Thoughts from a Random Mind

As believers get older all the aches and pains become amplified. Sickness & disease encroaches our lives at various times and all this becomes a challenge to our faith. We cling to the promise that “by His stripes we are healed”little realizing that the healing being spoken of is spiritual and not physical. We accept our plight as things become slowly worse health wise. Will God heal us?

             As near as I can tell from scripture reading and some research, God heals at His own discretion and does not heal every person who asks Him to be healed. Understanding that death could potentially be the best answer to our prayer for healing helps us deal with the loss of a loved one, but it doesn’t replace the loss and the feelings of loneliness. Death is a blessing in some cases, depending on how much pain the person happens to be having to endure.

              God isn’t like some genie in a bottle who magically grants wishes. He is the creator of the universe and everything in it, and we must trust that He knows what is best for us. We must trust Him with our well-being; aches, pains, and everything else that comes our way. We must trust that God knows what He’s doing. Man is weak, frail, and destined to die. Life isn’t like, as the old ‘40s tune says, “a bowl of cherries”. It can be more like, “if life is like a bowl of cherries, why do I always get the pits?” A negative way of looking at things for sure, but it certainly CAN be the way we feel at times, nonetheless. Trust God with your everything. 

            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

            Marie Curie was once quoted as saying: “Life isn’t easy. We must persevere & above all trust in yourself.” I agree with the first two statements; however, the third statement begs the question, “... to what end?” What good is it to trust yourself when you are a supremely flawed individual? Of course, if all you have to rely on is yourself, then I suppose her statement has some validity. But what if there is such a thing as a “higher power”?  A supreme intellect... one who created you and loves you above all else. What if He only and always had the very best, positive intentions for you?     

            Knowing what I know now, I would never want to trust myself to do anything totally on my own. Not when I can tap into the wisdom of God to guide and direct me thru life. For those who are hesitant to believe in an unseen deity, my question is, what is your vision for yourself? What plan do you have? God can take the guess work out of your life’s plan. That’s the way it is with a perfect and almighty God, but you have to really know Him. Head knowledge is insufficient; there must be heart knowledge. There needs to be a spiritual connection with the Holy Spirit being the conduit. 

            The sad part in all this for non-believers is that they will continue to, figuratively speaking, slam their collective heads into the proverbial wall trying to make things work out. It’s really no different than trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole. It’s not going to work. People cling in desperation to their own autonomy, insisting that they have the wherewithal to accomplish anything they put their mind to, but what if it’s not in your best interest to accomplish the thing you are striving for. Don’t frustrate yourself any longer. Surrender! Abandon your own will in favor of the will of God for you. It is sculpted into the design that will best fit you and those closest to you. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Note: Marie (aka, Madame) Curie - Polish French physicist and chemist (1867–1934).

 

Thoughts from a Random Mind

It’s Not Me!

            I’m not a prophet, nor am I a preacher … I am a writer. I use words to convey thoughts to those who would read what I have written. I’m no one special. I am to God and I am to my wife, but I’m nobody of any consequence. Yet God has chosen me to present a message to those who need to hear it. Everything I write isn’t awesome or inspiring or even encouraging, but I believe it’s what I’ve been called to do. So I write … words … one after the other until I feel I am finished saying what I feel led to say.

            Some days I have nothing to say. Some days I feel what I have written is blah. That is usually the day someone emails me to say it was just what they needed to hear at that particular moment. 

            My message is pretty basic … love God, read his word, commit to serve him and do everything in your power to imitate Christ each day. I say this because it’s NOT all about you and it’s not about me. It’s about God IN you and me. It’s about letting him take the wheel. It’s about being Christ to others. It’s about steering the accolades for anything you might do that blesses another directly to God. I’ve said this before in my life and I say it again now: Anything anyone ever sees in me that is good, kind, generous, loving, selfless isn’t me at all. Left to my own devices I would be a wretch of the worst sort. No, it’s not me; it’s my Lord at work in me. Is he working 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

What Does It Mean?

Apostasy

                  There is a Christian Rock band whose name is "Seventh Day Slumber"*. Their name is derived from Genesis 2:2, referring to the seventh day when God rested after creating the universe. It symbolizes a period of rest, referencing the biblical Sabbath; however metaphorically, it refers to a call to wake up from spiritual inactivity or lethargy. It suggests breaking free from "spiritual slumber," which is described as a state of being inattentive to one's walk with God, lazy in spiritual development, or lax in discipline.

            That all makes me think of the great apostasy foretold in the New Testament. I will break down the Great Apostasy sometime soon, but suffice it to say, it is when professing believers do an about face and renounce their faith in God. It will be a terrible time around the entire globe as the devil will for a short time have his way. Scholars who believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church feel this shall take place prior to the Great Apostasy. That would mean those professing Christ were never saved to begin with.

            It is imperative that believers remain faithful to the call that God placed upon them when they gave their heart and life over to Christ. Those who dabble in the deconstructing of their faith are playing with hell fire. Their interest in deconstructing God and His Word will result in their adjusting doctrinal and scriptural meaning to suit their own feelings about the issue. Is that the precursor to the Great Apostasy? Perhaps... so GUARD YOUR HEART against  the wiles of the enemy. Do not fall asleep. Be alert to your surroundings and be strong and unflinching in your faith and trust of the Lord. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 *Seventh Day Slumber has been making music since 1996, when the band was formed in Dallas, Texas, by frontman Joseph Rojas.  As of today, the band has been active for 30 years. 

What Does It Mean?

Insidious - proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects.

 

Insidious is a word that describes a Christian’s enemy. There are a lot of insidious goings on around the globe. It’s the devil weaving his evil into the very fabric of humanity. Christian’s must gird themselves with the armor of God to defend themselves against his hideous plans for man. There are many folks who are unknowing pawns in his evil schemes. They fall victim to his tricks that are nothing more than illusions, yet appear to the untrained eye to be real. This is exactly why a follower of Christ must stay in the Word of God and then utilize the godly artillery that is available to us. Prayer in Jesus’ name is a powerful tool to thwart the enemy. It goes to the root of the problem and shuts it down. 

                  It’s important to understand that God’s timetable is NOT anything like ours. We are ruled by time, but God is the supreme ruler of time itself. That is why 2 Peter 3:8 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.” Time is meaningless to God.

            So be mindful of that which is transpiring at home and abroad and pray each day for God’s will to be done. Since He causes or allows everything that takes place throughout the universe, and knows all that can be known, He would absolutely know what needs to take place. It is His plan that is playing out, not man’s and not the devils. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

What Does It Mean?

“GOOD”

 

                  How should the word “good” be defined from a biblical perspective? You may think you’re a good person, but my question to you is “compared to who?” Exactly who would you like to compare yourself to so you can feel like you are a good person? Adolph Hitler? The “unpleasant guy” around the corner from you? The “provocative woman” at work? How would YOU define “being good”? A definition for good must be universally accepted, not accepted just by you. Perhaps this is why in the gospel of Mark 10:18 (NIV), Jesus Himself says the following: “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”

            According to the Bible, God defines "good" as morally excellent, virtuous, righteous, of high quality, and beneficial. Goodness is not merely a human standard but is rooted in God's own nature, which is perfectly good and holy. God's goodness is revealed in His creation, where He declared everything He made to be good, culminating in the summary that creation was "very good". This goodness is consistent across Scripture, with God being described as the ultimate standard of all that is good.

God's goodness is demonstrated in His actions, including His law, which is holy, righteous, and good. It is also seen in His self-giving, other-centered love, exemplified in Jesus Christ, who laid down His life as the ultimate expression of goodness. The Bible teaches that God is the source of every good and perfect gift, and His nature is such that He cannot do evil or even desire to do wrong, as it would contradict His inherent goodness.

Furthermore, the concept of good in the biblical sense is tied to moral excellence and right behavior, involving kindness, justice, righteousness, holiness, and purity. Goodness is not just about avoiding evil but actively pursuing what is right and beneficial.  Ultimately, God's definition of good is inseparable from His character—He is the source, standard, and embodiment of all that is truly good. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.christianitytoday.com

 

 

What Does It Mean?

Eternal Rewards

 

God will give rewards in heaven at the bema, or judgment seat of Christ, based on our faithfulness in service to Him... “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” ^{(2 Corinthians 5:10)}. The reward Christ receives is shared with all of us: “If we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” ^{(Romans 8:17)}

Our rewards in heaven depend on the goodness and power of God. Through Christ’s resurrection we gain an inheritance in heaven; on earth our faith is tested and results in praise and glory and honor when Christ is revealed... “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead....” ^{(1 Peter 1:3–9)}  The things we do in this life are only permanent (that is, carried with us into heaven) if they are built on the foundation, which is Christ... “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” ^{(1 Corinthians 3:11–15)}

The rewards we gain in heaven are not like the rewards we earn here on earth. We tend to think in material terms; mansions, jewels, money, etc. But we aren’t to do things in the name of the Lord for the sole purpose of gaining rewards. We must learn to be selfless in this regard. We represent Christ out of gratitude solely because of what He has done for us. Any rewards or honor we gain in heaven should be precious to us because they carry the weight and meaning of our relationship with God, and because they remind us of what He did through us on earth.

In this way, rewards in heaven glorify God and provide us with joy, and peace, as we consider God’s work in and through us. The closer we were to God during this life, the more centered on Him and aware of Him, the more dependent on Him, the more desperate for His mercy, the more there will be to celebrate. Rewards in heaven are the completion of our earthly story, and those rewards will be eternally satisfying... “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” ^{(Psalm 16:11)} 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