The Prayer Project – No. 5

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”- Philippians 4:6 ^ESV

            Anxiety appears to be a common problem for people, even believers in God. We allow that which we see to dictate how we feel emotionally. Let’s face it, humans are emotional creatures. Some show it more excitedly than others, but I think it is safe to say that we’re all emotional, especially when things go wrong in our lives.

             The Lord tells us not to be anxious about anything, but rather pray about everything with a thankful heart. Remember, God looks at the heart, not what lies on the outside. We overreact to situations, but we truly don’t need to. What God says he means so when he tells us not to be anxious, concerned or worried, that means he has provided a way to remain calm even in the most trying of times.

            Prayer is really just talking to God.  How often do we make the time to talk to God AND then also take the time to listen, giving the Holy Spirit time to minister God’s wisdom to our hearts? Must we really be in such a hurry that we avoid that which can take our anxiety away and fill us with peace. Now if you are bound and determined to worry and fret about things, then there may be no help for you. Oh, make no mistake about it, the help is there, but you won’t avail yourself to it. Don’t allow the enemy to erode your faith and trust in the Almighty for Satan is a liar and will do whatever he can to spiritually neuter you. Stand strong and place your unwavering trust in your God, for he hears your prayers and answers them in due time. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Prayer Project - No. 4

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”- Jeremiah 29:12 NIV

            How would you like to be told that you would be going into captivity in a foreign land for 70 years? I can’t say I would like that very much at all. But that is the message God gave Jeremiah to share with the people of Israel. He also let them know that after that time had passed the Lord would bless them with all the things he had promised them. 

                  Israel is a great example of our own walk with the Lord. With all the times they turned their back on God, he still loved them … without conditions placed upon that love. Think of King David … adulterer, murderer, general disobedience mixed in with being an incredible man of God and he was referred to him as a man after God’s own heart ^{[Acts 13:22]} and the apple of God’s eye ^{[Psalm 17:8]}.  The consequences of David’s sins was huge and yet necessary.  The key is that he sought forgiveness from the Lord and received it because his soul was sincerely contrite. 

                  God’s promise to Israel and by association believers today is that when we call on God and pray to him, he will listen. What a wonderful promise. No matter who you are or how undeserving you may think you are, you are no better or worse than the rebellious Israelites or the adulterous, murderer King David. Make no mistake, their sins had dire consequences associated with them, but the punishment was meted out of love. You see, God knows what is best for us and while we can go our own way, he tries to guide and direct us by his Holy Spirit. The spirit was with David for he did many mighty deeds in the name of his God. The Lord was also with the people of Israel and performed great things on their behalf. 

                  Know that when you pray your prayers are heard by the creator of the universe and man’s first breath. Pretty amazing, isn’t it? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Prayer Project - No. 3

“…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”- 2 Chronicles 7:14 ^NIV

            Israel has a long history of turning their back on God. In the 6^th chapter of 2^nd Chronicles, King Solomon asked God for provisions for the people when they sinned. God placed 4 conditions necessary to receive forgiveness: 1) humble themselves by admitting they had sinned; 2) pray, asking God for forgiveness; 3) continuously seek the face of God and 4) make a 180 degree turn from their sinful lifestyle. 

True repentance is a lot more than just lip service … it’s changed behavior. Scripture tells us God looks upon the heart of an individual and not the exterior ^{[1 Samuel 16:7 NIV]}. It’s also what he looks at when we pray. Do we pray from a sincere and humble heart or do we have some sort of agenda that drives our prayer? Remember, the Lord knows everything that can be known, so there is no fooling him. Our prayers, when coming from a heart that is hungry after God, shall be answered. The timing of the answers is known only to our Lord. Patience while waiting is very important. If we rush ahead of God, we will likely miss the blessing that comes with a perfectly timed, God-given answer. 

If we prayerfully repent as the Israelites did God will hear us and forgive our sin(s). This also applies to our great nation. If we corporately do that which is described in scripture than our land will be healed. We must pray for our needs, the needs of our friends, our loved ones, our government officials and so on, so as to bring about change, albeit slow change, but change, nonetheless. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Prayer Project - No. 2

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -     1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ^NIV

            Because the topic is prayer, I would like to focus on the phrase “pray without ceasing”. Now I’d like to clarify that phrase if I may. I think it should be fairly obvious that we are not being told to pray continuously to the exclusion of all else. It means to never stop praying. God never takes time off, so by following his example, we are not to cease praying when we go away or when things are going well for us. We are to pray in bad times and praise in good times. We are to pray for others and not just ourselves. 

            Prayer is a powerful weapon in our arsenal. God is multi-dimensional … ever-present, able to move and flow allowing him to know all things that can be known. Therefore, he knows what we will ask prior to our asking and has the ability to answer when the time is best and most advantageous for us. 

            I think praying without ceasing means that there is no situation that we cannot pray about. We should never be hesitant to seek God regarding anything. Look at the two phrases that act as the bread to the prayer sandwich … “rejoice always” & “give thanks in all circumstances”. We are not to rejoice & give thanks only when things are going well for us. We are to rejoice & give thanks in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, which implies that we will go thru times of trouble. Let’s face it, we can always find something to praise the Lord about; for the air we breathe, the food we eat, for life itself. 

            We must have confidence that our prayers are heard as they are spoken and not forgotten. Since it is impractical to think we can pray at all times, I believe we can most wholeheartedly be in a prayerful attitude, being ready at a moment’s notice to lift something or someone up to His throne of grace. So remember, pray for any and all things according to God’s specific will for your life. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Prayer Project - No.1

In this Prayer Project I will be taking fairly common verses regarding prayer and expanding upon them. I hope you enjoy this project. Right now, I have picked 8 verses to write on. I may end up doing more or not. One never knows with a writer who has a random mind.

 

 

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” - 1 John 5:14 ^NIV

            Did you know you can be certain that you will receive eternal life? It’s not based on any feelings, thoughts, or inadequacies you feel you may have. It’s based on God’s promise that we would receive eternal life through the blood shed by his Son, Jesus Christ. Our walk with God ebbs and flows throughout our lives. We have good days and bad days. We have days when we feel spiritually strong and days when we feel like Samson after his hair was cut off. It’s not about us!  It’s about what has been done for us. Remember that when you are down in the dumps. His love and forgiveness are unconditional.

            The notion of getting anything we ask for is largely misunderstood because of the individual’s blind eye to the phrase “according to his will”. This particular verse just says, “he hears us”, not that he gives us whatever we ask for. Verse 14 says, “he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” The way to know what pleases God is to read his word. 

The Apostle James wrote his letter “to the ‘twelve tribes’ scattered abroad”. He had something to say about not receiving what you ask for from God. In James 4:3 he declares, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” It is vital and required that what we ask for is according to the will of God for us as individuals. God has a corporate or general will for all believers, such as speaking the gospel message to an unsaved world.  He also has an individual will based on the gifts he has given you. Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? Mine are writing, preaching, teaching, encouraging, serving, and praying. It’s taken me years to allow the Holy Spirit to hone them into usable gifts. If you pray to your heavenly father according to what you know, not think, but know your gift(s) are, then you shall receive what you seek … when God chooses to answer you. His timing is impeccable, so don’t lose faith. Patience is a trait that is learned by waiting for God to move. 

Next we continue our look at prayer. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lessons

Lesson 7 - Lamenting the Past

 

       This morning I caught myself lamenting past mistakes, consequences, disappointments, and injustices. There is no benefit to doing 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. 

This concludes our look at LIFE LESSONS. I trust you are better off for having read it. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.  

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lessons

Lesson 6 - No One’s Perfect

 

                  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 don’t recognize as coming from him. Everything the Lord does is for our benefit and ultimate good (Romans 8:28) ... we need to believe that. 

            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. 

To complete this study we will look at Lamenting the Past. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* 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 Lessons

Lessons 5 - Judging Others

 

            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 the significance of Good Friday. 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. Frankly, it may be fair to say that we ALL are guilty of judging others when we may be the last person who needs to be the judge. We are not called to judge others, but rather to love them, not just by our words, but by our actions as well. They say, “a picture’s worth a thousand words”, so how much louder would someone’s actions speak? Words without corresponding action can tend to sound hollow and meaningless.

Once a person receives Christ, the Holy Spirit will deal with the profanity issue. Sometimes we clean up our language only to have it re-emerge 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 should be understandable to us. It doesn’t make it okay, 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”. 

Next time we’ll take a look at the fact that NO ONE’S PERFECT. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing. 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lessons

Lesson 4 - Depression

 

“A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness or inability to experience pleasure combined with other symptoms including poorconcentration, 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. 

 

Next time we’ll take a look at JUDGING OTHERS. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing. 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

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

Life Lessons

Lesson 3 - Disappointment

 

Disappointment – “Unhappiness caused by the failure of one's hopes, desires, or expectations.” *

 

Does a Christian have the right to be disappointed?

Life is filled with disappointments. We have hopes, dreams, & desires. Though they may be unrealistic we have them all the same. Media outlets of all types fill us with unreasonable expectations based on our basic materialistic desires for comfort and pleasure. Do we as Christians have the right to be disappointed with anything in life? Well, not really. It all depends on our expectations and whether they are reasonable and/or God driven. We get caught up being disappointed because things don’t turn out the way we had hoped, not realizing at the time that God has something much more valuable in store for us.

 

Disappointment is tied to patience.

How long are you willing to wait for God’s will to be manifest in your life, as long as it takes? Many folks say that but show they don’t mean it by their actions. Look at Abraham and Sarah – God promised a son, but because 20 years had passed, and they were old Sarah told Abraham to lay with her Egyptian servant Hagar. He did and she gave birth to Ismael, but he was not the son God promised. Impatience caused disobedience. Sarah became angry and jealous and cast Hagar out of her presence. The enemy will use any delay to discourage us to the point of distraction allowing doubt to creep into our soul. Don’t set your expectations too high. Let God set your expectations based on his promises from scripture.

 

Disappointment is tied to happiness.

They say, ‘being happy is a decision’. Should our happiness be tied to life’s disappointments? It often times is, but should it be? It depends on the driving force in your life. Are you running with a worldly engine or a heavenly inspired one? Do you seek God for wisdom and guidance or comb the Internet for inspiration? I believe it really is a decision we make each day to be happy or unhappy. Each day we must touch base with our Heavenly Father in an effort to feed our spirit man. Perhaps it’s thru the lyrics of a song, a devotional reading, a scripture verse we come upon or an email from a brother or sister in the Lord telling us what a blessing we are. These small things elevate our faith and drive out unhappiness and disappointment. Just reading a Psalm per day can rev up your spiritual engine.

            Below you will find scriptures dealing with disappointment: Don’t wait to be spoon fed … dig deep into the richness of God’s soil and feed on the truth of his word. 

            Next we’ll take a look at DEPRESSION. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Bible verses dealing with disappointment:

Jeremiah 29:11

Isaiah 55:8-9

Romans 8:28

Psalm 55:22

Philippians 4:6-7

Matthew 6:6

Psalms 27:14

Isaiah 40:28-31

Philippians 4:13

*The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

 

Life Lessons

Lesson 2 - Patience

 

            Patience is a virtue, a characteristic that reveals moral excellence. Patience without kindness is wasted in that you must 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 needs 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. 

Next we will take a look at DISAPPOINTMENT. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lessons

Lesson 1 - Life is Like a Book

 

            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 focused 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’s 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. 

Next time we’ll take a look at PATIENCE. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

THE FOUR LOVES

Agape

 

Agape (pronounced ah–gah’pay) & is defined as God’s love for his creation.

 

 

            “Agape love … is not a feeling; it's a motivation for action that we are free to choose or reject. Agape is a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the benefit of another without expecting anything in return. We are called to agape love through Christ's example: ‘Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’"^{(1) (Ephesians 5:1-2)}.

            What Jesus did for all mankind is the greatest, most compelling example of selfless, unconditional love. That is what agape love truly is. It’s not found in words written or spoken, it is found in actions. Love is an action verb. To not be so would make it stale. Instead of telling people about Christ only, we must SHOW them Christ thru our own lives. Words are valueless when not either followed or led by actions. That goes for any of the four types of love we’ve been looking at. 

            If I explain how a machine works, some folks may get it, but if I show them the inner workings and how the whole mechanism functions along with what the end product might be, they will be more inclined to remember. Visible learning tops verbally communicating alone. And visible learning combined with verbal is even more effective. Be Christ to those you come across each day. People may never darken the door of a church or never crack open a Bible, but if you live out the scriptures with the Holy Spirit’s assistance, you will have something that will compel folks to pay attention. 

This concludes our study on THE FOUR LOVES. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

⁽¹⁾ https://www.compellingtruth.org/agape-love.html

Resource: https://www.learnreligions.com/types-of-love-in-the-bible-700177

THE FOUR LOVES

Philias

 

Four unique forms of love are found in the Bible. They are communicated through four Greek words: Eros, Storge, Philias, and Agape. We'll explore these different types of love characterized by romantic love, family love, brotherly love, and God's divine love.

 

Philias – Brotherly love that unites believers.

 

            C.S. Lewis wrote a book titled The Four Loves. “Philias (philías, Greek: φιλία) is the love between friends as close as siblings in strength and duration. The friendship is the strong bond existing between people who share common values, interests or activities.” Lewis immediately differentiates friendship love from the other loves. He describes friendship as "the least biological, organic, instinctive, gregarious and necessary...the least natural of loves". “Our species does not need friendship in order to reproduce, but to the classical and medieval worlds it is a higher-level love because it is freely chosen.” *

            It is not a natural thing to be selfless, which means it is difficult to treat others as of greater importance than yourself. Brotherly love is something that isn’t a suggestion, but rather a command. We won’t go to hell if we keep to ourselves, but it’s not what the Lord knows is best for us. Brotherly interaction is the key to loving one another. You must spend time with your brethren to cultivate a loving friendship. In the OT, David and Jonathan had what would be considered a perfect example of brotherly love ^{(1st Samuel 18-20)}.

            “Brotherly love friendship springs from a strong, tight-knit bond. Friendship shares mutual affection and love for one another.  Friendship demands selfless sacrifice.”⁽¹⁾ These are things, as I mentioned above, that do not come easy, especially for men who try to be as autonomous as possible, even as believers. We value our private time and times when we can do whatever we want. Being selfless can mess with our comfort level and cause us to do things we normally wouldn’t do even though we are told by God that this is what a follower of his should be doing. We may love a brother or sister in Christ reluctantly, but once again it all comes down to seeing others the way God sees them. Striving for selflessness in ones life is the absolute way to go. Let go of the wheel and let God drive. You’ll not regret it. 

            Lastly, we will take a look at AGAPE love. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

* Wikipedia entry re: Philias love

⁽¹⁾ https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/3-truths-about-genuine-friendship-we-can-learn-from-david-and-jonathan.html

Resource: https://www.learnreligions.com/types-of-love-in-the-bible-700177

THE FOUR LOVES

Storge 

Storge (pronounced store’gay) – Familial love between a parent and their child; affectionate devotion within the confines of the family.

 

Scripture verse referencing this type of love: Romans 12:10 New Living Translation (NLT)

“Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.”

 

            The ways of the world are slowly eroding away the very foundation that represents all that is fair, decent, and just on this earth. The family unit has been under attack for many years now and we are seeing some major fissures show themselves. The devil is working overtime to destroy the family unit. Those that are outside the family of faith are no threat to the enemy. Although they may not like everything that is being dished out, they conform without much resistance. Believers in Christ have some of the same struggles with the weak link often being the children. With all peoples, saved and unsaved, it is a delicate balancing act to keep our priorities in focus. Believers have the Lord to fall back on and ask support from. Non-believers have no such support. For them it tends to be a losing battle. 

            Family morals and values are being bombarded from all directions. Media outlets portray kids and the geniuses and the parents as dummies. Is it any wonder kids disrespect their parents? It doesn’t help that many parents are working hard at being their child’s buddy rather than their disciplinarian and life mentor. 

            Storge love is important and has been under attack for decades. Divorce and same sex marriage are the result of the country’s moral fiber being shredded. Now kids are able to decide what gender they wish to be. I’ve even heard of a young boy who decides when he wakes up in the morning which gender he will be for that day. It’s all too crazy … and the Christians are scolded as the intolerant ones. Pray for this country that the chaos will be quelled. Having said that, man’s free will must remain viable. It’s the way God ensures those who serve him do it because they have a deep, abiding desire to do so and do not feel like it is mandatory to know him. 

Next time we will look at “Philia” love. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: https://www.learnreligions.com/types-of-love-in-the-bible-700177

THE FOUR LOVES

 

Eros

 

            Over the next several days I will be looking at THE FOUR LOVES. Today we’ll take a look at EROS. There are 4 different types of love in God’s economy. I’ve often said that if you ever want to know the definition of ‘love’ you can go to chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians. That is God’s definition of ‘love’, spelled out in detail. I will look at that another time. Today I wish to touch on the 4 different types of love. 

            Four unique forms of love are found in the Bible. They are communicated through four Greek words: Eros, Storge, Philios, and Agape. We'll explore these different types of love characterized by romantic love, family love, brotherly love, and God's divine love.

 

Eros (pronounced “air’ohs”) – Sensual or romantic love between a man & a woman.

 

            God’s design is that a man not be alone, so he created woman out of man’s side (Genesis 2:22). God has sexual relations reserved for a man and woman who are to be married. Sleeping with anyone and everyone you meet cheapens the act of making love (eros).  

            Now of course man, in all his wisdom, decided having sex with anyone you so desire, whether you are married or not was all right. That has led to some pretty calamitous consequences. Everyone involved get his or her heart pierced. The emotional toll can be devastating for all parties concerned.

            In my humble opinion, the term “lovemaking” or “making love” sounds so much more intimate and romantic. Any living creature can engage in sex. It takes a personally intimate relationship with someone to engage in lovemaking. The term sex, while technically correct, cheapens the act. The world has gone crazy for sex. It’s in movies, on TV shows (via innuendo), in magazines. When does it stop? Not till the final trumpet sounds and time is no more. And it will get worse before it gets better. 

            Today’s word is “eros” – the sensual / romantic love between men and women. Until next time, when we look at “storge” or familial love, walk with the King and be a blessing.

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Resource: https://www.learnreligions.com/types-of-love-in-the-bible-700177