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.

Many years ago I had the opportunity to play a season of high school football and to this day I cannot remember why I actually tried out. Maybe it was just to get in shape, but I actually did make the team.  I think a lot of my friends from high school were shocked to see me playing on the football team because that wasn’t my thing.  I was about the least athletic person I knew. I attended all the practices and got familiar with the game because until then I really knew nothing about football at all.  

When I played football there was a very simple function that was given to me by the coach.  I learned that when the ball was hiked to the quarterback, I was to rise up and prevent the defense from coming across the line.  My counterpart who stood on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage was to be completely resisted. I was supposed to oppose him with full force, firmly withstanding his access across the line.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

When I think about completely resisting the defensemen at the line of scrimmage, I think about how God is actively opposing those who are filled up with the sin of pride.

James 4:6 – ….Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Resist means to exert force in opposition.  This is what God does towards those who are proud. Pride is a high or inordinate opinion of one’s importance, or superiority.  The scriptures clearly teach us that we are all sinners in the sight of God. There are none righteous no not. In order to receive grace from God we have to first come humbly before him.  A proud person doesn’t want to do this.  They refuse to apologize to God and others that they have wronged.  Somebody who is proud is very arrogant.  Arrogance is having an attitude of superiority that’s manifested in an overbearing manor.  God absolutely hates this sin.

Proverbs 8:13  The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

In the following passage the Lord Jesus taught a parable concerning pride and humility.

Luke 18:9-14  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Take note that in this passage both men prayed to God.  The Pharisee exalts himself in the eyes of God, declaring himself to be righteous.  He really felt that he was better than others, while the truth is we are all the same.  We are all sinners who need to come to Christ Jesus for forgiveness.  How can someone possibly admit fault in their life when they have the kind of mindset that the Pharisee was dealing with? How can they admit fault to others whom they have wronged? How can they get forgiven with God when they don’t accept the fact that they too are sinners?  The Pharisee was dealing with self-righteousness rather than the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ.  In his religious pride he lifted himself up in the eyes of God and looked down upon his neighbor.  

Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

On the other hand the publican was filled with humility in the presence of God.  Humility is a modest or low view of one’s own importance.  It’s the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people.  Somebody who is humble is meek and submissive.

The publican was very sorry for his faults and cried out to God for mercy.  Because of this he was justified. Justification is the act by which God moves a humble willing person from the state of sin to the state of grace.  It’s about getting forgiven by God.  Jesus hears the cry of the humble and lifts them up.

Luke 18:35-43 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:  And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.  And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.  And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.  And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.  And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,  Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.  And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Jesus lifts up the humble but resists and casts down the proud. For example, the scriptures teach us that God will punish those women who are filled with the pride of Jezebel.

Rev 2:20-22  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

God does not grant forgiveness to the proud in heart, He punishes them.  Look what he did to the pharaoh who kept resisting God.  His country was punished, his family was punished, and his army was punished.  God does not reward pride but on the contrary, He will fight against it and bring great retribution and suffering.

Proverbs 16:5 – Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

Proverbs 11:2 – When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

If we decide to become a Christian, we must first humble ourselves before God.  Somebody who is humble is meek.  Meekness is to possess an attitude of the heart where you are willing to accept and submit without resistance to the will and desire of God.  Our God is filled with humility and meekness. Pride goes in complete contravention to what He is.

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. 

With humility comes reward from the Lord.

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

It’s the great reversal in the eyes of our God. Those who are humble in his sight He will lift up, but those who are proud in heart, He will cast down into the dirt, like a battle on…….

…..The Scrimmage Line

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

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24

Maybe you have heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” I personally learned this while at my school library, back when I was in the second grade. Up until that point in my life, unless the book had some pictures to go along with the story, I wouldn’t read them. I liked the illustrations throughout the book to help me picture the story in my head. The cover of the book was especially important to me. If I didn’t like the way the picture looked on the front cover, I wouldn’t even open it up to the first page. 

However, one day the library was giving out some free books to the students, so I decided to have a look to see what there was. I must have gotten there after a bunch of the other students, because by the time I got there, the only books that were left were books without any jackets or pictures on the covers. They were all plain, with the title of the book written in plain text. I don’t know why, but that time I decided to pick up one of those books, and actually start to read it. Just looking at the book that I had chosen didn’t inspire me very much, but as I slowly read the story, I began to enjoy it more and more, and I in fact enjoyed that book more than any of the others that I had ever read up to that time. All that time, I had been judging books by their cover, instead of what was inside.

That is similar to how people sometimes judge each other. Sometimes people judge each other just by their physical appearance. A person might be dressed in old clothes, with stains or rips in them. They might look disheveled or unkept. But they might be one of the nicest people that you will ever meet. Similarily, a person might look exceptionally sharp and well dressed, may talk intelligently and seem outwardly good, but in reality they are filled with evil inside.

In the time of Christ, Jesus upbraided many of the religious leaders and Pharisees because they appeared outwardly that they were righteous and holy, but they were filled with iniquity and sin. To the normal, average, everyday person, the Pharisees must have seemed like holy men, but Jesus didn’t judge them according to their physical appearance. He judged them according to their deeds and actions.

In John 8, the Pharisees were speaking with Jesus, and they told Him that they were the children of Abraham, but Jesus told them:

“I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 

I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 

They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 

But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 

Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 

Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 

He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” John 8:37-47

So you see, they were claiming to be the children of Abraham, but their deeds showed otherwise. It was all just for show for them. Abraham loved and served God, but the Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus! Jesus spoke the truth, and they wouldn’t believe in Him. 

They were kind of like a building from 100-200 years ago; the buildings that looked big from the street, but they just had a “false front” so they appeared bigger than they actually were.

The same kind of things are happening in “modern Christianity” today. People can flash a bright smile, dress beautifully, and try to appear to others like they are the children of God, but God doesn’t judge a person by their appearance, remember. The Pharisees dressed up in large, flowing robes, and prayed out in the open, but it was all just to be seen by men. It was all for show.

In Acts 20, Paul warned the church that after he was departed, men (grevious wolves, he called them) would arise from out of the church and try to draw people after them, and away from the church.

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 

Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20:28-30

The devil is a crafty, cunning individual, and he will try to do anything that he can to try to turn people against Christ. Everyone has this image in their head that the devil is a monster with horns and a pitchfork, but the Bible teaches that he can appear as an angel of light. He can appear good and wonderful, and can come in many forms.

God doesn’t judge a person according to whether they are rich or poor. He doesn’t judge according to a person’s race or skin color, or how they dress, and neither should we. God judges the heart. Do they love His Son and are they keeping His teachings? Are they loving others? Are they keeping themselves from sin? Or is all just a sham?

Don’t judge a “book” by their cover. Look inside, and you will discover the truth.

In Christ,

Andrew

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

Have you ever asked God to forgive you?  Have you ever gone to Him in your personal prayer time and explained to Him that you were sorry for something that you had done?  Have you ever said…please forgive me Lord?  If you have ever asked God to forgive you, yet you refuse to extend that same forgiveness and mercy to somebody else who requests it from you,  God is not going to forgive you.  I have taught for many years that this truly is an unforgivable sin if unrepented of.  If you ask God for forgiveness but you won’t forgive and reconcile with others, then God will not forgive you at the judgment.

Remember that when God forgives us, He forgives us from His heart.  The past sins that we have confessed are no longer remembered anymore by Him and completely forgotten.  Through His grace we have peace with Him through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He does that so that we can be in a new reconciled relationship with Him once again. Have you felt God’s forgiveness wash over you?

When someone apologizes to you, do you treat them the same way that you would want to be treated by God?  When they admit their faults do you forgive them the way Christ has forgiven you? Some days it seems like there are people who are more forgiving outside of the church than within.  The church is supposed to be a huge ship filled with a cargo of Grace.  It is supposed to be a lighthouse of Mercy that people can find when they need it.  When we confess our faults, God is faithful to forgive us of our faults but sadly some have turned forgiveness into nothing more than grudge keeping and bitterness. Instead of forgiving others in a heartfelt manner and moving on, they refuse to shake off that persistent feeling of ill-will and resentment resulting from a past injury or insult.  

Matt 18:23-35

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Like this parable, each of us owes a debt that we cannot possibly pay on our own.  The debt that we owe is a sin debt.  This is a parable about forgiving a brother of their trespasses.  This is exactly what God does for us through Christ Jesus.  This is the reason why he shed his blood at the cross.  The Lord Jesus Christ was sent by God the Father as an atonement and propitiation for our sins.  God is ready to forgive us.  In the church we are attempting to keep ourselves free from sin but in case we do sin, grace is available for those who require it.   

Heb 4:16 

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.

When you do something boldly it means without hesitation or fear in the face of risk or danger; courageously.  The apostle is teaching us today to come forth and get forgiven.  God doesn’t want us to wait another moment but to come and get it right now.  We are not supposed to be afraid or scared, knowing that God is waiting for us with open arms to embrace us and to wholeheartedly forgive us, so that we can return to Him and continue in a reconciled relationship with Himself.  

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Anyone who has ever prayed the Lord’s prayer has petitioned God to forgive them of sin.  Remember that in that prayer it teaches,…. as we forgive others of their sins.  Even in that prayer we acknowledge that we are to be forgiving with others.  If you receive forgiveness from God you are to give forgiveness to others because that is the Christian faith.

Take notice that in the parable the first servant owed 10,000 talents while the second only owed 100 pence.  Some people in the church have received a lot of forgiveness from God over the years, yet sadly there are those in the church who refuse to forgive others even though it is a minor infraction.  The truth is, when they feel like someone else has committed the unforgivable sin against them, they are the ones who are committing it by not forgiving the offending party.  God is not mocked.  If you sow the bitter seeds of unforgiveness, God will not forgive you.  That is a pretty scary thought and a place that I would never want to be in.

When a person becomes a Christian, they receive forgiveness for their sins and God expects and demands that you show that same mercy to an offender.  When somebody is merciless it means without mercy or having, feeling, or showing no mercy; pitiless; cruel; implacable.

James 2:12-13

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.

All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are a world filled with guilty sinners but if we come to God’s Son, we can get forgiven instead of receiving the judgment and penalty due to us because of our sinful condition.  Instead of judging us by our sins, God judges us by the law of liberty.  If you’ve ever asked God for forgiveness, if you have ever been to Holy communion and received the precious blood of Christ to wash your sins away, God demands that you forgive others in the same manner.

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

God gives us a precious gift of His grace but you don’t want to throw that gift away because of a bitter, unforgiving heart towards others.

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

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:

If anyone should understand Mercy, it’s people who believe in Jesus. 

Have you asked the King for mercy?

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

Today, because of the advances in electronics, flashlights are brighter than ever, running for several hours on just a couple tiny batteries. But not that long ago, even as recent as 20 years ago, many of the flashlights that you would find in the stores would use so much power and energy that they would drain the batteries out in just a few hours of use.

I don’t know what about it was so fascinating to me when I was younger, but I loved using flashlights. I would go down into the basement of our house, or under a blanket in my bedroom with a flashlight and read or play under it’s light. Because this was many years ago, the flashlights that I used took those big, D cell batteries to power them, and because I used those flashlights so much, I was constantly changing out those batteries as soon as they wore out. I don’t know how many packs of those batteries I used up, but I used to have quite a pile of old, dead batteries lying around. 

One day I would pick up a flashlight, and it would be bright for about 5 seconds, but you could watch as the light quickly faded to just a dull glow. I had used nearly all of the power in those batteries, and they were all worn out of energy. 

In a way, those worn out batteries in that flashlight are kind of similar to a person who is right at the end of a marathon run, or someone who hasn’t slept in two or three days. They are weary, and tired. Worn out.

Well, when it comes to doing good works, we should never become weary. We never become tired, or worn out, of doing good. Unlike those old dead batteries in those flashlights, we never want to run out of things to do for others.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10

Have you ever heard someone say that they are busy as a bee? Bees are probably one of the busiest creatures on earth, constantly flying back and forth, from flower to flower, bringing pollen back to their hive. All summer long! Ants are similar as well. Have you ever stopped to look at an ant hill and watched them for a while? They are constantly moving those grains of sand around, one at a time, building up their home. Very close to our home there is an ant hill that is probably at least a six foot circle. Just imagine how busy those ants are, to haul each one of those grains of sand. 

Even the Bible says to observe the ants, how busy they are.

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” Proverbs 6-8

There are always good things to do. Men can help others grow in God’s word. Women can cook and help take care of the house and children. You can pray for others, sing to the Lord spiritual songs. You just need to find something and go out and do it.

Being a Christian is a way of life. It is our job, our vocation, and our duty as Christians to be filled with good works, each and every day. Jesus is the ultimate example and role model for us to look to. He was busy everyday, healing others, teaching the word of God, casting out devils. Constantly filled with good deeds. We need to aspire to try to do as many things as we can, and to do it “heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”(Colossians 3:23) Not only will we be doing something good, but we will also be storing up our rewards in Heaven. 

What are some things that you can do with your day? How can you help serve others? Whatever those things are, don’t get tired of them. Do as many as you can.

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 Matthew.

Matt 18:1-4 

1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

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

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Conversion is to change something into a different form or so that it can be used in a different way, or cause to change in form, character, or function.

In order to truly be converted one must become like a little child all over again.  The longer one dwells upon this Earth, the more information the mind acquires from society. We learn things each and every day that get stored up inside of our brains just like a computer stores information.  But when we decide that we want to become a Christian, we need to hit the delete and reset button.  We need to unlearn things that we’ve learned wrong in this world and then relearn things in a brand new way found in the Holy scriptures. 

For example, at the end of the day, a school teacher might go up to an old blackboard and erase all of the information that accumulated from that day’s studies.  Some people will delete things on their hard drives or a tablet after school.  Conversion is very similar to this. It’s like having a glass of milk, then dumping it into the sink and refilling it with orange juice.  As adults we have to take the information that we have learned, along with all the philosophies and teachings of this world and cast them out of our minds.  This is so that we can make room for new information and a new way of thinking that’s found in Jesus Christ.

I guarantee you that this process doesn’t happen overnight.  After all, how long does it take a concert pianist to learn how to play the way he does?  How many years did it take you to learn to read and write?  Learning is a process that takes time.  The main point that I want to stress today is that the longer that you learn the things of this world, the more information gets packed inside your head. With that knowledge comes a great tendency to not want to listen to others.  There’s a natural impulse to feel like you know more than others. The reason why is because knowledge puffeth up.

Haven’t you ever noticed that it’s hard to put new information into something that has the memory already filled up?  How many of you have had to make more room on your computer because the drive was full?  As a newborn Christian, God is calling each of us to a different purpose and direction in our lives, but in order to do that we must have the heart and mind of a little child all over again.  

I was having a discussion with someone a few years back about how a child’s mind is like a sponge. They are constantly soaking up the new water of information.  Many teachers in a school may attend continuing education classes, but the Christian Life goes beyond this.  It is about deleting the things in your life that you have learned from the world and starting all over once again.  If we are incapable of doing this, there will always be outside influences that can affect the true teachings of the Christian faith within your own heart.  It’s because you haven’t let go of the concepts that you have learned in the world inside of your own mind.  You haven’t hit the delete button yet.

Have you ever built something and then decided to tear it all down later because it didn’t come out the way that it was meant to?  Have you ever cooked something that you had to throw away?  You had to start from scratch. All of us in this world begin with a carnal mindset as we learn the ways of the world from birth.  The older and older we become, the harder and more difficult it can be to let go, but it must be done nonetheless. That old sinful man inside each of us must be put to death, and this includes his mind.  God wants to start over with each of us, but we need to become like a little child all over again.  We need to convert from adults into children.

The Lord Jesus spoke about it as being born again when He talked to a religious leader named Nicodemus in John 3:1-7.

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

This is very similar to what Jesus taught His own disciples in our Matthew passage today. We have to go through a rebirth inside of our hearts and minds.  This is exactly what happened to the Apostle Paul when he converted to the Christian faith.  He hit the restart and reset button in his life forgetting everything that was in his past that he had learned, including all of his worldly accomplishments and completely started over from scratch.

Phil 3:5-9

5 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;

6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 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,

9 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:

The Apostle realized that nothing could compare with the knowledge of Jesus Christ. To obtain that knowledge he had to first let go of what he had learned in his head, and become a child in his mind.  This is what each of us need to do because the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.  

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

God wants all men to repent and come to His Son Jesus Christ and get forgiven for their sins.  He wants to take us in a brand new direction.  In order to do this we must become reborn.  We need to take all the knowledge that we have learned and hit the restart and reset button in our lives.  

It’s all about starting over from scratch.

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

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.

I have dealt with many high school students who nobody wanted to spend time with because of behavioral issues that the students had in their lives. With one such student I became a human punching bag for over a year. In him I saw the weaknesses of the human nature that we all deal with in this life.  One of his weaknesses was having a hard time controlling his anger.  I know that there have been many problems that I have had to undergo in my own life that God has been very helpful and forgiving with. I wanted to be there to help this young man through what he was dealing with.  

When he got angry or didn’t understand something it went right into his fists. His hands became like bolts of lightning. In the blink of an eye he would lash out at the very first thing he saw whether it was a student, or even a teacher, but most of the time it was me. When we walked down the hallway to go to our next class together, the students would fearfully part the way, standing on each side of the hallway as we walked by.  I was ordered that I could physically restrain him if I had to, because this is how much pent-up frustration he had.  

One of the first days that I was helping him he caught me with a left hook that I was unaware of. I hadn’t done anything wrong to him, it’s just that he was struggling inside.  Five minutes later he would walk up to me and simply say two words, I’m sorry.  I didn’t hold any bitterness in my heart against him for what he had done.  I simply forgave him as taught in scripture, and we moved on with our day. Later that afternoon it would happen all over again. This time he would scream in my face as he shoved me up against the wall.  After a while of cooling down I would hear those two words once again, I’m sorry.  

For many months it was the same routine over and over.  I might get a black eye or punch in the stomach.  I might come home with a loose tooth or something that was swollen but day by day after each of these events he would simply say those two words, I’m sorry, and I would completely forgive him and forget the event in my mind.

It took an entire school year but slowly the apologies started to disappear. They weren’t needed anymore because he was starting to have some really good days, and eventually got to the point where he was in control of his emotions.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

If I had never forgiven him each time he said those two little words to me, he never would have gotten to where he was a year later.

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 somebody sins against you it doesn’t feel very good. We have to enter into suffering and pain caused by what somebody else has done to us. The carnal nature doesn’t want to make forgiveness easy to attain.  Because Jesus taught this principle to one of His Apostles at the very get-go, we know how forgiving our Lord Jesus is with each of us.

Forgiveness is one of the main foundations of the Christian faith. Forgiveness is what is taught throughout the entire New testament. Forgiveness is something that we each need to show each other in time of need.  It is forgiveness that keeps a family together. It is forgiveness that keeps the church intact. It is forgiveness that Jesus died for. Peter was learning about how forgiving we need to be with each other.  This was the lesson that the Lord taught me over a school year.  For many people it is very difficult to say I’m sorry for what you have done. It’s hard to say that you did the wrong thing and apologize. People don’t want to admit their faults because it puts them in a bad light. One thing I knew about this young man was that there was no pride in him at all when he simply said those two little words, I’m sorry.

One of the very first things we need to do if we are going to become a Christian is to be capable of telling God that we are sorry. Those two words are like a door that opens up into a room of forgiveness. Those two little words are like two little keys at the bank that open up a safe deposit box that is filled with grace. Each day at school when he said those two little words to me it was like sticking a key inside of my heart that unlocked mercy. To this day I can’t even remember how many times he apologized or how many times I completely forgave him but it was a lot. 

Every time I looked at this passage in the scriptures I realized there was great hope for me. When I read about the life of the Apostle Paul, I began to understand the width of God’s forgiveness. When I first read in the scriptures that Jesus had died on the cross for my sins, I knew that there was an opportunity for me to get forgiven. I was ready to shout those two little words from a mountaintop, so that God would open up my heart and completely wash my sins away. This is exactly what he did.  It wasn’t because I was good or upright or even perfect in his sight. It wasn’t because I had undergone a change first. It wasn’t because I had pleased him. He did it because He is merciful.

He wants us to learn to be merciful with others. He gives us the grace that we need in order to grow and to overcome all things. He doesn’t make it difficult or hard to obtain forgiveness. Like a dad who reaches out each time his child falls off their bicycle, God is right there to help us get back on and try it again.  That year I learned the two most amazing words in my life. I saw with my own eyes the power of what they can do in a person’s life. No matter how many times he wronged me, no matter how much hurt he caused me, every time he apologized I would think of this passage and realize how easy God makes forgiveness for us.

Can you imagine if everyone in the world treated each other this way? Can you imagine if everyone was this merciful? If you want to know what Mercy is, you will find it in Christ Jesus. it’s truly bigger than you could ever imagine. So when we think about how forgiving we need to be with others, remember what Jesus taught Peter. Inside my heart, I completely forgave my student each time he said those two little words…

……I’m Sorry

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

tlkjbc.com♥️

Note: Any copies may be printed and freely distributed among those who have no internet service. There is no AI creative involvement in my writings, and must be left intact because they are very personal to me. These are not to be sold, and are made public only for the free benefit of Spiritual knowledge to those who are genuinely seeking the will of God.

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

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1,2

Today we are going to study the second verse of this passage, and what it means.

The word “conform” means “to act in accordance with expectations or to behave in the manner of others, especially as a result of social pressure.” Also, “to make similar in form or nature.”

I can remember a time at school when all of the kids tried to copy or mimic the way that a “cool” person did things; the way they walked, the way they spoke, even the way they dressed. Sometimes this person might come in the form of a “superhero,” and all of the kids tried their hardest to be just like them. You could say that they tried to “conform” themselves to that person.

Well, as Christians, we are taught to not conform ourselves to the world, meaning, to not behave ourselves in the way that is not correct according to God’s word. This can encompass a huge area, but for a quick example: A person who is not a Christian might say certain things that shouldn’t be said, or use their speech to injure, slander, lie, etc. This kind of use of the tongue is wrong, and as Christians we need to, through the help of the Holy Spirit, control our speech. We need to use our tongue to sing praises to God, to pray, and to speak lovely, nice things. 

I used the use of your tongue as an example, but a person could conform to the world in more ways than in just their speech. A person’s actions or their thoughts could be used in a variety of ways to do things that are wrong and immoral according to the Bible. A person could use their hands to pull a trigger on a gun to kill another person, which is evil and wrong, or they could use their hands to hand out a Bible to a stranger somewhere. Someone could use their legs and feet to go up and kick someone, or they could help walk an elderly person across the street. 

A person needs to realize that not everything that the world does is good and correct in God’s eyes, and Christians need to discern what the will of the Lord is for them. Remember, there are few that will find the kingdom of Heaven. Sadly, most of the people that you meet out in the world will not make it to Heaven. Not that they don’t have that opportunity; we all have the free gift of salvation offered to us, but not everyone will accept that gift and accept Jesus as their Savior. So, just because “everyone else is doing it,” that does not mean that it is what you should be doing. We need to keep ourselves free from the stain of sin, and not conform ourselves to the world.

When a person makes that decision to follow Jesus and turn from their former, sinful ways, the people that that person used to hang around with might not understand why they are living that way now. They might think that they are strange, or weird, and may even turn against them, speaking evil of them. 

“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 

That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 

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

Whereas a person may have once gone to a bar and drunk themselves into a drunken stupor, they now have learned temperance, and control what they drink. Instead of speaking lies, now they speak the truth. They have changed, they have transformed.

“Transform” means “to change greatly the appearance or form of; to change in nature, condition, or function of; to convert.”

I once wrote in a different study a few months ago that I used used to play with Lego blocks as a child. I had several sets of different Legos with different plans that could be used to make what was shown on the box. I remember one set that I had that was able to be made into a few different models, instead of just one. Starting on the first page of my instructions, I was able to eventually complete a model of a large, off-road truck. After playing with my new creation for a little while, I decided to take that truck apart, and make something different with those Lego pieces. This time, I made a boat. I had “transformed” that truck into something completely different.

That is what we need to do with our lives. From the very first second that we enter this world, what are we? Sinners. We are born into sin, and filled with what is called the “carnal” nature. The carnal nature is the feeling inside a person that they feel when they are about to do something that is wrong. A person is slapped in the face by another person, and what is the feeling that rises up in that person? What do they want to do? They want to extend out their hand and slap that person back, to avenge themselves. This is the carnal nature of a man. 

But when a person accepts the Holy Spirit, it is the Spirit that takes control of their actions and their life. They have “transformed” from the carnal into the Holy Spirit.

Don’t be conformed to the world and the sins in it. Don’t follow the ways of darkness. You may have once acted like that, but we are now called to a higher calling. We are called by Christ to become something different, something holy. Make that transformation!

In Christ,

Andrew

Good morning and welcome in. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 2nd Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Before Jesus Christ appears in the skies above, and sends forth his angels to redeem His faithful from off of the Earth, there will be a great deception going on in the world.

Jesus taught that before his return it was going to be like the day of Noah. How many people were saved in the days of Noah? The destruction of the world is what came to pass. There was obviously religion going on because people were being given in marriage but the flood came upon them and destroyed them all. Many people feel that Christianity will be on the rise before the return of Jesus while the actual truth is that it will be on the decline.  Many people are going to be deceived by a form of false Christianity. It is already coming to pass in the world in our time. Its not the Christianity that was taught originally by the disciples 2000 years ago but has gone through a form of mutation from truth.  There will be many people who profess Jesus as their Lord who are actually going to be deceived and believe that Christ has returned to the earth while in truth it will be the end time Antichrist. There will be a great tribulation that is going to come upon this world because many people have turned away from the truth of the teachings of Christ.  They will ultimately perish because they received not a love of the truth. There are many verses in the scriptures that teach about the truth of God’s word.

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

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

James 1:21 – Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

The scriptures clearly teach us to love not the world.  We are supposed to love Christ with all of our heart, soul and mind and to keep his commands in the New testament.

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:..

John 14:15 – If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Over the last 20 years I’ve been to many different Church groups and had to leave them because they didn’t believe in the scriptures. They didn’t believe the teachings of Jesus and it’s getting worse and worse. These people are going up with other groups who don’t believe the scriptures either.  Even though I brought this up to people and tried from my heart to show them the error of their way and their heresy, they completely refused to listen. Because of this I had to leave. Andrew and I were in Wisconsin one summer spreading God’s Word on the street when we were approached by two other people who professed to be Christian.  I got into a discussion with them about the error of women preaching and teaching the Bible. One of them said to us,  I know a woman from church who could slam you into the ground.  This is what’s going on in modern Christianity.  It’s a departure from the truth of God’s Word. It’s a departure from wanting to become compliant to what it says for the Love of Christ.

As a child growing up in a family, how do you show your dad how much you love and care for him? Isn’t it by doing what he says? Isn’t it about doing his wish and will? Isn’t it about obeying him completely?  It’s the same with God and His Son Jesus Christ.  Obedience and faithfulness to scripture shows that we love God from our hearts.  Can’t anybody read the sign of the times today from scripture? This verse teaches us that salvation hinges on a love for God’s Word. Without it we cannot show our love for God because they are His commands and directions to the church.  As I have always said, love and obedience go together. You can’t have one without the other. If you truly claim to love those who have authority over you, you will obey them. Without obedience love doesn’t exist. 

This false form of Christianity places love for a neighbor over the love for God, just like a treacherous wife who loves somebody more than their own husband. This has resulted in a lack of biblical obedience and love for Christ, and it’s infecting the world. Please remember that in the days of Noah people loved and cared for each other because they were getting married and raising families, but they were destroyed by God. The same people today don’t receive a love of God’s Word. Just like someone who abandons a car on the highway, they are abandoning biblical truth.  True love for scripture results in salvation.  It’s more than just professing to be a Christian or have a Bible but becoming faithful to what it says out of love for the one who died on the cross for our sins.This love is slowly being depleted day by day on this Earth. Because people are rejecting scripture, God is going to send them a strong delusion. 

When you go out in the middle of a large desert you may see a mirage in the distance. It looks real and you keep walking towards it thinking that you will eventually get some cold water to drink when you get there. You continue to walk towards it thinking that you are going to reach that final destination while the truth is, you will never get there because you believed a delusion. This is what is going to happen with people who don’t love God’s Word.  They feel like they are on the way to heaven but they never reach the place that they want to get to because they don’t believe in scriptural truth.  This is the work of God, because they reject the teachings of his Son. They start to believe the lie.  After all, if they reject scriptural truth what do you think’s going to happen to them? They will be deceived and miss out on salvation. 

When you believe something you will accept it wholeheartedly but today’s modern form of Christianity is completely turning from biblical truth. They feel that they can believe in Jesus but not believe anything that his Apostles taught to the church. It’s like saying that you believe it’s going to rain tonight, but your belief never led to the action of shutting the windows on your car. You claim to believe something but there’s no action applied to your professed faith.  That is the form of Christianity that is going on in the world today.

We are on the edge of the great turning away.  Instead of love for Christ and attempting to follow his will and purpose, these people have pleasure in unrighteousness. They spurn God’s love by their actions.  The Lord himself taught in Luke 6:46.….“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” There are many people today who are headed the wrong way and unless they turn back to biblical truth, they’re never going to reach the final destination. This is because they are believing a lie. Their minds have been clouded, and instead of accepting biblical truth, they are continuing to walk towards….

…..The Great Mirage

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

Good morning and welcome in.  Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from Ephesians chapter 2.

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

To quicken means to make alive.  For example of this, Jesus raised Lazarus from the death of the grave. Because we are all dead in our sins, this is the reason that Christ came to the Earth, to revive us and to lift us up out of the death of our own sinful condition.  As Jesus taught, we must be born again.  As the parable of the prodigal Son teaches, this my son was dead but is alive again. Each of us can be saved and truly become a dead man walking.  

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

The Bible clearly teaches us that all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All of us are in the need of Jesus as our Savior because He is the only access point to God the Father in heaven.  We have to go through Him in order to get there.

We must remember that when we look upon our neighbor, that God cares for them and wants to save them just like others who have come to Christ in the church. At one time we lived just the way the world does, in rebellion and disobedience. But as God forgives us of our past, He wants to forgive them too.  What they need is the grace of God just like people in the church in order to overcome their sinful conditions. He wants all men to come to repentance and to call upon His Son Jesus.

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

So once again, all of us have sinned. All of us have come short of the glory of God. We are all in the same boat together here on planet Earth, and each of us are in need of Jesus.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

God is rich in mercy, and when someone is rich it means that they have something in great abundance and have a lot of it. God is very very merciful and we see that in Him sending His Son Jesus to die for us. Even when we were dead our sins He makes us alive again through Christ. If Jesus hadn’t came we would all die in our sinful condition and be eternally condemned.

We have to understand that each of us are equally sinners in the eyes of God. Each of us need God’s grace. Remember that there is only one access point to God the Father. There is only one name by which you can be saved and enter into heaven someday, it’s through Christ Jesus, God’s only begotten son.

Certain people feel that if they do enough good works that they will someday be able to enter into heaven. They may feel like they are a decent person who does a lot of great things for their community. The Bible clearly teaches us that it’s by God’s grace that we are saved.  None of us are good no not one. People need to accept that in their hearts .We are all sinners. 

To try to attain heaven by your own works Is simply a form of self-righteousness.  Those are things that the Apostle Paul shunned in his own life.  We can’t get to heaven unless we come to Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. Those who don’t are going to be condemned in their sinful condition.

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

When you become a Christian, God forgives you for your sins and then raises you up in the church from a different level that the world is still living in.  It’s a Heavenly place a divine love.

But remember that Jesus came down from the heavens above to rescue each of us down below.  In the church we need to reach out to people who are not saved. We have to reach out to people and tell them the gospel so that they too can be redeemed from their sinful condition as we have been in the church through God’s grace.

Like I said, it doesn’t make us any better then others because in my viewpoint there are only two classes of people living in the world today, sinners:  and forgiven sinners who are walking in faith towards Jesus Christ.

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Don’t get me wrong, God wants us to do good deeds. He wants us to be filled with good works but in and of themselves they are not enough to attain heaven.  If they were, God would never have sent his Son to save us and be a propitiation for our sins.  Any good works we do need to be credited to God’s grace and mercy working in our hearts.

Some people may think that they are going to get to heaven because they did so many works in their lives, but without Christ they are only crediting themselves.  They really feel like they’re good enough or righteous enough and therein lies the problem. It’s the sin issue in our lives that needs to be forgiven through Jesus.  You can’t work your way to heaven. We attain heaven through the works of Christ at the cross, and then living an active faith towards Him.

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

If you remember, the Apostle Paul had said that he had done a lot more things than many of the other apostles but what was motivating his works was God’s forgiveness in His heart.  He had been given a lot of forgiveness in his past and he took advantage of it.  He was starting churches and preaching God’s word. He was helping others  to grow in their faith, but it was God that was doing the work through him. Paul would not take credit for what God had made happen in his life but would credit it to Christ.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Once again we want to be filled up with as many good works as possible but they do not get us to heaven, faith in Christ does.  As a Christian whatever good things you may do or be a part of are supposed to be credited to Christ Jesus. We are His workmanship which means He’s doing the work through us by his grace.

In my life I have seen a lot of beautiful things that people have created out of a piece of wood but I would never presume to take credit of that work. There’s a carpenter in heaven who is working on our hearts in the church.  He’s molding and shaping us into what he wants us to become.

Again, anything we do in the Christian Life is to be credited to Christ because of all that he does for us each day and the blood that He shed for us at the cross. He’s molding our hearts to perform and to do His will day by day.

There are many people who didn’t even know what the Apostle Paul looked like but the people were glorifying God in him for the things that Christ was doing in his life.

We can’t enter heaven by going to judgment day and boasting about our own deeds and activities.  We are simply unprofitable servants doing that which is our duty to do, to serve and love the God who laid down his own life for the Salvation of a world of wretched sinners.

Praise God for His grace.  Praise God that He creates light out of darkness, and Praise God for making a dead man walking.

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

Today we are going to study about what it means to “repent.”

“Repent” is defined in the dictionary as “to feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; to be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to practice sin and to love.”

Repentance is the feeling and action that someone should feel the need to do when they do something that is wrong and sinful.

If someone is convicted of a crime in the earthly courts, their prison sentence is their punishment. A person might go to prison, sentenced for many years. Sometimes, however, part of the way through the sentence, a review board or group of people will examine the offender, asking them questions to see if they are sorry for their crimes, or not. They want to see if that person has “repented” and if they have changed.

Some people might not feel remorse or sorrow for their sins or crimes, and some might. For those who show regret for their actions, often times their prison time is reduced, or lessened; similarily those who show no regret will continue to serve out the full sentence.

Once again, repentance is the feeling that someone should have if they have harmed, hurt, or otherwise sinned against God or others. They should feel the need to ask for forgiveness and to change their ways.

The first example of repentance that I would like you to read is the parable that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the publican.

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” Luke 18:10-13

Look at the difference between these two men. The Pharisee was not sorry or repentant for any of his sins. He thought he was righteous, and perfect. Instead of feeling sorrow and asking for God’s forgiveness, he was filled with pride. Then there was the publican, who smote himself, pleading to God to have mercy upon him. He was truly sorry and repentant for his sins. Unlike the Pharisee, the publican knew that he was a sinner, and as Jesus says Luke 5:32, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Repentance is more than just saying the words “I’m sorry.” If somebody does not feel sorrow or regret for a sin or wrongdoing that they have done towards God or another person, and seek forgiveness, then they have not truly repented. 

The prodigal son was truly repentant. After wasting his inheritance and living in sin, he realized his mistakes, and he was ashamed of himself. He repented, and came back home to his father. He knew that he had sinned, and in fact he was ready to receive the punishment for his actions, expecting to be treated as a servant. He truly felt sorry and sad in his heart.

Repentance is more than just saying the words “I’m sorry” or “I repent.” Repentance is a heartfelt change.

In the Old Testament, in the book of Jonah, Jonah was sent to the people of Nineveh, to warn them that unless they repented of their wickedness, that the Lord was going to destroy them all. 

Upon hearing this, the king of Nineveh proclaimed that everyone, man and beast, should fast all food and water, and to be clothed with sackcloth and to cry unto the Lord, turning from their sins. And the Lord saw this. He saw that they felt sorrow for their wickeness, and He did not destroy them. What they showed was Godly sorrow.

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10

We all need forgiveness if we want to go to Heaven someday, and the first step that we need to take is to first admit to ourselves that we are indeed sinners and in need of that forgiveness. We need to realize that when we sin that we are not being obedient to God’s Word, and we need to have that feeling of remorse that leads us to change. That’s repentance. 

In Christ,

Andrew