Abiding in Christ

            To "abide in Christ" means to live in a close, sustained relationship with Jesus Christ, characterized by faith, obedience, and a continuous dependence on Him for life and strength. It's not a temporary state but a way of life for believers. 

Abiding in Christ is synonymous with being saved and being "in Christ". Keeping Christ's commandments, including loving God and neighbor, is a way to abide in His love. Allowing God's Word to shape your mind, will, and affections is essential for abiding in Christ. Recognizing Jesus as your source of life and strength, rather than a supplement. Both Christ and the believer are described as abiding in each other, signifying a close and intimate relationship. Abiding is not a one-time event but a daily practice of remaining connected to Jesus. As a branch on a vine, believers who abide in Christ bear fruit in their lives. Abiding in Christ is also described as "knowing" Him intimately. Continuously trusting in Jesus and His love. Following Jesus' teachings and commandments. Regularly praying and communicating with God. Meditating on God's Word and letting it shape your life. Engaging in fellowship with other believers and cultivating a close relationship with God. Regularly evaluating your relationship with Christ and identifying areas in need of growth.

That’s pretty much abiding in Christ in a nutshell. His death on the cross presented us with a challenge. That challenge is to accept Him for who He says He is, and leave your old life behind. That may not be so easy for some folks, but you will be the winner if you do. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

"The Mark of the Beast"

The main passage in the Bible that mentions the “mark of the beast” is Revelation 13:15-18. Other references can be found in Revelation 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, and 20:4. This mark acts as a seal for the followers of Antichrist and the false prophet (the spokesperson for the Antichrist). The false prophet (the second beast) is the one who causes people to take this mark. The mark is literally placed in the hand or forehead and is not simply a card someone carries.

The recent breakthroughs in medical implant chip and RFID technologies have increased interest in the mark of the beast spoken of in Revelation chapter 13. It is possible that the technology we are seeing today represents the beginning stages of what may eventually be used as the mark of the beast. It is important to realize that a medical implant chip is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be something given only to those who worship the Antichrist. Having a medical or financial microchip inserted into your right hand or forehead is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be an end-times identification required by the Antichrist in order to buy or sell, and it will be given only to those who worship the Antichrist.

Many good expositors of Revelation differ widely as to the exact nature of the mark of the beast. Besides the implanted chip view, other speculations include an ID card, a microchip, a barcode that is tattooed into the skin, or simply a mark that identifies someone as being faithful to the Antichrist's kingdom. This last view requires the least speculation, since it does not add any more information to what the Bible gives us. In other words, any of these things are possible, but at the same time they are all speculations. We should not spend a lot of time speculating on the precise details.

The meaning of 666 is a mystery as well. Some speculated that there was a connection to June 6, 2006—06/06/06. However, in Revelation chapter 13, the number 666 identifies a person, not a date. Revelation 13:18 tells us, “This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.” Somehow, the number 666 will identify the Antichrist. For centuries Bible interpreters have been trying to identify certain individuals with 666. Nothing is conclusive. That is why Revelation 13:18 says the number requires wisdom. When the Antichrist is revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), it will be clear who he is and how the number 666 identifies him. 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/mark-beast.html

 

GOT QUESTIONS.ORG is a ministry of dedicated and trained servants who have a desire to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, and other spiritual topics. We are Christian, Protestant, conservative, evangelical, fundamental, and non-denominational. We view ourselves as a para-church ministry, coming alongside the church to help people find answers to their spiritually related questions.

Are You a Disciple of Christ?

An apostle is a “messenger”, but a disciple is a “student”. The twelve men who followed Jesus were His disciples because they were supposed to learn from the teacher. Little did they realize at the time that they were being taught by a member of the Trinity, God’s son. That’s pretty wild. 

                  To be a disciple of Christ you MUST cultivate a personal relationship with the master teacher, in this case, Jesus. Discipleship involves imitating the life, values, teachings, and behavior. We mustn’t allow ourselves to stagnate, like a still pond with no fresh water feeding into it.

                  Discipleship is a lifelong process that involves living in a way that pleases Almighty God. It should become our way of life.  Therefore, to review, ‘discipleship’ is a spiritual journey of growth that involves learning from a master teacher, imitating their life, and living in accordance with their teachings. In Christianity, a ‘disciple’ is a devoted follower of Jesus Christ who strives to live more like him.

                  I am a big fan of making a regular spiritual assessment regarding where I stand with the Lord. I ask the Lord what I could be doing better and what I should not be doing at all. I seek His help and guidance as provided by the Spirit within. Finally, we all must have a teachable spirit, open to hearing from the Lord and doing what is being revealed to us. That is essentially what discipleship is all about. Do you consider yourself a disciple of Christ? Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & fort His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The “God-Shaped Hole”

                      Does everyone have a God-Shaped Hole inside them? This theory states that each person throughout creation has a void in their soul, spirit and life that can only be filled by one thing and that one thing is God. Yes, God - that unprovable deified entity that millions of people around the globe recognize as supreme over all life forms. This whole idea suggests that we all have an innate longing for something outside ourselves. Something or someone greater than ourselves. 

                       God created man for His own eternal purpose, and it is only God who can fulfill this desire to connect with Him. Isn’t all religion really just our effort to connect with our maker? So therein lies the theory of the “God-Shaped Hole”.

                  The problem arises when man seeks to take on this challenge by themselves, ignoring the “Hole” altogether or attempting to fill that hole with all sorts of things instead of God. The prophet Jeremiah (17:9) describes the condition of a man’s heart by stating: “The heart is deceitful above all thing & beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Solomon repeats the same thought in Ecclesiastes 9:3: “The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live....” The New Testament agrees: “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” (Romans 8:7) Romans 1:18-22 describes humanity ignoring what can be known about God, including presumably the “God-Shaped Hole”, instead giving worship to anything and everything other than God.

                  It is a sad thing to see when people spend their lives looking for something or someone to fill their search for meaning other than God. Those who pursue ungodly things that have no eternal value leave them unfulfilled as they wonder why they never seem satisfied with their life. Don’t misunderstand me, there is a sense of fulfillment initially, but it fades with time. Happiness without God at the helm of your life is fleeting; in the profound words of Solomon, it is a “chasing after the wind”. Whatever man tries to accomplish outside of God will ultimately fail to bring lasting satisfaction. Ecclesiastes 12:13 concludes the matter according to Solomon: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole (duty) of man.”

                  Just like a square peg can never fill a round hole, neither can the “God-Shaped Hole” inside each of us be filled with anything or anyone other than Almighty God. It is only thru a personal, intimate relationship with our maker thru faith in Jesus Christ can the “God-Shaped Hole” be filled satisfactorily and our desire for eternity be fulfilled. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.gotquestions.org

Standing Still

                  If you stand still, you are not progressing, you are falling behind. Think of it as you standing on a busy sidewalk. You can either walk forward, walk backward, or stand stock still. Only one represents progression, the other two represent regression. You are regressing when you stand still because you’re now being passed by others.

                  This is what is being spoken of in Hebrews when Paul talks about apostasy. Apostasy is a falling away from your faith and speaks directly to the problem of regressing in your faith. Now for clarities sake, we’re not talking about standing still for a moment to collect your bearings, we’re talking about stopping in your tracks and staying there due to confusion or doubt. When some folks are finished entertaining the whole God is real and Jesus died for you deal, they revert to their true feelings on the matter. Autonomy is a tough sensation to break away from. Unless you are ALL IN regarding your faith, chances are you will end up as a casualty of apostasy by forsaking your beliefs in favor of something that seems much more palatable.

                  This is how Paul describes apostasy to his readers: “For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted and consciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age (world) to come, and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.” ^{[Hebrews 6:4-6 Amplified Bible]}

                  Now I’m in NO WAY a judge; with my history I’m certainly not qualified to pass judgment on ANYONE. All I really trying to do here is cast a warning out to my readers. Is your faith rock solid or does it waver when things don’t make sense. I’m not aware of anywhere in scripture where it says we must understand all that God has said, for honestly, at times we struggle with the why and the wherefore. We aren’t asked to understand, but rather to simply trust God. Some might refer to that as BLIND FAITH and maybe it is, but I’d rather blindly trust a flawless, loving, truth telling Almighty God, then anyone else and I certainly wouldn’t trust myself to make the right choice regarding important matters on my own. Our faith and trust in God will lead us in the right direction every time if we’re committed to following. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Wisdom thinks before it acts

“Wise people think before they act, fools don’t - and even brag about their foolishness.”- Proverbs 13:16^NLT

Proverbs 3:7 says, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” Many people have acquired knowledge over the years and have believed of themselves that they have become wise. But a wise person need not label themselves wise. If a person is truly wise, they will intrinsically know that about themselves. However, a truly wise person is humble, not boasting about their accumulated knowledge and/or wisdom, for they know it is inappropriate behavior. Also, a truly wise person will know it is a gift from God to be used to advise and bless others. 

Solomon was considered the wisest man of all time. He didn’t acquire his wisdom from book learning, but rather thru prayer. In meeting with the Lord one evening, it came about that God told Solomon he could ask for anything, and it would be given to him. He could have asked for great wealth, a long life, or the death of all his enemies, but instead he asked for the following: “…give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” God was so impressed with his selfless request that he gave him not only what he asked for, but also what he didn’t ask for.  Solomon was exhibiting wisdom.

Remember this: Without God there is no one who is good or wise or righteous or holy. Only God is all those things. If you seek to live within God’s will for your life you will attain all that he has set aside for you in this life and the life after. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Holy Trinity

The Meaning of One God in Three Persons 

 

                  The general idea of the Trinity is that there is only ONE God, who is fully described in the scriptures. He is an eternal entity that exists in three persons. He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three make up ONE God. They are co-equal & co-eternal with the exact same nature and attributes. All three are therefore worthy of the same worship, trust, and obedience. In other words, we should have every confidence that all the things we know about God and trust Him for would apply to Jesus & the Spirit. Simply put, they are all described equally in Scripture and have the same power and holiness as the Creator.

                  Here are two examples from the Bible that address the plurality of God: Matthew 28:19 says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"; while Genesis 1:26 illuminates their working together by saying, "And God said, ‘Let us make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness...’."

Admittedly, the concept of the Trinity isn’t the easiest thing to explain in simple terms. 

 

Historical Background - The idea of the Trinity has been in existence since the first days of Christianity. The name Trinity was conceived by Latin theologian Tertullian in the early 3^rd century. The explanation of the term came from the early Church Fathers in response to a wide variety of heresies and misunderstandings about God’s nature. 

                  The word Trinity itself does not appear in the Bible; however, it’s concept is clearly present. The verse from Matthew up above reveals the true triune nature of Almighty God. The interaction between the Father, Son and Spirit is shown throughout the NT.

                  Hopefully this brief look at our Triune God was helpful in your understanding of this entity.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/god-in-three-persons-a-doctrine-we-barely-understand-11634405.html#google_vignette