Good morning and welcome in everybody.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of Matthew.

Matthew 5:38-40  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

As we discussed recently, certain things were commanded to be done in Judaism, that a Christian is exempted from.  The Old covenant was set up for a season, until the New covenant was created through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Everyday, earthly leaders and representatives of this country will go into sessions to change, repeal or completely abolish certain laws.  God, who is above all authority, did the same thing by abolishing requirements found in the Old testament.  Abolish means to formally put an end to a system, practice, or institution, and completely do away with something.  Consider the following passages.

2 Corinthians 3:13  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

Ephesians 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Colossians 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what is taught in the Old testament.

Exodus 21:24-25  Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Leviticus 24:19-20  And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;  Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

Deuteronomy 19:21  And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

But under the New covenant,  this is what is commanded by the Lord Jesus.

……But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: 

Resist means to withstand the action or effect of something. This word implies an overt recognition of a hostile or threatening force, accompanied by a positive effort to counteract or repel it.  Simply put, it means to fight against something or someone that is attacking you.  When you resist the urge to avenge yourself, and suffer the evils committed against you, God sees your loyalty to His commands, because of which, He will inflict punishments upon them that harm His servants.

Romans 12:17-19  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

When Christians are passively non-resistant, they are not weak; they are strong in faith, obediently trusting in the judgment and the vengeance of God.  When Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, the religious leaders of his day were hounding Him, but He didn’t say a word.  When Pilate saw this, He was amazed.  Jesus didn’t lash out, He didn’t resist the evil that was unjustly perpetrated against Him, but on the contrary, He allowed it to happen. Look at the evil that they did to Him when He was placed on the cross and crucified.  As the creator of this entire world, the Lord Jesus could have called upon legions of angels to destroy this place, but He didn’t.  He could have called down fire from heaven to consume the world, but He didn’t. Many times, people will try to provoke, or push your buttons to get you to fight back, but a Christian must resist the urge.  It’s not a matter of giving up, it’s a matter of giving in and submitting yourself to the will of God.  God is watching, and when He sees you’re capable of doing this, I guarantee you, The day of His vengeance is at hand.

Proverbs 20:22  Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

Jeremiah 1:19  And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

Jeremiah 20:11  But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

Jeremiah 1:8  Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

Luke 18:2-8  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily….

The courtroom is an earthly battleground, of which Christians cannot participate. Followers of Christ are forbidden from taking part in these activities, and must patiently suffer the wrongs that are committed against them, giving themselves over to God’s deliverance and justice, which will certainly come upon all those who do evil.

1 Corinthians 6:6-7  But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.  Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

To endure these types of sufferings is to become partakers of what Jesus went through.

1 Peter 4:12-14  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  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.  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.

A Christian is called to suffer and not return evil for evil. Refusing to fight with others doesn’t mean that you are weak, but quite the opposite.  It shows that you possess great power through God’s Holy Spirit and complete trust in God, knowing that the Lord will do battle for us, and His day of vengeance is at hand.

1 Samuel 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

Resist not evil but wait patiently on the Lord. He is our strength, He is our shield, and He is…..

…….Our Deliverer

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. ❤️

tlkjbc.com

In times of war, especially during the medieval era when swords were the common weapon to use in combat, a soldier needed to be very careful that they didn’t receive large flesh wounds from a sword. Soldiers today may have to deal with bullet wounds, which can be very deadly themselves, but with a sword wound it could often be a rather serious problem as those cuts needed to be taken care of so that they didn’t bleed out and die from blood loss.

Blood is essential for life, because without it a body will die. It is as simple as that. You must have blood in your body or you will die. And similarly, when we partake in the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus we can have life in us as well. But this isn’t the life as we know it right now, it is eternal life.

John 6:53-58  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

During the partaking of Holy Communion we can have everlasting life. Without the blood of Christ we do not have that life in us, and if a person goes through their life and dies without the blood of the Lord they will not live forever. They may look alive while on the Earth, they may walk, talk, rest, eat, and have an outward appearance of life, but on the inside, inside their soul, they are really dead. They are spiritually dead because they do not have the life that comes from Christ.

This was something that Jesus had rebuked the Pharisees for. As administers and rulers in the Jewish Law, they should have been keepers of the Law as well, but there were many of them which only had the outward appearance of holiness, but inside they were filled with sin and wickedness.

Matthew 23:25-28  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Unless something is alive inside it is really dead, isn’t it? A tree may look exactly like the others around it, but if there isn’t any water inside it isn’t alive, it is dead. Someone may claim to be a Christian all they want, but if they do not partake of the body and blood of the Lord they do not have eternal life abiding in them.

You must know what it is that you are doing when you partake of Holy Communion. It is not bread and wine, but the body and blood of the Lord, which He gives to us for the remission of our sins. When we eat His body and drink His blood during Communion He cleanses us from all of our wrongdoings so that we may be at peace with God.

1 Corinthians 11:23-29  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

The body and blood of the Lord is given so that we may have forgiveness, not so that we may continue to sin and then go back for more forgiveness again. You must examine yourself and fully recognize your sins, and turn away from them. Don’t be among those who misuse His grace by partaking unworthily of the Lord. Those who do will only bring damnation upon themselves.

Forgiveness is a gift. Life is a gift, and we have life in the body and blood of Christ. 

In Christ,

Andrew

Luke 11:28  But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Do you ever notice how the things which you don’t care about you tend not to remember, much less do at all? 

If someone isn’t interested in a class in school they may become distracted, bored, and just overall not care whether they hear what is being taught or not. They may be sitting in class physically, but their minds might be elsewhere as the words which hit their ears simply “bounce off” and do nothing for them. It just doesn’t benefit them at all.

Well someone can sit in a church pew on a Sunday, stare directly at the pastor in the front, but the words coming from his mouth are like the rain hitting a glass window. They just do not have any effect on their life. Similar to a seed planted into the dirt, if the water does not reach the seed so that it begins to sprout and grow it will remain unfruitful.

But you see, fruit is what we want as a Christian. We want the things of God to have an effect on our lives so that we can abide in His Word, and follow His teachings. We want to become mature in our faith so that someday we can be a part of the growing process of someone else as they begin their faith in Jesus. It takes growth, though, and it starts by letting the Word of God into our minds.

Matthew 13:18-23  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Even just hearing the Word of God isn’t enough, if you don’t do what it teaches. It must result in an action for growth and fruit to happen. It ties in with what James taught, that faith without works is dead. Meaning, you can say that you believe in Jesus, and that you have faith in Him, but unless that claim of faith is backed up by the evidence of some kind of action, then it is a “dead” faith. No actions= no faith. You must be able to show by your actions the result of an active faith.

It really does start with if you allow God’s Word into your mind or not. Instead of leaving it “knocking at the door,” will you be the one who opens up the depths of your soul and mind? Will you let that water reach the seed, so that it may grow, and grow, and finally reach the point where it becomes fruitful? 

Just as you can see the difference between a plant which has been given fertilizer and nutrients, you will be able to see the difference when someone has taken the things of God’s Word and applied it to their life. It will be evident by their fruit. 

James 2:17-18  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Hear, and do. The Word of God in, an action-filled, fruitful life out. 

In Christ

Andrew

Good morning and welcome in everyone.  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 on a lake, but occasionally when we wanted to do something different than swimming, we would go into the house and search through the kitchen cupboards diligently, until we found a big bag of balloons. On those hot summer days, as we sweated through our t-shirts, we would turn on the green garden hose and start filling them up by the picnic table.  There was something very exhilarating about filling up a balloon full of water and heaving them at one another, especially when you let the water run for a few minutes until It got freezing cold.  The harder you ran around, the more you would sweat.  The more you sweat, the more willingly you would step into the line of fire, and allow yourself to get hit with a stray balloon, just so you could cool off.  Like going from a sauna and jumping into a snowbank, this process would continue over and over again, until we finally laid down on the front lawn from complete exhaustion.  Other than getting hit in the face occasionally, it was a fairly benign recreation for us.  

If you have ever filled up water balloons, maybe you have noticed the same thing that I have.  Some of them will burst before you get the opportunity to tie them off.  Others might break in your hands before you even get the opportunity to throw them at someone.   Sometimes we would heave one way up in the air, but when it came back down, it only bounced on the ground, which we would eventually pick up, and continue throwing at the ground until it finally broke wide open.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

People’s hearts are very much the same way. Although some are easily broken before God, others can grow tough, and much more difficult to break.  This is because they are hardened through pride and impenitence.  Each day that passes by in that state, the harder the heart becomes.  Just like water pressure built up in a balloon, pressure builds up inside of a person’s heart because of sin, and the only way for that pressure to be released, is to become broken before God, breaking the balloon of our hearts, until the tears of contrition begin to flow. 

Psalms 51:16-17  …..The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Genuine sorrow inside of a person’s heart will show the outward evidence of inward grieving, caused by the pain of sinful actions that you have committed against God or others.  Genuine contrition is more than just saying I’m sorry, it is feeling sorry. Godly sorrow is different than the sorrow of the world.  Godly sorrow is felt deep within the soul, permeating the conscience and the mind with overwhelming guilt.  Weeping in self-reproach, is the bodies response to inward suffering and grief.

Luke 7:36-50  And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.  And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,  And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.  Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.  And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.  There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.  And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.  My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.  And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?  And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

In order to receive grace from God or each other, the heart needs to be in the right state of mind. It needs to be keenly aware of the suffering that you have caused, not only to yourself but to others involved.  It must actively seek forgiveness with a humble heart, evidenced by the transformation from joy into sorrow, and afflicted by the pain of wrongdoing.  It is through genuine contrition in the sight of Lord, that the waters of grace can flow.

James 4:6-10  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Luke 6:21  Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Matthew 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Isaiah 57:15  …. I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 66:2  …….but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

The humble publican was so contrite and physically upset with himself, that he was beating upon his own chest.

Luke 18:10-14  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Once again, there is a difference between Godly sorrow, and the sorrow of this world.  Worldly sorrow is of the flesh, and does not generate the true inward emotions that come from deep within a broken and contrite heart.

2 Corinthians 7:8-11  For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.  For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

When hearts become humble, when the soul becomes afflicted, when the mind enters a state of mourning,… grace can be bestowed, lives can be restored, and sins can be forgotten. If you really desire the cool and refreshing waters of forgiveness, all of us will need to break wide open, just like one of our….

……..Water Balloons

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. ❤️

tlkjbc.com

Acts 7:48-49  Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

Home is where the heart is. Have you heard this saying? It basically means that your home will be where your love lies. Hopefully for most people their home is with the people who they love the most, in the Lord first of all, and also with their family. When that love is there, the place that they call home really should take a “backseat” in importance. What I’m saying is that it doesn’t take a home to make a family. It takes love. The building is really irrelevant, whether it’s a huge house or a small cottage, if the love is there then that really is home, isn’t it?

And that kind of brings me to what I wanted to talk about, and I will start by asking another question. Where is the Spirit of God? Is it just in a giant stained glass cathedral, or just available when sitting in a pew? While there may be some who think this, this is simply not the case. The Spirit of God is not contained within walls built by men, but it is within the souls of those who worship the Lord Jesus. In fact, Jesus taught that wherever those are gathered together in His name, He is there with them.

Matthew 18:20  “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Whether it is in a dedicated church building, a car, a tent, or just outside under the sky, the Lord will be with those who love and serve Him. You don’t need a fancy building to worship in. You don’t need millions of dollars worth of equipment and a paved parking lot in order to be able to have the spirit of God within you.

Acts 17:24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Luke 17:20-21  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Even when the apostles may have been put into prison because of their belief in Jesus, nothing could separate them from Him. They still had the Holy Spirit, in a place that no man could remove from them because the God’s Word cannot be bound within walls. You cannot separate God’s Spirit from a believer in the Lord. 

Matthew 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

In this we can have joy knowing that Christ is with us wherever we go, not bound inside the walls of a building. The Spirit of God is within you!

In Christ

Andrew 

Good morning and welcome in everyone.  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.

As parents of young children, we get to see many things that the rest of the world doesn’t.  We get to watch our children as they go through different stages of learning.  They might walk into the house for a quick snack, when we notice that they have their shoes on the wrong feet.  We patiently assist them as they put them on the right way, because there is a difference between our left and right foot.  When I was young, we would wear leather choppers to play in the snow.  Sometimes when we made snowballs, we would quickly realize that there were on the wrong hands.  They felt weird because the seams were in the wrong spots.  We quickly pulled them off and switched them around, because there is a difference between our left and right hands.

This reminds me of the Christian life.  

There is a difference between black and white.  There is a difference between male and female.  There is a difference between night and day.  When it comes to Judaism and Christianity, there is a great difference between the two religions, as different as, my two feet.

There were many things that were commanded to be done in the Old Testament that we are freed from as a follower of Christ Jesus.  Many people over the years have tried to combine the two religions, even teaching a heretical ” dual covenant ” theology, but the truth is that without Jesus as your Savior, you will die in your sins.  If you are attempting to get to heaven apart from Christ, you are claiming that you have never sinned, which would actually defeat the whole purpose for establishing the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. Even then, it was set up on a temporary basis for the covering of sin, which couldn’t cleanse the inner conscience as is provided through the blood of Christ.  As much as someone would try, we cannot be justified through the Old Testament law, because nobody kept it in the first place. Some religious leaders simply ran around pointing the finger at everybody else, instead of doing what they needed to do themselves. They needed to look inside of their own hearts and understand that they were just like the rest of us,…sinners in need of repentance and remission of sins, provided through our merciful God.  All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and to claim that you have never sinned is to call God a liar.

1 John 1:8-10  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The law was put in place to convict us of our sins so that we would recognize the need for a Savior. It only takes one sin during your lifetime to break the entire covenant.  The Apostle James who was born a Jew taught that if you broke a single commandment, then you were guilty of breaking them all.

James 2:10-13  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.  So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

The law had its purpose, to make us realize in our hearts that we couldn’t obtain heaven without God’s merciful assistance. It was meant to drive us into the arms of Christ Jesus. Once we become Christians, there is no turning around and going back to the Old covenant.  Just as an earthly judge might issue a new court order, the old one is replaced, and the new one is in effect.  The law was given to teach us that we are sinners, and when we finally accept that simple truth, and get forgiven through faith in Christ, we are no longer under that school master anymore.

Galatians 3:22-26  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

For many years, people have attempted to combine Judaism and Christianity, but they really are different religions.  Many people who profess to be Christian believe that they will somehow serve God better by trying to keep things that are found In the Old Testament law, which nobody kept in the first place.  It’s sad that they actually feel that they can somehow do what nobody else did.  Some who profess faith in Christ are not trusting in Him, and have fallen from grace.

Galatians 5:1-6  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Just like religious leaders of Jesus’ day, some who claim the Christian faith will quickly point the finger at you for not keeping certain days, months, times, and years.  People are more obsessed about what day it is, rather than focusing on how you should live each day.   Someone can religiously keep a day, but be unloving and cruel inside of their heart. Just because you are never tardy at school, does that automatically mean that you learned everything required in class?  Some are more concerned about cleansing dishes, rather than cleansing their sinful hearts. They quickly judge you for what you eat and drink, which has nothing to do with what comes out of the heart.  This is one of the reasons why you are not supposed to allow somebody to judge you over food and drink.  They did this to both Jesus and John the Baptist.

Colossians 2:14-17  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:   Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Matthew 15:10-11, 17-20  And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.  Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Imagine the things that the apostle Paul was able to eat when he became a Christian.  There are still people today who will command you to keep away from certain foods or drinks.  They think by doing this, that they are more holy than the next person, but holiness has nothing to do with abstaining from certain food.  It’s a matter of taste, not a matter of the heart.

1 Timothy 4:1-6  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;  Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.  For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.  If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

The Christian life is about love rather than law.  It is about Spirit rather than flesh.  Making the attempt to try to keep the Law, is denying the reason that Jesus came to the Earth, which was to set us free from being in bondage to the Old Testament.  Judgments are certainly supposed to happen within the church, but not based on things as foolish as food intake. Judgments are to be made in matters relating to love and obedience towards God, and love towards each other…..things such as fornication, adultery, lasciviousness etc.  Circumcision does not matter to God, what matters is becoming a new creature of love from the inside out.  The true Jew is not one who is one outwardly, but one who is one inwardly.

There is a difference between the sun and the moon.  There is a difference between the rain and the snow.  There is a difference between circumcision in the flesh, and being circumcised in the heart. Many things are different from each other, just as different as….

…….My Two Feet

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. ❤️

tlkjbc.com

Good morning and welcome in everyone.  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.

During this time of year, I tend to get woken up by something that sounds like a canon from an old sailing ship.  It’s deer season, and many people climb up into their hunting stands before the crack of dawn, waiting to get their venison for the winter.  Just as fishing for bass, or shooting a pheasant, there is a certain season in which you can hunt deer, and then all the hunters will go back home.  All of the four-wheelers will be packed up, the rifles will be cleaned, oiled, and put away till next season, and before you know it, it’s all over.

This reminds me of the Christian life

The beloved Apostle James teaches that our life is like a vapor, like a hunter who sees his breath on a cold morning, but then it’s gone. There is a certain amount of time, a season if you will, that God has granted unto each of us. You have a season to decide what you are going to do with your life.  You have to decide If you’re gonna chase after the things of this world, or the things of God.  It all comes down to what is in your iron sights.

Hebrews 11:24-26  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Some people in this world only desire to possess an expensive home, a brand-new truck, or an expensive recreational vehicle, some of which could feed a poor family for a few years.  Others desire to be wealthy, so that they can spend their money on the pleasures of this world.  Think about all of the money and the possessions that Moses would have had, but he turned away them all.  He understood that our lives are but a season, and we must choose to serve God or the pleasures of sin.  With the wisdom God gave unto Him, he chose wisely.

Each of us are here upon the Earth for a certain period of time, but then it will be all over.  It all depends on what you are going to use your time for.  Moses chose to take the season of life that God had given unto him, and build his relationship with his creator.  Deer season is only for a certain amount of time.  Our lives are only for a certain season too.  Instead of choosing to live his life for himself, he took the time that he had been given, to seek after God.

Matthew 19:16-30  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

Those who seek after earthly riches and possessions, are blinded by covetness and greed.  In that state, their hearts are not focused on God, it’s focused on obtaining the things of this world, which causes unfruitfulness.

Matthew 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Some people actually believe that the more possessions that you have, the more godly you are.  These are people that you need to steer clear from, because they don’t worship God, they worship money.

1 Timothy 6:5-10  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.  But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Judas betrayed Jesus because of money.  Sometimes a wife will divorce a husband for the same reason.  

Luke 12:13-31  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.  Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?  And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?  If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?  Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Many people in this world are seeking after all types of different things, but in the end, the only thing that is going to matter is a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. What are you searching after? What are you pursuing? What is the main target that you are aiming towards? Think about that, the next time that you line up…….

…….The Iron Sights

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.

tlkjbc.com♥️

Note: Any copies may be printed and freely distributed among those who have no internet service. There is no AI creative involvement in my writings, and must be left intact because they are very personal to me. These are not to be sold, and are made public only for the free benefit of Spiritual knowledge to those who are genuinely seeking the will of God.

Good morning and welcome in everyone.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 1st Timothy.  

1 Timothy 6:20-21  O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:  Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

In society, there are many people who believe science over the accounts of Holy scripture, but for those who profess to be followers of Jesus, they cannot allow science to conflict with biblical truth.  The reason why is because Jesus is the truth. If science conflicts with that, then it is no longer the truth, it is a lie.  If they believe science over hermeneutics, then they only make themselves into a heretic.  True discipleship is about continuing in scripture.

John 8:31-32  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The only way that we can be purified from sin, is to believe God’s Word.   

John 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Heresy is believing something that is that at complete variance with established religious beliefs that we find in scripture.  It is to believe a lie.  Instead of humbly accepting what God’s Word says, people choose to believe the philosophies and teachings of the world.  This is so harmful to the soul, because it can result in damnation.  Those who cannot hear biblical truths, are filled with the spirit of error.

1 John 4:5-6  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Science truly is a religion to many people.  I say this not to condemn people, but to warn Christians everywhere that God’s Word is the truth, not science.  God created man in His own image.  When you look at a man, you can see the physical appearance of God, just as He created Adam in His own likeness. Man was created by direct intervention of God, not through some type of evolution from apes.  To believe these types of things, is not only insulting to me, but also to all those who believe in the teachings of scripture. Jesus is God’s only begotten Son, and He was born into this world as a man.  In Christianity, we also recognize that there is a great difference between men and women, not only in our physical features, but also the reason why God originally created us.  Both men and women need to embrace where God has placed us.

Romans 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Andrew is a witness to the things that I have taught throughout my life. He knows that ever since I became a believer, my thinking has not changed.  I was born a man, and men are ordained by God to lead others, and teach His Word, whether they choose to do so or not. Although teaching was against everything in my nature to do, I picked up the torch and did it.  The church is not led by one man, but many spirit-filled men.  On the other hand, If I had been born a woman, I would have gotten married young, for the purpose of raising children.  I really doubt that I would have married a man because he was handsome, or found him attractive. I don’t think that any of those things would have come into play as a Christian wife.  I know that a lot of women will not understand what I’m saying, but I do know that when I became converted, I would have obediently served my husband all the days of his life.  Whatever good times or bad things that we had to go through, I would never have allowed a disparaging remark about him to escape my lips, or out of the lips of his children, resulting in dishonoring his name. I would have been a homemaker, because as a female, I would have understood that this was my service towards Christ. Whether we are born into this world as a man or a woman, there are certain things that we cannot change.

Many years ago when Andrew and I we’re unloading scrap iron, I quickly grabbed a piece of sheet iron and threw it off of our trailer.  Because I was wearing a short sleeve shirt, and my forearm was exposed, it tore into my arm like a knife through butter. I’m very thankful that I didn’t bleed out, and Andrew had an ample supply of duct tape and bandages.  The cut was so deep that you could actually see the fat. 15 years later the scar is still there.  Whether I swing an ax, or pull a fish out of the lake, I can still see the scar on my arm.  Whether I fry up some eggs for breakfast, or hoist up a cup of black coffee to my lips, it is a visual reminder that there are some things that we cannot change.  We cannot change what we are.  We cannot change our gender.  We cannot change the purpose that God has called us to.  We are called to convert, and what each of us need to do is accept what God wanted us to become since the day we were born.

1 Corinthians 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

God places us on a path in the Christian life that we are to follow. We are not supposed to be transformed to the world, but to walk in the calling and the purpose that he has set forth for us.  This means that if you were born a man, then be a man. If you were born a woman, then be a woman.  If you were called to teach, then teach.  The Apostle Paul was called to be a prophet before he was even born.  God knew what He was going to use Paul for, before Paul ever did. 

In our human nature, many times people will look to science to fulfill something that they don’t understand. I don’t understand how the sun continues to burn each day, but it does.  I don’t understand why hoarfrost sticks to the trees, but it does. In the woods, there is a difference between a doe and a buck.  There is a difference between a rooster and a hen.  No matter how much science is applied, it cannot change how God has made each of us.  There’s a difference between a balsam tree, and a tamarack tree.  There is a difference between a bucket of water and a bucket of sand.  No matter how much science is applied, it cannot, and will never change that fact. Science can never change the truth. This is where Christianity and science part ways with each other.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying science is a bad thing, but when it conflicts was spiritual truth, then as the Apostle teaches, it’s really not science at all.  All it is is a lie. Jesus is the truth, not science.

Science is a branch of knowledge, as Christianity is also a branch of knowledge, but science is not the same as faith. From what I’ve learned, science is focused more on earthly explanations of temporal things, but faith is eternal.  Jesus healed a man who was dead and buried for three days.  He had been dead so long that his body had started to decompose.  When Jesus raised him from the dead, it infuriated some people so much that they wanted to kill both Jesus and the man that he had raised from the dead.  Within the church, those who are sick are to be anointed with oil, both for physical healing and for forgiveness of sins.  Anytime my wife or children have been sick, I did so as ordered by Christ, and He always healed them.  I do understand that many scientists and doctors can’t really comprehend how somebody can be healed by putting oil on someone or laying hands on the sick. I say this not to condemn anyone, but to advise people that these are matters of faith in our creator, both theirs and mine.  I’m not gonna claim that I know how a gas engine runs. I’m not gonna claim that I understand how the earth revolves around the sun.  But this I will claim, that faith can do things that science will never completely understand or even be capable of explaining.

20 years ago I was stricken with something for over 40 days. Both Andrew and my own wife can testify that she was scared to death for me, thinking that I was going to die because I had lost over 100 pounds, but I knew inside my heart that God would heal me, and eventually He did. There are many things in my own life that I really don’t understand. Even when I study the beloved Apostles writings, I understand that in certain aspects he felt the same way. Even in the military there are certain things that are only meant to be known on a need to know basis, and I really feel that there are certain things in this life that we are not meant to know, or to understand. In the church, we are to anoint people with oil in the name of Jesus so they they can be healed. We do this because God commands us to do it.  It’s a command of Christ.  In the military, a general might command you to charge and secure a hill.  We don’t ask his reasons for doing it.  We do it because he knows why, and that is enough for us to know.

Science is a branch of learning, but faith and trust in Christ is also a branch of learning.  One is Earthly, and the other is Spiritual.  Faith is believing in things that at times, we simply cannot comprehend.  Many scientists are trying to find the truth, a truth that they will only grasp when they inherit the gift of faith. Although their quest for truth is admirable, they will only find divine truth when they come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and…

….. The Miracle of Faith.  

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. ❤️

tlkjbc.com

Two weeks before a major holiday sale many stores will release an ad displaying the items that will be on sale, at greatly reduced prices. From clothes to electronics and house items, everything that is in that ad will be in the store and ready to purchase when the sale starts. If there is something in that ad that you would like then you had better make preparations beforehand to ensure that you will get it.

So suppose that someone, on the day of the sale, goes through the aisles, picks everything out that they want, but upon arriving at the checkout they realize that they forgot the one important item that they needed- their wallet. With no way to purchase anything, they cannot get the things in their cart. They weren’t very prepared, were they? They weren’t ready to take advantage of that limited time offer.

There was a similar situation that the Lord presented in a parable that He told in Matthew 25, about bring prepared, ready, watching, and waiting for His return.

Matthew 25:1-13  “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

In this parable, there were ten virgins who had left to go and meet the bridegroom before the wedding, but as we read, only half of them were actually ready. The five virgins who were ready had prepared themselves by filling up their lamps with oil, so that when the time came they could see through the dark. Then of course you had the other five, who did not bother to prepare themselves beforehand, and by the time that they decided to start to get ready, they were too late.

Just as the Lord explained in the last verse of His parable, we do not know when He will return to come and get His followers, so He tells us to watch, and to have ourselves prepared now so that we are ready to meet Him. 

Being prepared is an important part of life, but even more so when applied to one’s faith in Christ. We have all of this time right now to get ourselves ready for the return of the Lord, and begin to get the oil in our lamps filled to the top. We need to live each day as though it could be our last, because it may be; we don’t really know. 

Just like preparing for a holiday sale, let us prepare ourselves and get ready to meet the Lord. Let us earnestly wait for that day, so that when the time comes we don’t miss the greatest deal of your life.

In Christ,

Andrew

Over the years of people have made their houses out of just about anything. Before the western parts of the United States were settled some people used to cut the sod right off of the ground and make a sod/dirt house, until they could find something more suitable. Up in the Arctic some may have chosen to make a house out of ice and snow, called an igloo. The native American tribes of North America would often stretch the skins of animals over a log frame to make a teepee, and in other parts of the world you may find grass huts.

Today, many homes are pre-manufactured in a warehouse and then trucked to a location and set in place. I just saw the other day that they are now creating homes out of giant 3-D printers, using a type of concrete, which was really amazing to see. But out of all of the different house types and out of all of the different materials that are used to make them, the house is only as good as the foundation that it is set on. You could make a beautiful cathedral of a house out of sturdy bricks, but if that house is set on soft ground it will slowly sink. Just look at all of the homes every year that get pulled down steep hills after strong rains in a mudslide. Beautiful homes, just completely destroyed because they weren’t founded on something solid.

To ensure the longevity of a home it needs to have a strong foundation, just as a person needs to have a strong foundation in the teachings of Christ.

Matthew 7:24-27  “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

The very first and most important part of building a home is it’s foundation, because without a good foundation everything will fall apart. The very first part in the life of a Christian needs to be the teachings of the Lord because it is His teachings that are the basis and starting point of our faith, and without the strong foundation of God’s Word in one’s life the only result will be complete destruction.

We are told to place the Lord first in our lives throughout the Scriptures. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, it says in Matthew 6:33. This means that it needs to precede everything else. The Word of God needs to be the starting point and foundation that we base our everyday lives on. All of the teachings of the apostles of the Lord are the teachings that they received from the Lord and the Holy Spirit, and they are the very basis of our faith that we may look to each and every day for our spiritual growth.

Ephesians 2:19-22  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

We need to be built on Christ and His teachings. When our lives are built on the things of Christ, it is the strongest foundation that can be built on, and if you continue in them you will never fall. You will endure, day after day, weathering through all of the trials and temptations of your faith, solid in the truth of the Lord, because you have been founded upon the Rock, from the ground up.

In Christ

Andrew