February 14, 2017 SnyderTalk: “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says Yahweh Sabaoth. (Zechariah 4: 6)

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 “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Faust is the central character in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust Parts 1 and 2.  Faust was a successful scholar, but he was dissatisfied with his life.  Thus, he made a deal with the devil.  To obtain infinite knowledge and worldly pleasures, he traded his soul.

Frequently, I have wondered how many people have actually done that.  For example, how many people have glibly said, “I would give my soul to have great wealth”?  Did they realize when they said it that Yahweh would hold them accountable?  Literally, he takes us at our word.

They may have said it to themselves or just thought it, but Yahweh heard them and turned them over to the devil.  In exchange for their souls, they got their heart’s desire.

The lust for fame, fortune, and power drive people to do and say things that determine their eternal destiny.  How many political leaders, religious leaders, business leaders, movie stars, and others have made deals with the devil, and what does the devil expect from them in return?

Along with fame, fortune, and power comes influence, and people with influence shape the character of a nation.  As a nation slides into depravity, how many of those who are heading for destruction realize that many of their leaders have made deals with the devil?  I’ll bet that few of them do.

In Mark 8: 36-37, the Messiah asked these questions:

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

He was making a point.  Nothing is worth the loss of your soul.  Worldly pleasure is temporary.  Heaven and hell are eternal.

Albert Einstein’s study of relativity led him to this conclusion:

“The distinction between past, present, and future is a stubbornly persistent illusion.”

Einstein’s study of relativity led him to conclude that our perception of time is seriously flawed.  Most people see past, present, and future only in a worldly sense, but in reality, they converge.  Yahweh sees all of them together in real time at the same time.

Do people who make pacts with the devil grasp that they are trading their eternal well-being for things that have no real value?  Some do, but I’ll bet that most don’t.

I bring this up because I believe we are living during a time when our nation and the world are being governed and influenced by people who have made deals with the devil.  You can see it in politics, entertainment, religion, art, and in every other facet of society.

Fame, fortune, and power are not evil.  The way we obtain them and what we do with them when we have them determines what they become—good or evil.

The Messiah said,

“Seek first Yahweh’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6: 33)

Our goal in life should be to seek Yahweh and His plan for us and let Him take us where He wants us to go.  We shouldn’t devote most of our time, talent, and resources  to obtaining temporal things with no real value and then occasionally throw a few dollars at things we hope Yahweh endorses.

King David said,

“Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers.  For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.  Trust in Yahweh and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.  Delight yourself in Yahweh; and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to Yahweh, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (Psalm 37: 1-5)

When David said, “Delight yourself in Yahweh; and He will give you the desires of your heart,” he did not mean that Yahweh will give you YOUR heart’s desires.  He meant that Yahweh will give you HIS desires.  Only then will your desires be desires that Yahweh calls good.

Seek Yahweh’s desires first.  Along with His desires, we may obtain fame, fortune, and power.  If they come from Him, they will be good.

With that information as background, consider this: President Trump is leading us in a different direction especially where Israel is concerned.  As a result, he is encountering the wrath of Democrat politicians, entertainers, and a host of others.  Their animosity toward him knows no bounds.  Why?  It seems otherworldly.

Things will heat up dramatically when President Trump meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu later this week.  What we think, say, and do where Israel is concerned matter a lot because of promises that Yahweh made about the people and the land.  That means taking sides against Israel is taking sides against Yahweh.

I’m not guessing about Yahweh’s attitude toward the things we think, say, and do.  Keep in mind that Esau traded his birthright for a meal because for a brief moment he was hungry.  We know that Esau wasn’t serious since he desperately wanted his birthright when it came time for Isaac to bless his two sons.  Even so, Yahweh would not allow Esau to have it because he had used it to purchase a bowl of stew from Jacob even though it included the Messiah in his lineage.  In fact, Yahweh told Malachi that He hated Esau for taking his birthright so lightly.

Please don’t underestimate how seriously Yahweh interprets everything we think, say, and do.  He is merciful and forgiving, but His loving-kindness has limits.  Esau took a step over the line and it cost him dearly.  He still regrets it to this day, but there isn’t a thing he can do about it now.  That bowl of stew sealed his eternal fate.

We need to continue praying for President Trump.  His difficult journey is just beginning. He is becoming a man of faith.  He’s not there yet, but he will move in that direction as things heat up.  Every step of the way, Satan will attack him through people that he has bought and paid for.  His army of followers is out for blood.  If Satan wins, we lose.  We can’t let that happen.

See these articles:

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“If My people who are called by My Name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7: 14)

Change that Yahweh calls “good” begins in the hearts of believers—people who are recognizable because they are different.

We are different because we belong to Him and are called by His Name.  We are Yahweh’s people, His followers.

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His Name is Yahweh, the website, is a companion of the book His Name is Yahweh.

To download His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition for free in PDF format, click on the title below:

His Name is Yahweh has been downloaded and shared in congregations all over the world. Please take advantage of this opportunity to read and share essential information about Yahweh.

You have my permission to copy and print His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition as many times as you want.  Please, don’t sell it.  Give it away.

To purchase His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition in paperback or in eBook, click here.

To see videos that explain the importance of Yahweh’s Name, click here.

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“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17: 22-24)

See “His Name is Yahweh”.

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