Thoughts on Healing …

How do you explain the death of a woman’s husband to her when he was her whole life? If they’re not a Christian, how to you tell them about God when God heals yet didn’t choose to heal him? That same question applies to those who know Christ. What do you say? What can you say? Let’s face it, there is nothing that you say that will be a salve on the wound. At least not at first. Prayerfully approaching them is a must. Sometimes just sitting with them, holding their hand can be a comfort. Being Jesus to them in their hour of incredible need. 

            The loss of a loved one can be devastating depending on how close you were to that individual. A sense of deep loss, combined with the fact that you will never see them again on this earth has the potential to drive you into a very deep depression if you let it. Those in that position often don’t have what it takes to combat depression mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. A sense of despondency arrives on the heels of the depression. The closer the person was to you the worst it can be. I know some folks who have lost a spouse and simply never get over the loss. The memory of them lingers, which can be a good thing to a point, but some folks allow that loss to stunt their life to the point where they never feel ready to move on. How do you minister to these folks? Praying for them without them being present can be helpful because prayer is a life blood for the Christian. I say “without them being present” because depending how fresh the wound is, it only reopens the wound and causes renewed pain when reminded of the loss even through prayer. In person prayer can come at a later date. Be led by the Holy Spirit in that regard.

            I remember clearly when my mom passed away way too early in her life. She died of pancreatic cancer at 53 years old. I wasn’t a believer at the time and wasn’t at all prepared for it. Quite frankly, you never know when a life will end so we should always try to make the most of our time with loved ones. I take comfort in the fact that I believe she received Christ before she died. But she died before I received Christ for myself and so when my sister told me I would see her in heaven I flew into a bit of a rage saying I wanted to be with her now. At 24 years of age, I was disillusioned and mad at a God who would take my mother away from me. I had been away at college and not spent all that much time with her. I still miss her but being saved 2 years after her death has helped bring me comfort. 

            So even when we have no words to say to those who have suffered loss, our presence shows that we care and that can be more than enough. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts on Healing …

 

            I had mentioned that prayer is the lifeblood of Christianity. It can also be one of the most difficult parts of being a believer. It’s easy to give up after you pray once or twice about something. The difficult part is continuously praying for something until you see the answer manifest itself. We must pray with persistence.

            When we pray for healing for ourselves or someone else, we must remain steadfast with our prayers until the mission is complete. I had been of the mind that praying once or twice about something on behalf of yourself or another was sufficient because God already knows our wants and needs, therefore, I was praying to bring the topic up to our all-knowing God … period. I was aware of the parable (story) of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. Luke 18:1-8 tells the story. A widow sought justice against an adversary of hers from a judge who “neither feared God, not cared what people thought”. The widow came to him repeatedly until the unjust judge meted out justice on her behalf due to her persistence which had become an annoyance to the judge. Now the judge doesn’t represent God, for God is never annoyed with his children. The story is nothing more than an illustration of how we are to “always pray and not give up”. 

The lesson to be learned here is that “God may be pleased to answer a prayer very soon after the believer sends his request heavenward. But God may be just as pleased to withhold an answer for an extended time and require that the believer continue praying.” ⁽¹⁾ God already knows the outcome because he is the one who will bring it about. The prayers aren’t for him. The prayers are for us, to encourage us and give us something to trust God for and when the answer comes our faith shall be bolstered and our persistence shall be rewarded. 

 

“Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.”- Psalm 55:17

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

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

⁽¹⁾  www.freesundayschoollessons.org

Thoughts on healing …

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. * It was the same with the Red Sea when God parted the waters allowing the Israelites to cross on dry land, 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 from a man they only knew 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’s 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

Thoughts on Healing …

“As they went, they were healed.” - Luke 17:14b

 

Perhaps you may be familiar with the story of the 10 lepers. Jesus was heading to Jerusalem along the Samarian / Galilean border. The Jews had a serious hate for Samaritans ⁽¹⁾, whom they considered half-breeds and very unspiritual. 

It just so happened that on his way the Lord came across 10 lepers on the side of the road. They were each crying out for Jesus to have mercy on them.  “Leprosy is a horrendous illness that affects the skin, eyes, nose, and peripheral nerves. Highly contagious, those who were diagnosed with leprosy were quarantined and isolated from the rest of society. Jewish law required that those with leprosy shout, “Unclean, unclean” when people approached, to avoid contaminating others. At the time of Jesus, there was no known cure which left those with leprosy without hope.” ⁽²⁾

Even though Jesus was moved with compassion for the plight of these men, instead of healing them right away he simply responded by telling them to go show themselves to the priests. As the men went they were healed. Whether it was gradual or instantaneous is not known, for scripture does not say, but regardless, they were healed on the way to follow Jesus’ instructions. Once they had completed that which they had been told to do only one man came back to Jesus, “praising God in a loud voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus to thank him” ^{(Luke 17:15-16)} The kicker is that this lone man was none other than a Samaritan. How about that. A foreigner was the only one to take the time to come back an undeclared distance on foot to praise God and thank Jesus.

We pray so often for healings, yet how many of us actually take the time to lift up the name of God in praise and thank him for his answer to our fervent prayers. Many of us do just that, but this post today is to remind us not to be like the 9 men who got healed from a very contagious, horrible disease, only to go on about their lives as if nothing significant had just taken place in their lives. It’s part of the healing process … being humble enough to thank God for all he has done for you.  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 Samaritans were half-Jew, half-Gentile. The race came about after the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. Certain people from the nation of Israel stayed behind. These people intermarried with the Assyrians producing the Samaritans. They Had No Dealings with The Jews.” - taken from the Blue Letter Bible; contributor - Don Stewart

⁽²⁾  Taken from article titled 5 Lessons on Gratitude from Jesus Healing the 10 Lepers, authored by Becky Harling, who has published 11 books and is a popular Christian speaker. 

Resource: www.crosswalk.com

Thoughts on Healing …

In my 2^nd installment on Healing, I am pulling info from Paul Balius’ site, ‘He Has You’. I encourage you to visit Paul’s blog (link at the bottom) when you get the chance.

There is no doubt that we can grow tired of praying for the same thing over and over, but as I pointed out in the 1^st writing, scripture says He WILL heal you, but He never says WHEN. We pray for healing, not in the form of a command, but a request, expecting He will do it, and knowing without a shadow of a doubt that He is able to. We have the easy part in that we simply must ask for that which we wish to manifest before us or within us. We pray and leave the rest to God. One of two outcomes will take place; 1) our faith will be lifted or 2) our faith will be tested. Make no mistake about it, God never fails even when He doesn’t happen to answer with an instantaneous healing. Now instantaneous means “without any perceptible delay”. So it should be pretty obvious if it is or isn’t going to happen right away.

                  Now there are a few things we know about God. He’s not deaf, He never makes a mistake, and He will never fail to do for us that which will be for our greatest benefit and His greatest glory. God wishes to see in us a faith that believes Him to do whatever we need done and trust Him with His decisions, whenever they happen to materialize. “We can either worry about it or trust God with it”. ⁽¹⁾

 

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” ^{(Psalm 56:3-4 NASB)}

 

Pray in faith for the best possible outcome and go about your business believing that the wheels in heaven have begun to turn on your behalf. And don’t ever become tired of laying the same request before God each time you pray. “Don’t be weary in prayer; keep at it; watch for God’s answers and remember to be thankful when they come.” ^{(Colossians 4:2 TLB)}

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” ^{(Psalm 56:3-4 NASB)}.  

Thoughts on prayer will continue; until then, walk with the King today and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.hehasyou.org

(1) Paul Balius.

Thoughts on Healing …

I’ve been curious about the whole healing question, regarding why some are healed by God, and some are not. I’ve decided to take a deep dive into the subject and today is my first installment.

                  For starters I looked at two different websites to see what they had to say. There are several things that I found NOT to be true about healing or the fact that one isn’t healed. It doesn’t have anything to do with God’s lack of love for you or that He arbitrarily heals whom He wills, leaving others on the outside of His healing touch. It has nothing to do with your not having enough faith. The frank and honest answer to why some are healed and some are not is that we really have no idea why. That may sound like a cop out but think about it. God heals. Scripture is flooded with verses on the subject. Faith as small as a seed no bigger than a pin head is all that is required to do great things in God’s name, so believing He will heal us is not typically the problem. Some are healed instantly, some progressively and some not at all and we have no idea why. God says He will heal us, but He never says when. We know without a shadow of a doubt that we will be healed when we arrive in heaven. It seems arbitrary to us I’m sure, but God does indeed have His reasons. 

                  We may not have a clue why someone isn’t healed, but God does. God gets blamed for far too much of the sickness and disease that we experience. We accept the fact that we do not have all the answers, but there ARE answers. Even if there are answers that we will never know this side of heaven, there ARE answers, and they would no doubt make sense to us if we knew them. 

                  Waiting for anything nowadays is difficult for much of society. We want instantaneous gratification. We want to be healed and we want to be healed NOW. Not in a year, not in a month, not tomorrow, not in an hour, but NOW. God doesn’t work that way most of the time and He certainly doesn’t take orders from us. Inquiring minds want to know the seemingly unknowable, but answers are not forthcoming. Some are healed and some aren’t until they pass over the river Jordan, so to speak and that appears to be the reality of it.

                  I hope this sheds a tiny beam of light on the subject of healing. I’ll keep digging to see what else I can find out on the subject. Until next time, walk with the king and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: www.christianhealingmin.org, www.gospelcoalition.org

 

The Trust Initiative - No. 5

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”- Psalm 56:3 ^NASB

                  In past postings I have made a distinction between fear & reverence. In this verse being afraid is the other meaning of fear used in scripture. We’re human with emotions. We become afraid and we worry, however, God instructs us that we need not fear or worry. This is because we are His and He is our Heavenly Father. 

                  No matter what circumstances you may find yourself in, what good could possibly come from worrying or being fearful. Will it help you in your situation? No. Will it bring you peace or comfort? No. These are characteristics that emerge from a close, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.

            With regards to our fear of mortal men, they can inflict pain, suffering and death to us, but they cannot rob us of our soul or our future beyond this life. A travesty in this life is when someone rejects Almighty God and loses out on forgiveness and a subsequent eternal life in His presence.

Matthew 10:28 says this: “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” We need to revere God with awe for who He is and what He can do and has done. For God controls this life and the next. We can trust our God with our very lives, without question. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

The Trust Initiative - No. 4

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”- Psalm 118:8 ^{New American Standard Bible}

                  While it cannot be confirmed, many Bible scholars surmise that this Psalm was written by none other than King David. But it really doesn’t matter … the message is a familiar one, nonetheless.  Trusting in man is misplaced trust. Almighty God can do what no man could ever do. Our trust in God enables us to know exactly where to go in our greatest time of need. Proverbs 18:10 tells us, “The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” Again, in Psalm 46:1 it says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

                  What can man offer us when trouble arises? Not much. As I have said in past postings, mortal man’s resources are sorely lacking. When you think of God and what scripture says of him, you should have confidence that he will protect you from anything that may come against you. God watches over his children as a mother hen watches over her chicks or a shepherd watches over his flock. Both are safe and secure, protected by their loving overseer.

                  As an illustration, a form of refuge could be a fortress, which can have outside walls as thick of 4 feet. Penetration by the enemy would be difficult. Infiltration from within would accomplish that goal. I would compare that to your mind being compromised by the enemy thru some form of media incursion or irregular association. Our relationship with God is meant to be deeply intimate. The closer we are to our Heavenly Father the closer he is to us and the more we will trust him, because we know him a little bit more each day we spend time with him. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Trust Initiative - No. 3

“You who [reverently] fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.” - Psalm 115:11 ^{Amplified Bible}

            Once again, we see the reference to fearing the Lord. I’ve been using the Amplified Bible up to this point because it breaks down a word or phrases meaning in an easier to understand way. Fear of the Lord is not like being afraid. Those who should be afraid of the Lord are folks who live as they choose, without any consideration to God or his Word. Those are the people who need to take a real hard look themselves and seriously consider the possibility of a higher power that is far greater than themselves. Not just a higher power, but a spiritual entity that IS love in its purest and most concise form. Because of his majestic power and endless wisdom, we are to be in awe of him and treat him with reverence. Our fear of him should also lead to trust, just as our faith should. We should trust him because there has never, nor will there ever be, a time when he will not be our help and protector. 

When I think of the word ‘shield’, I think of the Roman shields they sometimes used in battle.  They were convex in shape and had straight sides; 4 feet tall and 2-1/2 feet wide. They were made of wood and copper and at times had a thick leather overlay that was saturated with water to douse the flames of fiery arrows shot at them by their enemies. The average height of a Roman soldier back in the day was roughly 5’7”-5’8” tall. If they crouched down their entire body from head to toe would be covered by these shields. That is what comes to mind when scripture tells us God is our shield. He protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. Satan is powerless against a child of God, unless that child gives the devil a foothold.^[1] Do not yield to the enemy, for God is your “help and shield”. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

^[1] Ephesians 4:26-27

 

“O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever.” - Psalm 118:1 ^{Amplified Bible}

The Trust Initiative - No. 2

“Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.”- Psalm 37:3 ^{Amplified Bible}

For this posting, I have chosen this simple verse from the Psalms. The Psalmist is King David, who had a heart after God. ^[1] No doubt thru his own experiences, David asks his readers to place their full trust in God and not in men, who are perishing like the lilies of the field that is here today and gone tomorrow. All of mankind is fading from this earth beginning on the day of their birth and are limited in what they can do. The Lord’s riches, wisdom and strength are limitless. In God we can trust both for things temporal and eternal, of the body and the soul, now and forevermore.

            David follows his pitch for trusting the Lord by saying that we should “do good”. Now since Jesus said in Mark 10:18 that no one is good except God the Father, this implies than men are inherently NOT good at their core. Hence our need for forgiveness, aka, redemption. However, since God is good and we are his children, we are to emulate his goodness as we become closer to his heart. Our fruit will reveal our faithfulness.

            Our trust in God is largely, if not exclusively, based on his faithfulness to us. We love because he first loved us. ^[2] Everything that is good and loving and kind and compassionate emanates from Almighty God. Salvation is designed to lead us to behaving like our Heavenly Father.

            The final statement, I believe, is referring not just to the land we dwell on this side of heaven, but also in the heavenly realm. As sheep in their pasture would peacefully feed, we are to feed without fear on the faithfulness and goodness of our God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] 1 Samuel 13:14 & Acts 13:22

^[2] 1 John 4:19

The Trust Initiative – No. 1

Today we are starting a brief look at TRUSTING God. The next 5 postings will look at the various aspects of trusting our Lord. I hope you are encouraged & edified by these writings. rlk

 

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”- Proverbs 3:5-6

            Trust is an outcropping of our faith. The greater our faith in God is the more likely we are to trust him with our lives. There are some key words in these 2 verses that reveal how we should live this life. 

            One’s heart is where their soul resides. Our trust in God must come from the deepest part of our soul. Man’s ability to understand is inferior to a God who dispenses wisdom freely. If we rely on our own understanding, we are shortchanging ourselves in a big way. If we trust God we must let go of all that would encumber us and have the patience to allow his will to materialize before us.

            To acknowledge God is to accept his existence as true. This is what we are to do with every fiber of our being in every aspect of our life. If we’re going to trust the Lord for all things we certainly must accept that he is real. We must have no doubt. Doubt causes a lack of trust, which is exactly what we don’t want. Our faith and trust mustn’t be conditional, as in, if God does this or that then I will trust him. It doesn’t work that way. We must trust him FIRST, then have our faith bolstered by the answer we’ve sought.

            Life is full of crooked paths. Without the guidance and direction of our spiritual GPS, the Holy Spirit, we will not end up where we were intended to go. Trust in God spills over into trust in the Spirit. The Lord will lead us where we are to go as long as we don’t go racing off ahead of him. We must fine tune our ability to discern that which is from the Lord and that which is not. These verses are the initial step in trusting God. They are elemental in nature and fairly easy to abide by. I refer to them as ‘the gospel in a nutshell’. These are the first two verses I ever memorized. Starting here provides a launching pad, allowing you to take off into new and exciting areas of your walk with Christ. 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. 20

“You, therefore, pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven! May your Name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us the food we need today. Forgive us what we have done wrong, as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us. And do not lead us into hard testing but keep us safe from the Evil One. For kingship, power and glory are yours forever.’ Amen.’” – Matthew 6:9-13 ^{Complete Jewish Bible}

                  Here we have Jesus’ example of how to pray. It’s a model that may be recited verbatim if you so desire or can be treated as a sort of guide to follow. Let’s break it down.

            First, it establishes that we have a Father who resides in heaven. This obviously would make us His children. Secondly, it states that we should keep his name holy even as He is holy by virtue of His stature as the eternal King and Lord, judge, and Savior. In our prayers we should acknowledge His holy nature. This is, in effect praising him for who he is. Next it asks that God’s Kingdom may come quickly according to His will, which has already been set since the foundations of the earth. His kingdom on earth will be established once all evil on the earth is destroyed. Even though God could eradicate all evil with the snap of a finger, wouldn’t it be interesting if He used believers to rise up with the purpose of destroying evil on the earth in His name?

            Our need for sustenance is addressed in the direct request for the food needed for the day. This acknowledges that God is our provider and sustainer in this life. We may think we provide for our needs ourselves, but if you really think about it, God already knows what we need and meets that need each day.

Forgiveness is spoken of in verse 12. Verses 14 and 15* reveal the danger of not offering forgiveness to those who have committed sins against us. This falls under the category underlined in Matthew 7:12 where it says to ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ You forgive others because Christ forgave you … with no indecision, no remorse, and no hesitation. You forgive others sins against you or God will not forgive your sins. This doesn’t mean your salvation is revoked, but rather, any sins going forward from that point wouldn’t be forgiven. Your lack of forgiveness blocks your connection to God as a blockage in your throat would impede your ability to swallow something. It’s not forever … only until you see the error of your ways and repent. 

            Verse 13 looks at temptation, which we all battle regularly throughout our life on this earth. This version that is shown at the top of the post refers to temptation as “hard testing”. Sometimes we are tested to see how much we have grown. God is monitoring the situation and gives a way of escape when the time is right. Not all temptation is like this, but all temptation comes from the enemy. God just allows some as a means of spiritual growth. So, we pray for protection from temptation and safety from the enemy of our soul. 

            The latter half of verse 13 is not found in the oldest manuscripts, but the Complete Jewish Bible does have it shown. It is simply ending the model prayer by acknowledging once again that Almighty Jehovah God is the one true King of all creation, whose power and glory emanates from His majestic being. The ending is the classic use of the word “Amen” which means either “so be it” or “let it be so”. 

            So, we start with the acknowledgement of who God is; we praise him for who he is and what he has done; we ask for our daily sustenance; we seek forgiveness, making sure we’ve forgiven others; we seek his help avoiding temptation and circle around to the finish by once again acknowledging his kingship, power and majestic glory. May it be so. For those who are unsure how to pray or what to say, Jesus provided an outline or blueprint explaining just how to pray. Now go pray miracles into existence. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*Matthew 6:14-15 - “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

 

NOTE:  This is the final posting regarding prayer. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. My hope is that you may have a greater understanding regarding this important topic and be able to pray more effectively in the future.

The Prayer Project - No. 19

“This is what the Lord says - the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name us the Lord: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’”- Jeremiah 33:2-3 ^NIV

            Jeremiah was a prophet whom God spoke thru in Old Testament times. Being a prophet allows verse 3 to make sense. The Lord will use Jeremiah to speak to the people great and unknowable things that they do not know. In other words, Jeremiah will prophesy over Israel and reveal future events, typically as a warning for them to stop acting in a certain way turn back to God.

            In Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord spoke thru the prophet these words: “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?” ^[NLT] This verse alone is revealing in that God says He is Lord over ALL the peoples of the world, not just the Israelites. Perhaps a foreshadowing of the Gentiles being grafted into God’s family found in Romans 11:17. * 

            God, speaking thru Jeremiah, is once again establishing His preeminence over all creation. Surely the One who created every living thing, in addition to the firmament on which we stand, can do anything He feels necessary to validate His promises and care for His children. Knowing the future can be a blessing or a curse, depending on which side of the ledger you happen to be on. 

            In the case of Jeremiah 33, God is predicting the restoration of Jerusalem, on the heels of Chapter 32, where He predicts the destruction of the same. Knowing the children of Israel hold a special place in God’s heart, we can always count on the fact that His unconditional love will take Israel back after they have failed to follow His lead. Restoration always seems to follow destruction. The destruction is the consequence garnered from their disobedience; restoration is what grows out of their repentance. 

            While it is true that we can ask anything in Jesus name, that is the time we need to humble ourselves, set aside our own will, lose our worrisome attitude, and become determined once again to obey the Lord. That is exactly what Israel had to do for themselves to complete the spiritual restoration in their collective hearts. The physical restoration of Jerusalem itself shall come in conjunction with their own personal restoration. 

            Our next post will conclude our extensive Prayer Project. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.” ^[NLT]

The Prayer Project – No. 18

“…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

            If there were ever a verse of scripture that was tailor-made for the United States, it’s this one. It is a promise that no matter how evil things become in our country, we have an option that can heal our land. Things are super evil at this time in America. It’s as if the Holy Spirit had left. Unbridled sin is rampant everywhere you look. From gender-bending to child porn to mass shootings, multitudes of our country’s inhabitants are heading to hell at warp speed. But there is hope … until the final trump has sounded there is hope.  

                  If we look at the verse closely, we see that this option God has presented to us is no small order. Humbling yourself before God can be a tremendous challenge for many folks. It goes against the grain for a lot of us. The world pushes a different agenda then the Lord. The enemy wants to enslave you with lies and deception that look like precious jewels. God, however, seeks to make you the best version of yourself, but you must participate in this transformation. As the verse declares, you must seek the face of God and pray. You must also make a 180, meaning you must turn and go in the opposite direction from your current position and continue in that direction that God has predetermined for you.

                  God will hear the cries of those who have humbled themselves and sought his face.  Justice is coming for the evil doers of this world, but the Lord offers grace and mercy. What a gift he has provided for us. Eternal life with him. What could this world possibly offer that could compare with that?  Do you know someone who is lost? Are you lost yourself? Heed the voice of the Lord and submit to a love that is precious, without conditions placed upon it and is never-ending.  If you are already saved, pray for those who are lost. Make it a matter of daily prayer that the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the unsaved. It’s our duty and responsibility as ambassadors of Christ to do so. 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. 17

“For there [is only] one God, and [only] one Mediator* between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…”- 1 Timothy 2:5 ^{Amplified Bible}

                  While some seem to think there are many ways to God, keeping them from making a concise decision regarding a singular way, there is only ONE God and ONE who reconciles God with his creation. Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God, is the only way to heaven. It is thru his unselfish act of allowing himself to be beaten bloody and nailed to a wooden cross that we are reconciled. What does this have to do with prayer? Who do we pray to? Only to Jesus. We have a direct line of communication to the Father thru the Son. This was proven by the veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place in the Temple being torn down the middle from the TOP TO THE BOTTOM. ** ^{[Matthew 27:51]} This was symbolic, meaning all now had access to God and the mediator between God and man was the lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. 

            It is THAT mediator to whom we pray. We need not pray to anyone else, because it is only Jesus who now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for the saints. ^{[Romans 8:34 NIV]} Consider if Christ was a bridge. There is a chasm that needs to be crossed. You speculate as to how many ways there might be to cross the chasm, but in reality, only one is necessary. The chasm is sin, and the bridge is Jesus Christ. He alone can bridge the gap caused by our sin. For he is the only one who willingly came and died for said sin. This is to whom we pray. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries        

Matthew 27:51 - “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

Romans 8:34 - “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

*Mediator - One that reconciles differences between two parties.

Note: The Talmud is a collection of writings that covers the full gamut of Jewish law and tradition, compiled, and edited between the third and sixth centuries. - https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3347866/jewish/What-Is-the-Talmud.htm

** “According to the Talmud the veils were 60 feet long and 30 feet wide, about the thickness of a man’s palm (4 inches) and made of 72 squares which were sewn together. The veils were so heavy that it took 300 priests to hang them according to Jewish tradition. There were three curtains placed strategically in the tabernacle. Each curtain was made of fine-twined linen into which twisted threads of blue, purple, and scarlet were interwoven (Ex. 38:18). Although beautiful to look upon, the veiled entrances associated with the tabernacle were not to be objects of admiration but performed two basic functions. The word “veil” in Hebrew means ‘to separate’ and is descriptive of its ministry. First, the veil acted as a barrier between God and man, shutting God in and man out (Lev. 16:2). Secondly, the curtains were to permit access to worship after the priest had met the required conditions set forth in the Mosaic Law.” - https://israelmyglory.org/article/the-veil-christ-our-access-to-god-exodus-2631-35-3635-38/.

The Prayer Project - No. 16

“You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.  You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” – James 4:2b-3

            Here James mentions the most common problems in prayer; the fact that we don’t even ask, that we ask for the wrong things or as ask for the wrong reasons. The question should be asked, do we talk to God at all, because that is what prayer is … talking to God. Sometimes we do all the talking but never take the time to listen. When you talk to God what do you talk about? Are you simply trying to satisfy your own desires? Do you seek God’s approval for plans you’ve already planned to do or already made?  Think of how powerful your prayers would become if you allowed the Lord to change your desires to correspond perfectly with his will for you. 

                  The Apostle John addresses that very issue in the following verses: “Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.” ^{[1 John 3:21-22]} When your conscience is completely clear and you know you’ve sought his face with regards to a given matter, you can be confident that your requests will be heard. John is really just reaffirming the promise Jesus made in both Matthew & John when he said, ‘ask anything of me and you shall have it’. ^[paraphrase]

                  As I have said in other postings, asking for anything want entails knowing and seeking out God’s perfect will for your life. You cannot ask for instant riches and expect to receive it. Prayer doesn’t work that way. This is why we are to draw close to God by reading and hearing God’s word. He wishes us to know him intimately as he knows us. There is nothing that is hidden from him regarding our lives. You can’t be a ‘Christian in name only’ [aka, a CINO] and expect to receive blessings from God. Take your walk with God seriously. Seek his face each and every day in good times and in bad. Know that he is with you and IN you in the person of the Holy Spirit. Let your walk accelerate as you bond more closely with the Lord. 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. 15

“If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.”- Proverbs 28:9  

                  This verse in Proverbs shows a distinct contradiction to Proverbs 15:8 & 15:29 (shown below), in which both speak of how God is far from the wicked & detests their sacrifices. The author goes on to say the prayers of the righteous are heard & are pleasing to him. That is a sharp contrast between the upright & the wicked. 

            There are many people whom I would classify as CINO’s or “Christians In Name Only”. They ‘talk the talk but don’t walk the walk’ as the saying goes. Those type of people give Christians a bad name. Non-believers have a bad tendency to lump Christians in one group and call us all hypocrites. While that may be unfair, it’s the reality of the situation. We are judged by those who don’t know any better, but before we’re too harsh on them, shouldn’t we acknowledge that we do the very same thing?

God has much to say about drawing close to him and knowing the word. Because we have a free will we can do as we choose, as in do what pleases us. It would be one thing if what we chose to do was pleasing in God’s sight, but once the bridle and the reins are taken off, we have an odd tendency to do that which is displeasing to God. The temptation to sin is real and formidable, but it’s not without remedy.  If we live a life that has God at the center, then he sees and hears us and as scripture declares, God will provide a way of escape from any and all temptation. ^{[1 Corinthians 10:13]}

            Those who think they can fool the Lord by praying in Jesus’ name, yet live in the shadows out of sight, remember, nothing is hidden from God. Nothing. ^{[Hebrews 4:13]} Scripture is very clear; it is impossible to mock God. What you sew you will reap in the form of consequences that will not bode well for you. I’ve known believers who have slid back in sin. Sadly, the enemy has fooled them into believing that God is not who he says he is. Please understand that if you return to a life of sin, or perhaps you say all the right things, but never stopped sinning … God will not hear your prayers, unless they are prayers of sincere repentance. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

                  

Proverbs 15:29 “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”

Proverbs 15:8 “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.”

 

1 Corinthians 10:13 - “We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously.”

 

Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

The Prayer Project - No. 14

“Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”- James 5:13-16 ^NLT

            The initial verse in this grouping is a further example of what I had said previously. We should pray both in hardship and when things are going well. God knows all about it already, so why must we pray? I believe prayer is for our benefit, not Gods. God knows he will answer our prayers AND he knows how and when. We do not, so waiting is designed to bolster our faith and trust. When the answer comes it acts as a sort of reward for exercising our faith and trust until that answer came. Things don’t always move quickly in God’s economy. That’s why patience is an important component with prayer.

            While Jesus is the Lord over body and spirit, the sickness James speaks of in this case is physical illness. Some people feel prayer is a last resort when all earthly methods fail, but actually, the reverse is true. We should pray FIRST. God can and does use medicine, doctors and/or surgeons to bring about a total restoration of one’s body. He may choose to miraculous heal someone. There are also times when the healing comes in the form of someone passing on, which I refer to as the ULTIMATE healing. We must understand that God knows what is best for the sick individual and in heaven there is no sickness or pain, so while is it extremely difficult to part with loved ones who pass on, it is for their best that this takes place. We need to understand that all prayers are subject to God’s will.

            We must remember that all prayer is to come from a sincere and humble heart. This is what is pleasing to the Lord. When you pray do you expect it to be heard and have an answer forthcoming? Don’t balk at praying and don’t doubt for doubting God’s ability to hear you and act on your behalf is the enemy of effective praying. We must pray at all times for all peoples. 

            As a means of clarification regarding our own righteousness, we are righteous because of our right standing with God. While we still trip up and sin from time to time, we are righteous because our faith in the Lord is credited to us as righteousness. ^{[Genesis 3:6; 15:6; Romans 4:3 & Hebrews 6:13]}   The verses listed to the left speak of Abraham believing God, which is the same as placing his faith in him. That faith or belief was accounted or credited to him as righteousness. The two verses in Genesis say this very thing and the Apostle Paul quotes that verse from Genesis to make a point. We are righteous in God’s sight because of our persistent faith and trust in him. Therefore, our prayers contain great power and produce wonderful results. So, pray with confidence, because God hears you every time and he WILL answer you. 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. 13

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” - Matthew 6:5-7 ^{New Living Translation}

            This portion of scripture could be called The Pretentious Prayers of Hypocrites for it points to those who do NOT pray sincerely with a humble spirit. They pray publicly. They pray loudly so all can hear. They do this to appear to be pious, however, they are anything but. They wish to draw attention to themselves so that they are thought highly of by those around them. In reality they have an over inflated sense of importance that will not find them favor with God. To the Lord they are nothing more than self-seeking, over bloated, hypocrites whose pretentious prayers shall not be heard or answered by God. They are nothing more than clanging cymbals to him.

            We are called to pray privately, away from the spotlight. Sure, there will be times when we will be called upon to pray publicly, but aside from praying with individuals or in a church setting, our prayers need not be publicized. A humble and sincere heart is one who doesn’t seek attention; whose only intention is to commune with the Lord in a quiet, worshipful manner. 

            God knows our heart. Nothing is hidden from him. Even our deepest secrets that no one knows are an open book to him. When we pray, we also shouldn’t ramble on and on as if to recite some magical incantation. Repeating one’s request repeatedly over the course of time is admirable and acceptable, for it is scriptural to pray with persistence. ^{[1 Thessalonians 5:17]} However, our prayers mean no more by the number of words used, then if we simply utter a simple phrase. God knows not only our heart, but our hearts desire and is intimately aware of our every need. Therefore, we can utter our prayers simply and succinctly and know that they shall be heard and answered by our loving Heavenly Father. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries