What is a Theodicy?

Back to the beginning

 

Looking at these ideas, then, we can see that Epicurus’ version of the problem of evil suffers from a fatal flaw. This can be summed up in one simple statement: the “God” Epicurus criticizes is not the God of the Bible. In other words, Epicurus’ criticism only works against the deities of Greek polytheism* and in the context of a polytheistic view of reality.

 

The Christian can respond to Epicurus as follows:

 

1 - Is God willing to prevent evil, but unable to? Then he is not omnipotent. God is willing to limit evil and has acted to do just that. So, He is still omnipotent.

2 - Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. God is able, but not willing, to abolish our free will. So, He is still omnibenevolent.

3 - Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? God has acted to defeat evil. Evil comes simply when we fall short of His will.

4 - Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? God is not willing to prevent our free will. Your disapproval does not make Him any less God.

 

And, to the more pop-culture-friendly Lex Luthor, Christianity can respond as follows:

 

“If God is all powerful, he cannot be all good. And if he’s all good, then he cannot be all powerful.” God can be all-powerful and choose not to act according to your preferences. When you say, “all good,” what you really mean is “doing things my way”; and when you say, “all powerful,” what you really mean is “capable of making us simultaneously free and robotic,” which is gibberish. An all-powerful, all-good God can allow evil in order to obtain the greater, eternal good.

Human beings will always struggle with the problem of evil. Theodicy is not an attempt to make God appear as palatable as possible. In fact, the opposite is true. A truly rational theodicy has to begin with the admission that our dislike of something does not make it false. The question is not whether God is compatible with our personal preferences. The problem of evil is simply the debate over whether or not God is logically possible. Theodicy, taking all logic and evidence together, clearly says He is—whether we like Him or not.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

*Polytheism - the belief in or worship of more than one god.

What is a Theodicy?

So why allow evil?

Logic says that God does not have to create evil in order for there to be evil. Logic says that God does not have to conform to our moral preferences in order to be perfectly good. So, then, how can a person rationalize the existence of evil in a way that’s relevant to our own experience?

The first point that must be realized is that God is consistent in His “allowance” of our free will and the natural function of His creation. As it turns out, it’s the fact that God is consistent in His moral behaviors that greatly aggravates the skeptic. This is because God’s consistency runs counter to our human preferences: we’d rather God bend or break the rules to suit our own selfish preferences.

For example, God is consistent in allowing human beings a broad use of free will. This includes allowing people the freedom to reject His will and spurn His commands. This can result in consequences for those who choose to disobey. At the same time, much of the suffering of man on earth is due to the decisions of other people. There, again, God is being consistent in allowing humanity the freedom to act.

This is really nothing more than a re-phrasing of the earlier argument about allowing the potential for evil, because, without it, there is no potential for good. The same natural laws that allow us to build skyscrapers and develop medicines can be abused to make bombs and illicit drugs. They are the same laws that produce earthquakes and hurricanes. Too often, we make choices knowing the risks involved or with a deliberate intent to misuse creation and then blame God when those potential problems materialize.

The second point to make is that God is not motionless, silent, and inactive in the face of evil. Here, again, is a point where the critic becomes inconsistent. The same voices who attempt to say, “God is not doing enough to stop evil” are almost always the same ones who object when God does anything to stop evil. The incidents most often pointed to by critics of the Bible as evidence of God’s supposed immorality (such as the destruction of Sodom) were times when God explicitly stated that His actions were a response to malevolence. They were His means of stopping and preventing more evil.

The same critic who cries, “God does nothing about evil,” is all too often the same person calling God immoral for His actions in the flood. Or against the Amalekites. Or at Jericho. God has already taken steps to neutralize and counter evil. Saying He does “nothing” is simply untrue. Complaining that He does “too much” to stop evil is all well and good, but that makes theodicy irrelevant and the problem of evil moot.

The third point is that we have a limited perspective. This is not a very persuasive argument, especially for someone hostile to the idea of God. But, logically, it has to be said that the God under examination is supposed to be omniscient, omnipotent, eternal, and omnipresent. We, of course, are not. We often hear employers, military personnel, parents, doctors, and others reminding us that there are things happening “behind the scenes” that we simply cannot understand. Our inability to understand certain decisions is not hard evidence that those decisions are wrong. It means nothing more than that we have an incomplete understanding.

Finally, one has to take all criticisms of evil in the entire context of Christian teaching. If this life were all there is, then the problem of evil would be a much bigger problem. However, according to the Bible, this is not the only life we are going to live. A person can reject that belief, but he cannot criticize the God of the Bible and His morality as if the afterlife were not an intrinsic part of Christian moral understanding. Christians believe that all wrongs—every single one—will be reckoned with, someday. They believe that God is acting to restrain evil now, just as He has in the past. The Bible makes it clear that the struggles we experience now are not the purpose for which we exist, nor do they define our value. Instead, there is a point to the suffering and a plan that involves making all wrongs right. 

Next, we finish up our look at what a Theodicy is and how evil relates to God. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

What is Theodicy?

Our will versus God’s will

 

The debate of how we define evil doesn’t stop. For many critics, the objection to God being “all good” inherently means “never allowing any evil.” The first problem with this view of God’s goodness is logical. The second is personal.

Logically, if God is perfect, then anything different from Him, in any way, is no longer perfect. You cannot change absolute, complete perfection and still be absolutely and completely perfect. This means that anything God creates is, by definition, different from Him and must be less than perfect. Considering evil as a deviation from God’s goodness, this leads to two possibilities in order for God to completely and totally avoid evil of any kind.

 

First, God could simply not create anything at all.

 

Second, God could create but allow nothing in His creation the capacity for moral free will. In other words, allow no deviation leading to “evil.” But this makes a mockery of every other emotion, ideal, and benefit that critics of God want to uphold. In short, a universe logically incapable of evil is also one logically incapable of love, nobility, sacrifice or success.

A being unable to partake in evil is also incapable of exhibiting mercy, compassion, or love. It’s not hard to see how, if God had created things with this limitation, creation would seem like a waste of time. God desires love and glory—and our approval of that desire is irrelevant to its truth—but there can be no love given by robotic, choice-less creations.

So, for God to preclude even the possibility of evil, He must either not create or create something utterly pointless. Logically, it stands to reason that God allows the potential for evil because such freedom is intrinsically the same that allows the potential for nobility and virtue. Without that potential no love or other “good” things can actually occur.

This leads to the “personal” problem with demanding that God disallow evil. Once a person accepts the idea that evil has to be possible in order for us to have a meaningful free will, the next step is often to criticize God for allowing “too much” evil or the “wrong kinds” of evil. Here, again, definitions and personal preferences are key.

Critics of God often make an assumption at this stage. They make statements such as “a good God might allow some evil, but He would never allow X.” Once again, the logic leading to this point shows that God does not have to create evil for it to exist. This question also assumes, irrationally, that there cannot be things worse than X. Logically, it’s possible there could be evils even worse than X that God has prevented, and, because He has prevented them, we are unaware they are even possible. To continue to criticize God on account of there being “too much” evil is to waffle between logic and emotion.

We may not like the idea that God allows certain kinds of evil. And, logically, there is nothing invalid about a person choosing to say, “I reject obedience to God because I don’t agree with His morality.” But theodicy is not a question of making God agree with our whims. What we cannot say, logically, is that, if God does not act according to our moral preferences, then He cannot exist in moral perfection. This makes the critic the ultimate standard of morality!

To put that another way, claiming God cannot exist or cannot be perfectly moral unless He agrees with my moral preferences is to say this: “I am morally perfect, so if God and I differ on some moral issue, the only possible reason is that God is flawed, and I am not.” Once again, a person is not logically prevented from taking this approach. But just because it’s a possible viewpoint does not make it a reasonable one.

Does this mean there could never be a circumstance where God’s supposed morality conflicts with what we see in our experience? Not at all. The problem—for the critic—is that many of the rules he claims God fails to live up to are simply fictional. God never promises to make everyone’s life easier or better, nor does He promise to alter cause and effect simply at our whims. There is an eternal context and a spiritual condition to what God tells us about suffering and evil in this world. This is a key part of any reasonable theodicy.

More on Theodicy and the existence of evil in the world next time. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

What is Theodicy?

What evil is, and is “not”

 

The primary issue with the “Problem of Evil” is defining what evil actually is. Evil is typically seen as a force opposed to good, forming a yin and yang or two poles of a magnet. Defining evil in this way leads to a logical problem for the theist: why would God create evil? God created gravity, light, magnetism, and so forth: why would He also create evil?

The most logical answer is simply that God didn’t create evil. Because evil, in and of itself, does not actually exist, except as the absence of goodness. Similarly, God created light, but did He also “create” darkness? No, because darkness in and of itself does not exist. Darkness is only a term we use to refer to a relative lack of light. It’s entirely defined in terms of deprivation: the absence of something else.

The same is true of physical heat. Heat is a term used to describe the motion of atoms and molecules. When an object is cold, it simply has less molecular movement, relatively speaking. At absolute zero all molecular movement would completely stop, theoretically. You cannot get any “colder” than that, because there is no way to add more coldness. You can only remove heat, and when all the heat is gone, that’s as far as you can go.

The same basic point applies to many descriptive words. Terms such as short or thin are all references to the relative lack of something else. There is no such thing as “shortness,” and one cannot “add” shortness. There are only varying measurements of length. Printer paper is not “thin” because it has more “thinness” added to it than cardboard. We use the term thin, so we don’t have to say, “less thick.”

An example from mathematics is the constant ‘I’, or the square root of negative one (√ (-1)). In reality, negative numbers cannot have a “square root,” but there are places in advanced equations where it’s a handy shortcut. The term ‘I’ has meaning, at least in theory, even though we know it’s not a literal description of some tangible thing.

Another mathematical example is the “number” 0. The term zero literally refers to that which does not exist. It is a reference to nothing, to the absence of something. This is why adding or subtracting 0 results in no change, multiplying 0 is still “nothing,” and dividing by 0 is a logical contradiction. Is zero “real”? In the sense that it’s a term we can understand and that has use, yes. But, of course, 0 does not exist in any tangible sense. It’s literally defined as the absence of something (everything) else.

Putting all of these thoughts together, then, the same can be said of evil. The term has meaning and use, but we don’t have to assume it’s some actual, tangible, created thing. Evil is a relative term used to mean anything that deviates from the will or moral perfection of God. Evil is the lack of goodness.

All by itself, this reasoning goes a long way toward forming a proper theodicy. If evil is not some “thing” God created or some force outside of God that He cannot control, then the meaning of these questions becomes very different. Any premise that requires God to have created, formed, or generated evil is immediately invalidated. All that is required, then, is for God to have “allowed” it.

Next we will continue with our study on evil in relation to God. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

What is a theodicy?

God in Relation to Evil

 

Theodicy is a branch of philosophy dealing with the issue of evil in light of the existence of God. If God is just and holy and good, then how do evil and misery exist? That’s the question theodicy wrestles with. History’s most famous statement of the “problem of evil” comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus:

 

1 - Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.

2 - Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

3 - Is he both able and willing? Then where does evil come from?

4 - Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

 

Of course, most people have no experience with philosophers. They do, however, watch movies, and a slightly modified version of this idea came from the character of Lex Luthor in a recent action film: “If God is all powerful, he cannot be all good. And if he’s all good, then he cannot be all powerful.” – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

The biggest hurdle in discussing theodicy is a tendency to waffle on the definitions of certain words. Or to color certain words with a meaning that is not part of the argument. So, in order to really understand the concept of theodicy, one has to carefully define his terms and then stick to those definitions. 

My next post will tackle the topic “Exactly What is Evil?” Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

Confidence in God

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”- 1 John 5:14-15

                  I remember when I was a child, I had asked for a tape recorder for Christmas. For some reason, I took it upon myself to go on a hunting expedition in my parent’s closet one Saturday, when my folks were out shopping for groceries. Well, I found a small reel-to-reel tape recorder in a box buried deep in the bowels of their closet, behind my mom’s long dresses. That particular year I was extremely confident that what I had asked for I would be receiving. This is the same confidence we can have regarding those things we ask for from God. There is one stipulation though; we must ask according to His will. If we know the Lord personally than chances are you’ll know what to ask for.

                  Sometimes it seems as if the will of God is one of the most difficult things to discern in the whole, wide world, but it really isn’t. Start off by doing what you know is right and righteous in the sight of God. Do whatever you do to glorify Him. Be like Solomon, in that you ask for that which will benefit others and not lift yourself up. Remember, according to scripture, “we must decrease, and He must increase” (John 3:30). If you seek wisdom, guidance, assistance out of a dilemma or a healing … all noble requests that would bring glory to God, then God will answer you in the affirmative. God’s will is not unattainable. If the answer doesn’t come there is a reason. Trust Him to give you just what you need when you need it the most.

                  If you’re uncertain as to whether something is within the parameters of God’s will just ask that his will be done in your life and wait for the manifestation of it.  Something like this, “Lord, give me wisdom and sound judgment today that I might be able to bless and encourage others and I will give You all the glory. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus, amen.” I believe God will not only hear, but also answer a request like that.

                  May the will of God never be far from you is my prayer for you this day. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Erroneous Views of Hell

(1) The second chance view – After death there is still a way to escape hell.  Answer: “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

(2) Universalism – All are eternally saved.  Answer: It denies the truth of salvation through Christ which means that a person decides to either trust in Christ or else he/she rejects Christ and goes to hell (John 3:16; 3:36).

(3) Annihilationism – Hell means a person dies like an animal – ceases to exist. Answer: It denies the resurrection of the unsaved (John 5:28, etc. – see above). It denies conscious torment.

 

Objections to the Biblical View of Hell

 

(1) A loving God would not send people to a horrible hell. Response: God is just (Romans 2:11). God has provided the way of salvation to all (John 3:16,17; 2 Corinthians 5:14,15; 1 Timothy 2:6; 4:10; Titus 2:11; 2 Peter 3:9). Even those who haven’t heard of Christ are accountable for God’s revelation in nature (Romans 1:20). God will seek those who seek Him (Matthew 7:7; Luke 19:10). Therefore God doesn’t send people to hell, they choose to go by their rejection of Christ (Romans 1:18,21,25).

(2) Hell is too severe a punishment for man’s sin. Response: God is holy ... perfect (1 Peter 1:14,15). Sin is willful opposition to God our creator (Romans 1:18-32). Our sin does merit hell (Romans 1:32; 2:2,5,6). What is truly amazing is that Christ died for our sin and freely offers salvation to all (Romans 2:4; 3:22-24; 4:7,8; 5:8,9).

 

Biblical Terms Describing Where the Dead Are

 

Sheol - a Hebrew term simply describing “the grave” or “death” – Does not refer to “hell” specifically

Hades - A Greek term that usually refers to hell – a place of torment (Luke 10:15; 16:23, etc.)

Gehenna - A Greek term (borrowed from a literal burning dump near Jerusalem) that always refers to hell – a place of torment (Matthew 5:30; 23:33)

“Lake of fire”- the final abode of unbelievers after they are resurrected (Revelation 20:14,15)

“Abraham’s bosom” - (Luke 16:22) a place of eternal comfort

“Paradise” - (Luke 23:43) a place of eternal comfort

“With the Lord” - a key phrase describes where church age believers are after death (Philippians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 2 Corinthians 5:8)

“New heavens and earth” – where believers will be after they are resurrected (Revelation 20:4-6; 21:1-4)

 

Conclusion

 

Our curiosity about the abode of the dead is not completely satisfied by biblical terms or verses. What we DO know is that either eternal torment in hell or eternal joy in heaven awaits all people after death, based on whether they trust in Christ’s payment for sin or not. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Will Everyone Go to Heaven?

Exactly who WILL go to heaven?

Only those who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior will receive eternal life. There’s no second chance for salvation after death, so we must respond to God's call now and share this truth with others.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Not everyone will go to heaven; only those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will receive eternal life (John 3:16). The Bible teaches that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) and that no one can earn salvation through their own efforts. Salvation is through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, as we confess Him as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). There is NO second chance after death to change one's eternal destiny, so it is crucial to respond to God’s call of salvation now (Hebrews 9:27). As believers, we are called to share this message with others, helping them come to know Jesus and experience the hope of salvation (Matthew 28:18-20).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Although salvation in the Old Testament also came by faith through the promise of the Messiah, it was not fulfilled until the New Testament time.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

Who will go to heaven? John 3:16 offers the clear words of Jesus on this issue: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Those with faith in Jesus as God's Son have eternal life. Those who do not are separated from Him for eternity. Their future is in what the Bible describes as hell or eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46; Luke 12:5; Romans 6:23).

Every person sins (Romans 3:10), and no one is good enough to achieve entrance into God's perfect presence in heaven by works or human goodness. Romans 3:23 also teaches that all have sinned and have fallen short of God's glory or perfect standard. God, in His grace, made the way for those who believe in Jesus Christ by faith to receive salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Romans 10:9-10 confirms who will be saved: "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

Acts 4:12 is clear that this salvation is only through Jesus: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

After this life, there will be no opportunity to choose to believe in Jesus or to change one's eternal destiny; there will be death and then a judgment regarding our eternity (Hebrews 9:27). There will be no reincarnation or second chance after death, only eternity with God or apart from Him. 

If none of this is true, then why did Jesus have to die? Hebrew historical documents verify His existence on earth. He said He was the Son of God. Are you willing to bet your eternity on it being a lie or fairytale? That’s up to you. 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions?.org

“BECAUSE OF THE JOY AWAITING HIM…”

“…let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”- HEBREWS 12:2

                  I ran Cross Country in high school and though I wasn’t any good, I certainly knew what it took to BE a good runner. You had to build up your endurance by running and you didn’t run on smooth surfaces all the time. Many times we’d hit the road and run 5-8 miles up and down big hills and thru the country roads miles behind the school. At that time the races were on a predetermined course either on the school grounds or neighboring roads around the school. The races were 2.5 miles back in the early 70’s. You had to work very hard to achieve the stamina and endurance needed to win or for that matter, just finish the race. So when the writer of Hebrews talks about running the race God sets before us with endurance, I know exactly what he’s talking about.

                  And what about the ‘joy awaiting Jesus’ … what’s that all about. He knew He was going to be beaten to within an inch of his life and had just asked His Father if there was any way to take ‘this cup’ away from Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Let us remember that He left that Garden having to be resolute regarding His fate. He wished to perform the Father’s will and not His own. Also remember, He was 100% human & 100% divine. Naturally the divine side won out, but not before the human side had its’ say.

                  Hanging on a criminal’s cross garnered a certain amount of shame, but Jesus totally disregarded the shame scripture says. Once He galvanized His own will to line up with the Fathers, He set Himself as a flint to go about the Father’s business. Without Christ’s blood there is no salvation … no forgiveness for sin. It had to be done this way, so Jesus acquiesced to the Father’s will and willingly endured that which no innocent man should have had to endure. And it says He did it joyfully, even resolutely, to save the souls of all mankind. What a mighty God we serve! Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Bible used: Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishing, latest copyright is 2005.

 

Christ’s Blood Redeems Us

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”- Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)

Hell or Hades defined: “The Greek word ‘hades’ of the New Testament has the same scope of signification as ‘sheol’ of the Old Testament. It is a prison (1 Pet. 3:19), with gates and bars and locks (Matt. 16:18; Rev. 1:18), and it is downward (Matt. 11:23; Luke 10:15). In Greek Mythology, Hades is the god of the netherworld. We are taught that hell is a place of evil, misery, discord, or destruction; a place of eternal torment and anguish; a state of separation from God; an exclusion from God’s presence.” ⁽¹⁾
            With Ephesians 1:7-8 emblazoned upon the top of this entry, why define hell? Because we need to understand what we, as believers, were saved from. We also need to understand that this is where unregenerate souls go if they never receive the gift God has for everyone … His grace.
Grace defined: “the free and unmerited favor of God shown towards man; the divine assistance and power given to man in spiritual rebirth and sanctification; the condition of being favored or sanctified by God.” ⁽²⁾

Lavish defined: “To give or bestow in abundance; shower.” ⁽²⁾
            We need, as believers in Christ, to understand what was done for us. We need to understand that we did nothing to deserve such a monumental and gracious gift. We need to understand that we were bound for an everlasting and infinite stint in hell, separated from God, with no hope of parole. If you don’t believe in such things, are you willing to bet your eternal soul on it?
            Are we living our lives only for ourselves or are we living for God first. You see, God doesn’t want you to live for Him to the exclusion of your family … no. He wants you to be a better husband, father, and provider for them through Him. It is only through the Holy Spirit of God that we can be all we CAN be. It’s the only way we can grow spiritually and be a proper Godly leader in our families. And I am not forgetting about women ... wives/mothers are a key component in a family, so what I say applies to them as well, for God loves them just the same. No one gender is more important than the other in God’s economy. Remember, Christ Himself said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; without Me you can do nothing.” ⁽³⁾ The gospels also declare: Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who try to build anything not according to His call. [paraphrase]
                  Don’t let God’s grace become a cheap thing to you, like a withered piece of fruit on the vine. Let Him be both Savior AND Lord of everything you have, everything you are, and everything you do. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
In His Name & for His Glory, 

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries
(1) Bible Dictionary; www.biblegateway.com
(2) www.thefreedictionary.com
(3) John 15:5 (NIV)

Living By Faith

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”- Habakkuk 3:17-18

          Habakkuk is praying to Jehovah God in the third chapter as he sees Him trample his enemies underfoot. Habakkuk is awestruck by the power displayed and the vengeance brought against his enemies. In the end of the prayer Habakkuk is resolute as he states that no matter what may happen to him, he will rejoice in the Lord. Habakkuk sees the ferocious way that God repays evil done against His children and recognizes that only God can deliver him from his calamity. He humbly acknowledges that God is the one who is over all and shall provide for and sustain him.

          If we were in the same situation, how would we act? No food, no job, no money to pay bills … what’s going on? God was mindful of Habakkuk and He is mindful of us as well. We are not in danger of anything other than the discomfort of having our routine disrupted. Habakkuk, being a prophet, was targeted and in danger of death from enemies that rose up against the people of God continually throughout the Old Testament. In all three chapters of Habakkuk, the overriding theme is that the just shall live by faith. It is faith that leads to trust and as believers we need to know we can trust God. It is a conscious decision we must make; do we trust God or not? If we do, then we should understand two things; that nothing is impossible for God and that His timing rarely syncs up to ours. The perfect job is coming your way; financial relief is coming as well. Your prayers shall be answered. Seek His will for your life and then praise God from whom all blessings flow. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Making Time for God

“David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, ‘Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head overall. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.’”- 1 Chronicles 29:10-12

          The Lord God is over all things. Here is David claiming just that. David knew his God and God knew David. He was considered the apple of God’s eye (Psalm 17:7-9) and a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). David was flawed just like you and I, yet those things could still be said of him. God is over all for He has made all things. The beauty that surrounds us is witness to His creativity. We too are beautiful. We were made in His image and are unique in that not one of us is the same. Even identical twins have differences. Everything that we have is because of God. Anything that has true value is from Him. If we are a true believer, then our soul is His and our spirit can be attuned to Him.

          It's a shame that we become too busy to fine tune our spiritual relationship with our Heavenly Father, yet He patiently waits for us to get our collective acts together. We should recognize and not ignore who our freedom comes from and who our savior truly is. It would take a monumental effort to secure a meeting with the President of the United States, but we can meet with the Creator of the entire universe any time of the day or night. It’s really up to us how close we choose to get to Him. God is waiting for us to make time for Him. What would our lives be like if He hadn’t made time for us? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Christ Made Himself Nothing for Us

“… he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death … even death on a cross!” - Philippians 2:7-8 (NIV)

                  In a world where people are constantly striving to better themselves and climb the ladder of socially defined success, it is amazing to me that Almighty God would purposefully and deliberately make Himself NOTHING. He went so far as to make Himself the lowest human form … a servant … a person with no rights or authority. And then willingly allowed Himself to be led to a criminals cross to be crucified and as a result die. It is one thing to die for a friend, but to die for a people who do not even know You is pretty amazing. It defies all logic. Yet this was God’s plan all along.

                  We call it a ‘criminals cross’ because that was the common way of putting those who broke the law of the land to death at that time. So even though Christ was not a criminal, He was treated as one in the manner by which He was killed. Eradicate the problem. That is essentially what the religious leaders of the day were doing. Everything about Jesus; His words, His actions, flew in the face of the Pharisee’s comfort zone. They had control over the religious people around them. They determined what God wanted and didn’t want. They defined His laws. They set the temple payment system for the covering of sins. When Jesus came along, just like He eventually overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple courtyard, He overturned everything the Pharisee had set in motion. Instead of rationally discussing matters of the heart with Jesus, they almost immediately plotted to get rid of Him. Christ needed to be eliminated. Unbeknownst to the religious leaders of that day, it was God’s plan for that to take place all along also. He knew their hardened hearts and that they were stubborn and stiff necked. He knew they would fall right into line with God’s plan because they believed in their hearts that they were right, even though they were not.

                  So Christ willingly became like a slave. He did what He was called by His Father to do. He was obedient to the point of death, and it was all for a divine purpose … God knew the heart of man. He created man, so He knew him intimately. He knew that man, if given a choice, would choose incorrectly based on feelings and emotions, rather than on what was right vs. what was wrong. This sentiment is still prevalent today. No boundaries create a chaotic existence.

                  A blood sacrifice was necessary to atone or pay for sin. It was the payment system that God put in place to forgive our disobedience. It behooves us to dig into God’s word for ourselves to see what is truly required of us as followers of Christ rather than constantly be spoon fed. Christ died for you. Get to know Him intimately and you might be surprised what is really required of you as His followers and what is not. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Trusting God

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid?”- Psalm 56:4

                David wrote this regarding men who were in pursuit of him with the desire to kill him. He was aware that mortal men can only kill his body, but never take his soul from him, nor his faith and trust in God.  In spite of his dilemma, the words above should shine like a beacon into our hearts, for while men are likely not in pursuit of us, there are many things we tend to fear in this life. If we believe in God, then we should put our trust in Him as well. As we walk with Him, we realize that His word is true, therefore, He can be trusted without hesitation. There is absolutely nothing to fear.

                When I say there is nothing to fear, I do not say it lightly. We allow worry to creep into our lives regarding things we have no control over and that worry leaves us troubled and that can give birth to full blown fear. If we truly believe in God then what do we believe in Him for, fluffy clouds and sunny days? We can believe in Him for everything. When we speak to Him, He hears us. When we are in trouble, He saves us. We only need to ask. Some have trouble asking for anything, thinking that given enough time they will figure it out and provide their own solution. Wouldn’t it be so much better to ask and receive from the source Who knows the right solution instead of playing a guessing game? God can be trusted; His word is absolutely true, and we have absolutely nothing at all to fear in this life. Trust God! Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Seek the Light

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way ….” - Colossians 1:9b-10a

            Paul, the once vile hater & slayer of Christians, was now a fierce prayer warrior on their behalf. The Damascus Road episode in his life changed everything. He now asks God to fill these same believers of Christ with “all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives”. Two things are shown to us here: 1) that God will give us those things that we are in need of to live a life worthy of Him; 2) His Holy Spirit is the conduit by which this is accomplished.
                  What have we been rescued from? These verses tell of God, by His Holy Spirit, through the actions of His Son, Jesus, the Christ, rescuing or delivering us from “the dominion of darkness”. Without Christ, our life is under the domination or control of darkness, which permeates this world. It is cloaked so it is not easily seen by the naked eye, but with the eye of the Spirit, is seen plainly. We have been rescued from this world that we are IN yet no longer OF. This world embraces many things that are blatantly evil and easy to spot. However, the enemy works overtime to come up with ways to deceive those who would strive to avoid such things. We need the full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:13) to combat such an evil attack.
                  Be wary of the darkness that surrounds you but rejoice in the light that lives in you. God has you covered with His righteousness. You are safe. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,  so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,  being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,  and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:9-14

What is a Theocracy?

                  A Theocracy is a land that is governed by biblical principles & doctrines. I think it’s safe to say that “heaven” is a Theocracy. I mean, heaven isn’t a place where mob rule exists, and it isn’t a place where the majority rules. It a place where Almighty God rules. 

                  Heaven will be a wonderful place to spend eternity. We’ll be with the One who created us and loves us without any conditions being placed upon that love. 

Heaven is a real place described in the Bible. The word heaven is found 276 times in the New Testament alone. Scripture refers to three heavens. The apostle Paul was “caught up to the third heaven,” but he was prohibited from revealing what he experienced there (2 Corinthians 12:1–9).

Since a third heaven exists, there must also be two other heavens. The first is most frequently referred to in the Old Testament as the “sky” or the “firmament.” This is the heaven where weather happens, clouds float, winds whirl, and birds fly. The second heaven is what we call outer space, the region of the stars, planets, and other celestial objects (Genesis 1:14–18).

The third heaven, the location of which is not revealed, is the dwelling place of God. Jesus promised to prepare a place for His followers in heaven (John 14:2). Heaven is also the destination of Old Testament saints who died trusting God’s promise of the Redeemer (Ephesians 4:8). Whoever believes in Christ shall never perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The apostle John was privileged to see and report on the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10–27). John witnessed that the new earth will possess the “glory of God” (Revelation 21:11), and the very presence of God will be among men. In the eternal state, there will be no night, and the Lord Himself will be the light of the city. The sun and moon will no longer be needed (Revelation 22:5).

The New Jerusalem will be filled with the brilliance of costly stones and crystal clear jasper. The city has twelve gates (Revelation 21:12) and twelve foundations (Revelation 21:14). Paradise is restored: the river of the water of life flows freely, and the tree of life is available once again, yielding fruit monthly with leaves that “heal the nations” (Revelation 22:1–2). The Bible gives us a glimpse of heaven, but the reality of that place is beyond the ability of finite man to imagine (see 1 Corinthians 2:9).

Heaven is a place of “no mores.” There will be no more tears, no more pain, and no more sorrow (Revelation 21:4). There will be no more separation, because death will be conquered (Revelation 20:6). The best thing about heaven will be the presence of our Lord and Savior (1 John 3:2). We will be face to face with the Lamb of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. Because of His sacrifice, we can enjoy His presence for eternity. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/heaven-like.html

If You Say It, Mean It

“Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.” - Deuteronomy 23:23

             In this day and age, we say a lot of things … often glibly, without thinking of the serious implications that come with the words said. When we do so, we cheapen the words immensely. Their meaning becomes cloudy and ineffectual. The off handed manner with which they are offered tends to belie what may be their true intention. Delivery is important, tone critical, and other’s feelings need to be considered. Words spoken have been replaced with words typed in emails or text messages. Intimacy has been replaced with online chats. No face to face contact. No intonation heard. Our society needs a serious overhaul, in my humble opinion.
             Let’s get a little specific for the moment. What about wedding vows? In a day and age when commitment is fleeting at its’ best and non-existent at its’ worst, we must stare down the barrel of temptation constantly. Are the words laid out in the “Love” chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 meaningless? When we say our wedding vows do they mean nothing to us when we say them? Is our “I do” covered with stipulations. In the back of our minds are we calculating deal breakers to the vows that we have made? 

              Look at this sample of traditional wedding vows: “I, (name), take you, (name), to be my [opt: lawfully wedded] (husband/wife), my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family, and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”
             When we say our vows they have to MEAN something to us. They have to, or they are a sham, not worthy of even being said. And make no mistake about it, when you make a vow, you make it to God as well. You’re not going to hell if you, as a couple, split up, but it’s certainly not what God had in mind when He created man. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministry

VOW defined: 1. An earnest promise to perform a specified act or behave in a certain manner, especially a solemn promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order; 2. A declaration or assertion; 3. To promise solemnly; pledge.

The Blood of Christ

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” - Matthew 26:28 NIV

          Blood is an amazing thing, isn’t it? It’s our blood that powers our bodies, as it flows through our veins and arteries into the furthest reaches of our extremities to provide life. God made it so that blood was required to cover one’s sins in the OT. In the NT, the blood of Christ no longer covered one’s sins, but rather removed them, as if they were never committed.  
          We take it for granted, I think, until we have problems with it. Certain diseases are blood related; blood carries those diseases to others if not quarantined. It CAN be a destructive force if not respected and taken care of. We do things to our bodies, put things IN our bodies that can affect our blood and shorten our life. While it’s true we can do as we please in this life, as Paul says to the Corinthians basically, ‘do as you please, but understand that not everything is good for you.’

          Forgiveness is a marvelous institution. To forgive is to practice unconditional love. It’s like saying to someone, “regardless of what you‘ve done, are doing or will do, I will love you … without conditions.” It is a wonderful thing. At times we can take forgiveness for granted. This creates cheap grace, but grace isn’t cheap, nor was it free. It came with a price. Christ willingly shed His own blood to provide forgiveness. Don’t let it become a cheap thing. Innocent blood was spilled on Calvary’s cross for you and me. Let us never forget that. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries