GOD'S WORD

Matthew 24:35 

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

         If we believe the Bible is God’s word for us as Christians, then this verse tells us something very important: that His word shall never leave us. It will always be the true standard to live by and will never diminish in power and effectiveness to speak to us and provide guidance and instruction. This is incredible news in a world where change is the norm in the name of progress. The consistency and stability of God’s word provides hope to us. Just as God shall never change in any way, shape or form, so His word shall not either. 

            We can be assured that heaven and earth shall one day not exist; however, God always was, is and shall be. He is the great I AM THAT I AM. It takes faith and trust to believe anything, let alone in an unseen spirit Deity who proclaims His love for us mainly in written form. But as we open up to God, He reveals untold mysteries and points us in the direction we are to go in this life. We can feel His love for us in every chapter of scripture. The death that His own Son endured willingly as a part of God’s salvation plan shouts out His mercy, grace and forgiveness. His words are true and neither God, nor His word shall ever pass away.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Good Work of God

Philippians 1:6 “… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

            As believers in Christ, we can be confident in our future. God isn’t going anywhere. That which has begun within us shall continue on until the 2nd Coming of Christ. This should be encouraging to us. God isn’t going to give up on us. No matter what silly mistakes we make or how many times we ignore His instruction. His patience is shown throughout scripture. Patience is a characteristic born out of love. If you truly love someone, you will give them a lot of latitude when it comes to their conduct. God is no different. His good work in us is representative of the sanctification process that began once we accepted Christ into our hearts. Notice I said process. 

 

            sanc•ti•fi•ca•tion - 1: to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use. 

 

            Sanctification is both instantaneous and progressive. Instantaneous because at the moment we are forgiven we are seen by God through the blood of Christ making us, in His eyes, totally sanctified. Progressive, because in reality the process of being made holy and set apart takes our whole lives. God has a purpose and plan to use each one of us in some form or fashion. Just as the High Priest sanctifies that which is used to make an offering suitable to present to God, so God sanctifies us that we might be used for His glory. So based on this verse in Philippians, we could say that we are a work in progress. Until Jesus appears in the clouds to take us home with Him, we are to be seeking instruction and serving our Heavenly Father; but we buck at that. We don’t want to miss out on anything perceived to be fun. Christians are not to be sitting in a darkened room with a lone candle burning studying scripture all day long. We are to get out and mingle with the masses. Rub elbows with those the world has cast aside. We are being set apart for God’s use. We have a serious responsibility, yet it is a small price to pay for the forgiveness purchased for us. It’s a price we can ill afford. We owe our lives to the payer of our debt, Jesus Christ, who will continue to sharpen us as we allow. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

SYMBOLISM IN SCRIPTURE

Matthew 3:16-17_{(GOD’S WORD Translation)} “After Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up from the water. Suddenly, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove to him. Then a voice from heaven said, “‘This is my Son, whom I love—my Son with whom I am pleased.’”

            Here we see our Heavenly Father proclaiming that Jesus is His Son. The dove coming down from the heavens to Him is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. In our day, the dove is used most in non-Christian circles as a symbol of peace, often with an olive branch in its mouth. While Jesus is the embodiment of peace, it is the Holy Spirit that is paramount in this case and not the ever elusive ‘peace’. The Holy Spirit is given to us as a guide and advocate. He is always readily available to us and resides within us if we have received salvation. The gift of the Spirit is secondary to salvation of course, but He is most necessary in our walk with Christ. Going it alone in this life is like going out of your house without clothing. It’s like going into battle without a weapon. We certainly wouldn’t do either of those things, so why do we go about our business without a second thought given to our greatest helper?

            There is a second lesson in these two verses for us and that is the issue of baptism. It is a public proclamation of the change that has taken place in our life. We are to follow Jesus’ example in baptism, which is symbolic of the old nature dying and the new nature rising up from a watering grave to live on. It’s done in the name of the Triune God; the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Obedience is sought by our God. It’s the least we can do in response to what has been done for us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Terrible Day of the Lord

2 Peter 3:10 ^NLT “But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.”

            Scripture tells us that no one knows the hour or the day when the Lord shall return. ^{[Matthew 24:36]} Only the Father knows. Believers in Christ should be anticipating his return as if it were going to be today. Non-believers, who live their lives outside of God’s family, are too busy with other things they deem essential to their lives. That is precisely why they will have no idea what is coming and thus will not be prepared.

                  Knowing that the earth will be burned up, why wouldn’t we place our confidence in that which is lasting and eternal? Being bound to the earth, with its valueless treasures and frivolous pursuits is a sure death sentence. God knows all this which is why his patience with mankind is long suffering. He knows the stubborn ways of man. He knows their rebellious nature. But he loves them just the same and gives them every opportunity to receive forgiveness for their sins.

                  I have said on multiple occasions that we must assess our walk, not compared to anyone else on this earth but, to God himself. Just because perfection is unattainable doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be our goal in this life. Ask yourself this important question: Do I spend more of my time piling up possessions or striving to develop a Christlike character? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

ATTAINING PEACE

Proverbs 14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” 

            Peace seems unattainable at times. We struggle through life seeking it, yet it appears to be so far from us. We worry about that which we have no control. We envy those who have what we desire. We desire temporal things that will be discarded shortly after. It is only when we come to the realization that God has a plan for us that peace reveals itself. 

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

            We have nothing to fear and nothing to envy. God knows what we need. We will be at peace in our minds and bodies if we surrender and submit to the plans He has for us. We may not have any idea what they are, but we can rely on His truth and His past performance throughout scripture to show us the way to peace. 
            In peace we find rest. Rest is necessary for our bodies to recuperate from the strain of life. We can put our minds at rest by accepting that God has everything under control. Things may not be going the way we think they should or the way we would like them to, but they will turn out the way God knows they need to. Our entire belief system is built on a cornerstone of faith and trust in God. Faith and trust give birth to hope, which in turn gives birth to peace. Peace gives life to our bodies and rest to our souls. Peace is within our grasp. It comes from understanding that we cannot solve things ourselves, but we know who can. Rely on God to provide you with peace today. Until next time, walk with the King today and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

SEEKING THE THINGS OF GOD

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” - Psalm 25:4-5 

            King David is seeking the instruction and guidance of the Lord. His relationship with His God is strong, despite his failings. We all have failings; none of us is perfect. Once we realize and accept that we can begin to let God do His work in us. Just like David, we need to ask and ask often for God to reveal His truths to us. It comes from the reading of His word and praying.  It comes from cultivating a spiritual awareness of the Holy Spirit’s leading. We can do it, but it doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time. Frankly, it takes your whole life. 

            Acknowledging God as his Savior, David shows the reader that he knows where his salvation comes from. There is nowhere else in scripture that would say or even indicate that David found salvation in anything or anyone else. God is the saving factor. Christ’s death purchased our souls, redeeming us from hell. God desires to be our all in all. 

            David shows in these two verses that his reliance is on God and not himself. He derives hope from the truth God lays out before him. We too can find hope in His guidance and instruction. We allow ourselves to become so easily entangled in that which would bind us, rather than shrug ourselves loose and stand tall in the truth of God. Life as a Christian is rewarding and filled with joy, yet our enemy tells us otherwise. It is in truly getting to know God intimately that we experience all the blessings His has for us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

 

HOW OFTEN DO WE FORGIVE?

Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”    

            Symbolism plays a big role in the Bible. Here we see Peter asking a simple question regarding forgiveness. Jesus’ answer is direct, yet seems preposterous at the same time; 490 times. I would hate to think of how many times God has forgiven me. Surely it must surpass 500 times; yet He still forgives and loves. I’m sure Peter thought 7 times was a lot, but Jesus blew the disciples doors off with His answer. It is hard to imagine that an individual would commit the same exact sin 490 times, so while there may be some repeat offenses, I think we can assume that forgiveness is being given for various sins. The offender must ask for forgiveness, yet even if they do not, we should treat them with kindness anyway. That isn’t something that's easy to do, especially when malicious intent is involved. It may help to remember how often Christ forgave us in the light and magnitude of our own sin.

            Believers can take solace in the above scripture because it means that there is no end to the forgiveness of God. You see, while Peter’s number represents a point to which forgiveness would be withheld, Christ’s number represents no end to forgiveness. That doesn’t give us a license to act out and do as we please. God is forgiving us in an effort to reform us so that we improve our behavior as we attempt to be His ambassador on this earth. Forgiveness comes with a price; consequences are tied to our actions. Forgiveness allows us to see the error of our ways and reform. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries