What Does the Cross Mean to You?

 

To ME it is a universal iconic symbol of hope & redemption. To others it seems to be nothing more than a piece of jewelry to be worn out in public. So don’t ever assume that because someone wears a cross, whether big or little, ostentatious or plain, that they are a Christian. You would think it would reveal what was important to a person, but it many cases it means next to nothing; no different than any other jewel encrusted bauble. 

In a way it’s kind of like when a person wears a cap for a certain sports team and yet isn’t into sports at all. They wear the cap as a fashion statement. You don’t know how many times I’ve asked guys if they are a fan of the team their cap represents and am told ‘no, I just like the hat’. Okay, whatever. 

It only shows me the incredible ignorance people have regarding the cross’ significance. Regarding what took place on that cross. What it all means. In a way it an insult to the Lord to parade around with some big cross dangling from your neck and not have any clue the price that was paid for freedom from sin that was made available to us by that very act of selflessness.

Autonomy can be a good thing in certain circumstances, but in the eternal scheme of things autonomy only means that you think you can govern yourself without any external assistance. This is not the case. Our limited resources keep us from achieving that which we aspire to. Only an all-knowing, all-powerful supreme spiritual being can do that. Sure, it seems crazy ... to worship someone you cannot see, or experience with any of the 6 senses you were given, but that’s what is required. Reject this notion at your own peril.

So what does the cross mean? It means unconditional love, for love conquers all. It means sacrifice. It means hope. It means true freedom. It means all that and more. Don’t overlook the cross and its significance to mankind. Don’t dismiss it. Don’t disregard it. Instead, focus on it. This iconic symbol provides hope to millions. For it is thru the cross that eternity is established for the common man. 

                  What does the cross mean to you? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Rich Young Ruler

"Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “No one is good except God alone" ^{(Mark 10:17-18).}

                  In the gospel of Mark a rich, young ruler kneels before Jesus and starts off his conversation by addressing the Lord as “good teacher”.  It’s interesting that while the ruler had a question for Jesus, the Lord’s response was focused on the fact that the ruler called Him ‘good’. Did Jesus in effect deny His being God? Why would He say what he said if He were God?

                  The rest of Jesus’ conversation with this young man was designed to reveal the man’s true heart condition and motivation. Jesus asking why the man called him ‘good’ was possibly referencing the statement in Psalm 14:3, where it says, “there is no one who does good, not even one.” Therefore, He was not denying His own deity, but rather pointing out to the rich, young ruler that he, in fact, wasn’t quite as good as he seemed to think he was.

                  The Lord continued, now about eternal life. A man had to obey the commandments to achieve eternal life with the Father. The ruler assured Jesus he had kept all the commandments since he was a child. This provided proof, as far as the man was concerned, that he was righteous, but what Jesus said next would test the heart of this man. In verse 21 it says, “You lack one thing: go, sell all you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.” Jesus was asking him to relinquish everything he owned and follow Him.

                  The ruler’s response came without him saying a word, you see, he was very wealthy and wasn’t willing to give everything up to follow Christ. With this conversation Jesus revealed the fact that the young ruler wasn’t good, but selfish, choosing to retain his material wealth over obedience to the Lord. The reality is that he can’t take his wealth and belongings with him when he dies, and those resources could one day potentially dry up. 

                  After Jesus ascended to heaven, the apostles would shine a spotlight on the contrast between the law and salvation by faith. Following the law was rigid living, following Christ was filled with grace and truth. The young ruler walked away dejected, because he thought living out the law each day was the right thing to do. It was normal for Jews of that day to assume allegiance to the law was necessary to get to heaven, Jesus’ existence and ministry blew a major hole is that premise. He was the very essence of grace and truth.  John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” 

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

In His name & for His glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.compellingtruth.org

POSSESSIONS

 

            To possess something is to own it. People accumulate a multitude of possessions in a lifetime. Some are worth keeping, some are expendable. Those would be the things that have little to no value. Other possessions have intrinsic value, in that they are essential to one’s life and well-being.  

            There are things that we need and things that we want. Desires do not equal a need. Our desires are driven by what we feel we must have. We must come to the understanding that all things that we desire are not essential to life. Take salvation ... it is essential to ones existence both now and in the future, but many have no desire for it because they don’t understand their need of it. 

            The most important possession is something that we cannot own, but rather something that owns us. God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. He seeks to possess your heart, for in possessing your heart He will be able to mold you more into His image. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh.  The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, resides in us once we receive Christ into our lives. These things do not possess us in the purest sense of the word, but rather possess us because we are no longer our own. We’ve been purchased by Christ’s blood. We are not possessed as in being slaves to the King, but are more the children of the King with all the benefits that come with that title. 

            We are compelled in scripture to submit to the will of God, knowing that He ALWAYS has our very best in mind. To believe that we must attach trust to our faith, for I believe they go hand in hand. To have faith without trust is empty faith. If you don’t trust God, then what’s the point of believing in Him. If we possess nothing of any eternal value then what’s the point of living at all. The things of this world are valueless to God; yet the things that have immense value to God are things that spring forth from the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To acquire these traits makes you more like Jesus. Those are attributes that we all need to possess. That way we are able to BE Jesus to others that we encounter in life. The most profound witness is to exhibit Godly characteristics in your daily life and exhibit them regularly. As St. Francis of Assisi once said, "Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words." While hearing the gospel is vital to the conversion of men, exhibiting godly qualities preaches without words. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

COMPLACENCY

The dictionary tells us complacency means to be “extremely content”. From a Christian perspective it would be as if there was nothing new to learn about God. You slowly become comfortably numb in your self-contained tomb of religiosity. It is so easy to fall into the trap of complacency. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

You CAN be at peace and achieve contentment thru your relationship with Christ. However, that type of contentment comes from resting in the arms of the Lord, not ‘resting on your laurels’. * When complacent, you become no threat to the enemy, just as you were before you knew Christ. 

I have often said that our relationship with the Lord must be cultivated, as with a garden. It takes work and an earnest desire to know Him better. With some folks it is twice as hard because of their lack of ability to block out the outside world. I resemble that remark. My concentration has always been horrible. I pray for that which I need concentration-wise and as a result find that the ONLY time I’m able to concentrate at all is when I’m writing about God. So I certainly understand why some folks struggle, but with God’s help complacency can be averted.

It is God’s desire for us to succeed in all areas of our life. For that to happen we must tap into the source itself. Allow the Holy Spirit to have his way in you. It is imperative that we become lesser as He becomes greater in our lives. We must surrender to God. Without surrendering to the will of God for our lives we will be like a rudderless ship on a stormy sea.  

Living for God is far from a complacent experience. Of course, having said that, it is what you make it. The ‘free choice’ we’ve been given came at a monumental cost, not to us, but to Christ. We must realize the depth of pain Jesus suffered for you and me ... willingly. With no hesitation Christ endured the savage brutality that was levied against him on his way to Golgotha’s hill. We need to fixate on all of that. The passion of Christ. See it in your mind’s eye and realize the immense price that was paid to not just cover up our sin, like a coat of paint, but completely and for all time eradicate it.  God will NEVER throw past sins up in your face ever again; it is the devil who excels at that.

Living for God can be exciting, and it is meant to be. There’s no chaos, only opportunities to bless others and as a result bless yourselves in the process. The thought of complacency disappears when you do for others. That has to be a deliberate action, not something you feel you must do to please God, but rather a concerted effort to escape yourself and live for others. This is how you can allow the Holy Spirit to speak thru you to those who are in need. You can be the door that leads people to a life with Christ.

So cast off the thought of becoming complacent in your faith and allow yourself to be used by your Heavenly Father to expand His Kingdom. While it may not always be easy, it will prove to be well worth it.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* To be satisfied with one's past success and to consider further effort unnecessary.

God’s Good Work

 

Philippians 1:6 “… being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

When you give your life to Christ a “good work” has begun. First of all, you are forgiven of every sin you have ever committed. The proverbial slate has been wiped clean. You have begun to think differently. You have begun to act differently. People start to notice that something is different about you. Your conscience is clear. You have been justified … “just as if I’d never sinned”. But maintaining that initial freshness of salvation requires work on your part. Life can be a cruel task master. Your senses become bombarded with things from all directions.  The enemy of your soul knows your weak spots and isn’t afraid to head straight for them. So here is a question for you. Do you think once you give your life to Christ He is going to leave you to your own devices? 

That “good work” that Christ began in you the day you received Him is still going on. Every day new challenges come your way. How are you supposed to act? What do you say? What would the Lord do in this situation? Or perhaps you don’t consider any of those things and just wing it based on “what you know” from your life experience. Understand that God doesn’t go anywhere. Scripture tells us that He “neither slumbers, nor does He sleep”. He is constantly mindful of all things that concern you. And He will never let you go wandering off unless that is what you really decide you want. Even then He is there, watching. He knows how everything turns out. He is in the past; He is in the present and He is in the future. He is walking with you where you are right now, and He is standing at the end of the road. He is working this “good work” in you all the time. 

In past writings I have shared that God knows everything about you so utterly and completely that no one could ever know you any better. Like a mechanic who works on something he has built from scratch, He knows His creation inside and out. He knows what you need and is adding things to your character as time goes by. Be assured that God has no intention of giving up on you. He will never drop you off by the side of the road. If you end up on the side of the road it has been by your own choosing. If you dedicate your life to being all God wants you to be then you will realize all that God has for you.

According to our verse today, He will never stop applying layers until Christ returns. If God does not seem to be near, you have to ask the question “where did I go?” because God is all around us and hasn’t gone anywhere. He IS and WILL complete the work He has begun in you. Don’t fight it. Succumb to it. Allow Him to make you everything He knows you can be in Christ. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

What Things Are Christians to Judge?

 

Contrary to the mistaken idea that Christians should never judge (often wrongly attributed to Matthew 7:1), people who serve God are told to judge many things. Here are a few issues and areas of life that require us to make judgments.

Doctrine: Is it sound or flawed (1 Timothy 4:1, 16; 2 Timothy 4:3-4)?

Religious teachers: Do they teach truth or error (Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:29-31; Colossians 2:8; Revelation 2:2)?

Morals: Do we accept and live by godly standards or those of the world (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)?

Friends: Do we choose them wisely (Proverbs 12:26; 22:24-25)?

Culture: Do we strive to live godly lives or strive to be accepted by the world (1 John 2:15; Revelation 18:4)?

Ourselves: (2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves.”)

It is not our job to judge people in the sense of condemning them. The responsibility for that kind of judgment is given to Jesus Christ for believers at His Mercy Seat, and Almighty God for non-believers at the Great White Throne Judgment. All judgments are completely fair and merciful (Psalm 96:13; Acts 17:31; John 5:22). 

God expects us to exercise discernment regarding what is godly and what is ungodly so we can live in obedience to His good and beneficial laws (Deuteronomy 10:13 – “...you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.”). That wording makes it sound dictatorial. In reality, we are to obey because only God knows what is good for us. That being because He knows all that can possibly be known. It is a matter of trust. Do we trust God enough to lead and guide us thru our life by the person of the Holy Spirit? The answer to that question needs to be ‘yes’. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name and for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Repentant Heart

 

            The Lord loves a repentant heart. It would appear from scripture that no matter what we may be guilty of, if we repent with a “sincere & contrite heart” than we shall be forgiven. God’s love doesn’t change toward us because of what we think, say, or do. God’s love for us is unconditional. It NEVER changes. 

                  An example of this is found in scripture. Let us set the scene: Bathsheba’s husband, “Uriah is dead. Bathsheba was raped. The resulting baby will die. And Nathan (the prophet) says, “The Lord has put away your sin.” Just like that? David committed adultery. He ordered murder. He lied. He “despised the word of the Lord.” He “scorned God.” And the Lord “put away [his] sin” (2 Samuel 12:13). What kind of a righteous judge is God? You don’t just pass over rape and murder and lying. Righteous judges don’t do that.” But the Lord did. You see He knew David. He knew his heart. Yes, what David did was terrible, a gross sin, and he paid dearly for them all, for the consequences of his sinfulness was the death of the infant Bathsheba bore him. David acted selfishly and arrogantly with a person he had no right to be with. Because he was king he felt he could do as he pleased with no repercussions. How foolish. God knows all that can be known, so David might have fooled those around him, but God is not mocked, what you sow, so shall you reap.                 

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8 NIV)

                  The Lord knows us down to our core. He knows what drives us, what moves us, what influences us. He knows our heart; the seat of our emotions. ^[1] He knows when we are sincere and sorrowful about something we had done and when we are not. We cannot “fake out” God. Yet, in spite of what we may think, say, or do in this life, God loves us and will forgive us should we repent. Repentance is taking a 180 degree turn from the direction you are going in and begin to follow God’s path. We are all prone to battles with the “old man” who is supposed to be dead and buried, but the enemy won’t let him die completely, allowing that old ungodly nature to rise up at some pretty inopportune moments. Our focus must be on the Lord at all times to ward off the fiery darts of the enemy. ^[2]

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] “Historically, the heart has been considered the seat of emotions. Ancient civilizations like Egypt and Greece believed the heart was not just a physical organ but also held emotions and wisdom. Philosophers like Aristotle thought the heart was the center of both emotions and intellect.” _{[https://www.saybrook.edu/2009/03/09/emotion-heart-heart/]}

_[2] “In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” [Ephesians 6:16 Common Standard Bible CSB] Satan cannot be everywhere at once since he is not God, yet Satan attempts to attack every believer he can. Like a military commander, he can attack Christians indirectly through his demons.