Good morning and welcome in today today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture from Galatians chapter 5.

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

First of all the Apostle teaches us to stand fast in the Liberty that has been freely granted to us through Jesus Christ.

What we’re talking about today is freedom from the things of the Old Testament. Have you ever been freed from a heavy burden before?  Have you ever had somebody come and carry something for you that was incredibly difficult and heavy for you?  Jesus has done that for both Jews and Christians alike. 

The Lord Jesus Christ has made the path to heaven so simple for us by completing the things of the Old Testament in Himself and then nailing them to His cross. Have you ever been involved in something very difficult and then somebody completely set you free?

The word bondage means being enslaved. Jesus makes it simpler for us by completing everything in the Old Testament so that we would walk in the teachings of the New Testament.

Christians are not under the law of the Old Testament but are now under the law of Christ, which are found in the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles found in the New Testament.

Have you ever seen a child preparing to go to school and their backpack is so full of books and extremely heavy that they can barely manage to carry it. Then a teacher sees their struggle, picks up that backpack for them and then walks with that student to the next class.

Jesus has set us free from the burden of the Old Testament. We are no longer slaves to it but we are released from it.

If you read the story of The Prodigal son, he had sinned but then returned back home to his dad.  He asked him to made like one of dads slaves, but his Dad gave him freedom from that in order to return to sonship once again.

Can you imagine being completely freed from all the laws that we have in this country, and instead they told everyone to love each other and treat others the exact same way that you would want to be treated. This is the simplicity of the gospel of Christ, because this is what he did for us in freeing us from the Old Testament to serve Him in the new.

The Apostle Paul was once a Pharisee and he knew the law inside and out. But when he became a Christian he no longer preached Judaic law but love and faith in Christ.

Even with all the laws in our country today nobody has ever kept the law perfectly. The more that we look at it, we realize that we’re just a sinner like everybody else.

So when Paul taught about faith and love and preached Christ Jesus to the church, some of the members were trying to go back to do the things of the Old Testament, thinking that if they did them they would be more holy or a better person. What they were trying to do was be justified by the law rather than being justified through faith in Jesus Christ. 

The laws purpose was to show us that we could not attain heaven without God’s help and assistance.  This is why Jesus came.  Paul explained that the more they tried to do the law the more that they were falling away from the true faith of Christianity.

They weren’t trusting Christ anymore but rather their own deeds by following the Old Testament. There wasn’t salvation in law, only the knowledge of sin, otherwise Christ would not have come to the Earth to save us all.

Paul told them if you were really going to attempt to follow the law and get circumcised then you were placing yourself in bondage to do the entire law.  

Can you imagine your dad giving you a small  bucket to haul some rocks for a rock pile on the property, but instead you make a chore incredibly difficult by choosing a wheelbarrow so you can haul 20 huge boulders at a time. The chore was relatively simple but you made it harder for yourself. Instead of taking the easy way you chose the hard way instead.

Some in the church we’re trusting in Mosaic law for salvation rather than Christ who already completed it all.

The Apostle teachers in verse five that we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Each of us can become righteous when we believe in Jesus Christ and come to him for forgiveness and mercy. Apart from Christ there is no salvation because there is no other name by which we can be saved and enter into eternal life someday.

It’s truly a matter of, who are you going to trust? Are you trusting that Jesus will get you to heaven or the things in Old Testament?  Have you chosen faith in Him and placed yourself in subjection to the law of Christ?

In Christianity we wait for the hope of righteousness which comes through faith in Christ. We are learning each day how much He truly loves and cares for us and how much we should love and serve Him in return from our hearts. We see God’s love each day as the sun comes up in the morning.  We feel God’s love in a cool breeze on a warm day.  And most of all we see God’s love for the entire human race at what Jesus God’s only begotten Son did at the cross for all of us.

Christianity is about faith in Christ, not the law. The Apostle  teaches that in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything or uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by love. When we love and obey Christ and His commands, we truly know that we love him.  Like I said, we’re not under the Old Testament anymore but we are under the commands of the new found in Christ.

True liberty and freedom in the New Testament speaks about freedom from the old. It’s about learning to love God with our entire hearts and Minds. It’s not about freedom to sin,  but learning to love and to serve God. After all the end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart and the commands in the New Testament are not grievous.

We cannot save our self.  What we must do is trust in Christ. Circumcision or uncircumcision doesn’t matter anymore to God, what matters is becoming a new creature, one of love, who loves Christ and His teachings.

The scriptures teach us over and over that God is love. Do you want to walk in that love with Him day by day? The church was trying to get circumcised which has nothing to do with love in and of itself.  It was something done in the flesh rather than serving God in the spirit, in the heart.  This is the faith of Abraham who live long before the law came to be.

The Apostle Paul understood greatly about this because he was a circumcised Jewish Pharisee,  but eventually recognized that he was persecuting other Christians and churches. 

The law is put forth to convict us of our sin.  Once we all except this, we become all equal in the eyes of God. I would think that this fact would drive anyone to accept the forgiveness found in Christ Jesus, for He accepted our punishment, which we all rightly deserved and laid down His own life at the cross for our redemption.

Forgiveness is available to all of us in the church, but there’s only one way to receive it. It’s not through the law which God has abolished through Christ, it’s found in the precious and sacred blood of Jesus.  

Lambs were sacrificed in the Old Testament but God sent His lamb to the Earth who was sacrificed for our sins on the cross.

Place your trust and faith in Jesus.  When people want you to follow and trust in the old, remember,  their is a new law….

It’s the law of Christ.

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. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 1st Timothy Chapter 2.

1 Tim 2:11-14 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

Subjection is the state of being subject, or under the power, control, and government of another; and a state of obedience or submissiveness. When a woman decides to become a Christian, she needs to understand that one of her roles is to be in subjection to the men in the church.  The Apostle wanted the women to be silent learners as they were taught by the men. Many times in a classroom setting, people want to talk and interject their own personal opinions but the women of the church were forbidden from speaking.

Verse 12  But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

Usurp means to seize and hold (office, place, functions, powers, etc.) in possession by force or without right.  When a woman usurps a man she goes over his head. A woman doesn’t have those rights granted to her by God. The reason is because she was created as a helper for the man.  Man is her authority and she must listen and learn quietly while being instructed. I realize that out in the world they teach completely anti-biblical doctrines. In the church we are relearning what God wants us to be. If you decide to become a Christian woman, you are supposed to completely submit to men. I’m not just speaking about a husband but all men in general.  For example we all need to listen to the teachings of the Apostle Peter and Paul who preached God’s Word to the church.  They are not a husband to certain women in the church, but they are men, chosen as preachers and Apostles of Christ. The church is a place that is filled with male leadership. I understand a lot of women can’t hear these words today but it’s like the scriptures teach,..

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

Continuing at verse 13…

For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

A woman is forbidden by Christ Jesus to take control over the man.  God made Adam first, and Eve was created through Adam.

1 Corinthians 11:3  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Our God is a God of order. You can see His order in the creations that He has made.  For example, He made the sun to shine during the day and the moon for night-time. There’s a great difference between the two of them because they were made for different purposes and functions. Jezebel was involved in teaching, which is abhorrent to God.

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.

These kinds of things are going on in many religious bodies today. Not only are they allowing them to preach and teach Sunday schools, but they are ordaining them.  These activities are forbidden for women and those who do such things bring disgrace and shame upon themselves.  All of the Apostles who were chosen by Christ, were men.  

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

When someone decides to become a Christian, they have to understand that there are different roles that we have. There are different roles on a football team.  You have a quarterback and wide receivers.  There are different roles on a baseball team, such as a pitcher and a catcher. In the Christian church men and women have different roles and purposes.

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

Remember, it is the man who is the image and glory of God. The Apostle Paul was a man, just as Moses and the Apostles.  

1 Corinthians 11:7-10 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

1 Corinthians 14:35  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.   

Silence is defined in the dictionary as a lack of sound or noise : quiet · a situation, state, or period of time in which people do not talk. The Christian woman is called by Christ to be under the authority of men.  They need to do as they are told and instructed by men.  I guarantee that this is vastly different from what you are going to see in the world today but there are millions of other conservative Christians who believe the very same thing I do. 

When women presume to teach or lecture men they are stepping into the shoes of Jezebel, rather than becoming meek and submissive….

……Daughters of Sarah

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

What is a lie? 

A lie or the act of lying, as defined in the dictionary, is a willful intention of deceiving another person. It is an intentionally false statement or falsehood, or a statement intended to deceive or mislead.

Suppose for a moment that you have two people, and one of them doesn’t like the other person at all. Filled with hatred, the first person goes out and spreads all kinds of untrue statements about the other person. What that person is doing is trying to deceive others into believeing something that is false. They put forth a misleading statement and try to get others to believe that it is the truth. That is a lie, and it is a sin.

What is one of the 10 commandments? 

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Exodus 20:16

To “bear false witness” against someone is to speak things that are untrue about someone else, or, to lie. 

However, when Jesus was brought before the high priest just before His crucifixtion, the other chief priests, elders, and council seemed to forget this command. As teachers of the Law, they should have known this command of God, but they hated Christ so much that they sought to find out anyone who would bear false witness against him, so that they could have a reason to put Him to death. 

In the book of Acts we have another example of lying. At the end of Acts 4, we read about how people were selling their possessions, lands, and homes, and giving the money to the apostles and the ministry. Then in Acts 5, we have the account of Ananias and Sapphira.

“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 

And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 

Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 

And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 

And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 

And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 

Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 

Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.” Acts 5:1-10

It really is sad, isn’t it? How, because of their lies towards the Holy Ghost, they perished. It seems that their love for their money was greater than their love for the Lord. 

Many, many times throughout the Bible, Old and New Testament, it speaks about how much the Lord  abhors lying, and how we are to speak the truth always.

“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.” Proverbs 19:9

“Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.” Proverbs 12:22

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

“Be not a witness against thy neighbour without a cause; and deceive not with thy lips.” Proverbs 24:28

In John 14:6, what does Jesus say? “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus is the truth. He speaks the truth, and His word is the truth. Did Jesus speak lies or spread falsehoods about others? Of course not! Did He try to mislead or deceive others into believing things that were not true? No.

As Christians, we need to be just like Christ. We need to model our lives after Him, and do the things which He has commanded and taught. Jesus spoke the truth. That is what the Apostle Paul did. He taught the same things that Christ taught. 

“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 

And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” Colossians 3:9-10

Ephesians 4:25, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”

Don’t end up like Ananias and Sapphira. Put away lying, and speak the truth.

In Christ,

Andrew

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

Can you imagine having a bowl of cereal without milk? Would you have a fish fry without any fish? There are many things in this life that were meant to be together.  For example, a man and wife or a thumb and your fingers.

In Christianity, forgiveness and reconciliation are two things that are inseparable.  They are like peanut butter and jelly, or athletic socks and running shoes. Without reconciliation forgiveness never really happened in a person’s heart. If you truly don’t forgive others you will never truly reconcile with them.

The Bible teaches that through forgiveness in Christ, each of us can be reconciled unto the heavenly Father. Without forgiveness and reconciliation, none of us would be able to be in Heaven someday.  As I’ve taught for 20 years, and I’ll teach the rest of my life, if there’s no reconciliation, forgiveness never took place in a person’s heart.  Anyone who teaches otherwise is a cold-hearted liar.  

How can one possibly think God forgives them but then doesn’t allow them into heaven to be with him for eternity?  That is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard but there are numerous treacherous false prophets who preach this bunk online.

Forgiveness and reconciliation are two fingers on the same hand. Reconciliation doesn’t happen because of people’s unforgiving and bitter heart.  It’s only a grudge that’s covered up in a cloak of religion. Reconciliation is a huge part of the Christian life because without it, you cannot access heaven. Reconciliation is so important that it is referred to as God’s Ministry.  That’s a very important ministry isn’t it?

2 Cor 5:17-19

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Impute to say that someone is responsible for something that has happened, especially something bad, or that something is the cause of something else

A prosecuting attorney might do this in a court of law but if Christ had chose to do this, neither they nor any of us would be here on the Earth today.  Jesus is God and could have destroyed the entire world but He chose not to.  

One thing that the religious leaders of Jesus day couldn’t figure out was that true justice involves mercy. Justice is about understanding that what you did was wrong but it also involves mercy towards an offender. If one of the other is missing it’s an offense to God.

The real question comes down to whether you want to live forever in paradise.  Do you want to live in eternal bliss or eternal punishment?  If you’re incapable of forgiving others and reconciling with them all you have to look forward to is God’s wrath and judgment.

I think most of my family understands my favorite passage in the Bible.  It is a passage that teaches all of the main elements of Christianity.  

Luke 15:11-32

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

This parable teaches the consequences and suffering that results from sinful behavior. It shows Godly sorrow for the wrongs that were committed. It reveals a repentant change of the heart. It shows that he wanted things to be the way that they were in the past, insomuch that he returned.  He admitted his own faults.  He was embraced and forgiven.  He was reconciled and the life that he had in the past was completely restored.

Can you imagine coming home to apologize and your dad telling you to take a hike?  Can you imagine him saying I truly forgive you in my heart but I don’t want you living here anymore? These are things that people are falsely teaching in the world today. They teach that there is a non-reconciliation forgiveness. That’s like teaching that there’s a regular BLT without bacon, or ordering a pizza without a crust.  As the prophets taught, the ones that you are listening to are leading you astray.

The reason why people don’t want to reconcile is because they hate the other person in their heart. They never forgave them the way that God does. Without reconciliation, people will be damned because it’s really not forgiveness.

If you do not forgive the way Christ forgives, He is not going to forgive you at all. When Jesus forgives us, He does not hold resentment against us. that’s the difference between Earthly fleshy forgiveness of this world and the Divine forgiveness of God.  

Reconciliation is so important to God that he doesn’t even want your gift in the offering plate until you reconcile with others you have wronged.  To do such a thing only reveals the same kind of religion that the Pharisees were filled with.

So when you forgive other people do you reconcile with them as was the case of the prodigal son? Do you forget the past and move on as God does?

… or is your peanut butter and jelly sandwich missing half the ingredients?

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

Did you know that there are at least 10,000 different species of birds throughout the world? There are song birds, water birds, birds of prey, even birds that can’t fly. The crows, eagles, and vultures clean up the dead animals along the road and in the woods. Just imagine all of the dead animal carcasses that would be everywhere if those birds weren’t there to clean them up. You have the falcons, who are some of the fastest flying birds in the world, some reaching speeds of almost 200 mph (321 km/h) when in a full dive! And then you have the penguin, a bird who cannot fly, but can swim with incredible speed down in the ice cold Antarctic. The hummingbird, while on it’s quest for nectar, acts as a pollinator, distributing pollen from flower to flower.

All of these birds, whatever shape and form they come in, have a purpose. They each have their own special ability and gift that they use everyday. And while their gifts and abilities may be different from each other, at the end of the day they are all still birds.

Our Lord God has created many, many different gifts, and He has distributed them to His believers. To someone He may have given the gift of tongues, and to another He may have given them the gift of preaching and teaching. And still to another He may have given the gift of prophecy. To each person God gives different gifts and abilities, to be used to help each other in the church to grow.

John the Baptist, for example, used his gift by baptizing others and telling others about the coming of Christ. Peter had the gift of healing, as well as preaching, and he used the gifts that he had been given and helped others. The Apostle John had the gift of prophecy, and wrote the book of Revelation, writing about the things that we need to look for so that we can know when the second coming of the Lord is near.

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 

And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 

To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 

To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-12

Whatever different gifts that have been given to others in the church, they are all a part of the same Holy Spirit. 

And just like another gift we have been given, the gift of God’s forgiveness, we don’t want to let our gifts go to waste. We don’t want them to be like an old dusty book on a shelf that never gets read. If someone is a talented musician but doesn’t play an instrument, their gift isn’t being used, but instead lies dormant. We need to use our gifts to help others, and to build them up in their faith.  

God gives His gifts to everyone who believes in His Son, Jesus. What’s your gift?

In Christ,

Andrew

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 1st Corinthians chapter 7.

1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

The Apostle Paul was a confirmed bachelor and recommended this lifestyle to other men.  There is no biblical mandate that I have found that a man has to be married.  Obviously not all men are capable of living the single life. Because of our physical makeup and hormones, some people have a stronger desire for sexuality than others. This is one of the reasons for marriage.  Making love and having sexual contact was created by God to bring forth all these cute little children that we have running around the world today!  There is nothing lascivious within the bonds of marriage because the marriage bed is undefiled before God.  The responsibilities of a spouse is to allow their partner to gratify their desires with the one whom they have married.  God created marriage in order to avoid fornication and it’s meant to be enjoyed in the bedroom between a man and a woman.The bedroom is completely undefiled before God, and sexual desires can be gratified in that arena.

2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Young people who decide to get married have to understand that marriage is about sexual relationships with each other. It’s about learning to provide for the physical desires of the other person.  It’s not required to be married in order to have friends with others. It is required in a marriage to have sexual relationships with your partner as needed in order to gratify their physical needs. If you don’t think you are capable of providing for those needs before you get married then you better not get married to begin with.

The Apostle teaches to avoid fornication you need to get married. Marriage is about sexuality. This is why I have always told people that if you have had problems in your past because of certain sexual experiences, you cannot bring that into a marriage. You can’t do that to a spouse who is marrying you and depending on you for sexual provision.  If you can’t provide for your spouse’s sexual needs then you better not get married at all. If You decide to get married your body becomes the property of your spouse. 

3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

I understand that each of us in this world have a different physical makeup because of the way that God created each of us. A woman might have desires in the bedroom once every 3 months while a man on the other hand has desires every few days. The longer that you remain with each other those desires can change over time.  

The woman may want relationships every few days while the man has completely changed and doesn’t have those strong of desires anymore. I think we have to credit this to hormones because they are a part of our body that each of us have to deal with in our lives. The Bible teaches that there will not be marriage in heaven so we have to understand that sexuality is part of our flesh nature.  The one thing you don’t want to do is to deny your spouse access sexually to your body. That is a sin in the eyes of God because this is why he provided marriage in the first place.  Denying your spouse sexually is an especially grievous sin because it goes against the bond of love in a marriage.  It also defeats the purpose of marriage.

4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

A marriage is about giving your body to your spouse for them to enjoy.  In the summertime people will pick pretty flowers to put them in a vase in the kitchen so that they can look upon them and enjoy their beauty. In a marriage it’s the same kind of thing. You pick somebody who is attractive and pretty to you and you want to enjoy them.  I believe God made us look a certain way when we were born in order to please somebody later on in the future.

God creates beautiful things and he allows us to enjoy them. Each morning God freely allows us to enjoys the sunrise as you should allow your spouse to access you.

5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

When you defraud another it means To deprive of right, or to withhold wrongfully from another what is due to him.  This is one of the reasons why divorce proceedings are so evil.  Many people are so concerned about financial fraud but then they completely look the other way when it comes to defraud a spouse in a marriage. It is just as wicked.  Defrauding another is a sin in the eyes of Christ.

Conjugal rights are the sexual rights or privileges implied by and involved in the marriage relationship. Its the right of sexual intercourse between spouses. This is why separating from a spouse is so wicked in the eyes of God. You are defrauding your spouse of their sexual rights.  It makes them no different than a murderer. You are not supposed to defraud others according to the ten commandments of God.  Those who feel divorce or separation is acceptable are complicit in their crimes against Christ Jesus.

Separating from a spouse is completely wicked in the eyes of God. remember this is another command that a spouse is not to separate from their marriage.

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

A woman who departs from her husband is like a church member who gives up the Christian faith. An unbelieving and unbaptized woman in the world may do this but not any wife who professes Christianity. She has holy orders from Jesus to serve and obey her husband as she would serve Him.

Eph 5:22-33

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

When a woman gets married she has to understand that she is now under the rule of her husband.  Just as she obeyed a Dad when she was a child, she needs to obey her husband in everything.  

During a Christian marriage, the wife is given away by the dad and the husband becomes her authority in all matters.  This is why parents who willfully Interjet and get involved with marriages of their own children sin against Christ. What happens is that they become busy bodies in the affairs of another man’s household. The husband is the representative of Christ in the home not the parents.  

A wife is supposed to obey her husband in everything he commands her. Those who teach otherwise are involved with a conspiracy against Christ himself and His teachings. 

I beg anybody who’s reading this today, to not get involved with another person’s marriage, because when you do so you sin against the head of the home who is the representative of Christ.

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. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 2 Timothy.

2 Tim 4:1-2 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

The Apostle Paul commanded Timothy to preach the Word.  How many churches are truly fed God’s Holy Word anymore?  As a true bible-believing Christian we need to grow in our faith instead of just knowing a few verses.  It is by the preaching of scripture that we understand God’s purpose and will for each and everyone of us.

Andrew and I were talking in the living room today and discussing how it would be possible for anyone to learn to read and write, if an instructor took all the books away from children in a classroom, including his own, and threw them out of the window. In a school setting we learn how to read and write with the help of a textbook. 

Today, there are many church groups where you can’t find a bible anywhere in the building.  It is very clear in the scriptures that the apostles didn’t want the church ignorant about biblical truth.

I remember hearing a sermon somrwhere that all of the men in that church needed to get in touch with their feminine side. This wasn’t an exposition of biblical doctrine but rather worldly philosophy that was being taught to a duped congregation.  One of the most painful things to me was realizing that the congregation was completely accepting the lies that they were being taught.

Personally, I became a believer in Christ through the preaching of the Apostle Paul and the other men of God found in the Holy scriptures. When I was in my later 20s I was walking down the street after work one day. Someone walked by and handed me a free King James Bible.  I only saw him for a brief moment as he gave me a smile and went his way, but what he gave me turned into one of the greatest treasures that I have ever owned.  I couldn’t set the scriptures down after realizing what Jesus had done at the cross for us. I was absolutely amazed that Jesus would lay down his own life to save a wretch like me.

Since then, Andrew and I have handed out many bibles in communities. My wife would drive the vehicle behind us as we walked up and down the city blocks handing out this precious treasure freely to others. Someone had given me one and I wanted to give it to others.

The change in my attitude towards the Christian Life was affected by being educated by the truth found in the Holy scriptures. When I first read the Gospel John, something snapped inside of my heart.  I knew there was hope for all of us, and it was found in Jesus.

The Apostle Paul understood this hope and wanted other people to know about it. He had found forgiveness and salvation through Christ Jesus and after his departure from this world, he wanted Timothy to continue preaching to the church so that they would understand and know the truth for themselves. There is a great need for people to preach God’s word because the laborers are few.  Preaching is a responsibility for all the men of the church.

I’ve always felt that the church is a spiritual College, where we learn what God wants us to be. We are learning how to serve and obey him. Just like a principal at a school may have to correct certain students from time to time, a preacher has to do the same thing. Just as a dad rebukes and disciplines his own children, a preacher needs to be capable of doing the same things for the benefit of the church.  The Apostle warned that eventually some were not going to endure biblical truth.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

When you endure something it means to last. Think about an endurance runner who finishes a race.  There will be some who are brought up in the Christian faith who will turn away from scriptural truth.  They won’t listen or hear it anymore and will begin to listen to the lies of the world.  The reason they do this is because of their refusal to accept what it says and what it teaches. Because of this, they surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear.

2 Peter 2:1-3 – But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

How many people have gone to high school only to drop out without graduating? How many people have gone to college only to quit without finishing their degree?  There are going to be those within the church who turn away from the true faith because they don’t want to accept the truth found in scripture.  Because of this they willfully choose to believe the lies of the world and encircle themselves with false teachers who completely deceive them.  

1 Timothy 4:1-3 – Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

Timothy was commanded to preach Gods Word and its truth.  In order to discern between truth and lies we must be filled up with the scriptures and exhort one another daily.  It’s the scriptures that helps and guides us just like a compass through this world of sin. It’s believing in the truth of God’s Word that helps us to change and become what God wants us to be.

2 Peter 3:3 – Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,….

Jude 1:18 – How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts…

Some people will not want to hear the truth anymore because if they really trusted it, they would need to accept the error of their way and the repercussions for living the way that they do. When you seek the truth you will find it inside my greatest treasure, God’s Word.

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 are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.

Who do you spend your time with each week? Time is a precious commodity and each of us need to decide with whom you are going to spend it.  Are they people who sincerely believe in the teachings of scripture? Have they been baptized by full submersion in the name of Christ? Do they openly and unashamedly confess Jesus Christ as their Lord? Do they accept biblical truth as taught by Jesus and his disciples?  Who are you hanging out with on a regular basis? 

Before I became a follower of Jesus Christ I used to work at some really big manufacturing plants approximately 40 hours a week and more.  I knew almost everybody and hung out with them as we worked. As we worked  together we talked about marriages, friends, current events and things that we liked to do for fun on the weekend. All the co-workers became like one giant family together who were all joined as a group on the same projects.  I knew people from work far better than I knew my own relatives.

To this day I can never remember hearing anybody talk about Jesus or their faith at work or in the lunchroom. Perhaps if they had, the other employees would have gotten really upset for them preaching their religion at work.  The boss might have given them a few warnings and then eventually fired them.

There are so many people who profess to be Christian today who surround themselves with those who reject the beloved Son of God.

When you think about it, some people spend 3 hours a week at a church  to worship God and fellowship with other believers, but come Monday morning, they spend 20 to 40 hours a week fellowshipping at work with people who don’t share their faith at all.  They have different beliefs and religious opinions. That is an unequal yoke which needs to be eliminated from a person’s life if they are truly going to become a follower of Jesus Christ.

It all depends on who you hang around with most of your day. Are you surrounding yourself with people who believe in Jesus? Do they fear and love him?   Or are you surrounding yourself with people at the workplace or in the world, who don’t share your faith and beliefs? There are millions of other conservative Christians who believe the exact same way that I do.  

The more time that you spend with unbelievers the more you can be influenced by them. To truly be a Christian one must make the decision to have associations with those who truly believe in Jesus and call on his name out of a pure heart.

So, who are you surrounded by? Are you surrounded by believers or unbelievers? I’ve always said this and I’ll say it again, some of the closest relationships that you can ever have in your life are with those that you join together and work with.  If we truly are going to love God with our entire heart, soul and mind, we must  be able to come out and be separate from the world. 

The apostles preached the gospel to the world but if people didn’t receive it they were supposed to move on to the next person or town.  They didn’t join up with them.

You might see people from the community occasionally at the grocery store or at the gas station, but what I’m talking about is who do you spend the bulk of your time with each week? Is it people who call on the name of Christ or is it people who don’t believe in Jesus at all?

When I became a believer in Jesus Christ I truly wanted God to be a Father for me. I wanted him to be with me and near me. In order to claim the promise in the following passage, I left my good paying secular jobs and moved out into the woods in northern Minnesota in order to have more time with God and to have plenty of time available to hand down my faith to  my beloved children.  Over the years I became self-employed in order to obey God’s command. My entire baptized family worked side-by-side with each other to provide for our daily needs.

2 Cor 6:14-18

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Jesus taught that if we truly love Him we will keep his commandments. Notice that the command of the Lord in this passage is to come out from among them and be separate.

Separate means the complete opposite of join.  Join means to put or bring two or more things together : to connect and to come together as a unit. This is what you do when you work alongside others day by day at a job. You work as a unit together to produce a product and help the company to grow.

Noah kept himself and his family separate from the world because he knew that its destruction was coming. This is how we truly become a part of God’s family because this is the promise one can claim from this passage. 

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was coming, and like Noah, Lot obeyed God and came out to be separate.  His wife loved the world so much she decided to go against her husband and tried to return to the city. She was turned into a pillar of salt because she displeased God.  Can you imagine if Noah’s wife did the same thing and left him before the impending flood?

When we obey this passage we show that we are a friend of Christ rather than a friend of the world. Abraham was called the friend of God and he kept separate by living out in the desert. He could have chose to live in the big city or he could have gotten a job in society but he separated himself from the world and its ways to be faithful to God. 

Moses is another example. He could have inherited all the riches that you could possibly imagine while he was in Egypt, but he completely turned away from all of it in order to be separate from the world and to please God.

Many years ago I was talking to a person about the Christian faith and they told me…. I’m not a Moses. They were saying this because at that moment they were incapable of separating from the world to live the Christian Life. 

Moses, Abraham and Noah are examples of men of faith who pleased God and did His will. This is the calling for a Christian.  They are to serve and to love God as they did.

In this world there is light and dark, good and evil and right and wrong. The thing that separates us from the world is the acceptance of God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. We are separated by biblical truth.  Remember that Jesus didn’t come to bring peace on the Earth but rather division.

Should I ask you just one question today, Who are you spending your time with each week?  Do they believe in the teachings of Christ? If not,  are you coming out to be separate from them? 

Who are you hanging out with?

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

“Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” Proverbs 20:6

When an author writes a book, before it is published, it is usually reviewed and looked over by an editor. One of the editor’s jobs is to find any mistakes and errors. That is something that they look for. An author might write a 300 page book and there may only be two or three mistakes and they will find it.

That is somewhat like how some people view others. They will compare themselves to others, and try to find any faults that they can, while completely ignoring their own. They ignore the fact that they too are sinners.

Speaking of the Jews, Paul writes, “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise; for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

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

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

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Romans 3:9-12

When Jesus was crucified, the Jews cried out, Crucify Him!! They tried to find fault with Him while they were the real sinners. Ignoring the fact that they themselves had plenty of work to do on themselves, they tried to find fault with Jesus. They were the ones who were deserving of punishment, not Christ.

That is the feeling of pride in a person. The feeling that says, I’ve never sinned like that person. Those people are such sinners, not me. 

Someone who is filled with pride will automatically try to find even the smallest problem that someone else has, and exploit it to make themselves appear to be so much better and holier. 

The passage of Scripture in John 8 gives us a perfect example of exactly how people can point the finger at others, while ignoring their own faults. 

“Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 

And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 

They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 

Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 

This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 

And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 

When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 

She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:1-11

Jesus didn’t condemn the woman to death because of her sins. The Pharisees certainly would have, but Jesus convicted their hearts that they too had sinned. And that if they were to stone the woman because of her sins, they would be condemning themselves at the same time, because they too, were sinners. 

Just as Jesus didn’t condemn that woman to death for her sins, He continues everyday to extend His mercy and forgiveness to the entire world. He could end the Earth right now, but He hasn’t, because He is merciful.

We are all sinners, some more and some less, but we have all come short. Don’t sit and point the finger at others, look to yourself first. It starts with YOU.

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

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 tell you a little story

A few years back Andrew and I were out sailing on our old catamaran. We had done a lot of repairs on our boat to make it seaworthy by patching up numerous leaks in the pontoons, repairing the trampoline and sewing up a lot of large holes in the mainsheet. 

We arrived at our landing site early in the afternoon and put up the mast.  There was a fairly strong wind already, somewhere around 14 mph S.E.  We jumped on the boat, pulled up the sails and off we went with the wind.

The first few hours were fantastic sailing. It was a beautiful warm sunny afternoon and Andrew was having a blast as he hung out on the wire and getting drenched in the nice warm water.

There’s one section of the lake that can get really rough. The wind was getting stronger with very large gusts and the caps were getting much bigger.  I slowly began to make my way to calmer water.

I looked over at Andrew for a moment and then all of a sudden he was gone. The mast had completely broken in half.  

With huge waves all around us out in the middle of the lake, we slowly began to paddle the long distance back to shore. It was grueling. We could were not making any forward progress at all because of the wind.  From out of nowhere a fishing boat showed up with a large motor and threw us a long tow rope to get us to the beach.  What would have taken us over an hour, took about 5 minutes. That extremely hard and heavy burden had been completely lifted from us and the path home was made easy.

When I think back to this personal event it always reminds me of the Christian life because Jesus carries our burden and makes it easier for us so that we can get home to heaven.

Matt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

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.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

A burden is something carried.  It is a heavy load that is hard to endure.

Jesus removed the burden and the commands contained in ordinances in the Old Testament by fulfilling them and completing them Himself.  Christianity and Judaism are two different religions. Judaism is based on law while the New Testament is all about God’s love, mercy and grace found in Christ Jesus. No matter how much any of us were to try, none of us would ever be able to to reach the Kingdom of Heaven someday if Christ had never come to save us. 

The Bible is clear that all of us have sinned from the least to the greatest.  None of us are righteous, no not one and the Bible has concluded that each of us are under sin.  

What Jesus did is took the burden of our sins to the cross.  He set forth a new covenant, and at the same time frees us from the heavy demands required through the Old Testament law. When we become Christians, we are no longer under law, but under grace.  

Acts 15:1-11

1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

The Apostle Peter was born and raised a Jew but realized that Jesus has lifted us from the burden of the Old Testament law.  It was a burden that Jesus carried for us In order to make it easier for us.

Jesus was upset with many of the legal leaders in the Jewish community because they had become far too legalistic and lacked Mercy.

Matthew 23:4 – For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Many times people would use the law simply as a way to find fault with others but the truth is, each of us have our own faults. Each of us come short of the glory of God. Instead of pointing the finger at each other, God wants us to look at His precious Son. Instead of finding fault with others by using the law he wants us to accept our own sinful condition and come to Christ for mercy and Grace. God’s forgiveness is something that we all need.  As Peter clearly taught, salvation is through God’s grace.

Acts 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:”

Acts 15:28 – For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were commanded by your dad to cut the lawn? Maybe he watched as you struggled in the 80 degree heat on a hot afternoon but then he rose up to come and take over for you so that you could go enjoy the afternoon swimming with your friends.  He took that burden upon himself and made it easier for you.

Think about the innumerable amounts of pain and suffering that Jesus took upon himself at the cross in order to free us from the things of the Old Testament.  He makes it easier for us to make our journey…

….on the path back home.

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

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