RELIGIOUS vs. SPIRITUAL vs. RELATIONSHIP

I've run across many people lately who label themselves as spiritual. Not religious, spiritual.  For the record I don't consider myself religious at all.  Christianity to me is a relational thing, not religious at all.  I tell people I have a personal relationship with the Creator of all things.  I usually get blank stares in return but I am undeterred.  That's exactly what I believe Christianity is, a personal, intimate relationship with Almighty God.  We can draw as close to Him as we care to.  God loves us so He would never shove us away.  Being spiritual can mean too many crazy things.  I get that many people are tired of the same old same old at church and that's why some say they are spiritual, considering those who go to church regularly to be religious.  No, those who go to church are nothing more than church goers.  God desires to live in our hearts, souls and spirits.  He wants you to voluntarily submit to His leading.  No, I'm not religious either.  I'm in a personal, intimate relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ and nothing could feel any better. rlkeller

OVER-ANALYZATION

          I can be a little on the wacky side at times.  Just silly, not off the chart.  Corny, perhaps.  I love to make people laugh.  Occasionally I overdo it, but it's harmless fun and hurts no one.  I frequently go through a self-analyzation process which causes me to question the motive behind my crazy behavior.  Now I can tend to over analyze myself and that can be a bad thing, but self-analyzation in and of itself is good.  When I'm silly, is it a mask I'm wearing to conceal my real self or is it simply part of who God made me.  Perhaps I'm thinking too hard about this.  I don't lose sleep at night because of it, but it does cause me to ponder it frequently.  Every analyze your own character traits and assess why you say and do the things you do?  It can be a healthy, revealing process.  Just try not to over-analyze like I do. rlkeller

GOD'S AT WORK

          Found a brother in Christ at work.  Together we are planting seeds.  Giving people things to think about.  It's been an incredible experience so far.  Once we end our training and go live there may not be as much time to minister, but God knows all about it and will work things out for His glory.  God is using us and it feels very good.  All glory goes to the Lord.  Praise His name! rlkeller

BEING USEFUL FOR THE KINGDOM

          We serve a mighty and awesome God who loves us unconditionally and wants us to succeed in all we do on His behalf.  Never question a set of circumstances you are in for they exist for a specific purpose.  Your spiritual growth is important to you.  Without growth you stagnate.  Embrace each day as a new learning experience.  God will place you where you need to be and use you for His glory, all the while strengthening your faith so that you can be the most useful for His kingdom. rlkeller

GOD'S ORCHESTRATION

          The new job is working out very well.  A little chaotic, but it's starting to come together.  God is good.  He orchestrates our lives if we allow Him to.  He puts the right people in our lives at just the right time and leads us where we need to go daily.  Praise His name!  rlkeller

PSALM 119:1-3

"Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart they do no wrong but follow his ways."   

rlkeller 

DISHEARTENING OBSERVATION

          I noticed something disheartening at work yesterday.  Men cussing around women with no shame on their face.  It seems to have become a normal practice to let fly with any profane word that comes to mind as is the women weren't even present.  Now I also noticed that the women were not short on the use of profanity as well.  But they weren't as free or loud with it as the men.  When I cuss 99% of the time it is to myself, which certainly doesn't make it alright, not in the least.  But the disheartening part is that it seems to have become an acceptable part of our culture now.  Are we becoming an amoral society?  Have we truly fallen that far?  Apparently so.  And the cussing doesn't relegate itself to those of a certain color, economic level or social status.  That is a very sad commentary on our society as a whole.  rlkeller

THE LIFESAVER

          It's interesting how when you look around you its as if everyone is treading water while you are hanging on to a lifesaver, peacefully floating.  What an image that presents to us.  Those who are treading water are those either without Christ or those who fail to fully trust Him.  Those who are clinging to the lifesaver are at rest.  The situation around the is the same in each case, however, some choose to rely on the lifesaver to carry them through.  Hmmm, what an interesting mental image that presents.  rlkeller

BE PROSPEROUS

       There is no good thing God will withhold from those who trust in Him.  He desires willing allegiance, not required obedience. We do have a choice.  We are able to go our own way, however, we should know that it is an unchartered path filled with potholes and pitfalls.  Our Lord will never cause us harm or pain, but rather will lead us to the places where we can grow spiritually.  It's exciting to think of where we have been and where we are now.  God's desire for you is to be blessed and to prosper even as your soul prospers (3 John 1:2). rlkeller

MY TUESDAY

          I'm back.  Started new job yesterday.  Working during the days for the first few weeks to be trained.  Have a hour commute.  Goes quick.  Traffic not too bad.  My shift will eventually be 2 pm to 10:30 pm.  Not bad.  Just happy to be working.  

          Interesting collection of people they hired.  Naturally, I am the oldest.  They liked my experience.  Shouldn't be a fast paced as Target.  Warehouse ... pick/pack.  Sounds like I'll be mostly packing and preparing for shipment.  That's fine with me.  New startup for a global logistics company.  Lots of growth potential as far as promotions and raises.  God is good.  He opened the door for this opportunity.  Once I get on my regular evening shift I will look to continue my writing.  Have an awesome day in the Lord. rlkeller

          

STAYING OUT OF GOD'S WAY

          Another Saturday.  I start a new job Monday.  My weekends are again free for me to enjoy.  I'm very happy about that.  Isn't it interesting how chapters open and close in our lives.  We flow from one chapter to the next at times not even realizing it.  Some chapters we are glad are ending, some we wish would never end, but the fact remains that God controls it all.  If we allow Him to, the Lord can and will guide us into all that He has prepared for us to experience in this life.  We must stay out of His way and not impede Him.  God knows what He's doing at all times, we do not.  Have a super blessed day! rlkeller

AVOIDING POTHOLES

       Life is filled with potholes that can cause your alignment to go awry.  The bumps and bruises we encounter in our daily lives don't need to derail us.  God is still on His throne and His Spirit still resides within us.  We need to tap into His leadership.  We are no longer the headliner; our life is no longer our show to perform as we wish.  Oh, we can.  We can do as we please, say what we want, think whatever little thing we so desire, but that's not really living.  We all need a standard to follow, a set of rules to use as our boundary of right of wrong.  Where would it come from if not from God?  Man has proven throughout history to not have one single clue regarding how to run their own life.  Only God knows us well enough to lead and guide us.  Living without God is like trudging through unchartered territory without a guide who knew the lay of the land intimately.  God is that guide in the form of the Holy Spirit.  He can help us avoid many of the potholes we might otherwise encounter.  Surrender to the will of God.   rlkeller

SOMETHING TO PONDER

     I wrote my devotional this morning and posted it (www.minidevos.blogspot.com) and wondered ... am I lukewarm?  Will the Lord spit me out of His mouth when the time comes?  I am trusting that the progressive nature of our sanctification will allow me to continue to grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord, but reading Revelation spooks me a little bit.  I've never been able to understand a whole lot of it.  I just figured if I lived a life that was pleasing to God according to my understanding of the standards He lays out in scripture then I was doing the right thing.  I still believe that, but Revelation still spooks me.  It gives me reason to question my walk.  Am I really doing my best.  I don't think the final book of the Bible is there to scare the h*ll out of us.  I think it's there to instruct us and give us important things to consider, like all scripture.  Are we living a life for ourselves in Jesus name or are we living for Jesus by His power and grace?  Gives us something to ponder, doesn't it?  rlkeller

A NEW KIND OF HUMAN

          I try to be pretty transparent about myself to others as a means of showing that Christians are human too.  We bleed if you cut us, we have to pay bills every month, we struggle with temptation, etc and so on.  The only difference between Christians and non-Christians is that we have chosen to place our faith and trust in an unseen God.  As a result we receive forgiveness for all past transgressions.  Do we still sin, yes, sadly we do.  Can we still be forgiven for those sins? Yes, forgiveness is for the asking.  It must come from a sincere heart who truly seeks to change old habits.  I'm a new kind of human, how about you? rlkeller 

FLYING OFF THE HANDLE

          Ever notice how quickly our cheery disposition can turn sour?  What causes that?  I wish I knew.  Baggage from the past perhaps.  Our own intolerance to a certain person or situation ... maybe.  It takes a lot to tick me off.  When I reach that point of flying off the handle it's "Katie bar the door" time.  I get to ranting and occasionally sprinkle a few unsavory words in for good measure.  When I've run out of gas I immediately dislike myself and am sorry for such a display.  I apologize to the Lord and at times reluctantly, to the party to whom I'm unleashing my fury.  It's childish at best, ugly at its worst and displeasing to the Lord any time it takes place, albeit very infrequently.  I'm not proud of that facet of my personality, just being honest.  Maybe some one reading this experiences the same type of struggle.  There is hope and forgiveness when sought.  Forgiveness doesn't just happen as if God sprinkles wiffle dust over us and we are pronounced forgiven.  We must seek it, acknowledge our wrong doing and then receive the forgiveness God freely dispenses for the asking.  I sincerely wish to eradicate any and all displeasing facets of my personality from my life.  I ask constantly for the Lord to take it from me.  I'm a work in progress.  rlkeller

THE WILL OF GOD

          Why is God's will for us as individuals so difficult to find?  His general will to evangelize the world with the gospel and be a living, breathing testimony to God's goodness is clear.  But what of the personal agenda He has set aside for you and me specifically?  God isn't hiding it from us.  The fault must lie within us.  What are we missing?

          I know I allow myself to get very easily distracted when it comes to anything important like seeking God's wisdom or discernment.  This is why I am a proponent of prayers that are to the point and not long winding road prayers.  My concentration level is lousy.  I need absolute quiet when I am trying to concentrate on my writing or doing anything of an important nature.  

          Knowing God's will for your life doesn't have to be hard.  God made me the way I am, so He understand my concentration difficulties.  He also honors my request when I ask Him to break things down to their simplest components so I can see what He's trying to say to me.  I'm not stupid, just have trouble focusing at times.  

          How about you?  Do you have difficulty concentrating when you need to the most.  Ask God to  make things crystal clear to you, so clear that a blind man could see it.  I have literally said those words to God from time to time.  You see, in my heart I want to live for God and do exactly what He's laid out for me to do.  I don't want to take the chance of starting down the wrong path and waste time doing nothing of any eternal consequence when I could be blessing souls by planting seeds of faith.  God wants you to know His will for you and will reveal it to you in His time.  Be patient and ready to hear from Him.  rlkeller

MY SATURDAY

       Saturday.  I love Saturdays.  Especially the ones that are sunny and warm.  Outside chores to clean the yard.  Around 6 hrs from now we will be preparing to go to Wall Stadium to watch the local stock car races.  Jersey Mike's subs, a big Yankee cooler (courtesy of Uline) filled with ice packs, Diet Snapple Iced Teas, Pepsi One or Coke Zero sodas & perhaps a water or two.  And then there's the snacks.  Anything from grapes to pretzels to pop corn to twirlers.  We have a regular section we sit in with the other folks who are part of the group that roots for Ronnie "the Rocket" Mullen.  It's great fun and a nice way to unwind from a long week.  By 10:30 we have seen all the main events (usually 5 different classes of race cars compete).  Then it's home again to hit the hay.  A day well spent.  rlkeller

I'M A CUSSIN' FOOL

     Okay, I'm at it again.  When I get frustrated I cuss under my breath or occasionally out loud to myself.  It's one horrible habit that I've struggled with for a long time.  Does it mean I'm not saved?  Of course not.  Cussing wasn't what had my ticket punched for hell prior to salvation and it won't cause me to lose my salvation now.  Having said that though, I don't like this unsavory display, even if it is only to myself.  I don't walk around cussing in front of others like some drunken sot, but cussing is cussing and it needs to stop.  It's a bad habit that I've been asking God to help me break.  Is God failing me?  Not at all.  He doesn't make me cuss, but I know He's not pleased with it.  I know in God's unfailing love and mercy that He forgives me each time because I ask Him to and in the same breathe ask again for Him to purge this habit which spoils my testimony in a most curious way.  While it shows non believers that perfection isn't required to know God intimately, at the same time, it causes confusion.  It can, however, provide an opening to say "Yes, I'm a Christian and I wrestle with some of the same issues and problems you do."  I am still seeking to be free from this ugly habit. rlkeller

BE OF GOOD CHARACTER

          Being honest is the right thing to do.  Following rules rather than seeking ways to get around them is a healthier choice.  Doing more than is required of you is wise.  When you're young you don't understand or realize how important reliability, dependability and integrity are.  You'll go much further in life when you take ownership of these character qualities and embrace them fully.  To live in contradiction to those things will only hurt you in the end.  How? People won't trust you.  If you don't do what you say or even promise to do, you will be seen as unreliable.  If you're always late  or absent when you're needed the most you will be seen as undependable. If you lie or stretch the truth to avoid dealing with an error in judgment or some other mistake, you will be viewed as having a lack of integrity.  Without these key character traits you won't get very far in your job, your relationships or your life in general.  Embrace good healthy, godly personal character traits and be all God knows you can be in this life.  The Bible is a good place to turn to see examples of men and women with good character.  rlkeller

