The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat

Matthew 13:24-30 ^{Amplified Bible}

 Matthew 13:24

“Jesus gave them another parable [to consider], saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.’”

            The parables in Matthew’s gospel teach us about God and his Kingdom. They tell us what the Kingdom truly is and not what we imagine it is. The Kingdom of Heaven is not an actual place you can travel to, but a spiritual realm where God is the ruler, and where we shall live a life without end. We become part of that realm when we trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.

            In verses 36-43, Jesus once again explains the parable (listed at the bottom).  Angels shall be sent out at the end of the world to separate evil from good. Sadly, there are both true AND false believers in the church today. Remember, we are not the judge and jury of these people, only God alone can judge. It is far more important for you to keep yourself in check, by continuously assessing your own walk with Christ and not someone else’s. Now more than ever it is imperative that we who profess to be Christians make sure our heart is right with God. For it is a lot more than simply believing but having faith and trust in an unseen deity. Scripture tells us “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved”, and that is true, but you should not base your relationship with God on that statement alone. Scripture has a lot more to say on the topic of salvation. We are called to live for him and abide by the statutes in his word. That’s what a true believer is. Talking the talk without a corresponding lifestyle makes you a phony … a hypocrite. Let it not be so. Be a shaft of wheat and not a weed. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name and for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Life Application Study Bible, pp. 2037 & 2038.

 

Matthew 13:36-43

36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, “Explain [clearly] to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and [as for] the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend [those things by which people are led into sin], and all who practice evil [leading others into sin], 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger]. 43 Then the righteous [those who seek the will of God] will shine forth [radiating the new life] like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.”

The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-23 ^{Amplified Bible}

 

Matthew 13:3

“He told them many things in parables, saying, “Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow [seed in his field]; ….”

 

            This is an unusual parable in that Jesus gives the interpretation. “The disciples were puzzled that the Lord should speak to the people in the veiled language of parables. So they asked Him to explain His method.” 

            “In His reply, Jesus distinguished between the unbelieving crowd and the believing disciples. The crowd, a cross-section of the nation, was obviously rejecting Him, though their rejection would not be complete until the cross. They would not be permitted to know the mysteries (secrets) of the kingdom of heaven, whereas His true followers would be helped to understand.”

            Since I cannot improve on Jesus’ own words, I will let the text bring you the interpretation of this parable.

            “Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [regarding salvation] and does not understand and grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy; yet he has no [substantial] root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away [abandoning the One who is the source of salvation]. And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.” 

“In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.”

 Some things are better left to the Biblical text. I cannot expand on the Lord’s  ‘on point’ explanation of this parable. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/parables-of-jesus/; Believer's Bible Commentary, Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2016 by William MacDonald.

The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Wineskins

Matthew 9:16-17 ^{Amplified Bible}

 

“But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. Nor is new wine put into old wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.”   

           This parable compares the Old Testament law to the Age of Grace established by Jesus. The Law was hard, harsh, and unforgiving. It was demanding and impossible to follow without tripping up at some point along the way. The Gospel of Grace was and is loving and merciful, filled with compassion and forgiveness. It was and is a total contradiction of the Law. Different in every way. The two cannot successfully be mixed. Though the Jews tried to inject Judaism into Christianity, it didn’t work. It is like sewing a new, unwashed patch of cloth that hadn’t been preshrunk onto an old article of clothing. When washed, the patch would shrink, ripping itself away from the old cloth. The tear would be worse than before.          

The main thrust of this parable though is the mention of wineskins.  “A skin was a bag made from the skin of an animal. New wine was always put in a new bag so that the bag would stretch as the wine continued to ferment, and then the bag would harden. An old bag would burst if new wine was put in it.” ^[1] “The pressure caused by the fermentation of the new wine would burst the old skins because they had lost their elasticity. The life and liberty of the Gospel ruins the wineskins of ritualism.” ^[2]

            The new Christian Era that Christ introduced resulted in tension between the new believers and the Jewish Christians. Christ brought joy into the lives of these believers that couldn’t be contained within the Law’s rigid rituals. Because of what Christ did on the cross there would forever be a new order of things. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries 

^[1] A footnote from the Life Application Study Bible.

^[2] Believer's Bible Commentary - Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2016 by William MacDonald.

The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Lamp

Matthew 5:14-16 NLT

 

Matthew 5:14-16  

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

                  Jesus gives us a very simple illustration here. It would be quite impossible to hide a town that is built on top of a hill. He doesn’t say how high the hill is, but by definition a hill is “a well-defined natural elevation smaller than a mountain”. So the light of this town on a hill will shine out in the surrounding darkness for quite a distance, as in miles. Light pierces darkness. Light a single candle in a pitch-dark room and you’ll see what I mean.

                  Because of our relationship with Christ we are the light. If we live our lives following his example, we will glow like lights revealing to those around us what Christ is like. The way we can hide our light from the world around us is by being quiet when we should speak, by going along with the crowd, by denying the existence of the light, by letting sin in our lives dim the light within us, by not testifying to others regarding the light within us, or by ignoring other’s needs.

                  Jesus has called us all to be beacons of light in a decidedly dark world that exists all around us. This is part of being an ambassador for Christ. We represent him wherever we go. We need to be mindful of that and not forget that if we’re going to say we are a Christian we must ‘walk the talk’. Don’t, by your own words or actions (or lack thereof), shut your light off from the world around you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible (2015)

Word for the Day

 

The Parables of Jesus

This begins a study of some of the parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

                                                            Matthew 25:1-13 NIV

 Matthew 25:1 - “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”

 

            We are told to watch and be ever ready for the return of our Lord. No man knows the day or the hour when Christ shall return ^{(Matthew 25:13)}. This parable illustrates for the reader the need to be ready. Half of the 10 virgins had already prepared for the bridegrooms return by purchasing extra oil so their lamps wouldn’t burn out. The other 5 virgins apparently didn’t see the importance of being prepared, believing they would have plenty of time to do whatever needed to be done to be ready for his coming.

            The delay of the bridegroom caused the 5 foolish virgins to become drowsy and so they slept rather than prepare themselves for his return. When they awoke, they realized their lamps were about to go out and asked the wise virgins for some of their oil, but the wise virgins turned them down saying there wasn’t enough oil for both of them. The foolish virgins were told to quickly go purchase more oil before the bridegroom returned. So they headed off to make their purchase. While gone the bridegroom returned. The wise virgins were invited into the wedding feast. The door was closed. This symbolizes an opportunity lost to be with the bridegroom forever. Although the foolish maidens cried out for entrance, the bridegroom turned them away saying he didn’t know them.

In today’s world that may seem cruel not to share what you have, but all ten were told to be prepared. 5 took the message seriously and 5 did not see the urgency of the moment.  We must be attentive to God and his word for the Bible isn’t an interesting novel or a history book, it is the dynamic, living Word of Almighty God. We must allow it to teach us about our Heavenly Father and guide us throughout our life as his ambassadors. Be ready & stay ready for Christ’s return could come at any moment. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Warren Camp Bible Study (www.warrencampdesign.com)

FREE OFFER!!

Thanks to the generous donation of a precious friend & sister in the Lord I am able to offer to you FREE this booklet on healing. I've read it & can vouch for it's Biblical soundness. 

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Charles Capps is a farmer from England, Arkansas who became an internationally known Bible teacher by sharing practical truths from the Word of God. This is what is said about his booklet on healing: 

        God's Creative Power Will Work for You ... was first published in 1976 and has sold more than 4 million copies. The lives of Christians around the world have been revolutionized by the powerful principles of speaking God's Word found within its pages. Now God's Creative Power for Healing is here to follow in its footsteps. This powerful booklet combines all new teaching with Scripture for healing. You will learn how you can release the ability of God for your healing by the words of your mouth! The Faith-filled scripture you speak to God can release God's power to heal ... if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can see great things happen.

If you would like one of these booklets sent to you free of charge, email me your mailing address & I will send it out to you.

In His name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

EMAIL: richkeller65@yahoo.com

Cell: (848) 240-1293

Thoughts from a Random Mind

            I don’t believe in ‘luck’. Luck is defined in the broadest sense as “a chance happening”, but I don’t believe anything happens simply by chance. I believe in God. I can’t see him, but I can see the evidence of his existence all around me. It takes faith in the unseen to believe in God. Now there are plenty of people who believe in the unseen, but instead of God they spend their time entertaining the existence of ghosts and the paranormal. These things cannot redeem your soul, so they are frivolous endeavors to say the least, in my opinion. 

            Luck has nothing to do with what transpires in our lives on a daily basis. When Moses parted the Red Sea, it wasn’t luck, but rather a divine act of providence that saved the Israelites from death at the hands of their enemies. When David killed Goliath with a sling and a single stone it wasn’t luck, but divine intervention. 

            We have been given a free will to believe as we choose and in what we choose. If we choose to believe in luck over a God who created and loved us enough to come in human form and die to cleanse us of our sins, then so be it. Just remember, luck runs out at some point and in the end is God standing, arms open wide, saying “when you grow weary of speculating about this and that I will still be here waiting for you.”

            Folks will try anything and everything rather than step thru the door into the light of the one truth that defies logic. Salvation isn’t logical. It isn’t rational. It defies everything we think we know as true. But what is really true and what is an illusion? What is real and what is fake? We think we know but in reality, know nothing of any consequence. Put this nonsense about luck aside and seek out the One truth that can carry you on to heavenly places. Being saved from sin isn’t in any way lucky, it’s God’s plan for mankind so we may be part of a bright and glorious future free from heartache and pain, free from tears and sadness, free from death and disease, not just temporarily, but forevermore. Seek God while he may be found & the door is still open. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Sermon on the Mount - No. 9

Final Thoughts

 

            The Sermon on the Mount or The Beatitudes, as they are also called, was Jesus longest recorded sermon. He was taking the time to describe the behavioral traits he was looking for in his followers, which of course, would include us today. Jesus said God will bless those who exhibit these traits consistently throughout their life. Jesus even takes the time to point out that anyone who exhibits these traits will more than likely face opposition.

            It should be easy to see that each Beatitude directly contradicts the typical way the world operates in society. Our best example of these traits being lived out daily is none other than Jesus himself. It stands to reason that a person couldn’t effectively teach something if they weren’t able to do what they taught themselves. Jesus, being God in the flesh, was certainly able to live what he taught.

            Therefore the main purpose of this blessed Sermon is to set before each follower the goal of becoming like Christ in our daily life. And you can be assured that applying each of these Beatitudes to our lives will challenge the way we live each day we are alive. This ends of study of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Sermon on the Mount - No. 8

Key Lessons

 

Matthew 5:10 - “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Paul endured many persecutions in his life as a believer in Christ. He had this to say about that in his second letter to Timothy. “You know … the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:10-13) 

Some of us seem to think we’ve gone to persecutory trials and some of you most likely have, but until you’ve been demonized for your faith in Christ personally you probably don’t know what you could be in for. We in America may all escape major persecution. There are certainly pockets of persecution within our country and around the globe, but until we experience it on an individual level, we simply do not know what it’s like to fear for your life because of what you believe. To go to jail for the same offense. 

But there is a blessing attached to any persecution we may suffer for righteousness’ sake. We inherit the Kingdom of heaven. In these difficult times when godliness is under attack and our faith is required of us more than ever, we can rest assured that any pain we may suffer this side of heaven will be well worth it compared to the blessing that awaits us with God in heaven. Stand tall in the face of any persecution that may find you and trust in him whom you’ve believed. God will not fail you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name and for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Sermon on the Mount - No. 7

Key Lessons

 

Matthew 5:9 - “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.”

            In other translations it refers to “peacemakers”. Jesus is not speaking of people who long for peace, but those whom the Lord uses to bring peace to the world. Not only are we ambassadors for Christ, but also are ‘agents of reconciliation’. Christ brought heavenly peace to us thru redemption, reconciling us to God. In turn we, as individuals, are to spread that peace throughout our world. (Not the entire world, but OUR world). 

                  This peace is not necessarily the end of all physical violence between nations, but rather peace with God thru his Son. We are also to make peace with those we may be at odds with. The world sees it differently. Personal peace is sought without concern for its effect on others. This is also true on a global scale, with wars all around us in the name of peace, yet lasting peace eludes man and has for centuries. The only true and lasting peace is the eternal peace administered by God to his children. 

                  Scripture also speaks of us having a peaceful, gentle spirit. James 3:17-18 says: “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name and for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries 

Resources: Reformation Study Bible, Believer’s Bible Commentary.

The Sermon on the Mount - No. 6

Key Lessons

 

Matthew 5:8 - “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.”

                  A person who is ‘pure’ has no unwanted elements in their character.  They have no moral failings.  So it means a believer in Christ should have an inner moral purity as opposed to only having external piety. It also means that individual is single-minded; having a heart that is free from deceit.

I would say it would be quite impossible to have one without the other. That singlemindedness should be towards God’s Kingdom and nothing else. Deceit and moral filth can never coexist with such singlemindedness, for it would negate the benefit of any godly traits you might have.

                  Those with a pure heart will not only see God thru eyes of faith now but will see him in all his majesty and dazzling brilliance when we go to be with him in heaven.  If we have spiritual eyes to see, we can see God throughout his creation that is around us. Some may see visions; some may have dreams. There are various ways of seeing God if our heart is pure and we have spiritual eyes to see him. 

                  Those without the benefit of a pure and morally right heart become conniving and deceitful. They seek every illegitimate means of gaining an advantage in this world. They either scoff at the notion of God or try to fake their way into God’s family, being Christians in name only (CINO). Other believers may not pick up on that, but God sure does, for he knows all that can be known. Nothing is hidden from him. 

In the end what it all truly comes down to is to be legitimate when it comes to the things of God or don’t bother because you’re fooling no one. Having said that there is always hope of redemption for any soul, no matter how poorly they may have acted in the past. It involves relinquishing self in favor of an intimate relationship with the One who created you.  Strive for the purity that God speaks of. Your reward is seeing God himself. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

1 John 3:1-3

 

Psalm 24:3-4

New Living Translation

3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?

    Who may stand in his holy place?

4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,

    who do not worship idols

    and never tell lies.

 

Psalm 51:10

New Living Translation

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.

    Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Word for the Day

"We are secured not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because he holds tightly to us."        RC Sproul

** My internet was down for much of the day ... sorry for the late post. **

The Sermon on the Mount - No.5

Key Lessons

 

Matthew 5:7- “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

 

            God is merciful … if he weren’t there would be no salvation. Sinners would be made to suffer the consequences of their actions without hope of forgiveness. So what Jesus is speaking of here is for us to be merciful even as he is merciful. The reality is that we were shown mercy first. Scripture tells us that God loved us before we even knew him ^{(1 John 4:19)}. That is mercy being displayed right there.  

            These teachings were meant to be shared to the world by his disciples. We, being his ambassadors, are charged with the responsibility of practicing these character traits as well. The world seeks strength without feeling or compassion. That isn’t what God is all about. Silent strength, with no boasting or arrogance, shown in humility with mercy and compassion is the example Jesus is portraying here.

            Ephesians 5:1 states the following: “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do … “. Our reward is far greater than that which we are called to do. Show mercy to others, especially those who sin against you. That’s being Christ-like, and you never know what kind of effect your actions will cause in another person. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Sermon on the Mount - No. 4

Key Lessons

 

Matthew 5:6 - “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.”

 

            Believers in Christ seek justice both for themselves and in a global sense. They long to see honesty, integrity and justice fulfilled in society and look for holiness in the church. It would appear that our longing for satisfaction in this regard will only come when we are ushered into Christ’s kingdom. It is there that righteousness will reign supreme and corruption and injustice will give way to the highest moral and ethical standards as established by Almighty God himself.

            Isaiah 11:4 states that God will “give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited.” Isaiah 42:1-4 says in summary that God will bring justice to the nations and to all who have been wronged. Finally, the Lord proclaims that he will not stop until justice prevails throughout the entire earth.

            Justice is defined as fairness, the principle and/or attitude of moral rightness and decency. There must be a well-defined standard that is universally inclusive and fair for all. It must be set up by the only one who knows all that can be known and has the power and authority to enforce it. That would have to be Almighty God, the creator of all things.  No mortal man fits that definition, for man is fraught with selfish ideals and motives as to make such standards stilted, favoring one individual or group of individuals over another. 

To hunger and thirst for justice / righteousness is like panting for a cool drink in the middle of the desert. God will provide said justice / righteousness to those who earnestly seek it. The new world that will descend from the heavens will be built on such a standard. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources:  Believer’s Bible Commentary (2016), Expositor’s Bible Commentary: New Testament (2004).

Word for the Day

"Don't be dependent on man because they change like the wind. Depend on the Lord and know that He is faithful to keep His Word." 

Matthew Hagee

The Sermon on the Mount - No. 3

Key Lessons

 

Matthew 5:5 - “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.”

            Some translations replace the word “humble” with the word “meek”.  Either way Jesus is speaking of a gentle, selfless, submissive spirit. This is not something man acquires naturally in most cases. It is part of the maturation process of a Christian. 

                  One of the first things we need to understand about Christianity is that it isn’t a religion, but rather a personal, very intimate relationship with the Triune God. We are to cultivate this relationship, allowing the Holy Spirit within us to lead us into all truth regarding the Father and the Son.  I don’t believe it is the natural tendency of man to be submissive to a power they cannot see or touch. The world desires for us to submit to no one, which is why some struggle so much as baby believers to defer to the Spirit’s leading. The enemy tries to disrupt our growth any way he can.

                  Verse 5 may very well be based on Psalm 37:11 which says: “The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.” Jesus was the epitome of meekness when he was led away by the Roman soldiers in the garden. We are not to fight our battles, but submit to God with an attitude of humility, just as Jesus submits to the will of His Father. 

                  That which the meek or humble will inherit is not this current world, but rather the Kingdom of God, the world to come. That is something worth inheriting. This world is the devil’s playground. We’ll be given a brand-new world to enjoy. That is what we shall inherit from the Lord because of our gentile and humble spirit. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Reformation Study Bible - Ligonier Ministries; Grace & peace study bible -Zondervan (2021).

Word for the Day

  

 

The Sermon on the Mount - No. 2

Key Lessons

 

Matthew 5:4 … “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

 

            In the world we live in being happy must come at any cost for the ungodly. So when tragedy strikes, they have no idea how to react, so they overreact. They largely blame God, which is interesting to me. They don’t pray to God, worship God, or serve him in any capacity, yet he is the first name that comes to their lips when things go awry. That along with using his name as a curse. As a side note, isn’t it interesting, in a tragic sense, that the name God and / or Jesus Christ are the only names of deitys’ that are verbalized as curses? Not Buddha, or Hari Krishna or Mohammed, only Almighty God and Jesus Christ. It’s the enemy’s way of marginalizing the one true God and his Son.

            Those who proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior of their life will sooner or later have reason to mourn, however, our Heavenly Father promises to both bless and comfort those who do. ⁽¹⁾ There is a very specific reason for God’s comfort toward those who mourn, and that reason lies in Paul’s 2^nd letter to the church in Corinth. Paul says: “He (God) comforts us in all our troubles so we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” It can’t get a whole lot clearer than that. Everything happens for a purpose.  Allow yourself to be open to God’s peace and comfort, for a peaceful spirit exists due to the comfort we receive from our Lord. 

            We will invariably become sad at one time or another, perhaps over a lost loved one, but though they are no longer with you, God is with you always and his comfort helps you slowly move past your sorrow into a new position of positivity and praise. Mourning is for only a moment (comparatively speaking), but joy comes in the morning and lasts for all eternity. God is many things, and one thing is he is joyful. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

(1) “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released, and prisoners will be freed.  He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.” (Isaiah 61:1-2)

The Sermon on the Mount - No. 1

Key Lesson No. 1

 

Matthew 5:3 … “God blesses those who are poor & realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

 

            Matthew 5:3-12 is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, also referred to as The Beatitudes. They were and are “a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conduct for all believers.” ⁽¹⁾ I will be touching on the key lessons to be learned from this sermon.

Jesus isn’t speaking to those who are financially poor, but rather who are spiritually poor. Those individuals will more times than not realize their spiritually bankrupt state and seek God realizing something is missing in their life. While financial and spiritual poverty can go together, they are not at all identical.

God speaks to these individuals in Isaiah 57:15, when he says, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” The Lord is in each and every one of his children by virtue of his indwelling Spirit and because of his ubiquitous nature, all around us.

Living for God is a direct contradiction to the world’s values and clashes directly with them.  We are called to avoid being unduly influenced by the system of the world by living according to the standards scripture offers. It’s not always easy, but it’s necessary to please the Lord with our lives. If we do this, we will be blessed. This is not to say our lives with become void of flaws or disappointments, or even significant challenges. What it does say is that if we live our lives to please God and not ourselves we will be blessed and achieve a heaven bound future. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

⁽¹⁾ Footnote from p. 2003 of The Life Application Study Bible; New Living Translation; copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Worry Not ...

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7 ^{New Living Translation}

                  Unfortunately, worrying has become an integral part of each person’s life. We have worries on the job, in our homes, at school and yet Paul tells us not to worry about anything. Seems impossible, doesn’t it? We’re all prone to worry, but Paul says to turn our worries into prayer. Essentially, he is saying the more we pray the less we will worry. 

            Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, “…do not worry about your life…” and says in verse 27, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life.” We need to train ourselves to not worry. That is most assuredly easier said than done, but it is possible, for anything is possible with God. 

            There is a definitive difference between worrying and being concerned. “Worry immobilizes you; concern moves you to action.” ⁽¹⁾ Worrying can have an ill effect on your health, make you unproductive, cause you to treat others in an ugly manner and negatively affect your trust in God. Notice nothing positive comes from worrying. Concern leads us to God and prayer as we seek an answer to the problem at hand.  

            There are many things going on in our country and around the world to be concerned about, but God is in control of all of it. So because of that truth, we truly have nothing to be worried about. Our concern should help us move in a positive direction in an effort to help others seize the day and right the many wrongs that exist in society today. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

⁽¹⁾ Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation, footnote on pg. 2012.

Word for the Day

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”

Augustine

Word for the Day

“One of the enemy's sneaky attacks against the joy of our salvation is to put us in a spiral of self-condemnation.”

― Linda Evans Shepherd, Winning Your Daily Spiritual Battles

Word for the Day

 

Thoughts on healing … where does your faith stand?

Today I would like to revisit the 10 lepers, only look at it from a different perspective. We already know how horrible the disease of leprosy was from the description in my last posting. When Jesus told them all to go show themselves to the priest none of them questioned the Lord, they simply went. They showed great faith in Jesus’ authority and power. 

While they don’t have anything to do with healing, I have two other examples of faith without having specifics prior to their action. The first example lies in Joshua 3:15-16 where the Jews crossed the River Jordan on dry land. The priests were carrying the Ark of the Covenant and were instructed by God thru Joshua that when their feet touched the edge of the river bank the water would cease to flow, allowing them to cross on dry land. So the priests had to show their faith in God by doing something first before the miracle would take place. The miracle itself was a two-fold miracle, because not only did the flow of the river cease, but the riverbed was dry, which was not possible under normal circumstances. It should have been wet, muddy and difficult to get traction. * The same with the Red Sea when God parted the waters allowing the Israelites to cross escaping the Pharoah’s army.

The second example was in Genesis 12:1 when God instructed Abraham to leave his hometown and family to go to a place He would show him. Hebrews 11:8 says the following: “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.” It requires great faith to leave everything you know to go somewhere to be determined by an unseen God. He had to go in faith before God would reveal where he was going. Amazing!

Therefore, my point is that the lepers had to exhibit great faith without any promise of healing other than a man’s reputation; a man they know only by reputation. Yet they went and had their faith rewarded ON THE WAY to the priest. So what I’m telling you is to hold on to your faith because it may be all you have, but it also all you need. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* The text explains that this event took place a great distance away south of the town of Adam (v. 16). The time was in the spring of the year when the river is in its flood stage and therefore wider than its normal width of 90-100 feet and deeper than its average 3-10 feet. The southern flow of the Jordan is turbulent. The ez-Zor surrounds it. This is a thicket that makes the river itself difficult to reach, and that in ancient times contained wild animals. - www.neverthirsty.org