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 almost half of my life, I’ve been eating flatbread, which is a very simple meal that is made out of flour and water. I make it practically everyday, and cook it up on a dry hot cast iron skillet until it starts to bubble, and then stack them up in a small pile for supper. But whatever doesn’t get eaten, I leave out in the open so it gets dry and hard. After a few days, I will bust them all up and store them in a tightly closed plastic grocery bag, saving them for later use. Some of the chips I’ve eaten have been over a year old, but they are extremely hard so I will put them on top of chili, or other hot meals to soften them up. I’ve even used them in soup, as a form of precooked noodles. It’s cheap to make, and it is something that people have been eating for centuries. Sometimes when I roll out the dough, I will rub on some special seasonings as I cook it, and when I’m done, they taste very much like chips that you buy at the grocery store. Hardtack was used as a staple for sailors, cowboys, soldiers and explorers, especially when they had to go long distances where there wasn’t very much food. Hardtack has always been valued for not only its affordability, but its extremely long shelf life.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
When my flatbread has been completely dried out, it will be preserved for months on end. Preserved is defined as to keep something in a good state, free from damage or harm, and kept in its original condition. Just like a piece of hardtack, if we faithfully abide in Christ Jesus, He can preserve our souls for many years, until we finally reach His Heavenly Kingdom.
2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
In our neck of the woods, many people do all different types of food preservation, such as pickling, canning, drying, curing and pressure cooking. All of these methods will inhibit the growth of certain microorganisms which can cause the food to become spoiled. Sin will have the same effect on somebody’s heart which is why we need to completely remove it from our lives. Just like boiling jars before they are filled, we must cleanse ourselves from sinful activities that can result in spoilage.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
When you are canning food, you have got to make sure that the jars are clean. They need to be washed thoroughly, which is exactly what needs to happen inside of our hearts. Our hearts must become sterilized from all of the sinful things of this world, and be cleansed with the heat of Holy Scripture.
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Sin is like a bacteria in our lives, and in order to be preserved, it must be eradicated from our hearts. This is called sanctification, which is a process of cleansing our hearts from sin in order to walk in Holiness and obedience towards God. There isn’t going to be sin in heaven which is why we need to completely eliminate it from our lives. Sin is anything that goes against the will of God, which is why it is so important to be filled up with the teachings of scripture. When we are filled with Spiritual knowledge we will understand the things that please Him, and understand the things that He hates.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,…
In order to wash dishes, you need to use some water. If you’re going to wash your dirty clothes, you need to use some water. In order to be cleansed from sinfulness, our souls need to be scrubbed with the water of God’s Holy Word.
Ephesians 5:26-27 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So in order to be preserved, we must cleanse our vessels, being sanctified by the acceptance and application of the truth of scripture.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
2 Timothy 2:19-21 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Sanctification is the process of purifying ourselves from sin, and it begins when we are baptized into the name of Jesus Christ. Like taking an eraser and wiping off a chalkboard, any sins that we have committed before that point are completely washed away. But as I have said many times, baptism is just the very first step into the Christian Life, just like becoming a child all over again. There is a certain level of ignorance when a child is born into this world, and the same is true of people who recently became a Christian. A child needs to be fed regularly, just like a newborn child of God. Paul didn’t want the church to be ignorant like people out in the world who have no understanding of what the bible really teaches. He wanted them to know the truth, because it is the truth that ultimately frees us from our sins. Like a bar of soap in your bathroom sink, each verse of scripture is scrubbing our hearts, so that we can become nice and clean, and learn to love God with a perfect heart.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
But beware, because just like food that is left out too long in the heat, people can become corrupted and spoiled when they believe the teachings of the world above the Word of God.
Colossians 2:8-10 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:
God can preserve us, and ultimately save us, but it requires submission and obedience to His will. We must completely surrender to His purpose for our lives, and learn to do those things that please Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
So whether it’s canning peaches, or even making pickles, we must make sure that we begin by cleaning the jars. Our vessels need to be free from any impurities, so that we will last the test of time, just like a piece of my…..
…….Hardtack
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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