Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
For many years, my family has helped Minnesota to grow trees. As loggers cut down large tracts of timber out in the woods, they need to be replanted in order to ensure not only a future forest for our children, but to provide a source of income for young and upcoming loggers. We have picked thousands of pine cones, so many that during harvest time, we occasionally see them in our sleep. When Andrew and I head into the woods, there are numerous foresters and loggers who have been very helpful in our effort. Back home, everybody pitches in, as cones are picked from the branches, eventually being bagged up and delivered to the state nursery by Badoura Mn. In their warehouse, they will extract the seed to grow seedlings, or use the seed to airdrop over hard to reach areas. But as we pick pinecones, we need to find the ones that are the best. We need to pick the ones that look like they will have good seed in them. After picking for many hours in our living room, the floor will be left with many discarded cones, ones that are unusable and rotten, only to be swept up and thrown away.
This reminds me of the Christian Life
The same kind of thing is going to happen on judgment day. The good will be collected and saved, and the bad will be cast away.
Matthew 13:47-50 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Sometimes my children and I will go out into the woods to pick mushrooms. After a good rain, we will venture into the forest with a couple of buckets, filling them up with ones that we find. Whether it’s oysters, lobsters, or chanterelles, the children have developed a keen eye for the right ones that they need to pick. Some of the mushrooms are firm and hard, while the ones right next to them are slimy and rotten. We choose the ones that are the best, and so does God. Many of you might not even think about it but you do the same thing at the produce section each day. When you visit your local supermarket, which apples do you choose? Do you pick the ones that are brown and spotted? Do you pick mushy bananas? Where do you think all that food that nobody wants is eventually going to end up? Out into the dumpster. The same thing will happen on Judgment Day. The weeds will be burned up and destroyed, but the wheat will be gathered unto life eternal.
Matthew 13:24-30 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Granted, each of us are worthy of the dumpster, because each of us are sinners who have all come short of the glory of God. In our carnal nature, we are wretches, filled with the rottenness of sin. But Jesus came to save us, and gives us the option to repent or perish. Repentance is the key that unlocks our own salvation. It is the message that has been preached by the disciples for thousands of years.
Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
Luke 13:3, 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
God can take a rotten and corrupt sinner, but miraculously change them by His grace. He can change summer into winter. He can change water in the wine, and He can certainly change sinners into saints. What is required is a humble and a cooperative heart, one that is ready to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 26:16-20 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Do you ever pick blueberries or raspberries in the woods? Don’t you pick out the ones that look the best? You separate the good ones from the bad ones, which is what’s going to happen on judgment day. He will separate the sheep from the goats.
Matthew 25:32-34 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Matthew 8:11-12 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth
Although this world is filled with sinners, God gives us the opportunity through His grace to repent. We must undergo a transformation from a sinner into a saint, taking advantage of God’s mercy and becoming new creatures in Christ, because someday God is going to separate the bad ones from the….
…..Good Seed
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 