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

Ever since the late 1980s when Minnesota won the world series, I’ve really enjoyed watching a game of baseball. I don’t know a lot of the rules but I do know that In the game of baseball you can use what’s known as a pinch hitter who takes the place of another batter as a substitute in the lineup.  Many times a manager will bring in a gifted pinch hitter at a critical moment in the game so that the team can win.

Many of us use a pinch-hitter each day and we don’t even think about it.  

For example, I’m not a very good mechanic, so when I’m in a pinch, and my truck doesn’t start in the morning, I bring in someone else who is far better at it than I am.  I call an excellent mechanic who diagnoses and repairs my vehicle quickly in my driveway so I can get back out on the road.  

On a busy holiday weekend, a retail store manager may replace his normal employees with some of the best sales people that he has.  He puts those who have the most experience on the work roster, so that they can keep up with all of the busy traffic on the floor, as they make an attempt to beat last year’s sales record.  

Whenever we want to succeed or win, we can call in a substitute or a pinch hitter.  In the places where we may come up short, we can call on another to finish the job and to win the game for us.

This reminds me of the Christian faith.

The Bible has concluded that each of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This earth is like a team that is flailing in the 9th inning in need of help.  We cannot win on our own.  We need to step out of the game and allow somebody better than us to take our place, very much like a pinch hitter and His name is Jesus.  

1 John 4:14  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

This is the reason why God sent His only begotten Son into this world, as a substitute for us so that we can be victorious over sin and eventually win at the game of eternal life.  Through faith in Christ, we have the opportunity to start over again to begin a new life serving Him. This is exactly what happened in the life of the Apostle Paul.

1 Timothy 1:12-16  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Many people would agree that Paul’s life went through radical change.  A person who was once trying to destroy Christian Churches was now in the process of starting them.

Galatians 1:13-24  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.  Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. 

Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.  And they glorified God in me.

What causes this kind of change in a person’s life?  What causes a person to do a 180 degree turnaround in their life, and then head in the complete opposite direction?  What causes a man who was very high up in his own religion, to leave it all behind him?  It was believing in the forgiveness of God.  It was understanding that Jesus died as an atonement to God for our sins.

Isaiah 53:5-6 – But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Paul recognized that he wasn’t good enough to get to heaven on his own.  He realized that he was a wretch, the chief of sinners, who was in need of forgiveness with God.  He accepted the truth, that God loved Him and that Jesus had substituted himself as a Savior, not only Paul’s own sins, but for the sins of the entire world.

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The soon to be Apostle accepted Jesus Christ as his atonement and Savior so that he could be forgiven, and begin a new walk with God,… a walk that was filled up with new opportunities to please God and to do His will.

1 Peter 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Remember that all of us have come short of the glory of God; each of us sinners in need of God’s forgiveness and mercy.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is there to help us to obtain victory over our sins, so that we can begin a new life of faith towards Him. He’s the one that God has chosen as a Savior and substitutute for us all. Jesus truly is…

…. Our Pinch Hitter

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

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

James 1:21-25

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

The Bible is filled with promises, but in order to obtain them, there are certain things that we need to do.  One of the first things is trusting and having faith in God enough, that we begin to do things His way rather than our own.  In order to be blessed in your deed one must first become a doer of the Word.  A doer is a person of action, rather than someone who is idle and does nothing.

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.

In this verse, God gives us the promise that he will reward us, but in order to claim that promise we must diligently seek him.

A farmer may promise to pay you $10 an hour to come and pick rocks out of his field.  If you are going to claim that promise, you need to get up and go to work in the morning. Do you really expect the farmer to pay you if you never even bothered to show up?  If your dad promised to buy you a car when you walked across the stage at graduation, yet you choose to quit school or flunk out, do you really still expect to get the car?  Obtaining a promise requires some effort on our part.

James 2:17-24

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

If someone truly possesses faith in their heart towards Jesus, it will result in works of faith and obedience.  Faith in Christ is perfected by works.  Claiming to have faith but not having any works to show for it is vain.  

When someone prays the Lord’s prayer, they petition God that His will be done.  God’s will is taught to us through scripture, so if you’re not going to make an attempt to do what it says, it’s because of a dead faith.  It’s wanting to believe that you are going to be in heaven but not doing anything that Christianity teaches us to do.  That’s not being a doer, that’s being lazy.  That’s like someone professing that they are a mechanic but cannot discern between the muffler and the air cleaner.  Doing the will of God is imperative to inherit the promise of everlasting life.

Matthew 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

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

Here is another passage about doing God’s will.

Matt 21:28-32  But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.  He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.  And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.  Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. 

Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Real faith in the promises of God will result in real action.  Faith is more than words alone it produces results.  Many false teachers have turned Christianity into a do-nothing religion, where nothing is required on your part, but you can still go to heaven.  Jesus refers to His family as those who do the will of God.  So you see, there is something that must be done on your part, it’s doing God’s will which is paramount to enter into heaven someday.

Matt 12:47-50 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.  But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?  And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Obtaining the promises of God requires serving Him with a desire to do His will.  After all, how can one profess to be a follower of Christ, when they follow themselves?  There are numerous forms of false Christianity that are teaching liberty, grace and forgiveness but without any kind of requirement to do God’s will.  God hates sin, and it will be punished forever in the lake of fire.  Christians are called to mortify the flesh, and to serve God rather than their sinful nature.  These same people profess liberty but they themselves are the servants of corruption.  True freedom and liberty is the anihilihilation of sinful living, through faith and God’s grace.

God doesn’t want any to perish but that all men would come to repentance.  In order to completely transform from a sinner into a saint one must believe in the truth of scripture.  It is faith in the teachings of God’s Holy Word that guides and leads us on the path of Salvation. It is akin to a lamp under our feet that shows us the way to heaven. We must follow His way rather than our own, and as a perfect, loving heavenly father, He knows what’s best for us.

Jesus came down the Earth and died on the cross for our sins. In faith, we must walk towards Him and follow Him in order to obtain the final promise of eternal inheritance.   

He has already met us halfway. Are you ready to walk…..

…the other half?

Let’s think about those things for right now, and Lord willing, we can talk some more later on.  Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

Titus 2:7  “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity.”

Do you have a specific order to the way that you start your day? Maybe you wake up, make some coffee, go take a shower, and go off to work. This is the exact same way that you start each weekday, and you could say that it is a pattern.

A pattern is defined as a particular sequence of events, facts etc. which can be understood, used to predict the future. Meaning, that if you have a sequence of numbers that goes 1,2,3,1,2… what comes next? 3. We know this because it is a repeating pattern.

Each day is a cycle or a pattern that follows the same order each day. The sun rises over the horizon up into the sky, and then it slowly lowers back down again. The seasons are a pattern as well. You have spring, summer, autumn, and winter every year without fail. These things have all repeated since the beginning of creation.

I guess a habit is similar to a pattern as well. When someone has a habit of doing something, they do it on a regular basis. People can have many different habits, but a very good habit to have is the regular study of God’s word. It is a very good thing to have our minds refreshed each day as we read through the Bible, and Paul wrote this to Timothy in one his letters to him.

1 Timothy 4:12-16  “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

“Give attendance to reading.” Each day when I was in school, right at the beginning of each day the teacher would take an “attendance report” to note who had shown up for school that day. Every day this report would take place, and this is how we should be when it comes to reading the Bible. Daily reading is a vital task so that we can continually stay strong and wise in God’s word.

Prayer is another good habit, or pattern, that we as Christians need to have. Spending time talking to God in your prayers is our direct method of communication to the Heavenly Father, to be used as often as we can or need. Through prayer, we have the ability to ask Him for help and direction any time that we need it. We do not always understand and have the answer to everything, but God does, and prayer is our direct line to Him.

Through prayer, we can show the Lord each day our love for Him through praise. A grateful heart is a quality that we all need, and through prayer we can convey our messages of appreciation for everything that He has done.

There are no limits to the amount of good things that you can do each day. I like to think of it like when I go for a long walk until my legs become very tired, but I continue to take one more step, one after the other until I finally reach my destination. The word of God is not bound or restricted to a certain amount of time. When Paul was imprisoned, he didn’t stop praising God. He didn’t give up doing good works. He may have been physically restricted to an area, but he still continued to write his letters to the churches and inspire others to keep strong in their faith.

A pattern of good works is something that does not have an end or have a limit. The only limitation is yourself. 

In Christ,

Andrew

In the United States, approximately 4,000 people die each year due to drowning. That’s over 10 people each day who die in a large part because they forgot to wear one single piece of equipment: a life jacket.

As someone who has lived in an area that is surrounded by lakes pretty much everywhere you go, a life jacket is a common item that nearly everyone in Minnesota has worn at least once, but for those who do not know what a life jacket is, they are basically a vest that is filled with a bouyant material which when put on will prevent a person from sinking in the water.

Which brings me to our passage today, in which the Apostle Peter quite literally began to sink in the sea. The disciples had gotten into a boat and were traveling across the sea, when a great storm began, and made the sea very boisterous.

Matthew 14:24-32  “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.”

So you see, Peter had seen Jesus walking on the water, and he himself had gone out to walk to the Lord, but upon seeing the raging seas he began to be filled with fear, and began to sink. He began to doubt and lose faith. He didn’t put on his “life jacket” of faith, and that is why he sank.

Faith is something that we need to be filled with, and always remember to keep with us at all times. Faith in Jesus means that we completely place our trust in the Lord that He will take care of us and protect us, and that He will keep His promises.

Jesus IS coming again. He IS preparing a place for us to be with Him someday. He WILL forgive you of your sins if you come to Him for that forgiveness. These are all promises that are found in the Bible, and we need to be filled with faith and believe His word.

The end is nearing, and the day of the Lord is getting nearer every day. However, more and more people will begin to fall away from the faith of Christ, as Jesus said in Luke 18:8, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” 

People are going to be steadily forgetting to put on their “life jacket of faith” and will fall away from the truth. They will instead begin to listen to lies and fables, giving themselves over to “science” and will reject the scriptures.

We need to have complete faith and trust in Christ to take care of us and help us in our time of need. We need to put on our life jackets of faith, and with them we will never sink.

In Christ,

Andrew

Good morning and welcome in.   Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 2nd Peter chapter 2 but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.

Back in world war II there was a lot of wartime food rationing that was going on.  The government published some pamphlets with certain recipes to make mock versions of regular meals.  What they did is used soybean flour as a substitute for meat.  They continue to do the same thing today.  Have you ever had a veggie burger?  It looks like meat, tastes like meat, but the truth is, it isn’t meat.

When something is false, it is made to look like something real; not sincere.

Many people who have a military background are familiar with a ghillie suit.  A lot of snipers and soldiers wear them in the field as camouflage.  They are designed to resemble the background environment that they are working in, such as weeds, a clump of grass or other foliage.  It looks like a bush, sways like a bush, but the truth is, it isn’t a bush.

When something is false, it is appearing to be the thing denoted.  These things remind me of the Christian life.  Not everything is what it appears to be.

2 Peter 2:1-3  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

There are numerous false prophets and false teachers in the world today who profess Christianity as their faith.  The Apostle Peter warns them that these deceivers would come from inside of the church and walk among them, right in their very midst!  They are traitors to the truth.  When something is false, it is not according to the truth or the facts. This is why the church needs to be fully educated in Scripture so that they can discern biblical truth from lies.  You don’t want to be in the ranks of the deceived on judgment day.

Matthew 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

This prophecy is upon us as we speak. There are many people in the world today who are using the Word of God deceitfully, twisting and changing scripture to advance their worldly philosophies and carnal desires.  Remember it was the devil who deceived Eve to go against the truth. It was the devil who was trying to tempt Jesus in the desert by using scripture.  This is a spiritual battle that needs to be fought using a spiritual sword, which is God’s Holy Word.  It is like no other weapon ever made and will cause enemies to fall with a lot of hit damage.  We don’t fight with earthly armaments, but with scripture that pierces the soul.

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

There are many people today who get involved with ministry not because they believe in furthering the cause of Christ or the teachings of scripture.  Some do it simply because they want to be in a place of church authority or to be seen and noticed as a religious person.

Matt 6 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Luke 20:46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

In this day and age there are many places that profess to be a Christian Church but have become nothing more than a mini-mall that is open for business, as they sell their products and goods to the public.   Jesus got very upset with those who turned the temple into a place to turn a buck.  Their leaders are there to help turn a profit and really don’t care for the sheep because they are a hireling.  The church people become their merchandise, and are worth a lot to them.  They are of much value to false pastors because of all of the money that they put in the offering plate.  

Matthew 7:15

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ravening means aggressively greedy or grasping.  Having or showing a strong or excessive desire to acquire money or possess things; greedy.  The Apostle warned to beware of dogs! (Phil 3:2)

Isaiah 56:11  Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

A heresy is a belief that doesn’t agree with the official tenets of a particular religion; heresy is the maintaining of such contrary beliefs.  One of the largest heresies that are going on in religious bodies today is women teaching scripture and speaking publicly in a church gathering.  Women are completely forbidden from participating in such things, but like yeast in bread, it is growing.  

Any man who professes the Christian faith needs to admit that this is wrong because it goes contrary to biblical dogma and against the commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus taught that those who love Him will keep His commandments.  The rejection of this truth is heretical and simply shows that they are not of God.

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.

This prophecy in our study passage is coming to pass as we speak.  Many people are falling away from the truth of Christianity.  What they are doing is believing the lies of greedy dogs and listening to the daughters of Jezebel who hate the true men of God who stand upon the rock of God’s Word.  Those involved with such things are bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

Isaiah 3:12  As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

It’s time for the true sheep of God to separate and to flee from the wolves.  Save yourselves from this untoward generation because the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

Good morning and welcome in. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 2 Thessalonians but before we do, I wanted to ask you a question.

What is your favorite class in school? Think about all the disinteresting courses that people attend each day.  Many high school teachers recognize the fact that a student tends to excel at the thing that he loves the most.  The pupil may do terribly in a lot of their other subjects, but then accel and get straight A’s in a course that interests them greatly.  And although there are classes that we really don’t care about taking, there is one course that you must learn to love because it affects your eternal salvation.  After all the knowledge of this Earth disappears, the one thing that will remain is God’s Holy Word because it liveth and abideth forever.

2 Thessalonians 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

When you love something, it means to like or to desire enthusiastically.  You care greatly for it and it’s very important to you. It’s a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection.  

These are the feelings that we are supposed to possess towards the teachings of God’s Word.  Sadly, there will be those whose love for scripture never really developed in their lives. When you develop something it means to cause it to grow, to become bigger or more advanced over a period of time.  Somebody might be a developer who causes retail properties to become better than what they were before. If you truly love something, you will desire it enthusiastically.   It makes complete sense that if you have these feelings, the thing that you love will grow and develop in your life.  It is the thing that you seek after wholeheartedly, and is more important than other things.  

Luke 10:38-42  Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Our study verse teaches us that in order to get to heaven, we must possess and develop a love of the truth because it directly affects eternal salvation. We are not speaking about the world’s philosophical concept of truth, but biblical truth that comes from God. We have to accept it, because faith in what it teaches can save us.

James 1:21 – ……receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

The Lord Jesus taught Nicodemus the concept of being born again.  When we begin the Christian Life and are baptized into His name, we are like a born-again baby who needs the milk of God’s Word in order to grow into Spiritual maturity.  This event doesn’t happen overnight, but it is a process of growth and a daily routine of correction and change.  We are born again through a love and acceptance of the teachings of scripture.  

1 Peter 1:22-23 – Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

The Christian life is more than a one-time step into the lake for baptism.  This is only the first baby step in a lifetime walk with Christ and His Word.  

Colossians 2:6 – As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 

Just as you can watch a child grow day-by-day, you can also see the evidence of growth in a faith filled Christian.  The apostles taught that we need to grow in grace. Growth needs to happen in order to attain eternal life someday.  Have you ever had a plant in the garden that wouldn’t grow into maturity? What did you do with it?  If it doesn’t eventually mature, it’s ripped out of the ground and something else is planted in its place.  In order to attain salvation we need to abide in Christ.  If you truly abide in him it means to abide in the truth because He is the truth.  

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

God saves and forgives us of our sins, but salvation is a process each day because it’s a walk.  It is a daily choice to serve and obey Him.  It’s foolish to think that we are earning our salvation by simply doing the will of God.  Shall we sin that grace may abound? God Forbid!  God wants us to follow His only begotten Son. 

If a dad asked you to follow him down to the lake but you never did, you obviously wouldn’t make it to the lake.  We need to love the Lord Jesus so much that we develop a love for His teachings. If we claim to follow Christ we need to follow His Word as well, because they are one and the same.

2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Unless somebody develops a love for the truth how will they ever become sanctified?  Sanctification is the process of purifying from sin.  We are supposed to purify ourselves from sin and mortify the carnal nature, and that happens in trusting the truth.

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

If somebody were to tell you not to jump off a 30 story building, it is your belief in their statement that can protect you.  In a similar way, it is the belief in the teachings of God’s Word that can protect us from getting involved with harmful and sinful living.  

John 8:32 – And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Sometimes it can be hard for a teacher to recognize the fact that a student’s heart is somewhere else, kind of like a relative who gives one of the most treasured possessions that they have to another, but it’s really not precious to the person who receives it.

So I want us to remember that whatever you truly love most, is more than likely the thing that you will excel at in this world, but be careful what you place that love upon, because when all is said and done, only one is going to matter in regards to eternal life….. 

……Love for the truth.

Let’s think about those things for right now and Lord willing I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody.❤️

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Ephesians 4:29  “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

When children are young, many parents do not like them to hear words that are not appropriate for them to hear. Young children have a tendacy to copy and imitate others around them and this is why young ears need to be shielded from this kind of speach. The child’s parents do this so that their children do not begin to say those things, and become “corrupted.”

When something is “corrupt” it is “in a depraved state; debased; perverted; morally degenerate; weak in morals; and unsound.” And “communication” is the conversation between two or more parties.

And that is what we are going to look at today. What is corrupt communication?

Corrupt communication is the misuse of your tongue as you speak. 

Blasphemy is an example of corrupt communication. It is speaking irreverantly towards or about Jesus and His teachings. In one passage of scripture, Jesus had just cast out a devil out of a man, and the Pharisees attributed this work to the devil. This is just a mind blowing statement to even think about, but that is truly a blasphemous statement, and should never have been said.

“Railing” is another form of corrupt communication. and it means to “insult or defame someone with shameful, disgraceful, abusive language.”

Peter wrote about this subject in 1 Peter 3.

1 Peter 3:8-9  “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”

We are not to avenge ourselves, as we have been taught in the scriptures, and this includes our use of speech. If someone rails against us with foul and abusive language, we are not to stoop down to that level and return it back again. We are to “bless, and curse not.” God will recompense those who do evil to us.

Another example in 3 John, John wrote about someone who was speaking evil, malicious things about John and others in the church.

3 John 1:9-10  “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.”

In his book to Titus, Paul instructed him to exhort the young men to have sound speech.

Titus 2:6-8  “Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.”

Corrupt communication does not help others, it does not build them up or edify them. It does not help someone to better themselves or improve their life. They are vain words, that would be better left unsaid.

The tongue can be a dangerous, sinful thing, if used improperly. It can be filled with hateful words, or it can be filled with love. James 3 illustrates how the tongue is an unruly evil, untameable by man. Only through the help of the Holy Spirit can it be tamed.

We need to keep our speech pure and holy. Speech is a gift; use it properly.

In Christ

Andrew

(Andrew is no longer a part of this ministry, as he purposely lied, deceived me, and then betrayed me, examples of the most impure speech of all. These actions were done willfully and with intent. Although many of these writings are helpful, he completely abandoned this calling, and joined up with the world instead. Nothing can dictate Our lives more than a love for Christ Jesus and being chosen to His service, but he chose to love the world instead.)

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

Philippians 2:1-2  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

When you are like minded it is having a like disposition or purpose; of being of the same mind or habit of thought; 

When we speak about having one mind it means to be united together as one unit.  For example, we all have many different members in our body, but each of them are controlled by one mind on the top of our head. This is the way that we are supposed to be in the church. We have many different functions in the church, but one mindedness has to do with all being of one purpose together.  Although our hands and ears may serve different functions, it is the same mind that controls them both to work as one component together. Even a sports team may have many different players but they function as one team during a game.  The church is very similar because it is a group that gathers together and shares one common denominator, the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 2:4-8  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Have you ever watched a group of children playing in the living room as they all work on a common project with each other? They want to build something as a group so they dig out a bucket of Play-Doh and help one another as they work together in unity, having the same interests and goals in mind.  Think about the numerous people involved with space technologies.  They come together from many different backgrounds, having varying abilities and education but are focused as a group on one specific goal, to develop and create a satellite to send into orbit around the Earth.

The Apostles wanted unity in the church, and our source of unity comes from the teachings of God’s Word. In a building project you have electricians, plumbers, and bricklayers who serve different functions but work towards the same goal together.  Each of us are like little carpenters who have different projects to do, according to our certain abilities, to help build the church.

1 Cor 3:9-11  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Out in society many people will join a club that shares a common interest with themselves.  Some people will join a model airplane club where the main points of discussion are focused on building and flying airplanes.  Likeminded means having similar tastes or opinions: or sharing the same ideas, or interests.  This is one of the reasons why the apostles didn’t want division in the church.  In the church we are supposed to have identical beliefs, based upon scriptural truth.  We are to join together, not as individuals, but as one body with our Lord Jesus as the head to guide and lead us in biblical unity.

Romans 12:16 – Be of the same mind one toward another.

Romans 15:5 – Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

The Apostle speaks about….” having the same love. “

1 Peter 3:8 – Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

When something is the same, it means identical; not different, or of an identical type; exactly similar.  As I’ve said for many years the world’s concept of love is very different from God’s spiritual love.  The Bible teaches us how to love and to please God.  Love is more than just a hug, it involves truth and obedience.  It requires submission and faithfulness.  Problems and divisions can arise when certain people decide to try to influence others by bringing the world’s philosophies and concepts into the church, rather than turning away from them and abandoning them.

1 Corinthians 1:10 – Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

We need to be of one mind, united to serve Christ as a unit.  

Romans 15:6 – That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalms 133:1 – Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

The Apostle wanted to know that the church was focused and walking together in the truth of the Christian faith, not only being of one mind but of one spirit.

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

Instead of focusing so much on each other, we want to keep our eyes on Christ and His Word so that we can know the truth, and that we can seek after the true unity that’s based in God’s Word.

Ephesians 4:3 – Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

2 Corinthians 13:11 – Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind,…..

Lastly, the Apostle wanted the church to be of one accord which is to be in agreement or harmony with others, but again, this unity is based on the teachings of scripture.  It’s the rejection of scriptural truth that brings about division.  The church needs to build upon the rock of Jesus Christ and His Word.

2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The Apostle Paul had certain disagreements with Peter.  Timothy had to rebuke the church at times to keep them on the right track, but it was meant to bring about unity in the faith.  There is no substitute for the truth.  

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

Remember that in the church we must all be going the same direction. We must all be trying to achieve the same goal with our Lord Jesus Christ holding us all together as our

….one common denominator

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

What is something that you would have a difficult time letting go of, or giving up? What are some things that you would not want to have to part with because it would be too hard or “painful”?

One of our dogs’ most favorite toys is a stuffed brown bear which she likes to have us throw for her like a stick or a ball. Whenever we start talking to her in an excited voice she will immediately go and run for her little bear to play with. But even though she loves to chase after things when we throw them, when she brings her stuffed bear back to us, she does not always give it up willingly. If we try to take it away from her to throw it again, she will either pull it away at the last moment or hold her grip on it. After a little bit of coaxing she eventually gives it up, but this example reminds me of a passage of scripture from Mark 10. 

In this passage, Jesus had a conversation with a man who, like our dog, had something that he did not want to give up.

Mark 10:17-30  “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

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.

And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

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

Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,

But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”

This man wanted something. He wanted eternal life, just as our dog wanted us to play with her, but just like our dog, he didn’t want to give something up in return for it. As a rich man with great possessions, this man’s wealth was more important to him than anything else, even eternal life. He had fallen into the snare of wealth and possessions, and their hold on him was so great that he couldn’t let them go.

Remember, the Bible teaches that the love of money is the root of all evil. The love for money and possessions cannot be put in a place over the things of God. We are to love God first, and place Him over everything else.

1 Timothy 6:6-10  “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.”

Earthly riches are a fleeting thing. They come and they go, but they cannot buy happiness. Some of the richest people in the world can be some of the saddest and most lonely. True happiness comes from the true riches found in Jesus Christ.

How did Jesus live while on the Earth? Did He focus His time working and trying to become rich to gain possessions for Himself? Did His disciples? They may have been poor in the eyes of the world, but they were rich in the things of God. Spiritual things were more important to them than money, possessions, and houses. They were men who knew where the true riches could be found.

We need to “deny ourselves” as the Lord taught, and take up our cross and follow Him. We don’t serve money as Christians. We serve Christ, and when we do He will reward us.

In Christ,

Andrew

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

When I was in high school It was required for me to take algebra. I knew that this class was going to be difficult the very first day that I sat down at my desk. I’m not much of a mathematician, so from the get go, I knew that passing this course was going to be daunting to say the least.

We had a very tall teacher with a looming voice that completely filled up the room. As he quickly scrawled upon his chalkboard, my mouth would sit completely open like a large gaping hole, possibly hoping that some useful information would float in there, but to no avail.  My eyes were big, like hens eggs, filled up with complete confusion at his advanced mathematical knowledge and algebraic concepts.

Each hour would slowly tick away in the classroom until the point at the very end when he would ask us if anybody had any questions.  Like having a mind of its own, I could feel my hand begin to shoot up into the sky, but I forced it to stay down.  Everybody else seemed to understand all of the things that he had been talking about except for me.   I probably could have learned something that semester, if only I had asked.

This event reminds me of the Christian Life.  When I was baptized into the Christian faith I understood with all my heart that God wanted to give me wisdom, but I needed to come faithfully to Him and ask for it.  When a child is hungry, he asks his parents for food.  Like children, when we develop a hunger and thirst for God’s wisdom, all of us need to be capable of raising our hands to him and asking for His help.

James 1:5-8  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

I have learned over the years that sometimes we don’t have things simply because we don’t ask for them.  God wants us to ask for wisdom because He wants to teach us the ways of Truth.  God doesn’t scold us when we come to Him seeking wisdom, but freely gives us as much as we need and desire.  The very first thing we must do is to believe that He is,… and that He will reward those who diligently seek him.  We need to earnestly cry out to Him and ask Him in faith.

Proverbs 2:3-6 – Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

The greatest gift that I have ever received is the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Holy scriptures.  I never wanted to make the same mistake that I had made in high school, so I learned how to ask God for help.  I knew that he loved me and wanted to give me wisdom, so I reached out to him in faith, knowing that if I just raised my hand, He would give me what I needed.

Matthew 7:7-11 – 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.Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

In the old Testament, Solomon asked God for wisdom.  When he asked for such a thing, it pleased the Lord very much.

1 Kings 3:7-12  And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;  Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

What is one of the most important things that people seek during their day?  Some seek after monetary gain, in order to increase their personal goods and standard of living.  But all the earthly treasures and riches that one could amass in this world could never even be compared to the spiritual riches found in the wisdom of Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 8:11-12 – For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

The most important thing that we could ever have is sadly the thing that many people don’t even ask or go looking for.  

Proverbs 4:7 – Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

God desires us to have wisdom.  He passed on His knowledge to his Apostles and disciples and filled a group of unschooled men with spiritual wisdom that astonished others. 

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

The Apostle Paul continually prayed for the church for the spirit of wisdom.

Eph 1:15-17  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

So, just like my algebra class, we must all remember that we need to come to God, raising our hands to Him boldly if we truly want to be filled with wisdom inside of our hearts.  

We just need to ask.

Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing, we can talk some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️

tlkjbc.wordpress.com