Word for the Day

Thoughts From a Random Mind

            When people say they have to be good so they can get to heaven, what do they mean? Obviously, they mean that all it takes to spend eternity with Almighty God is to be good. Good by what standard? There has to be a universal standard in place. What one person thinks is required to be classified, as a good person will not be the same as someone else. That’s simply human nature. Humans tend to look out for themselves first. This is what makes God’s standard for living so different. Jesus taught that we are to do to others, as we would have them do to us. This is not a conditional instruction. We aren’t to do this as long as they reciprocate in like manner. No, regardless of how they respond we are to treat them as the Lord would have us treat them and as the Lord treats us as well. This is how we become a light shining in darkness. This is one way to draw someone out of darkness into the light of Christ.

            We are not a good people. Even Jesus said in the Gospels, “Why do you call me good. No one is good except for your Father in heaven”. If even Jesus isn’t considered good, then what hope is there for us?  There is no way to become good enough to earn entrance into heaven. This is exactly why God became man and dwelt among us. This is why he ministered to the people. And this is very specifically why Jesus allowed himself to be beaten and bruised, then spiked to a wooden cross. His sacrifice was once for all time. That is being selfless. That is being far more than good that is being godly and righteous.   

            A question you can ask a borderline believer or person outside the family of faith is “If all it takes to get to heaven is to be good, then who determines not only what is good, but what is good enough?” Man is woefully unqualified to determine what is good or bad. Pre-conceived notions, regional / cultural differences and our emotions make it nearly impossible to be just and fair with our standard of living. Only a Supreme Being can make that determination. Believe what you want, but make sure you’re right because an eternity is a very, very long time. Only God can be trusted everyday, all the time. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing. rlkeller

Thoughts From a Random Mind

            Is it possible to tell when someone is being judgmental even when they don’t say a word? I think it is. As a matter of fact even when I end up seeing a person as a creation of God a lot of times my first impression is one of judgment. Not judgment as in condemning them to hell or anything like that, just that maybe I don’t want to interact with that person based on their appearance or the way they’re behaving. The Lord is helping me to stop and think on the following things regarding the person in question: 1] Realize that person was once someone’s child. 2] Wonder what type of upbringing they had; did they grow up in a hurtful or loving home environment? 3] Have they made some bad choices that have brought them to their current circumstances? These are all elements that can have an adverse effect on a person’s ego and their mental & emotional makeup as in how they process situations they may be confronted with. Maybe they know the Lord and are just fine. They are just having a hard time financially. Maybe they’re doing exceptionally well and feel no need to mingle with those ‘beneath’ them.

            There have been times in my walk with the Lord (a total of 41 years) when I have purposely gone up to a person that looked like they needed a blessing and many times just saying HI, shaking their hand, asking them their name and if nothing else, offer a brief prayer of blessing for the person can change their entire disposition. Sometimes I sit down next to someone or maybe they sit down next to me and I engage them in conversation. If the Lord ends up coming up then all well and good, but if he doesn’t, when you’re done chatting, offer to pray for them anyway. There aren’t a whole lot of folks who will turn down prayer. Many people have responded to me “thank you, I need all the prayers I can get.” Now chances are many of these folks may not be believers or at least believers we are accustom to, but God created that person and he wants a relationship with them. Perhaps our being kind to them or briefly praying that God bless their life might be a seed planted or perhaps the watering of a seed planted by someone else.

            This world is a harsh, cold place where self-absorption is rampant (even by some Christians) and arbitrary violent acts seem out of control. We are Christ’s Ambassadors … we need to stand out in the darkness for the right reasons. We must trust God and obey his standards found in scripture. It’s not binding. It’s not restrictive. Believe it or not it is liberating. Living as God designed us to live is not without difficulties, but with his abundance of grace and mercy, along with his patience we can be led down his narrow path to heaven. We have such a wonderful gift; we need to share it. Ask the Lord to lead you to people he knows are be ready to begin the journey of a lifetime. Funny how when we go to be a blessing we end up blessed as well. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller 

Thoughts From a Random Mind

                  I have a dilemma. I‘m a people pleaser. I want everyone to not just be happy, but also be happy with me. I am slowly finding out that is a difficult path to follow once you encounter friends and family members who have a problem with you living your faith. There are some people, at times very close to you that will reject the thought that God comes first over everything and anything else. You cannot please those people unless you renounce your faith in Christ and dive into the cesspool they’re floating in. At the very least they will expect you to place themabove God in your life.  I suppose that type of scenario exists in every family with limited exceptions. 

            Our relationship with God is intimate and personal. No one can take it away from us. Only we can decide to walk away. Some folks struggle a lot more with their faith walk than others, however, it isn’t meant to be a struggle. It’s the old white dog / black dog illustration. Whichever dog you feed the most will grow and overwhelm the other dog. The white dog represents your spirit man. The black dog represents your old nature.  Once you receive Christ in your heart and life it’s as if the ring announcer grabs the mic and says “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble”, because your old nature will be relentless in his effort to knock your spirit man out.

            You simply must feed your spirit man. If not don’t blame God or anyone else for your troubles. You’ve done it to yourself. The world will sing a siren’s song to get you to stumble and fall, but it never has to be that way. Satan is a toothless lion whose roar is much worse than it’s bite. No one on this earth can be relied upon the way Almighty God can. Not being able to see him and know without a shadow of a doubt that he exists is a problem some folks simply cannot overcome, but that wouldn’t be faith. So many people turn to liquor, drugs, mindless sexual encounters or even suicide in their attempt to rid themselves of their problems, but nothing can rid you of that pressure except Jesus.  Trust what you know in your heart is right and true. Rely on him even when the answer to your prayers hasn’t yet come. You can’t do this, but God can and he’s given you the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. Look to him for directions. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Thoughts From a Random Mind

          I’ve had problems with patience in the past. Thankfully I have grown spiritually over time and handle many more situations with an appropriate amount of patience. But I still do wrestle with it from time to time. When someone and / or something keeps me from proceeding then patience spills over to frustration. I don’t get angry a whole lot, but I can tend to get very frustrated and that is unnecessary and counterproductive. 

         By definition ‘to frustrate’ can mean to “thwart or prevent someone from accomplishing or fulfilling a purpose or desire”. It can cause “feelings of annoyance or discouragement”. Making ones efforts ineffectual can end up being very frustrating, but the Lord just wants us to take these things in stride and with godly patience be the victor. It’s an acquired trait that comes with time. 

            Life can be a very difficult challenge, but if we keep our eyes on the Lord things will work out, as they have been ordained to work out. Isn’t it possible that God himself is slowing down the process because he has something better in store? Or maybe we made a poor decision and the Lord is allowing us to go thru the consequence phase of the event so we learn how to make a better decision the next time. You see the focus shouldn’t be on anyone or anything else. Only God knows the future from the past and can guide us thru to the place he wants us to be. He does nothing to harm us, but rather covers us with his grace* so we feel the presence of his Spirit in and all around us. Trust in the Lord no matter what circumstances you are facing. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

1.  To prevent (someone) from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart.

                  b.  To cause feelings of discouragement, annoyance, or lack of fulfillment in.

2.  To prevent from coming to fruition or fulfillment; render ineffectual

* unlimited / undeserved favor

Thoughts From a Random Mind

           I have a confession to make – I don’t like people very much. I’ve gone so far as to purchase and wear a tee shirt that says, “Dogs are my favorite people”. Now don’t get me wrong, that isn’t a blanket statement, but rather a general statement. I have some friends I am very close with. I enjoy working in the culturally diverse workplace to which I am employed. It is the general populace that rubs me the wrong way. They can be rude, inconsiderate, bombastic, crude, divisive, deceitful, and that is to name just a few.

            I find it curious that the word ‘dog’ spelled backwards is ‘god’. I can only go by the dogs I’ve had in my life as an example, but they all seemed to exhibit the loving qualities that appear in 1 Corinthians 13 … the ‘love’ chapter in the Bible. Now I know they aren’t human and this all may seem a bit crazy to you, but I’m serious when I say to you that some people could learn a lesson or two from a dog.

            Regarding my not liking the general populace, it’s a problem I’ve dealt with for a while now. I’ve been praying that the Lord allows me to see others, ALL others, the way he sees them, with unconditional love and mercy. No judgment whatsoever. I’m working on it understanding that I am under construction continuously and may not have reached my goal until I get to the other side. God is good and faithful and loving and patient and compassionate with us all. We should be grateful for that because if we got what we deserved we’d all be bound for an everlasting hell. Think about that for a moment. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing. rlkeller 

Thoughts From a Random Mind

              My wife and I went to a funeral Thursday night. Her Aunt Frances had passed away. Funerals are peculiar in a way. Family and friends congregate near the casket discussing what’s new with their lives. The only time you see some extended family members is at funerals, weddings or family reunions, with the first two being the more frequent meeting venues. It’s kind of surreal in a way. People share the myriad of problems they’re dealing with while the deceased lies so serene, one hand on top of the other, resting comfortably on their chest. Aunt Frances looked peaceful. My understanding is that her spirit and soul had already left their body. So the lifeless body is truly just a flesh tent to house said spirit and soul. Where is Frances? Is she standing in a large white room waiting for her name to be called like sitting patiently in a waiting room of some sort? Is her soul and spirit in some sort of limbo until the final trump is sounded (1 Corinthians 15:52)? I don’t know for sure. What I do know is what scripture tells us… that the final trump shall sound and the dead in Christ shall rise first, to be followed by the rest of God’s family. Heaven is no doubt a very peaceful place.  No angst. No pain. None of life’s little frustrations. No problems to deal with, not to mention no longer have to take all the prescriptions we now take.  From scripture we can see that Jesus is a very peaceful man. And we will be with him forever. I look forward to eternity with Christ even more than retirement, which is coming within the next few years.

            If only we could remove negative emotion from our behavioral database, but unfortunately we can’t.  The Lord wants us to be at peace without a care in the world just like the person in the casket. That may sound like an odd comparison, but that is what the Lord can provide… peace that passes all earthly understanding (Phil. 4:7). The world knows nothing of it. They fret and stress and drive themselves to distraction, but nothing changes. Prayer changes things, not fretting. Lasting peace and eternal hope come thru our relationship with the Lord and no other way. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Thoughts From a Random Mind

                  As much as we are not supposed to judge others, I find myself doing so quite frequently. How about you? The reason God needs to be the sole judge and not me or you and anyone else is that we act and react based on our emotions at the time. God is the ultimate example of what is fair and just. He will never discipline in anger or judge based on physical appearance, behavioral attitude or ideology*. He is the perfect one to judge all peoples. He is influenced by nothing but his deep abiding love for each one of us. Take note, God doesn’t have corporate love for the entirety of humanity, but rather individual love for each person in his creation. We were all created with a unique qualities and behavioral characteristics. How we utilize those qualities and traits will determine what we do, don’t do and where we end up in this life.

            We willingly serve a deity that always has our best interests at heart. No matter what our reality may appear to be, things will always work out for our benefit in the end because we have relied on the Lord. Regardless of your situation God is with you and standing at the end of it all at the same time. His presence is ubiquitous, as in; the Lord is all places at the same instant. That’s nearly impossible to wrap your mind around, but it’s true. That is a faith issue because it is scientifically and logically impossible to understand, let alone prove. Faith, simply put, believes in something or someone without understanding or experiencing it with our senses. 

            Former Christians are now tools of the enemy to cause strife and division amongst the brethren. We aren’t to judge, but pray and show mercy in love. It’s not all that easy, especially with family. The temptation can be to write the person off in favor of loyalty to God. That seems like a selfish, simple way of dealing with an uncomfortable situation. Steer clear of the apostates if you feel you must, but never stop praying for them to come back to the Lord. In the end God MUST come first in spite of our propensity to please others. It’s so much easier to go along with someone you may be at odds with then invite a possible conflict. We need to come to grips with the fact that we may need to risk every worldly thing dear to us. That results in our Spirit man being nourished and our maturation as a believer beginning to take off.

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

* a set of beliefs

Thoughts From a Random Mind

            I’m seeing people who once said they were Christians begin to fall away from the faith. Either things have become too hard for them and they blame God or ignorant of what scripture says they really don’t know God at all. They falsely view God’s commandments as nothing more than a list of do’s and don’t. Where once they dug deep for spiritual nuggets, they have regressed back to being spoon fed. They listen to anything and everything without discernment, which can only lead to confusion. We must know what we believe and why we believe it.

            The bible refers to this as the apostasy or a falling away. The exact definition of the word apostasy is “the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.” It is “embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous religious beliefs.” They are then known as an “apostate”. Scripture says that a person who once knew the Lord and turned away is worse off than someone who never knew the Lord in the first place (2 Peter 2:20-22). That person becomes anathema or cursed by God. 

            To guard against being sucked into the vortex of the world you must feed your spirit man religiously each day. A bible verse to meditate on during the day, a devotional reading, a full blown bible study, prayer, reading or listening to reliable, Christ-centered teaching, fellowship in or outside of church with the brethren are all ways to feed your spirit man. Don’t let your guard down. The devil is shrewd and will strike at your weakest point without warning, but he is a defeated foe. He knows it, God knows it and now you know it. Stand firm in your faith. No one can take your faith in God from you, but you can let it dry up and die. Don’t let it! Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing. rlkeller

If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and turned away from the holy commandment passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” – 2 Peter 2:20-22

Thoughts From a Random Mind

          As believers in Christ we are to love the Lord first and foremost and let his Spirit lead and guide us thru this hazy existence. He must be our top priority. It isn’t always easy, especially when family is involved, but scripture says family will be divided over faith issues (scriptural citation), friends will become enemies. We must be prepared to lose everything for the sake of Christ. It may not come to that, but we cannot allow this world to alter the course we are on. We can’t let worldly things dictate our mood or decision-making. What’s right is right and true will always be and what’s wrong and false shall always be that way. You can’t alter reality to suit your own beliefs. You also can’t alter your beliefs to suit your reality. As I’ve said many times before, God is the only constant in a sea of inconsistency. Let him be your anchor. Don’t let the wiles of the devil and this world’s sinfulness grab you by the throat. 

            You are a child of the King and you will always be his child. Let other agendas fall by the wayside. We are to follow one and not multiple leads for that will lead to chaos. We must train our ears to hear one voice and not a multitude of voices. Tend to family issues and events but not to the exclusion of all else. Practice the godly traits of mercy, compassion, patience, loving kindness and forgiveness each day. Be Christ to a lost world. Stand your ground in the face of all opposition. Stand up against social injustice. Always think, speak, act and react based on biblical principles and nothing else. A silent Christian is no threat to Satan; it’s when we begin to speak up on behalf of freedom and righteousness that he moves against us. Do what is right and know that God is pleased with you. Love God above all else and allow that love to motivate you continuously. The Word of God is truth and light. Wear it like a banner of hope across your chest. May God bless our efforts on his behalf daily. Amen. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller 

Thoughts From a Random Mind

           I’m rereading a book I read a number of years ago by Donald Miller called ‘Blue Like Jazz’. I remembered it being a really thought provoking book so I bought myself another copy just before Christmas. I’m only on chapter 4 but something struck me as I was reading … Don was having a conversation with a female atheist he met at a small liberal arts college in Oregon. They were discussing the state of racism in Christianity and Don said, “I understand (racism) is a terrible & painful problem, but in light of the whole picture, racism is a signal of something greater. There is a larger problem here than tension between ethnic groups. …self-absorption. If you think about it, the human race is pretty self-absorbed.” He continued, “…as a human, I am flawed in that it is difficult for me to consider others before myself.” “If we, as a species, could fix our self-absorption, we could end a lot of pain in the world.” “Later that same day his atheist friend ‘hinted’ that she agreed about this problem of self-absorption. She called it sin.”^[1]  

            The notion of self-absorption is interesting to me because I have been saying that for a few years now. We are all selfish to a point…every one of us. At least I know I can be. Scripture talks about being selfless, which obviously is the opposite of being selfish. All I want is a comfortable life with as little stress and conflict as humanly possible. Being a Christian can be stressful at times. Conflicts arise simply from the fact that I am a Christian. I try to be Christ as best I can with the continued help of the Holy Spirit, but the pull to satisfy self is strong & I fail being selfless quite frequently. My wife is far more selfless than I am. I admire her for that quality. Still I strive to be more like Christ each day, regardless of the daily end result.

            Self-absorption is a sin. Even an atheist says so. Don, in response, asked how she could believe in sin but not in God? “I just do,” she said. Don replied, “But you can’t.” To which she replied, “I can do what I want.” Don feels she will come to the Lord some day.

            Self-absorption is a big problem. We must follow Christ’s example & not act as though we are more important than anyone or anything we encounter each day. God will meet your needs so you can be used to meet another’s needs. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: ^[1] Blue Like Jazz, by Don Miller, Thomas Nelson, p.41.

Word for the Day

NOTE: Since my Brief Look at Fasting will take more time to prepare I will continue to work on it and present it when I feel it will glorify God the most. Please pardon the delay.

rlkeller

Bread of Life Ministries

Word for the Day

Starting this coming Monday we take a brief look at biblical fasting.

You won't want to miss it.

rlkeller

BOM

Word for the Day

A Brief Look at the Prophet Malachi

“The Day of Judgment is coming, burning like a furnace…but for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.” – Malachi 4:1-2 _NLT

                  Malachi was the last written prophet and the final prophet before the 400-year gap till the coming of the Messiah. His name means “my messenger”. This book was written in roughly 430 BC. 

            Repairing relationships between 2 or more created beings can be difficult but repairing a relationship with God is infinitely easier because of his mercy, grace and unconditional love. As you have seen throughout this series of devotionals on the Minor Prophets, the Jewish people have had a rollercoaster existence with their God. Warnings regarding their disobedience seemed to be continual. Sometimes they repented, other times they didn’t listen and suffered the loving judgment from a Heavenly Father that sought their undying devotion. This book is yet another warning to the people of Jerusalem, capital of Judah, regarding their sins and broken relationship with God.

            Malachi’s words reminded the Jews of their willful disobedience. In other words, they knew what to do, yet did the opposite anyway. Their broken relationship with their God was due to the following sins: 1- Showing contempt for God’s name (Mal 1:6); offering defiled sacrifices (Mal 1:7-14); led others into sin (Mal 2:7-9); broke God’s laws (Mal 2:11-16); called evil ‘good’ (Mal 2:17); kept God’s tithes and offerings for themselves (Mal 3:8-9); and had become arrogant. With God nothing is beyond repair. Grace is undeserved favor. God chooses to administer grace and mercy because he knows his creature came from dust and to dust will return.

            The Prophet shares a promise from God that tells of the coming of the prophet Elijah, who will offer God’s forgiveness to all people thru repentance and faith (Mal 4:5-6). The prophet Elijah was the greatest prophet who ever lived, yet it was not Elijah raised from the dead, but rather Elijah in the form of John the Baptist who would announce the Messiah’s coming. 

            In the final (4^th) chapter, Malachi gives us all some practical guidelines regarding our commitment to God. He deserves our absolute best each day; we must be willing to change our wrong ways of living; we need to make our family a lifelong priority; we should be sensitive to God’s refining process in our life; we should tithe our income and leave no room in our hearts for pride. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

A Brief Look at the Prophet Zechariah

“Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey’s colt…. Your king will bring peace to the nations.  His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.” – Zechariah 9:9-10 _NLT

            The purpose of the Prophet Zechariah’s message was to encourage the people of Judah as they completed the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and give them hope by revealing God’s future plans regarding the coming of their Messiah.  The prophet encouraged them to put away all sinfulness and remain pure until their Messiah comes. They were cautioned to avoid hypocrisy, shallowness and sin in general.

            Zechariah made sure the people understood that the Messiah was not coming upon the completion of the Temple. As it turned out Messiah wouldn’t come for another 520 years. This is exactly why followers of Christ must have patience. God’s timetable often does not line up with ours, yet he is never late. Knowing the beginning from the end and everything in between is the reason why. While it can be difficult for man to accept that the Lord knows what is best for them at all times, it is a learned trait that must be cultivated. It’s simple really…God knows and we do not.

            God was not at all pleased when his people ignored his prophets. Disobedience has always been the Jewish peoples problem back then.  It was the root cause of all their misery thru the years.  In spite of that, God was merciful and forgave when forgiveness was sought. Just as Jesus told his disciples to forgive others 7 x 70 times (which was symbolic for always forgiving others), God will forgive us an infinite amount of times as long as our heart is sorrowful and we have every intention of turning from our bad behavior. This was encouraging news for those inhabitants of Judah then and it should be encouraging news for us now. Imitate Christ and be free from sin. Recognize your place in his world and follow the Lord daily with a servant’s heart. Until next time, walk with the king and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

A Brief Look at the Prophet Haggai

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’ Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: ‘Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?’” – Haggai 1:2-4 _NLT

                  All the Minor Prophets up to this point had been sent by God to issue a warning of impending judgment due to sinful behavior. Haggai was commissioned to give a message to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Jeshua, the son of the High Priest to finish what they had started. The backstory is that in 586 BC the people of Judah were taken captive to Babylon and the Babylonian armies completely destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.  Once Cyrus, king of Persia, had allowed the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem in 520 BC the Lord had told the Jews thru Haggai that they were to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.  The people, under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, began the rebuilding process.

            Over time the people became more concerned with building beautiful homes for themselves than complete the Lord’s Temple. In addition, they had begun their sinful ways again. God was not pleased with the priorities they had set and had Haggai remind them that God must always be their first priority.

            It stands true for us today as well. If the Lord is first in your life he will be with you to lead and guide, to strengthen and encourage. But if you do as you please placing yourself and your own needs as your first priority the Lord will not be with you.  To illustrate, having the Lord as your first priority is like walking into a pitch black room with a flashlight. Placing yourself and your own concerns first is like walking into a pitch black room with no light at all to show the way.

            The Jews finished the Temple but those who remembered the majesty of Solomon’s Temple, destroyed just 66 years earlier were disappointed with the new Temples inferior appearance. Haggai encouraged the people that the glory of this temple would far surpass that of the one, which preceded it.

The most important element of the new Temple was the presence of the Lord. Is the presence of the Lord real to you? Is he the top priority of your life? He needs to be, for if he is he will be with you and guide you thru this tangled web of a life. Until next time, walk with the king and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible. 

A Brief Look at the Prophet Zephaniah

“Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you – protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.” – Zephaniah 2:3 _NLT

            The prophet Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah and a predecessor of Habakkuk. Like Habakkuk before him, Zephaniah was sent to Judah to warn them of their sins. In their prosperity they had forsaken the Lord.  Even today it is a great temptation to shrug off ones need for God once one is financially set. That is unfortunate, because we need the Lord everyday, all the time to endure this life into eternity. Complacency is a terrible enemy of faith and Zephaniah was warning the people of Judah that if they refused to repent of their sins the entire nation, including the great city of Jerusalem, would be destroyed. Sin, if unchecked, will grow in depth and breadth like a wind blown fire, raging out of control. But know this, those who sin will pay the price for their continued insolent behavior.

            Chapter 1, verse 1 thru chapter 3, verse 8 speaks of God’s day of judgment. The final 12 verses of the book (3:9-20) speak of a day of hope. Read the language used to describe the judgment coming against Judah. “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord. “I will sweep away people and animals alike. I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea. I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble, and I will wipe humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord. It is very clear that God’s anger burns against sin. It is something we must avoid. Our goal isn’t perfection; it’s our attempt at perfection in spite of continued failures.

            “A day will come when God, as judge, will severely punish all nations. But after judgment, he will show mercy to all who have been faithful to him. We will all be judged for our disobedience to God; but if we remain faithful to him, he will show us mercy.”* Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

* Note from p.1933 in the book of Zephaniah. 

A Brief Look at the Prophet Habakkuk

“I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy.” – Habakkuk 3:2

            This is a book of questions and answers. Habakkuk, who was commissioned to serve as a prophet for the Lord in 612 BC, asked God questions to try to understand why the evil and gross injustice continued to thrive in the world around him. The righteous seem outnumbered as those who do evil thrive. When will it all end, asks Habakkuk. 

            The Lord’s first reply to the prophet involved his causing Babylon to rise up to great power. They were a cruel and evil lot that completely destroyed anything that was in their way. Judah’s last four kings at that time were wicked men who did not fear God. The Lord used Babylon to punish Judah for their wicked ways by having Babylon invade them twice before destroying them completely in 586 BC.

            God replies to Habakkuk’s queries by saying to be patient for the evil in the world shall not go unpunished. The prophet couldn’t understand why the Lord did nothing about the wickedness in society right then. The thing Habakkuk came to understand from God’s replies was simply this: Instead of questioning what the Lord is doing, we must come to the realization that God is totally just and have the faith to trust and believe he is in complete control. Understanding that it isn’t a large leap to accept that one-day evil itself and those who do evil will be utterly destroyed. It will happen at God’s appointed time. 

            Delays in receiving answers to our prayers aren’t always God saying NO, but perhaps not yet  instead. We must never take matters into our own hands, but instead rely on the fact that God is never wrong and is never late. Question God all you want, but be sure to stay spiritually tuned in to hear his answers. 

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

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

A Brief Look at the Prophet Nahum

“The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust him. But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood.” –Nahum 1:7-8a

            Nahum was the prophet that spoke a warning for the 2^nd time to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. After repentance following Jonah reluctant missionary journey to warn the Ninevites of impending doom for their many sins (between 785-760 BC), they had fallen back into immoral behavior once again. 

            The city was now called a “city of murder” (3:1). They were a cruel people, judged for their pride, idolatry, lies, treachery and social injustice. Nahum predicted this great and powerful nation of Assyria would be utterly destroyed because of its sins. The end came within 50 years of Nahum’s proclamation. The statement that illustrates the Lord’s infinite power and might is found in verse 9 where the prophet says: “(The Lord) will destroy you with one blow; he won’t need to strike twice!”

            With Jonah, some 100 years before, they heard God’s message of judgment and repented in sackcloth and ashes. This time around the Ninevites ignored the warning and continued on as if no judgment would be coming. They relied on alliances with other nations and military power, not realizing that no power on this earth can protect them from God’s fiery judgment. It comes with such force that it cannot be stopped.

            This book presents a clear message to all mankind … “Anyone who remains arrogant and resists God’s authority will face his anger.” We must remember that God alone can truly rescue us from fear or oppression. It is the Lord in whom we must place our confidence because he alone rules all of history, all the earth and all of our lives. *

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

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible. 

* Notes on P.1915 of the Life Application Study Bible.

A Brief Look at the Prophet Micah

“Attention! Let all the people of the world listen! Let the earth and everything in it hear. The Sovereign Lord is making accusations against you; the Lord speaks from his holy Temple.” – Micah 1:2

            Micah is a book that speaks of God’s wrath and his love. God was angry at both the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. His anger burned against Israel, for their rebellious spirit and Judah, for their multitude of sins. Micah lists the sins: fraud, theft, greed, extreme indulgences, oppression, hypocrisy, heresy, injustice, extortion, lying, murder and other offenses. God’s patience was being tested. His judgment will more specifically include the false prophets, dishonest leaders and selfish priests in both Israel and Judah. When the people mixed their own selfish motives into their religion the result an empty display of religiosity thus perverting true faith.  

            The thing that we today seem to lose sight of, just at the Jews back then, is that God hates all sin. Sin in its simplest form is disobedience to the standard of God. His hatred burns against it with an all-consuming fire that destroys. If you doubt the reality of his hatred for sin look at what happened to Nineveh in 612 BC. The Babylonians and the Medes completely leveled the city so that it exists no more. God arranged that as judgment for their falling back into sin. 

            Micah speaks in chapter 4 of the Lord’s future reign. At this time according to Micah 4:4, “Everyone will live in peace and prosperity …”.  This is speaking of the Millennial Reign of Jesus on the earth. The Lord promises 1000 years of peace and prosperity. He also promises judgment and punishment for those who will not follow him. Both are certainties that share transpire at their appointed times. 

            Some simply cannot believe in a God who would wipe out all who do not obey him. They see him as tyrannical … a dictator of sorts; a ‘do what I say or die’ type of ruler. There’s a little more that goes into it then that. God set up standards that were universally fair and just. Man, in their ignorance and arrogance, felt he knew better than the God who created them and he still does today. Man wants to be autonomous, relying on no one but himself or herself. It’s a faith issue. Facts and associated proof are not forthcoming for that negates the need for faith. We may consider all the warnings of the Minor Prophets to Israel and Judah to apply to us today as well. “God wants us to change our present behavior because of what we know about the future. Forever begins now; and a glimpse of God’s plan for his followers should motivate us to serve him, no matter what the rest of the world may do.”^[1]

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

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

^[1] Taken from the note for Micah 4:12 from p.1905 of The Life Application Study Bible.

A Brief Look at Jonah - Part 2

“When God saw what (the Ninevites) had done & how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind & did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.” – Jonah 3:10 _NLT

            Have you ever been angry with the Lord? Well Jonah was very angry when he saw the immoral, evil people of Nineveh led by their King repenting before the Lord God in sackcloth and ashes. This redemptive event upset Jonah greatly. In chapter 4 Jonah complains to God that he knew he was filled with unfailing love, mercy and compassion. Jonah knew God wishes for all to become saved from his wrath. Since he saw with his own eyes the miracle of redemption from all 120,000 of the inhabitants of this evil city in Assyria, he told his God he would rather be dead. 

            This is a wonderful example not only of God’s compassion and mercy on display to a non-Jewish people in the Ninevites, but also the patience and mercy he shows his Prophet Jonah. Jonah messed up, relented, fulfilled God’s mission but was angry at having to do it. God asks Jonah if he has the right to be angry. Jonah didn’t reply but rather made himself a shelter by the edge of the city and waited to see what would happen. The Lord caused a leafy plant to grow there with the purpose of providing shade from the hot sun. Jonah was grateful for the shade. Then God sent a worm to eat thru the stem of the plant, thus causing it to whither. The sun grew hot and God arranged a strong east wind to blow. It must have seemed to Jonah as if he were in an oven.  He grew faint and wanted to die. God asked Jonah if he was right to be angry because the plant died. Jonah said ‘yes’, then the Lord wanted to know what the difference was between the people of Nineveh and the plant. Jonah did nothing to put the plant there, God did. It came quickly and then died just as quickly. The book ends with God asking the question that Nineveh had 120,000 spiritually dead people. Shouldn’t Jonah feel sorrow for such a great city?

            The message we should take from this is that we are to show mercy toward the unsaved and pray for their salvation, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done to you or to society in general. All have a right to taste God’s mercy, no matter what we may think.  The Jews didn’t want to share their God with anyone outside of their own country, even though that was the mission God had placed upon them from the beginning. The one thing they had forgotten and we also may have lost sight of is that no one deserves to be forgiven. I don’t, you don’t and the Israelites back in Bible times didn’t either. It is by God’s incredible grace and mercy, with a strong dose of patience, that we are allowed to live and not be destroyed. God judges, we are his conduits of mercy. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

A Brief Look at the Prophet Jonah - Part 1

Purpose: To show the extent of God’s grace – the message of salvation is for all people.

Author: Jonah, son of Amittai.

Who was this a message to: All of Israel.

When Written: Approximately 785-760 BC.

Setting: Jonah preceded Amos & prophesied during the reign of Israel’s most powerful king Jeroboam II.

            Nineveh was located at a northern most point of what is called “The Fertile Crescent” within the borders of the Assyrian Empire. In existence for approximately 3000 years, Nineveh had been known for its decadent behavior, thus earning the name ‘The Evil City’. God commissioned Jonah, a Jew, to “get up and go to the great city of Nineveh.” Jonah found this mission to be distasteful. He knew of their evil ways and frankly didn’t want to see them repent. He wanted them to be punished for their behavior. So Jonah went in the opposite direction from Nineveh securing passage on a ship leaving for Tarshish.

            This book is a lesson in the mercy and patience the Lord has with his children. Knowing full well what Jonah’s thoughts were and where he was going he caused a violent storm to rise up and toss the ship he was on. The fearful crew on the ship prayed to their gods to no avail. Knowing his running from God was the cause of this fearsome storm he told the captain of the ship to toss him overboard and the sea would become calm again. They tried to avoid doing this until it became apparent that was the only way the crew would be saved. 

            Now God arranged for a great fish (most believe it to be a whale) to swallow Jonah and he was inside the fish for 3 days and 3 nights.”* On the Lord’s orders the great fish spit Jonah onto a beach. A 2^nd time God spoke to Jonah saying, “go to Nineveh and deliver the message I have given you.” This time Jonah obeyed and the king of Nineveh repented along with the entire city.  There is a sad end to the story in that the revival lasted until shortly after 600 BC, when the Ninevites returned to their sinful ways. God sent another (unnamed) prophet with a warning of destruction. This time they didn’t listen and in 612 BC Nineveh was completely destroyed. – More on Jonah tomorrow. Until that time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

* This event makes Jonah an OT type of Christ. Jonah was 3 days in the belly of a whale; Jesus was 3 days in the grave. 

A Brief Look at the Prophet Amos

“This is what the Lord says: ‘The people of Damascus have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished.’”– Amos 1:3 NLT

The Purpose: to pronounce judgment upon Israel (the Northern Kingdom).

The Author: Amos of Tekoa in Judah.

When Written: Approximately 760-750 BC

The Setting: Israel’s wealthy were living in peace and prosperity and as a result had become complacent. God’s problem with them was how they were oppressing those in need, even selling them into slavery. 

Their punishment:  Israel would be conquered by Assyria and the rich would be sold into slavery.

            This is yet again another prophecy of warning to the people of Israel.  The economic blessing that the Lord had bestowed upon them had caused the people to become selfish and materialistic. They had begun to ignore the needs of the poor and less fortunate. Their self-centeredness caused them to become indifferent toward God. The Lord could have turned away from Israel due to the sinful disobedience, but his love for them ran so deep that he instead chose to punish them as a parent would punish a child. This was done as a means to bring the people to repentance. 

            Understanding that sin cannot intermingle with a holy God, Amos spoke out boldly against those who both exploited and ignored those in need. What Amos’ message from God was saying to the people of Israel and for that matter, the believers of today is that believing in God is much more than just ones individual faith. According to this writing all believers are to work against societal injustice and aid those who are less fortunate.

            During the time period Amos was prophesying, two other prophets were active in delivering God’s message; they were Jonah and Hosea. 

            I stated in one of my books that it matters little to God that you acquire wealth. The real issue is how you got it and what you do with it. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller 

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

A Brief Look at the Prophet Obadiah

“The day is near when I, the Lord, will judge all godless nations! As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All our evil deeds will fall back on your own heads.” – Obadiah 1:15

            Obadiah happens to be the shortest book in the Old Testament. Very little is known about this man whose name means “servant or worshiper of the Lord”.  His audience was both the Edomites and the Jews in Judah (the southern kingdom). Edom was southeast of Judah with only a portion of the Wilderness of Zin separating them. 

            The Lord was angry at Edom for their constant harassment of the Jews. This prophetic book shows how God judges harshly all those who have harmed his people.  The following is the 16^th verse of the prophecy: “Just as you swallowed up my people on my holy mountain, so you and the surrounding nations will swallow the punishment I pour out on you. Yes, all you nations will drink and stagger and disappear from history.” God, in fact, did wipe Edom off the face of the earth never to rise again. “God will judge all people according to the way they treat others, especially believers (Revelation 20:12-13). Jesus talked about this in Matthew 25:31-46.”^[1]

            “Obadiah brought God’s message of judgment on Edom. God was displeased with both their inward and their outward rebellion. People today are much the same as people in Obadiah’s time, filled with arrogance, envy and dishonesty. We may wonder how much longer evil will continue. Regardless of sin’s effects, however, God is in control. Don’t despair or give up hope. Know that when all is said and done, the Lord is still sovereign and the confidence you place in him will not be in vain.”^[2]    Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

^[1] Taken from notes on p.1885 of the Life Application Study Bible.

^[2] Taken from notes on p.1886 of the Life Application Study Bible.