! Obey has become a bad word in our world today, because it seems no one wants to feel the need to comply with a standard for behavior. That is, most people do not want to be told what they should or should or not do! Many people will not wear a seatbelt when riding in a vehicle, and because of that they become statistics when the vehicle is wrecked and they die!
In this account Jesus and His disciples are in a boat, and the sea becomes stormy and Jesus is asleep and unaware of the peril of the boat sinking. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:25-26). Then His disciples are amazed at His ability to control even the weather conditions, and thus they asked themselves, "What kind of man is this?
In this cursed world we will hear many claims made by men that if we listen to them and believe what they are saying is true, then we will allow ourselves to be directed by their ideas or claims! This is extremely dangerous and may lead us to be injured or even to end our life needlessly. As in the example above someone has convinced a person that wearing seatbelts is unnecessary and just makes you uncomfortable when driving or riding in a car!
Of course, there are many knowledgeable men in this world, and they can give us good advice and help us lead a good life and remain healthy by taking this good advice! The best advice for living in this world Jesus created for us is contained in a book Jesus also supplied the information for and continues to guide it through translations into different languages, and to updates in each language. John wrote about the creation of all things and who directed it. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1). Here John is referring to Jesus Christ as the Word!
"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father." Then Jesus’ disciples said, "Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God." "You believe at last!" Jesus answered. (John 16:25-31).
In this world today there are believers and non-believers, when Jesus came into this world there were chosen people and gentiles! The immortal soul of true believers will end up in heaven, but the souls of non-believers will end up in hell. This simplistic description makes it difficult to justify all the separate church buildings we observe in this world. Paul wrote about this to the church in Rome and for us. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:4-5). Christians certainly do not agree with this oneness, but if we all claim to follow Jesus Christ, do followers think this way?
Jesus knew that His coming to this earth would not bring peace, as some seem to think was the main purpose. Jesus once said, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." (Luke 12:51-53).
Note this division is within an earthly family, which does not necessarily equate to a church family, but it does seem to carry over. The advice often given to someone to select a church of their choice is to look for like-minded people for you to fit well in this church of your choice! When Paul was working with Timothy and teaching him about being a leader of a church and how God would bless him to become a good leader Paul wrote this advice. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7).
This cursed world offers a lot of enticing opportunities for having fun and committing sins in the search for pleasurable things, and our sinful nature allows us to seek out such activities. Jesus talked about this and termed it as “whoever wants to save his life!” So, if you decide to live according to the choices of your sinful nature will then “will lose it!” For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:25-26).
Therefore, if you invest all your lifetime living in the ways of the world, even if you gain fame and fortune, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world!” If you built no riches in heaven by believing in Jesus and doing good works then that person has earthly riches, “yet forfeits his soul?” Such a person leaves all their riches behind, and they have nothing to exchange for their soul! Jesus poses a question, “what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Now for the good news! There is a Way that you can escape this temporary world with your immortal soul intact and go to a place prepared for you by Jesus Christ. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." (John 14:1-4).
Jesus paid the price of admission to a wonderful place, and Jesus said, “You know the way to the place where I am going."
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
|
|
|