What is Causing the Church to Flounder? (OPINION PIECE)

            Satan is working overtime to thwart the spreading of the true gospel throughout the world by spreading lies, and causing doubt & confusion. Wokeism is flourishing under the liberal leadership of compromised pastors / priests. There has entered into the spiritual arena unbiblical thought that causes those who are listening to be fed with propaganda that will choke out one’s spiritual life. Things that scripture calls sinful behavior is being touted as new progressive thinking. When God declares something to be sin, who outside of God Himself can reverse that declaration? Does it not seem ludicrous for the creature to correct the creator?

            What we need is good, bible-based preaching and teaching once again. We need to call a sin a sin and not justify the world’s actions by claiming that God is love and would never send anyone to hell. Therein lies a fundamental flaw in their thinking. God doesn’t SEND anyone to hell, they go of their own volition.

            We need to learn how to worship God again. We need to get back to reading a trusted translation of scripture and reliable reference works. We need to understand that sin warrants punishment if left unchecked. We need to realize that while God loves us unconditionally, He also is the holy judge of all humanity and He will not wait forever to dole out retribution. We need to understand that Christians can indeed backslide back into sin (if you doubt it look at the completestory of the Assyrian city of Nineveh). We need to understand that there are charlatans who seek to lead true believers away from the faith and accept a cheap imitation for the real thing.

            Read God’s Word regularly. Pray daily. Always trust God to bring about the best outcome to any situation. Don’t give in to anxious thoughts. Rely on the Holy Spirit within you to lead and guide you. And may we all serve our righteous God with truth and honesty. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t allow yourself to be fooled or swayed into believing something that you are doubtful about. Research it out. Stay plugged into Godly sources and shun all evil. 

This is my opinion.

 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Cost of Following Jesus

RESPONDING TO OPPOSITION

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12 Amplified Bible)

 

            Persecution shouldn’t surprise any Christian, for scripture promises that it will come. It’s relatively normal since the unredeemed see us as somewhat of a threat, albeit not a violent one. We are a threat to their sensibilities. The unsaved don’t know how to respond to us other than ignoring us or lashing out as a means of getting us all to simply leave them alone. Some consider us proselytizers, as we offer forgiveness in exchange for their sin wracked life. 

Paul promises that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” ^{(2 Timothy 3:12)}. “In the same way,” Jesus reminds us, “they persecuted the prophets who were before you” ^{(Matthew 5:12)}. 

Don’t be surprised when it happens to you; God certainly isn’t.

Even some believers who think their denomination is ABSOLUTELY correct in every way, will shun other believers who espouse beliefs that aren’t exactly like theirs. It could even be someone in the same church. So much for loving the brethren. I think God may be disappointed with those believers who Lord their faith over others. 

                  We are called to love others even as Christ loves the church and willingly died for it. It’s not an easy thing to speak to others about Christ. And experiencing failure or some sort of persecution while “witnessing” can compound the issue keeping us on the sidelines, rather than in the game. I’ve experienced that more than once. Jesus told His disciples to, “Love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, [make it a practice to] do good to those who hate you, ....” ^{(Luke 6:27 Amplified Bible)}

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

What do you do when a person doesn’t want to hear the Gospel?

If you’re confident you’ve shared the gospel clearly with your friends, or family members feel the freedom to back off. They know where you stand. It’s time to be quiet and pray. Does this mean you never bring up their spiritual state? Of course not! There may be times when it’s appropriate to say, “It’s been a while since we talked about Christ. I know what you believe; I just want to remind you if you ever want to talk more about him, I’m always available.”

Backing off doesn’t mean ignoring or cutting them out of your life. Rather, it means spending time with them without constantly discussing their spiritual state. What does this look like practically? Four things:

1. Pray for them regularly. Where there is life there is hope.

2. Be yourself. Don’t hide your faith. Continue to talk about things you value. This will undoubtedly mean talking about your relationship with Christ and your local church.

3. Express affection. Let them know you care. Remember birthdays and anniversaries. Make it obvious they matter to you not because they may one day be saved, but simply because you love them.

4. Give them space. This may mean you no longer forward them spiritual emails or even invite them to church. Think twice before getting them another Christian book for Christmas. If you have made the gospel clear, you are free to back off.

“Preach the Gospel always and when necessary use words.” - St Francis of Assisi

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/love-wont-believe/

Comment on Reddit: “Even the presence and words of the Son of God walking among us was unable to reach many who preferred their own will, practices, and traditions. Remember, as Jesus said in the gospel of John 6:44 the following: ‘No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me, draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.’ All we can do is to try to spread seeds for God to nourish in His time and purpose.”

The 3 D’s & How to Defeat Them

             Discouragement; disappointment; despair … 3 very real emotions that can cripple a believer. I don’t happen to buy into the whole line of Christian thinking that to experience one of the 3 D’s means you have a lack of faith. Dwight L. Moody, famous American preacher/evangelist, I have read, suffered from great bouts of depression during his short life*. I believe it is safe to say that DL Moody was not lacking faith. 

 

DISCOURAGE (def): to deprive of confidence, hope, or spirit.

DISAPPOINT (def): to fail to satisfy the hope, desire, or expectation of; to frustrate or thwart;

DESPAIR (def): the feeling that everything is wrong, and nothing will turn out well.

 

Is it any wonder that God encourages us to dive into His word. For it is THERE that the 3 E’s are found: encouragement, edification, endurance. We need not wallow in self-pity any longer. We have all the help we need. It is in God’s word. Why would someone NOT want to be strengthened, built up and brought to a place of great blessing? There is a fairly simple answer to that question. People don’t want to relinquish control of their lives to ANYONE … not even God.

Surrendering your life to an unseen Deity is a preposterous concept to millions of people. “Why? I’m not so bad”, they proclaim proudly; however, just because you haven’t committed robbery or murder, haven’t cheated on your wife or been a booze hound doesn’t make you a good person. If all it took to get into heaven was being a good person, who would decide what was good enough and not good enough? You? Me? A government appointed agency? No my friend, I am afraid that the final judge in all this is Almighty God. Either that or we die and rot in the ground and there is nothing more. 

It is a matter of belief. Everyone believes in something. Many would rather believe in a benevolent God who allows us to live life as we choose as long as we put a few “coins in the coffer” in church on Sunday, as the old saying goes. People don’t happen to want to be told that they are not quite as good as they seem to think they are. We all need a major renovation. Even those who KNOW Christ, could stand a purging or two … I absolutely could.

When I get “down in the mouth”, I write. What do I write? Things like what I am writing here. It helps remind me of the goodness of God; of His promises to us; of His steadfast faithfulness even when things look pretty bleak. God NEVER fails! He never has and He never will. Now we must kick our faith and trust into overdrive and simply believe. It WILL come to pass. Whatever it is you are seeking WILL come to pass as sure as God is in His heaven. 

Do you know the old saying “a watched pot never boils”? I believe we can all figure out what that means. Don’t just sit there waiting for your answer from God. Go about your business. Cling to your faith and trust in God and move on. When you least expect it God will bless you with an answer. He knows. He knows you are ill; He knows how badly you need a job; finances; a mode of transportation …. He knows all about it. Trust Him. Rely on Him to work things out for you. Then thank Him. Bless His name. Give Him and Him alone all the glory. He is most worthy of our worship. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Moody died at the age of 41; suspected cause of death, congestive heart failure.

How Serious Are You About Your Faith?

The fact that you experience ANY guilt or conviction regarding your thoughts, words or actions reveals how seriously you take your relationship with Christ. You will sin. Why? Because you’re still human and the old man, though in a state of suspended animation*, wants to come out and play. Scripture tells us in 1 John 2:1-2: “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” So if you feel remorse for your words or actions, that is a very good thing. Now the next step is to repent for your sin and vow that, with the Spirit’s help, you’ll not be doing that again. But if you do, and seek forgiveness for the same thing again, you are not condemned by God, but forgiven. In fact you’re forgiven 7 x 70 times according to the gospels, which is symbolic for an infinite number of times.

There are those who feel no guilt whatsoever when they succumb to the lure of the sin. That should lead us to consider what type of relationship that individual actually has with Christ. We are not to judge; however, we can be fruit inspectors. Even then we are not to judge, but treat them with kindness and prayer. It is the Spirit of God that can gently minister instruction so that an individual has a new path to follow. The path of righteousness.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*What I mean by that is that because of our diligence to obey the Lord, our old sinful nature has been kept at bay. It is only when we entertain sin that our old nature rises as if from the grave to cause havoc and pain.

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

5 Things We Need to Understand

4. We need to understand that we are part of God’s unfolding plan.

 

            God's unfolding plan refers to the progressive and divine revelation of God's purposes and will for individuals and humanity as a whole. The idea of God's unfolding plan is rooted in the belief that God has a master plan for each person's life, which may not be fully understood at first but becomes clearer over time through faith, obedience, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For instance, the Bible states, "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]. This verse highlights that God's plans are ultimately for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

            This plan includes the redemption of humanity through Jesus Christ, the transformation of believers into the image of Christ, and the ultimate restoration of all things [Ephesians 1]. 

In summary, God's unfolding plan is a dynamic and progressive revelation of His will and purposes, which unfolds over time as individuals and communities grow in their relationship with Him. It is a call to trust in God's sovereignty, to seek His guidance, and to be open to the ways He leads and transforms lives. The ultimate reason for man's existence is to know God and experience the pleasure of His presence, as God created humanity for His own pleasure and to share in His glory. 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

5 Things We Need to Understand

3. We need to understand that life can be very tough, unfair, and unjust, but God loves us, controls everything in His creation, and always work things out for our greatest good.

            God is NOT a genie in a bottle. Yes, God controls all things, but because He gives all of mankind a free will to do as he pleases, the door for evil to manifest itself has been opened. His children are obliged to seek His will rather than stumble thru life on their own. Your battles are not your own. God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, enables you to avoid evil and/or withstand it if it takes place. 

Do some believers die unexpectedly. Yes. That can be seen as the product of a dark, and sin-sick world. If God stopped all evil from taking place then what would be the point of giving us a free will. With that free will many enter into situations they have no business getting into, but our curiosity is our downfall. Do we not trust God? He’s not trying to keep us from having fun, but think about the things we want to do for fun. Some are innocent and some cross a line into the danger zone. God allows it because we insist by our actions. 

No matter what transpires in our lives, in the end as you look back over your life, you should see that everything worked out just as God planned it. He won’t interfere with any consequences a person may have won as a prize for a possible misstep, but even then I believe God shows us mercy. Know your Bible. Try to understand how God operates. Trust Him implicitly and without hesitation. Your reward shall come in the end. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name and for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

5 Things We Need to Understand

2 - We need to see others as God sees them.

            Judging others is a well-documented problem of mine, but I am not the lone ranger regarding this issue. I think most people have this problem to some extent and it’s not right. We know nothing about the individuals we judge. We judge their appearance, their voice, the way they talk, and so on. I’m really not sure what we think gives us the right to do this, but we do it. 

            To combat this issue I’ve been asking God to enable me to see others thru His eyes. We need to consider how He looked at us prior to conversion. I can tell you that He looked upon us with compassion, love, and mercy. I can tell you that for sure because of how 
scripture describes our God. “God looks upon us with a mix of holiness and love, seeing us as His creation, His children, and His friends, while also being fully aware of our sin and desiring our salvation. For those who are in Christ, God sees the righteousness of His Son rather than our sin. This means that God sees us as justified, redeemed, sanctified, even glorified.”

            Knowing all this, we should do the same, but it doesn’t come easy. We have to WANT to stop judging others; however, if we’ve been doing it for most of our lives stopping could be harder then it seems. It takes a conscious effort to stop and look at that person as a creation of God, just like you. It is a challenge for a lot of us, but if we’re serious about stopping then the effort expended will be rewarding. 

I have no doubt I’ve been judged by someone I may not even know, and you have been to. Have compassion on our fellow man. We all fall short of God’s glory, so we should keep that in mind and treat others the way we’d like to be treated. Let’s start adjusting our vision today, okay. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

5 Things We Need to Understand

1 - We need to see ourselves as God sees us ...

Too many of us Christians fall for the enemy’s lies regarding our worth. Maybe it’s negativism from your parents, or your friends, or bullies at work or school, or your bosses or teachers. We have no control over how others treat us. To counter the negativism, which can be understandably polarizing at times, we really must learn to see ourselves the way God sees us.

A negative Christian is an ineffective Christian. Once saved we have a clean slate. Any past mistakes in judgment we made do NOT define us now. God loved us prior to our conversion and His feelings for us have not changed one iota.; and they never will. The enemy will continue to try to drag us down; however, searching the scriptures and familiarizing yourself with God’s Word and more specifically God’s promises can elevate your mood and better equip you to combat the negativity that permeates our society.

            God sees us as highly valuable. You are one of His most precious creations. His love for all of us is unrivalled and never ending. After our salvation we are looked upon by God as a new creation: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are seen as holy and blameless because we are in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18). God sees me as His child (cf. John 1:12–13). He sees me as “dead to sin” (Romans 6:11). God sees me as His handiwork (Psalm 139:13–16; cf. Ephesians 2:10). God sees me as part of His flock: “He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (Psalm 95:7). So as you can see from scripture, Christians are valued very highly by our Heavenly Father. Don’t ever look down on who you are in Christ, for you are very special in His eyes and frankly, should anything else really matter? Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Conviction vs. Condemnation

            There is a massive difference between conviction and condemnation. This is especially true in God’s economy. In the world to be convicted means you are guilty of some crime. But in God’s world to be convicted means that you’ve done something wrong, and you have sincere regret for doing it. 

                  Condemnation in the world means a judgment has been pronounced against you, as in a court case. Condemnation doesn’t exist in God’s economy. The condemnation comes from the enemy of God, namely Satan. 

                  This is what God says to us thru the apostle Paul: “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.”^{[Romans 8:1 Amp]}

                  God knows us. He understands us. Most importantly, He loves us. The Holy Spirit is responsible for bringing conviction into our hearts. Believers know better than to sin and even though it won’t send you to hell, it is still wrong. But we are painfully human, and God knows this. That is why His patience defies logic. 

                  The difference between a self-controlled follower of Christ and a person who claims to be a follower, yet plays fast and loose with the statutes of the Lord is simply that one feels conviction for what they have done or are doing and the other one does not. The one may sin from time to time, but it doesn’t define them. On the other hand, those who tend to be cavalier about their walk with God is more likely to habitually sin in a rather flippant manner, knowing that forgiveness is in the offing. While it’s true that God will forgive you as often as you ask, He does expect us to grow spiritually and rid that particular sin from our lives. However, He NEVER condemns us. He convicts us as a means of helping us grow spiritually.

                  The devil is a master at condemning believers and non-believers as well. That approach can become crippling and for the believer it can cast doubt that God has forgiven them. This is one reason why one should diligently strive daily to commune with God so as to get to know Him intimately. Once you know certain things about God’s character Satan’s fiery darts will have little negative effect on you. 

                  John 8:44 (CEV) lays out the character of our greatest enemy when he says, “Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies.” Don’t be tricked by your chief adversary. Understand who he is and what his tactics are.

                  So thank God for the instructive force provided by conviction and rebuke the enemy in Jesus name for his condemnation of you.  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Are Prayers of the Unsaved Heard by God?

The way I would answer that would be in two ways. I would say, yes, he does and, no, he doesn't, and, of course, the yes is obvious. I mean, the eyes of the Lord are on every place. He sees the evil and the good. He knows all things. God is the creator of the universe. Every idle word that men speak will need to be accounted for on the day of judgment. God knows everything that comes out of everybody's lips, so, yes, he hears, but if by hearing you mean does God answer the prayers of the unsaved, this is where I would go into the category of the no rather than the yes for these scriptural reasons. 

I think Isaiah 59:2 addresses this, where God says, "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear." Notice that he will not hear. He'll hide his face from you, Isaiah 59:2, so he's talking to a sinful people who have sinful motives that can't be praying in accord with the will of God. 

Even the Jews say in John 9 that God hears not sinners, so there was an understanding in Jewish theology that God is not communing with the unconverted, even though the unconverted may think that they can address God any way they choose, and that God is just waiting like a waiter to serve them. The reason God won't be answering prayers of that sort is found in James4:3; “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” 

Any request from the unconverted, aside from one seeking forgiveness, would be from a wrong motive. That isn’t right in the sight of God. They wouldn’t be praying that His will be done, because they are not inclined to DO His will. For the most part, the unconverted are praying not that HIS will be done, but “MY” will be done, and Jesus says in the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 6, "They think that because of their repetitive prayers."  They're praying often, "that they're heard," but simply because they pray so frequently or they pray repetitively, doesn’t mean God is obliged to answer. It's a rhetorical question. Jesus says, "No, God doesn't hear the prayers of those."

There's many examples where God does not hear the prayers of the unconverted. Another good one would be on 1 Peter 3:12, where it says the eyes of the Lord are in every place and the ears are open unto all of them that are righteous. The ears of the Lord are open, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, so, again, there's a direct scripture that says God's eyes or ears are open to those that are righteous. James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

The way I see it, the unsaved want the benefits of being a Christian without paying for it. Christ paid the price owed, but the unsaved balk at making any lasting commitment to the Lord in exchange for having their prayers answered, and even then, as believers find out, He doesn’t always answer.

Jesus says when you pray, the model prayer begins with what? Our Father who art in heaven. Can just any person call God their father who is in heaven? No, they can't call God honestly, sincerely, and genuinely their father unless they have received the spirit of adoption which enables them to call God their father. The new birth generates new life and a new family unity that they never previously possessed, so you must be born again. You have to have new birth. You have to be in the family of God to expect the father of the family to be hearing your prayers, and that's not to say that even the prayers of Christians are always heard in the sense that they're going to be answered according to their desires, because God can supersede what we think and answer it the way he wants to and to answer it or not answer it according to his own purposes, and hopefully, if we're biblically informed enough, we're willing to say, "Not my will, but yours be done." 

 

Scriptures on the Prayers of Sinners

“We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.” ~ John 9:31

“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” ~ Psalm 66:18

 

 

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” ~ 1 Peter 3:12

 

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” ~ Isaiah 59:2

 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.christianity.com

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 7

7. Christ has promised not to cast us out

 

John 6:37 says: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and him who comes to Me I shall by no means cast out.”

What a precious, unconditional promise from our Savior!  He will never cast out or reject those who have come to Him. We can fully trust in Him and His Word to know our salvation is eternally secure. So we shouldn’t live our Christian life in constant fear and doubt. Our salvation is eternally secure, and we can and should trust in the Word of God, which assures us of this fact. 

“According to biblical teachings, once a person accepts Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they become eternally part of God’s family. This means that believers are children of God and members of His family forever, regardless of their actions or sins. However, believers can fall out of fellowship with the church or God due to sin, which can result in consequences such as being handed over to Satan for discipline. This does not mean they are cast out of God's family but rather that they are experiencing divine discipline to bring them back to a right relationship with God. The ultimate goal of such discipline is repentance, reconciliation, and restoration, not destruction.”

Since we’ve already discussed the fact that God never changes in any way, we can rely on His promises. He is reliable, making Him trustworthy. Our creator has a very high level of integrity that we must imitate. As I like to say: “It is never right to do wrong, and it is never wrong to do right.”  Our Heavenly Father ALWAYS does what is right. And everything that happens in this life happens for a specific reason and purpose, most of the time the WHY is known only to God. 

So if Jesus Himself said that there would never be a reason that He would cast you out of God’s family you can count on that to be true, because throughout the Bible you will find NO lies or deception coming from any part of the Holy Trinity. What they say they mean and at the right moment in time all that has been promised shall come to pass. So rest easy, take comfort in these 7 reasons that reveal our salvation is ETERNALLY SECURE. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

Resources: ebible.com, chrisitianity.com, pilotonline.com, gotquestions.org.

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure – 6

6. God never changes

Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes, even forever.”

Everything changes: people, circumstances, environments, the weather. Even our own emotions fluctuate constantly; we can be up one minute and down the next. But our salvation doesn’t hinge on our feelings. God never changes, neither does His salvation, and neither does His love for us. 

“The concept that God never changes is a fundamental belief in Christianity, rooted in several biblical passages. Malachi 3 states, "For I the Lord do not change," and James 1 emphasizes that God is "the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." These verses affirm God's immutability, meaning that His nature and attributes remain constant.

This belief in God's unchanging nature provides comfort and stability in a world of constant change. It means that God's love, faithfulness, mercy, justice, and power are the same as they were when the universe was created. His promises and covenant with humanity also remain unbroken, offering assurance and hope.” ^[1]

            God’s grand plan from the foundations of the world has not changed. Knowing His creation would disobey, He provided a singular sacrifice that would pay the cost of all our sins. The perfection of God realized in His own Son; the second person of the Trinity with all the traits and abilities of the Father. Christ laid down His own life once for all time ushering in the Age of Grace. This is not something that is temporal; it is eternal. God doesn’t take back that which He promises. If you confess your sins and receive Christ into your heart/life, that is eternal with eternal repercussions. Missing heaven is not to be a concern for the true, bible believing individual who’s life, once transformed, lives for the King ... now and forevermore.

So in summary, the belief that God never changes is a cornerstone of Christian theology, providing a stable foundation for faith in an ever-changing world.

            Rejecting Christ along with God’s redemptive plan, voids out the gift. Until time is no more, there is always an opportunity to receive forgiveness. Be very careful not to cast aside your only hope for eternal salvation. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] https://www.fromhispresence.com/you-may-change-but-god-never-changes/

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure – 5

5. God keeps us in His hand

John 10:28-29 says: “And I give to them eternal life, and they shall by no means perish forever, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father…is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

All kinds of things may try to snatch us from the Father’s hand—sin, the world, difficulties, even Satan himself. But in these verses, Jesus assures us by saying that it’s impossible for us to be snatched away. No one and nothing is stronger than God. Now we can jump out of His hand; that would be walking away from your faith. But in the normal realm of things, you are ALWAYS in the very palm of His hand.

“The phrase "in God's hand" in scripture is often used as figurative language to convey a deeper meaning rather than a literal physical act. This symbolic language is common throughout the Bible, where metaphors and figures of speech are used to express God's care, guidance, or control over His people. For example, Isaiah 49 uses the image of God's hand to illustrate His unwavering presence and protection. Similarly, the Bible frequently employs the imagery of hands and arms to represent God's power and action, which is understood as figurative language meant to convey spiritual truths rather than literal physical actions.” ^[1]

                  Figurative or not, the message conveyed is one that helps galvanize the thought that we are eternally secure in the hand of God.  What we go thru in this life is meant to help mature us as followers of Christ. We do not need to be concerned about our salvation if we are true believers and not one who sits on the fence. For those who truly, and sincerely believe and wish to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, you must spend each day mindful of the image you are projecting to the world. While you certainly ca, DO YOU make some sort of difference in your sphere of influence? Can others tell there is something different about you simply by observing your life? THAT is what we are to strive for each day. Being Jesus to the masses around us. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] https://www.preservedwords.com/kjcosmo/1a-figurative.html

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 4

4. We have become God’s children

 

John 1:12-13 says: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name, who were begotten…of God.”

When we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we were saved from eternal perdition. But that’s not all. These verses tell us we were also begotten of God to be His children. This is something that can’t be undone. We all know that children misbehave from time to time. But no matter how much they may misbehave; their bad behavior can never negate the fact that they were born of their parents. Even when children are disciplined, that discipline doesn’t undo their relationship with their parents. In the same way, our sins and failures can’t negate the fact that we’re born of God and are children of God. We may sometimes require God’s discipline, but we’ll always be God’s children, born of His divine life.

                  Wait, do you mean even murderers and rapists can become children of God? Yes, if they repent and turn from their wicked ways they too could become children of God. They will undoubtedly end up facing the consequences of their sin(s), but their eternal destination will have been secured. It all has to do with the heart; something God sees clearly, and we do not

Scripture talks about people repenting on their death bed. Maybe this individual was one of the most evil persons in the world, yet on their death bed they have an epiphany. * His life passes before his eyes, and he realizes what he’s done all his life and asks God to forgive him. God knows this person’s heart and knowing their sincerity, forgives him. He has just become a child of God. 

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in your life, God loves you and wishes to forgive you. All you need to do is ask for it with a sincere and sorrowful heart. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

* Epiphany: A sudden insight or intuitive understanding.

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 3

3. God is righteous in saving us

Psalm 89:14 says: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.”

God’s throne is immovable and unshakable because the foundation of His throne is His righteousness*. His love motivated Him to save us from eternal judgment. But God’s righteousness is the base of His salvation. 

Many fear God’s righteousness and associate it with His wrath. His righteousness is indeed a fearful thing. Because God is righteous, He cannot tolerate or overlook sin; He’s bound to judge all unrighteousness. But God’s righteousness is also the base of our salvation, which is truly wonderful. 

Let’s see how this is so. Romans 6:23 says: “The wages of sin is death.” This means that all who sin must die. A righteous God has no other choice but to judge sinners and assign them their wages: eternal death. But the Lord Jesus came and bore the judgment of death for sinners on the cross. God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as the full payment for our sins. Just as in a court of law, a judge can’t require a debt to be paid twice, God is bound by His righteousness to honor the price Christ paid for us. So if God wants His throne to stand, He must act in accordance with His righteousness. Since Jesus paid the penalty for our sins by dying in our place, God’s righteousness won’t allow Him to demand further payment from us. This means our salvation is secured by God’s righteousness; He can’t take it away from us. Praise Him for His righteousness! Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/                                                                                               *Righteous: Morally upright; without guilt or sin. (American Heritage Dictionary)

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 2

2. God’s love for us is eternal

 

Jeremiah 31:3 says: “I have loved you with an eternal love.”

 

This verse says God loves us with a love that’s eternal. That means His love is unchanging. Human love can be fickle, but God’s love never changes; it doesn’t depend on what we do. God loves us eternally.  His love is unconditional.  Do you understand what that means? He doesn’t just know us; He knows us intimately.  He knows the motivation of our heart. Scripture says He has the very hairs on our head numbered. ^{(Luke 12:7)}

There is nothing in this world that could keep God from loving us. No matter what we do, He never STOPS loving us. Do you understand how long an eternity is? It’s defined as “time with no beginning or end.”  It is the time after death which goes on forever without end. Why would God say He loved us with an “eternal” love if we weren’t going to be with Him IN eternity? I understand that “talk is cheap”, but not so with Almighty God. Whatever He says He absolutely and unequivocally means without question. Eternity is an uncharted amount of time. I would think it would be incalculable. I mean, by what standard would you measure it? It isn’t possible. THAT is why we are considered “eternally secure”.  

The only way this isn’t true is in the unregenerate mind, the mind of one who refuses to accept the existence of an all-powerful Spirit-being. Do so at your own peril. That’s certainly not any kind of threat. It’s just to say are you really willing to throw away your soul based on personal discrepancies that haunt the deepest recesses of your mind? You better be sure, my friend, because your eternity is at stake. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 1

1. Our salvation was initiated by God

Ephesians 1:4 says: “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love.”

God chose us before we were born, even before the universe was created. Then, when the time was right for us to be saved, He called us. Do you think that God would choose us so long ago, send His Son to die for us, wait for us to be born, and then call and save us, only to abandon us after we’re finally saved? No, He would not. God is the One who initiated our salvation before the foundation of the world and carried it out.

The Bible says God foreknew everything that would transpire in the world that He created from the beginning of time. It says that our election is sure and that it has been predetermined regarding who shall be redeemed and who will not. Man still has a free will, and God has NEVER wanted anyone to go to hell, however, it is not God’s choice, but rather man’s as to whether they will accept His gracious offer of salvation. God cannot predetermine man’s decision making process because THAT would circumvent the whole idea of a person having a free will. 

It tends to confound logic, but thru research, the above is what I’ve come up. I have always been a believer in the fact that we are NOT told in scripture that we must “understand” all that scripture teaches, just that we are to trust the Lord and follow His teachings. Someday we may understand the meaning of certain mysteries, but we may also NOT ever understand. That is unimportant. We must trust God and follow wherever He leads us.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

 

Deconstructionism ...

... is it a valid way to interpret the Bible?

Deconstructionism is basically a theory of textual criticism or interpretation that denies there is any single correct meaning or interpretation of a passage or text. At the heart of the deconstructionist theory of interpretation are two primary ideas. First is the idea that no passage or text can possibly convey a single reliable, consistent, and coherent message to everyone who reads or hears it. The second is that the author who wrote the text is less responsible for the piece’s content than are the impersonal forces of culture such as language and the author’s unconscious ideology. Therefore the very basic tenets of deconstructionism are contrary to the clear teaching of the Bible that absolute truth does exist, and we can indeed know it (Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 65:16; John 1:17–18; John 14:6; John 15:26–27; Galatians 2:5).

The deconstructionist approach to interpreting the Bible comes out of postmodernism and is therefore simply another denial of the existence of absolute truth, which is one of the most serious logical fallacies anyone can commit. The denial of absolute truth is a logical fallacy because it is a self-contradictory statement. No one can rationally deny absolute truth because to do so one is forced to state an absolute—which is what he is saying does not exist. When someone claims that there is no such thing as absolute truth, ask him, “Are you absolutely sure of that?” If he says, “Yes,” then he has made a statement contradictory to his very premise.

Like other philosophies that come out of the postmodernism, deconstructionism celebrates human autonomy and determines truth by the intellect of man. Therefore, according to the postmodern thinker, all truth is relative and there is no such thing as absolute truth. At the heart of postmodernism and deconstructionist thought is pride. The deconstructionist thinks that he can discover a personal or social motivation behind what Scripture says and therefore can determine what is “really being said.”The result is a subjective interpretation of the passage in question. Instead of accepting what the Bible actually says, the deconstructionist is arrogant enough to think he can determine the motive behind what was written and come up with the “real” or “hidden” meaning of the text. However, if one were to take deconstructionism to its logical conclusion, then the findings of the deconstructionist would themselves have to be deconstructed to determine what the deconstructionist “really” said. The endless circular reasoning is self-defeating. When one thinks about how fundamentally flawed this type of thinking is, one is reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, ‘He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness.’”

The deconstructionist does not study the Bible in order to find out the meaning intended by the writer but to attempt to discern the cultural and social motives behind what was written. The deconstructionist is only limited in his interpretation of a passage by his own imagination. To the deconstructionist there is no right or wrong interpretation, and the meaning of the text becomes whatever the reader wants it to be. One might imagine what would happen if legal documents such as wills and deeds were read this way. This approach to Scripture fails to recognize the fundamental truth that the Bible is God’s objective communication to mankind and that the meaning of the passages comes from God.

Instead of spending time debating deconstructionism or other postmodern theories, we should concentrate on exalting Christ and emphasizing the sufficiency and authority of the Scriptures. Romans 1:21–22 sums up most postmodern thinkers who hold to such theories as deconstructionism: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

This concludes our look into Deconstructionism. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

What is deconstruction? Part 3

What does it mean when people say they are deconstructing their faith?

To say, “Deconstruction means choosing easier beliefs” is an oversimplification. And yet deconstruction almost always means adopting views palatable to the unbelieving world. All too conveniently, it means moving away from positions on sexuality, gender, salvation, sin, hell, and other issues not embraced by popular culture. The vast majority who claim to be deconstructing move with the flow of their surrounding culture, not against it. This movement demands “safe space” to ask difficult questions. Yet, ironically, modern deconstruction often settles for easy, comfortable answers. Or it simply chooses which aspects of faith to retain based on personal preference.

While deconstruction implies openness in theory, it most often manifests as an “escape clause” when it comes time to justify one’s new or “progressing” views. Ironically, those who reject Christian culture for not engaging questions can themselves be deeply evasive when asked to do that very thing. It’s easy to ask hard questions. Complex mysteries can be posed in just a few words. Answering those questions, however, takes time and effort. Simply listing complications or nitpicking is not the same as sincerely assessing ideas. Identifying oneself as “in deconstruction” can become an easy excuse for never taking a position but merely rejecting something one dislikes.

There’s a natural tendency to feel “smart” or superior when pointing out the flaws in someone else’s views. When one forgets that the questioning process is meant to go both ways, it can feel like an attack. When challenged to explain their views, deconstructionists often complain they are “not being allowed a safe space” to pose questions. As noted, there absolutely are circumstances where Christian communities unreasonably slam the door on doubters. Yet merely being asked, “Why do you think that’s true?” or “What makes that a better option?” is a part of any sincere line of questioning.

Three counterexamples provide guidelines on how Christians can respond to sharp questions or doubts about faith. These are Nicodemus, Thomas, and the early church. Nicodemus came to ask Jesus about faith (John 3:1–2), and Jesus gave Him answers. These answers were honest, even if not entirely what Nicodemus might have wanted to hear (John 3:3–15). They were certainly not the answers Nicodemus’ culture would have preferred. Jesus’ responses often challenged the assumptions of those who sought Him out (John 4:22–24; Luke 18:22–23).

When Thomas doubted Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus took the gracious step of providing more attention, time, and evidence than anyone reasonably needed (John 20:24–28). Believers should sympathize with those struggling under doubts and be ready to go that extra mile when they can (Matthew 5:41–42). Jesus didn’t merely applaud Thomas for being skeptical; He graciously dealt with the skepticism.

While being respectful of doubters, the church needs to hold its ground on principles that are truly clear or fundamental to faith. That means insisting on truths even if they are controversial to the world at large. The book of Acts records the early church making reasonable concessions to Jewish believers. The church did not compromise cornerstone teachings in the face of intense pressure to do just that (Acts 15). While accepting the need to consider culture when communicating (1 Corinthians 9:20–23), those early believers also refused to accept false teaching for the sake of popularity (Acts 5:29).

Christians need to lovingly engage questions from seekers and doubters. That might mean simply admitting “I don’t know” and offering to look for an answer together. Not all challenges to faith come from a point of antagonism. Some come in the form of curiosity. Some come in the form of skepticism. Some come with intense personal pain and complicated histories. For those reasons, believers should provide “safe space” for others to express concerns and doubts (Romans 12:18; 14:13). Those who “fall away,” even when lovingly treated, don’t reflect a weakness in the truth of Christianity (1 John 2:19). No one should replace sincere seeking with the attitudes connected to the modern deconstruction movement. 

Next we’ll take another look at Deconstructionism, only this article will look at the way they interpret scripture. 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