Worship

Is it true that we were created to worship God? It would appear that the answer is “Yes”, since major religions (for example, Christianity, Judaism, & Islam), teach that humans were created to worship God. Humans were created in God's image to have a relationship with Him, to glorify Him, and to enjoy Him forever, according to biblical teachings.  Not everyone believes there is a God; therefore, if a person isn’t focused on God, then will likely worship other things that have no connection to God; such as athletes, stars from the entertainment industry to name a couple.

According to the Bible and the Quran, the purpose of human creation is to know, love, and worship God. However, since people are separated from God through sin, they naturally seek other things to fulfill this need for worship, which can lead to focusing on things like money, power, or self. 

Some sources suggest that when people turn away from God, they may worship their own ego, material possessions, or sensual desires. Other potential "false gods" include political power, the natural world, or other things that receive the highest priority in a person's life. Ultimately, any worship that is not directed to God is seen as worshiping the "created" rather than the "Creator". 

            It’s simply a matter of what your focus in life is. Is it God and the relationship you have with Him, or is it something else that is much less important? I say that because in the eternal scheme of things nothing is more important than knowing and worshipping the One who created you. To not agree with that only means that your life is on a different trajectory than those who know the Lord. 

Once redeemed worshipping God should become fairly natural to you. Once you realize who God is and what He has done for His creation, it ends up being normal to want to lift up His name in praise. No other person or object that man might worship cannot save your soul. Without salvation, heaven is out of your reach. There is no other way to go to heaven but thru the cross of Christ. That news is worth praising forever.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Time

            Time is a currency we can only spend once. How do you spend your time? Are you selfish with your time, only doing for yourself, and not for others? Or do you only use your time for others when you receive a benefit from it.

            If you’re a Christian how much time do you spend with God? If you’re not a Christian it makes much more sense to be selfish with your time. For the believer, you must know how much God wants to fellowship with you, so why don’t you spend time with Him? Seriously, what could possibly be more important than communing with the Creator of the Universe? 

            Now please don’t misunderstand me; we all have responsibilities in this life. I’m fully aware of that, because I too have responsibilities. So I’m not suggesting that we never do anything but spend time with God, but He should be He pretty much always on your mind or at least in the back of your mind? We need to make our relationship with the Lord what drives our decision making in this life.

Now I’m not perfect. No way, no how. I’m broken just like everyone else; however, I am trying every day to be a little more like Christ and I’m trying to incorporate God in as much of my life as possible because that’s what I believe God would like us to do. Do I fail in my attempt? You betcha, but that doesn’t stop me from trying.

He loves us so much, yet many of us seem to keep Him at an arm’s length. If you’re a parent, how would you feel if a child of yours treated your relationship that way? If you don’t have kids, then plug in wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend... whatever you like. The important thing is that you grasp my point here. We get one crack at this life. Once saved we’ve accomplished the most important part... forgiveness for our sins. But what comes next? 

            Let the opening statement roll around your mind a while. You can only spend time once; what will you do with it? Time.... 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

“It will ABSOLUTELY CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!”

            Is it just me or is anyone else noticing how much attention is being paid to one’s bodily appearance. I mean it been that way, seems like forever; however, it seems more than ever lately.  All the commercials for this makeup or that weight loss product. And jewelry? Look no further than the HOME SHOPPING NETWORK. They’ll even give you an account on credit for those spontaneous, ‘gotta haves’ (and that, my friends, is how you slowly build a mountain of debt.).

            Trust me, none of the “things” advertised on TV or the Internet will NOT change your life. Will they have some immediate positive impact on your life, perhaps, but like a child who tires within hours of receiving that toy he simply HAD to have, the impact fades rather quickly. The Lord provides a lasting impact on your life that changes it permanently, as in for all eternity.

            All the ABSOLUTES in the buying world are nothing more than a money grab. You honestly don’t need whatever they’re selling. The sales folks know exactly what to say to make people feel like they must have what is being sold. It’s a trap that when repeated endlessly can ruin your life and the lives of those who depend on you. Salvation is the ONLY thing you must have to exist beyond the grave and have your sins forgiven. Everything else is temporary and not worth what you pay for it. 

            Please understand, I’m not advocating buying nothing for yourself. Not at all. What I’m actually trying to pinpoint the fact that these trained professionals know how to take advantage of listeners / watchers so that they buy things they never needed. It’s fine to buy something you just want, just be mindful of the traps. I’m no expert on this subject other than the fact that I wrestle with unpaid debt like so many other folks. So you could say I speak from personal experience. Seek the face of God for guidance and direction in all things and listen attentively for the answer.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

God’s Work in You

 

Philippians 1:6 “… being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

When you give your life to Christ a “good work” has begun. First of all, you are forgiven of every sin you have ever committed. The proverbial slate has been wiped clean. You have begun to think differently. You have begun to act differently. People start to notice that something is different about you. Your conscience is clear. You have been justified … “just as if I’d never sinned”.But maintaining that initial freshness of salvation requires work on your part. Life can be a cruel task master. Your senses become bombarded with things from all directions.  The enemy of your soul knows your weak spots and isn’t afraid to head straight for them. So here is a question for you. Do you think once you give your life to Christ He is going to leave you to your own devices?           

That “good work” that Christ began in you the day you received Him is still going on. Every day new challenges come your way. How are you supposed to act? What do you say? What would the Lord do in this situation? Or perhaps you don’t consider any of those things and just wing it based on “what you know” from your life experience. Understand that God doesn’t go anywhere. Scripture tells us that He “neither slumbers, nor does He sleep”. He is constantly mindful of all things that concern you. And He will never let you go wandering off unless that is what you really decide you want. Even then He is there, watching. He knows how everything turns out. He is in the past, He is in the present, and He is in the future. He is walking with you where you are right now, and He is standing at the end of the road. He is working this “good work” in you all the time. 

In past writings I have shared that God knows everything about you so utterly and completely that no one could ever know you any better. Like a mechanic who works on something he has built from scratch, He knows His creation inside and out. He knows what you need and is adding things to your character as time goes by. Be assured that God has no intention of giving up on you. He will never drop you off by the side of the road. If you end up on the side of the road it has been by your own choosing. If you dedicate your life to being all God wants you to be then you will realize all that God has for you.

According to our verse today, He will never stop applying layers until Christ returns. If God does not seem to be near, you have to ask the question “where did I go?” because God is all around us and hasn’t gone anywhere. He IS and WILL complete the work He has begun in you. Don’t fight it. Succumb to it. Allow Him to make you everything He knows you can be in Christ.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Are You Corruptible?

            Corruptible means you or a thing can be corrupted or can decay. Our bodies are corruptible, because they break down and decay over time. But what about our soul or our spirit? Can they be corrupted? We, as frail, broken creatures, can be bribed or corrupted morally and / or ethically fairly easily, especially if we are not a child of God. The enemy of our souls is a master corrupter. He makes that which is corrupt look just fine to the naked eye. But it is with the spiritual eye that we see things for what they truly are.

            The closer to the Lord we become, the less likely we will be corrupted. We all have spiritually weak moments; however, if our dedication to the Lord is important to us we will be on the look out for corruptible moments. We must avoid the corrupt things of this life for they are a product of the who seeks to destroy and breed chaos.

            As sons and daughters of the Most High God we are to strive earnestly to become incorruptible. That has everything to do with one’s integrity. Are we trustworthy by biblical standards? Do we lie when it is convenient to do so, or do we refuse to lie in any and all circumstances*. We must become bastions of truth. People who do not waver in the face of challenges. We must be steady in our resolve. Our testimony is at stake. We are representatives of Almighty God. That should mean something to us. It should also humble us. Do people see Christ when they look at you? Be incorruptible.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*There are certain situations as I see it where lying is acceptable. For instance, if a husband and wife have a terrible car accident and one of them dies, but the other is hanging on to life, in my opinion it is fine to tell the one living that the one who died is still alive. The physical ramifications of telling the living one the truth may just cause he or she to lose the will to live.

What does the Bible say about grudges?

 

We all have reasons to hold grudges. People wrong us. Situations hurt us. Even God does not always do what we think He should do, so we get angry. We hold offenses against those who have wronged us, and often against God who we think should have done things differently. A grudge is nothing more than a refusal to forgive. So, since this tendency is inherent in all of us and seemingly unavoidable, what does the Bible say about it?

God has such a strong concern about grudges that He included a specific command about them when He gave the Law to the Israelites. Leviticus 19:18 says, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” It is interesting that God concluded this particular command with the words “I am the Lord.” In doing so, God reminded us that He is the Lord, not us. To hold a grudge is to set ourselves up as judge and jury—to determine that one person’s wrong should not be forgiven. No human being has the right or authority to do that. Romans 12:19 says, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Misunderstanding forgiveness often keeps us in bondage to grudges. We think that to forgive is to excuse sin or pretend the offense did not matter. Neither is true. Forgiveness is not about the other person. Forgiveness is God’s gift to us to release us from the control of someone who has hurt us. When we retain a grudge, we give someone we don’t like power over our emotions. Without forgiveness, just the thought of an offender can irritate us far more than it needs to.  In essence, we give them control over us (Deuteronomy 32:39). But when we forgive, we release to God any right to vengeance or restitution. Forgiveness puts our relationship with God back in proper alignment. We acknowledge that He is the Judge, not us, and that He has the right to bring about any resolution He chooses. Forgiveness is the choice to trust God rather than ourselves with the outcome of the offense.

We often hold on to grudges because we feel we have the responsibility to see that justice is done or that others know how badly we were hurt. But when we release the situation to God, along with the right to dictate the ending, we free the Lord to work as He sees fit without our anger getting in the way (Matthew 18:21–22).

It’s important to remember that forgiveness and reconciliation are not synonymous. Forgiveness is a matter of the heart. It is an act of surrender to God’s will and is primarily between us and God. We release to Him our right to hang on to anger (Psalm 115:11). However, reconciliation depends on the true repentance and proven trustworthiness of the offender. For example, in the case of spousal abuse, the victim must forgive as part of her ongoing healing. She can release her anger to God. But, at the same time, she must keep protective boundaries in place until the abuser has proven over time that he is worthy of her trust (see Proverbs 26:24–25).

“The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). We do God no favors by trying to “help” Him right a bad situation through our vengeance. He does not need our anger. He needs our cooperation as we submit to doing things His way (Proverbs 3:5–6). And God’s way is always to forgive as He has forgiven us (Matthew 18:35; Ephesians 4:32).

We can release a grudge with a simple act of our will, by offering the whole situation to God and letting go of it. Forgiveness brings healing to our souls and allows God to build His strength and character into our lives as we allow Him to reign as our God (Romans 8:29).

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

Hatred

 

According to Merriam-Webster, "hate" is defined as “intense hostility & aversion that often comes from fear, anger, or injury. It can also mean extreme dislike or disgust,” …. As a verb, it means “to feel intense dislike or extreme aversion for someone or something.”

 

            Hate is an ugly word and an even uglier emotion. When you say you either hate someone or something you are defining that person or thing as unworthy of love. God hates sin, but hates none of His creation, no matter how they act or what they do. Nothing can cause Him to hate you… nothing. Having said that it should be pointed out that when someone whom God loves insists on going his or her own way they are pushing God’s love to the side, making it a nonessential thing in their life. Without a relationship with God you will never be able to be in His presence and reap the benefits of knowing Him. Now we don’t DO things to gain blessings, we DO things because they are the right thing to do; like being kind to another, or treating others the way you’d like to be treated. That’s Biblical and just a couple of things that are the right thing to do. Is it pleasing to the Lord? Absolutely. Why? Because it is taught in His scriptures which means it comes from His heart.

            We should feel compelled to live in peace with a spirit of kindness instead of cultivating hate that leads us nowhere. Sure, people get on our nerves, even make us mad, but to hate someone or something is taking our feelings to another level; a level that simmers and ultimately burns all that is around both you and the party it is aimed at. With hate there are no winners, only hurt feelings and a compromised disposition. For the Christian the word hate should not ever be found in our vocabulary. Only regarding sin, nothing else. We shouldn’t hate those who disagree with us, but if we know we are right, pray for them. Pray that either they will become open minded to the proposed truth or that you would realize your own error and alter your way of thinking or your approach.

            People don’t seem to want to calmly discuss anything anymore. We seem to live in a “I’m right, you’re wrong”society where tolerance is wearing very thin. Don’t respond with hate. That is ALWAYS the wrong approach. Always. Seek a spirit of calmness from the Lord if you are saved. If you are a non-Christian, you’re basically on your own with no resources to draw from but a Psychology website. Even then hateful people aren’t likely to venture to any sites that may help them. They are too hellbent on despising the supposed opposition. Love conquers all. Hate conquers nothing. It raises your blood pressure, and is generally not at all healthy for you as a person. An unhealthy heart can kill you. Living in peace can bring rest to your body, soul, & spirit. You choose your own path. Hate is unnecessary, but love is essential. Love doesn’t reveal weakness of character; love reveals strength of character because we will ourselves to do that which may not come naturally to us. It’s much easier to allow your emotions to run free, which constitutes running amok. It’s more difficult to pull back on the reins and take it easy. Self-Control is also essential and is listed in scripture as a healthy attribute. Take in the positive, discard the negative and learn to be content is all circumstances.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries