My Redeemer Lives

“I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand on the earth.”

Job 19:25

                  After all Job had been through in his life; the loss of family, property and material goods, he could still look up and say “I know that my redeemer lives …” Isn’t it amazing how little some of us are required, by life’s inevitable trials and tribulations, to endure and yet we lose faith so easily? Is not God the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Did He not say that He was “no respecter of persons”, that what He has done for one generation, he would do now? So why do we doubt? Why do we tremble in fear at times over circumstances that come our way? We didn’t ask for it. We do not require it, yet it comes upon us all the same.
            I have learned that ‘everything happens for a reason’ … and I really believe that.  Almighty God orchestrates everything and it lends itself to our own maturation process. It behooves us to be aware of that which is taking place around us. The Lord wishes to bless us, but we end up missing his blessings because we aren’t paying the proper attention.
            In all of the hustle and bustle of this crazy life that we live, we would do well to always remember not only that our Redeemer lives, but also that he has defeated death; therefore, we who believe in Christ and all that He stands for shall not taste the sting of death. While we may taste the temporal death of these fleshly tents we live in, we will never partake in the 2^nd death that is the death of our soul. We will live forever with the Lord.
            When Christ returns, all wrongs will be righted; all injustices will be dealt with; the evil one shall be punished; the righteous shall be rewarded with an eternity in the midst of God’s heavenly glory. Job believed this. Abraham believed this. King David believed this. Paul believed this. All these men were far from perfect. They doubted, lied, committed murder and adultery and still, when redemption came to them, they embraced it with both arms and did not release it until they were with God in the heavens. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

rlkeller - BOLM

Life Lesson - Depression

“A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness or inability to experience pleasure combined with other symptoms including poor concentration,indecisiveness, sleep problems, changes in appetite, and feelings of guilt, helplessness, and hopelessness.” – Depression

Should a Christian ever get depressed?

                  If we were perfect in every way and not prone to stress, disappointment and heartache I’d say we would have a chance. But since we are subject to emotional highs and lows, it stands to reason that we would indeed become depressed at one point or another. God can defeat depression, but we must first let go of the things that drag us down. As it is with most issues we encounter, it becomes a matter of focus or more specifically, what or who we are focused on.

Conquering depression … 

                  It is imperative that we place our sights squarely on that which can alleviate our depression. In this case it’s all about God. He’s provided everything we need to combat and be victorious over depression. I say this from personal experience because I have dealt with bouts of depression from time to time. It can be debilitating if we let it be. If our focus is on that which is causing us anxiety that can lead to depression. Below are listed powerful Bible verses to help you defeat depression. Reading Bible verses can alter your disposition which is an excellent place to start. You want to trust the Lord, but when you become depressed there are times you can barely hold your head up. Negativity festers and drags us deeper into the abyss. It’s like being stuck in quicksand. The more you move the faster you go down.

Scripture has the answer … 

                  Take the time to read thru the following scripture verses as a means of solidifying your faith foundation. Strengthening your faith puts you in the proper position to stand upright and move forward, leaving your depression behind. Sometimes all you can do is cry out for help or ask someone else to pray for you. That’s okay. God understands and wants to help you grow to a place where you can pull yourself out of your funk using the scriptures the Lord has placed before you. 

Make the time to feast on the wondrous word of God.

Bon Appetit!

Bible Verses to Defeat Anxiety / Depression:

Philippians 4:8

Deuteronomy 31:8

Psalm 34:17

Psalm 40:1-3

Psalm 3:3

Psalm 32:10

Psalm 42:11

1 Peter 5:6-7

John 16:33

Romans 8:38-39

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

1 Peter 4:12-13

Psalm 37:23-24

Isaiah 41:10

Christ Made Himself Nothing ...

“… he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death … even death on a cross!” - Philippians 2:7-8 (NIV)

                  In a world where people are constantly striving to better themselves and climb the ladder of socially defined success, it is amazing to me that Almighty God would purposefully and deliberately make Himself NOTHING. He went so far as to make Himself the lowest human form … a servant … a person with no rights or authority. And then willingly allow Himself to be led to a criminals cross to be crucified and as a result die. It is one thing to die for a friend, but to die for a people who do not even know You is pretty amazing. It defies all logic. Yet this was God’s plan all along.

                  We call it a ‘criminals cross’ because that was the common way of putting those who broke the law of the land to death at that time. So even though Christ was not a criminal, He was treated as one in the manner by which He was killed. Eradicate the problem. That is essentially what the religious leaders of the day were doing. Everything about Jesus; His words, His actions, flew in the face of the Pharisee’s comfort zone. They had control over the religious people around them. They determined what God wanted and didn’t want. They defined His laws. They set the temple payment system for the covering of sins. When Jesus came along, just like He eventually overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple courtyard, He overturned everything the Pharisee had set in motion. Instead of rationally discussing matters of the heart with Jesus, they almost immediately plotted to get rid of Him. Christ needed to be eliminated. Unbeknownst to the religious leaders of that day, it was God’s plan for that to take place all along also. He knew their hardened hearts and that they were stubborn and stiff necked. He knew they would fall right into line with God’s plan because they believed in their hearts that they were right, even though they were not.

                  So Christ willingly became like a slave. He did what He was called by His Father to do. He was obedient to the point of death and it was all for a divine purpose … God knew the heart of man. He created him, so He knew him intimately. He knew that man, if given a choice, would choose incorrectly based on feelings and emotions, rather than on what was right vs. what was wrong. This sentiment is still prevalent today. No boundaries create a chaotic existence.

                  A blood sacrifice was necessary to atone or pay for sin. It was the payment system that God put in place to satisfy or forgive our disobedience. It behooves us to dig into God’s word for ourselves to see what is truly required of us as followers of Christ rather than constantly be spoon fed. Christ died for you. Get to know Him intimately and you might be surprised what is really required of you as His followers and what is not. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller - BOLM

We've Been Rescued

“For (God) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Colossians 1:14         Did you ever see yourself as needing to be rescued? We are born into darkness until we see the light. It is only when we accept the light into our lives that we become rescued from the darkness, death and destruction. What have we more specifically been rescued from is a life of sin, outside the family of God and his influence. The scripture says of us that we have been born twice and will only die once; our 2^nd birth being spiritual in nature. This 2^nd birth negates a 2^nd physical death for our spirit never dies.

         If you read the text from verse 9 you can see that Paul asks God to fill those in his presence with “all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives”. There are two thing shown to us here: 1 – God will give us those things we are in need of to live a life worthy of Him and 2 – His Holy Spirit is the conduit by which these things are given to us. 

         Without Christ, our life is under the domination or control of darkness, which permeates this world. It is cloaked so it is not easily seen by the naked eye, but with the eye of the Spirit, is seen plainly. We have been rescued from this world that we are IN yet no longer OF. This world embraces many things that are blatantly evil and easy to spot. However, the enemy works overtime to come up with ways to deceive those who would strive to avoid such things. We need the full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:13) to combat such an evil attack. 
         Be wary of the darkness that surrounds you, but rejoice in the light that reside within you. God has you covered with His righteousness. You are safe. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller - BOLM
------------------------

RESCUE defined: 1. To set free, as from danger or imprisonment; save; 2. An act of rescuing; deliverance.
DOMINION defined: A territory or sphere of influence or control; a realm.

Christ Came to Save All Sinners

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”-

Luke 19:10 NLT

            This is the story of a hated tax collector named Zacchaeus. Tax collectors in Israel were hated because they were considered swindlers and cheats, getting rich off the backs of the taxpayers. He had most assuredly heard of Jesus and now he was coming to his hometown of Jericho. Jesus called Zacchaeus out by name and said “I must be a guest in your home today.” The people were displeased. Of all the people he could have chosen to eat with he chose a sinful tax collector.

            This account reveals two important things we have been talking about. The people of that area judged others but comparing themselves to another. They saw Zacchaeus and presumed they were better than a tax collector both ethically and morally, but they were wrong. No man is good except one. Jesus says in the gospels that not even HE is good, but only the Father who is in heaven. 

            This is just another example of how we are to see others the way our Father in heaven sees them, with kindness, love and mercy. As the saying goes, “But for the grace of God go I.”* Believers in Christ are a most fortunate people. They ought not look down on anyone, especially those economically worse off then they are. Be Jesus to these folks as the Holy Spirit leads you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller  BOLM

* This quote was attributed to:  John Bradford

John Bradford was an English Reformer, and martyr. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for alleged crimes against Mary Tudor. He was burned at the stake on 1 July 1555.

Born: 1510, Blackley, Manchester

Died: July 1, 1555 (age 44-45), Smithfield, London

Education: Catharine Hall, University of Cambridge and Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Life Lesson - Patience

                  Patience is a virtue, a characteristic that reveals moral excellence. Patience without kindness is wasted in that you must be have a proper disposition when you are waiting for this or that to take place. Being patient while being bitter or irritable at the same time reveals a negative picture. Your foul disposition overshadows the patience you are attempting to display. The world is in need of kindness and goodness, not another example of an impatient temperament.

            Biblical patience must be willing to wait as long as it takes for our request to come to fruition. Along with kindness should come peace, for waiting any length of time can become an arduous endeavor. Humans can be as a whole very impatient. This instant society we live in doesn’t help the situation. As you’re waiting have you ever considered that delays may keep you from an unfortunate situation that could potentially change your life forever, say a car accident or being robbed. Learn not to question delays, but understand that delays can be part of the deal. God’s economy doesn’t have built in instant gratification. The answer to the question becomes manifest to us when God knows the best time for the answer to come and not a moment sooner. Our problems arise when we misread God’s sign and push thru to an end result that was not intended.

            Displaying kindness will speak volumes regarding being a positive testimony for Christ. To not be kind is like the person who goes on a food fast and grimaces and gripes the entire time that he or she is hungry. If you find it hard to be kind in any situation ask the Lord for his help in the form of the Holy Spirit who is our guide and mentor. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  rlkeller BOLM

Standing before God

So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”

Romans 14:11 NLT

                  Christianity isn’t a contest to see who can save the most unregenerate souls, like notches on our belt. We don’t do the saving in the first place. Our approach is lacking on many fronts due in large part to our general lack of understanding of what God’s will for each of us is. It should be obvious to us that being uplifting and encouraging to the general populace is paramount, but LIVING our faith is more important (in my opinion, then talking about it. We all know talk is cheap unless it’s followed up by action. We’d be much better off leading with action. There’s no room for selfish, condescending behavior. 

            There are enough people in the world today who have no time for Christians. Some of us are responsible for this rejection due to our bullyboy approach toward God. Scripture here in Romans is very clear; we will ALL stand before the judgment seat of God. Believers in Christ will be there for what we’ve done with Christ. It is not to determine our eternal destination. Those who stand before God without Christ as their advocate will answer for their sins all on their own. Those who stand condemned due to their rejection of Christ will find that they will be compelled to bend their knee and declare that which they had never believed. Christ’s Lordship will be evident and impossible to deny.

            Many are convinced, because of cataclysmic world events, that we are in the last days, but the fact of the matter is that ‘the last days’ began right after Christ’s ascension. From that viewpoint we can see that man has been waiting for Christ’s Return for a very, very long time. Too many of us are heavily reliant on social media and the Internet for our news with the notion that if it’s on the Internet it must be true. That is a fallacy. Reports of microchip installation under ones skin that is being done (I believe) in Sweden has some calling it the ‘Mark of the Beast’ as prophesied in the Book of Revelation. They do not realize that the Beast must first be introduced into the timeline of history before there can be a Mark of the Beast. Don’t believe everything you read. Test your sources. Believe scripture. Don’t waste your time on frivolous endeavors. You can count on the fact that one day time WILL be no more and there WILL be a new heaven and a new earth. Hold fast to that which is true and let the rest go. If you do that you will have nothing to be concerned about when you stand before Almighty God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing. rlkeller - BOLM           

Thoughts from a Random Mind

         I could never be God. I am too prone to judging others. I also have a huge tendency to let my emotions dictate my actions. Thankfully, if I could put it that way, my action or reaction involves playing the role of a tortoise. I pull back into my shell for the peace that comes with solitude. 

            I could never be God. There are too many people I have a distaste for. Too many either annoy or bore me. I am too into myself. My interests are specialized, leaving me on the outside of most conversations. I have a general feeling that I know a lot, yet know nothing. Comparing oneself to Almighty God will tend to do that to a person. 

            I could never be God. I can’t even be me. I’m too broken. I’m too fragile. I’m too passive. I realize my flaws yet know not how to fix them. I cannot be God because I need him too much to be him. I look to God to fix me little realizing that he must break me down further before he can build me back up. 

            I am broken, but no matter how broken I am I can be repaired, for nothing is beyond repair. Therefore, because I cannot be God I must seek his face to rise above the rubble that lies all about me. In the mending process I see hope. My faith in God is bolstered and my trust in him is elevated. 

            Thank God I could never be God, because only he is perfect and knows every perfect solution to each problem we face. We must never try to be God or even allow that desire to cross our minds, for we are ill suited for the task. Let God be God and let us reside somewhere between earth and heaven, striving to be like the one true God who loves us in spite of ourselves. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Thoughts from a Random Mind

            With all the sickness and death surrounding the coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic that the world is currently in the midst of, I find a comment on Facebook that seems to be placing the blame squarely on God’s shoulders. His logic went something like this … ‘if God is omnipotent, then he must not care. But if God is all-caring than he must not be omnipotent.’ His rationale for saying this is that if God really did love his creation and was everything the Bible says he is, then why must we suffer thru this terrible ordeal? 

            It’s interesting to me that the onus falls on God and not sinful man. And that’s pretty much what I said to him. Man got us into this mess, not God. God gave man a free will to do as he pleases and we can see the results of that decision all around us every day. It is much easier to blame someone, anyone else for a problem then accept at least partial blame yourself. God isn’t obligated to do anything for us … nothing at all, but it is his desire to take care of us because of his love for us. 

            There is a natural progression of things in God’s economy. The end of times is approaching us. A reckoning is coming and will not delay; however, until that time we wait. The prophet Habakkuk speaks these words on behalf of his Lord: Habakkuk 2:3-4 New Living Translation (NLT) “This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”         

            “God will wait to bring an end to it all? We don’t know. But God does, and it seems clear he has simply chosen not to fully explain why he has allowed evil, suffering, pain, and death to last as long as it has.”* Death is a natural part of our life cycle. Sometimes it comes too soon, sometimes not, but it is always done in accordance with God’s ultimate plan for the world he created. I don’t have an answer for every single seeming injustice that comes down the pike, but I know what I know about God and will trust him over man any day of the week. I’m not sure why man has this penchant for pointing a finger of blame in someone else’s direction. I mean it HAS to be someone’s fault, doesn’t it?  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! Rlkeller

* WHY DOESN'T GOD STOP SUFFERING? By Sean McDowell.

Word for the Day

PRAYER FOR PROTECTION

by James Dillet Freeman

The Light of God surrounds us.
The Love of God enfolds us.
The Power of God protects us.
The Presence of God watches over us.

The Mind of God guides us.

The Life of God flows through us.
The Power of God abides in us.
The Joy of God uplifts us.
The Strength of God renews us.
The Beauty of God inspires us.

Wherever we are, God Is!  *

* Written by Brother Freeman during WWII (1941) 

Word for the Day

Word for the Day

Thoughts from a Random Mind

            While I admit I think way too much at times, there are also times when I am simply mulling over thoughts (hence the title Thoughts from a Random Mind) and it tends to be those moments where God pulls separate thoughts together into a coherent collection of words that actually make sense and take me to a new level spiritually, albeit a tiny step up. Progress in a person’s thought processes can be rewarding. This is the way the Lord speaks to my heart. 

            I try not to strain my brain about things that are obviously above me, like understanding the deeper meaning of the Trinity or why the Lord allows babies to die before they have a real chance to live or why did God allow all these people to die from COVID-19? Instead of struggling with answers I fall back on what I know. God exists. God created all that is in existence. Jesus Christ is God’s Son. There is a definitive way to be forgiven for all we have done that served our own purposes, rather than God’s. I know he’s coming back one day. Isn’t that pretty much all I need to know? We know other things about God and his kingdom for sure, but the above list are really all we need to understand and know to follow the Lord. 

            We don’t need to believe any of that if we so choose, but I have chosen to believe that God is real and in complete control of all things. I understand he doesn’t need any of our help, but has chosen to use us for his own good pleasure. And regarding this pandemic … it’s as good as gone. Just strap yourself to the mast and ride out the storm. God is with you. We are covered in the blood of Christ. Instead of thinking about any of this too hard, praise his name, feast on his word and continue working to be more like Christ each and every day. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Life Lesson

         This morning, on my way to work, I caught myself lamenting past mistakes, consequences, disappointments and injustices. There was no profit in that so I slowly refocused on the present. You cannot go back in time and change history. You can however learn from the past so it doesn’t end up repeating itself. I think you will agree, you take what is of value and let the rest go. 

            Life can be very hard and sadness comes far too often, but there is a lighthouse for our soul that shines out brightly in the darkness of those desperate times. Tears of bitterness can turn to tears of contentment and a heavy heart can once again become lighter than air. It depends on your focal point. What do you spend the most time focusing on, the negative aspects of life or the positive? Focusing on the wrong thing can wear you down and steal your hope. As believers in Christ we have much to find hope in. Just the very fact that Christ is returning for us should chase away any clouds of sadness from your heart. This life, with all its troubles, will not last forever, life with the Lord will.

            You can’t plow a straight row looking back, nor can you move forward when you are mired in the past. Reflect on your past if you feel the need to, but only to learn how to correct past irregular behavior and not to wallow in self-pity. Our history should be a learning tool for our future and nothing else. We can’t change it so let us revel in the fact that it is in the past and brighter days are on the horizon. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.  rlkeller

Life Lesson

                  Although God is perfect, we are not intended to be perfect at all. We are part of a learning curve with more experienced believers knowing more, having experienced more and are more aware of their spiritual gifts. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I try to live my life as Christ would have me but unfortunately I fail more times than I succeed or at least it seems that way.  Because of this I ascribe to the theory of the blind squirrel, which goes like this: even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while. I see myself as the blind squirrel. Fortunately God loves blind squirrels too. 

            I’m very hard on myself. I demand perfection when I know in my heart perfection from an imperfect person is impossible. There was only one perfect individual in the entire history of mankind and that was and is Jesus Christ. I think I’m a lot more selfish than I should be, so even if there were such a thing as a perfect man besides Jesus I would not be that person. I am famous for overthinking things. Thinking too much tends to allow procrastination to set in. My uncertainty many times causes me not proceed at all, instead of proceeding with caution. God doesn’t require perfection from us. He knows that we are from dust* and to dust we shall return at the end of our life. He gives us tools and guidance, which we often times either don’t recognize as coming from him. Everything the Lord does is for our benefit and ultimate good.

            I revealed this side of myself believing that there are others somewhere in the world that are like me. Take heart brethren, God’s unconditional love embraces us all with the warm support we need to go thru this life with more successes than we will ever realize. Not perfection, but success. Success in God’s eyes is far different than success in this world. As we place one foot in front of the other and proceed forward we will gain confidence and slowly grow into exactly what God has intended us to be all along. We are all different, not one of us is exactly the same, but we are all expected to try.  The person I will become isn’t like anyone else in creation. In that respect we are all unique - one of a kind. Don’t beat yourself up, see yourself as God sees you and allow him to untap the immense potential that exists in you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  rlkeller

* Psalm 103:13,14 - “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.”

Life Lesson

            Here’s a life lesson for you. It is my contention that Christians are partially responsible for some people to turn away from God. Here’s a real life example that just took place at my job the other day. 

            Guy #1, who does not know the Lord, was told by a “religious” person, we’ll call guy #2, that guy #1 shouldn’t be cursing, especially on that day, because it was Good Friday. Then guy #2 proceeded to drop an F bomb himself less than 5 minutes later. That would make guy #2 a hypocrite and that’s exactly how guy #1 saw it. 

            Point #1 – Chances are guy #1 may know very little to nothing about this holiday season. Point #2 – His cussing is not going to send him to hell, his rejection of Christ will. Point #3 – Guy #1 doesn’t know any better. Point #4 - Guy #2 DOES know better. Point #5 – Guy #2 was judging Guy #1 for doing something that he does as well.

             There are too many people like Guy #2 who pass judgment with their words of indictment and they need to stop that. Once a person receives Christ the Holy Spirit will deal with the profanity issue. Sometimes we clean up our language only to have it reemerge sometime down the road. Let me repeat was I said in Point #3 above … people who don’t have a relationship with God don’t think anything of cussing and that is understandable. It doesn’t make it all right, but it is not our place to instruct him regarding what may be perceived as our regimented list of Do’s & Don’ts. Some of us need to get off our high horse before we make a fool of ourselves in front of others. We must humble ourselves. We are better than no one. We aren’t to compare ourselves to others, but rather to God. This will put us in the place where we belong, beneath the Lord and equal with everyone else. Salvation doesn’t elevate you in status; it forgives you of your sins. That makes you different in that one respect; otherwise, we are really no different than those who are unsaved. No matter how hard you try, even your best efforts will fall short in your quest to be just like Christ. In spite of that, continue striving to be a living example of our Lord, because as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. rlkeller

Thoughts from a Random Mind

             It is my belief that we all have a dark side lying dormant within us. It figures to be our old nature, which is lying in a coma in the deep recesses of our mind. There are things that we ought not to dabble in; ought not to go anywhere near. It’s not restrictive living; avoiding certain things is meant for our ultimate good. God doesn’t withhold that which will benefit us. He may delay its application in our lives, but never withholds forever. 

            It is imperative that if we intend to live like Christ we keep the old nature under our foot, preferably with the foot firmly placed on its throat. Our focus can easily be pulled to the left or right of center by old habits that resurface or new baubles that attract our attention. Walking with Christ isn’t always a cakewalk. We can become buffeted about by the winds of change quite frequently. It’s why scripture tells us to set our face like a flint* as we attempt to do our part for the kingdom of God. 

            Although the term “Christian” technically means “little Christs”, many times we act very unlike Christ. This tends to confuse nonbelievers and even causes some people to loath us because of our inconsistency as we go about walking the “straight and narrow”. It has been suggested by some that we call ourselves simply “Followers of Christ” or “Followers of the Nazarene” since we seemed to have done a bang up job of distorting the name “Christian”. God forgives, the nonbeliever not so much. Many are looking for reasons to discredit us as a group, as if every Christian is a condescending, judgmental, hard line, Bible thumping, Born-Again Christian. Oh they’re out there to be sure, but they appear to be the loud minority, rather than the humble, kind, peace loving ones who are hardly noticed. Which one are you?

            So feed the spirit man and not the old nature daily and keep your foot on its throat so that you can be seen as you are meant to be seen, as a God fearing, Christ loving, non-judgmental, compassionate arm of the Lord. Keep the darkness buried and don’t ever give it a chance to catch it’s breath. Amen? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

* Isaiah 50:7 “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

A Brief Message from RL Keller

The Lord has been filling my heart with words of encouragement, mixed with instruction and guidance a lot lately, the result being the bevy of Thoughts from a Random Mind writings I have been posting over the last several months. While I will always have “Thoughts …” posts thru the years to come, I’ve decided to title these postings “Life Lessons”. They have been touching on a variety of topics that believers deal with each day. The purpose is to reveal that they are not alone in their plight, which can go a long way to lifting up a brother or sister who is going thru the same thing. 

       As always, I will mix things up as I am led with scripture studies, “Thoughts …” and “Words for the Day” postings. I trust that these are helpful to you. Please feel free to send any questions, thoughts, comments or suggestions at any time. My personal email address can be found below. May God richly bless you is my prayer.

 Richard L Keller

Inspirational Author &

Founder of Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lessons

            Life is like a book with many chapters. The story begins and at an undetermined time the first chapter ends and the second chapter begins. During one of the chapters you are introduced to the Lord and he becomes a regular part of the story. There’s a chapter for childhood, one for the teenage years and a special chapter focusing on schooling, one chapter has a fixed climax when graduation occurs. There’s a chapter for college, chapter for courtship, chapter for marriage and a chapter for having babies. Some chapters are light; some are dark depending on the subject. People come into your life either in the midst of a chapter or at the start or conclusion of another. 

            Having said all that, I tend to believe that some people are only in our lives for a brief time. When they move, switch jobs, or churches or simply pass away, a chapter ends and another one begins. We mourn the loss and move on. There is a chapter regarding the re-emergence of a person from your past where you discuss how much each of you had changed. Depending on how the chapters play out will determine whether you end up single, married, divorced, remarried or alone. All the while we try to figure out the meaning of this life and why it seems to be so complicated. For a large part of our life I believe we think way too hard about a lot of things and the more we think the more we become confused. Worry begets stress, which is kin to tension, which can do very bad things to your physical body. We take prescription drugs to regulate our heart, our head, our blood flow and our nerves. 

            Some books, like their corresponding lives, are long and drawn out, others are short and definitively to the point.  Some make a big splash based on the character of the subject. Some just exist without much to say or do. Those with Christ in their lives will nearly always be more interesting. 

            It is said that our lives will be the only Bible others will ever read. I believe that is true, therefore, we should let our lives be true to what the author intended. Let your life be a worshipful symphony of truth and faith and hope and peace. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Thoughts from a Random Mind

                  It’s a funny thing about darkness and light. Darkness conceals, light reveals. Darkness can cause a beautiful plant to shrivel and die. Light causes it to bloom and grow, reaching out toward the sun. The sun nourishes and replenishes. Darkness causes things to shut down. God created both light and darkness. We sleep at night when it is dark (except for areas in the far north where it stays light or dark for 6 months at a time.) We go about our lives in the light.

            What is normal and what is abnormal? It would seem to us to be abnormal to not have sun light for 6 months straight, but those that live there find it to be normal. I would suggest people can get used to just about anything if they need to. If they can’t they make life alterations. I would submit to you that everyone has their own definition of normal and I’ll bet you won’t find any two that are exactly the same. God’s brand of normal is found in the Bible. It’s the only true, fair, just, evenly distributed plan for living in existence. It is consistent just as God is the only constant in a world of inconsistency. Just as God never changes, so his word doesn’t change either. Those who find his plan to be restrictive would consider it abnormal, rather than normal. What is comfortable to them has been established as their normal, whether it truly is or not. 

            Living in the light of God’s plan creates a new normal for all who would choose to follow along. Free will gives you the option to follow or stay behind in your own prefab set of normalcy. That version of normal is what we refer to as our ‘comfort zone’ … the place where we can exist stress free without the concerns of life weighing us down. Think of it as a ‘man cave’ or whatever a woman would call the equivalent space. In the end, what is truly set up as normal will overshadow everything around us and we will learn to accept it even as we are accepted. Praise the name of the Lord and seek to settle into his brand of normal and be free of the clutter and clamor of this crazy, dysfunctional, sin-filled world of which we are temporary residents. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Thoughts from a Random Mind

            Are we defining the value of others rather than lovingly accepting them for who they are?  The older we get the more entrenched in our prejudices and preconceived notions we get. It’s like scar tissue around our hearts that must be cleared away. The process can be painful because they have been in place, many times, for a number of years. It would be very helpful if we could see others thru God’s eyes, but that is an attribute that we must pray into existence and then cultivate as we would a garden. To get lovely red roses to grow we must tend to them daily; fertilizing, watering, weeding, then repeat. It’s not a one-time deal. Similarly, we must strive to be like Christ each and every day. It’s too easy to fall back into bad habits.

            How do we establish another person’s value or worth? We do it with a condescending look, casting them beneath us in stature. Instead of valuing them as another of God’s creation, we are actually devaluing them as a means of subconsciously elevating our own stature. If we would be truly honest with ourselves, we are all guilty of this. It is so beneath the child of God to devalue anyone, no matter who they are or what they’ve done. Remember, we are not judge and jury for anyone. Only God is. We are the ones who are to embody God’s love, mercy, kindness and compassion. The world needs that so badly and all we give them is a Sinner’s Prayer to pray and a list of attributes that are required to obtain. We accept them conditionally based on their response to the Gospel. If they respond favorably then we accept them … our job is done. If they turn away from our offer of eternal forgiveness, we simply move on to the next person in line. How embarrassing that our belief system has become a numbers game.

            In spite of our faults, and they are many, God’s shows us love without one single condition placed upon it. Aside from the consequences that come from a poor choice made, we have nothing to be concerned about. So we must concentrate on imitating Christ in our daily lives. Bless others by valuing them as a creation of God. The Lord places incredible, immeasurable worth on each one of us. No one person is any more valuable than another. The world’s system is broken. Those with money, power and prestige are valued higher than a homeless person, but in God’s eyes they are equal. We must look at people the same way. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

            

What is Your True Value?

             What is your value, what is your worth? In a world where folks seek their worth by comparing themselves to others, we find that our value is much greater then the amount of wealth we may have accumulated or the car(s) we may have acquired or the opulent home we may live in. When Adam and Eve fell victim to the Satan’s lies in the Garden they began to age and eventually die, both physically and spiritually. Their sin resulted in separation from God. Their value was tied to their relationship with the Lord. Their worth was established by that relationship so once they sought to be like God according to Satan’s deception, that bond between them was severed.

            Ever since the Fall of Man, men (women and children) have been striving to derive their worth from that which was all around them, however, they would never find anything to replace the glory they experienced with God in the Garden of Eden. Although annual sin sacrifices kept a person as close to God as was possible under the circumstances, these sacrifices only covered the sins committed, not remove them. This is why Christ had to come to begin with. It was the redemptive plan of Almighty God. 

            Man was created for God’s own pleasure and was given a free will to choose whom they would serve, God or themselves. Serving your own purposes is an empty life which doesn’t reveal to you or anyone else your true worth or value. No one this side of heaven will ever love you the way your Creator will love you. If an earthly parent can deeply love their own child, why would it be so unfathomable to think that God would love his entire Creation just the same. Scripture tells us God loved us before we ever knew him. However, in my mind, nothing underscores our value or worth to God than the fact that his only Son willingly gave up his life to save us from having to pay the penalty for our sins all on our own. Never mind what others think or say your value is. God has the final word and he thinks you’re of immeasurable value. Ignore what others say, because they cannot know your heart’s motivation. Only God can. If you will take the time to see yourself thru God’s eyes you will never again waste your valuable life paying any attention to what this world thinks of you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: “In Search of God Knows What” by Donald Miller

Standing in the Gap

“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.” – Ezekiel 22:30

            I’ve used the phrase “standing in the gap” with regard to praying for others. I mistakenly thought it only referred to praying for the unsaved among us, who have a gap between themselves and God, but what it really refers to is whenever we pray for ANYONE. Standing in the gap for someone is intercessory prayer. “The word ‘intercede’ comes from the Latin ‘inter’ meaning ‘between’ and ‘ced’ meaning ‘go’. So it literally means ‘go between’.” [1]

            Intercessory prayer acts like the mortar that fills the gaps in a stonewall. It goes in between the stones solidifying the structure as a whole. If you want to weaken the wall the best place to start is by striking the wall at its weakest point, the mortar. Remove the mortar and the wall collapses. The enemy knows our weakest point and will hammer away at it until we either stand strong and ward off the enemies attack or crumble, thus becoming ineffective for God by sinning.

            “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)  I ask you a question, how can we love one another if we don’t pray for them? This is part of community, loving one another and praying one for another. And part of that is ‘standing in the gap’ for our brethren, better still, for all who stand in need of prayer. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

[1]  http://myredeemerlives.com/intercession.html

Thoughts from a Random Mind

“Never let a bad situation bring out the worst in you. Choose to stay positive and be the strong person God created you to be!” – Unknown

                  Just because we are followers of Christ doesn’t mean we won’t be thrust into a bad situation every now and again. At times it seems like the bad times will never end, but good times or bad, God is always right there in the midst of it. We may feel alone and even be alone in the physical sense, but in the Spirit our Triune God is in and all around us. When we feel alone we can ask God to manifest himself in a real way so you can know in our hearts that he is present. Feeling alone can be like standing in a pitch black room. There could be a room full of people but because we are unaware of their presence in the room our mind tricks us into thinking we are the only one in the room at that time. That’s when trust in God comes into play. A large pitch black room can be intimidating if we allow it to be. The difference is what we perceive to be true, which becomes our reality, and what is literally true, whether we realize it or not. Turning on a light takes a situation that requires faith and removes faith from the equation. No faith is required in a lit room, for we can see everything for what it is.

            Regardless of our situation, we need to remain positive, as being negative serves no good purpose. Negative thought feeds upon itself making the fear more real to us. Frankly, I can’t think of any situation off the top of my head that requires negative thinking. At times being realistic in the face of a difficult situation can appear to be negative, but it is simply taking a given situation and making it an “it is what it is” moment. Most times we cannot change the reality of our circumstances. We end up enduring it thru to the end. How we deal with it has everything to do with our disposition. Trusting God has everything to do with our circumstances. Negative thoughts short circuit our disposition, making us cranky, bitter, irritable and incapable of making proper decisions. We can be motivated by fear or disappointment, but either way we cannot function the way the Lord intended us to.

             There is so much in this world that we don’t know or understand. God knows everything that can be known. We, comparatively speaking, comprehend barely a sliver of the mountain of information that can be known. We need not question everything that takes place in life. We also need not criticize God for his apparent lack of action. We are incapable of providing effective, life changing leadership and guidance without direction from God’s Holy Spirit. Focus on Christ and nothing else. Everything outside of Almighty God is unnecessary. We have them for our comfort and ease. Our faith and trust in God is being tested. In the end our trust must be in the Lord, for in the eternal scheme of things he is the only one who can help us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Thoughts from a Random Mind

                  As the death toll rises, we as believers in Christ must keep our focus on the Lord and not what is going on around us. It is normal and even helpful to know what’s going on in the environment in which you live, but the news is mostly negative and serves little purpose but to light a spark of fear. Despite the serious circumstances, God is STILL in control. I completely understand the seriousness of the current global situation, but that doesn’t lessen God’s power. If he so desired the Lord could end this pandemic with one move of his hand, but he has yet to do so. So we pray. We place our hope and trust in the Almighty One who loves us without conditions. We accept that while we are worthy of nothing, we are treated like children of the King. His mercy and kindness to us is ever present and forevermore.  

            If you happen to have the coronavirus do not lose hope for the latest statistics declare that 90-95% of those infected survive. Take the proper precautions and keep your faith in God strong. 

            “From the ends of the earth I call out to You whenever my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy. Let me dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.” – Psalm 61:2-4

Thoughts from a Random Mind

             Perhaps the greatest fear that people have in this life is a fear of the unknown. In God’s economy knowing doesn’t require faith. It is when we face uncertainty that faith must kick in. Take the COVID-19 pandemic. It would appear to be a super virus, yet it is being called a disease. I’m not a doctor so I don’t understand why they are calling a super virus a disease. That makes me nervous. The large death toll makes me uneasy. I believe God has it under control; therefore I must focus on what I believe in my heart to be true rather than that which I see on the news each evening. Not knowing the future tends to give me pause from time to time. Will I get the virus? If I do will I survive? All that is in the hands of my Heavenly Father whom I trust implicitly. 

            Are you afraid of what may happen to you? I know the unknown can shake you to your core. But let’s face the reality of it. For those who have unwavering belief in Almighty God, we must lean on what we know. God is not a liar. What he has done in the past he can do again. He is no respecter of persons, so what he did for Abram and Moses he is able to do for us. He has never failed at anything throughout history. He has always fulfilled and not reneged on his promises. His love is uncompromising, unconditional and has stood the test of time. In knowing just this we can have the faith to lean heavily on him when times become rough and sickness is hovering all around. It need not affect you. 

            Pray as I do, that the Lord would place an impenetrable hedge of protection around you and your loved ones. God will not fail you. He is not in the failure business but in the miracle working business. When are at your lowest, look up and praise God from whom all blessings flow. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Fruit of the Spirit - Self-Control

Galatians 5:22-23

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

            The last attribute listed as a fruit of the Spirit is “self-control”.  Self-control is the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint and the ability to say ‘no’ to our baser desires and fleshly lusts. All the fruits mentioned over the last couple weeks usher in a change in our character. That is the Holy Spirit’s work in us. We certainly don’t become a believer in Christ on our own and we can’t grow spiritually on our own either. It is in his letter to the Philippians that Paul says, “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13)  The work of the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives is, simply put, every good thing that we do.

            If God were working in our lives one of the proofs would be the ability to control our own thoughts, words and actions. You see, our fallen nature is under the influence of sin.  Romans 6:6 calls this being a “slave to sin”.  “Filling a legitimate need through illegitimate means” is one way to define sin.  We are grossly incapable of knowing and choosing what will best meet our needs.

            Self-control leads us to perseverance (2 Peter 1:3-6) as we value the eternal instead of instant gratification. “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.” Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-self-control.html