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.
Over the last twenty years, we have owned quite a few chickens, and although they can scratch for a lot of their own food, I’ve always bought them corn to supplement their diet. We normally go down to the grain elevator and buy a hundred pounds in a large bag, and then heave it into the truck box to bring home for the birds. One time we got home late, and instead of hauling it down to the chickens right away, we left the corn in the truck box until the next morning. The next day when I went up to the truck, the corn was missing. I asked if someone had brought it down, but everybody said no. I was absolutely puzzled, and I couldn’t find any animal tracks around the truck, but after a while of searching, I finally found some bear prints in a muddy puddle by the treeline. To my surprise, I found the bag of corn about fifty feet back in the woods and completely ripped open. The amazing thing to me was that there were no skid marks at all to be found. This meant that the bear carried that heavy burden all the way back into the woods by himself.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
That bag of corn was a heavy burden to carry, but each of us must carry our own burdens. When people sin against us and cause us to suffer, the burden gets even heavier. Just think of all of the suffering that our precious Lord Jesus endured when He was hated and persecuted by this world, but He carried that heavy burden of sin all the way to the cross.
Hebrews 12 ¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, ² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ⁴ Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Jesus suffered and died at the cross not because of what He did, but because of what others did to him. He could have called out legions of angels to destroy this world, but He allowed himself to suffer instead.
1 Peter 2 ¹⁹ For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. ²¹ For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: ²² Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ²³ Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: ²⁴ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
We are called into suffering, and a lot of times it will begin from your own household and relatives, people who have been closest to your own heart.
“And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” Matthew 10:36
But whatever things that we have to go through in this life, the Lord is watching. He sees those who hate you and desire your hurt. He sees those who conspire against you and cast out your name as evil. Rather than avenge ourselves we cry out to the Lord, who will deliver the afflicted, and punish the wicked.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Romans 12:19
Luke 18 ⁷ And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? ⁸ I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.
We can reprove, rebuke, and warn others about the consequences for what they do, but in the end, you can’t live their life for them. God is not mocked, and people are going to reap what they sow. Those who take a stand for Christ Jesus are going to enter into some type of persecution, but whatever happens we must endure. His deliverance is at hand for all those who seek to do His will and love Him out of a pure heart.
2 Thessalonians 1 ³ We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; ⁴ So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: ⁵ Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: ⁶ Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; ⁷ And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸ In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: ⁹ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Remember that this is a sinful world, and when you take a stand for the teachings of Christ, you will be hated by the impenitent. Jesus warned people to repent of their sins and taught them the will of God, but He was so hated that He was crucified.
1 Peter 4 ¹² Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: ¹³ But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. ¹⁴ If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
John 15 ¹⁸ If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
When people cause us to suffer, we have ceased from sin.
1 Peter 4 ¹ Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; ² That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
The reward of those who suffer will be great.
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: 2 Timothy 2:12
It doesn’t feel good when people sin against us, even more so when they refuse to repent, but we must learn to suffer and trust in Christ for our deliverance. It can be a very heavy burden, but we must learn to embrace it. We’ve got to wrap our arms around it, heave it up on our shoulders, and carry it back into the woods, just like that black bear and….
……The Missing Bag of Corn
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 all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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