Always Remember / Never Forget

 

“In the Bible, honor is defined as the esteem, respect, and reverence given to individuals, God, or principles, derived from the Hebrew word kavod (meaning "weightiness" or "glory") and the Greek word timē (meaning "value" or "price").  It is not merely an internal attitude but a multifaceted action that involves recognizing inherent worth, showing deference, and often accompanying respect with obedience or appropriate attention.” ^[1]

                  In life we honor those who risk their lives protecting others. Law enforcement, military, fire fighters, etc. In this day and age there are many factions who attempt to discredit those who lay their lives down for another. While the reasons are not clear to me why anyone would do that, I shall always honor and respect those who have done that which I was unable to do. 

            It doesn’t seem all that different to me than the honor we are to have for Almighty God, whom I respect and revere because of who He is and what He has done for me. The “heroes” that exist today are special and are to be honored by remembering their acts of supreme bravery in the face of adversity. Thank you Lord for these brave souls both living and dead, who neither seek nor require any accolades, but for me have earned them, nonetheless. Let us remember our fallen heroes this day and every day for without their bravery and self-sacrifice our world would not be the same. Bless and honor their memory always. 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] www.biblehub.com; www.biblestudytools.com

My Imperfections / My Prayer 

I’m far from being perfect. The things I’ve said and done throughout my life would make a blind man blush. There are times when I would wonder if I had gone too far for God to forgive me, then I remember when Moses was forgiven for killing an Egyptian man. I remember when David slept with Bathsheba and though there were harsh consequences for his actions, he was still referred to by God as the apple of His eye & a man after God’s own heart.

How can that be? I know God doesn’t wink at sin, but I also know He doesn’t hold our transgressions against us once we seek forgiveness. He knows the sincerity of a person’s heart and that makes all the difference. All that encourages me, but I still end up wondering if God might wash His hands of me because of my continued wayward thoughts and innocent but hurtful words and actions. Perhaps I am harder on myself than the Lord is with me. I guess that’s because I have felt like I haven’t pleased a whole lot of people in this life by just being me and I want so desperately to feel the warm embrace of my Lord when all is said and done. I don’t want to be spit out of His mouth for being lukewarm.  

Please continue to be patient with me Lord. I’m trying to be the best version of myself with the Spirit’s help. Don’t leave me to my own devices. While my faith and trust in you doesn’t waver, my behavior does from time to time. Without You I am nothing more than a shipwreck of a man. Humble me and lead me down the pathway You have laid before me. I love you Lord and I want to be with You throughout eternity. Help me overcome my poor tendencies and become more like Your Son a little more each day. Thank you.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Note: This spilled out of me recently & I thought maybe some folks out there may relate to all this. It isn’t staged, but rather how I truly feel in my heart. Does this resonate with you? Have you ever felt this way? rlk

God’s “If-Then” Clauses

 

            An “if-then” clause is a conditional statement that lays out a condition that when fulfilled provides a certain expressed result. Example:  If we repent of our sins & believe in Jesus Christ, then we shall receive salvation. The fact of the matter lies with Jesus final words spoken while He hung on the cross. In John 19:30 Jesus says, “It is finished.” In other words, there is nothing else that needs to be done to cleanse one of their sins. Once He says His final words the “If-Then” clause is activated. 

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God says, “If my people … shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” God’s “if-then”clauses are very specific. There is no mistaking their meaning. Conforming to God’s way is imperative for it is the only plan of redemption provided by our creator. We MUST do something or abstain from doing something to make these clauses become valid and useful. Taking this whole Christianity thing seriously is the key to receiving total and complete forgiveness for everything we’ve done both knowingly and/or UNknowingly.  

This isn’t a matter of doing something to MAKE God provide a positive result. The purpose of the conditional clause is to let you know that God has chosen of His own free will and out of His deep, abiding love for His creation to provide a certain position outcome as a result of your obedience and submission to His condition. THAT is what God’s “if-then” or conditional clause is. Pay attention when you read scripture, because ... “The Bible contains approximately 1,600 to 1,637 instances of the word "if," which functions as a conditional conjunction.  This count is divided into roughly 993 occurrences in the Old Testament and 602 to 608 occurrences in the New Testament, with nearly half of the New Testament instances appearing in the four Gospels.” ^[1]

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1]  https://www.ogchurchofchrist.org/Sermons/the-biblical-word-if/ & https://moreofhimministries.org/if-then-but/

PUBLIC ENEMY

          The way things are going in the world today being a follower of Christ could just make you a “Public Enemy”. I fear that persecution is coming to the homeland, if it isn’t already here. The Christian is the only threat to Satan’s reign over this world. God allows what takes place and persecution may be on the docket for the not too distant future. Stay strong. Stand tall. Fear nothing. Trust God. Perhaps it will not touch you and those you love personally, but pray for peace and the reality of man’s need for salvation. God wins in the end.

            Did you realize that we are HATED by some segments of society. That’s right, literally hated!! They don’t take the time required to understand what we stand for or what we believe, they react emotionally based on what “important” people have said or are saying. Satan fuels the hate; you can be sure of that. 

            It is imperative that believers lock in on their beliefs and not let them fade over time.

Don’t be distracted by worldly endeavors that take important time away from either God OR family. The devil will find that weak link in your chain and fire away at it until you either rebuke his efforts or succumb to them. Become keenly aware of that which is taking please all around you. Unfortunately, we are human; clay in the master potters hands. We can break very easily if not handled properly. The Holy Spirit is the person that holds things all together, unless we venture down a tangent path against his warnings. Submit to the true Master of the Universe; our Creator God. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Is Christianity considered a philosophy?

 

            Christianity is considered a religion with elements of philosophy; however, it’s not solely a philosophical way and thinking and living. It has been influential in religious thoughts throughout the ages. From reading my posts you should know that I do NOT consider true Christianity a religion as much as it is a persnal relationship with Almighty God. 

            By definition religion is “an organized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices” and while that is primarily true, I see it as something that is far more intimate and personal. Something that is more individualized.

            First of all, Christianity is centered on the life, teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It involves faith and trust in the same. Philosophy looks at questions about God Himself, human nature, morals, ethics, and the nature of reality. The Christian theologians thru the years have put together systematic theologies to attempt to answer life’s challenging questions regarding religion.

            Secondly, in Christianity, the human condition is defined as a state of being created in the image of God but currently existing as a fallen, sinful creature separated from Him.

Christianity provides a template to understand morality, man’s purpose, and the human condition. Philosophy provides a set of circumstances related to our existence, our limitations, and our shared experiences, all which constitute human existence, such as, birth, growth, emotion, aspiration, conflict, ethics and mortality.

            The key difference between the two is that while philosophy seeks knowledge and understanding thru human reason, Christianity involves both faith and revelation. In other words, Christianity is more than simply a philosophy, though it does incorporate philosophical thoughts, ideas, and methods. It’s a school of thought that has a rich history of philosophical thoughts, ideas, and reflection.

            To tie it all together Christianity is not a philosophy, yet does have elements of philosophical thought in it. Our main tool for knowledge and reflection is the Word of God. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Permission Needed

 

“Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Legion,’ he replied, because many demons had gone into him.  And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.” [Luke 8:30-33 NIV]

 

We get a clear picture of the hierarchy of God in the Book of Job when Satan came into the throne room of God to seek permission to come against Job. The above account of Christ’s dealing with the demon possessed man brings into focus that which we already know. God, and by association, Jesus, is far superior in every way to Satan. Hence the demons in the man HAD TO BEG Jesus (repeatedly) not to be thrown into the abyss. Now why would anyone beg another for anything unless they were subservient to them in some capacity. Jesus granted the demons PERMISSION to do that which they requested. They entered the swine and they plummeted over a nearby cliff to their death. They sought permission from the Son of God, which essentially was the same as seeking permission from God directly.

This event shines a light on God’s power and authority over all in His creation, even the author of evil. When it comes to God’s children, nothing can happen that isn’t either caused or allowed for His greater purpose. Those type of trials are nothing more than lessons in faith. Do you trust the Lord today to protect you from the evil one? You should because the Lord is our ultimate weapon against evil. The forces of darkness can do nothing to a bonafide believer in Christ unless He allows it. Remember that. The devil is a toothless lion [1 Peter 3:8].

1 John 3:8b says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” The devil’s activities are what he seeks to do to destroy everything associated with Almighty God. That following is a list of his diabolical deeds: sin, rebellion, temptation, ruling the world, persecution & accusation of the saints, instigation of false teachers, and the power of death. These acts cannot infiltrate the life of the believer unless they open the door to it.

In spite of 1 John 3:8b stating destroying the devils works is “the reason” He came, there are other reasons as well, primarily to restore the sinless condition to the heart of man.

Remain focused on the One who saves your soul and not the loud one who seeks to disrupt and bring chaos. He truly has no hold on any of God’s children. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The MacArthur Study Bible; The Life Application Study Bible.

I Have a Question 

What is True Happiness?

 

Happiness is an emotion arising from a sense of well-being, joy, and/or contentment. Everyone wants to be happy, but happiness, as our ultimate goal, can be elusive. People may make decisions based on what they think will make them happy, then experience despair when happiness never comes. People who assume that God wants them to be happy may justify activities clearly prohibited in the Bible by arguing that such choices are necessary for happiness. But is our personal happiness God’s ultimate goal for us? 

We were created by God in His image, and we know happiness is possible because God is happy. When God created the first man and woman, He placed them in a garden and filled it with everything they needed to be happy (Genesis 1:29–30; 2:8–9). But they fell for the lie that happiness is contingent upon having everything they wanted (Genesis 3:1–6). Their failure to acknowledge God as their Source of happiness led to sin and banishment from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23–24). From that day on, humanity has struggled to regain the sense of happiness that Adam and Eve experienced in the presence of God.

God wants us to be happy but not at any cost. His goals for us are higher, broader, and more lasting than fleeting happiness (Isaiah 55:9). In fact, the pursuit of happiness is not spoken of in the New Testament. Instead, we find repeated commands to deny self (Mark 8:34), take up a cross (Luke 9:23), and consider oneself dead to sin (Romans 6:6–7). These instructions may appear contradictory to the idea that God wants us to be happy. How can we be happy when we must choose the opposite of what we desire?

God’s path to happiness goes a different direction from the path we would naturally choose. Sinful actions can usually be traced to one foundational lie: that we will be happier if we do this thing. But God says, “How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!” (Psalm 1:1, CSB). God delights in confounding the wise by using foolish things to accomplish His purposes, weak things to shame the strong, and lowly and despised things to magnify His glory (1 Corinthians 1:27–28). The psalmist says that we are happiest when we are delighting in God’s promises and commandments (Psalm 112:1).

God wants us to be happy, but the temporary thrill sin provides is not true happiness. Sin can produce feelings of happiness as long as we are getting what we want. Augustine of Hippo rightly stated in his fourth-century book Confessions, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” The truth is there is a “God-shaped vacuum” in the heart of every person, and that void can only be filled by God through Christ, not by any created thing. Happiness is a gift from God that can be fully known only in proper relationship with Him.

God does want us to be happy, and He has provided all we need for life and godliness through Christ Jesus (2 Peter 1:2). He has designed the human heart to experience its greatest ecstasy in worship, its deepest satisfaction in serving, and its greatest love through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are living in fellowship with Him, we can expect to be happy regardless of our temporary circumstances (Philippians 4:11–13). Our goal is the prize awaiting us in eternity, so we can endure earthly difficulties while remaining full of hope (2 Corinthians 4:17). When our joy and hope are based on that which cannot be taken away, we have found true happiness, and God is pleased. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries