The Trust Initiative - No. 2

“Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.”- Psalm 37:3 ^{Amplified Bible}

For this posting, I have chosen this simple verse from the Psalms. The Psalmist is King David, who had a heart after God. ^[1] No doubt thru his own experiences, David asks his readers to place their full trust in God and not in men, who are perishing like the lilies of the field that are here today and gone tomorrow. All of mankind is fading from this earth beginning on the day of their birth and are limited in what they can do. The Lord’s riches, wisdom and strength are limitless. In God we can trust both for things temporal and eternal, of the body and the soul, now and forevermore.

            David follows his pitch for trusting the Lord by saying that we should “do good”. Now since Jesus said in Mark 10:18 that no one is good except God the Father, this implies than men are inherently NOT good at their core. Hence our need for forgiveness, aka, redemption. However, since God is good and we are his children, we are to emulate his goodness as we become closer to his heart. Our fruit will reveal our faithfulness.

            Our trust in God is largely, if not exclusively, based on his faithfulness to us. We love because he first loved us. ^[2]Everything that is good and loving and kind and compassionate emanates from Almighty God. Salvation is designed to lead us to behaving like the Lord Jesus.

            The final statement, I believe, is referring not just to the land we dwell on this side of heaven, but also in the heavenly realm. As sheep in their pasture would peacefully feed, we are to feed without fear in the faithfulness and goodness of our God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] 1 Samuel 13:14 & Acts 13:22

^[2] 1 John 4:19

The Trust Initiative – No. 1

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”- Proverbs 3:5-6

                  Trust is an outcropping of our faith. The greater our faith in God is the more likely we are to trust him with our lives. There are some key words in these 2 verses that reveal how we should live this life. 

            One’s heart is where their soul resides. Our trust in God must come from the deepest part of our soul. Man’s ability to understand is inferior to a God who dispenses wisdom freely. If we rely on our own understanding, we are shortchanging ourselves in a big way. If we trust God we must let go of all that would encumber us and have the patience to allow his will to materialize before us.

            To acknowledge God is to accept his existence as true. This is what we are to do with every fiber of our being in every aspect of our life. If we’re going to trust the Lord for all things we certainly must accept that he is real. We must have no doubt. Doubt causes a lack of trust, which is exactly what we don’t want. Our faith and trust mustn’t be conditional, as in, if God does this or that then I will trust him. It doesn’t work that way. We must trust him FIRST, then have that faith bolstered by the answer we’ve sought.

            Life is full of crooked paths. Without the guidance and direction of our spiritual GPS, the Holy Spirit, we will not end up where we were intended to go. Trust in God spills over into trust in the Spirit. The Lord will lead us where we are to go as long as we don’t go racing off ahead of him. We must fine tune our ability to discern that which is from the Lord and that which is not. These verses are the initial step in trusting God. They are elemental in nature and fairly easy to abide by. I refer to them as ‘the gospel in a nutshell’. These are the first two verses I ever memorized. Starting here provides a launching pad, allowing you to take off into new and exciting areas of your walk with Christ. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Hands & For His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

I Have a Question

What is “good” & Who Sets Its Standard?

If we are to understand God and the goodness of God, it is important that we study what the Bible teaches about this question. When we do that, we find that the varying human opinions and perspectives about “goodness” fall far short of a complete understanding.

According to the Bible, God declares His creation "very good" after completing it ^{(Genesis 1:31)}, signifying that everything He made was perfectly fashioned and functioning according to His design without sin or corruption. God Himself is the ultimate standard of goodness, as He is described as light with no darkness at all, and no one is good except God alone ^{(Mark 10:18; 1 John 1:5)}.  This inherent goodness means His nature is holy, His intentions are always right, and He cannot do anything unholy or unrighteous. 

The Bible outlines several specific aspects of goodness that God emphasizes: The goodness in creation, goodness in action as God requires people to do things justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him ^{(Micah 6:8)}. The goodness He demonstrated through His plan to redeem humanity, sending His Son so that people might have eternal life (John 3:16). His Goodness is that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose ^{(Romans 8:28).} Ultimately, God is good to all, and His mercy extends over everything He has made ^{(Psalm 145:9)}, offering a future and hope rather than evil ^{(Jeremiah 29:11)}.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

I Have a Question 

What is Replication?

            To replicate something or someone is to reproduce or duplicate that thing or person. Is that not what we are asked by God to do with Jesus? In effect, to reproduce or duplicate his behavior? The answer is YES. That’s EXACTLY what we are encouraged to do.

            Let’s look at scriptures that reveal this fact:

 

^“... whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself.” - 1 John 2:6

 

^“For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps.” - 1 Peter 2:21

 

“Imitate me (Paul), just as I imitate Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 11:1

 

“Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.” - Ephesians 5:1-2

 

            That should make it crystal clear that the plan from the foundations of the world was for followers of Christ to begin to replicate his behavior. To grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord will help your spiritual maturation process immensely.  Your walk with the Lord will not be perfect. It was never intended to be because God KNOWS we are but “dust and to dust we shall return.” ^[1] We must, though, be determined to know God intimately by studying his word. I’m not saying or even insinuating that we should become so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good. It is however imperative that each serious believer set aside some time to spend uninterrupted with the Lord. Don’t shirk normal responsibilities and do NOT neglect your family. Include them in your pursuit for a rise in your relational exploration with Almighty God. If you haven’t started, begin your replication process. It’s never too late to begin. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” - Genesis 3:19 NIV
Note: All verses are from the Amplified Bible & the NIV.

I Have a Question

 

“Are We to Associate With Sinners?”

 

         The answer to that question is YES. How can you plant seeds of faith where they are not needed? “But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, ‘Why do you eat and drink with such scum?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.’” [Luke 5:30-32 NLT]

            The Pharisees acted respectably in public, making themselves look good to the masses. They publicly did good deeds, all the while pointing figures at the sins of the commoners. Jesus chose to spend time with those in need of salvation and not the proud, self-righteous religious leaders. Those who lived in the towns had a sense of their own sin and knew they were not good enough for God. To come to God they all must repent, renouncing their sin. The first step was to own up to their own sin. The Pharisees saw nothing more in Jesus than a way to disrupt their way of pleasing God. 

            We are not to shun, but to associate with non-believers. This should be done as a means of planting seeds of the gospel, but that mustn’t be the only reason. I’ve known several people who always sought you out until you said a “sinner’s prayer” and got saved. Then they were virtually impossible to find for fellowship and to answer questions. A very poor way to handle that type of situation. You have to be real, not fake. You have to make a commitment to be a friend to this new person, even if they resist salvation. Become a true friend, not a spiritual salesman who is insincere. Did someone do that to you when you got saved? Don’t do that to someone else. 

            Associating with sinners doesn’t mean you become like them, doing the things they do. You be true to yourself and your faith. No phony put on, genuine interest in being their friend(s). Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

I Have a Question 

Who Were the Samaritans?

(and Why Did the Jews HATE Them?)

 

The Samaritans occupied the country formerly belonging to the tribe of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The capital of the country was Samaria, formerly a large and splendid city. When the ten tribes were carried away into captivity to Assyria, the king of Assyria sent people from Cutha, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to inhabit Samaria. These foreigners intermarried with the Israelite population that was still in and around Samaria. These “Samaritans” at first worshiped the idols of their own nations, but being troubled with lions, they supposed it was because they had not honored the God of that territory. A Jewish priest was therefore sent to them from Assyria to instruct them in the Jewish religion. They were instructed from the books of Moses, but still retained many of their idolatrous customs. The Samaritans embraced a religion that was a mixture of Judaism and idolatry. Because the Israelite inhabitants of Samaria had intermarried with the foreigners and adopted their idolatrous religion, the Samaritans were universally despised by the Jews.

            There were several other reasons why they were so hated by the Jews. After their return from Babylon, the Jews began rebuilding their temple. While Nehemiah was engaged in building the walls of Jerusalem, the Samaritans vigorously attempted to halt their construction. Why were the Samaritans so opposed to the Jews rebuilding the Temple? The Samaritans initially offered to help rebuild the Second Temple but were rejected by the Jewish leaders.  Their opposition, which sought to stop the temple construction, stemmed from being turned away, plus they viewed the restoration of pure Jewish worship in Jerusalem as a threat to their own religious practices.

The Samaritans built a temple for themselves on “Mount Gerizim,” which the Samaritans insisted was designated by Moses as the place where the nation should worship. Sanballat, the leader of the Samaritans, established his son-in-law, Manasses, as high priest. The idolatrous religion of the Samaritans thus continued on.

Samaria became a place of refuge for all the outlaws of Judea. The Samaritans willingly received Jewish criminals and refugees from justice. The violators of the Jewish laws, and those who had been excommunicated, found safety for themselves in Samaria, greatly increasing the hatred which existed between the two nations.

Religiously speaking, the Samaritans received only the five books of Moses, yet rejected the writings of the prophets and all the Jewish traditions.

That was the final straw for the Jews. The differences between the Samaritans and the Jews had now become irreconcilable, as the Jews now regarded the Samaritans as the worst of the human race and had absolutely no dealings with them. Jesus broke down the barriers between them, in spite of the hatred that existed, preaching the gospel of peace to the Samaritans and His apostles later followed Jesus’ example.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

I Have a Question 

What Must I Do to Get to Heaven?

            Peter makes it very clear when he speaks to the Jews that were present at that time. In Acts 2:38-40 he proclaims the following: “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.” And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonish and urge them with many more words, saying, “Be saved from this crooked and unjust generation!”

            So when scripture says, “Call out to the Lord and you will be saved”, there’s a little more to it than just calling out His name. Actually, it’s pretty basic. God knows all things that can be known; we do not. God is perfect in every way; we are not.  God has a plan; we do not. He is able to cleanse us of all our sins; we are not. Scripture tells us in Romans 3:22-24 the following: “This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction, since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,...”. THAT is what you must do to get to heaven.

            Mankind has a problem. Whether they understand, or believe it or not, they have sinned repeatedly against the One who created them. Our sin is like an immense monetary debt that we have accrued and have no way of paying off. The blood spilled by Jesus on the cross was the payment required to cleanse our sin debt. The payment has no strings attached to it, unless you consider following Jesus a reason to turn down the payment. 

            Free will has been given to all men by God. We can exercise that free will and walk away from His gracious invitation if we so choose. That is exactly why God doesn’t send anyone to hell. By virtue of their free will, they make that decision all on their own. They choose not to be involved with God at all. Choose to follow the Lord... choose life. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries