Why God Allows Suffering

To Help Us Grow in Community

“Suffering happens in community, and we have a responsibility to be of support and aid to those who are suffering around us. Paul alludes this in Galatians 6:2, when he writes, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The church is not meant to be an association of loosely bound individuals, but a community of individuals bound together. The church is also meant to be a refuge for those who are suffering. When someone in our church is hurting, the church tends to that member’s wounds. When a member is down and discouraged, the church is called to lift that person up. When someone in the church is in need, we are to come alongside them to help them through their suffering.”

Sadly, what I’ve noticed in my little corner of the world, is that too many church congregations develop cliques. Groups that identify and relate to one another. While this is a good thing, it is also a bad thing in that eventually that group is reluctant to entertain new members entering into their “clique”. By definition, the word “clique” means “a small exclusive group of friends or associates.” “Exclusive” means “excluding or tending to exclude”, which is not good. Our reputation as Christians can hinge on how we treat others. Avoiding those outside your exclusive group is unbiblical and unchristen. I believe the wrong message is sent to non-believers when we even give the appearance of being exclusive. It can also give a wrong message to others in your own congregation.

Hurting people want to feel loved and accepted. Cliques do anything but that. I believe it is thru the constituents of a church that the Lord is felt by those outside that church. How do we help others during a natural disaster, say a massive hurricane*, which devastated so many lives along the East Coast. It was the church collectively that touched the different communities with material aid and spiritual assistance thru prayer. Just being Jesus to others. 

Suffering is a part of life, and it won’t stop afflicting mankind until the day we die. But God’s hand extended in the form of a church ‘community’ can revitalize an entire area. The Lord knows what He’s doing. What we are called to do is trust Him with our lives and all that goes with that. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing. 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Hurricane Sandy - Hurricane Sandy was an extremely large and destructive Category 3 Atlantic hurricane which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late October 2012. It was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spanning 1,150 miles. The storm inflicted nearly $70 billion USD in damage, and killed 254 people in eight countries, from the Caribbean to Canada.

This super-storm lasted from Oct 21 to Nov 2, 2012.

Why God Allows Suffering

It Reminds Us of the Reality of Sin

 

“Each of us knows firsthand what it means to suffer as a result of someone else’s sin. We have all been the victims of the evil choices of others. Evil words and actions have left great marks on our hearts, minds, and bodies. Because of this, some people will get angry with God, believing He did nothing to stop the sin that unfolded. Yet, none of us is innocent. We too have played the role of sinner, harming others with the choices we make. Sin lurks at each of our doors. We, like Cain must battle our fear, insecurity, shame, resentment, and anger. Failing to recognize or master these things often creates suffering for others.”

Since scripture instructs us to treat others as greater than ourselves, aka, selfless living, it stands to reason that sin should be far from us. But when an individual sins against us we have no control over that. That is when our hurt needs to be overcome by grace and forgiveness. When that event takes place trust in that individual will most likely be hard to come by, however, grace always wins out. 

Luke 6:31 states: “Treat others just as you want to be treated.” Being human, our strong tendency is to treat others the way they treat you. While that is humanly understandable, the world will see no difference between you and the rest of the world. It’s when you live as an imitation of Christ in the midst of your peers that your life will get noticed. Be different than others in this hardened, sin sick world. Overlook the sins of others that have a negative effect on you and / or those you love and pray for them to see the error of their ways. Show them love and forgiveness just as God showed you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Footnote: Lesli White is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and a concentration in print and online journalism. In college, she took a number of religious studies courses and harnessed her talent for storytelling. White has a rich faith background. Her father, a Lutheran pastor and life coach was a big influence in her faith life, helping her to see the value of sharing the message of Christ with others. She has served in the church from an early age. Some of these roles include assisting ministry, mutual ministry, worship and music ministry and church council.   

Why God Allows Suffering

To See the Magnitude of His Love

 

“When we think of suffering, we often think of God being far away from us. Yet, God will carry us through some of the darkest seasons of our lives to show His incredible love for us. Sometimes the emotional or physical pain of suffering is prolonged. It can continue for weeks, months, even years. This pain can be intense. We may hurt so badly that even those who try to bring comfort feel the pain. If you’re going through a tough time, take heart. The Lord is sovereign, and He controls all adversity in our lives. That’s why it’s imperative that when we are going through a time of trial and suffering that we remember how much God loves us. If He allows us to go through pain, suffering and loss, then He has something good He wants us to accomplish.”

In the face of tragedy, it may be hard to accept and understand how great God’s love is for us. Great love doesn’t equal a perfect existence in this life. We will have a perfect existence in heaven; however, the world in which we currently live is overrun with sin. Before you blame Eve for the origin of sin, can you honestly say you wouldn’t make the same choice she made if you were in her situation? No, you can’t say that, so accept the fact that sin exists and know that God allows it because of the free will he gave each one of us. Instead of complaining that your prayers aren’t being answers, why not ask God what He is trying to teach you? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Footnote: Lesli White is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and a concentration in print and online journalism. In college, she took a number of religious studies courses and harnessed her talent for storytelling. White has a rich faith background. Her father, a Lutheran pastor and life coach was a big influence in her faith life, helping her to see the value of sharing the message of Christ with others. She has served in the church from an early age. Some of these roles include assisting ministry, mutual ministry, worship and music ministry and church council.   

