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.
When I was in third grade, the bus would get to school about a half an hour early, giving me some extra time to put my stuff away in my desk, so I could go play out on the playground before the first bell rang. During the winter months, the plow trucks would push all of the snow into a huge pile, providing a great place for all the kids to play. A group of us would barricade ourselves on the very top of the hill, and repel boarders. When a few older kids attempted to take our position, we would defend ourselves, and cast them down the other side of the snowbank.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Throughout the entire world, soldiers stand high upon a wall to defend the borders of their homeland. The Apostle Paul was a soldier of Christ, who was set forth to defend the truth of the Gospel, casting down those things that distorted the truth of the Christian faith.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
For thousands of years, many people who profess Christianity have tried to convert people through the tip of an Earthly sword, but this has done nothing for the advancement of the gospel. The Lord Jesus taught that the tares are meant to grow among the wheat until the final judgment. But although we each dwell on the same Earth, soldiers of Christ must rise up and defend the truth of our faith. This is not done through the usage of earthly weapons. It is done with the sword of God’s Word. Although soldiers use many different types of temporal weapons in this world, the soldier of God uses a Spiritual one, the sword of God’s truth. It is the most powerful weapon that a man could ever wield. Earthly weapons can only pierce the body, while God’s Word can pierce the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
As soldiers defend the borders of their country, Paul was defending the borders of our faith. He spent his life defending the truth of the gospel.
Philippians 1:17 ……knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
There are many people who have climbed into high spiritual places, not to lead others towards obedience to God, but to lead them astray. They have gained access to high places of religious authority and promote wickedness, present a false gospel, and preach a different Jesus than the one spoken of throughout Scripture.
2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
Many of these people are preaching false doctrines for money and financial gain.
Titus 1:10-11 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
In order to defend the truth, the Apostle Paul would stand up against spiritual wickedness, and with the use of God’s Word, would cast off every high thing that lifted itself over the knowledge of God. It is a spiritual battle that requires Spiritual armor.
Ephesians 6:11-17 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Many people form an idea in their mind of what God is to them, but a Christian’s concept of God is not based on imagination, but on real life testimony and the truth.
2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
The mind can be quite imaginative.To imagine means to form a mental image of something in your mind that is not perceived in reality. The imagination can be a very powerful thing, but that doesn’t mean that what you perceive is real. You might vainly imagine that there is green cheese on Mars, but that doesn’t mean it’s a fact. Many children imagine that a large man can descend through a 6 inch stove pipe to deliver them presents, but that idea is only a lie and a skewed form of reality. Imaginations can present a false narrative. Although there are many different versions of what God is like, there is only one that is true. Everything we want to know about the true and living God is found in God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Colossians 2:6-10 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
The Apostle would stand up against those who lifted themselves over the knowledge of God. He wanted to keep the truth of our faith intact, and diligently defended the borders of the church. As the world around us slowly deteriorates into the abyss of sin, Christians must take a stand for biblical truth. As the world promotes its false forms of religion, like Noah standing upon the ark, Christians must rise up and safeguard the one true faith. We must cast down all things that oppose the teachings of scripture, and stand our ground, just like we did, high up on top of…..
….. The Snowbank
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 