Oxygen

                         “Your blood oxygen level (blood oxygen saturation) is the amount of oxygen you have circulating in your blood. It is essential to life; our bodies need a certain amount of oxygen to function properly. Oxygen enters your body through your nose or mouth when you breathe (inhale) and passes through your lungs into your bloodstream. Once in your bloodstream, the oxygen then goes to cells all over your body. All of your cells need oxygen to create energy efficiently, and your body needs energy to fulfill all of its processes, such as digestion and even thinking.

Once your cells use oxygen, they create carbon dioxide. Your bloodstream then carries the carbon dioxide back to your lungs, and you breathe it out (exhale it) through your mouth or nose.” ^[1]

 

            Psalm 139:14 ^{[New Living Translation]} “I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” Our bodies are pretty impressive. To think that our bodies just happened on their own is foolish thinking. Because of all the intricacies built into our bodies, it would seem logical that we were constructed by someone greater than we are.

                  We are given a free will to think and believe whatever we’d like. It’s too easy to blow off things we don’t understand for many things require research. Many folks are simply too lazy to take on that challenge. They don’t see looking into it as important or necessary. However, isn’t it better to acquire as much knowledge as possible on a given subject than just forget about it. 

Without oxygen we cannot live. Christians believe God provides everything we need to live, which means He provides us with oxygen. As it says above, “oxygen is ESSENTIAL” to living on earth. Without it you would suffocate and die. 

                  People are willing to believe many things without proof because it just sounds right to them. But believing that a god who is above all created us and watches over us is too out there; too unbelievable to comprehend.

                  In my estimation it requires more faith to believe in the THEORY of evolution than to believe in the existence of God. There is no proof that man came from amoebas or anything of the like.  Just a bunch of unproven theories and speculations. Believing in God is a faith thing. You cannot prove God exists. A person’s belief is based on the writings found in the Bible, a chronicled account of the creation of living beings, their history, their sins, and God’s plan to save His creation from themselves. That is a basic understanding of what the bible has in it. There’s definitely a lot more to it, but that’s essentially it in a nutshell.

                  Too many people in this world find it is much easier to ridicule or attack people of faith than to try to understand their beliefs. It’s a shame really, but we live in a war zone every day of our lives. The enemy of our souls ramps up his attacks regularly. We must wear the spiritual armor God provides for us thru scripture. Stand up for truth as you believe it and never stop trusting and living on behalf of our God. And also remember that every breath you take is courtesy of your Heavenly Father, who loves you with an eternal and unconditional love. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22447-blood-oxygen-level

What is Christian Atheism?

         Christian atheism, also called non-realistic Christianity, is a bizarre form of quasi-spiritual philosophy that keeps the forms and practices of Christianity while denying God’s existence. Christian atheists attempt to “de-mythologize” Christianity, doing away with all belief in the supernatural yet maintaining liturgies and corporate worship experiences as meeting humanity’s need for socialization and the communication of lofty ideas.

Christian atheism has roots in the 1960s’ “Death of God” movement, which claimed God actually did exist at one point, but died. According to “Death of God” proponents, when God became incarnate and died on the cross, God ceased to exist as a being independent of the universe. This was the position of Thomas Altizer, one of the earlier proponents of Christian atheism. Modern adherents of Christian Atheism generally believe in a more literal atheism in the sense that they disbelieve that God has ever existed. Of course, in Christian atheism, Jesus is not divine.

Christian atheism, like most esoteric* spiritual approaches, can be difficult to explain in brief terms. There are multiple interpretations and no particular definition to bind them all together. In broad strokes, Christian atheism is a spiritual approach using the teachings and example of Jesus while denying the existence of a literal God. As a result, Christian atheism is entirely focused on earthly concerns and earthly justifications. Religion is a purely human endeavor, and God is simply a projection of a person’s mind. Belief in an afterlife is incoherent within a Christian atheist framework. In fact, Christian atheism generally holds that Christianity, like all religions, is nothing more than a “benevolent lie,” a fiction that makes life easier to understand and control.

All of this is interesting in theory, but, in practice, Christian atheism is really just atheism. Christian atheism is a non-religious, non-spiritual, and non-Christian worldview that borrows biblical terminology and ideas without actually believing in them. Non-realistic Christianity is not really Christianity at all.

What is concerning is the surprising number of people who identify as orthodox Christians yet hold beliefs similar to Christian atheism. It is easy to find clergy who do not believe that Jesus was actually God. Many churches teach that Jesus was merely a good example. Some churchgoers participate in religious practice while openly doubting that God exists. It seems that Christian atheism is not an uncommon approach today, and non-realistic Christianity has made inroads into the church.

The Bible warns against those who, in the last days, possess “a form of godliness but deny its power. Have nothing to do with such people” (2 Timothy 3:5). Christian atheism denies the Father and the Son, a rejection of truth that brings a stern scriptural rebuke: “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22; cf. 1 John 4:2–3).

Christian atheists see themselves as intellectual sophisticates who are smarter than your average churchgoer, who might actually believe that God is real and that the miracles in the Bible happened. But what Christian atheism rejects as “fairy tales”the Bible calls “many convincing proofs” (Acts 1:3). And what the Christian atheist considers an intellectually superior position the Bible calls foolish (Psalm 14:1).

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

 

*Esoteric is intended for or understood by only a small group, especially one with specialized knowledge or interests. A synonym would be: mysterious. Ex: “an esoteric philosophical doctrine.”

Trusting the Lord

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” – Proverbs 3:5-7

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" is a biblical instruction found in Proverbs 3, which encourages individuals to place their complete trust in God rather than relying solely on their own understanding or wisdom. This verse emphasizes the importance of surrendering control and acknowledging God's authority in every aspect of life. The concept is further explained as trusting in God's plan, even when it is not fully comprehensible, and recognizing that His ways are higher than human ways.

In practical terms, this means inviting God into every decision, struggle, and dream, and allowing Him to guide the way forward. It involves a posture of trust rather than self-reliance, and it is often accompanied by a recognition of God's faithfulness and guidance in one's life. The verse also highlights the promise that God will direct one's paths when they are willing to submit to Him. This principle is not limited to spiritual matters but extends to everyday life, encouraging individuals to seek God's will in all they do and to rely on His wisdom rather than their own. It is a call to let go of control and to trust that God has a purpose and plan that is greater than what one can comprehend.

Verse 5 is a complementary pair of commands. We are told, positively, to trust the Lord and, negatively, not to trust our own understanding. Those two things are mutually exclusive. In other words, if we trust in the Lord, we cannot also depend upon our own ability to understand everything God is doing.

Every person must make a decision whether to live his or her life according to personal preference or according to the unchanging Word of God. We often will not understand how God is causing "all things to work together for good" (Romans 8:28), but when we trust Him with all our hearts, we know that He is. He will never fail us (Psalm 119:142; Philippians 2:13).

 

“Trusting in the Lord means every decision you make is done with Him in mind.” – rlkeller

 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

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.