Why God Allows Suffering

Suffering is complex, but it doesn’t mean God is far away from us.

Ms. Lesli White gives us 5 reasons why she believes that God allows Christians to suffer. Over the next five days I will share her thoughts in an effort for both you and I to learn more about this difficult subject. 

 

To Prepare Us For the Trials and Complexity of Life

 

            “Suffering can show up in many ways. The Bible doesn’t diminish our experience of suffering. Instead, it recognizes the complexity of suffering and how it comes upon us. Scripture tells us, ‘We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed’ ^{(2 Corinthians 4:8-9)}. In these verses, Paul is referring to multiple types of suffering – mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. What makes this experience complex is the fact that when suffering comes, several of these types of suffering are often involved which can take a major toll on our spirit. It’s important that we recognize that suffering is a battleground. The book of Job offers great insight on the two ways we can choose to respond to suffering. One way is to curse God because of our suffering and the other is to praise God, even in the midst of our suffering.”

            Ms. White has some good thoughts here which can be applied to the saved and the unsaved. A tragedy can possibly drive the unsaved into the arms of God. Conversely, that same tragedy can cause a believer to renounce his or her faith in God. No one ever said life was easy and just because we are children of God doesn’t mean life automatically becomes a cake walk. Suffering can be viewed as a spiritual field of battle. Satan, whose very name means “adversary or one who resists”, was given that name by God because his rebellion against the Lord in the heavenlies made him God’s eternal adversary, with no hope of redemption. Satan breeds angst and suffering and wishes to drag God’s children thru the sewers of life if at all possible. We must stand tall in our faith and not allow tragic circumstances to drive a wedge between us and our 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

Footnote: Lesli White is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and a concentration in print and online journalism. In college, she took a number of religious studies courses and harnessed her talent for storytelling. White has a rich faith background. Her father, a Lutheran pastor and life coach was a big influence in her faith life, helping her to see the value of sharing the message of Christ with others. She has served in the church from an early age. Some of these roles include assisting ministry, mutual ministry, worship and music ministry and church council.   

The 10th Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

Entertaining Sexual Immorality

 

In the New Testament, the word most often translated “sexual immorality” is porneia. This word is also translated as “whoredom,” “fornication,” and “idolatry.” It means “a surrendering of sexual purity,” and it is primarily used of premarital sexual relations. From this Greek word we get the English word pornography, stemming from the concept of “selling off.” Sexual immorality is the “selling off” of sexual purity and involves any type of sexual expression outside the boundaries of a biblically defined marriage relationship (Matthew 19:4–5).

Biblical prohibitions against sexual immorality are often coupled with warnings against “impurity” (Romans 1:24; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19). This word in the Greek is akatharsia, which means “defiled, foul, ceremonially unfit.” It connotes actions that render a person unfit to enter God’s presence. Those who persist in unrepentant immorality and impurity cannot come into the presence of God. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8; cf. Psalm 24:3–4). It is impossible to maintain a healthy intimacy with God when our bodies and souls are given over to impurities of any kind.

Sexuality is God’s design. He alone can define the parameters for its use. The Bible is clear that sex was created to be enjoyed between one man and one woman who are in a covenant marriage until one of them dies (Matthew 19:6). Sexuality is His sacred wedding gift to human beings. Any expression of it outside those parameters constitutes an abuse of God’s gift. Adultery, premarital sex, pornography, and homosexual relations are all contrary to God’s design. That makes those things sinful.

The following are some common objections to God’s commands against sexual immorality:

 

1. It’s not wrong if we love each other. The Bible makes no distinction between “loving” and “unloving”sexual relations. The only biblical distinction is between married and unmarried people. Sex within marriage is blessed (Genesis 1:28); sex outside of marriage is “fornication” or “sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 7:2–5).

 

2. Times have changed, and what was wrong in biblical times is no longer considered sin.Most of the passages condemning sexual immorality also include evils such as greed, lust, stealing, etc. (1 Corinthians 6:9–10; Galatians 5:19–21). We have no problem understanding that these other things are still sin. God’s character does not change with culture’s opinion (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 13:8).

 

3. We’re married in God’s eyes. The fallacy of this idea is that the God who created marriage in the first place would retract His own command to accommodate what He has called sin. God declared marriage to be one man and one woman united for life (Mark 10:6–9). The Bible often uses the imagery of a wedding and a covenant marriage as a metaphor to teach spiritual truth (Matthew 22:2; Revelation 19:9). God takes marriage seriously, and His “eyes” see immorality for what it is, regardless of how cleverly we have redefined it.

 

4. I can still have a good relationship with God because He understands. Proverbs 28:9 says, “If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” We fool ourselves when we think that we can stubbornly choose sin and God does not care. First John 2:3–4 contains a serious challenge for those who persist in this line of thinking: “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”

 

Hebrews 13:4 makes God’s expectation for His children crystal clear: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Sexual immorality is wrong. The blood of Jesus can cleanse us from every type of impurity when we repent and receive His forgiveness (1 John 1:7–9). But that cleansing means our old nature and all its practices, including sexual immorality, are put to death (Romans 6:12–14; 8:13). Ephesians 5:3 says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

Unfortunately a growing number of Christians have become comfortable with sexual immorality, despite Ephesians 5:3 warning to not even have a hint of it in our lives.

Many Christians enjoy viewing inappropriate sexual relationships either on the internet or television, overlooking its sinfulness, and justifying their indulgence of it because they love the characters and storylines, more than they love God. Now I would imagine most people would disagree with that last statement. They would reason that they don’t love inappropriate shows or movies more than God, they just view it as simple entertainment, nothing more. However, watching sexual immorality deeply affects our hearts and minds in adverse ways. If we think as believers we can watch it and remain unaffected, we deceive ourselves. It affects how we think, live, make decisions, view sin, and most importantly, our relationship with God.

1 John 2:16 states this about such things, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” Psalm 101:3 offers direction for our eyes. “I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.” When addressing “eye issues” related to sexual immorality, Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:29) “Jesus is not advocating self-mutilation, because that would not cure us of our lustful desires. It is a problem of the heart. The Lord uses this graphic hyperbole ^[1] to demonstrate the seriousness of sins of lust and evil desire. The point is that it would be ‘more profitable’ (v.30) to lose a member of one’s own body than to bear the eternal consequences of the guilt from such a sin. Sin must be dealt with drastically because of its deadly effects.” ^[2]

This concludes our look at the “10 Sins Christians Must Avoid”. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] “an exaggeration purposely used as a figure of speech”

^[2] The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2005; p.1131.

The 9th Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

Having a Rebellious Spirit

 

            A rebellious spirit springs forth from our autonomous nature. Men, generally speaking, think they can handle the bumps and grinds of this life all on their own. Christians can become rebellious too. Many Christians enjoy worldly endeavors, pleasing their own desires over yielding to God. Instead of submitting to His word and ways, they justify and rationalize their choices, unwilling to bring them under the light of God’s truth. Whenever you end up justifying or rationalizing your choices you reveal your desire to circumvent God’s “rules” which you may find to be too restrictive. They’re only restrictive if you make yourself believe they are, but in reality we all need structure in our lives. We certainly don’t want the structure coming from the government. Let’s face it, would you really want ANYONE ELSE establishing structure for you. Okay, but what about the One who created you in your mother’s womb? What about God? Yes. Why? Because He knows you better than you know yourself. He only has YOUR best interests at heart. No one else could possibly establish a structure that would challenge us daily yet reward us all along the way. 

            Being a rebel may seem like a good road to take, especially when you are in your teens and 20’s, but Proverbs 14:12 (ESV) warns us with this: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Let’s be honest. We haven’t got a clue regarding what is best for us. Rebelliousness is such a touchy subject because often Christians don’t want to consider the possibility that some of their thoughts, attitudes, and actions may be rooted in disobedience towards God.  1 Peter 1:14-15 urges, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”Holy can be defined as “devout, godly, or virtuous”. Being virtuous means to have “moral excellence”. To be moral is to be “upright, honest, straightforward, and honorable”. Doing whatever you want in spite of what God has to say about it is living in ignorance. Don’t call yourself a Christian if you have no intention of abiding by His rules, which are laid out in scripture, are beneficial and not in any way harmful to us.

            We must start a personal boycott of hell, which is essentially boycotting worldly, self-centered desires and all that it stands for. Reach out to God for His help in combatting Satan and all his minions. I frequently suggest a spiritual assessment, but you MUST be honest with yourself. In other words, what does God think about what you are saying or doing? What does scripture say about it? You MUST seek the mind of God regarding how you are living your life.

We are called to be rebellious against the world and all its’ disfunction. The world is under the temporary control of the enemy, but only because God allows it. To be worldly is to be rebellious against Almighty God. If you’re reading this and are unsure what your status is with God, then stop and take a hard look at yourself; make an honest assessment of your spiritual standing with the Lord. 

            Up next is the 10^th and final sin that we must avoid. It is sexual immorality. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

NOTE:  All definitions in this post are taken from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

The 8th Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

Seeking Superiority

 

            When you seek to prove yourself as superior to others, you are on your way to inviting sin into your life. That also invites jealousy which is superiority’s sin partner. If you want a scriptural example you need look no further than King Saul and David. Saul became very jealous of David, mainly because of a chorus people were singing about him ... 1 Samuel 18:8 explains, “Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. ‘They have credited David with tens of thousands,’ he thought, 'but with me only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?'"’ Tragically King Saul’s competitiveness led him to seek David’s life. As Ecclesiastes 4:4 explains, “And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

            Unfortunately many people, including some Christians, are competing with others including their spouses, siblings, co-workers, neighbors, and more. All in the effort to rank above them in the order of life; but to what end? You aren’t impressing God. Humility is a trait that doesn’t come very easily to some folks. They feel the need to be the top dog. But actively seeking to prove superiority over others leads to sinfulness (James 3:16) *.

            One thing I am NOT talking about is becoming better than others in a sporting endeavor; however, that can still involve unhealthy compromises.  God must continue to be your focal point, not what you are doing. Striving to be your best in a sport for the sake of being the best you can be in that sport is nothing more than creating healthy competition with your opponents. Having a proper attitude regarding winning comes into play here and is an important part of our witness as believers in Christ. Win, lose or draw, we are to keep a humble spirit and congratulate those who have beaten us fair and square.  It’s called exhibiting good sportsmanship. Being a sore loser tells others where your heart is at.

Rather than competing with each other as Christians, God calls us to love one another. “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). There is no eternal value in being first or last in anything. Your achievements here on earth will mean nothing in heaven. One of our goals is to not allow our awards and/ or achievements to mean too much to us.  

If you focus on living according to the standards the Lord has laid out for you to follow throughout scripture your life will change dramatically. Living for Christ involves what amounts to a ‘dirty’ word to a lot of people, and that word is SURRENDER. We need to become His disciple. Sacrifice your own will which has been infiltrated by worldly choices, in favor of God’s will, which is always fair, always just, and always right. Life isn’t a game. It’s serious, serious business where the righteous find eternal peace and those who reject the notion of surrendering, find eternal torment. God loves us and will NEVER fail us, in spite of our own failures that we lay before Him. Don’t choose to seek superiority over others just because you feel you can.  There is no lasting benefit to it; plus it’s a sin.

Up next we will take a look at having a rebellious spirit. Until then, 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

* James 3:16 (New Living Translation) ... “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.”

The 7th Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

Seeking Recognition

            Once we become born-again we should eventually lose the desire to become famous. We may in the passage of time become famous by worldly standards, but if we remain humble, we should be just fine. Sadly, far too many believers seek recognition from the world rather than doing things simply for the joy of pleasing the Lord. Self-promotion is what the world does, and social media helps propagate the lie that notoriety is important to achieve success in this life. If you doubt what I am saying, check out all the “social media influencers” * that have flooded social media over the last who knows how many years. Success is fleeting, and fame fades away as quickly as it appears. Nothing the enemy offers is lasting. Sure, it shines and sparkles, but it is a dead end road. 

            When we become a Christian our motives, which reside in our hearts, are known by God. The ‘what and why’ of what we say and do becomes critically important as we strive to be more like Christ in our daily life. What we say and do and why we say and do it put on display our true motives. With everything I say and do am I’m seeking to glorify God. I have no desire to be well-known. I can not save a person’s soul, however, the Lord can. He is so far superior to me that I readily shy away for taking any credit for anything I happen to say, do, or write. I am but a single grain of sand on the world’s beaches. Valuable to God, but worthless to the world. And that’s quite frankly the way it HAS to be. He must be GREATER, and I must be LESSER. 

            We need to analyze our own motives for saying or doing things. Do we do it to draw attention to ourselves or to God? We are to do what we do for the Lord without any fanfare. Scripture tells us not to let our right hand know what our left hand is doing **. Sadly many Christians are looking for recognition from people rather than doing things for the joy of pleasing God. Self-promotion is the way of the world and social media offers everyone a place to seek recognition. But Proverbs 27:2, explains, “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.” Jesus warned of seeking our own recognition saying, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). It’s vital for each one of us to examine our motives in reaching out to others, whether we're doing it to be seen and recognized by others, or if we are doing it to serve and please God. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full" (Matthew 6:2).

            Up next we will take a look at seeking superiority over others. Until then, 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

* A social media influencer is an (self-proclaimed) expert who has established credibility in a specific industry and has built a large following on social media. By regularly creating insightful and engaging content, creators leverage their influence to promote products, services or causes to their followers. (personal note: okay, so what expertise do the Kardashians have?) - https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/top-social-media-influencers

** “...when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret.” - Matthew 6:3-4 NIV.

The 6th Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

Coarse Language

 

            Why is it that today’s Christians think it’s appropriate to go toe to toe with unsaved people with what they say?  It doesn’t make you more relevant to match another’s coarse language. As Christians we are to be the opposite of the world. We are Christ’s ambassadors. We represent Him everywhere we go and with everything we say and do. Using profanity in the course of conversing with others, in my humble opinion, shows a severe lack of vocabulary. To have to resort to using profanity to get your point across is a bit pathetic. It becomes a bad habit that becomes difficult to control. 

Now I’m not going to sit here and lie to you by saying I never curse, because I do from time to time. That side of me usually comes out when I’m frustrated about something. That doesn’t make it right and I’m embarrassed to have to admit it to you, but it isn’t part of the fabric of my life. Before I was saved I used to curse quite a lot. It helped me fit in with my peers. Once saved, I began to deal with that issue and have mostly conquered it until something aggravates me and my tongue reveals a baser side of me.  I’m not perfect, but I am trying very hard to please the Lord in all areas of my life each day. Remember, there is ALWAYS forgiveness for those with a sincere and contrite heart toward their sin.

            Do you have a problem with cussing? It isn’t a habit that’s easy to break, is it? But it is breakable. We must make it a top priority to rid ourselves of this problem. It actually becomes an issue of self-control. When I do curse, typically when I’m by myself, I immediately feel guilty and ashamed and ask for forgiveness right away. It is at that precise moment that I ask myself and God why He puts up with me. That is what unconditional love is. Regardless of what we say and do, God loves us. Whether He’s disappointed in me isn’t known, but I know I am disappointed in myself because I know better.

            Another related topic is a person’s penchant to take the Lord’s name in vain. It’s curious to me that no other religious figure’s name is used in this manner. Only God and Jesus Christ. Does that seem odd to you? It does to me. It says to me that Jesus Christ is the only name by which men might be saved (as scripture says) and so the devil tries to minimize the incredible value of His name. He tries to make it so commonplace that it has no special meaning anymore. As believers in Christ we mustn’t take His name in vain. We must praise His name, not vilify it.

            Our testimony is at stake here. How we are perceived by the public at large is critically important. Do we come across to others as being different from them? Are the differences noticeable for good or bad reasons? Remember, we are no longer our own. We represent Almighty God. We must strive to rid ourselves of worldly traits, thus making us more like Christ a little more each day. 

            One verse that has always haunted me regarding my cussing is James 3:11-12 NIV “Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” The answer to those question is NO. So it is all the more important to continue striving for perfection knowing full well that we can never achieve it. 

            In Matthew 15:10-11, the Lord tells us, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” James 1:26 says, “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

            Another verse that is even more direct is Ephesians 5:4, “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” Take heed of all negative talk. Be an uplifter, not a destroyer. Encourage, don’t discourage. Edify, don’t drag down. Rid yourself of all profanity and coarse talk. It is not befitting of a child of God.

            Next we will look at Notoriety and the seeking thereof. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The 5th Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

A Root of Bitterness

 

Bitterness:  deep seated, often mutual hatred; hostility; resentment. *

 

            Sadly, far too many believers have been hurt by others, including spouses, family members, church leaders and more. They’ve been taken advantage of or flat out lied to and it tends to taint the way those believers may look at God and/or His church. I’ve been lied to by pastors thru the years and totally ignored, though I had valid spiritual gifts to share. While I don’t believe I’ve allowed it to make me bitter or resentful, it has caused me to be distrustful. I wear a shirt that says, “My favorite people are dogs”, and with few exceptions that is a true statement. I’m not overly fond of people in general. Now that may sound like a bold, even unchristian thing to say, but the experiences I’ve gone thru have hurt and shaped the way I view pastors and Christians in general. Generally speaking I love all people, but I have become wary of them. I’m not always ready to trust them at first but knowing that I’m an ambassador for Christ allows me to shift gears and extend a hand of fellowship. I could have become bitter, which would have no doubt stunt my spiritual growth, but I suppose I have matured enough as a believer to know that the offense is against the One I represent and not me. 

            If a person allows the hurts of this life to fester and remain unresolved, then a root of bitterness has a chance to take root in their heart.  Bitterness, resentment, even full blown hatred act like weeds in a garden. It eventually spreads to every area of your life. A bitter person is difficult to be around because everything they think, say, and do seems to revolve around the reason for the resentment. Take heed to the words found in Hebrews 12:15, which urges us to, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Ephesians 4:31 (AMP) also urges us to, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence].”

            This is another situation that has everything to do with what your focal point in life actually is. If, like Peter, you focus on the wind and the waves when attempting to walk on the water to Jesus, you will sink, but if your focus is squarely on the Lord, you will be fine. Hurts will still come; injustices, and calamitous events brought on by others will still try to knock you off kilter, but if you are focused on the Rock of your Salvation, then nothing will move you. Sure, being human, your initial reaction may not be favorable, but in knowing the Lord personally, you have the spiritual tools to avoid the root of resentment and bitterness to take hold.

            Next we’ll take a look at course language. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* bitterness. (n.d.) American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). Retrieved August 11, 2024, fromhttps://www.thefreedictionary.com/bitterness

The 4th Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

Living Fearfully

2 Timothy 1:7 ^{[Amplified Bible]}

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].”

 

            While God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, still man is fearful. Man fears the unknown, which is regrettable because we all have unknown factors in our lives. Regarding the future we have no knowledge. Regarding the present we only know what we see and hear. Regarding the past, we are unfortunately susceptible to whatever others tell us, never knowing if what we’re being told is truth or fiction. Our nerves play a role in our fears. Worrying or fretting over things in the future is foolish because what will happen whether we like it or not. Why is that? Well, look at it this way ... if God knows all that can be known, and He controls all things, then HE is the one who holds the key to future events. God either causes or allows all that takes place on the earth. We can control what God would like us to control, by our thoughts, words, and actions, as led by the Holy Spirit. 

            There are times when what we see frightens us. That is why we must be cautious regarding what we see. We must be careful what TV shows we watch and what movies we go and see. The enemy, who has been given subservient power of this earth by God, is doing all he can to neuter our faith, by steering us into ungodly situations. THAT is precisely why we must draw close to God that He might draw all the closer to us. No matter what the Lord may allow to befall us in this life, we must accept and belief that it is for our ultimate good and not designed to harm us in any way. As believers we’ve been given every tool we need to weather any storm. The devil knows the chink* in our armor. He knows where we are vulnerable. We must stay in God’s Word and be in prayer. 

            Humans are emotional creatures. They can be overly emotional or be rather deadpan, not really showing any emotion at all. But fear always conjures up all sorts of images in our minds. Fear is NOT from the Lord, but from the devil. He will play that card endlessly until he receives the desired result. Don’t give him the satisfaction. Trust God and know that fear is merely passing by us like a sudden storm. Fear should find no home in your heart. Rely on God, trust Him for all things. Living in fear to the point where it overtakes your life and remains front, and center is sinful living. Not going to hell sin; just the type of typical, everyday sin that nibbles at our heels each day. It need not affect us in a negative way. God knows what He’s doing and will lead you away from your fearful situation so that you can see that it was really nothing at all. God is truly greater than anything else in His creation. Trust God in all things.

            Hebrews 13:5 ^{[Amplified Bible]}

“...for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” If the Creator of the universe is with you wherever you go in the Person of the Holy Spirit within you, then wouldn’t it be an insult to Him if we still became fearful. (I know that easy to say and not so easy to do, but wouldn’t it be nice to be able to relax and know that God has got things completely under control ... so there really isn’t any reason to become fearful. We need to talk ourselves into believing that.)

            Next we’ll take a look at avoiding bitterness. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* A narrow opening, such as a crack or fissure.

 

The 3rd Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

Practicing Prayerlessness

 

                                    I’ve been walking with the Lord for 45 years. I tell you that because there was a time in my Christian walk that I didn’t see the need to pray. I felt that God already knew what I was going to pray before I even said the words, so why bother saying it. Shortly after that the Holy Spirit revealed to me something I hadn’t thought of. He said to me that prayer wasn’t for God’s benefit, but mine. Huh? He continued. We pray and whenever the answer comes my faith and trust in God would be bolstered. So I pray so that my faith and trust in God is elevated. Then I wondered about when an answer doesn’t come. What then? The Spirit showed me that there is YES, NO and NOT YET.  Yes, because our request falls within the parameters of His will for either us or the person we are praying for. No, not because He doesn’t care, but because for all we know God may be planning to give us something far greater as our answer. Not yet, because pray is an exercise in patience. 

            We shouldn’t pray just once for something or someone and when we pray we need to ask that God’s will be done. This way when the answer DOES come you can be assured that it is according to His will for you. We must be persistent with our prayers. We needn’t beg or plead to God, but rather, pray with a calm confidence that God hears you and will act at the appropriate time.

            To NOT pray is to rely on something or someone other than God to solve your dilemma or simply provide what you are seeking. It’s like shopping at a Dollar Store when you could be shopping at a high end department store or eating fast food when you could be eating at a fancy steak house instead. Once again, too many people see prayer as an unimportant part of their life, while social media, work and recreational events take its place. Many of us promise to pray for someone else who needs it only to forget later what you promised them. What’s wrong with praying with them right then and there? The Lord will enable you to pray appropriately by His Holy Spirit. 

            Some folks see prayer as a genie in a bottle type of scenario. God is there to do our bidding. NO. You’re wrong! We are to do what He knows is the right thing to do. Scripture explains that God always does that which is most beneficial to His children and will bring Him the most glory. Someone I know once said God is an egotistical tyrant who must be stopped. Hmmm! Smacks of someone who doesn’t get the whole God thing. You’ll believe all sorts of lies if you don’t invest the time it takes to actually KNOW God. He’s there, what are you waiting for?

            Some folks quit praying because they aren’t convinced that it works. You can rest assured that God hears and will act according to His will and His timing. Philippians 4.6-7 explains that prayerfulness leads to experiencing God’s peace. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

            To NOT pray is to not have trust in God. Pray is a powerful tool we have at our disposal. Our prayers can stymy the works of the devil. Our prayers can bring hope where there is none. Our prayers can encourage. They can reveal truth. Prayer is communication into the spiritual realm where God resides. To NOT pray neuters our spiritual walk, leaving us vulnerable to all sorts of things that can thwart our efforts to grow and mature in the Spirit. Pray. 

            Next we’ll take a look at living fearfully. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

The 2nd Sin Every Christians Must Avoid

Walking in Unbelief

 

            If you say you believe in the existence of God, how deep does that belief go? Do you believe in Him as the scriptures portray Him or do you believe based on tradition or your parents values and understanding of God. Perhaps you have done a personal search to satisfy your own thirst for knowing. Christianity is NOT a religion, per se, but more of a relational thing. Christianity at its core is based on an intimate, personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe and man’s first breath. To believe in God is to embrace all that He is. Those whose belief is shaky probably have yet to truly meet Him. Many say they believe in God but have never made Him an integral part of their life.  The Bible tells us to simply believe in God and Jesus and you’ll be saved. While that is inherently true, belief is so much more than that. Salvation is designed to revolutionize one’s life. It’s like receiving a transfusion of new, fresh, clean blood into your veins. You are alive, as opposed to being a walking, talking dead man. Your soul is now alive. You’re lone desire now should be to please the Lord with your life. To neglect that part of your Christian experience will leave you walking on a tightrope of indecision. To keep at a distant from the intimacy God offers is to invite doubt and unbelief to creep into the recesses of your mind. You then become easy prey for the enemy.

            As Hebrews 3:12 addresses, “See to it, brothers, and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.” If unbelief is allowed to fester, it will begin to eat away at your faith in God. Allowing unbelief to grow will cause you eventually, if unchecked, to open the door to apostasy, which is the falling away from one’s faith. Don’t let this happen to you. Too great a price was paid to save your soul from the pits of hell. To disbelieve is to make Christ’s death nonessential, while the reverse is true. Without Christ’s death on the cross there would be NO HOPE for mankind, for they would die in their sins and be destined for an eternity in hell.

            Know what you believe and be able to back it up with scripture. The world is attacking the church in their attempt to crush it. Too many churches are straying from key doctrines in the bible. Shame on them. God is not pleased with what is taking place in the churches throughout the world. To those who believe and stand strong in their faith to the very end there will be a reward in heaven. To those who alter scripture to support their own personal theology or ideology, their only reward will be hell fire. It is incredibly important to know WHAT you believe and WHY you believe it. Start searching right away. Stay strong in your faith, for persecution may very well come knocking on your door in the future.  Remember, the Lord offers you eternal life, the enemy offers you NOTHING but shiny baubles that have NO value. Don’t allow yourself to be duped. Trust God and live what you believe.

            Next we will look at practicing prayerlessness. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The 1st Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

Failing to Love God

 

Jesus instructs us in Mark 12:30 to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Loving someone you cannot see based on what scripture tells us about Him is a different kind of love. It’s love based on something we CHOOSE to believe. It’s a love that has been established before time itself began. It involves a divine spiritual entity that has always been, is and always will be. But is it possible that we can fall into the trap of “outta sight, outta mind”? Is it possible that our lives being encumbered by the responsibilities of life, have caused us to put God on the back burner, so to speak? He must be in the forefront of our lives. He is the reason we live and breathe. He mustn’t end up being an afterthought.

Christians, yes even Christians, become prone to letting our daily schedules dictate what we do and where we go on any given day. Many of us act as though God understands that we’re busy and imagine that He is happy with whatever time we’re able to spare for Him. In that event our priorities are skewed. Yes, we’re busy. Yes, we have families, and careers and social lives, but are these reasons or excuses for not spending time with God? All the things that eat up our time are typically necessary and spending time at them is necessary and of course, there is nothing wrong with that. I suppose it all depends on what your focal point is.

What is the focal point in your life? Is it everything but God or is it God? Is He your first thought or your last resort? To place God in any position in our lives besides the top priority is wrong thinking. Jesus DIED in your place. Don’t be like the 9 lepers who never returned to thank Jesus for healing them. Be like the 1 Samaritan man who came back, knelt before Him, and praised God for his healing.

God loves us. Every last one of us, whether saved or not.  He doesn’t wish that ANY would perish, but that ALL would come to the saving knowledge of Christ. To fail to show Him the love and respect He deserves is tantamount to sinning. Don’t let the Lord get the leftovers of your time. Make Him preeminent in your life. 

            Next we will look at walking in unbelief. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

10 Sins Every Christian Must Avoid

            Does it seem odd to you if I say that all Christians sin? Based on our free will, we can think, say, and do whatever we please, but should we? There are certain sins that we need to avoid as believers in Christ. Oh sure, we can always point our finger at those in the world, but honestly, can we expect those who don’t know God to actually live by His statutes laid out in scripture? Frankly, that would be pretty bold of us considering the fact that we aren’t always following them ourselves. We are to be the example. We are to be markedly different than the world. Mimicking the world can only bring us pain and confusion. Living for Christ may bring about the pain of persecution, but at least what we think, say and do is for a reason; an eternal purpose.

            The church, generally speaking, has pastors who seem to be more and more reluctant to bring up the topic of sin in their sermons. We discuss our mistakes, but still balk at calling them sins. We are all coddled on a lot of fronts regarding spiritual things. Far too many churches want to make their Sunday message palatable ... as in easy to accept and easy to digest, without controversy. 

The days of unintentionally offending someone with the Gospel appear to be over. If we believe scripture is truth from God, then why should we be shy about sharing it. Personally, I’m not the greatest one-on-one witnesser, but I can speak the truth in front of a group (regardless how large or small the group is) and share the truth via the written word thru books and blog posts. We all have different gifts; we just need to use them for the glory of God and not ignore them.

The study I’m currently embarking on is revealing the 10 sins that Christians should be avoiding. Things like failing to love God, allowing the root of bitterness to bloom, or walking in doubt and unbelief will be addressed briefly. This will not be a lengthy, in depth study, but one that touches on each topic in short, yet concise posts. Heed the words of the Apostle Peter when he says in 1 Peter 4:17 ... “And, if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”  How does a person survive in this life without Jesus? Frankly, I have no earthly idea. That is precisely why we mustn’t shy away from sharing the gospel. Speak about it, write about it, whatever way you are gifted in, but just go about doing it. The Holy Spirit will help you if you ask Him and then allow Him to. Spreading the word isn’t about gaining notoriety.  If no one knows my name after I’m gone that’s just fine, as long as they know the name of Jesus Christ.

I will start off tomorrow taking a look at our failure to love God. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

BETWEEN THE TESTAMENTS

The Roman Period

63 BC thru AD 135

 

            It was during Roman rule over the Jews that God broke His silence. 400 years of turmoil and unrest were behind them. Currently, the Jews were unwilling subjects to the Roman Empire. They were permitted to worship their God and were given partial authority over their own affairs; however, they sought more. They were familiar with the OT prophecies of a Messiah who was promised to them by God. They dreamed of the day when Israel would once again be a great nation. While waiting their coming Savior they worshipped under the guidance of the high priest, disputed religious matters before the high council and struggled under Roman rule. The Jews were expecting a mighty warrior king, like David, but instead received an infant king. This was God’s plan, a plan the Jews did not accept. It was quite apparent that the Jews would NEVER accept Jesus as their Messiah, for their expectations were grounded in a dream. 

Both religious factions (the Pharisees & the Sadducees) disapproved of Jesus. The Pharisees were the legalists of their time. They were devoted to the law of Moses and the strict enforcement of it. They believed in the supernatural, in angels and bodily resurrection. They took their traditions very seriously, so they were totally incapable of accepting Jesus, who showed no regard for their rules and claimed to have the ability to forgive sin.

The Sadducees were the rationalists of the day. They were skeptical of religion; however, they believed in the literal interpretation of Moses’ law, though they didn’t allow it to permeate all areas of their lives. They denied the supernatural and resurrection, focusing rather on the temporal, political concerns that existed. Both groups saw Jesus as a threat to their way of doing things. They were concerned that Jesus would stir up trouble which Rome would notice and that had the potential to imperil the nation.

In the end, both the Pharisees and the Sadducees did actually agree on one thing; Jesus must die. The Jewish religious leaders stirred up the crowds, pressuring Rome to crucify Christ. Once crucified, the Jewish leaders felt they had won, but in reality they had lost in a big way. God allowed their plan to succeed and as a result Jesus’ death ended up being our payment for sin. When he rose again from the grave Christ became the hope of all the world. 

By now it should be pretty obvious that God sent His Son into the perfect setting for Jesus to operate on the Father’s behalf. What took place as chronicled by the Gospels, began a series of events that changed the world for the good. Since Greek was still the language of choice, the New Testament was written in a language that could be understood by all. As Paul wrote in Galatians 4:43... “When the time was right, God sent His Son.”

This ends our look at the years between the Old and New Testaments. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

BETWEEN THE TESTAMENTS

The Maccabean Period

165 thru 63 BC

 

         Israel’s independence was both short-lived and disastrous.  The Maccabees* political dynasty assumed the throne and the office of the High Priest. Sadly, their rule was marred by infighting. The Sadducees threw their support behind the Hasmonean rulers as both kings and priests; however, the Pharisees insisted that a true king must be a direct descendant of David and a priest could only be a descendant of Aaron. The founder of the Essenes (the group which preserved the Dead Sea Scrolls for posterity) may have founded the Qumran**community around this time. This was in reaction to the Hasmonean rule. ***

            A number of successive rulers were unpopular; one being Alexander Janneas, who was pelted with various objects by Jews at a festival when he attempted to perform his priestly duties. His response declared his mindset regarding the Jewish people as he slaughtered 6,000 of them. This was one thing that made the country increasingly unstable in all respects. Israelites turned to mercenaries and nations outside their own borders for support. Their instability offered little to no resistance to the Roman Empire, who was rising in power at that time. In 63 BC, Roman general, and political leader Gnaeus Pompey captured Jerusalem. It wasn’t long after that the Jews were once again under the command of a foreign ruler. 

            It was at this time that an Idumean named Antipater was installed by the Romans to rule over the Israelites. Antipater’s son, Herod the Great, followed him as king of the Jews. It was under his rule that Jesus was born. It was also under his rule that all Jewish boys under the age of 2 were killed, in an effort to destroy Jesus. You know the rest of that story, as Herod’s best efforts were thwarted by God.

            Our final posting will touch on the Roman period. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* The Maccabees were also referred to as the Hasmoneans.

** Ascetic sect of Jews who lived in the Judean Desert near the Wadi Qumran, along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea roughly between 150 BC to AD 68. ... Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals.

*** Hasmonean was the family name of the rebel leader and priest, Mattathias, who began to throw off Seleucid rule. Upon his death his sons continued the rebellion and were eventually successful in gaining Jewish autonomy under the Seleucids and then, with the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire, full Jewish independence. Simon (brother of Judah Maccabee and son of Mattathias) was the first Hasmonean ruler of an autonomous state. The Hasmoneans are also called Asmoneans. The name Hasmonean comes from the Hebrew word chashman (“wealthy”). According to Josephus, a priest named Chashman, from the family of Jehoiarib (cf. 1 Chronicles 24:7), was the ancestor of the Hasmoneans. Their history is found in the works of Josephus and the apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees. The Hasmonean dynasty lasted about 80 years from about 140 to 63 BC. [https://www.gotquestions.org/Hasmoneans.html]