Advent Season – Love 4

“... we were made to be loved by God and to love Him in return. We're called to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to let that love overflow to others around us.” *

As we approach this Christmas Day, let's challenge ourselves to look beyond the surface-level celebrations and contemplate the true "why" behind it all. Let's take time to ponder God's love, to worship in response to that love, and to allow it to transform us from the inside out.

Understanding all that God is and what He has done for mankind, in spite of our indifference and lack of respect, makes the Advent Season mean a whole lot more to us as individuals. We each have our own thoughts, desires, hopes and dreams. Do they involve a relationship with our Creator? Do we look both inward and upward to find our full potential as believers in Christ? We should be doing that because our life becomes somewhat meaningless without Christ at the center of all we think, say, and do. As Christians we are to become a reflection of God’s love, kindness, and mercy as we go about our day. He should be interwoven into the fabric of our life so much so that people can see something in us that inspires them to become a better version of themselves. We can make an impact on those we encounter each day by attempting to replicate Christ’s behavior. Sure, we’ll fail, but that is no reason to stop trying. The Holy Spirit will help you if you listen for His inner voice that wants to lead you.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day. It comes quickly and is over in a flash. The celebratory nature of the holiday makes it a fun family oriented time for most folks. But then there are those who have broken homes, those who suffer abuse, some debilitating illness, or severe depression at this time of year. What about them? Do you know someone like that? Have you reached out and touched them with the love of Christ? Have you offered or sought out forgiveness for something said or done either to you or by you? Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to BE JESUS to someone. It’s not all about you. It never has been and it never will be. It’s about God and what we do with Him. It’s about forgiveness offered and accepted. It’s about eternal life with your Creator God. And it all started 2000 years ago in Bethlehem. 

Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing. Look for my special Christmas message tomorrow and enjoy your holiday! Glory to God in the highest, and peace and good will to all men.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

·       The portion in red at the top is from a sermon called “The True Meaning of Christmas: A Love That Transforms”, December 22nd, 2024, by Pastor Paul Boekell.   

Advent Season – Love 3

1 John 4:19 reminds us, "We love because he first loved us." When we truly experience God's love, it changes us. It casts out fear and replaces it with love – love for God and love for others. This is how people recognize true disciples of Jesus, not by their doctrine or good deeds, but by their love for one another (John 13:34-35). *

            Once again I tap into the sermon of Pastor Boekell. Let’s take a look at John 13:34-35 (NLT) and expound on it, shall we? 

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

In a world where hate is on the rise, love wins out. Love always wins out. Loving acts are far more impactful than hateful acts. Hate breeds resentment, anger, and retaliatory thoughts and actions. Love, on the other hand, quells anger and defuses resentment. Even when hate appears on the surface to win over love, the power of love enters into the hateful mindset and changes it eventually to see thru loving eyes. It may not always happen that way, but considering where the very nature of love comes from, it stands to reason that love is far more powerful than hate. The visual results of hate are plain to see as it destroys that which surrounds it; however, love constructs positive, lasting feelings of peace and contentment. That is something hate can never do.

Hate stems from a level of fear, but love blossoms from a root of divinity, in that it originates with God. God IS love. His very nature is based on a foundation of love. Love isn’t something that He created, it’s something that He IS. It’s not an easy thing to comprehend, but it IS something you can feel. True love is found in God, yet millions of people, hell bent on disrupting God’s plan for mankind, seeks to destroy all vestiges of true love.

History cannot be changed. What happened 2000 years ago cannot be erased. Christ was born, lived, and died for you and no amount of hate can ever change that. Do you believe that this Advent Season? Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

·       The portion in red at the top is from a sermon called “The True Meaning of Christmas: A Love That Transforms”, December 22nd, 2024, by Pastor Paul Boekell.   

Advent Season – Love 2

1 John 3:16 tells us, "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us." In Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, we see the fullest expression of God's love – a love so great that no cost was too high. *

            How do you recognize love in people? Is it not in the way they treat others? It seems to me that being a loving person can be seen by the way others act. Words are cheap, but actions tell a person’s true story. 

            God revealed His love for us by putting it on display for all to see. That is how to ensure that the love is seen with ones own eyes. Telling someone you love them is all well and good, but showing them makes it real. 

            Making promises is great, but following thru on those promises establishes a base line by which people can know you in a personal way. God can be trusted because everything that He promises in scripture has come to pass up to this point in time, therefore the base line established is that He can be trusted. So if He says He loves you, and He has, all you have to do and look to Christ to see the evidence regarding that love.

            During this Advent Season, make sure your focus is on the love of God and how He feels about you, rather than becoming fixated those things we receive or the things we do not yet have. God sent His only Son to live among us and die in our place; the ultimate act of love. Never lose sight of that.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

·       The portion in red at the top is from a sermon called “The True Meaning of Christmas: A Love That Transforms”, December 22nd, 2024, by Pastor Paul Boekell.   

Advent Season – Love 1

       “Christmas love is fundamentally understood as God's self-sacrificial, unconditional, and transformative love, demonstrated through the birth of Jesus Christ. It is not merely a seasonal sentiment or human affection, but a divine initiative where God, out of deep compassion, sent His Son to reconcile humanity to Himself. This love is described as steadfast and loyal, going beyond mere emotion to involve tangible actions, culminating in Jesus' sacrifice for the sins of the world. The true meaning of Christmas centers on this love, which is freely given and available to all who receive it in faith, transforming lives and inspiring believers to love others in return.

Christmas love is rooted in God's initiative: ‘We love because he first loved us’. The season invites individuals to slow down, ponder God's love, and live it out through acts of kindness, forgiveness, and generosity.” ^[1]

This sentiment is from the pastor at Mercy Village Church in West Virginia. I like what he has to say here. Love is transforming. No matter how difficult your life has become, real love can make things seem different. The burdens of life don’t seem so heavy. Your troubles seem to evaporate, like steam rising from a boiling pot of water. Love forces you to reevaluate yourself and your situation. God’s love is even more powerful a force than human love, though human love is a wonderful place to start.

At this time of year, when finances are tapped and hope seems fleeting, God wishes to remind us that all is not lost, nor will it ever be extinguished. Hope came in the form of an infant child; Almighty God in the flesh. The second person of the Triune God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God. What Christ did for mankind is the clearest illustration of real love that shall ever exist. Would you die for another person? Knowing your death would be horrific and traumatic. Knowing that the pain you would feel would be greater than any you’ve ever felt. Would you willingly do it? Christ was born to die for us all. That speaks loudly of hope, peace, joy and love so much so that it cannot be denied. Feel God’s love this Advent Season. Bask in it and rejoice. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] www.mercyvillagechurch.com

 

Advent Season – Joy 5

            The Christmas season is filled with all sorts of happy times based on family traditions. A tree to decorate, gifts to wrap, eggnog, special cookies, time spent that builds memories. For a follower of Christ these times are extra special simply because of the reason we place on the season. It is a joyous time, as it should be. It’s a time for reflection, a time for forgiveness, a time to humbly thank God for His grace. It all makes it an exciting, yet reflective time.

            Some believers suck the life out of the holiday by being pharisaical in their approach to it. They erroneously wish to ban the tree and sap the celebratory nature of the season, replacing it with nothing by quiet, almost monk like reverence toward God and the season. Now don’t get me wrong, time for quiet reflection and reverence toward God is never wrong, unless it is mandated to the exclusion of all else. 

            We need to realize that joy isn’t just an emotion, but rather something that has its roots in the divine. True joy is realized once we embrace the true sentiment behind the celebration. It can be a very pleasant time of year where problems, while they don’t disappear, seem somehow less important. To the person who has established an intimate relationship with their God, it can be a very profitable spiritual time for them.

            Knowing you are celebrating the holiday by living in alignment with your beliefs brings a certain level of joy and contentment, because after all, isn’t that what we’d like; to be content with our lives because we know they align with the standards our Father in Heaven has set forth. Reflect on your celebration at this time of year and see if it is all it can be unto the Lord. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Advent Season – Joy 4

Comparing earthly joy with celestial joy...

 

Earthly joy refers to temporary and imperfect pleasures derived from material and worldly experiences, which are ultimately fleeting and unreliable sources of contentment. It is often associated with external circumstances, such as success, possessions, or sensory pleasures, and can be easily lost or diminished when those conditions change. While earthly joy may provide happiness, it lacks lasting fulfillment and can distract believers from their spiritual focus, as it is contrasted with the eternal rewards of heaven. It is sometimes described as superficial, lying on the outside like dew on a leaf, and is not deeply rooted in the heart.

In contrast, celestial joy—also referred to as heavenly or divine joy—is a profound, spiritual fulfillment that transcends earthly experiences. It is not dependent on external circumstances and remains constant even in suffering, as it is rooted in a relationship with God and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Celestial joy is described as inward, pure, and enduring, like a spring of water running underground, hidden from the world’s view. It is a gift from God, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and is characterized by deep satisfaction, inner peace, and a lasting sweetness that surpasses all earthly delights. Unlike fleeting earthly joys, celestial joy is abiding and eternal, symbolizing a foretaste of the everlasting pleasures found in God’s presence. It is associated with spiritual fulfillment, divine approval, and the ultimate hope of believers for eternal life.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource:  www.goarch.org

Advent Season – Joy 3

“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.’” – Luke 2:9-10

 

            Imagine you are a shepherd watching your flock of sheep in the middle of the night. It’s dark except for the light of a multitude of the stars that filled the skies. Perhaps you’ve never seen such a multitude of stars in the night sky because of the massive amount of light pollution that is all around many of us. I have and it is an unbelievable sight.

            So here are some shepherds, at night, alone with their sheep and there appeared before them an angel of the Lord whose glory filled the night. Having never seen anything like this before the shepherds were petrified. We know they were afraid because the angel first said to them, “Don’t be afraid”. Put yourself in their situation. How would you have reacted? The news the angel brought was good & would provide great joy to ALL people. Who is salvation available to? ALL people. Whosoever will...

            As if a lone angel wasn’t shocking enough, soon a “vast host – the armies of the Lord” appeared to give praises to God. Now THAT must have been a sight to see.  Isn’t it interesting that though the shepherds had never had this type of experience before, their fear obviously left them. It would appear that their fear was replaced by a response rooted in faith, awe, and purpose, for when the host of angels returned to heaven they decided to go to Bethlehem to seek out the baby that was described to them. There was written in scripture no explanation for the sudden change in emotion. This transition reflects the broader theme that God’s message of peace and salvation is meant to inspire faith and action, not ongoing fear.

Whenever the Lord is involved, there is always reason for joy. Mixed in with the joy is hope and peace. Mortal man’s joy, hope, and peace are placed in temporal things and therefore cannot last. It is with joy that we celebrate the birth of Christ the Messiah, Savior of men’s souls.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries