Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from Romans chapter five, beginning at verse one, he says, 

Romans 5:1-2  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

When we speak about justification, it means to be forgiven for your sins, to treat somebody as righteous, or to absolve.  To absolve means to declare somebody free from blame, guilt, or responsibility.  One other dictionary says, to grant a pardon, or to grant remission of sins.  When we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we can be forgiven for past sins and be justified through our faith in Him and His mercy. All the sin, that has weighed heavily upon the heart, and conscience, can be completely cleansed and washed away.  We can be at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through what He did for us at the cross. The Lord Jesus gives an example of being justified in the book of Luke.

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.

So you see, in this passage, justification has to do with mercy that is shown to us by God.  In the case of the publican, he found mercy with God through a contrite and humble heart.  

The Old Testament law was created, so that all of the world would become guilty before God.  This is why the Bible teaches that all have sinned, and have come short of the glory of God.  

Romans 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

In the New Testament, we find forgiveness and grace.

Acts 13:38-39  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Through Jesus Christ, we can receive a divine pardon.  We need God’s forgiveness and mercy, because any attempt to try to obtain eternal life without Christ Jesus as your Savior, is fruitless.  No matter how much you may attempt to try to get there on your own, apart from faith in Christ, you will come up short.

When we begin the Christian walk, we are supposed to do the will of God, being converted to the truth. We are supposed to become sanctified. God offers us a free gift of grace, which we cannot earn.  What we need to do, is come to the throne of grace and receive it as a gift, accepting the fact that we have sinned.  We must confess our faults, so that we can turn away from things that are displeasing to God.  We are forgiven through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, when He shed His blood on the cross.  

Romans 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

1 Corinthians 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

So through Him, we have the gift of forgiveness, but one must always remember why God gives us grace. It needs to result in a change. It needs to result in obedience.  Christianity is more than just a simple profession of faith in Jesus, It is living a life of faith towards Jesus. There are many people today who have a misunderstanding of what faith really is. If you really possess biblical faith, and I’m talking about faith that leads to salvation and eternal life, it will possess outward signs of an inner change.  You are going to desire to obey God with a loving heart.  If you lack this genuine faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith will cause you to become a doer of God’s Word, and not just a hearer only.  Faith will result in obedient works towards God. It will result in doing something for Him, just as it did in the life of the Apostle Paul.

Have any of you planted a garden?  Have you ever believed in your heart that it was going to get very cold overnight and would likely freeze?  If you really believe that, what action did you take towards the care of your garden?  Did you cover it with blankets or sheets?  That action is a result of your faith.  You could call it a work of faith.  Your actions were a result of your belief.  You knew in your heart that something was going to happen, and you did something about it.

This is the faith that Noah had when he built the ark. Faith such as this is a life altering, direction changing, saving faith that you must possess in order to inherit eternal life someday.  This is the faith Moses had, resulting in him turning away from the treasures of Egypt, to God.

James 2:18-24  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.

Faith will result in acts of obedience to God.  It will result in a transformation from a wretched sinner into a faithful man of God.  Abraham was justified in the sight of God, declared righteous, through His faithful obedience to the will of God.  Real faith will result in real actions towards pleasing God.  

Works are the outward proof of an inward change. They show that God’s sanctifying grace is working inside of your heart.  They are the evidence that proves that you have obtained the gift of precious faith……

…….Biblical 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 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.

Several summers ago I was soundly sleeping in a camper trailer one night, when I was awoken by a soft noise. It took a little while for me to realize what this sound was as I slowly started to become more awake, but I eventually got a general idea where the sound was coming from. Grabbing my flashlight I aimed it towards where I thought the noise was coming from, but when I looked I didn’t see anything there and the noise had stopped as well. Impatient, I turned my light off and began to doze off back to sleep, and I was nearly asleep once again, when the noise started again. I was starting to get slightly annoyed, and I rather grumpily switched on my flashlight once again and swiftly aimed it towards the sound. But this time my light landed on the source of this disturbance. 

It was a mouse. Like a deer caught in the headlights the mouse froze for a few moments, uncertain what to do, until it scampered back to it’s hiding spot underneath the furnace and out of sight. A3s long as I had my light on that mouse never came out to play again, but as soon as the light went off, five minutes later that scurrying and scratching would begin once again, almost as though the mouse didn’t want anyone to see what it was doing.

There are some people like this, who do certain things in the dark, when no one can see what is happening. In fact, when do a large amount of illegal activities happen? In the night, when it is dark. They use the cover of darkness to try to hide their activities that they do not want anyone else to see.

People will try to hide their sins from God as well. They want to believe that they can sin and no one will ever find out, but you cannot hide sin from God. Everything that a person does, whether it be good or evil, will someday come to light. 

John 3:16-21  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

A perfect example was shown with what happened between Cain and Abel. Cain certainly thought that he could hide what he had done, didn’t he? After he killed his brother Abel, God asked Cain, Where is your brother? Cain tried to pretend that he didn’t know, but of course God knows everything that everyone does, and nothing is hidden from His eyes. 

Confession of your sins is a requirement in order to receive the forgiveness that everyone needs, but many people are going to refuse to do that. They will try to keep their sins hidden, just like that mouse. They will try to keep their sins in the dark, out of sight. But there will be no hiding those sins from God. One day everyone will give account for their lives, and the things which they did, whether good or bad. And this day will come sooner than anyone will expect, so confess your sins today!

In Christ,

Andrew

Can you think of something that you neglected to take proper care of, and as a result that thing became corrupted or destroyed?

Certain types of food can become old and bad if they are not kept cold. Milk and other dairy products, and meats especially need to be kept cold otherwise they will begin to spoil and need to be thrown away. I found this to be true as one time I left a bottle of chocolate milk out on a hot day, and by the time I remembered where I left it the milk had turned sour. I had neglected to put it away when I was done with it and it spoiled.

There are other things that get bad or corrupt if they are not taken care of as well. Metal boats if left in the salty ocean for months on end can begin to rust if they are not properly maintained. Clothes if left damp will begin to mold and rot, which is why it is important to make certain that they are dried fully when you put them into your dresser. Whatever a thing is, they need to be taken care of to ensure that they do not come to a ruin.

Which is exactly what some people can do to their faith if they do not take care to preserve it. 

1 Timothy 1:18-19  “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:”

Like a bottle of milk that isn’t put away back into the fridge and spoils, some people can neglect to take care to keep their faith strong, letting their faith become “shipwrecked” as Paul put it to his letter to Timothy. Someone may start out strong in their faith, attending church, reading the scriptures, spending time in prayer and serving the Lord with their whole heart, but then let other things come in between them and their relationship with God. It may start by skipping a church gathering one weekend to go and do something else, and instead of going right back the next weekend they instead skip it again. And again, and again, getting farther and farther away from the faith that was once so strong inside them. 

You know, sailors hundreds of years ago would sail the same waters many times, and they would know which areas were safe and other areas in which they might run ashore or into dangerous rocks. So they stuck to these same routes every time, knowing that if they strayed off of that path they would shipwreck their ship. 

The life of a Christian really should be a simple thing to follow, as everything that we need to do has already been explained to us in God’s word. It has already been mapped out which things are good and which things are bad; which things are holy and which things are sinful. We just need to follow that map.

Psalms 119:105-106  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.”

In order to be certain that our faith does not diminish and “shipwreck,” work needs to be done. We need to keep ourselves strong in the word of God, holding fast to the things which we have learned. 

Never, never neglect your faith.

In Christ

Andrew

Drone flying has become an increasingly popular activity and hobby for many people. From a casual backyard weekend event to professional races with thousands of dollars as a prize, flying a drone can be a very fun experience. They have gotten quite easy for a new person to learn how to operate as well, and can be a great present for a younger child. 

While flying a drone may be a very fun, relaxed activity, there are a few general rules that one must know. One of which being is that not everywhere is a good place to fly. For instance, it is illegal to fly a drone in close proximity to an airport, as they can be a hazard to aircraft. There are other places as well, but I just mentioned just this one to illustrate my point. 

For lack of a better example let us suppose that a young child somehow happens to start up his or her drone and fly it in the parking lot of an airport. The child most likely didn’t have any clue that flying a drone near an active airport was illegal, and I am guessing that as long as no one got hurt the authorities will probably just give a very stern, direct warning to not do that anymore, and then forget about what had happened, because it was a child who didn’t really know any better. Well, after that incident, should that child go out the next time that they are at the airport and fire up the drone one more time? Even though they may have been pardoned and excused from punishment previously because of their age, that does not give them freedom to just go and do whatever they want. That would be abusing the grace and forgiveness of the judicial system.

Likewise, if a person commits a sin against the Lord, we all have His grace and forgiveness available to cleanse us from that sin, but just because we have that forgiveness available wherever we sin, that does not mean that it is okay to sin whenever we want. Sin is a very bad thing because it is the act of doing something that is displeasing towards the Lord. He is full of love and mercy, and wants to forgive us from our sins, but that forgiveness needs to be used to overcome our sins, not to continue in them. 

Romans 6:1-11  “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.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Jesus died why? To be the sacrifice for our sin. No more blood of animals continuously offered, Jesus died that one time so that we could be saved. This amazing act of love should be evident to everyone who claims to be a Christian, and it should make one realize that when they sin the same sin over and over again it is like you are crucifying Jesus one more time. To claim to love Jesus one needs to turn away from their sins when they are forgiven by Jesus, and overcome them. Paul continues on later in this chapter, saying in Romans 6:12-18:

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

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

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?

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

Before we came to Christ we lived in our sin, a slave to the sin that lived inside of us. But when we were freed from the chain of sin by the blood of Christ we then became His servants, and we need to be under His will. We need to serve Him now, not sin. 

The grace of Christ is a gift, but just like all gifts you want to treat it properly. You wouldn’t take a brand new sports car that your wealthy uncle gave you for your birthday to haul buckets full of used frying grease, just because he could get you another one whenever you asked him. So don’t do the same thing towards Jesus. Don’t use His grace in vain. 

In Christ

Andrew 

Good morning and welcome in everyone.   Today I want to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of Romans.

Romans 6:1-2  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?

Grace is given to us by God for a specific reason, so that we can turn from our sins, and eventually become an overcomer of the sinful nature.  This is why the scriptures teach us to depart from iniquity.

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.

The Lord Jesus taught to go and sin no more.  God wants us to end the sin issue in our lives.  Genuine faith will result in faithfulness and obedience to the will of God.  He died on the cross so that we could turn from our faults, and serve and obey Him in love.  Why would someone profess to be a follower of Jesus, yet they won’t do what He commands?

Luke 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

To follow Him, means to love and serve Him with an obedient heart. Some people feel that Christianity allows gives them the liberty to live whatever way they want, and it doesn’t matter if they get involved with sin.  That’s not grace.  It’s not even love.  These kinds of people really don’t get it.  Numerous places that profess Christ actually teach these wicked ideologies as the truth, because there is no fear of God before their eyes.

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 gives us the precious gift of His forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ, but you should never receive it in vain.  Vain, in the sense that it doesn’t result in a changed life.  Receiving it in vain means that it served no purpose, and was pointless and futile in your life. The gift of God never really had any value or importance to you, being ineffectual and fruitless.  When you continue to do something, it means that it goes on day, after day, after day.  To sin is to completely disobey and disregard the teachings of Jesus.  Impenitence is a refusal to correct yourself, remaining in a state of sinfulness, without any Godly sorrow, and without any change.  In that state, they aren’t walking in the true grace of God, they are living a lie.

Romans 6:15-18  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?  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

You have to recognize why God gives us grace, it is for a purpose.  

For example, why would I present you with the gift of some professional paint, and an easel? Would you recognize why the gift was given?  Would you understand that it was given so you would paint some pictures?  In like manner, God gives us grace to change. If the change doesn’t happen, then the gift that has been giving to you wasn’t very important to you in the first place.  After all, it was fruitless.  Christianity is about being given a free gift of opportunity from God, to undergo that sanctification process in our lives.  It’s about purifying ourselves from sinfulness, and walking in loving obedience to God.  This is the message that the apostles and disciples were preaching to the world, the gospel of repentance.

Matthew 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Luke 13:1-5  There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

If you cannot turn away from your sin, you will die in your sin.  God gives us grace, not to continue in sin, but to depart from it, so that we can go on, unto perfection.  The first part of repentance has to do with a heartfelt apology, expressing your desire to change. We can come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need, but ultimately it needs to result in a complete conversion, and transformation, to inherit eternal life. This is going to require obedience to the truth.  Salvation is a process of walking day by day in the faith.  You must put one foot in front of the other if you’re going to walk into town. The same is true of the Christian life.  Each day we must walk in the faith, changing from what we used to be, to what God wants us to become.  Even the Apostle Peter had a past, and underwent this change.

1 Peter 4:1-3  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

The Apostle Paul had a past.

1 Timothy 1:12-15  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

You can never become a saint, if you are going to continue to live as a sinner.

Romans 6:1-2  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?

So the next time you walk into the local grocery store, and can’t find a product because they just don’t carry it any more, I want you to remember,……sin in our lives is also a product, that needs to be….

…….Discontinued.

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 goups. 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 everybody.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to ask you a question.

Have you ever been to a rummage sale? Our family has always enjoyed going to them.  Sometimes we can find certain used items for a really good price.  On the other hand, there are times when we’ve been in the local store and bought inexpensive new clothes right off the shelf. You can find a brand new pair of pants, or a pack of t-shirts that have never been worn before. All you have to do is go back home, take off your old clothes and put on the new ones.  one that is being worn for the very first time.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

Christianity is about putting on something brand new.  God wants us to become a new person, but in order to do that we are going to have to be converted to the truth and become born again inside of our hearts.

John 3:1-7  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

In we desire eternal life, we need to go through this rebirth process through faith in Christ and His teachings.  Being born again is about a transformation process that happens through the acceptance of God’s Word.  For that change to take place, it requires putting your faith in scriptural truths, and rejecting the philosophies of this world.

1 Peter 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Like sowing a seed into the soil that brings forth a new plant, God’s Word is planted deep inside of us when we hear His Word preached.  Through an obedient heart, we can become new creatures, transformed through faith and God’s grace. We are reborn through knowledge and application of scripture. It is a process of relearning, as we are converted to the truth, following God’s way rather than the way of the world.

Colossians 3:9-10  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Just like taking off your old t-shirt and throwing it in the garbage, we need to cast off the old man, and put on the new man, filled with a Spiritual mind.

Ephesians 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

To renew something means to make it new again, or to restore it to perfection. God is creating a new person inside of us when we place our faith and trust in His Holy Word.  We must yield our will unto His through faithful obedience, which will ultimately result in sanctification.  When we believe God’s Word with all of our heart, we will have the desire to do it, and become pleasing unto him.  The Apostle Paul was very thankful that the Thessalonian church possessed this kind of faith.

2 Thessalonians 2:13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Remember that we are saved through God’s grace, but it is through the narrow corridor of faith.  When people profess to believe in Jesus, genuine faith will desire to keep His commandments, resulting in obedience and becoming a doer of His will. It’s when we believe the truth that our hearts can undergo the process of transformation.  It’s a matter of surrendering your will, to the will of God.

Romans 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

To truly change, you’ve got to change your mind. God’s Word has been put forth for that reason, to help guide us on the path of God. It is much needed food and nourishment for our spiritual growth.

1 Peter 2:1-3  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Once again, in order for God’s Word to effectively work inside of your heart, you must possess faith.   

1 Thessalonians 2:11-13  As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

If you don’t possess sincere faith, you will never be able to be obedient and pleasing to God.

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

So when we speak about being born again, our life begins in the waters of baptism, but it’s completed through sanctification and obedience to God’s Word.

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

We can find life, through the teachings of scripture.

John 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

The old person must pass away, and a new man must come forth.

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.

Romans 6:4  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.

Are you allowing your heart to be converted to biblical truth?  Is your life undergoing a change from darkness to light? Are you walking in the newness of life? The new opportunity presented to us through God’s grace is incredible.  It’s like putting on a brand new t-shirt, for…..

……The First Time

Let’s think about these things for today, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow.  Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

Please take note that we have absolutely no affiliation with any advertisement you might find on our posts. Thanks!

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Hebrews 11:1  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Have you ever searched online, trying to find a specific thing to purchase? Upon finding a website that has what you were looking for, maybe that item was only available for local pickup and shipping it wasn’t an option. So you decide that you are going to jump into your car and go and pick it up yourself. You didn’t actually see with your own eyes that the store has that item, but you believe the website when it says that it will be there. You believe in something that you haven’t seen.

Years ago we decided that we wanted to get a dog, and after much searching we finally found one that we wanted. We contacted the owner, set up a time and date, and on that agreed date we left our home to go and pick up our new dog. Even though we had about an hour and a half drive to get to the pickup point, we had belief that at the end of our drive we would soon be holding our new dog.

There’s a word for this, the belief in something that is unseen. It is faith. It is faith that causes a person to continue to have hope and belief in something that is not based on proof. We cannot see God, as no one has seen God at any time (John 1:18), but we have belief and confidence that He exists. And because we believe in Him, we believe in the promise that He has left us in the promise of everlasting life in Heaven someday.

Romans 8:24-25  “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

If the human body was able to live eternally then we would have no reason to seek it. But we don’t live forever. We are born, and then we die. And God’s word promises us that if we believe in the Son of God we shall have that promise and receive eternal life.

The Bible is filled with many examples of faith, many examples of people believing in the promises of God because they had faith in things which they couldn’t see.

Hebrews 11:6-13  “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

Have you seen Jesus with your own eyes? But do you believe that He is real and that He is the one, true Son of God? We just read about a handful of different people who, even though they didn’t see it or have proof that something would happen, still believed in the promises of God. Noah believed when he was told to prepare for the flood, Abraham believed that someday he would have a son–even though he was nearly one hundred years old! They had faith and never gave up hope in His promises. 

So do you have that kind of a faith? Do you believe in the unseen promises of God? 

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 story.

Up here in the forest of Northern Minnesota, we are slowly beginning to undergo a change. The sound of chainsaws are beginning to permeate the woods.  You can hear the thumping sound of an axe, as it splits a piece of ash in two.  The trees are preparing to turn colors and drop their leaves.  Sticks are being gathered, new pipes and dampers are being installed on the wood stove, as people prepare for another beautiful carpet of white snow, as it canvasses the lanscape.

This reminds me of the Christian life.

With every change of the season, God is reminding each of us, that we too, need to undergo a change.  We must turn from sin, and be converted to the truth.

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.

Whenever somebody professes that they are follower of Jesus Christ, they need to become an example to the world of goodness, righteousness and truth. In order to do that, we are going to have to change our lives around.  We must make the daily choice to live differently than the way we have in our past. We must choose to do what’s right instead of what’s wrong. We must learn how to follow the will of God rather than our own. We must transform from sinners into saints, and that requires departing from iniquity. The Apostle Paul warned the church that those who were on the path to become saints, much not allow certain sins to be named among them at all.

Ephesians 5:3-10  But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;  Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.  Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

We must prove that we are faithful and obedient children to God.  It is by our actions that we prove what we are.   You can prove that you are a sinner, or you can prove that you are a saint.  It all comes down to obedience.  This is why the Apostle warned the church to be doers of the Word and not just hearers only.  A soul cannot be transformed to the truth, unless you become a doer of the truth.

James 1:21-25  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

The Lord knows those who are His.  If you truly are a follower of Jesus, you will listen to what He commands and teaches.  You are going to follow his leading.  

John 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

John 10:26-27  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Obediently following Jesus is going to result in a new creature, a new person that is created through knowledge of God’s calling and will.

Colossians 3:9-10  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Ephesians 4:22-24  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

If you are going to claim to be a Christian, we must depart from sinful living. Granted, we can come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need, but we must use God’s forgiveness to go on unto perfection. We must use God’s mercy to undergo a complete conversion and transformation in order to inherit eternal life someday. This is why the disciples preached that men needed to turn away from sin.  

Acts 26:19-20  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.

We need to do works meet for repentance? You better believe it!  Without works of obedience, your faith is lifeless, spiritless and dead.

James 2:20, 24  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

If you never turn from sin, how can you profess to be a real believer? You’re only deceiving yourself. To receive God’s grace, you must accept the truth of your own sinful condition. Jesus was sent to turn us away from our sins, and the Apostle Paul was sent by Jesus to continue to repeat that same message throughout the world.

Acts 3:26  Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Acts 26:18  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.

We must depart from iniquity because God calls us out of darkness.

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:

Getting involved with sin is so bad that it can completely deceive you.  Pride begins to develop, and it will result in someone becoming puffed up, and justifying one’s own sinful behavior, rather than accepting the truth of God’s Word.

Hebrews 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

All of us are sinners, myself included. From the richest to the poorest, from the highest in society to the lowest.  There is one thing that each of us need to do if we really want to enter into eternal life.  We must turn away from our sins, and obediently follow the way of Jesus Christ.  

Acts 14:15  And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

Just as fall leaves abandon the tree, we must abandon sin, if we really want to begin…….

…… A New Season

Let’s think about these things for today, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow.  Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

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For thousands of years the bending of a knee before a king, queen, or other authorative figure represented one’s love and devotion, as well as the qualities of humility and meekness as a person recognized the authority of their leader. Someone may have approached the king on his throne, and when they reached the throne they would kneel down before him, thus putting themselves in a lower level beneath the king, as a show of meekness and respect.

This is what we need to be like towards our God. We need to bring ourselves before Him in love and humility, and give Him the honor that He so rightly deserves. We need to humble ourselves before Him, so that someday He can lift us up.

1 Peter 5:6  “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”

I kind of defined it a little bit already, but “humble” means “to bring low; to reduce the power, independence, or exaltation of; to lower; to abase. To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to make meek and submissive.” These are all great definitions of how a Christian should be before the Lord. Not arrogant, but meek. Not prideful, but lowly in mind. Not thinking of oneself higher than they ought to think, but to realize who they are: a sinner.

Humility is a very important virtue that everyone should possess, as it shows that a person realizes their own imperfections and faults. It shows that someone recognizes that they are not perfect, and if there is one thing that everyone should have realized by now is that they are not perfect, that everyone has sinned. 

When we come to God in our prayers it should be to thank and praise Him for all of the things which He has done, as well as to ask Him for help in our times of need. Meekly beseeching Him for mercy.

However this is something that not everyone wants to do. Instead of abasing themselves before the Lord they will exalt themselves in pride. Their opinion of themselves is that they are wonderful and blameless, and deserve something from God because of something that they did. 

Jesus used this example to teach us to have humility.

Luke 14:7-11  “And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;

And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

In the Lord’s parable Jesus teaches that whoever exalts themselves will be abased, and that those who humble themselves shall be exalted. But for some people, they think that because they are such wonderful, great people that they deserve to go to heaven, while the truth is that if it wasn’t for the love of Christ that none of us would be in heaven someday.  Any things that we do for the Lord should be done because it is our duty to do them.

Luke 17:7-10  “But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?

And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

We are unprofitable servants of the Lord. So don’t become lifted up in pride and begin to think that your are deserving to be in heaven. Humble yourself before the Lord, bend that knee, so that one day you may be lifted up. 

In Christ

Andrew

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

When we become a Christian we must learn not to retaliate against others when they wrong us.  This is a very difficult concept for the carnal nature to accept, but if we are truly going to love our neighbor as ourself, we are not going to desire to return the evil that they have done to us, back to them.  After all, we are supposed to treat others the same way that we want to be treated.  As a Christian we must learn not to strike back against others when they cause us to suffer.  Jesus sees our patient suffering, and I guarantee you, He will avenge.

Romans 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Vengeance is punishment that is afflicted, or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.  Punishments can come from many different places of authority in this world, but the the vengeance that we are discussing today, comes directly from Christ Jesus Himself, because He says… ” I will repay.” He fought on the behalf of the Israelites in Egypt. He sent pestilence and sufferings throughout the land. He delivered them through the red sea, destroying the armies of Pharoah, and He continues to do the same today, fighting and avenging those who suffer on His behalf, and who wait patiently for his justice.

Luke 18:1-8  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;  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…

Retaliate is defined as to respond to a wrong by returning the wrong with an equally wrong action. An example of retaliating is for a person to punch someone who has hit them.  To return like for like, evil for evil, or injury for injury.

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.

In the carnal nature, it is extremely simple to want to fight back and retaliate, but we must walk in the steps of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.  Although He could have destroyed the entire world in the blink of an eye, He didn’t.  

1 Peter 2:19-24  For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.  For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

As a Christian we are called to be passive, which means to accept or allow what happens, or what evil that others do to us, without active response or resistance.  Even when we are defrauded of something that is rightfully ours, we need to suffer it knowing that Jesus is watching from heaven and will avenge and deliver us.

1 Corinthians 6:6-8  But brother is 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?  Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

Instead of suing people in a courtroom, we allow ourselves to be wronged, looking to the life of our Lord Jesus as an example.

Hebrews 12:1-4  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds..Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

We are not supposed to recompense evil for evil to any man. Recompense means to pay back, returning compensation for what has been done to you.

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.”

We never need to avenge ourselves, because vengeance will come from Christ the Lord.

Hebrews 10:30-31  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Even when we have to suffer persecution, God is watching.

1 Corinthians 4:12  And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

When you are capable of not avenging yourself, allowing yourself to suffer with the wrongs that people commit against you, you have ceased from sin.  

1 Peter 4:1-2  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

It’s a very good thing when you want to do God’s will and you suffer for it.  

1 Peter 2:19  For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

You don’t have to avenge yourself, because as Pharaoh learned, God will….

…..Even The Score.

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching tlkjbc, or by going to hipcast, buzzsprout or amazon, or by getting our entire podcast feeds directly 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. ❤️

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