“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for their’s is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and perscute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my names sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you,” Matthew 5:10-12

Have you ever been persecuted for something? 

The word “persecute/persecution” means “to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict; to beset with cruelty or malignity; to harass; especially, to afflict, harass, punish, or put to death for one’s race, adherence to a particular religious creed, or mode of worship.  To oppress, harass, distress, worry, or annoy.”

A child in school might be persecuted for the way they look, or maybe they aren’t as “smart” as other children, so they are “bullied” or called names. Maybe they can’t see very good, and require glasses to correct their vision, and they are called “four-eyes” by some of the other children. 

Paul knew persecution well. As a Pharisee, Paul (then Saul) would go and search out those who practiced this new religion called Christianity and deliver them into prison, destroying churches. Persecuting those who followed after Christ. But after his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul became that thing which he once persecuted and sought to destroy, and in turn was the recipient of persecution himself. Stonings, beatings, imprisonment etc. But he knew the riches of God would someday await him in heaven. 

As a Christian, persecution is something that we need to be ready for. After all, Jesus Himself was persecuted, and as followers of Christ we should be ready to receive the same kind of reception. As Jesus said, 

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 

Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” John 15:18-20

In the book of Acts, some of the apostles had been brought before some Jewish leaders, and were thrown into prison for healing the sick, and preaching about Jesus. But what was the apostles reaction to this treatment?

“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” Acts 5:41

They rejoiced. “Rejoice” means to be very happy, be delighted, or to feel great joy.

Imagine the feeling that someone running a marathon race feels when they win. Joy. Exuberation. Glee. That is what it means to rejoice. In the sport of baseball, when a team wins the World Series, when the last pitch has been thrown, and the last third out is recorded, what happens? The entire winning team runs out onto the field, jumping up and down, yelling, cheering, hugging each other with great joy. That is what it means to “rejoice.”

If you are hated by others in the world because you are doing what the word of God teaches, then you should rejoice, because that is what the world did to Jesus. As the apostles did, be filled with joy that you are counted worthy to be persecuted for the name of Christ. 

Do not let the fear of persecution stand in the way of your faith in Christ. The calling of Christ is a high calling, and the reward is great for those who endure until the end.

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12

In Christ,

Andrew

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

For many years my family has enjoyed a good piece of meat on the holidays. Just like a lot of us up here in Northern Minnesota we fire up the four wheelers and then cook up some good food and throw some stuff on the grill. Sometimes we eat brats, or burgers but at other times I have cooked up some good steaks or a roast. For most of us, I think we really enjoy tender meat.

I have always taught my wife that if she cooks hamburgers I love them soft and tender. Some people prefer harder meat, but not me. I like when meat melts in your mouth. That may sound silly to you but I like prepared meat to be very soft and easy to be chewed. When I eat meat, I like it to be like eating a warm and cooked kind of like a soft spaghetti meatball. That’s just the way I am I guess. I don’t like stuff hard and stiff, but prefer it soft and gentle. Thats very similar to forgiveness in the Christian faith.

In order to forgive others who apologize to you, it requires a tender soft heart. The bible teaches us that if we confess our faults to God, He forgives us. Christ Jesus is very meek and lowly. He is very gentle and softheartead toward each of us. Even though we have sinned against Him, He is more than willing to forgive us when we turn back to Him. This is the very reason He died on the cross. He truly carried the weight of our sins to the cross so that we would learn to forgive one another. Truly Christianity Is all about forgiveness.

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

Forgiveness in the scriptures requires two things, an admission of faults and forgiveness. Jesus taught Peter to forgive a brother when they apologized. He didnt require anything else, just as God doesn’t demand of us anything else. To simply say I’m sorry can truly be the the most difficult words in world for someone to say.

We are all in default before God because we are all sinners before him, but truly God wants us to come to Him for forgiveness.

When your heart is tender it means than you show gentleness and concern or sympathy towards others.

In order to truly forgive others as the dad did towards his son in the prodigal son, it requires a soft tenderheart. It means that you truly care about the other person, even though they have committed an offense against you.

After all, isn’t that what Jesus has done for each of us? Whether you sinned once or a thousand time we are all guilty in the eyes of God.

Do you understand how many times God could have looked upon this world in the last 2000 years and destroyed it? Because He is God and created this world He certainly could have destroyed it, but instead of choosing punishment for this world, God choose mercy forgiveness and grace. It’s truly incredible isn’t it. The law demanded justice while Gods son Jesus demanded mercy and forgiveness. Forgiveness Is an amazing thing and moreover it is presented by Forgiving and mericiful God

Forgiveness happens when you recognize that you have been forgiven for your sins in the church. It happens when you realize that you’re just as big a sinner as everybody else. That’s why the Old Testament law was there, to show us that we’ve all come short of the glory of God. Many people truly feel that they have never sinned against God while the truth is that they are not being honest with themselves.

You will find in the old testament that all of us have sinned and come short of God’s ideal purpose for each of us. Thank God for mercy and forgiveness because without it we would all suffer the consequences of of His fiersome wrath.

I think that’s where I’m going to stop for right now, but Lord willing I’ll talk to you all tommorrow. Bye bye everyone.❤

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 1st Corinthians chapter 13 but before we do that I wanted to tell you a story.

I grew up on a lake in Northern Minnesota where we spent a lot of the summer swimming, sailing and building sandcastles on the beach. We had a neighbor who used to come over with his boat to pull my family skiing. I didn’t know how to water-ski but one day, I attempted to learn how to do it.

If any of you have ever tried this I think getting up out of the water is the hardest most difficult part. It requires a lot of strength and inner fortitude to hold onto that rope as you sit 5 feet deep in the water bouncing like a bobber with your lifejacket. After many attempts to ski, my skis would simply wobble around and then I would drop back into the lake. Our patient neighbor would circle around me with his boat and throw me the ski rope to try again.

Over and over I tried, and over and over I fell down. I thank God for people’s patience because if anyone needed some, it was me. I’m not sure how many gallons of gas were wasted on me. I’m a slow learner, but once I learn, I usually dont forget how to do it.

One night late that summer, around 7pm, the lake was as calm as glass. Everyone in the boat yelled at me to keep my tips up out of the water. I focused on the tips of my skis as they instructed me to do. When the boat hit the throttle, I tried as hard as I could to do what they told me, and you know what? For a few minutes I was practically walking on top of the water. I felt the cool breeze in my hair on the hot day and watched as the water flowed like a stream under my skis. I never failed at learning how to ski, although it took many attempts to do so.

Learning to love others is like learning to ski. We each need to be patient with each other so that we can overcome our own inadequacies and shortcomings. Perfection in regards to love doesnt happen overnight. It took me the entire summer to learn to ski. In a marriage it can take many years to please and love one another perfectly. If that wasn’t the case, marriage counselors would be out of business.

The bible teaches us that none of are righteous, not any of us. Thank God for the grace, forgiveness and patience to learn how to love Him and each other perfectly. God is love, and love never fails. Like learning how to ski, you try and try again because like true charity for others, it never quits. Eventually it will result in success.

1 Cor 13:8-13

⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

¹² For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

¹³ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Can you imagine driving down the highway and having your brakes completely fail only to leave you heading into the ditch and possibly hitting a tree and killing you? Can you imagine being in a helicopter and having the engine fail only to leave you falling to the ground without any hope of survival?

True Christian charity is a love that will never fail. It never quits and it never gives up, the reason why is because God is love and God is eternal.

There are numerous courses in high school that some of us have failed. Maybe you failed a driver’s training test or an exam to get into a college somewhere.

Although each of us are technically failures because each of us are sinners, true charity in Christ Jesus rises above our faults. The love that He possesses is never ending. Its merciful, forgiving, kind and gracious.

Gods love for us is truly a gift that I wish everyone in this world would receive and understand. Just a thimbleful of Gods love found in Jesus can do amazing things in the heart of a wretched sinner.

All of us are lost in the bond of iniquity, but God wants to set us free. He wants to forgive us and reconcile us to Himself.

When we are young children in this world we are filled with the general human nature. As a small child you really don’t have any knowledge. As children we are filled up with maliciousness, hatred, gossip, and in a general way, a desire to do evil to others around us.

Just as a child is taught by their parent, each of us needs to be taught by our loving Heavenly Father. It doesn’t matter if we’re 10, 40 or 60 yrs old. We all need to become teachable like little children once again.

The King James Bible is a book of love. It guides and shows us how to love God and our neighbor. When we fall short of perfect love, God provides us with the grace that we need.

The definition of fail is to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved:

It’s a great thing to know that God’s love for us never fails.

That’s where I’m going to stop.for right now, but Lord willing we will talk to you somethere tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody.♥️

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8

If something spoils or becomes spoiled, it means that it has gone bad, or is unfit for use. It is ruined.

Probably the most common usage of the word spoil usually applies to food when it has gotten old. Milk, for example, becomes “sour” when it is not refridgerated and kept cold. The flavor turns into something not desireable, and needs to be poured out down a drain. The same with some fruits, especially bananas, which once they turn brown they become very soft and not as good for fresh eating. I guess you can still use them for baking certain things, but the point is that they are best to be eaten when they are firm and yellow. Unspoiled.

Since the word spoil means to be unfit for use, you could apply that to many other things other than food. I once left a sweat shirt outside and forgot where I had put it. Well, probably a couple months later I found it on the ground, damp and moldy, and the material had broken down enough so that with just a little bit of force it would tear rather easily. It had, in a way, become spoiled and unfit to wear.

We do not want ourselves to become “spoiled” when it comes to our faith. We do not want to become “unfit” for God’s use. And the way that someone could “spoil” their faith is to listen and believe the ways and teachings of the world over the teachings of Christ found in the Bible. 

When fruit or meat spoils, does it happen immediately? No, it starts and slowly spreads and gets worse with time. Similarily, the more time that a person allows themselves to listen to and believe things that are not in accordance with Christ’s teachings, over time they will “spoil” their faith, and their faith will become corrupted to the point where they lose their faith entirely. 

The world is full of information, where you can learn about things in school, you can learn about how to live or act, etc. But not all the things that the world teaches agrees with what God’s word teaches, and these are the things that we cannot allow ourselves to fall victim to.

“…after the tradition of men…” Tradition means “a part of culture that is passed down from person to person, or generation to generation.” Also, tradition is “a commonly held system or doctrine.” 

Do you or anyone you know have any “family traditions”? What is something that many people eat around Christmas time? Chocolates, cookies, cake, candies, all kinds of sweet things. In fact, I know many people who joke that they gain so much weight around Christmas time just because of all the things to eat, that they spend the next month trying to work it all off. It is that one time of the year that they allow themselves to eat all those extra calories, “because it’s the holidays.” Every year is that cycle. It is kind of a “tradition.”

Now I just used that as an example. But coming back to Christianity, what is something that has crept into many “churches” today, over the past two or three hundred years? The practice of allowing women to preach the word of God. 

Tell me, where in the Bible does it give provision to women to preach? The Bible clearly states that not only are women forbidden to teach (1 Timothy 2:12), but they are also commanded to “keep silence” in the church (1 Corinthians 14:34). Yet over the past few centuries it seems that many “churches” have either tried to ignore these commands, or have tried to twist them to try to mean something else. Like a single seed that sprouts, everything has a beginning, as did the allowance of women to speak and teach to others. 

Now look today at all of the places where this is happening. Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, on and on the list goes. What happens to all of the little girls who grow up in this kind of place, being taught these things? They begin to believe that these things are the truth, instead of what is written by God’s apostles. Their faith can become “spoiled” at an early age. Make no mistake, the allowance of women to preach, teach, and speak in the church is a “tradition of men,” found no where in the Bible. 

I could go on and on over several different topics that do not have any foundation in the scriptures, but there is just one thing that you need to know: if it doesn’t agree with what the word of God says, then it is a teaching of the world, a tradition of men. 

Who, as Christians, do we follow? Who is the One who we look to for guidance and instruction? Jesus. It is Jesus who died for us, it is He who forgave us, and He who we need to serve and follow. Regardless of what other people think of us, Christians need to do what Christ wants us to do, and not what the world wants. If it goes against Christ, is has no place in a Christian’s life.

Just because “everyone else is doing it” doesn’t mean that it is right according to the scriptures. If everyone one day just decided to go and jump off of the edge of a cliff, would you do it? Everyone else does it, but would you do it? People could constantly pressure you, trying to convince you that you should do it, but would you? I would certainly hope not.

That is what has happened to some people today. They have allowed themselves to be deceived into believing things that are not true and accurate according to the word of God. Maybe they even read those verses that teach them what to do, but they have allowed themselves to become “spoiled” so that they don’t do the things that they should.

Be careful, so that you don’t become spoiled, and turned into something unfit for the kingdom of God. There is no place for the world in Heaven. 

Before I end, imagine the kingdom of Heaven as a giant table, all set with fine china plates and silverware. Beautiful. Set after set of just perfect place settings. And then in the middle of those is one setting with a dish with old, dried food clinging to it from a previous meal. That old, nasty plate represents the world, and all of the sin that comes with it. That plate needs to be removed from that table, because it does not belong there. It can be washed and cleansed, but until then, it cannot be on that table with the rest. It has no place there, as sin has no place in Heaven.

Keep yourselves clean and free from the sins of the world, and the traditions of it. No matter if the world says it is right, no matter if people dislike you, God and His teachings are always first. If the two don’t agree, always side with Christ.

“…and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27

In Christ, 

Andrew

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

Over the years I have noticed that everybody in certain parts of this country have to deal with different kinds of Critters.  Some places have to deal with snakes and other places have to deal with alligators and crocodiles. Some places have to deal with spiders or even sharks swimming by their beach. Up in Alaska they might have to deal with a bear in their garage going through some garbage.  Up here in the northern Minnesota woods our family deals with the onslaught of mosquitoes, a few stray cougars and of course, the snapping turtle.  Our property tends to be on lower land which is much wetter than normal. I’ve always warned my children to watch out for these turtles because I have seen them in the back yard. I’ve got nothing against them mind you. They look very different because they have big giant bumps all over there shell which distinguishes them from a normal mud turtle, which is fairly benign, but they can move pretty quickly if they’re provoked and I guarantee you if you get too close to them you could lose a finger.

One day when we were down by the lake I showed a huge one to my kids. Its shell was approximately 2 feet in diameter and its head and mouth looked similar to a bald eagle. The only safe place to grab them is on their tail but you have to watch for the claws on their back feet which are razor sharp and as long as a dog. I took a big stick and showed my children how they will snap it in half with their powerful mouth.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

A snappers mouth is the most dangerous feature on this creature, just like a human.

James 3:1-18  My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.  For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. 

Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:  But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?  Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.  

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Just like a snapping turtle, somebody’s mouth can be a very dangerous thing. It can wound you or hurt you in very much the same way. The mouth of a snapping turtle is one of the smallest parts of its body but it can really do a lot of damage. It’s an animal, and that is the turtles nature. It’s similar to the human nature which has a desire to be malicious and hurt others with the tongue and in our speech. To truly become a Christian in your heart you need to be capable of controlling your tongue. A snapper turtle has no control. It will bite at whatever is put in front of it. Oh sure in the flesh it’s easy to be malicious and to speak evil of others, it’s easy to lie and falsely accuse people or use your tongue in a way to hurt others and gossip about a neighbor.

The Apostle James teaches us today that perfection is attained by control of your speech. If you can do that, you can control everything else. He teaches that the tongue is a world of iniquity, by which you can really sin and harm other people.  Sometimes when I think about people who open up their mouths to speak evil and malicious things about others, I think about a snapping turtle. They snap and they bite at you. They only desire to hurt and to harm you, but the tongue is evil and filled with deadly poison.  Instead of using our tongues to hurt other people we should use them as an instrument to praise God. We can use our tongues to pray to God or to sing to him or to edify and build up each other in the church. Instead of using our speech to hurt others, we should use our speech to build others up in our faith. The snapping turtle really doesn’t know any better but as a Christian we have a higher calling, to use your speech to help others, to love them, and to help them grow in the grace of God.

The tongue can become one of a humans most dangerous attributes, being used to inflict harm and hurt the lives of others, just like…..

……The Snapper

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

tlkjbc.com♥️

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

“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” Psalm 32:5

Have you ever played on “monkey bars” at a playground? When you reach up and grab that first bar, what is required for you to progress through the rest of the bars and reach the end? You need to let go of the bar behind you, and grab the one in front. If you didn’t let go, you wouldn’t be able to move forward.

In kind of the same way, let’s imagine that a boy comes into the house after trudging through a deep muddy puddle, boots all full of mud. But as soon as he enters the doorway, his mother stops him, and makes him take off his boots so that he doesn’t drag the mud all throughout the house. He has to take those boots, and leave them behind at the door, if he wants to enter into the house. 

Just like that child, we need to take our sins, and leave them behind. We need to forsake all those things that defile us, and come to Christ for forgiveness. We need to forsake and leave our sins behind us, and begin a new life living for Christ.

In order for a person to begin that new life, they need to do something first: they need to admit their faults, and confess them so that they can be forgiven.

Confession means “the open admission of having done something, especially something wrong or bad.” So when a person “confesses” their sins, It is the acknowlegement of a person’s mistakes and wrongdoings. That is the first step that a person has to take on the road to forgiveness.

Some people however don’t or won’t admit that they are sinners, and have sinned. They don’t want to change. They won’t let go of their sins, but if someone wants to receive the gift of eternal life someday, that is what they need to do. If we want forgiveness, we need to admit our sins, and it is then that we will receive mercy. 

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

I’m sure many of you know at least one person who is very stubborn or is hard to persuade to change something in their life. They don’t think that they need to change anything that they do. That is just like someone living in their sins, without Christ. They don’t think that they need to change, or need to repent. But the truth is that everyone has sinned, and we all need to confess our sins if we want to receive God’s mercy. 

God is full of mercy and forgiveness, and wants all people to repent and follow His Son Jesus. He wants everyone to confess their sins, so that they can receive that reward of eternal life. But it requires that a person lets go and turns from their sins. 

The Apostle Paul himself recongized that he was a sinner, and needed to let go of those sins to be forgiven. He even went so far as to call himself the “chief of sinners.” But he knew that any and all of those sins that he had done would be forgiven if he confessed them. 

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

It takes humility to admit that you are wrong, and need forgiveness. It requires that a person remove any and all pride out of their life. 

Forgiveness isn’t earned, it is given. There is no price that can be paid to attain forgiveness. It is free. The free gift of forgiveness. 

Leave your sins behind. Confess your sins, leave them “at the door” so that you may enter into the forgiving mercies of Christ. 

In Christ,

Andrew

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture from Hebrews chapter 4 but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.

Andrew and I work on a lot of scrap iron in our spare time to support our family but sometimes the price varies so much that we have to do other things to survive. Sometimes we sell firewood and other times we help people to remove trees off of their property. Andrew and I have cut down so many trees using chains and ropes that I can’t even begin to count them all. One day a retired sheriff from town stopped by the house and asked me if we could take a look at one of his trees because he was worried it was going to fall close to his garage. He drove us over to his house and showed us one of the biggest maple trees that’s I had ever seen. Andrew and I have felled some monster trees in our lives but this one took the cake. It was close to 4 feet in diameter at the base and stood within six feet of his garage and his trailer house.

Over the next few days Andrew and I slowly cut the arms off the tree and pulled them down with a rope. The last 20 feet of the tree we tied on with a chain and when I cut through the stump andrew slowly pulled it over with the pickup. The tree was absolutely huge and I’m sure if it it fell down it probably could have hurt somebody or something.

When we finally finished, John asked us for a favor. He used a chainsaw all the time because he had a cabin out in the woods and he cut his own firewood. Something was wrong with it. Because we cut so much wood he asked me if I we could take a look at it to figure out why it wasn’t running.

We took it home and over the next few days we had a chance to check it out. It seems that the cylinder had completely seized up and would not move no matter how hard you tried to pull on the rope.

I took the spark plug out and took a hammer and a large tap and gently tapped on the cylinder head to loosen it up. We knew exactly what had happened as the chainsaw roared back to life. I explained to John the next day that the chainsaw had been run without mixing oil in the gas.

Heb 4 1-2 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

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

There are numerous motors that require oil to be mixed with the gas. If you don’t do that, the motor will burn up and not work properly.

How many of you wives have made a meal and forgot an ingredient only to find out that it turns into a complete flop.

We all make mistakes, and God forgives but in order to enter eternal life in heaven someday, Gods Holy Word must be mixed with faith. Without faith, the motor will seize up. Without faith the cake is gonna fall down.

Faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. When you have faith, you trust or believe in something very strongly.  The Christian faith centers on beliefs regarding the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Christianity entails much more than just hearing God’s word preached. It requires believing in what it says with your heart. It means trusting that God will bring it to pass. If you hear God’s word being taught you must have faith mixed with it in order for it to be a benefit to you.

The Apostle Paul was so thankful to God because the church was filled with faith in the things that he was teaching them.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

The Apostle Paul wasn’t preaching his own philosophy. He wasn’t preaching his own teachings. He was preaching the things of Jesus Christ that he believed in with his whole heart. He understood that Jesus had died on the cross for his sins and was trying to explain and teach others about God’s mercy and Grace found in Jesus Christ.

The Bereans truly believed in Gods word and it was evident in their lives.

Acts 17:11 – These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so

When you trust in the teachings of holy scriptures, that’s called faith. Through faith the Bible becomes more than just a book, but it is a voice of God to our hearts and our minds.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  

God’s word is like gasoline that fuels our hearts but you have to mix it with the oil of the Holy Spirit and faith. Christianity is more than just saying I believe but believing the things that Jesus teaches us.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance;

You can hear the word of God preached and taught, but if you want to be filled with power you need to be filled with faith in the things that God word teaches us. If the Word of God is Not mingled with faith and trust, it’s like running John’s chainsaw without any oil.

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

Goodmorning and welcome in today. Today we are going to look at a passage of scripture from 1 John but before we do that….

Many years ago I used to work with children with disabilities at a high school. I had worked at handicapped homes previously but then I was asked to apply at the school and come help a student that quite frankly, nobody wanted to help. Everyone was afraid of him.

He was very rough and tumble, loud and physical. Each of us have our own problems in life that we need to work through, just as this young man did.

His behavior and actions had burned about every bridge in that school when I finally got to him.

Day by day I was a constantly reconciling him to people in the school. He would wrong another student and I would come running to his defense. He would mouth off to a teacher and I would apologize for his behavior. It was an unending daily task of reconciling him to others in the school, teachers, principals, and students alike. He was a huge handful, who needed a handful of love. He needed someone to mediate for him, because communication was not a very strong skill for him.

He and I had to eat our lunch alone because He had so much difficulty with the other students. By the end of the school year I began taking him to the lunchroom to eat with his classmates who where beginning to enjoy his company. He needed a friend when there were none to be found. He needed an advocate to support and love him when nobody else would.

1 John 2:1-2. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

An advocate is a person who publicly supports someone, or a person who pleads another’s cause, or who speaks or writes in support of something.

The Bible teaches that all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have our own faults and mistakes that we’ve committed but it’s Jesus that stands in the gap between us and God the Father. Jesus is perfectly righteous and holy and blameless in God’s sight. Whenever we make a mistake or sin, He’s there to plead our case for us. Each of us need Christ during our life because we need his grace and mercy to someday enter into the kingdom of heaven. As an advocate he makes intercession for us. Intercession is the action of intervening on behalf of another.

Romans 8:34 – Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, wh upo also maketh intercession for us.

Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

A mediator is a person who attempts to make people involved in a conflict come to an agreement; a go-between.

1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 9:24 – For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

At the cross, Jesus reaches out to this sinful world with one hand and with the other, reconciles us to God. Because He is eternal, His intercession is always available.

Hebrews 7:25 – Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Romans 8:27 – And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.  

A propitiation is the act of gaining or regaining the favor or goodwill of someone or something. Its the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing

1 John 4:10 – Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Jesus atones for our misdeeds. Thank God for His mercy.

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

Jesus is our atonement to God for the sins of the entire world, all we need to do is come to Him in faith.

Romans 3:25-26 – Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Acts 13:38-39 – Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Forgiveness is availiable. Jesus wants to be our advocate before God the father. Have you come to him for salvation yet?

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

tlkjbc.wordpress.com

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

“Propitiation” is defined as “the act of gaining or regaining the favor or goodwill of someone or something: to appease.” 

An example for this would be like if a young child went and played at a friends house and while they were playing they accidentally broke something there. To show propitiation, the child’s parent would go and talk to the other child’s parent and make amends for what had happened. Maybe they paid the amount of the value of that item, or replaced it with the same thing. What that parent did was take the anger or responsibility off of their child, and dealt with it themselves. 

In the book of Philemon, we read the letter that Paul wrote to Philemon and how Paul was trying to reconcile a servant that had left Philemon back to him. Here is what Paul wrote:

“I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: 

Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:

Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him forever; 

Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.

If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;” Philemon 1:10-18

In this passage, Paul wrote to be the propitiation between these two men. Paul spoke to Philemon for Onesimus and made peace between the two of them, offering to repay whatever was owed to him, and asked Philemon to receive the servant back as he would have received Paul. He wanted to bring peace back in between the two.

That is what Jesus has done for us, and not just only us, but the entire world, and for everyone who has ever lived on this world. Like the child I used as an example above, we all have broken something. We all have broken the commandments of God, and are truly deserving of punishment. From the sin in the Garden of Eden until this present day, we all are sinners, and have all come short of the glory of God. But Jesus goes before the Father for us, and is our atonement.

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2

Starting back in the Old Testament, when a person sinned, it was commanded that they bring a sacrifice to be offered up to God. But the blood of those animals didn’t take away the sins of the people. They only covered them for a time. Until the time that Jesus came.

When Jesus came to the Earth, He offered us the power of forgiveness, and died on the cross to be the sacrifice for us. He became the propitiation, the atonement for all of our sins. He took our sins upon Himself at the cross, and offered us forgiveness. 

Jesus is the peacemaker between us and the Father; He is the atonement for all of our sins, and without Him, we would all be lost, drowning in our sins. He is the Light, and without Jesus we would all stumble in the dark. Praise Jesus for His gift of love, mercy and forgiveness. 

In Christ,

Andrew