NO PLACE TO HIDE

“Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”- Jeremiah 23:24 

            Folks do things that are wrong all the time. They think they are so cunning, that they have actually gotten away with something. All the while they are acting out in full view of God, whether they happen to believe that or not. Christians can take comfort in the fact that there are no places that He does not see us; non-Christians cannot. There is no place on this planet that is hidden from Him. Like a home designer who knows every nook and cranny of a house he drew up, so God knows even the most remote place in His creation. If a Christian has a misstep, there is a need to own up to it, seek forgiveness and move on. God knows all about it, so denying it, acting as if it never happened, is fruitless. Take solace in the fact that God is patient. This isn’t a single elimination reality show; God wants us to succeed, to thrive and be at peace.

            Since God is omnipresent, there is literally no place that He is not. His spirit can be found everywhere. The self-absorbed man sees nothing but themselves and what they are doing; the spiritual man can see God’s presence all around him. Take the time to marvel at the creation of God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Another of God’s Promises: 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.

GOD’S PROMISE

“Because they love me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue them; I will protect them, for they acknowledge my name. They will call on me, and I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will deliver them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them and show them my salvation.” - Psalm 91:14-16 

            When the Creator of the universe says something of this nature, we can count on it. When we love someone, we seek to please them. So, it stands to reason that if we love our Heavenly Father, we are going to strive to live for Him to the best of our God given abilities. As a result, He is going to move heaven and earth to make sure we are safe and secure. We should take great comfort in that. It doesn’t mean calamity won’t come our way; it means that if we are living for God, He will protect us. God uses very specific action words to describe how he will take care of us. Words like rescue, protect, call on, deliver, honor, satisfy. No matter what situation should befall us, God is there and will do as He has promised. That’s how we should view these verses, as a promise. 

            If we acknowledge God for all that He truly is, then we will have the appropriate awe and reverence towards Him and His statutes. We will learn all we can about Him through His word and we will live according to the instructions He has laid out for us therein. God loves us with an everlasting love that is unconditional and shall never change or diminish over time. Love of this kind cannot be found anywhere else this side of heaven and it is free for the asking. No matter what we’ve ever done in our lives, know this, we are not defined by our mistakes. God loves us for who we are, not who we should be. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

THE WORLD FOR YOUR SOUL

“What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul?” - Mark 8:36 

            The world tantalizes with wealth, glitz, glamour and fame. People become slaves to fashion and live paycheck to paycheck chasing that next big event or technological advancement. Their attention is kept focused on anything and everything that promises satisfaction, fun and popularity. The devil is an expert at deceit. Those trifles dangled in front of them are nothing more than a mirage that shall disappear when you need them the most. Christ asks a very poignant question to those following him: what good is it to gain everything and yet have nothing and what good is it to lose your very soul in the process. The time spent chasing after temporal things would have been better spent seeking eternity, for it is in the things that shall NOT pass away that true satisfaction is found. 

            The world scoffs at Christians. ‘Look at all you are missing’, they say. ‘Only the weak-minded need Jesus’, they say, ‘He’s nothing more than a crutch.’ They don’t understand. Perhaps they never will. Christians find hope and peace and true freedom in their relationship with God. It has nothing to do with religion; it is an intimate, personal relationship with our Creator. So, while the world chases after the unattainable, we shall continue to seek God and gain far more in the process than those in the world shall ever possess. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

GOD’S GRACE

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.”- Ephesians 2:8-9 

 

grace noun 1a: unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification; b: a virtue coming from God; c: a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace; 2a: approval, favor, mercy, pardon.

 

            There is nothing we could ever do to save ourselves. We can’t work our way into heaven with good deeds. We can’t buy our way into heaven. We can’t beg or plead. There is one way to get into God’s heaven and it is by His grace. We simply ask for it by recognizing our lowly state and seeking forgiveness for our deeds which have flown in the face of His precepts. Just as an alcoholic must confess that he has a problem and needs help, so must we confess that we are sinners in need of redemption. It requires faith; specifically, the faith of a child. Children have such innocence. Just as they trust their earthly fathers and mothers, so are we to trust our heavenly Father, who loves us without hesitation or reservation. His unmerited favor, His mercy, come in the form of the bloody, beaten, broken body of His only Son, Jesus Christ. 

