Quote Contemplations 

 

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle

 

                  I liken the above quote to the following verse of scripture from the apostle Paul. “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV

            No matter what knowledge or skill you happen to have in this life, if you don’t use it to the glory of God you are wasting your energy on nothing. “In Aristotle's quote, the heart stands for character, moral development, and emotional intelligence, encompassing values such as empathy, compassion, integrity, kindness, and ethical awareness.” ^[1] Aristotle may have made a good Christian; however, he died in 322 BC. While Aristotle did not know of Christianity, his philosophy later became deeply influential in shaping Christian theology.

Imagine that, a Greek philosopher who influenced Christian thought. That falls of the category of “truth is truth wherever you happen to find it”. Aristotle may very well have been supportive of the “The Golden Rule” – “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” – Luke 6:31 

Acquiring knowledge isn’t a bad thing; like most things, the having isn’t as important as how you acquired it and what you do with it. If the knowledge you’ve acquired is solely for the reason of impressing others, then know this... man is a fickle beast. One day you’ll be the “belle of the ball” (so to speak), the next day you’ll be a forgotten man. People can be very self-centered. Even Christians at times. In humility we are to do what we do to the glory of God, NOT the glory of ourselves. Do all things in accordance with the statutes of God if you would like to truly have knowledge.

Until next time, in all you do seek to please God above all else. 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle/books/quote-of-the-day-by-aristotle-educating-the-mind-without-educating-the-heart-is-article-153477823

Quote Contemplations 

 

“The heart that has really tasted the grace of Christ, will instinctively hate sin.” - J.C. Ryle

 

            This defines the difference between a person who has had a true, authentic conversion experience and one who has not. There are probably millions of people who think they are good, think they are right with God and yet do not hate sin. To not hate sin is to abuse the grace of God. 

            Almighty God doesn’t HAVE to love us, but does because that is how He is. He is the very essence of transcendent love. Scripture tells us God IS love. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church members defines love in chapter 13 verses 4-7. The characteristics listed show how we are to act and/or react to another person. By showing them love. 

            God doesn’t HAVE to love us but does because He has created us for His good pleasure. He loves us in spite of ourselves because He chose to do that. That is grace... undeserved favor. Favoring someone who doesn’t deserve it. Christ died for us because of the Father’s deep abiding love for His creation. So if you don’t hate sin you probably haven’t had a true conversion experience and should dig deeper into your own soul to find out why.

            Sin is temporal pleasure. Sin takes you to places you truly do not want to go. Sin is the opposite of what the Lord wants for you. You need to hate and avoid sin to truly experience the salvation experience. If you do not hate sin then something is wrong and you must seek the extraction of that thing that holds you back from fully embracing God’s unconditional love. Do it today. 

            Until next time, treat other the way you’d like to be treated.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

            

Quote Contemplations

 

“To love others you must first love yourself.” – Leo Buscaglia *

 

            As odd as it may sound, too many people don’t love themselves. Whether it be from a poor upbringing or being constantly spoken to negatively, I happen to know that it’s true. When someone else criticizes you or puts you down verbally it has a negative effect on your psyche. Your self-esteem takes a beating. You begin to doubt yourself and your own abilities. 

            This is not how God intended it to be. He loves you and wishes you to prosper in every way. This has nothing to do with financial prosperity. It has everything to do with how you see yourself and what you’re able to accomplish in this life. If you’re told over and over again that you can’t do anything right it takes a toll on how you see yourself. You doubt your ability to do anything right. Is it because of the other person’s inability to deal with their own life? Maybe. Is it because of how they see themselves? Perhaps; building themselves up by knocking others down.

            The key to breaking that cycle in my humble opinion is to treat them the way you would like to be treated regardless of how they treat you. If they continue to hammer away at you verbally all the years of your association it can become difficult at times to accomplish this, but with the help of the Holy Spirit within you there is nothing you cannot do in this life. Listen to the soft inner voice of the Spirit. Place a greater importance on THAT voice and do your best to disregard the harsh voice that tries to downgrade you. With the Lord ANYTHING is possible... no exceptions. Have compassion on those around you who hate themselves and look to take a pound of flesh from you whenever they can. They need a touch from God, even if they are already His child. 

Christians are not immune to hating themselves and having it skew the way they see life and others. Pray for them and do your level best to be a positive example for them. It’s the right way to handle people with a low opinion of themselves. Seek to build them up at every opportunity. It will pay dividends in the end. 

Until next time, treat others the way you’d like to be treated.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*American motivational speaker and writer (1924–1998).

Quote Contemplations 

 

“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.” - Max Lucado*

 

            An important truth believers must remember is that God is NOT like a genie in a bottle who grants us wishes in this life. He is the creator of the universe and will honor one’s true faith in Him by leading them down the path He has set aside for them. The Holy Spirit, if He is allowed, will steer us towards that which is right & true, fair & righteous. You may not receive what you seem to think you want for truthfully without the Lord’s guidance we honestly don’t know the right thing to do most of the time. 

             Living life on our own terms can end up leading us down a dead end street. That doesn’t mean we are to become some sort of automaton; a robot without mind or emotions, bending to the will of God. However, once redeemed we should seek to live for God. We should desire to emulate Jesus example of how to live. We should want to please God. What we ARE NOT supposed to do is receive the free gift of salvation, wink and say “thanx”, then turn and walk away the same way we came. If no change takes place then my friend, that is not a true conversion.

            God doesn’t wish for any individuals to perish and end up in a lake of fire. That is not at all His intention. However, God has a prescribed plan established at the foundation of the world that WILL take place whether we understand it, believe it, or accept it.  Regardless of any of that, it WILL come to pass. Just because someone doesn’t believe in God’s existence doesn’t unequivocally mean that He doesn’t exist. It simply means that person doesn’t believe it... nothing more, nothing less. 

            Faith in God is trusting that what takes place from the day you receive Christ on into your future is MEANT to take place and will take place when the Lord knows the best time is for it to transpire. And it will be the right thing to do... always. What you want is nice and all, but only God knows what’s best for you. Lean into that truth and follow God’s lead. You’ll never regret it. Until next time, trust God & keep His statutes.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Max Lucado (born January 11, 1955) is an American author and minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Life Lesson 6

 

Depression 

 

“A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness or inability to experience pleasure 

combined with other symptoms including poor concentration, indecisiveness, sleep problems, changes in appetite, and feelings of guilt, helplessness, and hopelessness.”

 

Should a Christian ever get depressed?

                  If we were perfect in every way and not prone to stress, disappointment, and heartache I’d say we would have a chance. But since we are subject to emotional highs and lows, it stands to reason that we would indeed become depressed at one point or another. God can defeat depression, but we must first let go of the things that drag us down. As it is with most issues we encounter, it becomes a matter of focus or more specifically, what or who we are focused on. In the end it’s nothing more than a mental thing, but it is still very real to those who are experiencing it. Occupy your mind with godly things. Refocus.

 

Conquering depression … 

                  It is imperative that we place our sights squarely on that which can alleviate our depression. In this case it’s all about God. He’s provided everything we need to combat and be victorious over depression. I say this from personal experience because I have dealt with bouts of depression from time to time. It can be debilitating if we let it be. If our focus is on that which is causing us anxiety that can lead to depression. Below are listed powerful Bible verses to help you defeat depression. Reading Bible verses can alter your disposition which is an excellent place to start. You want to trust the Lord, but when you become depressed there are times you can barely hold your head up. Negativity festers and drags us deeper into the abyss. It’s like being stuck in quicksand. The more you move the faster you go down.

 

Scripture has the answer … 

                  Take the time to read thru the following scripture verses (under the signature box) as a means of solidifying your faith’s foundation. Strengthening your faith puts you in the proper position to stand upright and move forward, leaving your depression behind. Sometimes all you can do is cry out for help or ask someone else to pray for you. That’s okay. God understands and wants to help you grow to a place where you can pull yourself out of your funk using the scriptures the Lord has placed before you. 

Make the time to feast on the wondrous word of God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Here are some Bible verses to DEFEAT Anxiety / Depression:

Philippians 4:8; Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 34:17; Psalm 40:1-3; Psalm 3:3; Psalm 32:10; Psalm 42:11; 1 Peter 5:6-7; John 16:33; Romans 8:38-39; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; 1 Peter 4:12-13; Psalm 37:23-24; Isaiah 41:10.

Life Lesson 5

                  Patience is a virtue. Patience without kindness is wasted in that you must have a proper disposition when you are waiting for this or that to take place. Being patient while being bitter or irritable at the same time reveals a negative picture. Your foul disposition overshadows the patience you are attempting to display. The world is in need of kindness and goodness, not another example of an impatient temperament.

            Biblical patience must be willing to wait as long as it takes for our request to come to fruition. Along with kindness should come peace, for waiting any length of time can become an arduous endeavor. Humans can be as a whole very impatient. This instant society we live in doesn’t help the situation. As you’re waiting have you ever considered that delays may keep you from an unfortunate situation that could potentially change your life forever, say a car accident or being robbed. Learn not to question delays but understand that delays can be part of the deal. God’s economy doesn’t have built in instant gratification. The answer to the question becomes manifest to us when God knows the best time for the answer to come and not a moment sooner. Our problems arise when we misread God’s sign and push thru to an end result that was not intended.

            Displaying kindness will speak volumes regarding being a positive testimony for Christ. As a believer, to not be kind paints an incorrect picture of Jesus and how He intends us to live. If you find it hard to be kind in any situation ask the Lord for his help in the form of the Holy Spirit who is our guide and mentor. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lesson 4

One morning, on my way to work, I caught myself lamenting past mistakes, consequences, disappointments, and injustices. There was no profit in that, so I slowly refocused on the present. You cannot go back in time and change history. You can however learn from the past, so it doesn’t end up repeating itself. I think you will agree, you take what is of value and let the rest go. 

            Life can be very hard, and sadness comes far too often, but there is a lighthouse for our soul that shines out brightly in the darkness of those desperate times. Tears of bitterness can turn to tears of contentment, and a heavy heart can once again become lighter than air. It depends on your focal point. What do you spend the most time focusing on, the negative aspects of life or the positive? Focusing on the wrong thing can wear you down and steal your hope. As believers in Christ we have much to find hope in. Just the very fact that Christ is returning for us should chase away any clouds of sadness from your heart. This life, with all its troubles, will not last forever, life with the Lord will.

            You can’t plow a straight row looking back, nor can you move forward when you are mired in the past. Reflect on your past if you feel the need to, but only to learn how to correct past irregular behavior and not to wallow in self-pity. Our history should be a learning tool for our future and nothing else. We can’t change it so let us revel in the fact that it is in the past and brighter days are on the horizon. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.  

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries