“Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” Romans 14:13

A stumbling block is “an impediment to belief or understanding.” It is to put something in front of another that causes them to make a mistake or to sin. 

Imagine a runner in a marathon. As they run down the street, there are people lining the side of the street. If someone stuck their leg out just as the runner went by, and fell, that would be a stumbling block. It is whatever causes someone to fall or make a mistake.

As Christians, we need to make sure that we don’t do anything that would cause someone else to sin. Some people have had problems with alcohol, whether in the past or present. and they don’t want to be around it because they don’t want to fall back into sin. Now, alcohol in itself is not a sinful thing, but it is the misuse and overindulgence of alcohol that causes drunkenness and sin. A church member may like to have a drink now and then, but we do not want to do it around someone who has a problem with it. We do not want to cause someone else to fall into sin.

“But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of your’s become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” 1 Corinthians 8:8-13

Some people are vegetarians, who do not like to eat meat or animal products. If eating meat around them is going to cause them to be upset or feel like they are sinning, we should bend to their weak conscience and not do it around them. God created everything and all the animals are there for us to eat. Everything that God made is good. But if someone has a problem with something you eat, do not eat (or drink) it around them.

“For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.” Romans 14:20-21

We especially don’t want to offend children who believe in Christ. Children at a young age have impressionable minds, which means that their minds or beliefs are easily influenced or affected. I have read about many young children who have been abused by someone who claimed to be a Christian, and because of that person, they do not want to have anything to do with anything associated with Christ. Because of that person’s actions, they caused a child to forsake the Christian faith. The bible teaches that it were better that that person were drowned in the sea, than that they make little ones to sin.

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6

Do not be the cause of someone’s sin or disbelief. When you have love towards your neighbor, you will put them before yourself. As you go about your day, live in a manner that will not cause someone to stumble in their faith. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

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.

Andrew and I have spent many years cutting firewood in the woods.  When we moved out here 20 years ago, I didn’t even know how to use a chainsaw.  We split most of our wood by hand for many years, always burning wood in our home for heating and for cooking. We have become very accustomed to hauling in large arm loads of wood on a snowy afternoon to prepare for the cold night ahead.  Most people who burn wood keep a close eye on the thermometer outside. Occasionally on cold nights, you need to get up to fill the woodstove, reviving the flame back to life once again. If you don’t, the fire can die, and you will slowly feel the cold beginning to creep its way back into the house.  

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

Our love for God has to be renewed each day.  Like putting sticks into our old cook stove, we must keep the embers glowing inside of our hearts.  But what happens at a campground when you decide to leave in the morning?  You pour water on the fire to put it out completely.  This is what sinful living does in our lives.  It’s like putting water on a fire that was once glowing inside of us, until it no longer produces heat, and the flames slowly extinguish. In the church we are called to be tender hearted, walking in love towards God and each other, but when people get involved with sin, the harder the heart becomes.  What was once loving and kind becomes hateful and mean.  What was once filled with warmth and forgiveness, turns cold and bitter.  What was once soft and pliable becomes hardened through the deceitfulness of living in sin.

Hebrews 3:12-13  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Departing from the living God has to do with a state of impenitance in a person’s heart.  It’s a state of non-reconciliation with God or others that you have wronged.  It happens because of a refusal to accept the truth for sinful actions, and they slowly start to believe a lie instead. When someone is impenitent, they have no feelings of genuine remorse, resulting in so much pride that they begin to boast about their sinful behavior openly.  They really don’t regret or even care about what they have done.  Because of this, they don’t feel apologetic enough in their heart, to recover themselves from the error of their way.  Even though people are aware that they are living outside the parameters of the teachings of Christ, their heart becomes hardened, refusing to express any sorrow or regret.  They just don’t care.

In this state, it causes a refusal to confess fault, and admit sin.  God is ready and waiting to forgive us, but impenitence prevents a person from receiving that grace.  This is why if we make a mistake towards God or others, we need to admit fault quickly, because the longer time goes by, the harder the heart becomes, eventually becoming impenetrable to the truth.

Romans 2:5-10  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:

Impenitence is like building a brick wall around your heart.  The further you delve into sin, the higher and thicker it becomes.  Instead of believing the truth, you begin to be deceived, accepting and believing the lies of the devil.  The more lies you believe, the higher that wall becomes.  God is on the outside waiting to show us mercy, so that we can be reconciled with him once again, but the refusal to be penitent and contrite, prevents the healing from Gods grace.

Psalms 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

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

The humble publican was filled with contrition, and confessed His faults, while the Pharisee was so filled with religious pride, that he wouldn’t admit his own.

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.

God revives those who humbly recognize the error of their way, admitting the truth before Him, and fearing Him and His Word.

Isaiah 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

The more sin that one gets involved with will only result in the heart becoming colder.  Instead of producing love, it produces hatred.  It causes betrayal, not only to the will of God, but others who care for the redemption of your soul.

Matthew 24:10-12  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

What people have to do in the church is break down that wall of impenitance, and recognize there own sinfulness.  The wall of pride must be knocked down through humility, confessing faults to God and others so reconciliation can take place.  Dont allow your heart to become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  Don’t allow the warmth of the truth of God’s Word to grow cold in your heart.  All you need to do is to humbly put some more…..

…… Sticks in the Stove.

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

tlkjbc.com

Romans 13:13  “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”

Have you ever experienced a time when someone became angry or upset with you, not because you did anything wrong or evil towards them, but just because you happened to be more talented at something, or were more fortunate than they were?

Why was Cain filled with hate towards Abel? Did Abel do something towards Cain to harm him in some way? No. What was it then that caused Cain to do what he did when he? He hated Abel because Abel’s sacrifice to God was better than his. He was upset because God was pleased with the sacrifice that He had received from Abel, while the sacrifice from Cain God wasn’t pleased with. The feeling that Cain displayed towards Abel was envy.

Envy is defined as the resentful desire of something possessed by another (but not limited to material possessions). The feeling of hatred, enmity, ill-will, or displeasure towards someone for their good fortune or possessions.

I think that many die hard sports fans go through this type of feeling each season, as their favorite teams go to the playoffs, only to lose to a better team. This sort of rivalry can often turn into envy, but this is not something that we should feel towards each other as Christians.

1 John 3:11-15  “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

Envy is not love, and it was because of envy that the Jews delivered Jesus unto Pilate to be crucified. Why did they hate Him? What evil did He do towards them? Jesus didn’t do anything wrong, but they still were filled with envy towards Him. But it is as Jesus said, they hated me without a cause.

John 15:21-25  “But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”

Envy is a carnal feeling, not a spiritual one. Envy is not love. It is not a quality that we learn to be in the Bible. We need to be filled with love, not hate. If someone has a great gift or talent we should be happy for and rejoice with them when they use it to the best of their ability.

As always, love one another, as Christ has loved you.

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.

Many people like the game of baseball.  I really enjoyed watching the Minnesota Twins win the world series.  I was so excited when they finally won, that I accidentily broke a window!  In order to win at the game of baseball, you must first step up to the plate.  You cannot win any race or competition if you don’t step up and try.  I think it’s because some people are so afraid of failure that they don’t even attempt it.  

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

When we step up to the plate, it means that we are taking on the responsibility of trying to hit the ball and score for the team. If you never even try, it’s guaranteed you won’t make it anyway.  Just stepping up to the plate shows that there is a possibility to drive runs in, or even hit a grand slam. Sometimes in order to be successful, the results don’t matter as much as the attempt to try.  People have claimed that Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything, and was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.  Many days he stepped up to the inventing plate, but fell short of succeeding. 

Many men are overly concerned with missing the pitch, rather than the opportunity that God has presented them with, to hit a homerun. Therein lies their error to succeed.  Success in the Christian Life is not based on our physical strength, but on the hope of future successes that is found through the Holy Spirit and faith in Christ Jesus. All men are called in the church to step up to the plate and to preach. What a beautiful thing to tell people about God’s forgiveness.   It doesn’t matter how many rejections that you may encounter, because eventually you’re going to hit one run right out of the park. Just that one run could result in a grand slam.  When we preach God’s Word we don’t want to physically look at the results at that moment of time, because later on, the things that you did years earlier, can result in somebody else’s conversion.  

Many times in the world we judge ourselves simply because we don’t have immediate results, but that’s not always the case when it comes to preaching.  You don’t plant a tomato seed and pick the tomatoes off it the next day, because It takes a little time to grow.  Some seeds don’t come to fruition until years later. 

An example of this is the life of the Apostle Paul.  His writings were from 2000 years ago and still have a fruitful effect on people today.  Look at Moses, and the prophets, blessed men who lived long before our time, but their life and their faith have a great effect in our lives now.  Laboring for the Lord is not in vain, it’s all a matter of who’s going to step up to the plate to do it.

1 Corinthians 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Jesus called out to people to preach and teach the word.  There is a a huge need for it, and the laborers are few.  Many times in high schools, a guidance counselor will try to pinhole a person into a certain kind of work, depending on the needs in society.  But there is no greater need a person can commit their life to, then helping people grow in their faith.  God causes the Word to grow in a persons heart, but we are responsible to plant and water the seed.  It you have a flock of baby chickens, you need to feed and water them daily, but it’s God that causes them to grow physically.  The church its very similar, but the one main difference is that we are giving out spiritual food to God’s sheep.

Acts 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Somebody needs to stand up and go to work for the one who died on the cross to save us from our sins.  When people go to a secular job each week, they might only do things if they are forced to do them.  Others will only show up for a paycheck, but men are supposed to preach God’s Word, motivated out of a love for Jesus, as He first loved us, driven by His uneding mercies and grace.  Works are the proof of our love toward Him.

1 Peter 5:1-4  The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;  Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

The Apostle Peter was a simple fisherman who obeyed Christs calling to preach the Word.  Even though he was grieved about certain things that he had done wrong as an Apostle, the Lord forgave him and commanded him to continue feeding His sheep.  Jesus lovingly restored him, and Peters response was to lovingly serve him back.

John 21:15-17  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

In order for the sheep to grow they need to be fed with scriptural food often.  Somebody needs to do it.

Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I guess that we learn in life, just like Thomas Edison or a big league baseball player, there may be times that you swing and strike out.  At that moment you may feel like you failed.  Someone may not be interested in a bible.  They refuse to open up their hearts to the message of faith and forgiveness found in Christ. But we must always remember, that the only thing that can prevent us from succeeding, or driving in a winning run, is refusing to get back up, and continue….

………Stepping up to the Plate

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

On our own, we cannot overcome our sins, but when we accept Jesus into our lives, God can work through us and with His help we can conquer our faults.

There are some things that are just impossible for a single person to do by themselves without help. One time we were asked by a neighbor to help him remove a furnace from his basement. He had been dealing with a sore back and couldn’t do it by himself, so we went and helped him remove the furnace.

Or what happens when someone’s car breaks down miles away from the nearest town? How will they get their vehicle to a place where it can be repaired? A person can push a vehicle a short distance, but not miles and miles. So what a person needs to do is find or call a friend or tow truck to bring it to the shop. They need the help of someone else because they couldn’t do it on their own.

We also cannot get to Heaven without help. Since the Garden of Eden, each and every person has done something that keeps them out of Heaven: sin. Heaven is a perfect place free from sin, and the only way for someone to get there is to have their sins taken away. In order for this to happen, they need to go to the only One Who can do that. Jesus Christ. Without His grace and forgiveness, it is impossible to get to Heaven. With God all things are possible.

In James 3 we read that the tongue is another thing that is impossible to control.

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:6-8

The tongue can speak evil, lies, blasphemy, and curse others. But it says “the tongue can no ‘man’ tame,” meaning, man without the Spirit of God. A person on their own cannot “tame” the tongue, they need God’s help. With God all things are possible.

When Jesus walked on the Sea of Galilee, it was Peter’s faith that also allowed him to walk out to Jesus on the water. It was also when Peter saw the rough seas and became afraid that he began to sink. When his faith wavered, he sank. Faith is the essential thing that a person needs as a Christian. Without it, we cannot be saved.

“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.” Hebrews 11:6

It is impossible for anyone to get to Heaven through any other way than Jesus Christ. We cannot earn our way to Heaven by our deeds. We need to come to Christ for salvation.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

With God all things are possible. 

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.

Colossians 1:21-23  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

In the church, we have access a lot of forgiveness with God. He is rich in mercy, and has plenty of it available.  Jesus taught Peter to forgive a penitent brother up to 70 times 7.  That’s quite a bit of grace, and hopefully we only need a small portion of it.  

Matthew 18:21-22  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

In order to receive forgiveness for sins, you must first confess and admit them.  God gives us the grace that we need, so that we can get back up, and try it again, walking in His will.  Young children take a lot of patience and grace, to eventually learn how to do something correctly.  The church is filled with new born again children, who require grace to someday attain perfection, which is the final goal.  This is why we need to be so merciful, learning to forgive and forget each others faults, so we can overcome issues in our lives.  It requires grace, forbearance, and patience.

Colossians 3:12-14  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

It begins with repentance, which is having a change of your heart, causing you to apologize, and admit your error.  

1 John 1:8-9  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God gives us grace so that we can learn from our mistakes, and get to the place where we go and sin no more.  To become free from sin, it requires becoming obedient to God’s will, and to do that, we must receive His Holy Spirit. God wants to give it to us, but we need to reach out and ask for it.   

Luke 11:9-13  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?

Paul taught about his struggle between the Spirit and the flesh in his own life.  Instead of doing the right thing, you want to do the opposite thing instead.  Rather than making good choices, the flesh tells you to make poor ones.  Its truly a battle the goes on within each of us. But thanks to the riches of God’s grace, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the carnal nature.  We can come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need so we can walk the path that God wants us walk.

Romans 7:15-25  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

When you are in captivity, it means that you become a prisoner of your carnal life style, but all sin can be overcome through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 13:52  And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

The Holy ghost is a gift sent from God to help us defeat sin in our lives.

Acts 2:38-39  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

We can be victorious through His Spirit

1 Corinthians 15:57-58  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

God gives us power to win over our human nature.  Its time to get……

 ……. Filled with The Spirit.

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

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 mentioned this before, but many years ago because of my beliefs, I wanted to come out from the world and to be separate. I built a small little cabin out in the woods where we lived.  All of my children I delivered on our bed at home, and encourage all men to do.  To see their first breath as your deliver them is truly amazing. Because of our extreme poverty, the very first bed that Andrew slept on in our small little cabin, was made out of cattail down.  One very cold winter day, my wife and I put on some snow suits, and walked deep into the woods and gathered up enough cattails so Andrew could have a soft place to lay on. We sowed them inside a giant pillow mattress, similar to a modern-day futon.  I can remember that day as if it was yesterday.  In my mind, through my cold frosty breath, I can still remember as the cattails moved from side to side in the sub-arctic breeze.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

Cattails are very different from a strong oak tree.  They can be moved around very easily and swayed in a light breeze, but our faith needs to be far stronger than that, if we truly want to enter into paradise.  It needs to be strong and unmovable, just as the faith of John the Baptist.

Matthew 11:7-9  And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?  But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.  But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

The Lord Jesus taught not to judge by others by appearances. (1) There were probably many people who judged John the Baptist based on what he looked like, but the truth is that on the inside, he was a man filled with spiritual knowledge and a seeking heart.  He wasn’t concerned about money, but like Moses, was more concerned about his relationship and love for Christ Jesus. (2)  Scripture teaches us that we are supposed to be content in all things. (3)  Our beloved John the baptist was certainly content eating the things that God provided him with such as locusts and wild honey. (4)  I’m sure that there were many people who quickly took offense at his lifestyle, taking issue with his clothes and diet, but the truth was, he really didn’t care about the opinion of men, just as the Apostle Paul didn’t. (5)  

People spoke evil about the outward appearance of John the Baptist, just as they spoke the same evil about Christ, (6) John’s life was the evidence of an unshakeable faith.  Unlike so many others who in these latter days shake like a reed blowing in the wind, John’s beliefs were rock solid, rooted and grounded in truth. He is an ensample to all of us, how we must all be incapable of being moved or swayed from our faith. (7)  Just as Moses stood in the presence of Pharaoh, warning the ruler of Egypt of God’s judgments and punishments because of his impenitence, these men are all examples of those who truly fear and revere Christ, which is commanded by God. (8,9,11)  

These men understand authority, because they serve the God who created all authority. (10)  We need not fear the opinion of men or their actions and deeds, we must fear the blessed Son of God, Christ Jesus, who will ultimately destroy the souls of the wicked in an everlasting lake of fire.  If you truly want to talk about authority; judgment, punishment, and eternal vengeance…. it’s coming, For all those who have been oppressed in this world, it will appear. Praise the Lord and Master of our faith. The day of vengeance is at hand.  Holy and reverend is HIS name, now and forevermore.  If you are going to fear anything, you had better fear HIM, to whom all souls will kneel in His presence.  John the Baptist warned people to prepare for the coming final judgment, and I warn you to do the same.(12)

Joseph was a true prophet who suffered needlessly at the hands of his own relatives. Noah was the same kind of man, who prepared himself and his family for the destruction of the world.  This world and everything in it will eventually be gone, whether people want to believe it or not.  Justice will, and is going to prevail, I can promise you that. I am forewarning and advising you that you had better make sure that when the fire comes down, you had better be on the right side,… the side of Christ Jesus. The beloved God of Mercy will show no mercy to those who reject His Son and what He taught.

John the Baptist was not a man that you would have expected to see, because he was not of this world. His greatest love was Jesus, moreso than himself. True self denial is about making the choice to deny your own desires or what you want in this life. Therein lies the concept of divine love for God.  It’s similar to a wife who displays self denial, standing faithfully by their husband’s side, in sickness, health, wealth or poverty.

What do people expect to see in a prophet?  Do they really expect to see fancy robes or a divinity degree on the wall from someone who ordains women?  What do they expect to see in a prophet?  Do they really expect a three-piece suit and a $40,000 truck? What do they really want to see?  Someone who is robbing the poor and stealing them blind, or a poor man who is humble before God.  What do they expect to see?  Do they really want people to show up in limousine with lots of guards and fancy clothes?  The world wants to see the world, while the rest of us understand the kind of man that beloved John was.

The next time you think about a prophet, think about the man whom God chose as one of the greatest prophets born of women.  A man that spoke the truth in Christ no matter how much evil was spoken about him.  Our beloved John was a simple man, meek and humble, serving Christ.  Poor in the eyes of the world, but rich in wisdom.  Do you possess the same attributes?  Is your faith as strong as Him?  Are you a reed blowing in the wind, or a rock that is completely…..

…….Unshakable?

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

(1)John 7:24 (2)James 2:5 (3)1 Tim 6:6-8 (4) Matt 3:4 (5)1 Cor 4:3 (6) Matt 11:18-19

(7) Colossians 2:7 (8) 1 Peter 2:17 (9) Hebrews 12:28 (10) Col 1:16 (11) Matthew 10:28 (12) Matthew 3:1-6

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Have you ever been trying to prove that something was or was not accurate or factual, but during that process you realized that you were completely wrong?

Have you ever received a bill for something, maybe you received a bill for some automotive work or home repair and when you looked at the receipt that you received you thought to yourself, This isn’t correct, so you start to add up the numbers yourself. But once all of the numbers had been calculated you realized that the original calculation had been correct, and you had been wrong, and that it was you yourself that proved your own error.

This same example has great similarities to our faith. A person may say that they have never sinned, that they are perfect and blameless, but if they would just take a moment to examine themselves, what they will find will surprise them. Through the study of God’s Word and a deep reflection on one’s life, anyone and everyone who does this will soon recognize the truth of the words of Job.

Job 9:20  “If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.”

When a lawyer begins to question the opposing party’s witness in a courtroom, one of the things that they will try to do is to attempt to get that witness to contradict themselves, and therefore render their witness invalid. 

There are so many people who want to believe that they are perfect and that they have nothing to repent of. They continuously walk in this state of mind, unwilling to accept the truth that they are sinners just like everyone else. The simplest example of this type of a person has to be the Pharisee from Luke 18.

Luke 18:10-12  “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.”

In his prayer to God, what this Pharisee was basically saying was, I am not a sinner. He was so confident of this in himself that he even felt that he needed to tell God this. “I’m good, I’m great, I’m wonderful, you’re a sinner and I’m not.” This was the feeling inside of this Pharisee. In fact, those Pharisees who brought the adulterous woman before Christ seemed to have this sort of mindset as well, until Jesus got them to really look at themselves to recognize that they too were sinners just the same.

No one is better than another, and no one is exempt from the stain of sin. How do we know this? Because of the sin that started in the Garden of Eden, death started as well. Remember, Adam and Eve had been created to be eternal creatures, and it was only after the first sin that they began to die. And since that time, how many people have been able to escape the curse of death? 0. 

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

“All” means the entire amount of something. Everyone. Everyone has sinned at least once, and that one sin moves you under the classification of “sinner”. It doesn’t matter who you are, your skin color, ethnicity, gender, age–you are a sinner. There is no escape from it, so don’t even try to claim that you are not one. You will only contradict yourself.

Romans 3:9-12  “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

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.

This is the time of the year when there is a lot of road construction going on in Northern Minnesota.  After many years of use, the highways become due for some much needed help.  The lines start to fade away, the pavement gets cracked, and repair is required.  The roads can get in pretty tough shape after so much ususage.  The question I have for you today is have you ever been driving down the road and had to swerve to avoid a pothole?  

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

Like a pothole on the road, we need to avoid certain people who are caught up in unbiblical doctrines and teachings. In the world there are all kinds of different educators and teachings that can greatly influence a person, but when we become a Christian, we must never allow ourselves to become deceived or susceptible to them.  We must be so filled up with the wisdom of God, that we cannot be tricked as Eve was in the garden of Eden. The flow of communication in the current world has increased so rapidly, that there are huge amounts of outside influences that can become a problem in a Christian home.  The flow of information can come through the mail, television, radio, computers, and more recently, cellphones.  Information can certainly be used to help us learn God’s will, but it can also be used to lead people away from the truth of scripture..

What we need to do is detach ourselves from some of the things that we learned growing up.  We need to let go of some of the information that we were raised in.  I think of it as hibernation from the world, like a big black bear hiding out for the winter from all the unending information being produced.  Its like the peace and quiet that you experience on a quiet lake, fishing on a cool summer morning.  When you’re out there, its like a media blackout from all the concepts and philosophies in this world. Its like taking all the fuses out of the basement of your home, or pulling the plug on everything, so that you can spend more time in God’s Word or with others who call on His name out of a pure heart. Sometimes people like to go camping for a few weeks just to get away from it all, but only find later that they have to return to the world from which they left.

We need to be converted and sanctified through acceptance of biblical truth, a training process that one goes through when they truly become born again.  All of those things that have been bored into our minds since our youth need to be emptied out like a glass of water, and replaced with new information from scripture.  Jesus is the truth, and His Word is truth. An understanding of God’s Word gives us discernment, and helps us recognize truth from error.  God wants to give us wisdom, but we need to ask for it first.  God’s wisdom helps us to see, like avoiding a pothole on the highway, we must avoid those who perpetuate false teachings and are believing lies.  

Romans 16:17 – Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

The apostles were teaching and warning the church, to not allow themselves to be led astray from biblical truth and caught up in heresies.  Heresy is a doctrine that is held by a member of a church that is at variance and contrary to scriptural teachings. We are called to strive for the faith that was once delivered to the saints, and not allow our minds to be spoiled through teachings of this world.

2 Timothy 4:1-4  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Some people are simply not going to last in the Christian Life.  Just as summer turns to winter, the hearts of some people will turn cold to the truth.  They may have heaps of teachers surrounding them, even women, but they are absent of genuine faith and our not preaching the truth.

Colossians 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Its been described that “philosophy” is the love of worldly wisdom, while Christianity is really about attaining spiritual wisdom in Christ.  His wisdom is known as the true riches, ones that we should seek after.  All of the wisdom that you could ever attain on the Earth will be gone someday in the future, disappearing into obscurity, dissolved and forgotten.

1 Corinthians 3:18-20  Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.  And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

We need to be filled with the wisdom that comes from God’s Word so that we can fight off those who are believing false doctrine.  

Luke 21:15  For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

The word false means designed to deceive.  It’s purposefully and wilfully leading people astray, with the intention and purpose of doing so.  The devil is a deceiver and a liar, and just as he did in the garden of Eden, he continues doing the same thing in numerous church groups today.  He tries to get people to disobey God and His Word, but his swift destruction is right around the corner.  His time is short.

 2 Peter 2:1-2  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

2 Timothy 3:8-9  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.  But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

God is not mocked and we never want to offend Him or His incredible love and mercy shown toward this sinful world. We must arm ourselves with scripture, and walk in wisdom towards them that are without.  We must never allow ourselves to be deceived, always keeping God’s Word in the forefront of our minds.  When you do this, you will be able to see all of the potholes and falsehoods for what they truly are, out on….

……The Misinformation Highway.

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. 

Over the years of raising chickens, I have constructed a handful of different nesting boxes for them to lay their eggs in. We usually needed to have several separate boxes in each house so that there would be enough at any one time to accommodate the chickens when they needed to lay. But no matter the flock of chickens, whether they were Leghorns, Barred Rocks, or Rhode Island Reds, they all did the exact same thing: out of the 10 or so open nesting boxes, they all wanted to lay in one or two specific boxes. I would go out to gather the eggs and there would be an empty nest, empty nest, empty nest, then a nest with not one, or two, but four chickens all stuffed into that single nest! They couldn’t hardly even move, they were crammed in there so tight, even laying their eggs on top of each other, all because they had to have that nest. 

Well this overcrowding often led to some broken eggs, and I tried to pull some of those other chickens out and put them into a different box, but they would always jump out and jump back into the “special” one.

And that is kind of the similar to the parable that Jesus used in Luke 14, about pride and 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.”

To humble oneself means that someone is not proud, or arrogant, but is instead modest, unassuming, or lowly in mind. In the parable above, those who took the best, chief rooms for themselves evidently were not of this state of mind.  Instead of taking the least best seats for themselves, they thought that they deserved to have the very best. Instead of being filled with humility, they were filled with pride, something that Christians need to cut out of their lives.

Instead of taking the best for ourselves, or putting ourselves first, we need to follow the teachings of Christ and humble ourselves. We need to become lowly, meek, and filled with humility. Putting others and/or the needs of others before our own. Remember the words of the Lord:

Matthew 23:12  “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

It is God who should lift us up, not ourselves. The Lord Jesus set the perfect example of humility not only by just coming down to the Earth to be among His creation, amongst us sinners, but He went even lower than that by showing true humility by washing the feet of His disciples. The King of kings, Creator of Heaven and Earth, washing the feet of His believers! There is no greater example of humility. 

Romans 12:3  “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

So when we pass the days of our lives, let them be filled with that same Spirit of humility that is found in Christ. Let us think of others, before ourselves, placing others first, as Christ did. Let us be humble.

In Christ,

Andrew