I am not a very organized person. It is one of my faults that I know I struggle with. On the rare occasion that I actually organize the tool shed, it will usually only be a month or two later that it will look like the huge mess that it was previously. I just don’t put things away where they are supposed to go.

As the snow has receded this spring, I have found more and more things that I had forgotten to put away over the winter, tools especially. I will have been using a certain tool to fix something, and then go back into the house to warm up, planning to pick up and put the tool away in the morning. But overnight we might get some fresh snow which covers up everything and I cannot find it when I go to look for it, and forget about them all until spring.

The snow that covers up everything is similar to what charity will do with sin. 1 Peter 4:8 says,  “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

Let me start by defining these two words: fervent and charity. If something is done fervently it means having or showing emotional warmth, fervor, or passion. And charity is an attitude of love and kindness towards others, and the representing of God’s love towards man.

Peter wanted us to be filled with charity towards each other, and to use that charity to cover up others sins. When you cover something, you can’t see it anymore. And when you don’t see something for a long time, you tend to not remember it anymore either. Like when you store things that you don’t use up in the attic and one day you decide to go up there and you see something and are like, oh yeah, I forgot completely that these were even up here.

Just as Jesus forgives all those who repent and come for forgiveness, we need to do the same. After all, being a Christian means being a follower of the life and teachings of Christ. When Jesus gives us forgiveness, He forgets all about our sins, and lets us begin anew.

Hebrews 10:15-17  “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

And not just forgiveness for one or two sins, but Jesus offers His forgiveness for the entire world’s sin. His love truly does cover a multitude of sin. When Peter asked how many times he should be forgiving, what was Jesus’ response?

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.”

There will be times when someone sins against us, and it will hurt. It will not feel good, but when this happens we need to be ready to forgive. When someone is filled with sorrow for their sin towards us we need to be ready to show love, not hate. We need to be ready to cover those sins, and put them behind us. Just like Christ.

Forgive. And forget. 

In Christ,

Andrew

It is an amazing thing how hard and quickly a child can clean their room if they really put their mind to it. Tell a child to go and clean their room and most children will slowly shuffle away, rather glumly accepting their chore, but tell that same child that if they go and clean their room, when they are all done, that they will go out to get some ice cream, all of a sudden that sluggishly moving body will be put into high gear. What normally would have taken hours to clean will have, miraculously, been done in a fraction of that time. 

You could say that they cleaned their room in a “hearty” manner, which is exactly what I wanted to talk about in a passage of scripture found in Colossians 3.

Colossians 3:22-24  “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

If something is done heartily, or in a hearty manner, it means that it is done energetically, actively, it eagerly. A few similar words are zealous, ardent, or vigorous. There are many people who are very self conscious about physical fitness and go to the gym to work out regularly, and I can guarantee that if they are really that serious about it that they are not there to do a single push-up, and then leave. They will be very zealous and active.

We too, need to be very zealous and active in the things that we do in the name of Christ.

Many times the word “zealot” is thought of in a negative way, but really the word zealot means to be filled with zeal, or to be enthusiastic. 

The disciples of Jesus were very zealous about their faith, weren’t they? They were constantly out preaching the gospel of Christ to others, even when some people around them didn’t want to hear it. Peter had been cast into prison for preaching Christ, but when he got out, what did he do? He went right back at it again. Jesus had commanded Peter to preach, so no matter who told him not to, Peter was going to continue on preaching. 

Whatever we do for others, do it as though Jesus Himself had asked you to do it. If somebody asked you for a glass of water, how quickly would you have done it if Jesus had asked you? It is the natural, carnal man that thinks about themself and what they can get for themself, but the Holy Spirit in a person will think about and put others first. “If I asked someone for help, how would I want them to treat me?” 

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.”

What are some things that you do for others that you could do more heartily? Good works are something that we need to be filled with, but make sure that when you do them you do it heartily, as to the Lord.

In Christ,

Andrew

Goodmorning and welcome 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.

Many of you are old enough to remember back to 1970, when Apollo 13 lifted off on a mission that was meant to land on the Moon.  Their destination was set, and their eyes were focused on obtaining the prize of a lunar landing.  They rocketed out of the atmosphere, traveling at a speed of over 16,000 mph, becoming pilgrims in space as they ventured out into its darkness.

After a few days into the mission, a routine stir of an oxygen caused the tank to ignite and damaged the wire insulation that was inside of it, which resulted in an explosion.  When that oxygen tank ruptured, it critically affected the flow of electricity, lights and daily water for the crew.  On board, the astronauts had a set of three fuel cells that combined oxygen with hydrogen that powered the fuel cells.  These power cells produced most of the power for the ship, but because of the loss of precious oxygen, they didn’t have enough power to land on the Moon.  Although they weren’t responsible for the defective part that had been made years earlier, it was the lack of fuel that resulted in them not obtaining their final goal.

Fuel is very important, because it helps us to get where we want to go, whether it’s gas for our cars, diesel for our trucks, or oxygen for a spaceship.  If you run out of gas, you are not going to get where you are going, and will fall short of the destination that you had hoped to reach.

Hebrews 4:1-2  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 

The problem on the Apollo 13 was a lack of oxygen that they combined with hydrogen to power the ship.  This is very similar to the Christian faith, because it takes two combined items to get all the way to heaven, and obtain eternal life.   It’s more than memorizing scripture. It’s more than just hearing the Word of God preached.  It’s more than fasting and praying.  Like pure oxygen was mixed with hydrogen on the Apollo, the gospel must be combined with pure faith to energize the spiritual fuel cell that is needed to eventually touchdown in the eternal sea of tranquility, the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When you ” come short ” it means to fail to achieve that which was desired and hoped for, or to meet certain expectations or goals. I’m sure that both the astronauts, along with much of the world, were devastated at the news that they were not going to be able to walk on the moon.

Just as oxygen was an important fuel for space travel, lamp oil was just as important 2000 years ago.  Like the Apollo 13 ran out of fuel, scriptures teach about five virgins who did the same.

Matthew 25:1-13  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Oil is symbolic in the Old Testament of the Holy Spirit just as the Passover Lamb was symbolic of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.  Oil was the fuel that kept lamps burning in the Holy place.  These lamps were to never run dry.  (Exodus 27:20)

When we have true faith, we can be empowered with the Holy Spirit.  Like Oxygen fuels a spacecraft, it’s the Holy Spirit that fuels our hearts to do the will of God.  The five virgins didn’t have the fuel that they needed so that they could get to where they wanted to go.  They missed the Moon.

Many people really want to obtain eternal life and be able to walk in paradise someday. A large amount of them profess some sort of belief in God, whatever that may be to them.  True Christianity recognizes that there is only one God and that there is only one way that we will be able to walk with Him in Paradise.  It is through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, sent by the heavenly father as a savior to the world.

When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can ask God for the Holy Spirit.  It is the gift of the Holy Spirit that is the fuel that we need to overcome all of the sinful things in this world, and someday being able to touch down in the sea of eternal tranquility, paradise with our creator.

Coming up short is failing to reach the desired outcome.  It’s failing to reach the final destination that you want to get to.  Please remember, the gospel is preached to us as well as to others, but hearing the word by itself is not enough, we must become doers of it.  That happens because of true faith in your heart and the power of the Holy Spirit..

Although the astronauts were powerless to do anyting because of a defective part made years earlier, the facts remain that they missed the moon because of a lack of fuel.

If you don’t believe what the Bible says you won’t have a desire to do it. You must possess faith in Jesus to enter eternal life.

Hebrews 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest,……

Christianity is a “do something faith” evidenced by an obedient heart and works of the Holy Spirit.

James 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

There are people today who profess to be spiritual, yet reject the doctrines of Christ Jesus.  They claim to believe in the Lord but their oil lamps are completely empty.  They lack the fuel to see the correct path in front of them.  When Apollo 13 lost fuel, they too had no way to navigate through the darkness of space.

The lesson today is that fuel is very important if we want to get to where we are going.  We need to be filled with faith and the oil of the Holy Spirit to empower the fuel cells of our hearts to get us all the way to heaven.

Real faith will result in the evidence of action, because without works in the Christian Life, faith is completely dead. It is just as dead as a fuel cell without oxygen, and we know what happened to the Apollo 13, as a result of that…..

………Losing the Moon

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

Good morning and welcome in everybody.  Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 2 Timothy, but before we do that I wanted you to think about something.

There have been numerous boats over the span of history, when passengers of a sinking vessel were ordered by the captain to abandon ship.  They were taking on water and if they didn’t quickly exit the vessel, they would be heading down to the bottom of the ocean with it.  The word abandon, means to completely forsake something, or to desert and leave it behind.  Christians are called to abandon the sinking ship of sin.  

2 Timothy 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

If somebody truly wants to enter into eternal life, this is not optional, it is mandatory.  We are called by God to undergo a transformation and conversion from the way that we used to live, to the way of Christ.  We have grace that is granted to us by God in times of need, but He gives it to us for a specific purpose.  It’s so that we can undergo a spiritual change, turning away from the sinful way that we used to live.  Each of us have been born into this world and and the sinfulness that completely surrounds us.  Each of us have a carnal nature inside of us that we must overcome through the power of Christ and His Holy Spirit.  

When you depart, it means to leave something behind.  It also means to deviate from an accepted, prescribed or traditional course of action.  The traditional course of the world is to live in sin.  We are called to come out and turn away from iniquity;  turning from living the life of a sinner, and becoming a saint.  This is obtainable by the power of God’s grace and complete submission to His will and purpose.  Turning from sin means to change your direction.  I’ve always liked the old saying that God allows us to do u-turns.  The word “turn” can mean to change or to transform.  Another definition says to move something so that it is facing in the complete opposite direction or a different position.

The Apostle Paul preached during his lifetime that people should turn from sinfulness and do works meet for repentance.

Acts 26:20  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

This is what our Lord Jesus taught.

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

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

Most of us as loving parents have had to point your child in a different direction, depending on their behavior.  Perhaps they were getting into a fight with their siblings, so you led them to the garden and asked them to help you pick vegetables.  As we talked about the other day, it’s a matter of refocusing your mind on something good.  It’s about redirection of the heart.  All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  All of us deal with the desires of the carnal nature.  Christianity is about overcoming these desires.

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

Like a dad to the church, the Apostle Paul was trying to point people in the right direction in their lives.  He was pointing them to Christ.

Acts 26:20  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Paul wanted them to abandon the ship of sin and begin doing good things.  Repentance has to do with a change in somebody’s direction and focus in their life.  It requires turning to Christ and getting off of the wide road that leads to destruction, just like getting off a sinking ship.  We need to completely abandon that wide road, and exit onto the cloverleaf, going in the complete opposite direction.

Romans 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

1 Thessalonians 1:9  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

To serve God perfectly, we must abandon the sinking ship of sin if we eventually want to be rescued and saved eternally.

1 Peter 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Years ago, many people were searching for a new life and hoping to find it in a land known as America.  They left Europe, got onto a boat and never looked back, leaving homes and relatives behind.  They had a one-way ticket with no intention or desire to return back from what they had left.  This is very much like the Christian life.  All of us have lived and walked in the ways of this world.  We have been caught up in lusts, lasciviousness and excess of wine.  But when we become a Christian,  we are supposed to turn away from that lifestyle.

Departing from iniquity is to undergo a transformation.  Transformation is a process of changing completely.  It is to change into someone or something completely different.

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

This is why we must depart and completely abandon the ship of sin.  Sin will eventually lead to death, just like a sinking ship heads to the bottom of the ocean.  We must go through a change in order to inherit eternal life, and it begins by having a change inside of our minds.  We have to change the way that we think.  If you are incapable of changing your mind, you really can’t change anything in your life.  Going through changes are a process of repentance.  Its turning from a sinner into a saint.  Conversion is the process of changing, or causing to change from one form into another.  It’s about changing your beliefs or your actions and attempting to persuade others to do the same.

Matthew 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

We must change. We must change the way that we think, and change the things that we do.  We must convert from sinful living to holiness.  We are called to be saints. (1 Cor 1:2)  We are called to depart from evil. (Job 28:28, Psalms 34:14, 37:27, Proverbs 3:7)  Those who reject this process of change, choosing to continue living in sin, will be rejected by Christ.

Matthew 7:22-23  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

2 Corinthians 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Ephesians 5:8-10  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Titus 2:11-12  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

We are called to become obedient children, no longer living the way that we used to in our past. (1 Pet 1:13)  The Lord Jesus sees everything, because He can look right inside of our hearts.  There is nothing that is hidden from his sight.  He knows those who are His true sheep because they listen to His instructions and they follow Him.(John 10:27, John 10:14)  Departing iniquity is about leaving sin behind, without having an intent to return to it, but rather, becoming something new.

The Christian life is having a motivated heart to change and amend our ways.  When a child attempts to ride a bike, they might fall down and get hurt, but in the church, God gives us the grace that we need so that we can get back up on our bicycle of faith.  This is so we can try it again, eventually getting to the point that we can ride the bike perfectly and never fall down anymore.

When a butterfly learns to fly, it doesn’t return back to its cocoon.  Young birds leave their nest, and in most cases, will never return to it again.  We are not supposed to return to a sinking vessel, because the ship of sin is heading to one final destination…..

……. Davy Jones Locker.

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

Storing up God’s wrath.

Galatians 6:7-8  “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Have you ever filled up water balloons as a child, or even as an adult? When you begin to fill a balloon with water it will slowly start to stretch and expand. The more water that you store into it the larger it will become. But there is a limit to how much you can store into those balloons, because eventually they will reach their limit, burst, and release all of the water. 

In the same way as those balloons, people can begin to store up God’s wrath towards them if they reject His Son and continue to live a life of sin. Our God is very patient and filled with incredible mercy, but just like those water balloons, if you store it up for too long you will eventually reap the consequences for your sins.

Ephesians 5:3-6  “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”

You reap what you sow. You are rewarded or punished according to how you choose to live your life. Out in the world if you follow the laws, your reward is keeping your freedom, while if you choose to break the law, you will lose that freedom by serving a prison sentence. It works the same in Christianity, only the rewards and punishments are far greater, with the promise of eternal salvation being your reward for obedience, and the promise of eternal damnation as the reward for disobedience.

Romans 6:23  “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

I have heard many people say, “How can God love us if He sends people to hell?” The proof of God’s love was when He gave His Son to the world and allowed the world to crucify Christ, all so that they could be saved. How much more proof does one need to see the love of God? If a person will not even accept this incredible display of love by believing in Jesus but instead choose to continue living in sin, then it is they who truly are bringing God’s wrath and punishment upon themselves.

Colossians 3:5-6  “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:”

Please, do not make this mistake. A person’s length of life is known by no one but God. There is no time to waste: turn away from your sins now so that you are not among those who will suffer under God’s mighty wrath on Judgment Day.

In Christ,

Andrew

Good morning and welcome everybody.  Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.

One morning I woke up and got ready for school. I can’t remember how old I was at the time, but I know that I was very young.  I ran out to the kitchen and had some pancakes for breakfast, and after a full stomach, I went back into my bedroom to grab my books and my backpack.   I went outside to wait for the school bus by our garage. Because we lived at the end of the road, the schoolbus would turn around in our driveway.  

I sat there and waited patiently for him on that cold December morning.  The bus was running a little late, and I was starting to get a little bored, so I looked over at the garage door and for some reason which I cannot understand, I was compelled to stick my tongue on the frozen handle.  After a few seconds, I realized that my tongue had completely frozen to the metal.  I began to get nervous because I didn’t know how I was going to free myself.  With a quick jerk of my head I pulled my tongue away, but left a lot of the top of my tongue on the handle in the process.  I was bleeding profusely from my mouth and ran inside to grab a rag.  It took many days for my tongue to heal, but for many months, I could not taste anything.  My tongue had become numb to all feeling.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

As I look back now at this true event, God was teaching me a lesson in the Christian faith.  Just as I had no taste for food for a period of time, the Christian life is very similar. To inherit eternal life, we must become numb to any taste or desire for sinful living.

Romans 8:12-13  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.

In order to inherit eternal life, you must be capable of mortifying the sins of the body.  To mortify means to subdue or deaden the body and its sinful appetites, so that you have no more feeling or desire for them anymore.  Its the process of killing off the old man of sin, and the carnal nature.  Living in sin will only lead to death.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 6:21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

How many of you have woken up in the morning, attempted to get up out of bed, but you couldn’t even stand up because you’re leg was asleep.  It was completely numb. You could slap your hand on your leg and not even feel it.  The Christian life is about not having feelings for sin anymore. Christians are called to repent from dead works, and to change from the sinful life that you used to live in your past.  We are supposed to serve Jesus, not the carnal nature.

Romans 6:6-7  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

The old man is corrupt, and both him and his sinful ways must be put to death.  

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.

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:

So again, mortify means to deaden the sinful nature.  Something that is dead is completely unresponsive.   If the sinful nature is mortified, it no longer has any power over you.  God grants us a free gift of grace, but it is supposed to result in a changed life, changing from dead works, to good works.  Changing from disobedient, to obedient living.  If this doesn’t happen, it is simply receiving the grace of God in vain.

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

We need to deaden off sinful desires in order to serve and follow the way of Christ.  We must choose what is right over what is wrong.  We must choose truth over lies.  We must choose marriage over fornication and adultery.  We must choose humility over pride.

How many of you have gone out on a cold winter morning to try to start your vehicle, but when you turned the key, nothing happened.  This is because the battery was completely dead.  When a battery is dead on your truck, it doesn’t have the ability to start the motor.  Sin needs to be just as dead as a car battery in our lives, dead enough that it is powerless and incapable of stiring the motor of sinful desire within each of us.

Romans 6:12-13  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Those who dont exercise a sincere effort to become obedient to God’s will, and overcome the desires of the sinful nature will be punished by God just as a disobedient child.

Colossians 3:5-6  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:

Fornication is engaging in sexual pleasures with someone, but you are not married to them. To commit such things is to defile your own body.  God’s wrath will come upon those who exhibit such behaviors. 

There’s hope for each of us, and it begins by confessing and admitting our faults and turning to Christ, so that we can complete His will and walk according to His calling and purpose for us.  We need to undergo a purification process, cleansing ourselves from sinful living.  Just as one would boil water to purify it, we must allow ourselves to be heated in the black smiths fire, being put under the hammer, so that God can reshape us into what He wants us to become.

In Northern Minnesota, we can get some very cold wind chills, and when you come in from outside, you can’t even feel your fingers.  As Christians we want to become numb to sin, not having a taste for it any longer, just like what happened to,…..

…………The Tip of my Tongue

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. 

When a child is born, they automatically become a citizen of a country. And when someone becomes a citizen, they are also under the laws of that country, to follow and obey.

But what happens when an individual decides to break those laws? They are punished. At first they may be given a verbal warning, but if the problem persists and they continue to break those laws, eventually that individual will need to be separated from the rest of the general public, and placed in some sort of disciplinary facility. They are separated because they do not listen and obey.

The same kind of thing happens in sports. In pretty much any sport there are various rules that need to be followed. Things that are allowed, and things that are not. If a player decides to break those rules, the punishments may start out as just monetary fines but if it persists it may go all the way up to lengthy suspensions. 

Which brings me to our verse here today found in Titus 3.

Titus 3:10-11  “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”

Do you know what a heretic is? A heretic is defined as “someone who believes contrary to the fundamental tenets of a religion they claim to belong to. A person with a belief structure or performs an action that the majority consider incorrect as it is different than the generally accepted.”

As Christians we follow a certain set of rules and commands that Jesus has set for His believers. These commandments need to be kept exactly as it is written in His word. But if someone who claims to be a Christian does not abide by Christ’s teachings, we have been commanded to warn them once, twice, and then if they still will not be obedient but instead refuse to obey these commands, to “reject” them. 

To “reject” means “to refuse to accept, deny, or disown.” We are not supposed to be fellowshipping and hanging around with them. The reason why is because they are “subverted” which means “perverted (as in the mind), corrupted, utterly ruined.”

In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul commanded that a person be removed from the church because they were not living in accordance to the teachings of Christ. They were not sad or sorrowful for their sins, and for this reason Paul had them separated from the church. This was not done out of hatred towards them, but was instead done in order to bring about a change in their life. Paul referred to it as “purging” out the old leaven, separating the sin from the church.

Out in society, if you don’t follow the rules and laws you will be removed from the general population and put into prison. They don’t keep criminals with the law abiding public, but they are separated. They are denied freedom and punished. If you are going to call yourselves a Christian, then you need to abide by the teachings found in the Bible. It is as simple as that. Not picking and choosing which parts you like the best, or which parts “suit” you. 

Separation from friends and family can be an incredibly difficult thing to do because of your love for them. If they are claiming to be Christians but don’t believe in and obey certain parts of God’s word, we need to warn them, but if they will not hear the commands of Christ and change, we ourselves need to obey the scriptures, and separate from them.

It all comes down to love, really. If we love Christ, we will keep His commands (John 14:15). How can you show Jesus your love for Him if you don’t obey Him? You can’t.

John 14:23-24  “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

Probably the most common form of heretical teachings found in many “churches” today is the allowance and encouragement of women preaching. While this is not found anywhere in the Bible that it is allowed, it is commonly taught that it is acceptable and correct. It is expressly forbidden, but many people ignore these verses and allow it anyway. From these sort of people we need to separate from because they claim to love God, but their works show that they really don’t.

2 Timothy 3:5  “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

So do you love Christ enough to do what needs to be done if the time comes?

In Christ,

Andrew

Good morning and welcome in everybody.  Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted you to think about something.

Many people in this day and age like to go to the gym to do aerobics, or lift weights in order to train their physical body.  They can maintain a focused mindset in regards to food intake and diet.  Instead of reaching for a cookie, they train their mind to reach for an apple instead.  This is very similar to the Christian Life because instead of reaching out for something sinful we reach out for something good instead.  Christianity is about spiritually training and refocusing your mind so that you can do the will of God, rather than submit to the will of man.

Those who live in the flesh think about sinful things.  I’ve always felt that whatever you constantly think about, is what your heart and mind will become completely focused on.  Whatever it is that your mind is focused on, will result in outward behaviors or activities in a person’s life.  For example, if someone is constantly thinking about money and trying to become rich, more than likely they will end up becoming rich.  If you place your mind on spiritual things, more than likely it will result in spiritual riches.  If you truly desire the wisdom that comes from God, more than likely you will be filled with His wisdom.  So you see, it all comes down to what you desire in your mind.  If someone is filled with a strong desire to become a great violinist, chances are that is what they will become.  Whatever desire is placed into your mind, is more than likely what you will have come out of it 

Whatever someone strongly wants, is a desire, whether it is good or evil.  But the result of an outward activity can be completely changed simply by redirecting and refocusing your mind.  Before sin has an opportunity to complete its course outwardly, it can be defeated simply by redirection, and placing your mind on good things, the best being the source of all goodness, Christ Jesus and His Holy Word.

Philippians 4:8-9  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

The mind is very powerful.  It can lead somebody into powerful sins, but at the same time when it is redirected towards Christ, can lead somebody into powerful good works.  What do you think about a lot during your day?  We have always liked music in our home, but use it in a way to glorify God.

Ephesians 5:19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

It’s incredibly difficult to think or dwell on two things at the exact same moment of time.  When we place our mind on God or doing good activities, obviously your thoughts are diverted and you are not thinking about bad things.  It all comes down to a matter of training the mind.

My wife and I used to go to a certain dollar store to buy inexpensive food.  It was filled with all kinds of different items such as candy, chocolate, chips and snacks.  We used to regularly visit with the owners who were experiencing difficulties.  Because of their job, they were surrounded by these snacks each and every day, and had a very hard time keeping weight off because the items were so readily accessible.  As a Christian, in order to avoid certain temptations or desires, the best thing we can do is to separate, refocus, and surround ourselves with good things.  The more one focuses on good things, the less they will focus on what’s bad.  The more your mind meditates on spiritual things, the less time the mind has available to focus on what’s wrong.  All of us are sinners who have to deal with our carnal nature, but sin can be overcome.  Sin can be defeated.  

…….before sin has an opportunity to complete its course outwardly, it can be defeated simply by redirection, and placing your mind on good things, the best being the source of all goodness, Christ Jesus and His Holy Word.

If there is one desire that we want to be addicted to in this world, it is to be addicted to the things of Jesus.  The desire for good should completely consume us.  We should crave righteousness.  We should hunger for His Word.  We should yearn for the Truth.

The more you meditate on spiritual things, the less your mind will be thinking about bad things.  It simply comes down to redirecting your mind onto something else.  I will give you a very simple example. In order to keep a donkey focused on the path in front of them, they would put an apple on a stick, to divert their attention to the apple.   The Christian Life is a matter of redirecting your mind to the will of God.  It’s about thinking of something wonderful that you can do for somebody else today.  It’s about thinking of how you can bring happiness to another person today.  It’s thinking about how you can please God today.

When I first became a Christian, someone gave me a King James Bible on a street corner.  I only knew them for 10 seconds, but in those 10 seconds they did more for me than they could ever imagine.  This is why Andrew and I have handed out Bibles for many years as my wife drove the car down the street. My focus upon the things of this world were changed that day, and placed upon scripture.

At the time I was working at a high school with certain children who many teachers couldn’t handle anymore.  As I studied the scriptures that year, I realized that I was just the same as them. All they needed was to be redirected from sin to good.  I needed to refocus them on something constructive rather than destructive.  

One of the boys I worked with liked to hurt people, but I found out that he liked taking things apart.  I got him into an automotive class where he spent many months ripping down scrap engines, and taking apart components.  He was so busy doing that, his mind was no longer focused on destructive behavior anymore.  Ripping apart motors was a constructive activity for him because they were worth money for scrap.

Every man has his weaknesses.  I’m not sure what yours may be, but all of us have to deal with the carnal nature as long as we live upon the face of this Earth.  But through the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s assistance, we can surely defeat all of its sinful desires.  We can become a conqueror of the carnal nature through faith in Christ.

Like a dog that needs to be re-trained from bad behavior, we need to retrain our minds to do what’s good, and to do them with great vigor, becoming something that is beneficial to both our merciful God, and society around us.

It’s just a matter of training and ……

……..Going to the Gym

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

Good morning and welcome everybody.  Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.

Have you ever decided to do a small building project, or to make a dog house?  Our children have always liked building things out of scrap wood but there are certain tools that they always need to keep in their inventory, if they are going to complete the task.   They ask for a hammer, some nails, and a saw.  Without a hammer you can’t pound the nails. Without the nails you cannot fasten the wood together.  Without a saw you cannot cut the lumber to the proper size.  You’ve got to have all three of these things to get the job done.   

This reminds me of the Christian Life because our faith is based on possessing specific tools in our spiritual toolbox.  Confession, remission  and reconciliation. If one of these items is missing, the project cannot be completed.  Do you like to go fishing?  To catch sunfish, you need a string, a hook, and a worm.  To go sailing you need a boat, a sail, and a rudder.  To obtain salvation we need confession, forgiveness and reconciliation.  Without one of these three items, people will come short of eternal life.

When you say the word “car“, it is a broad term that consists of the motor, the body, and its frame.  When we say “forgiveness”, it is a broad term that consists of confession, remission, and reconciliation.  You cannot separate these three because they are all parts of forgiveness as a whole.

Confession

When you confess, you admit to doing something wrong.  

If we sin against God or others, we are to confess our faults, and humbly apologize for our shortcomings.  An apology is a simple admission of fault.  Just saying the words “I repent” or “I’m sorry” is a simple admission that shows that you accept that you did something wrong.  It shows that you “own up” for the mistake that was committed.  God wants us to make a very simple confession so that we can obtain remission of sins.  He doesn’t make it difficult, and makes our burden light.  He wants us to come boldly unto Him confessing our faults.

In the Lord’s Prayer, confession for faults is simplified into four words.  

Matthew 6:12  And forgive us our debts………

The confession of the humble publican consisted of only seven words.

Luke 18:13-14  …..God be merciful to me a sinner.

The Lord Jesus simplified confession into two words.  

Luke 17:4  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

The world’s form of forgiveness doesn’t want to accept a simple apology like these.  They want you to somehow work off your sin debt.  This is because they really don’t understand how incredibly merciful our God is. 

Another point is that apologizing to others in the church as needed, is a requirement of the Christian Life.  If someone refuses to apologize, you want to make sure that it is well documented and that other people are present.  After a few attempts, if they continue to reject giving a simple apology, you are to have nothing to do with them, treating them as a publican or a heathen.  In that state they are rejecting one of the integral tools of our faith: confession. In that mindset, they are bound in a state of unforgiveness with God.  It’s sad how cold-hearted people can be, especially people who profess to be followers of Christ.

Remission 

After apologies are made, The Christian faith teaches us to bear one another’s burdens which means that you need to grant remission to others from your heart.  This is what it means to fulfill the law of Christ.  

Galatians 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Of all laws that have ever been written, this law is one of the greatest because our God of mercy commands people to forgive one another.  Just like earthly laws, if people are going to choose to break the law of Christ, punishment is going to follow.  If you refuse to grant the gift of remission to others, after all of the things that God has forgiven you for, you provoke God to wrath.  Remission is to pardon sins or offenses.  Pardon is to absolve from the consequences of a fault and to allow an offense to pass without punishment.  Absolved means to set or declare someone free from blame or guilt.  This is the way that God treats us when we simply confess our faults to Him.  He completely absolves us of our sins.  This is the exact same way God wants us to treat one another when someone confesses their fault and apologizes to you. 

The refusal to extend that same kind of remission to others, will result in forfeiting any mercy from God.  If God won’t forgive you, obviously you won’t see Paradise.  This is how serious a matter it is when people apologize, yet you refuse to show mercy to them.  No matter what a Christian goes through, they are supposed to be one of the most forgiving and merciful people that you could ever meet.  I’ve always said that an unforgivable sin is to refuse to grant remission from the heart, so that reconciliation can take place.  God wants reconciliation in the church, and it happens by apologizing and confessing your faults.  When you confess, the burden is lifted off of you, and is placed upon the shoulders of the offended person.  At that point the “ball is in their court.”  Christ commands that they are to forgive and to show mercy.  Those who refuse to do this are not only proving themselves to be heretics, but they reject the Christian Life and everything that Jesus stands for.

When someone apologizes, and you tell them verbally, ” I forgive you,” all the sins committed before that point are erased, and deleted, completely forgotten from memory, never to be spoken of again.  There are times that certain people will choose to revisit sins from the past that they claim to have forgiven, which only proves that they never really did.  It was just words.  When God grants us remission for our sins he completely forgets about them because He remembers our sins and our iniquities no more.

Reconcilliation

Reconciliation is the proof that genuine forgiveness has taken place.  Someone apologized for their fault, and the other party quickly granted them remission. If these two things have taken place, reconciliation will immediately follow.

When the prodigal son returned home, he apologized for what he had done, and his dad granted him complete remission for all of the sins that he had committed in his past.  He didn’t dangle them over his head, or hold them against him.  This is called forgiving someone from your heart.  When it happens, immediate reconciliation takes place.  This story is given as an example of understanding the truth of confession, remission, and reconciliation.  Those who cannot see this in this story are blinded by bitterness, and caught in the snare of the devil.  

Reconciliation is one of the tools of the Christian faith, because without it you cannot complete the task at hand.  Reconciliation is so important that God doesn’t want gifts offered in the church until you reconcile with a brother that you have wronged.  (Matt 5:24). If a wife has sinned against Christ by departing from her husband, she needs to recover herself from this sin and be reconciled unto her husband. (1 Cor 7-10-11). 

When there’s a refusal to apologize or refusal to grant remission, estrangement can happen.  Firstly, If they won’t apologize, you are supposed to have nothing to do with them.  That is a justified estrangement because it’s commanded by God.  If they refuse to forgive you, they are at enmity with God and rejecting the doctrines of Christ.  Estrangement is best defined as a wife who doesn’t live with their husband anymore.  When a wife departs her husband, she is violating a command of the Lord.  It’s no different than being a murderer or a thief in the sight of God.  Just as each of us need to go to God and confess our faults so we can be forgiven, a wife needs to return to her husband, confessing faults to him so that he can forgive her for departing him.  The refusal to reconcile affects everybody within the church, because we are all a part of the same body.  

The Christian faith is called the ministry of reconciliation.  (2 Cor 5:18) Those who refuse reconciliation cannot even claim to be a part of God’s ministry.  We are to preach reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:19)

Those who refuse to reconcile with others and claim Christianity as their faith are liars.  Remember, satan is not going to reconcile with God.  He hates the thought of it.  His pride forbids it.  Sadly, those who refuse reconciliation are like unto him, only left to be punished for all of eternity, inheriting the wrath of a loving and merciful god.

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

Imagine going to school to learn how to speak a second language, but your teacher didn’t even know how to speak it properly themself. Imagine getting criticized by your language teacher for mispronouncing some words, while if they tried they couldn’t do it either. That would be rather hypocritical, wouldn’t it?

This short example is similar to the passage of scripture in Matthew 7. Verses 1-5 says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

To “judge” as used in this passage means “to sit in judgment on, or to pass sentence on; to criticize or label another person or thing.”

We are all sinners, and need to repent, but before we can begin to help others we need to take care of any issues in our own lives first. In a different part of the Bible, there is a verse that says something like, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch? Similarly, how could someone condemn another person for a fault, while they themselves have their own set of problems to work on?

We need to become our own worst critic. We need to closely examine our own lives and diagnose the areas in which we need to fix. It is only after we correct ourselves that we can “see clearly” to help others.

Romans 2:21-23  “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?”

I can’t say it better than Paul did. Are you going around and telling others not to steal? Then you yourself had better not be stealing. Are you telling others to love their neighbor? Then you need to be doing the same.

It is the prideful nature of man that desires to lift one’s self over others. To feel better, or more important. To have a “holier than thou” kind of attitude. We each have our own set of things to work on, and to lift yourself over others is really just vain. Cast the beam out of your eye first. Overcome your own sins first. Become your own worst critic.

In Christ,

Andrew