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 tell you a little story.

The Sierra BigHorn is often well known for running and jumping up extremely steep and rocky areas, but a lesser known fact is that they molt and completely shed their exterior coat yearly, so it can be replaced with a new one.  This happens in the spring as the warmer weather approaches.  They have become known as the “hair sheep”, which actually have hair very much like humans and other different animals.  The difference is, that the wild sheeps, coat does not grow continuously as a lot of domesticated ones do.  In fact, they want to remove the old coat so badly that they even rub their bodies against the trees to rid themselves of it!  There are many animals that molt by shedding things like old feathers, hair, skin, or even their old shell to make way for new growth from within.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

God, through our faith and the Holy Spirit is creating something new inside of us.  Just like a bighorn sheep, humans need to undergo a molting process, by casting off the old person that we used to be, and becoming a spiritual person inside of our hearts.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Each year that passes by, we each become a little bit older.  Our bodies are in the process of physically aging while we are here on Earth.  Death is happening on the exterior, but when we become born again through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins to produce a new person inside of us.  Like creatures shedding their skin, we are in a process of shedding the old man, so it can be replaced by the new one that is being formed and created by God.  The wages of sin is death, but the life of Jesus is working on the inside.  The temporal person and his sinful nature must be put to death, and replaced with the new man in Christ.

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.

Like shearing a sheep, we must cast off the old sinful and earthy person that we were, so that we can become the new Spiritual person God wants us to be.  It’s a transformation, from a sinner into a saint.

Romans 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  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.

When you begin this process, many people won’t even recognize you because of the different life that you have undertaken.  Some of your own relatives and friends might think that you are out of your mind, simply because you have chosen to follow Jesus.  It’s making the choice to reject the Earthly carnal mind, and allowing it to be replaced with the spiritual mind, so that we can abide perfectly in obedience to the will of our maker.  It’s a matter of turning away from the old life that you lived in the past, and the old person that you used to be.  Many times when you become born again, there is such a drastic change in your life that people become confused, because you choose that you don’t want to live the way that they do anymore.

1 Peter 4:3-4  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:  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 

When you don’t hang out with old buddies anymore, it doesn’t mean that you don’t care for them, it simply means that you don’t want to be involved with the things they do. You’ve taken a different path than them.  There’s great hope for them, if they eventually believe as you do, and place their faith in Christ Jesus.  All of us need to become new creatures.

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

We go through this transformation through loving obedience to God through knowledge of His teachings.  

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:

We need to focus on becoming an obedient child towards the Heavenly Father.

1 Peter 1:14  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

We must get rid of the sinful deeds of the old man, like a sheep rubbing furiously against a tree, to rid himself of his old coat.

Romans 8:12-14  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The carnal mindset will eventually lead to death.  It’s the new spiritual man from within that can truly please God and perform His will.

Romans 8:5-8  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

You may have done a lot of wrong things in your past, but because of what Jesus did at the cross, we can begin a new life, walking the straight and narrow.  Through faith towards Christ, the fruits of the sinful nature can be replaced with fruits of the Holy Spirit.  Thank God for His mercy to be able to do this.  

To inherit eternal life, the old man and his deeds must be shed and replaced by the new one inside.  So when you really think about it, all of us are sinners who need to go through a molt, very much like……

……The Bighorn

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

Just think about how many ships and sailing vessels have been sunken into the ocean over thousands of years. The ship and all it’s contents resting on the ocean floor. From plain merchant ships to grand galleons, these ships have become the target for those on the quest to find sunken treasure. 

To find this treasure is no easy task, however, as it takes special training, equipment, and most importantly, the willingness to spend countless hours searching. And searching. And searching. Because if sunken treasure was so easy to find, there would be none left as they would all be found. 

It takes a seeking attitude to find that treasure, just like it takes a seeking heart to obtain the things of God.

Matthew 7:7-8  “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.”

When you seek for something it means to try to find, to look or search for. Also, to ask for, or to try to acquire or gain.

But just as with everything else on Earth, the treasure under our oceans only last so long. Eventually they will all fade away. This is why it is far more important to spend our time seeking for the treasure that will last forever.

During many treasure hunts, clues will be left behind for you to follow to find the next clue, until eventually you find the treasure itself. The Bible contains all of the information that we need to find that prize of eternal life in God’s kingdom. Step by step, day after day we are in pursuit of that prize, completing each task set before us, and moving onto the next.

You cannot find a treasure unless you go out looking for it. That is the point of a treasure hunt. You need to seek for it if you want to find it. But unlike the prize of a treasure hunt on the Earth, where only one person can receive it, the prize that Jesus offers is available to everyone who follows His message.

Colossians 3:1-2  “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

You need to believe the messages that Jesus has placed in His Bible. All the information is already there, and all we need to do is go and look for it. Search the scriptures, for therein lies salvation. Seek after God, and He will reward you.

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.”

The kingdom of heaven is at hand!  It’s time to go out and find it. The hunt has already begun, grab yourself your map and go get that treasure!

In Christ,

Andrew

Goodmorning and welcome in everyone.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, from 1 Cor.

1 Corinthians 11:20-21  When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.  For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

In the Corinthian Church, they were not partaking of Holy Communion in the proper manner.  It appears that they felt that it was simply having supper like you would do at your home, but Holy Communion is the actual body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus created the sun, the moon and the stars.  He turned water into wine, and He can also transform bread and wine into His own body and blood.  Just as they partook of the Passover Lamb in the Old Testament, we partake of our Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

1 Corinthians 5:7…..For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1 Corinthians 11:22  What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

When Jesus gave communion to His disciples, He said take eat this is my body, and my blood.

Matthew 26:26-28  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

In scriptures, we learn that the Lord means what He says and says what He means.  There’s no symbolism in Communion, because in Communion, Jesus is in physical form upon the altar, whom we partake of, just as physical as the Passover lamb was consumed in the Old Testament.  Wherever two or three are gathered in Christ’s name, He is Spiritually with us, but during Holy Communion, He is physically present upon the altar because It is His body and His blood.  It has been said that life is in the blood, but the blood of humans and animals lasts only for a certain period of time while here upon the Earth because our bodies age and decay, eventually perishing.  But when we partake of the blood of Christ in Holy Communion, we partake of His life because He is immortal.  His physical life enters inside of our bodies, running through our heart and veins with the nutrients of grace and divinity.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

But there are those who partake of Holy Communion, who sin against our precious Passover Lamb.  They do so because of their refusal to look into their own heart and judge themselves. Because of their lack of self-examination, their state of impenitence and confession of their sins, they drink damnation to themselves.  How can remission of sins happen when people don’t confess faults and admit the truth.  People such as these don’t understand the  magnitude of what they are partaking in, which results in sickness.  In their unbelief, they don’t discern that it is the Lord’s physical body that they are consuming, because of which their sins remain, resulting in damnation.

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

In Holy Communion, Jesus is our living bread.  Partaking of Christ is so important that without it, you have no life in you.  Partaking of Holy Communion, in the right mindset and with a meek and penitent heart, is integral for eternal salvation.  It is not bread that we are consuming, but the flesh of our Perfect Passover Lamb.

John 6:48-51, 53-54  I am that bread of life.  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

There are numerous people who profess to be Christian who are involved with ecumenism, and joining together in worship with people who are active in false religions. In 20 years, we have watched it progressively get worse.  It’s simply a precursor to the end times Antichrist who will try to gather together all religions as one, and then proclaim Himself as God over them all.  Christians cannot be partakers of Christ’s body on the altar, and joined together with false religions, in any manner.  It provokes the Lord to great jealousy and is extremely offensive to Him.  Christians are in a sense married to Christ, and to get involved with false religion is to commit adultery against him.

1 Corinthians 10:16-22  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.  Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?  What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?  But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.  Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Our precious Lord gives us the greatest treasure that we could ever possess in this world, His own body and blood.  Take great heed that you receive it in the right manner.

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 godliness with contentment is great gain.

How much does a person need to have to reach a point in their life where all of their needs are fulfilled? And what really is a “need?” A “need” is something that is required, and with that in mind what will happen if you take a fish out of the water and place it on land? Because of the way that a fish is made, it cannot draw it’s oxygen from the air. Taken out of the water, it will eventually suffocate and die. Water is a need for a fish. 

Have you ever studied a hummingbird, and noticed how amazingly fast their wings beat? Their wings beat so quickly that the hummingbird can hover in place, fly forwards, backwards, sideways, even upside-down! But this highly active bird requires something to give it that incredible energy. It needs the sweet nectar from flowers or a sip from a hummingbird feeder so that it’s energy levels stay at that high level of performance. 

We see what these two animals needs are, but what are ours? What do humans need to survive? Like all mammals, we too require oxygen to breathe, just as we need food and water to eat and drink. We need clothes to keep us warm and to protect us from harm. Preferably we will have some kind of shelter over our heads and a place to sleep. These are our basic needs.

Imagine that there were 10 people left on the entire Earth, and 10 bottles of water, and 10 loaves of bread. All of these things have been gathered into one room. How should everything be distributed? Common sense tells us that everyone should get one bottle of water and one loaf of bread, but suppose that instead one individual took everything for themselves and left nothing for the other nine people. Do you know what quality that person displayed? Covetousness.

“Covet” means to long for inordinately or unlawfully, or to indulge in an inordinate desire for another’s possession.

For an example of this we can look in the book of 1 Kings, and at what happened between the king of Samaria, and a vineyard owner.

1 Kings 21:1-16  “And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.

And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:

And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.”

This passage accurately shows what can happen as a result of covetousness in a heart. Ahab the king greatly wanted this Naboth’s vineyard, but Naboth refused to sell it, and this deeply upset Ahab. As it said in the passage, Ahab already had a vineyard, a better one, he said, but he still wanted the vineyard of Naboth. And look at the events which followed because of this. While much of what transpired resulted at the hand of Jezebel, it all started because of the sin of covetousness.

Bigger, better, more–enough never seems to be enough when someone falls into the trap of covetousness. When does it stop? How much do we really need to be happy and content?

How much money do we need to get by? How many cars do we need to own to get us to work? The pursuit of wealth and possessions is a futile effort because there is nothing that we can physically obtain on the Earth that will last forever. Houses are built and eventually destroyed. Clothes are made, worn, and thrown away. Food is grown and eaten. But none of them last forever. 

Instead of spending the short time that we have chasing after things that will eventually be destroyed, we should spend our time and effort in storing up the treasures that will last for an eternity. We need to store up our treasures in heaven, a place where they will last forever.

Jesus gave an example of the birds, how they don’t sow seed, or reap grain, yet they have all of the food that they need, because God feeds them. When was the last time that you saw a bird going to work, feverishly trying to obtain more and more possessions? When was the last time that you heard your dog complain that he didn’t have enough toys?

When was the last time that you spent some time in prayer, thanking God for what you have, and what He has blessed you with?

1 Timothy 6:6-11 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

Don’t let yourself fall into that snare of covetousness. Be content in all things.

In Christ,

Andrew

Goodmorning and welcome in everyone.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, from Luke 18.

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.

In our general human nature, when somebody hurts us we want to hurt them right back.  When a child gets hit on the playground at school, they normally want to hit right back.  The Apostle Paul taught church members to suffer, and resist not evil, even when people wanted to take you to court.  Those who suffer patiently, I guarantee Jesus will certainly avenge them.  

1 Corinthians 6:6-8  But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?  Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

If someone defrauds you, they take something away from you or stop you from having what belongs to you.  In a marriage your spouse’s body belongs to you and you’re not supposed to defraud them of a sexual relationship because it is rightfully theirs according to the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 7:3-5  Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.  The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.  Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Denial of sexual rights in the bedroom, is to deny love for your spouse.  To deny love in a marriage is to deny everything that God is.  He that loveth not knoweth not God.  Paul warned the church about this kind of behavior.  If this happens, it’s not you that they will have to deal with, but Jesus, because vengeance belongs to Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:6  That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

Mark 10:19  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

To avenge yourself means to pay back or cause somebody else to suffer because of insult, injury, or other wrong.  It’s a response to an act of harm or perceived injustice.  Some synonyms are reprisal, retaliation, and retribution. 

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.

This is exactly what God did to Pharaoh when he kept resisting and hardening his heart to God’s commands.  He poured out vengeance upon Pharoah and the Egyptians, turning their water to blood, and sending out plagues and pestilence across the land.  The things that Pharoah wanted against the first born of Israel, God brought right back upon his own first born son.  He even destroyed his army in the Red Sea. The battle truly belongs to the Lord, as we wait patiently.  To Him belongeth vengeance and the day of their punishment is near.

Deuteronomy 32:35  To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

Christians are called to be passive, which is accepting or allowing what evils happen or what others do, without active response or resistance.  Christians are called into suffering, but Jesus will avenge.

Matthew 5:39  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.

The Apostle James also taught non-resistance.

James 5:6  Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

The early church was suffering persecutions and tribulations, but just as punishments happened to pharaoh, God avenges the stiff necked and rebellious even now.

2 Thessalonians 1:4-9  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

And the vengeance of the Lord will continue at Judgment day, when the disobedient and impenitent are punished forever.

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

You never want to purposely rebel against God’s will.

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.

Our God is a mighty deliverer who will avenge His elect of those who perpetrate evil against them, just as He delivered Paul.

2 Timothy 4:14-18  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:  Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.   Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.   And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

When somebody does evil to you, when you have to suffer, wait for the Lord Jesus who is watching from heaven.  His vengeance is coming.

Isaiah 35:4  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Ezekiel 25:17  And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

Resist not evil.  Wait on the Lord, for He will deliver, and they will certainly know that day of vengeance has come upon them when the Lord has decided to give them some….

…..Payback

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

Psalms 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

What was one of your most favorite toys growing up? Maybe you had a special model car or action figure that was one of your toys that you played with the most. Maybe it was a bicycle, or a set of building blocks.

One of my most favorite things to play with when I was young was playdough, a soft, bread dough-like dough with which you could mold and shape to create all sorts of things. I had a large box full of plastic tools and molds which I could use to make my creations, one of which was a car building mold. I could press my playdough into those molds to create a few different car , and I had another mold that I could make different types of tires to put on them as well. 

Besides my car building molds, I had other ones that I could use to make different types of houses and animals as well. Whichever mold I decided to use, they completely changed the look of that pile of dough. From the round cylinder shape of the container into a car, or into a house, that dough went through a change.

We all are like that dough as it first comes out of the playdough container. Just as the dough had been formed into the shape of a cylinder, we all are in the form of the world. Molded into sin, we all take on the same form, as sinners.

What we need to do is go through a transformation. We need to change from the form that we were created in, which is sin, and be transformed into a new creature in Christ. We need to be changed.

The word change means to become something different, or to make into something else; to exchange or transform.

And it takes a change in the mind to achieve this transformation. All of the years that we have spent living in sin, learning the ways of the world, we need to completely erase that from our minds, and start again.

Romans 12:1-2  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

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.”

How many of you have started a project of some sort, but along the way you made some mistakes? At that time you may have thought that you might be able to hide or deal with those flaws, but when you stopped to look at it you realized how much they ruined what you were doing, and you were left with no other option but to completely restart all over again.

This same example is like who we all are before our conversation to Christ; our minds are full of information, as we learned the ways of the world. But when we learn the ways of the Lord we realize all the things that were learned wrong, and we throw all that information away to relearn the things of Christ. To do this we need to undergo a change, and it starts when we accept the fact that we are sinners, and need a Savior. We need to begin that transformation and turn away from our sins.

Colossians 3:5-10  “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

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:”

We need to give God the control over our lives, and let ourselves be changed into a vessel for Him. We need to let ourselves be molded into something different, just like that playdough. I never made everything exactly the way I wanted with my dough each time, and if I didn’t, do you know what I did? I took that dough, smushed it all back into a lump, and transformed it once again.

Have you begun this great transformation? Have you let yourself become that playdough?

In Christ,

Andrew

Goodmorning and welcome in everyone.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture and talk about God’s calling for a Christian wife.

One of the responsibilities of a Christian wife is to keep at home.  She’s not supposed to be wandering off out in the world, but like a house plant that is rooted firmly in the home of her husband.  His home is her kingdom. A lot of things have changed for the worse in society, as certain women who profess to be Christians have completely abandoned their family and home in search of a job or beginning a career.  Children have been left at home with babysitters or to take care of themselves. The wife needs to be home, constantly attending to the needs of the family.

Titus 2:5  To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

 Some women will stubbornly reject this calling.

Proverbs 7:11 – She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

God created women with a specific reason in mind. 

1 Corinthians 11:7-9  For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.  For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.  Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

Their purpose is to serve and help men.  It doesn’t matter if you’re married or not, because even the unmarried women were under the male leadership of men of God.  The Apostle didn’t appreciate women who usurped over men, and sent them back to their own husband to submit and learn from him.

1 Corinthians 14:34-37  Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.  What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

Women are called to be in submission to men, otherwise it’s disorderly.  It’s no different than a child usurping over their parents, it’s wrong. The world is very different, and we are not supposed to use their lives as a guide, but rather the teachings of Christ, so that we can become what He wants us to be.  You’ll never be able to do this without learning to submit.

1 Peter 3:4-5  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

When you are in subjection, it means to bring yourself under the control of someone else.  Her obedience to him is virtuous.

Proverbs 31:10-12  Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Proverbs 12:4  A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

There will be some women who instead of staying firmly planted in their homes, will become wanderers and idle, gossiping and spreading evil about others.

1 Timothy 5:13-14 – And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

One who tattles notifies authorities of illicit behavior or is inclined to do so.  The disciples and Apostles of the Lord heard people’s secret confessions of sin, but they never went out and reported these private matters to others.  Being able to keep private things private, shows that you’re capable of being trusted rather than someone who reveals them.  That’s a sin. Joseph was very discreet which resulted in his elevation.

Genesis 41:33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

Genesis 41:39  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 

Discreet means not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret.  It’s being respectful of privacy or secrecy.   Discreet means judicious in one’s conduct or speech, especially with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature.  Judas betrayed Christ and told on Him to the authorities.  He was a talebearer.  

Leviticus 19:16  Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people:….

Proverbs 11:13  A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

Proverbs 20:19  He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

There are some women who are going to be stubborn and contentious at the thought of having to obey their spouse in everything, but if they won’t obey their own husbands, or other male leadership in the church, they’re not going to obey the other teachings of Christ.

Romans 2:7-8  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,

Salvation has to do with doing the will of God, and obeying cheerfully from the heart the teachings and doctrines of our faith.

Romans 6:16-17  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.

As a dad has authority over his wife and children, you must learn to obey Him.  

Hebrews 13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Sarah was a very meek and obedient wife.

1 Peter 3:6  Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Salvation requires obedience, and obedience is first learned in the home by submitting to a man’s God given authority.  It’s time for Christian woman to go home and become…..

……Keepers of the House

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 tell you a little story.

The Crown Jewels in the tower of London, contain the two biggest cut diamonds on Earth, which came from the Cullinan Diamond.  This diamond was a 3,106-carat gem found in South Africa on Jan 26, 1905. It was so huge that the inspector Thomas Wells thought it was a piece of glass, but it was a 1.33 pound colorless diamond.  It was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the mine.  In order to get the diamond safely to England, people spread false rumors that it was being shipped by boat while the truth was it was packed in a plain box, and sent by mail without any security at all.  The diamond was so hard that the steel blade that Joseph Asscher used broke, without even scratching the diamond, but he finally succeeded later.  Apparently it was King George VII who had the Royal scepter redesigned with the star of Africa as its centerpiece.

This reminds me of the Christian Life

When we think of a crown, we must always consider the crown that awaits those who serve Christ faithfully while here upon the Earth.  While it’s clear from scripture that earthly crowns and scepters are only temporary, we wait for an everlasting crown that will never fade away.  

2 Timothy 4:7-8  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Eventually, the Earth and everything in it will be gone. This is why we need to focus our hearts and minds on attaining a heavenly crown and the reward of eternal inheritance.

2 Peter 3:10-13  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

The Christian Life is very similar to a race that we are running each day.  In a marathon, or even in the Olympics there’s a prize awaiting those who compete.  In order to obtain the trophy, you have to stay in the race.  There are numerous crowns upon the Earth, but we wait for the crown from Christ, which is eternal and incorruptible.

1 Corinthians 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

The apostles and disciples of the Lord preached God’s Word to the people. Those who faithfully feed the flock of God are going to receive a crown.

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 Paul learned to forget the past, just as God forgives and forgets our past.  His complete attention was focused on the path in front of him, striving each day to obtain the prize.

Philippians 3:13-14  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The Christian life is about overcoming temptation.  Doing so shows that we love the Lord more than the world.

James 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Love is a very strong emotion and you want to make sure that it isn’t placed on the things of this world, but focused completely on our Lord Jesus.

1 John 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

In order to obtain the prize of eternal life, we need to do God’s will from our heart.  It is the proof of our love towards Him.

Colossians 3:24  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

We want to please God completely, knowing that He will reward us.  When we seek Him secretly in the privacy of our closets, praying, fasting or giving alms, God sees our faith and rewards our diligent hearts.

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.

Moses was filled with huge faith, and turned away from all the treasures that Egypt could offer him, so that eventually he could attain a heavenly reward.

Hebrews 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

When you compete in this race, you need to compete to win.  

1 Corinthians 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

We need to be faithful towards the Lord, and He will give us a crown of Life.

Revelation 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

The faithful in Christ Jesus will someday be able to receive an everlasting crown, and we must seek after the riches that will never fade away, unlike…..

……..The Cullinan Diamond

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.

If I placed five doughnuts in front of you, of different types and flavors, which one would you choose if you could only have just one?

I haven’t had them for many years, but when I was around 6 or 7 I used to get a package of cake doughnuts from the store. This package consisted of twelve doughnuts and three flavors, powdered sugar, chocolate, and coconut. I absolutely loved these doughnuts and could easily eat the entire box, but if I was forced to pick just one type I would have always picked the coconut ones over the other two. I guess you could say that I “preferred” them over the others, and this is what our verse is about today; preferring others over ourselves.

Romans 12:10  “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”

To prefer something means that you are in the habit of choosing something rather than something else, or to favor, or to like better. In the case of those doughnuts, I preferred coconut over the powdered sugar and the chocolate.

And when used in the verse above, to prefer another means that we place others in a more important position than ourselves. We put their needs before our own, just as Christ has done for each of us.

Jesus put our needs first in His life. He wasn’t forced to come down from His kingdom in heaven. He wasn’t forced to live among us sinful, common people. He wasn’t forced to die on the cross and take the pain that He didn’t deserve. He did it because He loved us. He saw our continual failure in keeping the Law, and saw our need for help, and salvation. His love for us caused Him to lay down His life for our own.

1 John 3:16  “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

We are called to be servants of Christ, and to serve one another, just as Christ showed His disciples when He washed their feet. He shows us how to be meek and humble, kind and loving. He shows us that true love for a brother will put them first and before your own.

Philippians 2:3  “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

We have had many chickens over the years, of many different breeds, but they all showed the same characteristic of wanting everything for themselves. I have gone out to the chicken shed in the morning to fill their feeders and even though they still will have food left from the previous day, as soon as I filled their feeder full again they would immediately begin to eat as fast as they could, almost to the point of choking themselves. They only think about themselves, sometimes even trying to drive the other chickens away from the feeder.

But as Christians we need to be focused on serving others, and how we can help them. Jesus was filled with meekness, we should too. Serving others. Preferring others over ourselves. Seeing a need, and filling it.

Philippians 2:4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

Have you shown someone this kind of love today? Have you put them first before yourself, as Christ did?

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 tell you a little story.

On the North face of Edinburgh Castle is a large artillery gun which is fired at 1 p.m. each day, except on a few holidays and Sundays. Some people who live in the area have become so accustomed to the cannon that they don’t even notice when it goes off anymore.  It has become commonly known as the one o’clock gun, or the time gun.  In these modern days, it has become a frequently visited tourist attraction but originally, the firing of this cannon began in 1861 as a time signal for ships.  Before GPS, ships needed to know the exact time so that they could know their exact longitude and location.  The firing of the cannon saved them time from having to come ashore to adjust their timekeeping equipment.  Years ago, it took four men to load the 18 lb Cannon that was fired from the half moon battery.  The gun could be easily heard by ships in Leith Harbor 2 miles away.  The cannon was eventually replaced with a 25 pound Howitzer in 1953 and is currently fired from Mill’s Mount Battery on the North face of the Castle. It is fires precisely at one o’clock, signaling that another day had just passed by.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

The firing of the Cannon at Edinburgh Castle is a constant reminder to all of us, that another 24 hours has ticked away.

24 hours in which a person could repent.

24 hours in which a person could pray.

24 hours in which a person could worship.

24 hours in which a person could fast.

24 hours in which a person could seek God.

24 hours in which a person could obey.

24 hours in which a person could convert.

24 hours in which a person could forgive.

24 hours in which a person could apologize and reconcile with others.

24 hours in which a person could humble themselves in the sight of God.

24 hours in which a person could ask for forgiveness

24 hours in which a person could confess your faults.

24 hours in which a person could show God you love him

24 hours in which a person could turn from sin.

With every boom of the Edinburgh cannon, all of us need to consider what we have done with the last 24-hours that God has given us.  Did you redeem the time or did you simply throw it away?

Colossians 4:5  Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

When you redeem something it means to reclaim, to buy, get, or win back.  Each person has to decide what they are going to do with the time that they have been given.  It’s like somebody giving you $100, and you have to decide how to spend it.  Will you use it wisely?   Will you spend it correctly?  To truly redeem the time, is to use the life that you have been given by God for His purpose rather than your own.  Oh sure, we could spend our life playing on the beach or making all kinds of money.  We could travel around the world or exert all of our efforts on building a million dollar home. But every day that passes by, with every sound of the Edinburgh Cannon, is another opportunity that God has given us to do his will.

Ephesians 5:15-17 – See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

God has allotted a certain amount of time to each person while they dwell upon the face of the Earth. He is watching to see how people utilize the gift of life that He has given them.  True believers in Jesus understand that life comes from God, and everything that we are belongs to Him.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

All of us are sinners, who’ve wasted years of our lives doing immoral and wicked things, but God grants us a gift that many courtrooms or juries will refuse to offer, even when asked for.  God offers us all, complete forgiveness. It only takes one unforgiven sin to keep you out of heaven.  From the highest people in society to the lowest, there is not one single person who’s going to be capable of escaping God’s judgment without accepting Christ Jesus as your Savior.  From a king to a peasant, a judge to a defendant, all will have to bow before Jesus Christ at Judgment day and explain what they have done with their lives, whether they were merciful or not.  Whether they did His will or rejected it.  When we become a Christian, God wants to see our faith in His beloved Son.  He wants to see us do the things that His Son did.  He wants to watch us live the life that His Son lived. The only way we can do this is by doing an abrupt about-face from sin, and using the rest of the time that we have to serve and obey Him.  This is truly what it means to redeem time.  We cannot change our past, but we can change our future by making some life-altering decisions today.  

Many people because of their age feel like they can’t redeem time, because they’ve wasted so many years of their life.  To them I say this.  When you become born again through Christ, you start life over as a baby.  All of your past is forgiven and forgotten through Holy baptism. What matters as a Christian, is examining the last 24 hours of your life, and asking yourself this question.  Did I serve God today?  Did I abide by His perfect will today?  Did I obey His Word from my heart today?

True wisdom from God is understanding that there will be repercussions from Him for acting like a disobedient child.  If you possess the quality of being circumspect, it means you understand that there are going to be punishments that happen because of your behavior.  If a child is disobedient to their parents, more than likely they will end up with some sort of punishment.  A Christian must learn to do the will of God.

Over many years of my life I’ve seen a world that is filled with waste.  I’ve seen a world that throws away perfectly good food into a dumpster, that could have been given to the poor, I’ve seen a world that throws away good and functioning possessions that could have been given to the needy.  I’ve seen a world that wastes time, like ants building an ant hill, only to be demolished by a four-wheeler.

The Apostle Paul is an example of what a person can do, when you choose to redeem the time.  His life went in a completely different direction when he believed in Jesus.  His days were filled with purpose serving Christ.  Are you professing to be a Christian?  Are you redeeming the time that God has granted to you?  What do you have planned for the next 24 hours?  What will you have done the next time that you hear…..

……..The Edinburgh Cannon

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.