What, Me Worry?

Matthew 6:25, 27, 33-34 NIV

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all (your needs) will be given to you as well. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

            When we worry, which is a normal human reaction, we rob ourselves of many things, but possibly the most important thing we rob ourselves of is TIME. We surrender to the prison of worry due to fear, concern, anxiety, and so on. One of the biggest things we stress about is THE UNKNOWN. Instead of casting all our cares on our Heavenly Father, we wear them like a suit of clothes and fret continuously regarding what may or may not happen in a future that we cannot know. 

            The unknown can be scary, no doubt about it; however, our Heavenly Father is present in the midst of the unknown. Let that sink in my friends. Since God is OMNIPRESENT, He is EVERYWHERE AT THE SAME TIME. He’s not at all like us. He transcends time and space.

To transcend means “to rise above, go beyond, or exceed the limits of something, often implying a superiority in quality, scope, or intensity.” He is bound by NO time restraints.  There is nowhere that He cannot go. Being the creator of all things it stands to reason that nothing will ever surprise or startle Him. He purposely, and willingly came to earth in the human form of His Son, Jesus. He did that for you and me without question or hesitation. 

So you see, there truly is nothing to be concerned about or afraid of. If you believe in God and have established a personal relationship with Him, then try to understand that His love for you will not allow anything to harm you. He is your Father and you are His son/daughter. Do you really understand all that that means? You are a child of THE King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is NO ONE greater than Him. We need not worry any longer. Give it over to God. Remember what scripture says: “Yea, though I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for God is with me.” ^{[Psalm 23:4]} Rest in God and fear no more.

Until next time, walk with God and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

With few exceptions the vast majority of people feel they are good. This thought raises a couple very important questions. First of all, who decides what the definition of ‘good’ is? It’s a relative term used far too loosely. Like the word ‘normal’. I would venture to say that everyone has their own personal definition of both ‘good’ and ‘normal’. I believe most would admit they weren’t choir boys, but they haven’t robbed a bank or committed murder, so they feel they are good people. They hope they have been good enough to go to heaven when they die.  

The opposite of ‘normal’ is ‘abnormal’. We all have our own personal definition of ‘normal’ and anyone who fall outside the parameters of their definition are ‘abnormal’ or just plain ‘weird’. Just because I’m different than most people just makes me different than those who declare themselves ‘normal’. 

The shocking truth of the matter is what Jesus said in the gospels about being ‘good’. In Mark 10:18 ... “Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is [essentially] good [by nature] except God alone.’” Here is one verse that describes what is or at least should be: “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), and to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?”

It isn’t easy to be Christ-like in this life of decadence and evil, but that is what we’ve been commissioned to do. Know what God expects of us as His children and then do our level best to be just that. We don’t know what good is, but the author of all creation and man’s first breath does. Read His Word and follow His lead. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

         Christianity isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being transformed. It’s a progressive thing; like sanctification. Some things are instantaneous, like salvation ... forgiveness is yours once you confess Jesus as your Lord & Savior. 

To make progress with our faith we need to do some things. We should read the scriptures frequently; daily if at all possible. It is your guidebook regarding how to live this life in Christ. This is the nature of sanctification. By definition sanctification means: "to set apart for special use or purpose". We are being prepared to be used by God with any and all gifts that He bestows upon us.

Once redeemed, the transformation begins. We must lean of the Triune God for all things eternal and worship Him for who He is; the Creator of His own Master Plan for mankind ... Almighty God. 

To not allow the sanctification process to take place is like going day after day without drinking a drop of water as a means of hydrating yourself. You will dehydrate, become weak, and eventually, over time, cease to exist. No rational mind would purposely do that to themselves, so why do that to yourself spiritually? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

The Spotlight Effect

Are you the type of person who requires the attention of others? It seems to me that far too many people honestly believe that they are the center of attention. It’s more than likely not at all true, but some folks thrive in that world. They want to be seen a certain way and even put on airs to create the illusion that they are superior to those around them. This is a psychological phenomenon referred to as “The Spotlight Effect”.

Some folks have a strong tendency to overestimate how much they are noticed by other people. From years of observation I feel like people in general are far too self-absorbed to seriously care about someone other than themselves. The “other” people are too busy dealing with their own lives than to pay any significant attention to yours.

If you actually worry about what others think of you or your new haircut, or your new outfit, it’s probably time to shed that conceited view of things and realize that the only people who DO pay close attention to you in public are more than likely the gossip mongrels who would have nothing positive to say about you anyway.

It behooves each follower of Christ to understand just who they are in Christ and realize that others opinion of you are worthless. Accept that God loves you just the way you are. Understand that any area of your life that needs altering can be taken care of by the Lord with the help of the Holy Spirit. Realizing these things can liberate you from thinking you’re in the spotlight.

Until next time, treat all others the way you’d like to be treated.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

           I’ve read lately about a lot of celebrities who were raised in organized religion, yet as an adult don’t follow any organized religion, but rather choose to say they are spiritual or they believe in a higher power. While saying this some actually dismiss organized religion as divisive and patently false. Some, heavily influenced by the world that has come to adore them for their craft, be it singing or acting, etc., seem to find no need for any sort of God. They must then also abandon the idea that we are fraught with unrighteousness (sin). They conveniently dismiss anything that would interfere with their newfound lifestyle. The future reckoning will surely be quite a surprise to millions of people who have abandoned what they once believed.  

It’s sad to me that society as a whole has slowly turned their back on the one true God in favor of something or someone more palatable. Scripture gives us an OT example and a Proverb that says it all. 

1 Samuel chapter 8 tells the story of when Israel first demanded of God that they should have a mortal King just like the other nations. In the end God gave them what they sought after and the rest is history. A bumpy, uneven history of evil kings and righteous kings. High points and low points. Destruction and captivity. God had been their king, but Israel thought they knew better. The scripture is Proverbs 14:12 NIV which says: “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” 

The crux of the matter is that we DO NOT KNOW the correct way to go or the right way to live our lives. We think we do; we believe we do, but in reality we are like a person in a pitch dark room who can’t even find the light switch or the door. We can’t save ourselves and we are incapable of pleasing God on our own. Believing in God means absolutely NOTHING if we haven’t allowed that belief to change our lives. The devil and his demons believe in both God and Jesus, yet in spite of that belief, have set themselves up as the main enemy of the Most High King. Their fate is already sealed. Yours is not. 

Don’t turn your back on God for something that seems more to your liking. The end result for you will not be pretty. Don’t believe that? I sincerely hope you’re right. That would be like playing Russian roulette *. As with Noah ark, it’s not too late for you until the door closes for good. 

            Until next time, start making sure your spiritual house is in order.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which a player places a single bullet in a revolver, spins the cylinder, places the muzzle against the head or body, and pulls the trigger.

Thoughts from a Random Mind

Christianity goes against the basic secular nature of the unsaved. Autonomy is the art of self-governing, which is exactly what man wants. Man’s basic “I got this” mentality is flawed on so many levels. Man would rather go thru his mistake-riddled life doing it his own way, than submit to a “higher being” THAT CANNOT BE SEEN. I realize to the carnal mind that sounds completely ridiculous, but what if it were absolutely true? 

Many folks simply don’t want to know. They don’t understand it and frankly, in many cases, do not WANT to understand it. It takes faith in the unseen. It takes trusting someone you cannot experience with any of your senses. That’s wild. The phrase “Let Go & Let God” is quite literally true. You have to take your hands OFF the wheel and move over to the passenger seat. God, thru His Holy Spirit, will steer your life in the way that He knows will benefit you the most. 

Life can tend to be difficult for everyone, not just a select few, and not as many as you would think are willing to invest in what sounds like a myth or fairy tale. Frankly, it sounds too good to be true, but if you engage your faith and extend your trust to touch the unseen / unknown, then you just might be surprised at what transpires going forward. You honestly have nothing to lose but time. If you invest in God with your whole being and it was a fallacy, you’ve lost nothing, but if it turns out to be real, you have set yourself up for an eternity free from sin and filled with blessings. 

Don’t misunderstand, you don’t turn your life over to God to get blessed. You do it to receive forgiveness for all the misdeeds you’ve done, perhaps even unknowingly, against God and your fellow man. You do it to change the trajectory of your life. You do it because there is NO OTHER way to have your sins removed once for all time. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

          I know who I am. The world says I’m broken. The world says I’m weak. The world says I’m a loser, all because I dance to the beat of a different drum. I know who I really am. I am a child of the King! I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. And God doesn’t make losers. God makes winners.

            Knowing what I know from scripture, humbles me and inspires me. Knowing that God loves me and even took the time to define love in His word, blesses me. The world has a skewed view of love which resembles lust and sex and all the things that fly in the face of decency. Our enemy creates one thing and that is chaos. God creates everything that is good and right and fair and decent.

            I understand what I was and I understand who I am now. Once you meet God and follow Christ you begin to travel down a narrow road that leads to everything that is influenced by the light and the glory of Almighty God Himself. I WAS broken and frail and unable to make correct life choices. I AM blessed, holy, righteous, sanctified, and forgiven thru Christ’s blood and God’s grace. No one can alter my final destination. And all that I have said here that applies to me applies to you as well. Why? Because according to the Word of God, He is no respecter of persons; in other words God never plays favorites. If you are Born Again you are His child, now and forevermore. The world cannot ever take that away from you no matter what the enemy whispers in your ear. Our enemy is already a defeated foe and he knows it. And now so do we. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Quote Contemplations

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” – Theophrastus*  

            If you allow yourself to consider how quickly time flitters by, you will realize the reality of the above quote. Time is an interesting subject. Time is frivolously spend by many without a single thought of it being wasted. Time is not something that can be reclaimed. Once it is spent it is gone for good. Time cannot be retrieved, but it can be wasted as if it were worth nothing. 

            How can time be related to Almighty God? He lives OUTSIDE of time. 2 Peter 3:8 NIV tells us: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” Therefore, God is not on our timeline. So when we ask something of God understand that He isn’t using our system of time. With that is mind it’s possible that Creation itself may not have taken a literal seven days. But that discussion is for another day.

            For us on earth time is registered in 24 hour increments, which represents what we refer to a ONE DAY. 365 of these 24 hour increments translates into ONE YEAR and so on. God deals in terms of infinity and eternity, so we really have no way of knowing how long a minute is to God. Frankly, it shouldn’t be important. If you love and trust God then however long you must wait for something to manifest itself should not phase you. Just know that God is in control of all things and knows all about you and your situation at all times. Trust Him to lead you where He knows you need to go. Time should be largely inconsequential to us. When it’s important you’ll know, when it isn’t you’ll know that too. 

            Until next time, spend your time doing something of value for others.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries        

*  Theophrastus [c. 371 – c. 287 BC] was an ancient Greek philosopher and naturalist.

Quote Contemplations

“Life doesn't require that we be the best, only that we try our best.” ―  H. Jackson Brown Jr. *

 

            This is an easy quote to equate to Godly things. I see nowhere in scripture where God demands perfection from His children. Not prior to conversion and certainly not after. A true follower of Christ will almost automatically seek perfection knowing full well they will never achieve it this side of heaven. However, keeping our focus on God’s statutes and continuously striving to behave like Jesus each day will begin to mold us into all that we can be in Christ.

            It actually isn’t healthy to push for perfection to the extreme. It results in stress and pressure. A person can develop OCD**, which can drive a person slowly insane. Be nice to yourself. Feed yourself God’s Word regularly and allow it to fill you with peace, a spirit of calmness, and spiritual knowledge. 

            Another way to board the crazy train is to compare yourself to others. We are created as individuals by a loving God. We are to love, encourage, and emotionally build-up those around us, not compete with them.           

            There is a certain level of enjoyment that comes from self-improvement, and spiritual growth. If you’re constantly pressing to be the absolute best you miss the enjoyment of learning. Regardless of your daily performance, God will never love you any more or any less than He already does. You are loved by Him just the way you are. 

            Once saved we get the opportunity to savor the journey taken and the effort put forth.

Do your absolute best at all times and that will be just fine with your Creator. He knows we are but dust and to dust we shall return.

            Until next time, “preach the gospel at all times & if necessary, use words.” (St. Francis of Assisi)

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Horace Jackson Brown Jr. (March 14, 1940 – November 30, 2021) was an American author who was best known for his inspirational book, Life's Little Instruction Book, which was a New York Times Best Seller (1991–1994).

** Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – a mental disorder where everything you do HAS to be a certain way and be perfect. 

Quote Contemplations

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle

 

                  I liken the above quote to the following verse of scripture from the apostle Paul. “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV

            No matter what knowledge or skill you happen to have in this life, if you don’t use it to the glory of God you are wasting your energy on nothing. “In Aristotle's quote, the heart stands for character, moral development, and emotional intelligence, encompassing values such as empathy, compassion, integrity, kindness, and ethical awareness.” ^[1] Aristotle may have made a good Christian; however, he died in 322 BC. While Aristotle did not know of Christianity, his philosophy later became deeply influential in shaping Christian theology.

Imagine that, a Greek philosopher who influenced Christian thought. That falls of the category of “truth is truth wherever you happen to find it”. Aristotle may very well have been supportive of the “The Golden Rule” – “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” – Luke 6:31 

Acquiring knowledge isn’t a bad thing; like most things, the having isn’t as important as how you acquired it and what you do with it. If the knowledge you’ve acquired is solely for the reason of impressing others, then know this... man is a fickle beast. One day you’ll be the “belle of the ball” (so to speak), the next day you’ll be a forgotten man. People can be very self-centered. Even Christians at times. In humility we are to do what we do to the glory of God, NOT the glory of ourselves. Do all things in accordance with the statutes of God if you would like to truly have knowledge.

Until next time, in all you do seek to please God above all else. 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle/books/quote-of-the-day-by-aristotle-educating-the-mind-without-educating-the-heart-is-article-153477823

Quote Contemplations

“The heart that has really tasted the grace of Christ, will instinctively hate sin.” - J.C. Ryle

 

            This defines the difference between a person who has had a true, authentic conversion experience and one who has not. There are probably millions of people who think they are good, think they are right with God and yet do not hate sin. To not hate sin is to abuse the grace of God. 

            Almighty God doesn’t HAVE to love us, but does because that is how He is. He is the very essence of transcendent love. Scripture tells us God IS love. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church members defines love in chapter 13 verses 4-7. The characteristics listed show how we are to act and/or react to another person. By showing them love. 

            God doesn’t HAVE to love us but does because He has created us for His good pleasure. He loves us in spite of ourselves because He chose to do that. That is grace... undeserved favor. Favoring someone who doesn’t deserve it. Christ died for us because of the Father’s deep abiding love for His creation. So if you don’t hate sin you probably haven’t had a true conversion experience and should dig deeper into your own soul to find out why.

            Sin is temporal pleasure. Sin takes you to places you truly do not want to go. Sin is the opposite of what the Lord wants for you. You need to hate and avoid sin to truly experience the salvation experience. If you do not hate sin then something is wrong and you must seek the extraction of that thing that holds you back from fully embracing God’s unconditional love. Do it today. 

            Until next time, treat other the way you’d like to be treated.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

            

Quote Contemplations

“To love others you must first love yourself.” – Leo Buscaglia *

 

            As odd as it may sound, too many people don’t love themselves. Whether it be from a poor upbringing or being constantly spoken to negatively, I happen to know that it’s true. When someone else criticizes you or puts you down verbally it has a negative effect on your psyche. Your self-esteem takes a beating. You begin to doubt yourself and your own abilities. 

            This is not how God intended it to be. He loves you and wishes you to prosper in every way. This has nothing to do with financial prosperity. It has everything to do with how you see yourself and what you’re able to accomplish in this life. If you’re told over and over again that you can’t do anything right it takes a toll on how you see yourself. You doubt your ability to do anything right. Is it because of the other person’s inability to deal with their own life? Maybe. Is it because of how they see themselves? Perhaps; building themselves up by knocking others down.

            The key to breaking that cycle in my humble opinion is to treat them the way you would like to be treated regardless of how they treat you. If they continue to hammer away at you verbally all the years of your association it can become difficult at times to accomplish this, but with the help of the Holy Spirit within you there is nothing you cannot do in this life. Listen to the soft inner voice of the Spirit. Place a greater importance on THAT voice and do your best to disregard the harsh voice that tries to downgrade you. With the Lord ANYTHING is possible... no exceptions. Have compassion on those around you who hate themselves and look to take a pound of flesh from you whenever they can. They need a touch from God, even if they are already His child. 

Christians are not immune to hating themselves and having it skew the way they see life and others. Pray for them and do your level best to be a positive example for them. It’s the right way to handle people with a low opinion of themselves. Seek to build them up at every opportunity. It will pay dividends in the end. 

Until next time, treat others the way you’d like to be treated.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*American motivational speaker and writer (1924–1998).

Quote Contemplations

“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.” - Max Lucado*

 

            An important truth believers must remember is that God is NOT like a genie in a bottle who grants us wishes in this life. He is the creator of the universe and will honor one’s true faith in Him by leading them down the path He has set aside for them. The Holy Spirit, if He is allowed, will steer us towards that which is right & true, fair & righteous. You may not receive what you seem to think you want for truthfully without the Lord’s guidance we honestly don’t know the right thing to do most of the time. 

             Living life on our own terms can end up leading us down a dead end street. That doesn’t mean we are to become some sort of automaton; a robot without mind or emotions, bending to the will of God. However, once redeemed we should seek to live for God. We should desire to emulate Jesus example of how to live. We should want to please God. What we ARE NOT supposed to do is receive the free gift of salvation, wink and say “thanx”, then turn and walk away the same way we came. If no change takes place then my friend, that is not a true conversion.

            God doesn’t wish for any individuals to perish and end up in a lake of fire. That is not at all His intention. However, God has a prescribed plan established at the foundation of the world that WILL take place whether we understand it, believe it, or accept it.  Regardless of any of that, it WILL come to pass. Just because someone doesn’t believe in God’s existence doesn’t unequivocally mean that He doesn’t exist. It simply means that person doesn’t believe it... nothing more, nothing less. 

            Faith in God is trusting that what takes place from the day you receive Christ on into your future is MEANT to take place and will take place when the Lord knows the best time is for it to transpire. And it will be the right thing to do... always. What you want is nice and all, but only God knows what’s best for you. Lean into that truth and follow God’s lead. You’ll never regret it. Until next time, trust God & keep His statutes.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Max Lucado (born January 11, 1955) is an American author and minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Life Lesson 6

Depression 

 

“A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness or inability to experience pleasure 

combined with other symptoms including poor concentration, indecisiveness, sleep problems, changes in appetite, and feelings of guilt, helplessness, and hopelessness.”

 

Should a Christian ever get depressed?

                  If we were perfect in every way and not prone to stress, disappointment, and heartache I’d say we would have a chance. But since we are subject to emotional highs and lows, it stands to reason that we would indeed become depressed at one point or another. God can defeat depression, but we must first let go of the things that drag us down. As it is with most issues we encounter, it becomes a matter of focus or more specifically, what or who we are focused on. In the end it’s nothing more than a mental thing, but it is still very real to those who are experiencing it. Occupy your mind with godly things. Refocus.

 

Conquering depression … 

                  It is imperative that we place our sights squarely on that which can alleviate our depression. In this case it’s all about God. He’s provided everything we need to combat and be victorious over depression. I say this from personal experience because I have dealt with bouts of depression from time to time. It can be debilitating if we let it be. If our focus is on that which is causing us anxiety that can lead to depression. Below are listed powerful Bible verses to help you defeat depression. Reading Bible verses can alter your disposition which is an excellent place to start. You want to trust the Lord, but when you become depressed there are times you can barely hold your head up. Negativity festers and drags us deeper into the abyss. It’s like being stuck in quicksand. The more you move the faster you go down.

 

Scripture has the answer … 

                  Take the time to read thru the following scripture verses (under the signature box) as a means of solidifying your faith’s foundation. Strengthening your faith puts you in the proper position to stand upright and move forward, leaving your depression behind. Sometimes all you can do is cry out for help or ask someone else to pray for you. That’s okay. God understands and wants to help you grow to a place where you can pull yourself out of your funk using the scriptures the Lord has placed before you. 

Make the time to feast on the wondrous word of God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Here are some Bible verses to DEFEAT Anxiety / Depression:

Philippians 4:8; Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 34:17; Psalm 40:1-3; Psalm 3:3; Psalm 32:10; Psalm 42:11; 1 Peter 5:6-7; John 16:33; Romans 8:38-39; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; 1 Peter 4:12-13; Psalm 37:23-24; Isaiah 41:10.

Life Lesson 5

             Patience is a virtue. Patience without kindness is wasted in that you must have a proper disposition when you are waiting for this or that to take place. Being patient while being bitter or irritable at the same time reveals a negative picture. Your foul disposition overshadows the patience you are attempting to display. The world is in need of kindness and goodness, not another example of an impatient temperament.

            Biblical patience must be willing to wait as long as it takes for our request to come to fruition. Along with kindness should come peace, for waiting any length of time can become an arduous endeavor. Humans can be as a whole very impatient. This instant society we live in doesn’t help the situation. As you’re waiting have you ever considered that delays may keep you from an unfortunate situation that could potentially change your life forever, say a car accident or being robbed. Learn not to question delays but understand that delays can be part of the deal. God’s economy doesn’t have built in instant gratification. The answer to the question becomes manifest to us when God knows the best time for the answer to come and not a moment sooner. Our problems arise when we misread God’s sign and push thru to an end result that was not intended.

            Displaying kindness will speak volumes regarding being a positive testimony for Christ. As a believer, to not be kind paints an incorrect picture of Jesus and how He intends us to live. If you find it hard to be kind in any situation ask the Lord for his help in the form of the Holy Spirit who is our guide and mentor. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lesson 4

One morning, on my way to work, I caught myself lamenting past mistakes, consequences, disappointments, and injustices. There was no profit in that, so I slowly refocused on the present. You cannot go back in time and change history. You can however learn from the past, so it doesn’t end up repeating itself. I think you will agree, you take what is of value and let the rest go. 

            Life can be very hard, and sadness comes far too often, but there is a lighthouse for our soul that shines out brightly in the darkness of those desperate times. Tears of bitterness can turn to tears of contentment, and a heavy heart can once again become lighter than air. It depends on your focal point. What do you spend the most time focusing on, the negative aspects of life or the positive? Focusing on the wrong thing can wear you down and steal your hope. As believers in Christ we have much to find hope in. Just the very fact that Christ is returning for us should chase away any clouds of sadness from your heart. This life, with all its troubles, will not last forever, life with the Lord will.

            You can’t plow a straight row looking back, nor can you move forward when you are mired in the past. Reflect on your past if you feel the need to, but only to learn how to correct past irregular behavior and not to wallow in self-pity. Our history should be a learning tool for our future and nothing else. We can’t change it so let us revel in the fact that it is in the past and brighter days are on the horizon. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.  

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries 

Life Lesson 3

               Although God is perfect, we are not intended to be perfect at all. We are part of a learning curve with more experienced believers knowing more, having experienced more and are more aware of their spiritual gifts. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I try to live my life as Christ would have me but unfortunately I fail more times than I succeed or at least it seems that way. Because of this I ascribe to the theory of the blind squirrel, which goes like this: even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while. I see myself as the blind squirrel. Fortunately God loves blind squirrels too. 

            I’m very hard on myself. I demand perfection when I know in my heart perfection from an imperfect person is impossible. There was only one perfect individual in the entire history of mankind and that was and is Jesus Christ. I think I’m a lot more selfish than I should be, so even if there were such a thing as a perfect man besides Jesus I would not be that person. I am famous for overthinking things. Thinking too much tends to allow procrastination to set in. My uncertainty many times causes me not proceed at all, instead of proceeding with caution. God doesn’t require perfection from us. He knows that we are from dust* and to dust we shall return at the end of our life. He gives us tools and guidance, which we often times don’t recognize as coming from him. We need to realize that everything the Lord does for us is for our benefit and ultimate good.

            I revealed this side of myself believing that there are others somewhere in the world that are like me. Take heart brethren, God’s unconditional love embraces us all with the warm support we need to go thru this life with more successes than we will ever realize. Not perfection, but success. Success in God’s eyes is far different than success in this world. As we place one foot in front of the other and proceed forward we will gain confidence and slowly grow into exactly what God has intended us to be all along. We are all different, not one of us is exactly the same, but we are all expected to try.  The person I will become isn’t like anyone else in creation. In that respect we are all unique - one of a kind. Don’t beat yourself up, see yourself as God sees you and allow him to untap the immense potential that exists in you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Psalm 103:13,14 - “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.”

Life Lesson 2

            Here’s a life lesson for you. It is my contention that Christians are partially responsible for some people to turn away from God. Here’s a real life example that just took place at my job the other day. 

            Guy #1, who does not know the Lord, was told by a “religious” person, we’ll call him guy #2, that guy #1 shouldn’t be cursing, especially on that day, because it was Good Friday. Then guy #2 proceeded to drop an F bomb himself less than 5 minutes later. That would make guy #2 a hypocrite and that’s exactly how guy #1 saw it. 

            Point #1 – Chances are guy #1 may know very little to nothing about that holiday season. Point #2 – His cussing is not going to send him to hell; his rejection of Christ will. Point #3 – Guy #1 doesn’t know any better. Point #4 - Guy #2 DOES know better. Point #5 – Guy #2 was judging Guy #1 for doing something that he does as well.

             There are too many people like Guy #2 who pass judgment with their words of indictment, and they need to stop that. Once a person receives Christ the Holy Spirit will deal with the profanity issue. Sometimes we clean up our language only to have it reemerge sometime down the road. Let me repeat was I said in Point #3 above … people who don’t have a relationship with God don’t think anything of cussing and that is understandable. It doesn’t make it all right, but it is not our place to instruct him regarding what may be perceived as our regimented list of Do’s & Don’ts. Some of us need to get off our high horse before we make a fool of ourselves in front of others. We must humble ourselves. We are better than no one. We aren’t to compare ourselves to others, but rather to God. This will put us in the place where we belong, beneath the Lord and equal with everyone else. Salvation doesn’t elevate you in status; it forgives you of your sins. That makes you different in that one respect; otherwise, we are really no different than those who are unsaved. No matter how hard you try, even your best efforts will fall short in your quest to be just like Christ. In spite of that, continue striving to be a living example of our Lord, because as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lessons

            Life is like a book with many chapters. The story begins and at an undetermined time the first chapter ends, and the second chapter begins. During one of the chapters you are introduced to the Lord, and he becomes a regular part of the story. There’s a chapter for childhood, one for the teenage years and a special chapter focusing on schooling, one chapter has a fixed climax when graduation occurs. There’s a chapter for college, chapter for courtship, chapter for marriage and a chapter for having children. Some chapters are light; some are dark depending on the subject. People come into your life either in the midst of a chapter or at the start or conclusion of another. 

            Having said all that, I tend to believe that some people are only in our lives for a brief time. When they move, switch jobs, or churches or simply pass away, a chapter ends and another one begins. We mourn the loss and move on. There is a chapter regarding the re-emergence of a person from your past where you discuss how much each of you had changed. Depending on how the chapters play out will determine whether you end up single, married, divorced, remarried or alone. All the while we try to figure out the meaning of this life and why it seems to be so complicated. For a large part of our life I believe we think way too hard about a lot of things and the more we think the more we become confused. Worry begets stress, which is kin to tension, which can do very bad things to your physical body. We take prescription drugs to regulate our heart, our head, our blood flow, and our nerves. 

            Some books, like their corresponding lives, are long and drawn out, others are short and definitively to the point.  Some make a big splash based on the character of the subject. Some just exist without much to say or do. Those with Christ in their lives will nearly always be more interesting. 

            It is said that our lives will be the only Bible others will ever read. I believe that is true, therefore, we should let our lives be true to what the author intended. Let your life be a worshipful symphony of truth and faith and hope and peace. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory.

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

5 Things We Need to Understand

5. We need to learn how to surrender our will in favor of God’s will, for His will for us is designed with us in mind.

 

            As followers of Christ we need to realize that God has a will for each one of us. A perfect, edifying, all-inclusive will for us specifically. Now there is a general will that involves witnessing about the goodness of God in your life in the attempt to lead others to Christ. But I’m not talking about that right now. 

            We think we know what God’s will is; maybe we do, maybe we don’t, but scripture is clear regarding God and how well He knows us. “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:27 NIV) THE MESSAGE translation goes so far as to interpret this verse as such: “He (God) knows us far better than we know ourselves, ...”. That is a very true statement. He knows our thoughts and the motive of our heart. He knows what is good for us, while we do not. He knows what we should stay away from, while we do not. 

            The Lord even says thru the prophet Jeremiah that He has plans for each one of us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) We cannot know this, for we are incapable of foreseeing the future, but nothing is hidden from God. As long as He is with us in all our endeavors, our future in Christ is bright and hopeful.

            Autonomy is the enemy of obedience. Thinking you have all the answers and a plan for your life is detrimental to a believers walk with Christ. Would you rather follow the plan of someone who KNOWS or speculate regarding your future. God is perfect in every way and cares for us too much to watch us fail, but if you insist on doing things your way instead of Gods, you will ultimately fail. You see God has your whole future lined up for you. Following His will is somewhat like knowing which rocks to step on to get across a rushing stream. With the Holy Spirits leading you can know which way to go, without having to guess.

            This concludes our look at the 5 things we need to understand, I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Ministries