Thoughts from a Random Mind 

 

The other day I realized something that never dawned on me before. When Jesus was asked a direct question He didn’t always answer the question, but rather diverted the subject to something that would reveal the truth of God to that person.

            John 4:9-10 NLT reveals one example. “The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, ‘You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?’ Jesus replied, ‘If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.’” Here we see that though Jews hated the Samaritans, Jesus was not concerned with where the woman came from, but rather that she was a person in need of divine forgiveness. That should speak to us today. We all need redemption, regardless of where we came from or what we grew up believing. Because of Jesus’ indifference to the peoples she came from both she and many other Samaritans were saved that day. 

            John 4:49-50 NLT shows us a different scenario. A royal official’s son was near death. Hearing Jesus was in his area he sought the Lord out and said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” He had wanted Jesus to come to where his son lie and heal him. But Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” On his way home, the official’s servants met him with the news that the fever left his son and was alive. The official realized that the exact time his child’s fever broke was the same time Jesus said the words “he will live”.

            Now we can’t know whether Jesus said anything else at that time, but the point of the event is that Jesus “cut right to the chase” as the saying goes and dealt with the issue at hand as only He can. It was obvious at that moment in time that the Lord didn’t have to BE where the healing was to take place. Because He WAS God He merely spoke the word and the child was healed. That day the healing caused the official and his entire household to believe. 

            It is apparent from the scriptures that Jesus didn’t come to earth to hold multiple press conferences to answer questions regarding who He was or why He was there. He repeatedly stuck to His main mission which was to bring salvation to His sinful creation. God was their only hope and He knew that. The same is true today. Serving the Lord isn’t some sort of game. It’s serious business and one’s eternal destination hangs in the balance. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind 

            There is no doubt God forgives, but can we forgive ourselves? I think there are times in a Christians life when we find it difficult to accept God’s forgiveness because we simply cannot forgive our own sins. They weigh heavy on us and bind us up. God’s love is completely unconditional … that simply means he places no conditions on his love or forgiveness. If you ask the Lord for forgiveness with a sincere heart, regretting what you have done, regardless of what it is, you shall be forgiven. There is nothing this side of heaven to compare this type of love to. I believe that is why we have difficulty forgiving ourselves. Not to mention the fact that the enemy will continue to throw it back up in our face as long as we don’t reconcile ourself to the fact that we are the only ones keeping peace from ruling over the entire situation. Let the things that encumber you GO! Release it from your grasp in Jesus name. You don’t have to live with regret. Although regret reveals a level of sincerity from the deepest recesses of your heart and mind, you no longer have to carry that with you. Turn it over to God so he can get rid of it. Allow the Holy Spirit to do a cleansing work in you. If you’ve sought it, forgiveness is yours. Live in the freedom that God’s loving forgiveness provides. Amen. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind 

Temptation is a vile thing. Satan uses it to tear down good people, even righteous people. Walking away from temptation when it is staring you in the face can be a little tough at times, but understanding it is nothing more than bait set to trap you helps you to walk away. The enemy wishes to ensnare you via your thoughts, words and actions, blackmailing you with your own guilt. A person who has a conscience can be pounded senseless with the guilt that comes from a poor decision made. Your strength comes from God. Your strength comes from the Holy Spirit within you. The Spirit which causes you to rise up with full armor and fight off the temptation so that you do not become a pawn of the enemy.

The Lord has given us great power to withstand the attacks of the enemy. Why do we succumb to temptations that lay down in front of us, as if to block our way? There is nothing that says we must give in. Fight back! Rebuke the thing in Jesus’ name. Quote scripture like 1 John 4:4, which says, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” Tap into the power that has been afforded you and claim your victory! Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

I Have a Question

Why is giving thanks to God important?

 

            Because He is worthy of our thanks out of a grateful heart and because we are commanded to. Psalm 106:1, 107:1, 118:1 and 1 Chronicles 16:34 all say the same identical thing. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good*! His faithful love endures forever.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 stretches that thought a bit by saying “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”         

            Does that mean we are to be thankful for trials? Yes, and here’s why. Because trials are learning experiences. Thru them we mature spiritually. What good would it do us if we never suffered any adversity?

            To be grateful enables us to look beyond ourselves to someone or something greater than ourselves. In this instance it would be Almighty God. He does for us what we are unable to do for ourselves. He also, by virtue of His Holy Spirit, enables us to do that which we couldn’t do without assistance.

            God causes or allows all that takes place in His world, and it is done for a specific reason each time. What we are supposed to do is seek the lesson by asking the Lord what the purpose of the trial is so we might learn. Maybe we find out, maybe not, but complaining serves no good purpose. We are God’s representatives on this earth, and it would behoove us to strive to become one of His best representatives. Giving thanks to the Lord is a great place to start. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* general religious, ethical, and philosophical term for something that is preferred, beneficial, or virtuous (especially when compared to an alternative that is less of one of those qualities). In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil. (Wikipedia)

I Have a Question

Is God’s Will Conditional or Unconditional?

            You may find it interesting to find that the bible actually presents both conditional & unconditional realities. We have God’s sovereign or supreme authority which represents His unconditional will, and His moral commands and covenantal blessings, which represent His conditional will.  

            God’s conditional will is represented by His “if-then” clauses which I wrote about a short while ago. In that regard WE must DO something to bring about the blessing; such as, “If” you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, “then” you will be redeemed and rewarded eternal like. That would be God’s CONDITIONAL will. 

            His UNCONDITIONAL will would align with things like creation itself. We did nothing with regards to creation; therefore, it would represent the unconditional nature of God’s will.

Things like God promising to never again flood the earth as a means of punishment for sin. That is His sovereign right and doesn’t involve His creation. The Abrahamic covenant, which promises a great nation and global blessings, is another example of God’s unconditional will.  These two events alone are considered unconditional in that God alone had bound Himself to their fulfillment, completely independent of any human interaction whatsoever.

            So you see not everything in God’s perfect will is part of His sovereignty and not all else is subject to conditions. Reading and knowing scripture can assist you in determining which is which. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: https://thetruthaboutchristianity.net/blogs/news/the-conditional-and-unconditional-promises-of-jesus

I Have a Question

Is God in Hell?

God is omnipresent, meaning He is EVERYWHERE at one time. That begs the paradoxical question, “Does that mean He is in hell as well?”

A word used in scripture for “hell” is the Hebrew word, sheol (the place of the dead; the grave), which is used as a general term, that is similar, but in this case not the same as “hell” which is literally “separation from God and His favor”. Another word used for “hell” in scripture is the Greek word enopion found in the Septuagint (The Greek translation of the New Testament).  It means “in the presence of” and is relating to distance.

“In heaven, believers will “see his face” (Revelation 22:4). At that moment, they will behold all of God’s beauty, grace, and perfection. In hell, sinners will know nothing of beauty, grace, or perfection, as God, as it were, turns His face away.

Ultimately, it appears that God is indeed “present” in hell, or hell is in His presence, depending on how one looks at it. God is and will forever be omnipresent. He will forever know what is happening in hell. However, this does not mean that the souls imprisoned there will have a relationship with God or engage in communication with Him. He will be spatially present but relationally distant.” ^[1]

            I hope this clears up the question of where God is in space and time, understanding that both are inconsequential to Him. That is why the term “HE IS” is relevant in relation to His omnipresence. He simply IS. Don’t lose sleep over that, simply in faith accept that God “IS” and because of Christ’s blood shed for our sins we shall be with Him forever. The whole idea regarding a Spirit entity existing, loving His creation, paying their sin debt willingly and purposefully, is without a doubt mind-boggling. That is why one needs belief in the unseen as if it can be seen, as in faith, to accept and believe to the point of allowing it to alter the trajectory of their life.  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1]  www.gotquestions.org

I Have a Question

How Do We Hear From the Lord?

            One clue as to how we hear from God is found in Jeremiah 29:13 which declares: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Man’s wisdom and guidance are flawed at its best and catastrophic at its worst. Why is that? Because man has prejudices, personal opinions, and skewed thinking that affects his judgment. God has no such imperfections. He is perfect in every way. So why are we so reluctant to seek His direction. 

            We say we want to be more like Jesus, but how is that any different than following the statutes of God? If you want His wisdom and guidance you must agree to do it GOD’S WAY. You cannot be your own boss. You must acquiesce to His leadership in your life. We must know His Word, so we know the promises the Lord has laid out for His children. 

            I posted a piece a short time ago on the “if-then” clauses of God. We must familiarize ourselves with our part of that equation so that the promises will come to pass. We need to ask for what we would like. Not material things, but spiritual things. Things like wisdom, guidance, direction all fall under the spiritual things we should be seeking. James 4:2-3 says, “You do not have because you do not ask. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”

            We must stay in fellowship with the Holy Spirit within us. As true believers we receive the Holy Spirit of God once we submit to the redemption of God. He lives within us to protect, direct, instruct and so on. Work at becoming in tune with Him so that you may recognize the still small voice of God when it comes to you.

            Finally, you must actually ASK FOR divine wisdom and guidance and when received obey what you’ve been told. It’s cannot be “Once I receive God’s guidance I will decide if I will follow it thru”. No. If you want His wisdom, guidance and direction you must determine that whatever it is you will do, otherwise, why bother asking. These are brief guidelines to tapping into the mind of God. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries