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.

As many of you already know, Andrew and I like to do some sailing in our downtime. We picked up a really old catamaran that we spent some time fixing up for cheap and painting. It’s a really old boat but it sure likes to fly across the lake. It’s a lot of fun and very cheap entertainment. We have a very nice lake about 4 miles away from us that we frequent in the summer quite often. Sometimes when you go out on the lake in a 15 or a 20 mile an hour wind, people don’t realize how much work it takes as you fight with the rudder and the rigging to keep her on course. It can get really rough out there on a windy day with two and a half foot waves crashing over the side of the boat. Sometimes it looks like the sails are going to tear right off the mast. Andrew gets soaked from head to toe as he hangs out on the wire. After an hour or so our bodies are sore from fighting with the wind.

The lake that we usually sail on has a fairly big island on it and when we finally get to the point of utter exhaustion we head towards the downwind side of the island where the wind is completely blocked off. The huge waves start to disappear and the boat slowly comes to a stop in the complete calm behind the island. It’s so calm you could hear a pin drop and it’s hard to believe that you’re on the same lake that was so ferocious a few minutes earlier. We had finally found our peace from the whitecaps.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

Peace is defined as a state of tranquility or quiet: a state of harmony, quiet or calm that is not disturbed by anything at all. Just as we seek a peaceful part of the the lake, as a Christian we are supposed to seek peace with others.

1 Pet 3:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 

This is the season for deer hunting in northern Minnesota and lots of people are heading into the woods to try to attain some venison. They go through great lengths to achieve the goal of a successful deer hunt. Just as hunters pursue after a deer we are to pursue after peace in this world. Ensue means to strive to attain or to pursue. Peace is something that we want to achieve.

Maybe in high school some of you were known as high achievers. You worked very hard at something to accomplish whatever you put your mind to. Achieve means to bring to a successful end or to carry through and to accomplish. We want to seek peace and achieve it while in this world. Those who do will be blessed by God.

Matthew 5:9 – Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Romans 12:18 – If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Many years ago I worked in retail and there were numerous times when somebody would come back to the store extremely upset with the things that they had purchased. To seek peace with the situation I would quickly give them all of their money back and also let some let them choose some free items from store. Their anger was finally abated. The interesting thing is that a month later they would bring their entire family with them back to the store because they had been treated well. When you seek peace God blesses you.

Hebrews 12:14 – Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

There are many people who judge you by what you eat or what you drink but what really matters is what kind of person that you are in your heart.

Romans 14:17-19 – For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Psalms 34:14 – Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

The beloved Apostle James warned about infighting going on within the church rather than seeking peace.

James 4:1-3 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

The Apostle Paul mentions another instance of the same kinds of things that were going on in a home church. Instead of seeking peace with each other, it was a contentious atmosphere.

1 Cor 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Unity is having oneness of mind. In the church what joins us together are the doctrines and the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and the disciples. That is our source of our unity. True unity with each other is going to result in peace because you’re all joined together in the same mind. Just like glue, peace is the bond that holds us all together.

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

We must allow the peace of God to completely control our hearts.

Colossians 3:15 – And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:13 – …..and be at peace among yourselves.

2 Corinthians 13:11 – …live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Romans 15:33 – Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Each time Andrew and I sail to the quiet side of the island to escape the whitecaps I remember what God calls each of us to do, to seek peace with each other. I remember this each time we hide behind the island, and find a place of peace from…

… The Whitecaps.

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. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a story.

Many years ago I had heard about a man who had been invited to his friends wedding. The groom and his pretty new bride were going to have a very large wedding reception afterwards where people could present gifts to the newlyweds. He spent a couple days after work stopping at stores and trying to figure out something that he could purchase for them. He finally came across a beautiful and expensive crystal bowl and had the store clerk gift-wrap the present. At the reception he watched hundreds of people place their presents on the table. Slowly all the presents were opened up and they finally got to his. They were shocked at how beautiful and ornate a gift that he had given them. They gushed with praises of appreciation for the beautiful bowl.

A few years later he was invited over to prepare for a hunting trip that the two of them were going to take together. While they were in the garage getting their four-wheelers ready, he noticed something that was sitting on the workbench. It was barely recognizable because it was filled with oily nuts and dirty bolts. There on the counter was his wedding gift he had given them, completely covered in grease. It was his crystal bowl.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

The wedding bowl had been a very special gift to his friend but he completely neglected it. God gives us one of the most special gifts we could ever have, His forgiveness and grace in Christ Jesus. It’s something that you do not want to neglect in the Christian Life.

1 Tim 4:14  Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Neglect is to fail to care for something properly, or to ignore it and pay no attention to it. When we are baptized into the Christian Life we can begin a new walk with God through his forgiveness. As I said the other day God’s forgiveness is the greatest treasure that I have ever known. The Apostle Paul was a man who used God’s grace to begin a new life that took him in a completely different direction. He constantly told people about God’s grace because he wanted others to possess it as he did. Instead of trying to destroy Christian churches he was now starting them.

How many times have you been at the supper table when one of the children eats a tiny little amount of food while her brother has a big heaping pile of seconds. The mother dishes them up according to what they need. It’s very similar to the Christian faith.  Each of us are given certain amounts of grace depending on how much we need. Some need lots more, while others need much less but no matter how much grace is required God wants us to grow in the gift that he’s given to each of us, and use the gifts that are provided through his grace.

Ephesians 4:7-13  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

God gives us different abilities in the church but whatever those abilities may be, you don’t want to neglect them.

Romans 12:6-8 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Each of us receives a portion of God’s forgiveness in the church and the Apostle teaches us to minister that forgiveness and grace one to another. The Lord Jesus taught Peter to forgive 70 x 7. Our God is filled with grace and He wants us to be the same way with each other in the church, to be merciful and tenderhearted.

1 Peter 4:9-11 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

We don’t want to neglect the beautiful gifts that God gives to us but try to use them to the highest potential that you can.

1 Cor 12:28-31 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

2 Timothy 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

God’s Gift of forgiveness is the greatest treasure that you could ever attain, but you must always remember to treat it as such. God grants us grace so that we can have a new opportunity to repent of our past, and serve Him in obedience and love. It is a gift that Jesus died on the cross for, and of incomparable value, so make sure that you never abuse or neglect it, just like,…..

…….The Wedding Gift

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♥️

https://tlkjbc.com/written-sermons/
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055335/episodes
https://www.facebook.com/share/14RHGVBBHbG/

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.

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

Do you know what mercy is? Merciful means : treating people with kindness and forgiveness. Our God is filled with mercy and he extends to us His forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ. In order to receive mercy we must be able to confess our faults and apologize to God and others from our hearts. If we simply admit our faults God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all of our sins.

True restoration contains 3 elements. Rebuke and apologies, forgiveness, and complete reconcilliation.

There are many people today who have a great problem with forgiving others in their heart when they apologize. It’s a requirement by God to forgive others. When you don’t forgive others from your heart and forget the past and rejoin with them it only results in bitterness. Without reconciliation it’s only keeping a grudge.

Forgiveness is conditional in the fact that if you won’t forgive others God will not forgive you.

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

Look at what Jesus Christ did for us at the cross. He bled and died so that we could have forgiveness. He loved us so much that he laid down his own life yet there are people in the church who refuse to forgive others when they apologize. The resurrection and God’s forgiveness are the central part of the Christian faith.

When somebody says I repent it means to have a change of heart. To simply say those two words is an admission of fault.

In baseball they have a rule called three strikes and you’re out but in the Christian faith it’s 490 strikes. The reason why is because God wants us to hit a homerun and finally overcome our sinful conditions. In the church I believe it’s each member’s responsibility to help others overcome sin or problems rather than being judgmental and condemning.

Someone might make more mistakes along the way and have to apologize again. Ultimately this is not what God wants because he wants us to go and sin no more. He doesn’t want us to continue repenting from dead works but if any man sin we have an advocate with the father our Lord Jesus Christ.

Even when we make mistakes in the church, God gives us ample amounts of grace to get up and try it again. He gives us hope. He gives us grace to mature and become what he wants us to be, but if you want forgiveness from God you have to forgive others from the heart and reconcile with them because without reconciliation, true forgiveness in the heart never really happened.

Matt 18:21-35

²¹ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

²² Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

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.

Our God is filled with mercy and he extends to us his forgiveness through his son Jesus Christ. In order to receive mercy we must be able to confess our faults and apologize to God and others from our hearts, then you must learn to be forgiving with others and go and do the same.

As I said before many times you can’t undo the past or the wrongs that you have committed, but God can change our future through his mercy and forgiveness. He wants to completely blot out our transgressions, removing them completely from our conscience and our hearts.

Luke 17:3-4

³ Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

⁴ And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Micah 6:8

….what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

The Lord’s prayer teaches……and forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. 

When you ask God to be forgiven for your faults are you showing that same mercy and forgiveness to others?

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

 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

To give thanks means to express gratitude and relief. To be glad for something that has either happened or not happened.

In the United States, the holiday of “Thanksgiving” is a day that was started by the early colonists to give thanks to God for safety, for their health, and for their love and faith towards God for His many blessings. But that is not the only day that we need to be thankful. We can be thankful everyday, thanking Him continuously for everything He does. 

One time someone wanted us to haul a load of firewood to them. So we went out, cut and split a full trailer of wood and delivered it. Well, a very short time afterwards, maybe a week later, the brakes on our vehicle went completely out. A brake line had gotten old and had broken, leaving it without any brakes at all. At that moment we realized God’s blessings towards us. That brake line could have broken when we had the fully loaded trailer behind us, and we could have been in a serious accident, but it didn’t. We still talk about this many years later, and we are extrememly thankful to Him for keeping us safe.

Every day is a blessing from God. Whether the sun shines or whether it rains, we need to remember that everything happens according to God’s will, and we need to lift up our thanks to Him for His incredible wisdom.

We might not always understand why things happen the way that they do, but God does, and that is all that we need to know. How does the sun continue to burn after 6000 years without consuming itself? I don’t know, but God does, and that is all that I need to know. But I am thankful for the warmth that it provides. I am thankful for the food that He grows for us all to eat, and the water that He has created for us all to drink. 

Everything that God does has a purpose, and we just need to accept that and thank Him for His wisdom.

We can thank Him through our prayers. When we communicate to God when we pray, we can show Him our love and appreciation for everything He has done. We can also thank Him by singing a song to the Lord, lifting up a sacrifice of praise to Him. 

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15

“IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH:” Psalm 92:1

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul warned that in the last days that people would be “unthankful.” They won’t be thankful for the things that they have. They won’t thank God in their prayers. Don’t be like these people. Show God your love, and show Him your thankfulness and appreciation for everything He does.

In Christ

Andrew

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

Have you ever noticed how children tend to gravitate towards a sandbox or the dirt? Kids find all kinds of things to do, like make sandcastles or wonderful mud pies. A bunch of our children would crawl up into our treehouse with a bunch of miscellaneous items like leaves and sticks and dirt and stir it up until they had a big pot full of goop. They said they were making food for the chickens, but most of it ended up all over their clothes.

Have you ever watched children after a good rain go and jump into a huge dirty puddle? You can even watch them run their bicycles at high speed through it until eventually they are covered from head to toe. At the end of the day, how many of you parents have told your children that we’ve got to go and get you cleaned up!

God wants to clean us up too, from the inside out.

Psalms 51:7 – Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

When we wash up the children for supper, it’s an exterior cleansing but God wants to clean each of our hearts and minds on the inside. He wants to wash away all of our sin and cleanse our consciences. Sin can cause us to become enemies in our minds with God, but He wants to freely forgive us so that we can be reconciled and in a restored relationship with Himself.

Col 1:21-22

²¹ And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

²² In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

The only way that we can become unblameable and unreproveable in God’s sight is through his incredible grace.

All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are sinners who need forgiveness which is provided through the blood of Jesus Christ the Lord. Listen to how He is calling us to His grace.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

The Old Testament was for a season until God would send His only begotten son Jesus Christ as a lamb and sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. The Old Testament was exterior cleansing but what Jesus does is He cleans our conscience and completely forgives and forgets our sins.

Heb 10:1-10

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

³ But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

⁸ Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

⁹ Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

What Jesus Christ did for us at the cross is the door to forgiveness with God. God offers a free gift to us, one that we cannot possibly earn because we’re all sinners who have each fallen far short of his plan for us.

God cares for us greatly and wants each of us to be forgiven and reconciled unto Himself. The blood that Jesus Christ shed for us at the cross is the greatest treasure that any of us could ever know because through it we can find redemption with the heavenly father.

Eph 1:3-7

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

God wants to give us grace, and He has an abundance of it.

Ps 51:1-2

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

When we partake of Jesus, the lamb of God in faith through Holy Communion, we can wash our sins away. Praise God for his great love because He truly cleanses us…from the inside out.

So 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

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

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” Matthew 10:37-39

What is love? Love is an intense feeling of deep affection. 

Your parents didn’t die for you. Your brothers or sisters didn’t die for you. Jesus did. Who is the ultimate authority in your life as a Christian? and Who do we need to obey? Jesus. Jesus is over everyone, because He is God, and it is He that we serve. Our love for Christ needs to be greater than any other person in our lives, even our closest family members. 

To be “worthy” of something means that someone merits or is deserving of something. In a certain passage of scripture it says that the laborer is worthy of his reward, meaning that he deserves something for his work and labor. 

The life of a Christian is a full-time job and responsibility, and to be worthy of Christ’s name we need to hold Him in a place above all others, and that means that there is nothing that deserves more of our love than Him. 

When someone takes up a job somewhere, they are expected to show up for work when they are told to. If someone decides, Ah, I’m going to take today off and go fishing, they are shirking their duties at their place of employment, and if they continue to do that they will lose their job, and it will be given to someone else who is more “worthy.” Someone who will give more importance to their job and come to work when they are supposed to.

Being a Christian is not about doing what you want to do. It is about doing the will of Christ. Before someone becomes a believer in Jesus, they might not spend time in prayer or attend church services or devotions. They might not show love or compassion to others in the way that a Christian would.

Each day for a Christian is another day that we need to live in the service of Christ. We don’t take a day or two off from being a Christian, and go and do whatever the carnal nature wants to do, and then come back. It is like a one-way lane on a highway. You cannot turn around and go the other direction. Day by day, year after year, Christians are called to take up their cross for Christ.

To “lose your life for Christ” is to give your life to Him, and let Him control the way you live. Gone with the pride, hate, and anger, and instead filled with humility, love, and joy. To live as He would. 

For someone who has not accepted Christ yet, this might seem rediculous or strange, that someone would give the control of their life to another, but that is what Christianity is about: serving Christ. We need to be His humble servants, obeying His every wish and command. We need to give our life to Him, because He gave His life for us.

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” Ephesians 4:1

Christianity is our vocation. It is our life-long commitment. Walk worthy of it.

In Christ,

Andrew

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

As I’ve said many times before, our family has had a bunch of goats on our property for the main purpose of providing milk for the kids.   Andrew fenced in a really nice big area for them so that they could snack on the smaller baby trees or other items that they found tasty.  Goats are really good at clearing large areas of land all by themselves.  Andrew used to fence the goats in with pig fencing.  Because we do scrap iron there was an ample supply of free fencing to do this.

One of the problems with goats is they have fairly tough horns.  I know that some people cut them off but I didn’t have the heart to do that. One of the main issues with our goats is that Andrew used to go out in the morning to feed them but he would find one of them stuck in the fence by their horns. He really didn’t know how long they had been there.  They were completely stuck and entangled most of he night.

Have you ever been entangled by something before?  Have you ever tried to untangle a fishing line that was completely tangled up on the spool?  Have you ever tried to untangle a spool of string that you were preparing to fly a childs kite?

In the morning when Andrew went out to feed the animals he would release any goats who were stuck in the fence.  This reminds me of the Christian Life. God does not want us entangled with the law and demands of the Old Testament.  Like Andrew freed our goats in the morning and didn’t want to see them entagled, God wants to free us from the old covenant and calls us to liberty and freedom from law.

Gal 5:1-6  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.

Just like our goats we don’t want to be entangled in the old testament.  You have to remember   that the law produces punishment.  That is its purpose.  If you speed on the highway you get a ticket.  But those who wield the power of punishment have to understand that in the scriptures we are all equally sinners in the eyes of God.  It doesn’t matter if it’s one sin you committed or 500, we are all equally deserving of death and hell.  The Old Testament is law while the New Testament is mercy and grace.

Jesus died on the cross to free us from the law.  Those who don’t understand that really need to study the Bible more.  Many people say that there is no liberty without law but when you really think about that statement take a look at what Jesus did for us.  He freed us completely from the law of the old testament.  

Circumcision was a lawful requirement by God, but he completely canceled the law so that we would learn to be merciful and forgiving with each other. Just as the Apostle Paul who was a legal lawyer eventually learned, we are all sinners who have come shory of the glory of God.  Instead of judging others, why don’t we learn to help each other? Why can’t we learn not to be a stumblingblock to others?   When you condemn your neighbor, you only condemn yourself because we all have done the same things.  I was punched so many times in the face by a student in high school I could have gone to law with him but I DIDNT.  I chose to help and love him which is what I have learned from Christ Jesus who died to forgive a moron like me.

Those who are professing to be Christian and attempting to follow and perform the teachings of the old testament are turning away from the grace of Christ. It comes down to a matter of what you trust.  Nobody is justified by the law in the sight of God.  This means that without Christ Jesus in your life, you’re going to come short of the glory of Heaven at Judgment Day.   Our God is a God of forgiveness and if you don’t take advantage of it you condemn yourself.

There are many people today who profess Christianity but believe in a duel covenant theology.   As the Apostle Paul teaches, those who do such things have fallen from grace.  If only more people would learn to love each other as Jesus loved us, and to be forgiving and graceful with others, this world would be a better place.  God calls us to cast of the Old Testament and to trust in his son Jesus. Cast out the bond woman and her son, (those who are still enslaved to judaic law) and embrace love and mercy in Christ.  

Gal 4:21- 31

21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Love one another.  If you can simply do that,  you are doing God’s will from the heart.

Jesus completed everything in the Old Testament already. Trust in what He has done for us and walk in His grace.

Oh,….. and make sure you don’t get stuck in the fence!

Let’s think about that 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 tell you a little story.

Many years ago I grew up on the lake.  A neighbor of ours had a boat that he decided to put two large outboards on.  They were the exact same model and horsepower. I’m not much of a mechanic but I think that this was done to increase the horsepower of a boat.  When I think back to that time,  I can’t imagine putting a 100 horsepower outboard next to a 50 horse.   They would be different because they are of a different power rating.  The boat probably wouldn’t have pulled in a straight line.  Although those two outboard motors work at the same job together, they would have been unequal and different. Whatever it is that you yoke together for work, you need to make sure that they are equal.

Up here in Northern Minnesota we have sled dog races.  Many times the mushers will use Alaskan Malamutes or Siberian Huskies to pull their sleds, but can you imagine hooking up a sled dog team with a horse or a donkey?   That sounds ridiculous doesnt it? They are two completely different creatures.  They are going to pull in different ways.  They are not going to work the same way together if at all.

Hundreds of years ago they used to have chariot races. You have to remember that they always picked horses that were similar in size and stature.  This is so that they would work well together. What kind of similarities does a dog and a cat have?  Not a lot really.   How similar are a squirrel and an owl?   They are completely different creatures.  We learn from the scriptures that when you are unequally yoked together it means that you are working alongside others who are dissimilar to yourself.

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.

When something is unequal they are not alike.

Take an example of people who are in law enforcement.  A lot of policeman have a partner that they are constantly with, whom they work very closely with. A work partner is somebody who is very close to you and you know them very well because you work each week together. Just as you shouldn’t yoke up a dog and a cat to try to plow your garden, you should never try to yoke in work with people who do not share your faith.

A work is something that you donate your time to or get paid for.  In the scriptures the yoke represents a work of some sort that binds you together in a group work atmosphere.  In verse 14 it clearly teaches us to reject the unequal yoke. That’s not because we don’t care about unbelievers (because Jesus loves them and died on the cross for them)  but what matters is that because of their state of unbelief they hold different values than what a Christian currently holds.

There have been numerous stories over the years about someone who professes Christianity as their faith who starts a business with four or five other people who are complete unbelievers.  Biblically speaking this is not a good thing to do in the eyes of God. A Christian is called to certain ideals that God wants us to live by. An unbeliever doesn’t share the same ideals. A Christian is trying to please God even in his work ethic.   God calls a Christian to a higher calling than the way you lived in the world.  

To be involved with people in some sort of work with others who don’t share what you believe is to join up with those who don’t believe in Jesus.

It’s not that a Christian is better than somebody else it’s just the fact that God has called us to a higher standard.  All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God,  but you surely don’t want to yoke up with people who don’t accept biblical truth.

Verse 17 teaches us to come out and be separate saith the Lord.  When we go out in society you’re going to run into people at the grocery store or visit with people at the gas station. That’s is a fact of life.  This verse teaches us to be separated according to labor because the yoke represents labor.

A yoke is a wooden beam used to help carry or pull heavy objects by distributing the weight evenly on both shoulders and can be used by humans and animals a like. There are three main types of yokes and it depends on what it is being used by. The first type of yoke is used by humans.

Can you imagine carrying a yoke with 10 lb of water on one side of your body and 30 lbs on the other?  That’s an unequal yoke.  It’s no different if a Christian decides to yoke with a non-believer in a work situation. Not only is it unequal but it upsets the Lord Jesus. In order to claim this promise in verse 18 we have to be capable of coming out and being separate.

I really believe that some of the closest relationships that you share in this world are with people who you work with side-by-side each day.   many people are so concerned about making a living that they yoke up with people who do not share the teachings of scripture.  it simply shows that they love money more than Christ.

Remember this is a commandment of Christ Jesus to come out and be separate.

As a true believer in Jesus we have to be capable of being separate from the world. Again, I stress the fact this is not to be rude to others in the world or to be cruel to them but it’s simply to be faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ who gives us his command.

Remember in the story of the prodigal on he hooked up with a man who sent him to feed swine, but he longed to be back working with his dad.

So when you spend time at work are you are surrounded by followers of Jesus Christ? Are they true Christians in their heart?

Can you imagine seeing sled dogs alongside a bunch of goats?  God does not want us yoked up with people who do not share our faith.

Are you keeping separate?  just take a look at who you work with and then you’ll know if you can claim this promise.

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

Sometimes when you have a family with more than one child, when a new toy or similar thing is bought, everyone wants to use it. It is new and interesting and everyone just can’t wait to use it. Just as an example, if a family bought a small four-wheeler or mini bike for the kids, everyone usually wants to be the one riding it. But something like that needs to be shared with the other brothers or sisters, so that everyone gets a turn using it. 

When I was very young, at the daycare that I went to there was a game system for us to play on, and everyone wanted to play it. You wrote your name on the list and when it was your turn to play you had about 15 or 20 minutes to play your game until you had to let the next person use it. But what do you think happened when someone refused to let someone else have their turn once theirs was over? They lost their game priviledges for that day, and couldn’t use it anymore. 

Forgiveness from God is one of His gifts to us. And just like the examples above, it needs to be shared with others. Forgiveness is not something that is exclusive to one single person, it is a gift given to the entire world. And just like the kids playing the game, either we share the forgiveness we have received by forgiving others, or we ourselves will lose that precious gift of forgiveness. 

Someone who doesn’t show forgiveness is not showing love. They continue to hold a grudge for a sin or misdeed that someone has done, and won’t let it go, even after that someone apologizes and repents of it.

Forgiveness is like a well of water in the middle of a desert. Without water, you will die, as your body needs it to survive. And everyone else needs it as well, not just you. To deny someone else forgiveness would be like someone being so angry with another that they begin filling that well with sand until it is completely full to the top so that all the water is cut off, and gone. What they have done is cut themselves off from the thing that they need to survive.

Forgiveness is such an important part of our faith that it cannot be emphasized enough: that we all need forgiveness from Christ, and we also need to be forgiving with others.

What causes someone to not forgive another person? Bitterness, anger, hatred, even pride. All of these things have something in common: they are not love. Because love will forgive. Love will not be bitter, will not hold grudges, and will not be filled with pride. Love your neighbor, the Bible teaches. Love one another, Jesus taught in John 13. Have fervent charity among yourselves, Peter taught in 1 Peter 4:8. John taught in 1 John 4, Let us love one another: for love is of God.

I have collected a handful of verses from the Bible and grouped them together below to show that over and over again it is written how we NEED to be forgiving with others, and the result that will happen if someone does not heed our Lord’s command.

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25

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

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

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

“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Colossians 3:13

“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Proverbs 10:12

“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Proverbs 17:9

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” Micah 7:18

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12

Just as Jesus’ love for the world is shown by His death on the cross and His offer of forgiveness, our love for others should lead us to offer that forgiveness as well.

Before I end, I have a request that I would like all of you who read this to listen to. I have someone very dear to me who is having a very hard time understanding this simple truth of forgiveness. This person is not an unbeliever, but knows what the Word of God teaches. However, they do not want to forgive someone for things that the other person has already apologized and asked forgiveness for. Repeatedly this person has been asked to forgive the other, and as of the time of this post they have not given it. 

Many tears have been shed over this person dear to my heart, and I ask all who read this that you would please say a prayer for this person, that the Lord would soften their heart, and return the love that once used to be there. Pray that He would open this person’s eyes to the truth that we need to show love, and to show love is to show forgiveness. Again I plead to all who read this to say a prayer for this person.

Thank you.

In Christ,

Andrew

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

About 20 years ago we moved out to Koochiching County. Because of the teachings of Holy Scripture I needed to turn away from the jobs that I had recently held because at that time they didn’t share my faith.

I ended up purchasing three acres that nobody really wanted and in a 40 below winter built my family a tiny cabin in the middle of the Woods

I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to make a living up here. It was like deciding to become an Eskimo and move up to the Artic and not knowing anything about how to fish or make an igloo. The town that we moved to is one of the smallest ones I’ve ever known, but I did trust that God would show me the way.

I learned how to pick balsam boughs and pine cones which to me was as foreign as being a martian on another planet.

I learned how to use a cutting torch and cut and prepare scrap iron. I learned how to use a chainsaw which is something that I had never used before in my life. All of the things that I learned in the last 20 years I handed down to Andrew so that he can provide a living for himself in the future. He’s become better at these projects than I ever was.

Being a dad is to become a teacher. You hand down your attributes and your knowledge to your children. It’s good to be educated by others at a school but I don’t know of any closer interpersonal learning relationship than one can have than with a dad who is with you each and everyday.

A lot of the people in our community up here work together as families. We know a lot of the loggers up here who work together as families. Others milk cows and sow crops as families.

I believe it’s a responsibility of a dad to hand down to your children the things that you hold dearly, especially your Christian faith.

When you log wood, eventually your son can grow up to become a logger. From a child he is watching what you do each and every day.

When you mine coal your son can grow up and become a miner because he watches his dad discuss it each day after work. The Lord Jesus spent time with his disciples each and every day so that as they watched him they would grow into maturity and eventually become preachers.

Acts 4:13

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

Whatever the child is or becomes is a result of what the dad is or believes. It’s the children who truly represent the beliefs of their dad.

In the church we inherit a new Father. The Apostle Paul was like a dad to the church who was guiding them and leading them on the road of Christ. Followers of the Christian faith are going to take on the attributes of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matt 4:18-22

¹⁸ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

¹⁹ And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

²⁰ And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

²¹ And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

²² And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

The Apostle Paul was a preacher and his son in the faith, (Timothy) became a preacher. The Lord Jesus preached God’s Word and His Apostles became preachers. So you see the acorn doesn’t fall very far from the tree.

1 Tim 1:2

² Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

If someone’s a logger it’s a good chance their dad was. If they’re a mechanic it’s a good chance their dad was. If they’re preacher it’s a good chance their dad was.

When it comes to preaching, look at what one person can do with 11 men. The Lord Jesus spent his time increasing their knowledge day by day and pouring himself into his followers. Eventually his disciples went out and made their own disciples.

Matthew 28:19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Think about what God can do with just one person. Look at the things that were accomplished through the Apostle Paul. He was just one man but through him God did incredible things. God can do amazing things with just one little acorn.

God can plant that seed deep down within our hearts like a mustard seed and it grows up huge. Just think about it, it’s a seed that is very tiny but look what happens when it finally grows up, it’s bigger than you could ever imagine!

Think about what God has done for us through His only begotten son Jesus Christ. He only sent one, His only beloved, and look what has happened in the world because of it.

A true son is a representation of everything that you believe. Jesus is a perfect replication of His heavenly Father. A son embodies your beliefs and your values.

In both the Old and the New Testament are numerous examples of men of God who took younger men under their wings and helped them to grow in their spiritual faith.

Remember the Lord Jesus had many disciples that turned away from him. It’s not the amount of disciples that one may have, it all comes down to having just one that shares your beliefs perfectly…..

And therein is that one little acorn.

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