            To truly grasp the significance of our redemption, we must look to the cross. It is a bloody, gruesome sight. There is nothing appealing about it, yet our gaze must fall upon that horrifying scene to truly begin to understand what God’s grace entails. He paid our sin debt with His own blood. Someone had to do it. He required a blood sacrifice to wipe out sin. He knew no one else was able to pay the debt in full except His own Son. He set it up that way. It was preordained from the beginning of time. It had to take place that way. So, understand that the greatest gift ever given came to us by way of blood, pain and separation; for Christ had to be separated from His Father for a brief time. He didn’t have to be coerced into going all the way to the cross on Golgotha’s hill, He did it willingly for us all. Embrace the cross and you will find grace. I doubt we will ever fully comprehend how great the Father’s love truly is for us. There is nothing this side of heaven to compare it to. Rest in His grace and mercy and find peace. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

 

TRUE FRIENDSHIP

“I thank my God every time I remember you.”- Philippians 1:3 

 

friend noun 1a: one attached to another by affection or esteem.

 

            Although the Apostle Paul is saying this to the church at Philippi, I would like to generalize this scripture to make a point about our own brothers and sisters in the faith; those throughout our lives who have been our friends, not to mention, a wonderful blessing to us through thick and thin. There are those individuals, perhaps family members, perhaps co-workers, someone in your neighborhood or church members, who have meant a lot to our spiritual growth in this life. Some are in our lives for only a short while, a single chapter in our lives, then are gone. They are a true friend to us, and we thank God every time they come to mind. They are encouraging, empathetic, kind, helpful … they are living examples of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. There is a mutual love and respect for one another. No judgment or condemnation comes from their lips. They are understanding and supportive, no matter what we have gotten ourselves into. That is a true brother or sister in Christ; that is a true friend. They don’t condone misdeeds in any way, seeking to be instructive rather than combative, so as not to hurt us and/or drive us away. When a true friendship has been forged, it cannot be severed by age or distance. 

            We all have someone, perhaps more than one, who falls into that category. Actually, a true friend can be somewhat of a rarity. Frankly, our wife or husband really should be our best, most true friend, in addition to being our lover and life companion. God has blessed us with true friends whom we need to thank Him for. They are stabilizers; they help add structure to our lives. God knows what we need and provides these people in our lives to help lighten our burdens as we walk through this valley of tears called life. May God be praised for His wisdom and compassion, for without the friends who enter our lives, our struggles this side of heaven would be much greater. Hopefully we are that type of friend to someone. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

THE MONEY TRAP

“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

Proverbs 23:4-5 

          Wealth is a deceptive thing. One day it’s there, the next day it’s gone. People who amass fortunes see it slip away by way of lawsuits or poor investments. It seems as though everyone wants a piece of the proverbial money pie. ‘If I could just hit it big I would have it made’, says the person playing the lottery. While there is nothing wrong with attaining wealth in and of itself, making it our sole goal in life is dangerous for then we are placing all our faith and trust in our own abilities and in the money we have acquired. 

 

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

 

          The pursuit of wealth is a full-time endeavor. Once a person gets sucked in they are hooked, believing that the answer to every problem is more money. While it can solve a certain set of problems that require money, it cannot purchase forgiveness and it cannot buy them peace. Money is emotionless and cannot provide a way to heaven. Spiritually speaking, one cannot hope to achieve anything of eternal value with money. They may receive the accolades of this world, but at what cost? It is in the acquiring and the use of money that the key lies. If we acquire wealth honestly, do not seek it to the exclusion of all else and use it for the glory of God in a humble manner, then we have achieved something. However, it takes a special individual to accomplish that, one who is well grounded in scripture and has a heart solely after God. We cannot serve two masters and if we are a slave to our money, then it is our master. Don’t be duped into thinking you can control money, because in the end, it controls you. Anything that is truly important in this life is tied to God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

FINDING PEACE

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 4:6-7

          Here in Philippians, the Apostle Paul not only tells us not to be anxious but tells us how to acquire the peace that surpasses all understanding. Every time we encounter a difficult set of circumstances we are to pray. It is a good practice to praise and thank Him for who He is and who we are because of what Christ has done for us first. If we are praising and thanking God, we aren’t worrying. It is very human to worry, but we don’t have to. The peace that God gives us flows through us and cannot be comprehended by mortal man; it is a supernatural phenomenon. It isn’t conjured up by us, but rather administered to us by the Holy Spirit. In our busy, crazy, chaotic world where we run to and fro, it would be nice to have a little peace. Well it is there for the asking, but we must believe. We all know what faith is: believing in the unseen as if it can be seen; believing in things that are not as if they are. If our trust is in Almighty God, faith isn’t that much of a reach. It was required to believe in God to begin with.

          Rest your mind. “But I don’t have time.” Rest your mind. “I am too busy for that.” Rest – your – mind. It isn’t easy to relax at times., but frankly, if we have time to worry, we have time to rest. We get so wound up at times that resting any part of our anatomy is near impossible, but if we seek God and ask Him to fill us with His peace, He will do it. We take on too much. We don’t know how to say ‘no’. We create un-peaceful situations for ourselves at times. Take a deep breath and focus on Christ. Nothing is impossible for Almighty God; NOTHING! Let His Spirit flow through you and you shall be at peace in the midst of any storm. God loves you; without hesitation, without conditions, without regrets. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Seeing God

         “Be still, and know that I am God; …” 

Psalm 46:10 

          In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of each day stands God. We don’t notice Him because He is not in the hustle and bustle. We veer around Him and never even see Him standing in our midst. God is not in the chaos, but rather in the stillness. We see Him when we take the time to quiet ourselves. We feel Him when we sit by the ocean and soak in the sights and sounds of the incoming waves. We sense His presence in the woods or by a babbling brook. We know Him by spending time with Him. It’s not in talking to Him that we experience His true nature, but rather in the listening. Talking comes easily to most but listening and actually hearing something or someone is an acquired skill for us. 

          We play our music loud, our TV’s blare away and conversations with others go on and on and all the while God is there. The Creator of the Universe is quietly observing, patiently waiting for us to notice Him. It’s not when we are ‘vegging out’ or ‘chilling’ that we find God, for it takes a conscience effort to see, hear and feel Him. When we take the time, when we literally seize time by the throat and slow down even for a few moments and make a concerted effort to experience God that we will know He truly is the great and awesome I AM THAT I AM, the Almighty Jehovah God. He is our provider and sustainer. He wishes to meet with us regularly because He loves us and desires our company. He doesn’t need it, but rather desires it. What an incredible thought! Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

FREEDOM TO SERVE

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.”- Galatians 5:13-15 NLT

            Paul’s letter to the Galatian church was written for the purpose of refuting the Judaizers, who taught that Gentile believers must strictly follow Jewish Law to be saved. Paul wished for them to know they were free in Christ, but that freedom wasn’t a freedom to sin; rather it was a freedom to serve.  While it’s true our free will gives us the right to do whatever it is that we wish to do, only one thing will bring us forgiveness, peace and joy. 

            Seeing freedom as a license to sin isn’t freedom at all. This is because you are a slave to someone; whether it is Satan, others, or your own sinful nature. Christians shouldn’t ever become slaves to sin. Their freedom is to do the right thing and glorify God thru service to others. 

            We must never lose our motivation to love others, for when we do we will begin to become critical instead. We will stop looking at the good in them and only see their flaws. We must never compare ourselves to others because we’re all flawed, weak and frail. We are unable to make a sound eternally significant decision regarding anything, especially our own life, without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Treat others the way God treated you. With unconditional love and acceptance. 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.

God’s Love Remains Forever

Psalm 103:15-18 New Living Translation

“Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!”

 

                  We know from scripture that man’s time on earth is but a wisp. It cannot be altered or stopped in any way. As the saying goes, “Time marches on!” This simply means that ‘time continues to pass’. We’re born, we live and then we die. What we make of this life is up to us. If we don’t live for God then chances are we’ll pass from this earth unnoticed. Now that’s not to say that we’re supposed to spend our lives building our own reputation and legacy. That smacks of self-centeredness. Our legacy needs to be established ‘In His Name & for His Glory’. Our accolades are inconsequential. A true believer in Christ takes no credit for those things they’ve accomplished in this life, for what we do should be for the expansion of God’s Kingdom and not our own.

                  On the heels of the truth that we are here today and gone tomorrow comes another truth ... that God’s love for His creation is endless. The Psalmist says to his readers that those who fear him will experience His infinite love. ‘Fear’ here is not being afraid, but rather, viewing Him with awe, reverence, and respect.  If you honor and respect God you are more inclined to obey His commandments and be faithful to His covenant with His creation. 

                  This is no time to have a selfish or rebellious nature in the face of our distressing future. In the end God wins without question. Plant yourself on the right side of life and don’t fall victim to the lies of the enemy. Focus on Christ and all He has done for us. Reciprocate by living a life that is pleasing to the Creator. Obey God’s precepts for in them there is life and life more abundant. 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

GUILT

CONSCIENCE - To have a conscience means to have a sense of right and wrong, and a feeling of obligation to do the right thing. It can also mean having a sensitive regard for fairness and justice.

 

            If a person has NO conscience, it would mean that they have no sense of what is right & what is wrong. They feel NO obligation to do the right thing. They justify their words or actions by what they are thinking or how they feel at the moment. A person with NO conscience is liable to think, say or do just about anything. They tend to be irresponsible (in a general sense). Their world revolves around them and only them, making them selfish. They feel no guilt because their morals & ethics are skewed. 

            A person who HAS a conscience will feel some level of remorse for what he or she has either said or done. They understand the hill that must be climbed to gain someone’s trust back. The pain they may have caused bothers them. If you’re a Christian, you should be seeking forgiveness from the Lord & the object of your error in judgment. Receiving forgiveness from God is a given if sought with the right heart motivation. Forgiveness from the target of your mistake make be harder to come by. 

            At times even when the person WITH a conscience regrets what they’ve said or done, and sought forgiveness, their guilt outweighs the forgiveness achieved.  If you don’t feel you have much of a conscience, grow one with the help of the Lord. Focus on that which is upright & good & fair & just and not those things that create ambivalence in their mind.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

            

Exploring the Trinity

Genesis 2:7 NLT “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the His spirit (the breath of life) into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person (a living soul).”

 

SOUL & SPIRIT

 

It is a blessing that we have three parts; body, soul, and spirit. All of these parts have specific functions. The body is our physical functions and how we feel our physical senses such as the sense of sight, taste, smell, hear, and touch. The soul is basically our mind, our emotions, and our will. It is who we are as human beings. Our soul is our humanity that makes us feel emotions. The spirit is our spiritual and deeper connection with the Lord. It is our way to magnify God through our human limitations. We express our love to God and Jesus Christ through our spirit because this is one of the gifts that Christ gave us when he became human and died for our sins. So we HAVE a spirit, but it is only activated And thus, we can only use the spirit if we believe in God and Christ and if we do the ways of the spirit.

 

God formed man’s body from the dust of the ground, but only the impartation of the breath of God made him a living being. “Physically, man was taken out of the ground. It is quite interesting that our bodies are made up of about fifteen or sixteen chemical elements. Those same chemical elements are in the ground. The physical part of man was taken out of the dust of the ground.” * So if Almighty God gave us life, what are we to do WITH that life? Are we to live whatever way we please or are we to follow His spiritual plan FOR us. As I’ve said before, we don’t have to follow God’s plan if we don’t want to, but unless we understand the BIG picture regarding life and death and what happens when we pass on from this earth, we will continuously make uninformed decisions based on our feelings, rather than our intellect. What is feeding our intellect? It all depends on what we read, watch, and/or experience. Those things will cause our life to follow a certain path. The end is essentially predetermined, in that those who follow Christ will go to heaven and those who follow anything or anyone other than Christ will go to hell. That is our predetermined destination, but where we end up is solely up to us as individuals. Obey God and live a life that will end in victory. The bible continuously makes it crystal clear that God loves His entire creation, which would include both you and me. It should be an easy decision to obey God because He knows more than all of humanity combined. Frankly, He knows all that could possibly be known. We do not have that ability. Why would we seek advice from unsaved individuals who eternally speaking haven’t got a clue what the right move to make is? We were created by God and given the possibility to know Him intimately. No sacrifice we could make would impress or please God. Why? Because it’s NOT what He seeks ... not what He desires from His creation. Obedience, for this is what the Lord knows will lead to the only positive outcome for us. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* (J Vernon McGee, THRU THE BIBLE)

The ENTIRE Serenity Prayer

Normally when we see the Serenity prayer we see the 1^st four lines shown below. In reality, there is a full version of that prayer that people don’t always see. Drink in this iconic prayer that has been attributed to American Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971).  This full version was composed sometime in the 1940’s.

 

“God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

 

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

As it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

If I surrender to His Will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life

And supremely happy with Him

forever and ever in the next.

Amen.”

 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries