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.

There was a young man born on a small farm out in North Dakota who would eventually go on later in life to invent something that would ultimately change the sport of diving. In 1947 Ray Rude had a friend who came to him and needed help.  He was throwing a pool party in his backyard and the varnish was coming off of his new diving board. Because he had been an engineer at Lockheed, he had a few spare airplane parts in his shop.  He found a discarded airplane wing, drilled a few holes in it, and created a makeshift diving board for his friend.  Apparently the springboard was such a success, that guests at the party were nearly hitting the far side of the pool.  A few years later he patented his invention in 1953.  His diving board allows divers to spring up higher than ever imagined possible, and it’s been used in the Olympics since 1960.  There were even some schools that were forced to raise their ceilings, just to keep the divers from hitting their heads.

This reminds me of the Christian life.

When we effectively use the grace that has been given to us by God, it can launch us into a brand new life of obedient living.  Like a springboard, it can lift us up to the level God wants us to be at.

2 Corinthians 6:1  We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

God’s grace can result in amazing things, but we must remember why this free gift of God’s forgiveness is given to us.  God wants us to grow into spiritual maturity, undergoing a transformation from a sinner into a saint.  It is given to us for a specific purpose, so that we can turn away from our simple past and become obedient servants of God.  God gives us the opportunity to get it right this time.  If there are no results of obedient living, If there is no attempt to submit to the will of God, then the grace that has been given to you is not serving a purpose in your life.  The Apostle Paul received a lot of grace and is an example to all of us what can happen in someone’s life, when you accept the grace of God, and run with it.  When he got forgiven, he didn’t receive God’s grace in vain, but used it as a springboard to begin a new life, becoming a new creature in Christ.

Ephesians 3:7  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

1 Corinthians 15:9-10  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 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 washes our sins away so that we can become something different than what we were in the past.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

We are given His grace to go on unto perfection.

Hebrews 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Forgiveness is provided so that we can become obedient to the will of God.

Romans 6:1-2, 15-16  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

To receive God’s grace in vain means that it doesn’t cause a change, and is ineffectual and fruitless.  It doesn’t produce the results of transformation. It never results in a changed heart.  A person in that state of mind never goes on to spiritual maturity.  We must always remember that God gives us grace so that we can grow.

2 Peter 3:17-18  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

When we receive God’s mercy, it should cause us to serve Him from our hearts.  

Hebrews 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Hebrews 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

In the past, each of us have been caught up in sinful works, but now we are to focus our minds on doing God’s will.  Jesus loved us so much that He laid down His own life so that we could have forgiveness.  Now we want to return that great love for Him by lovingly submitting to His will and purpose for us.  As we were involved with sinful works in the past, now we want to focus on good works, because without them, it only shows the vanity of ones professed faith.

James 2:18-26  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. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

God gives us grace so that we can become fruitful.

Luke 13:6-9  He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Instead of taking advantage of God’s grace and repenting from dead works, some will only misuse it.

Jude 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

You don’t want to receive God’s grace in vain but take advantage of the opportunity that has been given to you by Him  The opportunity to become a new person.  The opportunity to live a whole new life.  The opportunity to someday inherit eternal life.  God wants to take us there, but each of us need to allow God’s grace to work in our hearts.  We need to use His mercy to launch us from darkness into the light.  It’s just a matter of stepping onto….

……The Springboard

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.

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

When you go outside each day and look around, was that day just made specifically for you? No, it wasn’t. God makes each day for everyone on the Earth to enjoy. It doesn’t matter if they are rich or poor. It doesn’t matter if they are bad or good. Male, female, child or adult, God creates each day for everyone, not just a select few.

God treats everyone alike. He does not give preferential treatment to a certain group of people over another. There is no one who is exempt from keeping His commands, and there are none who will escape the punishment for their unrepented-of sins either. There is no respect of persons with God.

Romans 2:1-11  “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

For there is no respect of persons with God.”

If there is one, single thing that we should all have learned by now it is that we all make mistakes, and there is no one who has kept themselves from sinning at least once in their lifetime. It is that sin, whether it be just one or a thousand, that groups every human on this Earth under the same title: sinner. American, Canadian, English, Russian- it doesn’t matter where you are from, everyone will someday have to give account of their life to the Lord.

Salvation is available. Eternal life is available, not to just one, but all who call upon the name of the Lord. Jesus is offering this gift for free to everyone, all they need to do is come forward and turn away from their sins.

Romans 10:8-13  “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

So when you look at someone living in their sins, just remember, Jesus died for them too. Jesus loves them too, and He wants them to come to a place of repentance so that they too can be saved. There is hope for everyone. Everyone has the same opportunity to change and live for Christ. Just make certain that you have made yours.

In Christ,

Andrew 

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.

Andrew and I enjoy sailing during our down time, and there have been many times when we are out on the lake, that we have gotten into some really heavy winds.  There are times when the wind can get so strong that it’s extremely hard to turn the boat around to tack in the opposite direction.  Sometimes Andrew will yell out that there are rocks and deadheads directly in front of the boat, and we have to make an emergency turn as fast as possible to avoid them. The older sailing ships had a certain maneuver that was practiced for these kinds of situations, but it was fairly risky.  It was used as a desperate attempt to rescue the ship from danger.  What they would do is force the ship into a rapid 180 turn, by dropping an anchor off of the front of the ship.  When the anchor snagged on the seabed it would use the ship’s momentum to swing it around faster than it could have ever been done with just the rudder and sails.  Some people have nicknamed it the nautical handbrake turn, but it is more commonly known as clubhauling.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

When there was an immediate danger approaching the ship, they needed to do an about face as quickly as possible to save the vessel from crashing upon the rocks.  When we become Christians, we must do the same. Sin will bring forth death, and we must turn away from it as quickly as possible before it’s too late.

2 Timothy 2:19  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.

When we are baptized in the Christian faith, we are supposed to turn away from sinful living.  Scriptures teach us to repent of our sins.  To do so we must completely change direction in our lives and go the opposite way.  Instead of walking in the flesh we need to walk in the spirit.  Like a ship swinging around 180° quickly through the wind, we too must swing our lives back towards God.  We cannot delay.  The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, and the time to prepare and get ready is right now.  There’s great danger lurking on the worldly path in front of us, and we need to turn around right now. The Apostle Paul was commanded to preach repentance, and to convince people to turn from their sins so that they could be saved.

Acts 26:16-20  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

One of the definitions for repent is to cease from the practice of sin. When you practice something it’s continuing to repeat it over and over again.  It is a custom, habit, behavior, manner or routine. It is a repetition of a certain activity.  

Romans 6:1-6, 12  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

The apostle Peter constantly reminded the church that God has called us out of the darkness of sinful living.  God wants us to become sanctified and transformed from the person that we used to be in our past, to a new creature that is which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.  

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Instead of constantly repenting from dead works, we want to get to the point in our lives where we don’t sin anymore.  If we sin, we can come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need, but God gives us grace so that we can become overcomers of the sinful nature.

Hebrews 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Christianity is about turning from what is wrong to what is right.  It’s about turning from sinful living to righteous living.  To do this requires self-examination and looking into your own heart in mind and realizing the error of your way, insomuch that it causes you to turn your ship around.  When somebody truly repents with their heart, they will bring forth fruits of goodness, righteousness and truth.  John the Baptist was preaching the same message of repentance.

Matthew 3:1-8  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

God does not want people to perish.  That is not his first choice.  He loves us and wants to save us, but It is the sin issue that needs to be addressed in each of our lives.  We need to take heed, and understand the dangers that result from sinful living.  We must be circumspect, and recognize the emergency ahead of time, before it’s too late.  Heave the anchor in, and swing the boat around, because the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the time has come to do some……..

……….Clubhauling 

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.

In all of our years raising chickens I have compiled many memories that have stuck out from all of the rest. One such memory that I have is that one morning it was decided that we would have eggs for breakfast. We proceeded to start cracking the eggs into the frying pan one by one, until I witnessed something that I had never seen before, and have never seen since. One of the eggs that I cracked open had two shells! It was like the egg was enclosed inside of another egg, using the outside shell as armor, the two layers of shell protecting the egg yolk inside.

Daily reading and study of the Holy Scriptures is like putting on pieces of armor, each piece fortifying and strengthening you a little bit more with each verse. 

Think back to when you first heard about and believed in Jesus Christ. At that early time in your faith you didn’t fully understand everything that was encased between the pages of the Bible. You were young in the faith of Jesus, like a tender young plant just sprouting out of the ground. But with each passing day that you applied yourself to study and growth, searching the word of God, it was like you were slowly donning pieces of armor. Physical armor is used to protect physical things, but the armor that you applied through your learning of Christ will protect a place that no weapon on Earth can penetrate-the soul.

Piece after piece, verse after verse, day after day, the study and application of God word to one’s life will only further strengthen their defense against the sin and deception of the world. You always need to remember, this is not Heaven. This world is a battleground of sin, and as soldiers of God we need to prepare accordingly, arming ourselves with the word of God.

Ephesians 6:11  “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

This is why the Apostle Paul exhorted the churches to continue to keep up on their gathering together to learn and grow in the Spirit of Christ. They all had at sometime start out with the milk of God’s Word, but he wanted them to progress further and further in the knowledge that is found in Christ. He wanted them to continue putting on their spiritual armor so that they could prevail in their spiritual battles.

Romans 13:12  “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

Maybe you have seen a video of a large group of animals in Africa, such as the water buffalo. These buffalo are commonly found in large groups of 10 to 20 animals in a herd, with reports of sometimes up to 100. Well, when baby water buffalo are born they obviously are not as strong as the adults, and they need to be protected from the dangers around them, most especially lions. What the adults will do is form a ring around the young, protecting them from the hungry lions very much like armor. Do you know what this reminds me of? 

1 Peter 5:8-9  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

The devil can come in many forms. He may present himself as “an angel of light” while in fact he is only out to destroy one’s faith. He doesn’t want you to believe in Jesus, he wants to lead your away from Him, and he will throw many things at you to try to cause you to sin. Don’t let that happen. Don’t let the devil ruin your faith. Surround yourself with the armor of God’s holy word, and never take it off.

In Christ

Andrew

Good Morning and welcome in everyone.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 2 Peter.

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Many years ago I had heard someone preaching that God only came to earth to save a certain group of people, but the truth is, He came to save all men.  Sadly not all men will be saved because they will lack something that is required on our part,…it’s repentance. God wants all men to come to a place of repentance.  All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  None of us are better than the other.  I’m just the same as you are.  There are only two kinds of people on this earth, sinners and repentant sinners.  The thing that prevents us from having a close relationship with God and others is a lack of repentance in our lives.

Many years ago, Andrew helped me hand out a flyer that I had written which I had called the three “Rs” of Christianity.  Repentance, remission, and reconciliation. In order for all these things to take place, you must take one step at a time, and the very first step that needs to be taken is repentance. When someone repents It means that they feel pain, sorrow or regret for what they have done or omitted to do.  It is to be sorry for the sins that you have committed.  King David found great favor in the sight of God, but he made a mistake during his life that he greatly regretted.  He was filled with a repentant heart for what he had done, teaching us not only the frailty of our human nature, but the mercy of our God

Psalms 51:1-19  Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.  O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.  For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

King David repented with a broken and contrite heart. Can you feel his sadness in this passage? True sorrow will cause you to feel regret about wronging God or others. True sorrow will reach out and seek forgiveness from others that you have wronged.  True sorrow will cause someone to repent and confess their sins.  King David was filled with this kind of sorrow, Godly sorrow, and it led him to a place of forgiveness with God.

2 Corinthians 7:8-10  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.

It is so important in the church to confess our faults one to another, not for the purpose of others standing over you in judgment, but so that we can be healed.  All of us have weaknesses just like the next man, but it is through repentance and confession that we can eventually overcome sin and mature in our faith.  It begins with sorrow for what you have done wrong.  True sorrow and weeping over your sins brings a blessing from God.

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

The passage of the humble publican is another example of a man who was filed with sorrow and sincere regret for what he had done.  He wept before God, 

Luke 18:9-14  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  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.

Genuine repentance will possess a contrite heart as King David did. The apostles preached repentance and remission of sins, but genuine repentance is a state of the heart. The Apostle James taught the same thing.

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.

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

In order to obtain forgiveness with God and others you must empty yourself of all pride.  Pride only hardens the heart from receiving grace from God and others. The cure is contrition.  The cure is humility.  These are the first steps on the road to recovery with God.  Repentance truly is……

…….The Cure

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, or by getting our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com, or I suppose, you can find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods.  Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

tlkjbc.com

Have you ever undertaken a task of some kind, and part of the way through it you realized that you need an extra pair of hands or two in order to complete it? What did you do? Did you call up a couple of your friends or neighbors and ask them to lend you a helping hand? If you did then you likely asked them for help with the expectation and hope that they would indeed assist you with your project. After all, that is the general idea why someone asks for something, right? To receive or acquire what it is that you are petitioning for?

Ask – to request or petition for something.

Every day I put my shoes on to go outside, and as soon as my hand touches my first shoe I am immediately accompanied by a furry companion. My dog knows that whenever I grab my shoes I am probably going outside, and she wants to go too. She obviously cannot talk to convey this message to me, but she does just about everything else that she can to make her wish known through her actions, knowing that I will likely take her with me.

This is what it means to ask for something, exactly the kind of attitude that we should have when we come before God. We need to ask the Lord, in our prayers, throughout our day, believing and knowing that He will hear our prayers.

God wants to give us good things. He wants to give us the Holy Spirit, but we need to ask Him for it and we need to believe that we will receive it.

Luke 11:1-13  “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

Unlike my dog, we can communicate directly to God our desire for spiritual things. We don’t need to be afraid that our prayers will go unheard, or forgotten. God knows all things, and He will hear your prayers. You just need to ask.

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 share something with you.

To inherit eternal life requires a little bit of effort on our part.  What I mean by this is that the gospel should cause a reaction in the way that you live.  If you truly believe in Jesus Christ and what he did for you at the cross you’re going to have a desire to undergo a change in your life.  Many people nowadays will claim that they believe in Jesus but the word that they need to understand is the word ” believe “.  What does it really mean to believe in something? I will give you a few examples that I’ve used with my family over the years.

If I’m sitting in the living room, and I really believe one evening that it’s going to rain overnight, my belief will cause me to go up onto the road and shut the windows on my truck.  So you see, when we believe something it results in an action.  Let me give you another example.  If you believe that your dad is going to stop by and pick you up to take you fishing on a Saturday morning, your belief will cause you to pack your things and stand by the door, waiting patiently for his arrival.  Once again, when we believe something it causes a reaction.

Noah believed that the end of the world was coming, and his belief led to a reaction in his own life.  It caused him to prepare by building a huge vessel to save his family and the animals from the destruction of the Earth.  Genuine faith most certainly will result in an action.  Once again, many people say that they believe in Jesus, but what exactly does the word “believe” mean? If I believe that there is a snowstorm coming, I will make sure to cut more firewood for the house beforehand.  Faith will lead to actions.  It’s more than just saying “I believe” but it’s having actions and deeds in your life that prove that you believe.  Deeds are the proof that something is happening inside of our hearts.  Moses believed in God and look what happened in his life.  He walked away from all the treasure and riches of Egypt.  Many might ask why he gave it all up.  It is because he found greater riches in the things of God.  God became his greatest treasure.  When Moses believed in God, it resulted in an action.  

There’s an old saying that actions speak louder than words.  The Apostle James taught that we need to become doers of the word and not just hears only.  It’s more than just saying ” I believe ” but it is about living what you believe.  Those who profess to have faith in Christ but have no actions are only fooling themselves.  What if Noah had said that he believed in God but never bothered to build a ship?  The result would have been his family perishing in the flood along with the rest.  There is more to Christianity than Just words.  There is  more to Christianity than just telling God that you love Him.

We prove our love to God by our actions.  We prove our love to God through our obedience to His will.  We prove our love to God through submission to His purpose.  This is why the apostles taught that we need to prove ourselves worthy of God.  It’s more than just saying the words, ” I believe ”  It’s more than just wearing a t-shirt with a verse on the back.  It’s more than just carrying a Bible in your pocket.  It is about having results in your life that prove that you truly believe in Him with your heart.

In the Old Testament people were trying to be saved by the works of the law, apart from grace. In the New Testament, we are not saved in that manner, we are saved by the grace of God. We are saved through His forgiveness and mercy. But if you truly believe in your heart in His grace, there will definitely be results in your life. Look at the life of the Apostle Paul as an example of what happens when you truly believe in God.  Look at what happened in his life when he got forgiven for his past. Look at the change that his left went through. His belief in the Lord Jesus Christ resulted in actions.  His life went through a radical change in so much that it shocked a lot of people.  It resulted in a change in his heart and in his life.  A man who was once persecuting churches was now planting them. A man who is once trying to destroy the work of God was now building upon the foundation of Christ.

Actions are the proof of Gods sanctifying grace happening inside of our hearts. Without actions then it is only words.  Words by themselves don’t save us, faith from the heart does.

When we say the words “I believe in God”, they are only words until you walk out the door of the church, and apply your belief to your life.  Christianity is allowing ourselves to go through a change by accepting the teachings of scripture. Depending on where somebody comes from in the world, it can result in drastic changes in a person’s life. God can take the chief of sinners, as Paul claimed to be, and transform him into an apostle of God.  God can take a fisherman, who called himself a sinful man, and use him to preach His word. If we are truly Christians in our hearts, then we need to prove it by our actions.  We need to show it by our faithful obedience to the will of God.  We need to become doors of His word rather than just hearers only.  True faith will produce results that lead to eternal life and salvation.  This is the kind of faith by which we are saved.

Without results of obedience, without the results of sanctification, without the results of transformation, then a person is only deceiving themselves.  So as we begin talking about at the very beginning, what does it mean to believe in something?  Christianity is more then words.  Christianity is more then a profession of faith.  Christianity produces the results of faith.  These are results that people will see in your own life.  They are the same results that happened in the life of Moses, Noah and Abraham.  We too need to possess the same results of faith to eventually obtain eternal life.

Where is the proof of what you believe?  Where is the evidence that shows God is working in your heart?  Do you really believe that it’s going to rain tonight?  Will your belief cause you to rise up to action?  Will it cause you to prepare?  Will it cause you go outside to the truck and……

……Shut the Windows

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 recorded diary lessons, distributed through different platforms, or by getting our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com, or I suppose, you can find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods.  Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

Jeremiah 32:27  “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”

Do you think if you tried that you could run a mile in under a minute? Common sense tells us that our bodies are just not built to achieve that kind of speed, and at best we can maybe reach the three minute mark. So to run a mile in a minute is…impossible. 

Do you think that you could fill a truck box full of dirt in a day, moving one grain of sand at a time? Obviously not, because the sand is just too small, it would take you a very, very long time. So this too is…impossible. 

Thinking back in time, I can remember as a child grabbing a shovel and heading out behind the house with the intent of digging a hole “all the way to China”, which, I assumed, was on the exact opposite side of the Earth. It sure was hard work, but I was determined to reach the other side of the Earth. But, I unfortunately was never able to complete my goal because as soon as I had dug about a five or six foot hole I discovered that I wasn’t able to throw any more dirt out of the hole, as it had become too deep. The task that I had set out to do had turned out to be…. impossible. 

When something is impossible, it means that it is not able to be done. It cannot happen.

This is something that we need to admit to ourselves. That there are some things that we just cannot do on our own, and that if we want to do them we need help. I’m talking about overcoming sin. On our own, without Christ, we are weak and vulnerable to sin, and often fall victim to it. On our own, we cannot overcome sin. But with God, all things are possible. With His help, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. Cannot overcome sin on your own? Fear not. God can help, and He will help if you let Him into your life.

In Mark chapter 10 we can read about a rich man, and this man’s love for his money and possessions were too great and he couldn’t give them up. He thought that he was perfect, keeping the Law flawlessly from his youth, but upon learning from the Lord Jesus that to truly be perfect he had to give up the thing which he loved the most, he couldn’t do it. Just the thought of giving up his riches caused him to be filled with great sorrow. Jesus then turned and said that 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. Astounded, the people responded, Who then can be saved? 

Mark 10:27  “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”

You see, it takes the help of Someone greater than ourselves to overcome our sins and shortcomings. We are just wretched, foolish sinners, who, if Jesus hadn’t come to save, would all be damned to an eternal lifetime of punishment in hell. But because Jesus did what He did for the entire world through His sacrifice on the cross, He extends out His hand and offers us the help that we need in order to attain eternal life. He makes the impossible possible. We don’t do it, He does. 

Praise be to Jesus for His mercy and grace, for without Him, we are nothing. Amen.

In Christ,

Andrew

In parts of Africa and Asia, there is a small creature known as a honey badger, and this mammal has become well known for its bravery. Even though they measure just a mere 30 inches in length with a weight of approximately 26 pounds, they have earned the recognition of being the most fearless and ferocious animal in the world. They have been known to make even lions back down, an animal several times their size! 

These creatures are unfazed by any danger or adversity around them, and this is a quality that we as Christians need to feel as well.

Philippians 1:27-30  “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

The Apostle Paul wanted the church to stand fast in the faith, to be strong and obedient to the things which they had learned, and to not be terrified or afraid of those who would try to oppose them or cause them affliction. 

Hebrews 13:6  “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

Just like the honey badger, we need to be unfazed by those who oppose the word of God and who seek to cause us to suffer. The apostles the Lord certainly knew this, as they had to endure tribulation many times at the hands of others. They were thrown into prison, they were beaten, they were stoned, and some, such as Stephen, even gave their own life for the cause of Christ. But their faith never wavered, and it never failed.

1 Peter 3:12-14  “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”

Maybe some of you have been climbing up or down a ladder, when you accidentally misplace your foot and the ladder falls out from underneath you. You immediately grab onto that ledge or shelf in front of you with your hands as hard as you can so that you do not fall, because you know that it will hurt if you do. It might not feel too good at the time while your hands are clamped tightly to the ledge, but you need to hold on as long as it takes until someone can come and help you.

We need to hold on and endure the pain and suffering that others may inflict upon us, knowing that Jesus did the same. 

Matthew 10:22  “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

These are words from Christ Himself. If we believe in Him we will be hated. If we believe in the Lord we will have to endure suffering at the hands of others. But we need to be strong. We need to endure, unafraid and unashamed. Just like the honey badger.

In Christ,

Andrew

Goodmorning 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 share something with you.

I’ve got a great recipe for beef jerky that was given to me by a neighbor.  It is absolutely wonderful, but it takes a little bit of preparation time.  Before I soak the meat overnight to marinate it and tenderize it, I first have to start by sharpening my knife until it’s like a razor.  This is so that when I began to slice the meat, It is super thin.  Even when I’m at the table, there are times when I need to keep sharpening my knife.  When it is sharp enough, it will slice through that meat like a knife through butter.

This reminds me of the Christian Life

Whenever I use a knife at home, whether it’s filleting fish or cutting up some steak, it needs to be very sharp.  But I know something that is sharper than any knife that you could ever use. It is God’s Holy Word, and it cuts right through, reaching the soul.

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.

If there is one thing that people can never argue with It is the teachings of Scripture. To those who try to fight against it will only find themselves fighting against God. There have been so many battles that have been fought in this world.  There have been wars and rumors of wars, but the weapons that they use can only harm the flesh.  God’s Word reaches into a place that other weapons cannot touch, into the soul, exposing the hidden darkness of sin within each person’s heart.  It is a Spiritual sword, that can reach into the areas that no earthly sword can reach.  It is the sword that many men of God have used for thousands of years for battle.

Ephesians 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Many people actually believe that Jesus came to bring peace on the earth, but he didn’t. He came to bring the truth of God to the world.  In a world that is filled with sin and darkness, people do not want to hear the truth, and they become greatly offended and even hate the words of those who preach it.  This is because they are battling with the sword of God’s Word inside of their own hearts.

John 8:47  He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

God’s message of truth brings division, even amongst family members when they don’t accept teachings of Christ. There will be certain men, who when they make a decision to follow Christ, are going to find out that their enemies are closer than they think, because they are within your own family.  

Matthew 10:34-36  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

Whenever I decide to make jerky, the knife will divide a piece of meat in two.  Whenever I split a piece of wood with my axe, it divides in two.  This is what God’s Word does. Not everyone is going to have a desire to become obedient to the will of God.  Not everyone is going to have a desire to obey His commandment and teachings.  A lot of them are going to be within your own family.  Instead of following Christ’s calling for them, they will follow their own.  Instead of living lives for the Lord, they will live lives for themselves.  Blood relationships don’t matter at all to God,  what matters is becoming faithful and obedient to the teachings of His Son.

Luke 12:51-53  Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

At judgment day, there will be some who make it into the kingdom of heaven, and some will be cast into a lake of fire.  Although they were related by blood while here upon the earth, they never really transformed and conformed to God’s purposes.  They never truly became converted in their heart.  As we learn from what the Lord Jesus taught, it doesn’t matter who your blood relatives are, what matters is if you did the will of God, and humbly submitted to His calling.  I think many people on earth want to believe that they will be in heaven. In the flesh there are many people who want to be a millionaire but for most people it’s not going to happen.

Matthew 7:13-14  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.

Few are going to obtain it because most people refuse to become obedient.  Let’s face it, in the carnal nature people are rebellious and disobedient.  Those things need to change for anyone who wants to obtain the world that is coming. The kingdom of heaven is near, and the time to prepare is now.  To serve Jesus means to do His will rather than your own. Those people are truly a part of God’s family.  Those who choose disobedience will be cast away from his presence forever.  

Matthew 12:46-50  While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Although many people teach a heretical ” once saved always saved philosophy ” the only ones who are going to make it to heaven are the ones who chose to do the will of God.  There will be some who become Christians, and then choose to leave the church. They become anti-Christ. In the parable of the sower, Jesus taught numerous examples of people who began the Christian life, but they didn’t endure. 

The apostle taught that some,after hearing the word of God would believe a lie instead, which would eventually result in damnation of the soul.  Make sure you hear me and hear me well….Baptism is only the beginning of the Christian life, not the end.  It’s the first step of the race not the finish line.  Obedience to the will of God is where you separate the sheep from the goats.  That division begins here upon the earth, and will ultimately happen at the final judgment. Be forewarned, some people just are not worthy of God’s kingdom because they could care less about repentance and becoming faithfully obedient through a contrite and penitent heart. Jesus didn’t come to bring peace on earth but to preach using the sword of God’s Word.  When you use the sword of truth, you will create a lot of enemies. The reason why is because this is the world, and the world will fight against the truth. This is because it pierces their souls.

Luke 2:35  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

It’s God’s truth.  It’s God’s Word.  It’s a losing battle, because it is a sword…..

……Reaching the Soul

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 recorded diary lessons, distributed through certain carriers, or by getting our entire podcast feed directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com, or I suppose, you can find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods.  Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️