THE 10 MOST DANGEROUS CULTS IN THE U.S.

What is the definition of a cult?

 

Dr. Walter Martin, the author of the definitive work on cults titled The Kingdom of the Cults, says that “a cult might ... be defined as a group of people gathered about a specific person or person’s misinterpretation of the Bible. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses are, for the most part, followers of the interpretations of Charles T. Russell & J.F. Rutherford. The Christian Scientist of today is a disciple of Mary Baker Eddy & her interpretations of the Bible.” ^[1] In general, a cult is a group that claims to belong to a specific religion but misrepresents any core teaching that would prevent a believer from being saved according to that religion. In Christian terms, a cult is "a religious group that denies one or more of the fundamentals of biblical truth." Specifically, it is a group that claims to be Christian, but whose teachings, if believed, would prevent someone from having a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

The core of the Christian salvation message is that Jesus Christ is both God and perfect man, that He died and rose again, and that His sacrifice is solely sufficient to pay for our sins and restore our relationship with God. If any group claims to be Christian but deviates from this message, they are cultic in nature and beliefs. While many Christian sects differ on minor matters, those who teach a different gospel are not Christian. A Christian sect may believe that Christians are obligated to observe the Sabbath, as the Jews do; a cult would teach that honoring the Sabbath is a requirement for salvation.

The two most common Christian cult teachings are that Jesus was not God and that salvation is not by faith alone. Both lead to the belief that Jesus' sacrifice was not sufficient to pay for our sins, and our effort is needed in the process of salvation, which is directly contrary to Scripture (Ephesians 2:8-9). The two most prominent churches who teach this are the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses. Mormons teach that Jesus is not God, and that even God had to earn His position as Supreme Being. Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus is Michael the archangel. Both cults teach that salvation is the result of faith and those good works which are listed by their respective churches.

Cults are nearly as old as the church itself. They're particularly dangerous because they may use the same language and claim to be Christian, but their teachings pull people away from God instead of drawing people toward Him. Their words sound right, their adherents are sincere, but their way leads to death (Galatians 1:6-9).

With that we will begin our look at ‘THE 10 MOST DANGEROUS CULTS IN THE U.S.’ in our next post. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.compellingtruth.org

^[1] Quote taken from The Kingdom of the Cults by Dr. Walter Martin; Bethany House Publications; copyright 1965; the 6^th updated edition - 2019, p.13.

OBEDIENCE vs SACRIFICE - Micah 6:6-8

Micah 6:6-8 “What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

 

            Here you go. Here is what God requires of us. These three things sum up a portion of where knowing God leads us. We all have the ability to choose that which is right and that which is wrong. The only way we can decide is based on what we feed into our minds. If we allow the enemy to influence us than it is likely that we will do that which is wrong in God’s eyes. Knowing God doesn’t guarantee that we will always make the right choice. Oh, make no mistake about it, the Lord wants us to make RIGHT choices, but our free will takes us where we ought not go at times. That’s called sin. Doing what is wrong in God’s sight.

            We are to love mercy. What is mercy? “A disposition to be kind and forgiving.” So we are to strive to be God-like. God is merciful; were He not He probably would have destroyed the earth and started over. That’s how decadent and unseemly this world has become. If you think He would never do that, think again. Think about Noah & the ark. Aside for those in the ark when the rains came, every living thing was destroyed. It is only God’s incredible patience and mercy that saves this world now. You see, He delays in returning because He wants to give every man, woman, and child a chance to receive Christ and have their sins washed away once for all time. THAT is why He delays His return. 

            We are to be humble as we walk with God. Being humble is to be “meek or modest in behavior, attitude, and/or spirit; not arrogant or prideful.” We must understand our true place in this world. Jesus proclaims in John 15:5 “... I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” Now what does the Lord mean when He says, “apart from me you can do nothing”? “Many folks attempt to be good, honest people that do what is right. But Jesus says that the only way to live a truly GOOD life is to stay close to Him, like a branch attached to a vine. Apart from Christ our efforts are unfruitful. Are you receiving the nourishment and life offered by Christ, the vine?” ^[1]

Remaining in Christ means several things: 1) believing that Jesus is God’s Son (1 John 4:15); 2) to receive Christ as both Savior & Lord (John 1:12); 3) to do what God says for us to do in the scriptures (1 John 3:24); 4) to continue to believe the Good News of the gospel (1 John 2:24) & 5) to relate in love to the community of believers, which is the body of Christ (yes, even the few that may annoy you ... remember, you may annoy them as well.) (John 15:12). Exhibit Christ-like characteristics even with the brethren, not just in the world. 

This concludes our look at OBEDIENCE vs SACRIFICE. Starting this coming Monday we will begin an 11 part look at THE 10 MOST DANGEROUS CULTS IN THE U.S.. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Note:  All definitions come from the American Heritage Dictionary.

[1] The Life Application Study Bible scripture notes.

 

OBEDIENCE vs SACRIFICE - Hosea 6:6

Hosea 6:6 “I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.”

            To know God is to know life. How does one go about knowing God. Well, He is alive in what I would say is a spiritual realm, unseen by us, yet real, nonetheless. I utter those last words by faith. I believe the Bible when it says that God always existed and always will exist. Does that make any sense to me ... no, honestly, it doesn’t. But I’ve come to realize that faith in God is based on what we choose to believe, and I believe what the Bible says without question. I also realized that I don’t have to understand something to believe it. When scripture says God is the same yesterday, today and forever, I take that at face value and believe it. Can I prove that it’s true? No, I cannot, but that isn’t a deal breaker, as far as I am concerned. Faith itself is defined very simply as believing that something IS even though you cannot see it and that there is no tangible evidence as proof. “Faith is the idea that you fully believe something is true even though you can’t see that thing. Sometimes that is based on other evidence, sometimes it is not.” * Therefore, we believe something by faith. Having said all this, we must believe the scriptures when they say that showing love is more important to God than offering a sacrifice. Burnt offerings mean nothing to God when compared to our behavior. We are to love others in the name of and with the love of Christ. We are told in scripture that we should love others the way Christ loves us; “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another.” (John 13:34) ^[1] His love was shown to us thru His crucifixion.  

            Everything that is involved in becoming a Christian and then living as a Christian is done by choice. One shouldn’t assume that just because someone accepts Christ they are weak willed or easily influenced. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, draws people to Himself supernaturally. Do you HAVE to listen to the call. No. It’s called having a free will and it has been allowed by God Himself. So why is this whole deal choice driven? Because God wants willing followers, not ones that feel they must for some legalistic reason. If you follow Him of your own volition, you will be more inclined to obey His statutes. Those that fall away MAY have not been redeemed to begin with. Only God truly knows that, for He can see and understand a persons heart motivation. You can sacrifice all you want, but what God desires from us is to love Him and obey Him for He alone knows what is good for us. We think we know but actually have no clue. Why is this? Because we cannot tell what will happen in the next minute, let alone a day, week, month, or year in the future. God knows all that can be known; therefore He knows what will happen to you based on your choices. In spite of what the old song tells us, life is NOT just a bowl of cherries. Life can be very hard. Knowing and following Jesus smooths out some of the rough edges. Obedience is far better than sacrifice, because obedience is what God seeks and requires from His children. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* A post on social media by KaisenSheepDog from 2022 off of the site REDDIT.com.

^[1] The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word ‘agape’) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another. [www.gateway.com]

OBEDIENCE vs SACRIFICE - Matthew 9:13

Matthew 9:13 “Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

 

            Many who think they are righteous simply because they BELIEVE in Jesus and God are fooling themselves. While the Bible DOES say you just need to call on the name of the Lord to be saved is that all there is to it? NO. The scriptures call you a NEW CREATURE in Christ. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. It’s like having your house renovated. God infuses you with His Holy Spirit and you are now the opposite to what you were. Do you cultivate the changes or do you allow them to dry up and die on the vine. Those who KNOW they are missing something in their life, know they need some sort of injection from the Lord to make the changes necessary to live for God. That injection is God’s Word.

Living in obedience to God starts with a decision to put Him first and to give Him authority over our lives. It needs to be HIS will rather than OUR will. Then we need to be sure we are truly aligned with His Will. And 1 Samuel offers some cautions as we strive to be true followers.

 

1. We need to ask for God’s leading. Example from scripture: King Saul carried out the Lord’s mission, but with his own agenda. 

 

2. We need to listen carefully to God’s instructions. Example from scripture: Saul responded to the Lord quickly but didn’t heed all the specifics of the plan.

 

3. We need to respect God’s desires. Example from scripture: Saul sought the Lord, but he made assumptions about what he heard. 

 

People can place more importance on outer appearance than inner character. But God has always searches deeper within and makes it clear that our gifts and offerings must be motivated by a heart that is fully committed to Him. Then what we give Him will truly be worship thru obedience. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

OBEDIENCE vs SACRIFICE - Psalm 40:6-8

Psalm 40:6-8, “You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand — you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”

 

            In King David’s day, religious rituals were required but only to COVER OVER their sin. David said God wishes obedience and not a meaningless sacrifice. They would be considered meaningless if they were given for the wrong reasons. Is it really any different today? People make rituals out of going to church, taking communion and/or paying tithes. If we do it for selfish reasons or are motivated by the wrong thing, then they are empty gestures that are unwanted by our Lord. You see, if you do all that like clockwork each week, but don’t allow your life to be changed, then why are you doing it? Going to church doesn’t get you into heaven. Taking communion doesn’t get you into heaven. You can tithe regularly and even give a sizable check for missions or your building program, but THAT doesn’t get you into heaven either. Nothing we do can “buy” our way into heaven. God doesn’t want these types of sacrifices or offerings without an attitude of devotion to Him. We are to give God our obedience and lifelong service for that is what He desires from us.

            Wouldn’t you like to have God’s instructions written on your heart? That is what David said he had. He said that he “took joy in doing” the will of God.  Micah 6:8 reads as follows: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” When it says to “act justly” it means to have a clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong. To “love mercy” means to exhibit “loyal love” or “loving-kindness.” Along with justice, Israel was to provide mercy. Both justice and mercy are foundational to God’s character (Psalm 89:14). God expected His people to show love to their fellow man and to be loyal in their love toward Him, just as He had been loyal to them (Micah 2:8-9; 3:10-11; 6:12).” “Walk humbly” is a description of the heart’s attitude toward God. God’s people depend on Him rather than their own abilities (Micah 2:3). Instead of taking pride in what we bring to God, we humbly recognize that no amount of personal sacrifice can replace a heart committed to justice and love. Israel’s response had a three-part progression, and verse 8 contains a similar progression. The response of a godly heart is outward (do justice), inward (love mercy), and upward (walk humbly). Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

  

OBEDIENCE vs SACRIFICE - Psalm 51:16-17

“You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” 

            Our hearts are to be “broken and repentant”, as well as our spirit. We must come before God with a humble and sincere heart, for He looks upon our heart to determine our motives. To do the will of God is to follow the charted course He has laid out for you. The only way to know God’s will for you is to get to KNOW Him thru the reading of scripture, hearing His word preached and taught, thru prayer and so on. Prayer is a mighty weapon against the enemy AND is a wonderful tool to achieve God’s goals for us. Take the time to know God as well as you can. His will for you is always designed to benefit you and never harm you. That is a decision YOU must make. Will you trust God over your own thoughts and feelings or are you going to insist on doing things your own way. Many people have a very difficult time humbling themselves to the point of following someone else, but it is possible with the proper instruction from on high. Being humble is defined as being “marked by modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful.” Taking on the characteristics of Jesus Christ will accomplish that. While we may be broken people, our repentant heart need not be broken. Allow the balm of the Lord to heal your broken and contrite heart. 

            Sacrifice can be more ritualistic in nature when it comes to spiritual things. The Lord doesn’t want us to do things out of ritualistic obedience, as in something we feel we HAVE to do to win His favor, but rather out of heartfelt gratitude for that which He has done for us. Our appreciation should come from a thankful heart, which causes us to willingly want to please God. We follow Christ because we WANT TO and not because we feel we HAVE TO. God is NOT a dictator or tyrant that demands anything from us. However, He does DESIRE for us to WANT TO spend time with Him for no other reason than the fact that He is worth the time spent WITH Him. It should be no sacrifice to spend time with God. The TV can wait. The party can wait. Nothing this side of heaven is worthy of our time more than time spent with our Heavenly Father. It shouldn’t be a sacrifice to pray or attend church or search the scriptures. We should have a hunger and desire to know the Lord as well as He can be known. Listen for His Holy Spirit that is within you. Discern what is His spirit and what is your own desire. Know His will for your life. It’s not a secret that God hides from you. It is your spiritual destiny. It is what is available from God to you to take you to places wants you to do. But obedience isn’t just about you. It’s about others. Those you know and already care about and those who are strangers to you, yet need to know that which you know, spiritually speaking. Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

All definitions are taken from the American Heritage Dictionary.

OBEDIENCE vs SACRIFICE - 1 Samuel 15:22

            Today we are beginning a comparison between Obedience & Sacrifice. What does God desire from us? We will look at this from several different angles. Okay, so let’s define our terms. The root word of obedience is ‘obey’. To obey is to “carry out or fulfill a command, order, or instruction; to comply.” Obedience is “dutiful or submissive behavior”. A sacrifice can be defined as, “a symbolic offering of something to a deity”. Now thinking about what we just learned, do you think God, who needs nothing, would rather have some sort of symbolic gift instead of our obeying His well-defined statutes found in the Bible. Mankind has a problem with submission of any kind. Generally speaking, we all would love to be autonomous, taking the proverbial bull by the horns and make our own way. But reality will tell us that a guiding hand is needed. That guiding hand ought to be Almighty God. 

 

1 Samuel 15:22, “What is more pleasing to the Lord; your burnt offerings & sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

 

Sacrifice is sometimes necessary, but not all the time. Scripture tells us in the verse just above that “obedience is better than sacrifice”. Obeying may involve some sort of sacrifice, but the main ingredient for Godly success is not sacrifice, but obedience to God and His Word. I think man has the false notion that the more he does, the more he sacrifices, the tighter he will be with God. It simply doesn’t work that way. Doing things for God with the proper motive is what we are supposed to be doing, but our doing doesn’t insure our end destination will be heaven unless we are selflessly, humbly doing it with no regard to self. That is true obedience and that is what God seeks from us. God doesn’t ask us to do things we are unable to do, for the Holy Spirit within enables us to do whatever God wishes us to do for the Kingdom. In other words, in and of ourselves we cannot do ANYTHING to please God, for our motive may not be pure. Notoriety has no place in a believers life if they are seeking it. Achieving it because of what God is doing and giving all the glory to Him is fine and if notoriety happens to come with that, then use that notoriety to lift Jesus UP and not yourself.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Why God Allows Suffering

It Allows Us to Minister

 

         Just because we suffer in some form or fashion doesn’t mean that we need to seek out others with the same difficulties to minister to them. God sets up what I refer to as ‘divine appointments’ in that He arranges them. Typically it is by pure happenstance that two people in this scenario meet. All sorts of opportunities could present themselves. If the other person is unsaved, you can weigh the option of sharing the gospel. You can definitely offer to pray for them once you know their issue. 

            As Ms. White shares, “the comfort of God that we can extend to others isn’t limited to the church and is not limited to shared experiences.” In other words, we don’t have to be in a church setting to minister to others. We can be anywhere, just as God is everywhere. There is always the possibility that you have had exactly the same malady or dilemma as a person you meet. In that case you can obviously relate your situation as a show of solidarity. 

            With regards to sickness, healing may not always be in the offing, but for the suffering Christian it can be an exercise in faith. Just because a healing never comes doesn’t mean God didn’t hear our prayer, nor does it mean He doesn’t care about us. In my humble opinion God will use medicine and/or a doctor to bring about the healing. It isn’t always the miraculous that takes place, but it can be. Faith is believing that which we cannot see as if we can. That is a bare bones definition, but it’s true, nonetheless.  And the problem isn’t always a medical issue. The suffering we may be going thru could be financial, mental (as in immense stress) ... pretty much anything can provide suffering to an individual.

            When we attempt to minister to another person, regardless of their situation, it is crucial that we initially do more listening than talking. It shows we care enough to find out what is troubling the other person, especially if they are a stranger to us. Allow the Holy Spirit to work.  God can provide comfort and peace for the afflicted person and that may just be what is needed at that time more than your words. A prayer is always a great way to end the encounter.  

This ends our look at Why God Allows Suffering. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

 

 

 

 

 

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