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

Up in the colder parts of North America, the dogsledding is a popular sport. People will harness together 10, 12, 14 dogs to their sled and go through trails in the woods, sliding over the snow. Every year, many competitions will be held as dozens of “mushers” enter in their team of dogs, all trying to win the cash prize. 

Some of these races require a musher and his dogs to travel several hundred miles. They may have to traverse difficult terrain or navigate around lakes or rivers. Each day those mushers will push a little bit further, constantly drawing closer toward that finish line. 

Imagine for a moment that one of these mushers built up such a huge lead over all of the others, that he told himself, “I have this race already won. I am so far ahead that there is no way that they can catch me.” So he decides to take a nap and get caught back up on his rest. Meanwhile, the rest of the other mushers continue to push forward, drawing closer and closer.

After waking up, the musher packed up all of his things, and left to go an finish the last leg of the race. Upon crossing the finish line, he thought to himself, I won! Just then he saw something that he couldn’t believe: A different team had finished before him and had taken the first place prize. As he was sleeping, he had been passed by.

The “race” to the Kingdom of Heaven requires that a person continues to push forward every day, and never stop until you get there. Consistantly, day after day, without stop.

From the very first day that you become a believer in Christ, the race has begun. Day by day you progress, learning more in the scriptures every day, overcoming any temptations or stumblingblocks in your path, and learning how we can be more pleasing to God.

But just like the story illustrates, we can never stop and think that we have already attained salvation, or that we are perfect. Once something is perfect, it cannot be improved on or made even better, and we always have room for improvement in certain areas of our faith.

Paul never considered himself to have attained salvation or that he was perfect, but continued pressing forward toward the high calling of God.

“If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:11-14

We can never tell ourselves that we have nothing more to learn in regards to the scriptures. Paul didn’t. He knew that he was not perfect, and this knowledge led him to press forward each day.

Jesus was teaching in Mark 10, when a man came up and asked Him a question.

“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!” Mark 10:17-23

Here, this man felt he had kept all of the commandments, don’t kill, don’t steal, etc. But Jesus took him to a place where he still needed work: his money and possessions. Up to that point, he thought that he had done everything that he needed to do to attain salvation, but he still had some work to do.

The race to the Kingdom requires that a person lives each day with the knowledge that it could be their last. There can be no stopping to take a break, and no feeling that you have already earned or attained salvation already. It is a race to the end. Run to win it!

In Christ,

Andrew

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.

When I was a young child our school bus used to come about 20 miles from town to pick up the kids on our road to attend classes.  The bus showed up each morning promptly at 7 a.m. and would turn around in our driveway because we lived at the end of the road.  Our routine was to stand by the front door and watch for the bus through the window.

There was a morning when I spent way too much time in the shower, trying to wake up because I was half asleep.  By the time I got out, the bus was nearly on our doorstep as I ran upstairs to get dressed.  I wasn’t prepared at all and had to pack up all my books and homework from the previous day.  When I finally got my boots and winter jacket on, I looked out the window to see the bus driver shut the door and drive off into the distance.

Have you ever done this before?  Have you ever been unprepared for something that you knew was coming in the future?  

Matt 25

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

How many of you have had to run outside in the middle of the night but when you turned on the flashlight, the batteries were completely dead?  How many of you have got up to leave for work in the morning only to find out that your car was completely out of gas?  These events can be avoided by preparing beforehand.

Our passage today is about procrastination and not being ready or prepared to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. When you prepare for something it means to make ready in advance.  Procrastination is to be slow or late about doing something that should be done, or to delay doing something until a later time.  It’s putting something off until later that should be done today.  We need to get ready now for what is coming in the future.

2 For 6:1-2

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Noah was a man of God who prepared himself and his family for what was coming in the future.  The fact that Noah prepared beforehand showed that he was filled with faith towards God.  It was his faith that caused him to get ready for what was coming.

Hebrews 11:7 – By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

In the scriptures we find that oil has been used as a metaphor for the Holy Spirit.  A lamp is a vessel in which you carry oil.  As a spirit-filled Christian, each of us are vessels who carry the gift of the Holy spirit inside of our hearts, and we want to be filled up with it completely.  If somebody is going on a long trip, they normally will go to the gas station and fill up their gas tank until it is completely full to the top.  This is the same way that we want to be in the Christian Life.  We want to be filled up in our hearts and minds with the things of the Holy Spirit.  

Ephesians 5:18 – And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 

In our passage they had run out of oil in their lamps and it was dark out.  Without light in the middle of the night how were they possibly going to be able to see the path in order to meet the bridegroom?  We need to be filled up with the light of spiritual things, a source being God’s Holy Word.  It helps us find our way through the darkness of this evil world.

Ps 119:105 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalms 43:3 – O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Have you ever decided to go on a trip and pack up your bags a week beforehand?  You had prepared yourself beforehand and you were ready to go.  The Christian Life is very similar. Our hearts are like a piece of luggage that we are filling up with Spiritual things.  We have the opportunity right now to seek them.  We have the opportunity today to grow in our faith and be filled up with the teachings of scripture. Today is the day of salvation.  Today is the day to seek the Lord with your hearts.  Today is the day to get forgiven for your sins and to begin a new life of serving Him.

Luke 12:35-38

35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

We need to get ready now for the things that are going to come to pass.

Matthew 24:44 – Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

1 Thess 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

God wants us to watch and be prepared for his coming.  Someday every eye is going to see Him and He will send His angels down to the Earth to retrieve His faithful.  God wants us to watch and be prepared for his coming. 

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Seek the Lord now while you have the opportunity, because you don’t want to be like those who are caught missing the bus.

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.❤️

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

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

James 2:10-13

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

This passage in James teaches us about those who are unmerciful and unforgiving.

Matt 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Some people want to grade sins, determining that certain sins are worse than others, but in the Christian Life if you have committed adultery then you are also a murderer.  This is a hard concept for many people to understand, but it’s true.  If you only sin once in your entire lifetime then you are lumped together with all of the rest of us

Imagine if they treated adultery with the same punishment as murder in society.  Imagine if somebody who stole milk money at school got the same punishment as somebody who robbed a large bank.  Many people will quickly determine in their own mind that one is worse than the other, while in the eyes of God they are the same because they both result in the same penalty, death and damnation at God’s judgment.

In fact, the Apostle teaches us that if you have sinned in just one little point, then you are just as guilty as everybody else.  The carnal nature has a tendency towards pride.  Instead of people looking at their own faults, they minimize them and then point the finger at somebody else, claiming that others are far more terrible than themselves.  In doing this, it makes them feel like they’re not such a bad person and it puts them in a better light than others around them.  It makes them feel like a good citizen while the truth is it’s simply a lofty fabrication in their own mind.  They’re only lying to themselves.

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.

Remember that if you claim you have never sinned, you are calling God a liar, which actually is yet another sin called blasphemy.  Unbelief of the truth is a sin in and of itself.  All of us have sinned.  Each of us have our own particular faults that we need to be forgiven for, so that through Gods grace we can eventually overcome them and someday through faith,l inherit eternal life.

Rom 3:9-12

9 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;

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

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

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

The key word in this passage that I want you to take notice of today is the word “none“.  This word is defined in the dictionary as ,”not any”.  Many people want to feel like they are a decent upright person while the truth is they aren’t.  Scripture has concluded that there are none righteous.  There is not a single person on the face of this Earth who has not sinned at one time or the other.  With this in mind, how is it possible to stand in judgment over others when each of us are guilty sinners? How does a sinner judge another sinner?  Rather than judging this sinful world and destroying it, the Lord Jesus died on the cross in order to save us.  This is the same way that he wants us to treat each other.  He shows us by His example at the cross that He wants us to be merciful with each other.  

Matthew 7:1-5 – Judge not, that ye be not judged.For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Instead of judging and looking at others, each of us need to take a look inside of our own hearts and recognize the fact that we are imperfect.  We need to understand our faults and our shortcomings so that each of us can admit them and confess them to God.  God truly wants to save everybody because He wants all men to come to repentance.  He wants each of us to turn away from our sins and to come to Him for forgiveness.  He doesn’t make it difficult for us to obtain it because He is ready and waiting to forgive us.  What God wants is a simple admission of fault, owning up to what we truly are, a world of sinners.  He wants us to take the forgiveness that we receive from Him and give forgiveness to others.

Luke 6:37 – Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

How can a sinner judge another sinner? To do so would only exalt yourself above the other person in self-righteousness.  it would be no different than the way that the proud Pharisee spoke about the humble publican.  The truth was he was just as big a sinner as the publican.  The problem was that he didn’t want to accept that fact in his own life and admit his own faults.  He only wanted to stand in judgment over his fellow man.  

Rom 2:1-4

1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Do you grade the sins of others worse than your own?  Maybe it’s time for you to realize that you have flunked out with the rest of us.  It’s time to come to Christ Jesus.  It’s time to get forgiven.

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

What is something that you have tried to do, but you had trouble doing it correctly the first time, or even several times?

Maybe you have tried to make something in the oven, but it didn’t turn out the way it should have. Maybe you had the oven on too hot and burned it, or maybe you forgot to put in a certain ingredient. You tried to do it correctly, but you failed.

As a child, it took me many, many times to learn how to tie my shoes. Time after time I failed, messing up which loop I needed to grab and how to properly tie it into a bow. What if someone had told me, “Well, you failed,” and took my shoes away? How would I learn, and become better? It took me several times, but I eventually got it.

Just the same, how could someone learn to overcome a problem or sin in their life if they aren’t given another chance? 

Not everyone learns at the same pace, and not everyone is as good at certain things as others. Some people might make more mistakes, and some might make less. But the truth is that we all make mistakes and we need another chance to try to do them correctly. We need God’s mercy and grace.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

The first sin in the Garden of Eden is often named “the fall of man” or simply “the fall.” Imagine a toddler who is just starting to learn to take their first steps. Eventually they will trip and fall down. They just haven’t fully perfected their walk yet. What if when they fell down, someone sat on top of them, and refused to let them back up? What if someone was in a car accident, and a part of their recovery was learning how to walk correctly again, but time after time their knees buckled and they crumpled to the ground? Should that person just give up, or should they get back up, and try again?

Humans are sinful creatures. Despite our best efforts, we all will eventually make a mistake at some point in our life. One sin, that’s all it takes to make us sinners. One screw up, one ill considered action. Just one sin could keep you out of Heaven. 

Thankfully, we have access to an incredible gift that can wash those sins away, the gift of God’s mercy. 

God doesn’t close off that well of grace when people come to Him asking for it. Jesus didn’t condemn the sinners He met everyday to death, just because they fell short of perfection. Instead, He showed us His love, and extended us MERCY. 

We are not perfect, this should be obvious to anyone who is a Christian. We should strive for perfection, and try to be the absolute best that we can be, but if we do fail we need to come to God in our time of need, seeking His mercy.

God has given us access to forgiveness. Just remember that if you should fall, get back up, and try again.

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 Colossians but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.

When each of us rise up in the morning, we get dressed and put on our clothes.  Depending on the job that you may have, you wear different items. Up here in Northern Minnesota it can get extremely cold in the winter so when we go outside to cut wood, Andrew and I have to wear insulated bibs, winter boots, a good pair of gloves and a face mask.  Others may work in retail and wear a suit and tie while a mechanic will put on his coveralls.  Each of us puts on something each day that is appropriate for what we do. and God wants us to do the very same thing, except the things that He wants us to wear are spiritual things. He wants us to put on the attributes and qualities of the Christian faith.

Col 3:12-14

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

When people are elected in this country, they are chosen by the people to a certain office.  In the Christian faith, the elect are chosen by God.  The word “elect” means chosen or singled out.

1 Peter 2:9 – But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

John 15:16 – Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Holy means dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose.  When we decide to become a Christian and are baptized by submersion, our past sins are washed away.  God cleanses us so that we can dedicate our lives to serving Him.  Consecrate means to make holy or to dedicate to a higher purpose.  

The meaning of beloved is to be dearly loved or dear to one’s heart.  

Gal 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.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God wants us to be filled with bowels of mercies.  Bowels are the source of pity, tenderness, or simply put, from your heart.  God wants us to be extremely merciful with each other because this is a quality that He is filled with.  Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.  

Luke 6:36 – Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Matthew 5:7 – Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Kindness is the quality of showing that you care about other people; not causing harm or damage.

1 Pet 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 Corinthians 13:4 – Charity suffereth long, and is kind…..

A humble minded person is not proud and does not believe that they are better than other people.

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

1 Peter 5:5 – Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Meekness is the quality of being submissive, mild; gentle and displaying forbearance under injuries and provocations.

Matthew 5:5 – Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Titus 3:2 – To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Matthew 11:29 – Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

When someone is long-suffering they endure injury, trouble, or provocation long and patiently.  It is possessing the quality of long and patient endurance of injury, trouble, or provocation:

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Ephesians 4:2 – With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Forbearance is the quality of being patient and being able to forgive someone, or refraining from the enforcement of something that is due.  Each of us are sinners but when we confess our sins to God He is forbearing with us.  Instead of punishing us, He forgives those who are humble before Him.

Romans 5:8 – But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 3:25 – Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

When someone regrets and apologizes for the wrongs and faults that they have committed, forgiveness will stop feeling angry or resentful toward them for an offense, flaw, or mistake.  It ceases to remember it anymore like water under the bridge. This results in immediate reconciliation with the offending party as in the story of the prodigal son.  Forgiveness in Christ Jesus is what the church is built upon.  

Ephesians 4:32 – And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Matthew 6:15 – But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

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

When something is perfect it means to make something completely free from faults or defects, or as close to such a condition as possible.  God completely frees us from our faults through the grace in Christ Jesus so that we can learn to love Him perfectly with a pure heart, and our neighbor as ourselves.

1 Pet 4:8 “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 1:22 – 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:

So every morning when you get up to put on your clothes make sure you don’t forget to wear these items as well.  It may be cold out in the world, and you’ll definitely need these things to keep warmed up in the Spirit.

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.❤️

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

Have you ever tried planting some seeds in a garden? If you have, then you probably know that not every seed will “germinate,” or sprout. I used to plant many of different kinds of seeds in our garden; tomatoes, beans, peas, corn, squash, etc. As our growing season in Minnesota is rather short, sometimes I would need to plant certain seeds earlier than others so that the plants would be able to mature before the fall. 

So, every March or April I would go out and purchase all of the seeds that I would need, and begin to start planting my seeds into pots. Seed by seed I would plant, until all of my planting pots were filled. I usually had several seeds that I never got around to planting, and these seeds I would leave for the next season.

One spring, I had enough seeds left over from previous growing seasons that I decided that I didn’t need to buy any that year. I planted all of my seeds as usual, and waited for them to start growing. After about a week, my first seed popped out of the ground, and spread it’s leaves. Figuring that the rest of the seeds wouldn’t be too far behind, I expectantly waited.  But several more days passed, and only a handful of other seeds had come up. I became restless and impatient and decided to check on the other un-sprouted seeds. As I carefully dug around in the dirt of my pots, I discovered that a large portion of my seeds had become too old, and they wouldn’t grow. It wasn’t for my lack of planting them, they just didn’t grow.

This is kind of similar to the parable that Jesus taught in Mark 4.

“Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 

And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 

But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 

And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.” Mark 4:3-8

A few verses later, Jesus explained the meaning of this parable to His disciples.

“The sower soweth the word. 

And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 

And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. 

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 

And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” Mark 4:14-20

So, the sower is a man who goes and spreads those little seeds of faith to others out in the world, to whoever he can. But like the parable says, not all of the seeds will reach “good ground” and become fruitful. Some people may hear the word of God, but immediately forget it and have that seed stolen away from them. Others may gladly receive the word, but when they are tempted or persecuted for being a Christian, that seed of faith withers away, and dies. And then some people will hear the word, but other things become more important to them: money, possessions, or other pleasures of the world, and that seed of faith never matures. And lastly, some people will hear God’s word, and it will sink down deep into their hearts, and it will mature into a strong, solid, fruitful faith.

Some people may even hear God’s word, and believe for a short while, but because of temptations in the world, that seed will die, and become unfruitful. Some things might become more important to them than spending time with God. Instead of going to church regularly, it becomes once a month, or once every few months, until maybe they don’t go at all. 

One thing that a preacher of God’s word needs to know: We are not responsible for the growth. Just as I couldn’t “make” those old seeds begin to grow, we cannot make the seed of faith begin to grow inside of a person. All we can do is plant as many seeds as we can; it is God who does the growth inside of a person.

After Paul’s conversion, his time was spent sowing God’s word to people everywhere he went. Not all of those seeds fell into “good ground” and grew, but that wasn’t Paul’s job. He was just the sower; it is God who controls the growth.

Just remember, God gives the increase. God takes care of the growth inside a person. You just need to keep planting those seeds, and leave the rest up to Him.

In Christ,

Andrew

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

Imagine that you wanted to be a car mechanic so you went off to school and studied at the Vo-Tech.  After passing all of your tests you eventually became certified and got your diploma.  You bought a small garage and placed your diploma on the wall behind your desk in your office, but then you never attempted to repair any vehicles in town.  

Being a mechanic is more than having a diploma, it’s about having works that show that you are a mechanic.  It’s about doing the things that a mechanic does.  It’s more than having a garage and the right tools, it’s about people from town bringing in their vehicles to you to be repaired and them going home knowing that you did a good job on their car. It is our works that define the kind of person that we are and what we believe.

This is very similar to the Christian Life.  Christianity is more than just hearing God’s Word taught and preached.  It’s about the application of the knowledge that you have learned that results in active works and faithful obedience to Christ and His Word.  It is our works that are the proof of what we really believe.

Heb 4:1-2

1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

As we discussed the other day, God extends to us the free gift of His grace and forgiveness, but that grace needs to result in faith towards God in order to get all the way home to heaven someday.  Salvation is by grace but remember, it’s through faith. 

God’s forgiveness is like a key to unlock a door to a hallway, but you must go through that door and begin that walk down that hallway in order to eventually reach the other side.  It’s like somebody giving us a free map but if you’re not going to use it and believe what it says then you are never going to get to where you want to go.

Forgiveness through Christ is only the very first step in a lifetime walk with God. When we get submerged underwater and baptized into the name of Jesus Christ our past sins are washed away.  When we rise up out of that water grave we are supposed to begin a new life with God. The forgiveness that we have received needs to result in faith towards Christ and the teachings of scripture.

God gives us grace so that we can become transformed and grow into what He wants us to become. This happens by believing what the scriptures teach enough that you want to do what it says and it produces results.  Christianity is more than just a profession of faith, it is a dedication to God and His Word.  Real faith will lead you to action.  Faith is something that you can see because it is your works that display your faith to the world.

John 14:11-12 

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

A lot of the New Testament that we have today was written by the hand of the Apostle Paul. His epistles were a direct result of his faith in action towards Christ.  If you profess to be a Christian, people need to see what you believe.  It is your faith that causes you to do something, motivated by a desire to please God and to do His will from your heart.  It’s more than just going to church. It’s more than just hearing the Bible preached.  It’s more than just memorizing passages of scripture.  It’s more than just head knowledge, but an application of what you have learned that results in action.  No works, no faith.

James 2:18-26

18 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.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 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.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Many people in the world profess to be Christian today.  James teaches the church that they profess to believe in one God, but the devils believe the same thing!  Christianity is more than this.  A vain man is a purposeless man.  It is by our works that our faith is perfected.  

Remember that we are saved by the grace of God but it is through faith.  Real faith will result in humble obedience to Christ and His Word.  Abraham truly believed in God and his works towards God showed it.  Noah was a man of great faith. We can see the result of his faith by his great works, it was a huge ark to save his family and the animals off of the Earth.  Faith is something that we can see through works, and this requires becoming a doer.

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

When God’s Word is mixed with faith, action is going to happen.  When we believe something with all of our heart it will produce a result.  If I really believe in my heart that it’s going to rain overnight, I will walk up to the driveway and shut the windows on my truck. My faith led to an action.

If you really believe that it’s going to be extremely cold overnight you might plug in your vehicle. This is a faith that leads to an action.  Your works show that you truly believed. I like to call this a saving faith, because faith without any activities or works is dead.  Faith without works is only a display of unbelief.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

When you believe something actions are going to follow. They will be results that people can see.  The Apostle Paul would send Timothy to check on the churches and to report back on what he saw. 

Can people see what you believe?  What are your works that prove to others that you are a person of faith?  What is the evidence that you are a Christian?  

It’s more than just a diploma.

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

We have raised chickens for many years for their eggs, so we usually don’t need to buy our eggs from the grocery store. But one time sticks out in my memory: Our chickens for some reason were not producing as many eggs as usual so we had run out, and we needed to get some from the store. 

After returning home with our groceries, we began to mix up some ingredients for our recipe. If I remember correctly, after breaking our first egg, we noticed a smell that shouldn’t have been there. The egg was bad, and it stunk. Not wanting to deal with any more of those bad eggs, we threw out the entire package. It is possible that some of the other eggs may well have been good, but because of that one bad egg, we threw the entire carton out.

You may have seen in the news in the past few years about how there are a lot of people who are angry with some of the police in certain cities in the United States. I think that most people would agree that most of those in uniform carry out their duties very well, and that you also may have a few who are bad or corrupt. It is these “bad eggs” who can sometimes cast a dark shadow over the entire police department, and cause some people to have a very negative opinion towards law enforcement.

People can sometimes be very judgemental of others or groups as a whole, and this is why we, as Christians, need to set an example of how a true Christian lives and behaves.

Paul was writing to some Jews in Romans 2 that circumcision only profits a person if they keep the Law, but if they break it, what profit is there to be circumcised? Here is the entire passage:

“Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 

And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 

And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 

An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 

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

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

For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 

And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Romans 2:17-29 

This same example can be applied to Christians. No longer under the Judaic Law, we have been given liberty, and given a new command, one much simpler. Love. Love God and love your neighbor. If a Christian does these things, then they will be keeping God’s word. 

But if someone who calls themself a Christian does things which don’t align with God’s word, people out in the world can look at that and form a negative opinion of Christianity.

Look at what has happened in the Catholic church. How many lawsuits have been formed against Catholic priests because of inappropriate actions towards young children? The Catholic church has many other issues that do not follow Christian doctrine, but they are the largest recognized group of “Christians” throughout the world. If someone who knows nothing of Christianity sees this kind of thing happening in a church, what kind of opinion might they form about the entire Christian faith as a whole?

This is why we need to be diligent in our faith and set a proper example for others to see. It starts with yourself: are you doing what you need to be doing? Are you following the example that Jesus and His apostles have shown us? Don’t be the “bad egg” which turns someone away from believing in Christ. 

In Christ,

Andrew

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re 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 are looking forward to receiving some type of gift this year for the holidays?  During this time of the year there is a lot of gift-giving that goes on among relatives and friends.  Can you think of one of the very best gifts that you have ever received from someone? When I was young I received a pair of snowshoes and I can’t even begin to tell you how many miles that I walked through the deep snow in the woods with them. Maybe you received a brand new bicycle one year or got some hunting and fishing  gear.  Maybe a wife received a brand new set of pots and pans for the kitchen or some brand new quilts for the bedroom.  Maybe a student passed their driver’s exam and was given a car from their parents.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

Over many years of my life, I too have received some nice gifts that have meant a great deal to me, but the truth is that they could never even begin to compare to the greatest gift that I have ever known my entire life,….  It is the free gift of God’s forgiveness found in the blood of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:4-10 – But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Every gift that I’ve been given over the years has aged over time. Some of them only lasted for a certain period of time and then they were gone. The gift that was given to me by God is one that never fades away.  It is a heavenly key that unlocks eternal life and immortality. Unlike receiving gifts from friends and relatives, this gift was given to me by God. No matter how poor I may be, I’ve been given the greatest treasure that I have ever known. It’s a very special gift and I can take it with me wherever I go, because God has placed His gift deep inside the pocket of my heart.

In this passage the Apostle is talking about salvation.  Salvation is deliverance from sin and its consequences brought about by faith in Jesus Christ. All of us in this world have sinned and we cannot save ourselves, no matter how much one were to try.  We are all surrounded in a river of our own sins and no matter how much we paddle we cannot make any progress forward.  We are in need of a Savior to rescue us from our sins and deliver us to the promised land above.  It’s something that we cannot earn and that we do not deserve but God wants to give it to us anyway.  God extends to us a gift,…the free gift of His forgiveness.

Can you imagine receiving a special gift over the holidays and after you found out what it was, you dug out your checkbook in order to pay for the item that you had received?  It wouldn’t be a gift anymore would It.  A gift is something that is freely given. We cannot earn God’s forgiveness. We can never do enough works that could possibly make up for our sinful past and the wrongs that we have committed.  We can’t undo what has been done.  We are In a world filled with lost sinners that are in desperate need of love, assistance and forgiveness. 

Each of us has a sin debt and like a backpack full of boulders, it weighs heavy on the conscience. Because all of us are equally sinners in God’s eyes, (and sin is what separated us from God In the Garden of Eden,) He sent someone to the Earth to reconcile us unto Himself, someone who is absolutely perfect in His sight.  Someone who would stand in the gap and to make things right between us and God. Someone who would pay off the debt against us. Someone who laid down His own life and shed His own blood to do this very thing, His name is Jesus.

When we come to God for forgiveness we need to come as we are, a sinner.  We cannot get to a place in our lives where we will be good enough to eventually earn God’s grace.  The reason why is because we cannot earn His mercy, it is a free gift that is extended to this world through faith in God’s only begotten Son. Each time we have Holy Communion together this treasure is bestowed upon us.  It is a gift that is worth more to me than all the riches of this world, and he gave it to a wretch like me.

God gives us a gift of grace to us so that through faith, we can pick up where we fell short.  He gives us a gift of grace so that if we fall down we can get back up again. He gives us a gift of grace so that we can get it right this time. The scriptures teach us that the wages of sin is death.  Because of the Garden of Eden, all of us have been born into this death penalty. When I was a very young child someone told me that everybody dies someday but I couldn’t understand why.  I remember that day like it was yesterday, because I ran into my room, closed the door and cried for what seemed like hours.  

Many years later when somebody handed me a Bible on a street corner I realized what Jesus Christ had done for this world. He died on the cross so that we could have forgiveness with God.and someday live forever with Him in heaven.  It is something that we could never do for ourselves, it is something He did as a gift for us.  

Rom 5:16-17

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

There are some of us who need more grace than others, but the truth is that we all need grace to survive. God’s forgiveness is like a well of water that fills you up inside, unto eternal life. It’s a free gift that is given to us by God so that we can return to Him and do His will from our hearts. 

2 Corinthians 9:15 – Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

So when it comes to gift-giving, nothing will ever compare to the greatest gift that I have ever known and possessed. It is the free gift of God’s grace. It is a gift that will get me to places that I could never access, even if I wore my…..

….. New Snowshoes

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

“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” 1 Peter 5:5,6

If someone has a humble home, their home is not fancy or extravagant, it is modest and simple. If someone says, Welcome to my humble abode, they know that their home is not worth anywhere near as much as, say, a mansion or oceanside villa. Their home may be older, needing some repair work in some places and might not be as “energy efficient” in hot or cold weather. 

The word “humble” means: 

-Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming.

-Having a low opinion of oneself; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; modest.

-To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to make meek and submissive.

One needs to look no further than the example of Joseph to understand the true definition of humility. Obviously, it wasn’t Joseph’s choice to be sold into slavery, but even though he was a slave, he still was obedient to Potiphar. He submitted himself to Potiphar’s will and commands. It wasn’t Joseph’s choice to be imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, but, once again, he remained humble. And look where he eventually ended up years later! He went from a slave and a prisoner to the second under the pharaoh in all of Egypt! He didn’t lift himself to that position. God lifted him up. He was exalted.

“Exalt” means:

-To honor; to hold in high esteem.

-To raise in rank, status etc., to elevate.

And then you have the complete opposite of Joseph in the very next book, in Exodus, with what happened with Moses and Pharaoh. “Let my people go” was the command that God had Moses give to Pharaoh. Did he listen? No. Pharaoh didn’t submit himself to the word of God, and look at the result of his pride. Not only did Pharaoh lose all of his armies, but he even lost his son. Pharaoh didn’t humble himself before God, and that’s why he he was brought low.

Jesus spoke a parable in Luke 14.

“And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them. 

When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 

And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 

But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 14:7-11

I just understood something today: Jesus came down from Heaven to the Earth, the King coming down to His people. He lived amongst everyday men, showing us what it means to be humble. He suffered persecution by men, and died on the cross, which was the punishment meant for some of the worst criminals. 

And then after three days in the tomb, Jesus rose again. After showing Himself to His disciples, Jesus rose up back into Heaven to be back with His Father. Jesus became humble, and then He was exalted back up once again. 

If we want to be raised up someday just as Christ was, we need to become humble. A humble man will recognize that they are a sinner, and should cause them to repent and turn away from those sins and ask God for forgiveness.

“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

Get rid of any pride in your life; be filled with humility, and God will exalt you.

In Christ,

Andrew