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.
I grew up in an era before arcade games and game stations became popular, and when we wanted some entertainment, many times we would sit down at the table and pull out a deck of cards. I played a lot of card games from crazy eights, to cribbage, and even rummy. But my favorite card game of all is playing spades. In spades, there are two teams of four players who are dealt 13 cards. The spades are the strongest cards to possess because they will defeat any other suit. You have to bid your hand, which means to tell the other players how many rounds that you think that you are going to win. If you take or exceed all of your tricks, you receive points, but if you overbid your hand, then you will be penalized for coming up short. But occasionally, you might come across a hand that you know for certain that you can take all of the tricks. This is called “shooting the moon”, and you don’t even need all of the spades to achieve this, just some really high cards in some different suits and a good batch of spades to finish up the hand. If you can take all of the tricks, then you will normally get rewarded with a whopping 250 points!
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Whenever you try shooting the moon, you are undertaking a very ambitious goal. This is because it’s really not that easy to do. Scripture warns that many people will attempt to get into heaven, but they won’t be able to gain access, simply because they were not ambitious enough to surrender their lives to the will of God and the teachings of the Christian faith.
Luke 13:23-24 (KJB) Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Strive means to make great efforts to achieve and obtain something, or to struggle and fight victoriously. Striving to obtain eternal life is something that you will not hear out of the mouth of false prophets. This is because they claim that you are already guaranteed a place in heaven, and nothing can change that fact. But that is an absolute lie and a false gospel. Eternal life will only be granted to those who have humbly submitted themselves to the will of God. Without sincere obedience to the teachings of the faith, one can never be transformed from a sinner into a saint. Consider the Apostle Paul, who at one time was trying to destroy the church, but when God forgave him for his sins, the Lord used him to write a lot of the New Testament that we have today. His life underwent a radical change, as will all those who strive daily to become new creatures in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 6:15-16 (KJB) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
When you strive for something, you will be very ambitious and determined to succeed. Some people will strive to win a gold medal at the Olympics, or climb all the way to the top of Mount Everest. But the quest to obtain eternal life is the most ambitious quest that you could ever attempt. We must prepare ourselves daily by casting off the works of darkness, departing from iniquity, and walking in the light.
Ephesians 5:8-10 (KJB) For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
2 Timothy 2:19 (KJB) 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.
To live the Christian Life is a very ambitious undertaking, one that a lot of people simply won’t have the stamina to complete. This is because rather than turning away from their sins, they will walk according to their own sinful lusts instead.
Jude 1:17-18 (KJB) But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 (KJB) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The Christian Life requires effort on your part, after all, if you are going to achieve anything in life, it will require some type of work. To strive diligently in the faith, we must get off the wide road of sinful living, and begin walking the narrow path of obedience to God, which is a path that many people simply are not going to find.
Matthew 7:13-14 (KJB) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Many people will claim to be a follower of Jesus, but a genuine follower of Christ is not going to walk a life of darkness.
John 8:12 (KJB) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
1 John 1:5-6 (KJB) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
We must strive each day to shun sinfulness in our lives, and walk in the truth of scripture. In order to love God perfectly, we must keep His Word, which means to become humbly obedient to His will.
1 John 2:5-6 (KJB) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Jesus died on the cross so we could be forgiven for our past sins, but repentance from dead works, and submitting to the will of God is paramount to obtaining eternal life.
Matthew 7:21-23 (KJB) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
There are huge rewards from our Lord Jesus Christ when we strive diligently to serve Him from our hearts. So I ask you today, what will you do with the hand that God has dealt you? Are you ambitious enough to strive to win the Eternal prize? Are you bold enough to fight for victory, by bidding it all, and,…..
……Shooting the Moon
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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