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

How many of you children have come home from school and ran into the kitchen for a cookie, but when you looked inside the cookie jar, there were none for you to eat?  How many of you have gone into your dresser drawer in the morning to put on a clean pair of socks, only to find that there were none available.  How many of us have gone into the refrigerator for a can of cold pop but there were none to be found.  

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

The word “none” means “not any“. All of us have sinned and come short of Glory. There are none righteous, not one to be found, just like looking in an empty cookie jar without any cookies.

Rom 3:9-10   What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:.

There are none righteous.  Righteous is an adjective that means virtuous, honorable, or morally right. It’s acting in a just, upright manner or without guilt or sin.  No matter how much one thinks of themselves as a good and decent person, the truth is that we are not.  Numerous people would argue this point until the cows come home, but the facts of the matter are that each of us have come short of the glory of God.  Our Lord Jesus taught this.

Mark 10:18 – And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

The Scriptures are very clear on this matter. The only way to enter into eternal life is by coming to the Lord Jesus Christ and getting forgiven for our sins. We must accept the fact that we are sinners, and then humbly confess our faults to Him, whatever they may be.  He already knows what they are, we just need to admit them, and then wash all of our sins away by being baptized into His name.  Forgiveness is available with God right now through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, but before forgiveness, there has to be an admission of fault. There has to be an understanding that we are just the same as everybody else.  There really are only two classes of people in this world, sinners, and forgiven sinners.

Rom 3:11-12 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

These are the same teachings that are found in the Old Testament.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 – For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

One of the worst things about believing that you are a good person, is your unwillingness to admit fault and get forgiven for what you’ve done wrong.  Instead of coming to Jesus Christ and washing sins away, the sin remains.  Instead of believing the truth that all are sinners, they believe the lie that they are righteous.

Psalms 53:1-3 – The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Everybody has sinned and made mistakes in the eyes of God.  Everyone from King David to Noah and even the Apostle Peter.  This is why Jesus came, so that we could find grace and forgiveness in His sight.  There are many people who really feel that they are a just person.  They feel that they are better than others, but scripture concludes that all have sinned in God’s sight, and without recieving Jesus, they are rejecting His offer of forgiveness.

1 John 1:8-10 – If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The deeper and deeper that you go into the law, the more knowledge that a person retains in their conscience that they didn’t keep it perfectly.  The law had its purpose, to reveal that all of us are guilty before God, and nobody is exempt from that fact.  

Rom 3:19-20 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

None are righteous in God’s sight, because all have sinned.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

The Apostle Paul had lots of religious activities as a Jewish pharisee that really made him feel like he was a good and upright person but he finally realized and accepted the truth that he wasn’t.  He later referred to himself as the chief of sinners.  He understood that he couldn’t be justified by the law, but had to come humbly to the Lord Jesus Christ as a man who was lost and in deperate need of God’s forgiveness.

Phil 3:5-9 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

We can become righteous, but only by placing your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior who took the penalty on the cross that we all rightly deserve. We must become transformed from sinners into Saints, which will only happen by following the teachings of Christ. He calls all men to repentance in this age of mercy and Grace. 

So the next time that you go looking for a pair of socks and can’t find any, maybe you can remember that God hasn’t found a righteous person on this earth either. All of us have sinned and come short of Glory. There is none righteous, not one to be found, just like looking inside of an empty…..

……Cookie Jar

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

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

Many years ago I had heard a story about a drill sergeant who at times was very demanding when he was training the soldiers.  There was one soldier in basic training who didn’t care for him very much at all and felt that he was too strict and overbearing because he was constantly yelling at him to learn to keep his head down.  At times as he was crawling through a muddy obstacle course in the rain, the sergeant would step on his helmet and yell at him to keep his head down.  The constant rebukes and barrage of warnings from the sergeant were completely wearing him down, being pounded into his brain each and every day.  Although he didn’t like it at the time, the things that the sergeant taught him would eventually save his life one day during a battle.  

Early one morning as he was walking through a field with his platoon, he heard the sounds of bullets whizzing by as a firefight began.  He heard the voice of the sergeant screaming at him in the back of his mind, ” keep your head down!!!”  Immediately he dived deep inside a foxhole that prevented him from getting hit by an incoming mortar.  His friends weren’t so lucky because they were all killed in the blast.  It was only then that he finally realized how much the sergeant had truly cared about him.

James 5:20 – Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Many times in life a rebuke is not well received.   A parent needs to correct you periodically when you do something wrong or make poor decisions.   Some people are tenderhearted and only need a gentle admonishment to move them in the right direction, but there are others who require much more; they need a spiritual hammer to the heart.  Converting a sinner from the error of their way can be a daunting task as we learn in our story today but this process is done out of love for the soul of the other person.  There are many people who don’t enjoy correction or discipline, and in some cases it can require even stronger measures to get your point across.

John 2:13-17  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

Rebuke and correction are a part of learning and growing in the Christian faith.  A dad who watches over his household has been placed in charge of his family by God to rebuke his wife or children as needed.  God knew that Abraham would command his own family.

Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him,

Correcting others doesn’t mean that you don’t love and care about them, but the exact opposite.  I believe it takes more love to rebuke others so they can correct the error of their way.  

Revelation 3:19 – As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Many people don’t like being corrected because they never had a dad in their own home as they grew up.  This is the one of the purposes that God created a dad for, to discipline his family properly each day as needed.

Heb 12:5-11

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

The Apostle Paul was a man who was like a spiritual dad to the church.  He loved them dearly and thought about them often in his prayers.  He wanted to come and see them and enjoy their company. What Dad is there among you who likes to come home from work on a Friday afternoon only to find out that all the children have been misbehaving and in need of correction.  It’s much more enjoyable to hear a good report so that you can have a great weekend together with the family. The Apostle felt the same way towards the church.

1 Cor 4:21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

He speaks about this same thing in the following passage.

2 Cor 2:1-3  But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?  And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

Paul was handing down his spiritual leadership to Timothy, and helping him to learn the qualities of being a spiritual dad to the church.  He was instructing him to walk in charity, grace, meekness and faith but also to rebuke and correct others with authority,  just as a dad would in his own home.

Titus 2:15 – These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

The apostle was trusting in Timothy to re-prove or rebuke and exhort the church members so that they wouldn’t be led astray. Paul wanted somebody to love them as much as he did, but to love them with the truth.

2 Tim 4:1-4

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

Even though the response is usually not well received, real love tells people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.  If you truly want other people to convert from their sins, you must tell them the truth.  

Do you want to keep somebody from getting killed? Do you want to save a soul from death? Would you be strong enough to tell somebody……

…..Keep Your Head Down!

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.

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“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” Ephesians 6:10-17

Armor has been used for thousands of years to protect warriors and soldiers in battle. Armor is basically any material used to protect and individual or item from injury, harm, or damage, especially to protect from weapons in combat.

From leather, to chain mail, to full suits of knight’s armor, to the bullet proof vests that law enforcement use today, armor is an important piece of equipment that one needs to have to protect themself. 

Pieces of armor may include a helmet, a “cuirass” or breastplate (as well as a backplate), as well as arm and leg armour. Most often, armor is used to cover the most important parts of your body, being your head and heart, but Paul wrote in Ephesians to put on the whole armour of God; protecting the entire body spiritually with spiritual armor.

While we are not in physical combat, as Christians we are in a spiritual battle between good and evil. Since his separation from heaven, the devil has been at war with God, and although he is losing mightily, he will try to do anything that he can to destroy a person’s faith in Christ. The devil is a wiley, crafty enemy, filled with many tricks and deceptions that he will try to slide under a person’s spiritual armor to get them to lose faith.

This is exactly why we need to put on the whole armor of God. We need to have our “loins girt about with truth.” 

Around the time of Christ, people wore large, loose fitting tunics and robes which reached close to the ground, and were somewhat difficult to move around in quickly. To move more quickly, a person would need to “gird up their loins” by lifting the cloth of their robes above their knees, and wrap it around their waist and tie it, thus creating free movement of the legs.

Just like a robe would be wrapped around the waist, we need to be surrounded with the truth of the gospel of Jesus and His teachings, and ready. In 1 Peter 1:13, Peter wrote, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  Peter wanted the church to be ready and waiting, with their minds focused on the teachings of Christ.

A breastplate is a piece of armor that covers your chest, and most importantly, your heart. 

Righteousness is the quality of being virtuous, or doing what is right, and it is something that Christian needs to be filled with.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

“Awake to righteousness, and sin not…” 1 Corinthians 15:34

“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” 1 Timothy 6:11

“Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.” Psalm 106:3

The righteousness spoken of here is not of ourselves; this righteousness comes from God, and following His will. And if we are filled with the righteousness that comes from God, it will cause us to be loving. It will cause us to be forgiving. We will be merciful, and kind, honest, and sincere. 

What is the function of your feet? They help you to stand, and they carry the rest of your body where it needs to go. A rather small part of your body, but your feet are very important just the same, and they need to be protected. Shoeware of different types have different benefits or strengths. If you live where there is snow thick, warm snow boots is a must-have item if you want to keep your feet from freezing as you travel along outside. If you live in a rocky area, hiking boots that protect your feet from cuts and scrapes is what you will want to have. Whatever the situation, your feet need to be protected.

Paul wanted our feet to be “shod with the preparation of peace.” If something is prepared, it is ready. 

When we have peace, we can be confident when go into the battlefield which is the world, unafraid and unashamed to tell others about the love of Christ, and His desire to save them. We don’t need to be afraid of what others in the world think of us in our daily walk as Christians, because we are filled with the peace that comes from Jesus.

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” Isaiah 52:7

In medievial warfare, a shield was probably the most important piece of defense that a solider could have. Able to deflect arrows from afar, or a sword blow up close, a shield was vital to survival in battle. Take a shield away, and you have taken away the first line of defense, and exposed the rest of the body to a variety of dangers.

You will notice that the other pieces of armor are things that you can wear on your body, but a shield is something that you need to hold up in order for it to be effective. You need to hold onto it. We need to hold up our shield of faith firmly, never letting it down for even a moment. Never letting any unbelief or doubt enter our minds when it comes to the truth of the Word of God.

I love using this example, but in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abenego, they were in a spiritual battle in the book of Daniel. Because of their refusal to bow before the idol the king had created and ordered all to worship, they were sentenced to death in a fiery furnace. But even when faced with this threat, these men of God remained firm, holding up their shield of faith. They believed that if it was the will of God, that He could deliver them from the fire. As these three men were thrown into the furnace, those who threw them in died because of the great heat, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not harmed in the slightest. Why? Because they had faith.

Next, the helmet of salvation. A helmet is a piece of armor that protects your head. Your head really is the most important part of your body (along with your heart of course), because with it you see, you hear, you smell, you talk, you breath, and you eat. Your head contains your brain, which contains your knowledge and memory, and also controls your actions. This vital part of your body needs to be protected well.

A strong, well placed blow to the head will incapacitate the entire body. The devil knows this as well, which is why it is so important that we take care to put on the helmet of salvation. These blows may come in the form of temptations, or seeds of doubt or unbelief. Anything that he can do to attack this important part of our body the devil will do.

The armor of God is only worn by the true believers in Jesus, and not by those of the world. The people of the world do not follow Christ or His teachings, which is why we are taught to not be conformed to the world.

“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.” Romans 12:2

With the helmet of salvation, we can know and have the assurance of salvation. This is a promise from Jesus Himself.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24

If we keep God’s word, we can know that we have eternal life. 

The last thing on our list that Paul mentions to take up is the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. 

Have you ever heard the saying “the pen is mightier than the sword”? The meaning of this phrase is that words expressed in writing are far more productive or effective than violence with physical war. 

How many wars have ended by a few strokes of a pen? How many disagreements have ended by the opposing parties signing a truce? Instead of a constant war of killing everyone until one side is completely destroyed, this can all be avoided by using a writing untensil.

Of all of the other pieces of armor that we talked about which defend, a sword is an offensive weapon used to parry and attack. The word of God is not a physical sword, but rather a spiritual one that every Christian needs to carry with them to help us defeat the devil.

Jesus displayed this perfectly in Matthew 4. Undergoing His temptaions in the wilderness, the devil tried to use scripture to try to bend Christ to his will. If thou be the Son of God, the devil said, “cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

Jesus with His wisdom replied, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

The devil clearly knew the scripture, but just as a sword is only effective if you use it properly, he failed in his attempt. This is a mistake that many people who claim Christianity make today. They read the scriptures, but they do not understand the true meaning of them, or try to twist and contort it to fit their personal views, so when they try to use scripture (the sword of the spirit) they instead only do harm to themselves and to other’s faith.

Used properly, as Christ has shown, the word of God is indeed a powerful weapon. “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.” Hebrews 4:12

The world is not going to get better, as some would like to believe, but it is steadily growing worse. It is a losing battle for the devil, and his time is quickly drawing to an end. He knows that he cannot win and this is why he is afraid. Like a trapped animal, he will become frantic, and will try to do anything that he can to take anyone else that he can down along with him.

One piece of armor is not enough. Put on the whole armor of God!

In Christ,

Andrew

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

I can remember when I was a little kid that I used to build card houses.  It never failed that eventually somebody would come along and knock the whole thing down, or they would hit the table and everything would fall apart. 

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

Building a real home is the same kind of thing.   A household is defined in the dictionary as a man, his wife and the children who live together in a home.  In the Christian faith, the husband is the head of the home followed by the wife and the children.  A wise woman will continue to build on the foundation that Jesus has given her to work with.  Her purpose is to build up the family and to hold things together so that the home will flourish and grow, but as God’s Word teaches us today, a foolish woman tears it all apart.

Proverbs 14:1 – Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

The Christian wife who is truly wise, will build her house.  I’m not speaking today about fixing the roof or building an addition, I’m speaking about building her family by improving and inspiring love within the family unit.  She marries her husband and decides to dedicate her life to remain faithfully by his side, through whatever they may encounter along the way.  Through this divine bond shared by the couple, cute little children can be created who need to be raised up understanding what it means to love one another other.  The children watch a mother and the way that she treats both her husband and the children.

How many times have you driven through a city somewhere and seen a brand new building that was beginning to be put up.  You may have even seen signs posted around the work site that say ” under construction “.  When something is under construction it is in the process of being built.  It takes a lot of different items to eventually complete the task and I guarantee you it doesn’t happen overnight. Many times workers will spend months, years and even longer on a building project, but in order to finish it, they need to keep at it. 

I’ve always thought as a Christian wife as a construction worker, but instead of working with 2 by 4s and nails, she is building the family by using spiritual things such as love, faith, and grace.  She builds her home day by day with the items that God has given her to work with. Instead of getting upset about crayon on the wall, she paints over faults with her forgiveness. If something falls down, she lifts it back up into it’s proper place though her kindness. When there are rough edges in the home that need to be sanded down, she smooths them out with her love.

The Christian wife has a great purpose given to her by God, to build her family up day by day. Like watering a garden, or feeding a pet, her responsibility is to grow her home.  Just as a man spends an entire life as a mechanic, or a farmer spends his life raising cattle, the Christian wife spends her life raising and building her family.  Her household is the proof of years of faithful construction.

Many years ago I used to drive to work each morning and I watched each day as someone was putting up a house.  A few weeks pasted by, and then one morning I began to notice that there wasn’t any progress going on at all.  Some of the framing had been completed and even a few exterior walls, but other than that, it simply sat there.  Month after month I drove by after work, only to realize that the construction project and all the work that had been started, had only come to an abrupt end.  When I think about those cold mornings on my motorbike I think about this verse.  Instead of continuing to work and build up her family day by day, instead of picking up the tool belt filled with spiritual gifts, the household that God has entrusted to her is left in disarray and incomplete.  Just like that unfinished home, it has been abandoned, only to be torn down.

Prov 31:10-12  Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.  The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.  She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

The girls in a household are watching their mother each day to see how she treats others within the family.  She educates them by her actions and deeds.  When she loves and obeys her husband in everything, the daughters will grow up to treat their husbands the same later in life. Children learn from what they see.  When a wife professes to have faith in Jesus Christ she will love and revere her husband, not only to obey Jesus but for the sake of her children to have faithful and lasting marriages in the future.

Titus 2:4-5 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

The main reason why God created the woman was to be a man’s helper. This is her purpose and calling.

Genesis 2:18  And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

A man was created to serve God, lead, and be the head of his household while the wife’s purpose is to serve and obey the man.  A husband is like a foreman on a construction site who gives duties each day to the workers.  The wife is working on the home that the foreman wants built, but just like a disgruntled construction worker can walk off the job, a wife can do the same thing.

1 Corinthians 7:10  And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

The Christian wife will remain on the job day by day continuing to build a man’s home upon the foundation of Christ and his teachings.  This is the wisdom of the Christian woman.

Proverbs 31:27  She looketh well to the ways of her household,….

In a Christian marriage, the wife places herself in subjection to her husband.  He is her direct authority in all things.  She is called by Christ Jesus to reverence and obey Him in all things. It’s like obeying a foreman on a construction site, he’s the boss.  The girls in the home are watching to see if a wife loves Christ enough to obey His desire for them.

Eph 5:22-24  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

1 Pet 3 5-6  For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Prov 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

So the next time that you sit down at the beach and watch as your children completely destroy a sandcastle that they labored all afternoon building, remember our study verse today….

Proverbs 14:1 – Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

A foolish woman will bring her own household to ruin because to her it’s no more important than…

……..A House of Cards.

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

Lost and found

What is a memory that you have of a time when you lost something, and then found it sometime later?

One time, when I was about 8 years old, I had gotten a large “bouncy ball.” I had several other “bouncy balls” but none of them were as big as this one. It was special. About the size of a baseball, I could throw it as hard as I could to the ground and it would skyrocket up 40 or 50 feet into the air.

Well, one day I was playing with it in my bedroom (bouncing it very carefully, as to not break anything) when I somehow lost it. I looked everywhere that I could think of, but to no avail. It seemed to have just vanished. I was seriously disappointed.

Probably about a month later, I was picking up some toys in my room, when I noticed something down by the frame of my bed. It was my giant bouncy ball. Somehow it had lain unnoticed by me for that entire time. As you can guess I was pretty elated to finally have my special toy once again.

The world is full of sinners, “lost sheep” Jesus referred to them as. Sheep that have gone astray from their master, and gotten lost out in the world. And just like when I found my ball, and became so happy, the Bible teaches us that the angels in Heaven rejoice over each sinner that repents and turns from their sins.

“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Luke 15:1-7’’

It is a joyous thing when a person makes that decision to turn away from their sins, and come forward asking for forgiveness. It is perfectly illustrated in the parable that Jesus told about the prodigal son. The son who went out, and basically got lost out in the world of sin, until one day he came to his senses and realized what a fool he had been. Admitting his sins, he came forward in meekness asking for forgiveness. He didn’t even expect to be received back as a son anymore, but had resigned himself to the place of a servant. But the dad of that son was so happy to have his son back, that he immediately restored him back once again, and threw a giant party to celebrate this wonderful event.

So you see, this is what goes on in Heaven when a sinner repents. Joy. Celebration. All of us were at some point like this wayward son, blinded and lost in our sins. But we all need to change, admit our sins, and come for forgiveness.

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

We all need to be found and brought back into the sheepfold. We all need to listen to the Lord’s voice calling out to us to repent, and turn from our sin. He wants to save and protect us, but we need to come back to Him. 

Have you been found?

In Christ,

Andrew

Good morning and welcome in. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of Romans but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.

How many times in your life can you remember that someone did something wrong to you, so you decided to get back at them because of it?  Somebody hurt you in some way so you decided to hurt them back in return.

For example, maybe you had a brother who took one of your favorite toys, threw it on the ground and broke it completely.  The next morning when he was sleeping, you took his favorite toy and stomped on it to avenge what he had done to you.  

To avenge yourself means to inflict harm in return for an injury or wrong done to oneself, or to harm or punish the person responsible for something bad done to you in order to achieve a fair situation.  

As a Christian, the Lord Jesus does not want us to avenge the wrongs that are committed against us.  He does not want us to retaliate or to return evil for evil.  God sees everything, and He promises in the scriptures that he will repay and exact vengeance on behalf of His own children.

For example, this is what He did for the children of Israel who were in bondage in Egypt.  It is God who took vengeance upon the hard heart of pharaoh on numerous occasions.  God punished Pharaoh and his country by turning the water into blood. They had plagues of frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts and the killing of Egypt first born.  Pharaoh  finally came to the point that he released the Israelites.  Even when they were trapped against the Red Sea, God fought for them once again, destroying Egypt’s military in the process.  God fought their battles for them, just as He continues to do today. He fights against those who cause His own children to suffer. The battle truly belongs to the Lord Jesus.

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

To “give place” means to pass over or to withdraw.  Wrath is vengeance or punishment.  God wants us to refrain from inflicting punishment upon others who have wronged us.  

Vengeance is the act of doing something to hurt someone because that person did something that hurt you or someone else.  It’s retaliation against or punishment of someone for some kind of harm that they caused or wrongdoing that they did. It’s the infliction of punishment in return for a wrong committed, hence: retribution.

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil….

God is perfectly just and righteous and he sees everything that goes on in this world today.  There is nothing hidden from his eyes.  When people cause His followers to suffer, He will return suffering and tribulation into them.

2 Thessalonians 1:6 – Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you….

The suffering can happen in many different ways.  Just like Pharaoh, it can result in plagues, disease, sickness and even death.  When the children of the Lord cry out to Him day and night for justice, God is going to quickly fight the battle for them and punish those who rightly deserve it.  

Luke 18. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily……..

The battle is not ours to fight, God will fight it for us.  

Jeremiah 20:11-13 – But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.  But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.  Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

It will be the Lord Jesus who brings true justice to pass, here on Earth and in the world to come.

Deuteronomy 32:35

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

Deuteronomy 32:43

Rejoice, O ye nations, [with] his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, [and] to his people.

When we have to suffer at the wrongs that people commit towards us, the Bible teaches us to be strong because God will save us in due time.  They will only find themselves fighting against the Almighty.

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

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

Noah and his family were saved while the rest of the Earth was destroyed in the flood.  Lot was delivered from Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed it with fire and brimstone.  God punished Pharaoh for not heeding His Word and releasing the Israelites. 

God has not changed because He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  His Justice is everlasting to everlasting and I guarantee you that He will avenge his elect because His Justice is not mocked.

Ezekiel 25:17

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

2 Thessalonians 1:8

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Like Pharaoh resisted , there was a man who was greatly resisting the Gospel that was being preached by the Apostle Paul.  His name was Alexander the coppersmith.  The Apostle didn’t avenge himself, but waited for God to reward the coppersmith according to his works.

Don’t avenge yourself, because vengeance belongs to God and He will plentifully reward the proud doer. 

Watch, and wait on the Lord’s fury.  

Nahum 1:2

God [is] jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and [is] furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth [wrath] for his enemies

Praise God for His justice.

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

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“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 

Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” John 14:16-20

What are some things that you used to want as child to make you feel safe, or comforted?

Many children have a certain fear of the dark, that a monster or creature will come out for them while they sleep in their rooms at night. To remedy this, many parents will get a “night light” for their child’s room, a small light that provides enough illumination to set the young child at ease. It is a comforting feeling to them to have that little light on. 

A man who is about to depart overseas in the military may have a young family, and he may give his children something special for them to remember him by, until he returns. Something that will comfort them, something that will always remind them of his love for them and give them some comfort to ease that time of separation.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus left this Earth to go to be back with His Father in Heaven. But before He left, He left us a promise, that He would return once again.

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3

We are waiting earnestly for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Like the children waiting for their dad to come home from a war, we have been left something to comfort us until Christ’s return. The Holy Spirit. We have been given a small piece of Heaven to have inside our hearts to help us, guide us, and comfort us until that special day.

“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Romans 8:23

This world is a dark and lonely place, filled with many evils. Without a light to guide us, it is impossible for us to find our way to eternal salvation. Thankfully, we have been left the Holy Spirit to help us through, lighting up our path and giving us comfort as we walk each day. 

Like the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25, our lamps need to be filled to the top with the oil of the Holy Spirit. Just as the night light brings comfort to a child, we have our own personal light in the Holy Spirit.

Each day is one day closer to His return. Don’t worry, Jesus is coming soon!

In Christ,

Andrew

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

“First” means “preceding all others of a series or kind; or before anything else.”

If you are going to do something, many projects require that you do them in order. For example, if you are going to bake a loaf of bread, you are going to need to gather together all of your ingredients and untensils. You don’t just take the flour, yeast and oil and shove them all into the oven without mixing them up. There is an order that needs to be followed, starting at the very first step.

If you are building a house, probably the most important step is the make sure that you have a firm foundation to build on. You don’t just start nailing boards together right away, without a plan. It is a process, a step by step order. You prepare the ground for your foundation, you lay your foundation, you build your floors, walls, roof frames, etc, until the home is finished. Step after step the house is finished, but it all begins with the first thing.

Which is how we need to place God in our lives: first. He needs to be before anyone or anything else. Before your brothers or sisters, your dad or your mom, aunts and uncles. He needs to be placed first in all of your actions, regardless of what anyone else wants you to do. We are commanded to love one another, but our love for God needs to be greater than even your closest family members.

What is the first commandment Jesus teaches in Matthew 22?

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

Like a recipe, there is an order that things need to be done, and as a Christian, what is the first commandment? To love God, first, before, and above all others.

“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37

When we sit down to eat a meal, something that we should do is thank our God for His many blessings. Jesus, before the feeding of the thousands, lifted up the food towards the heavens, thanking the Father for the food, and blessed it. Because God created all things, we need to remember to thank Him every time we have our meals. This shows God that we remember Him, and that our belly is not our God, unlike the people who Paul referred to in Philippians.

“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” Philippians 3:19

Yes, even food can be a god to some people. That is all that they are focused on, just stuffing in more food, not even thinking of where it all comes from.

And it is not just in food that people forget about God. People can skip church on the weekend, they can skip reading their Bible, or not pray to Him, sing to Him, thanking Him. Instead, other things become more important to them than the One Who created all things. This is not good; our magnificent Creator deserves our total and complete love and adoration. In everything that we do, we need to place God first.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6

You show what you love by the things you prioritize. The most important things are done first. Is God first in your life? Is doing His word of higher importance to you than doing what you want to do?

Moses counted the things of God greater riches than everything in Egypt. He valued God over everything else that he could have owned, giving it all up to follow God’s will for him. This kind of commitment God sees, and He will reward those who diligently seek Him.

Is God first in your life? Is your love for Him greater than anything else? Remember, to be a disciple of Christ, we need to place Him first. We need to love Him even more than your own family. Can you do that? 

In Christ,

Andrew

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

Ever since our family moved out to Northern Minnesota, Andrew and I have spent a lot of time in the woods collecting firewood and doing other short-term seasonal work.  There was one day that we were working about 10 mi from the closest highway when we began to hear the sound of wolves.  I’m not really sure what they were up to, but they continued getting closer.  They eventually got so close that if I had thrown a rock in their direction, I probably could have hit one. We slowly backed out of there and went to the truck for lunch. From what I’ve read, they claim that you shouldn’t turn your back on a wolf.  The reason why is because they like to attack their prey from behind.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

The scriptures teach us to beware of wolves, and the ones that I’m talking about today are the ones who say nasty things about another person behind the second person’s back, completely out of their sight & hearing.  These kinds of people are known as backbiters.

Ps 15:1,3  Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that backbiteth not with his tongue,…..

A backbiter makes unpleasant or unkind remarks about a person who is not present, or makes unpleasant comments about someone who is not there.  Have you ever had somebody talk bad things about you behind your back before?  It doesn’t feel very good does it. That is why it’s a sin when somebody does it to you.  The Apostle Paul warned the church about backbiting.

2 Corinthians 12:20  For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

Have you ever confided in somebody else your most personal secrets?  Things that you really didn’t want anybody else to know except a trusted friend? There are many conversations in society each day about privacy issues.  There are certain things that are meant to be kept secret and from the eyes of others. Even the government has top secret files that are not supposed to be shared with other people outside of a certain group.  To reveal them is a betrayal of trust. The Bible warns about the misuse of your tongue in such a manner.

James 3:6  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

Proverbs 18:21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Some things are meant to be kept private, but a talebearer exposes what is meant to be secret.  A talebearer is defined in the dictionary as a person who maliciously gossips or reveals secrets.  Why would somebody expose another’s inner most private secrets?  It is caused by a malicious evil intent spawned out of hatred in their heart for the other party.  It’s a hate crime.  Remember that love for others covers a multitude of sins.

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

The Bible warns over and over about exposing private secret matters to outside parties.

Proverbs 20:19  He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets:…

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

As Judas betrayed Jesus, it hurts when people do this to you.  It hurts like someone sticking a knife in your back, or getting bit from behind by a wolf.

Proverbs 18:8 – The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

There are many people who make a lot of money today selling gossip newspapers and magazines.  They are not meant to edify and build up others but rather to tear them down.  It’s malicious gossip and is the work of an evil talebearer.  If the tables were turned around on them, and someone exposed the most private intimate detail in their life to the entire world, I guarantee you that they would be upset.  

The carnal nature always desires to look at the problems of others rather than looking at their own problems first.  What they do is they puff themselves up by bringing other people down.  The Lord Jesus even warned, why do you look at the mote in your brother’s eye when you have a beam in your own eye?  The sinful nature will always find it easier to point the finger at others rather than themselves.  It makes them feel like they are not such a terrible person while the truth is they’re just the same as everybody else, a sinner.

To gossip is to speak idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal and private affairs of others.  What they do is look for dirt on somebody else and then spread it around the town.  This is wicked and evil.  Paul warned about certain women with this kind of behavior in the church.

1 Tim 5:13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

A busybody is a person who mixes into other people’s affairs to meddle and gossip.  A tattler is someone who gossips indiscreetly, some synonyms being a blabbermouth, talebearer, taleteller, tattletale, telltale gossiper, gossipmonger, newsmonger.  Tattling on another person is to have conversation or reports about other people’s private lives that might be unkind and disapproving.  Instead of looking into their own hearts and minds and accepting the truth of what they really are, they dig up private matters about other people and share them publically  in order to make themselves appear better in the eyes of society.  This is complete vanity.  A Christian can have no part of this behavior because it is the result of self-righteousness and pride.  All it is a speaking evil about others.

James 4:11 – Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Ephesians 4:31 – Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Imagine the good that you can do in another person’s life when you seek to edify and build them up rather than ruin their reputation and their lives by evil speaking.  

Titus 3:2 – To speak evil of no man…….

We are supposed to minister grace not share private matters to gossip about with others.

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.

Lastly, scripture warns about a whisperer.  A whisperer is a gossip, a tattler; one who tells secrets; a conveyer of intelligence secretly; hence; a backbiter.

Romans 1:29 – Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

So remember that just like a wolf attacks you and wants to bite you from the rear, a backbiter does the same thing, for they truly are,….

……The Enemy Behind

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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.

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Good morning and welcome in. 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.

When my wife wanted to get married I told her that we would never have very much money, and she completely agreed to this and we got married shortly thereafter. We were both baptized by submersion in 1999 and had all of our past sins forgiven through Christ. On that day, we began our walk together in the Christian faith.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Because of biblical mandates and the separation clause found in this verse, I built us a small cabin out in the woods to keep separate from the world and its influences. We had discussed moving out into the desolate regions of Alaska or maybe buying a remote island where we could be alone and raise our family, but God placed us in a small little town of 200 people in Northern Minnesota.

We have never had very much according to the world’s standards, but we’ve had each other and our faith in Christ. We always had our basic needs and learned how to be content with what we have been given by God. We have had goats, chickens, rabbits and fish for food. We have had greenhouses and gardens. One of the very first beds that Andrew slept on we made out of cat tail down which my wife and I picked down by the river. All of our cooking has been done over a wood cook stove along with heating our home in the coldest of winters.

Other items that we needed from time to time were purchased very inexpensively at rummage sales, or we found free items that people were going to throw away and they really didn’t want anymore. Numerous repairs that were done on our home were salvaged from a home that somebody was throwing in the dumpster. Andrew and I completely took it apart. My wife and family have never lacked things that we truly needed because the Lord Jesus Christ has always taken care of us. Like the disciples of the Lord Jesus, I too walked away from a good paying job in the world. Any extra things that may have been needed were provided through our family businesses where we work alongside each other. Our family is similar to a dairy farmer, whose family members all work and help out by milking cows and feeding and taking care of the animals.

Just as Lot took his wife and family and left Sodom and Gomorrah, our new lifestyle was chosen in order to be faithful to the teachings of Christianity. I came out from the world to be separate. This doesn’t mean that we cut completely off society around us, because my hope is that they believe in the truth of Christ and His Word. My family has evangelized, preached, handed out flyers and bibles over the last 20 years, but we made the choice that others have, to be independent and separate from the world and its philosophies. To live like this, you need to choose it. Your love for God and to please Him must be greater than any other treasure on this Earth. This is why the love of money is the root of all evil. You must be capable of turning away from it all in order to love God perfectly.

Moses is a prime example of somebody who turned away from all of the riches and pleasures that Egypt had to offer him in order to serve God and do His will. The Apostles of the Lord Jesus did the same, and turned away from their earthly jobs in order to follow and serve Christ.

Matthew 6:24 – No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

When we choose to be content with our food and our clothes, when we choose to be content with the simple things that God gives us from day to day, we have more time available to spend with one another and to grow in our faith and in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our love for the Lord Jesus Christ needs to be the greatest love above all things. In the church we must learn contentment so that we can be filled with spiritual riches that come from Jesus.

Hebrews 13:5 – Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

The Lord Jesus Christ has to be our greatest love. We seek after what we love. When people are seeking monetary gain and attempting to improve their standing in society, their eyes are not on Christ, they’re on the world.

1 Timothy 6:5-10 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
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.

When somebody is rich they have far more than what they really need to get by. The carnal nature wants to possess more and more and more Earthly possessions, while the truth is, it is only a covetous desire that will only lead to sorrow. The Apostle Paul learned to be content and happy with what he had.

Philippians 4:11…..for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Because of our family’s choice to be separate from the world and to be content with the simple things that God has given us, we have had much more time to seek God and to spend time with each other.

Look at what has happened in the world today. A lot has happened in the last 300 years, and many times I truly feel like a man who has been born in the wrong century. In the past women stayed home to help their husband, but now they have gone off to work in society. Children have been abandoned and sent off by parents to people who they don’t even know at a school somewhere. The children have been left at a daycare to be raised by people who don’t even share their values and religious beliefs. Years go by and they don’t even know who their children are anymore because the love of money has completely blinded their eyes. When I think about this I always remember the movie about Scrooge who, because of his lust for money, missed out on all the important things in life.

Money can never provide something that a lot of us need more than anything else, quality time with God and with each other. Time is a precious commodity. Everybody needs to choose how they’re going to use it. Do you want to earn less and be able to watch your children grow up? Do you want to be there the moment they take their first step? Do you want to hear them as they speak the first word that comes from their mouth? I did and because of the choices that I made, I was able to see these things come to pass. I have watched as they learned to sing songs about Jesus. I was there when they asked me to baptize them. I was there when they had their first communion. I was the very first person to see my children take their very first breath as I caught them coming out of the womb on our bed at home. These were all things that I have been able to see in my life because of the choices I made to be content in my life. They are memories that are etched into my mind and soul that nobody can ever take away from me and I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.

So there is something that money can never do, it’s to replace the time that you spend with God and with others. Will you make the same choice that I did? Will you eventually learn to be content with, the…

….. Simple Things

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. ❤️

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