A NEW CHAPTER

          Today is just another Tuesday in my life.  Nothing special going on.  Working my last two weeks at my current job.  Starting my new job right after that.  One chapter closes, another one begins.  Although I haven't stopped writing my devotionals (www.minidevos.blogspot.com) each day (Mon-Sat), my book writing is in park for the time being.  It blesses me to know that my books encouraged and blessed some folks.  I believe it was God's will to write them and I will continue to write as soon as I get into my new schedule in a couple weeks.  I have a couple projects in the works.  It remains to be seen which one will emerge next.  I will be moving to a new publisher with my next book.  I find that it is in my best interest to do so.  'Nuff said.  I am in the midst of putting together a book on divorce from the male perspective.  I plan to go through my two failed marriages not to point a finger of blame at my spouses, but rather to point out where I believe I may have gone wrong in an effort to help other men work through their problems rather than take what appears on the surface to be the easy way out.  My other project is about obedience to God.  I am a few chapters into each project and like how they both read thus far.  We'll see how things go in the future.  I have no specific time table for completing them.  If God is in it then everything will turn out just as He has ordained it to.  I trust God much more than I do my own judgment and will be relying on His counsel to steer me in the right direction going forward.  May His name be praised forever and may anything I do that is worthy of His name bring Him glory!  rlkeller

ANSWERED PRAYER

          An interesting phenomenon took place just the other day that taught me a valuable lesson.  I have been seeking a 40 hour per week job due to the fact that Target treats all employees as part time.  This wasn't explained to me when I was hired.  My hours have gone from 37 to 32 and now to 16.  I was given an offer of employment from another company last week.  It a bit of a drive to get there, but it's more money and a steady 40 hrs per week with the possibility of some OT from time to time.  My weekends would once again be free.  I was hemming and hawing about it and weighing the pros and cons.  I had several trusted friends praying for me re: the situation.  I sought clarity and discernment.  Well when I looked at the schedule for next week and saw 16 hours I was pretty ticked off.  When I got home I was told "I guess they pretty much made your decision for you now didn't they?"  Finally a light went off in my head.  Yes,  I had asked the Lord just that morning to please make my decision abundantly clear to me so I couldn't possibly make a mistake and take the wrong path.  I wanted His will for my life even in my employment.  Yes, it was clear to me now.  I would accept the new offer and move on to this other company.  God knows I can't live on less than 40 hrs. at minimum wage.  He provided exactly what I was looking for.  Undeniable confirmation that the new offer was the one I was to take.  Thank you Lord, for Your patience and mercy.  You answer our cries for wisdom when we need them the most. rlkeller

OUR AMORAL SOCIETY

          There is a new show that has come onto the airwaves.  A dating show where the people are completely naked.  A year or two ago a show came on the air where a couple were left on an island with nothing but their naked bodies.  They had to survive without any supplies or clothing.  If you ever wondered what TV would be like in the 21st Century, here ya go.  Did you really expect anything different?  A decadent society with loose morals, if any at all, now has decided it's okay for the same sex to marry and/or adopt children and have people walk naked through the streets of a city while being filmed for a TV show.  What is wrong with us?  

          The world is a rudderless ship what has no compass to direct them and apparently no means of knowing the difference between what is appropriate or inappropriate behavior.  Yes, we can change the channel.  But the greater question becomes what is the purpose of presenting a show of this nature in the first place.  Is it just to show that we can do as we please without any negative repercussions?  It is no doubt a slap in the face of the God that many don't even believe exists in the first place.  The slippery slope the world is embarking on provides no recovery mechanism.  Once the slide begins it will continue.  Unless God allows it, reformation will not come. The world, in all its amoral glory, will do as it pleases and eventually suffer the consequences of its collective choices.  So be it.  But as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.  Joshua 24:15

OUR PLACE OF PROTECTION

          A refuge is a place of protection.  It's a place of comfort and peace that fosters hope.  Scripture teaches us that God is our refuge.  He is our shield of protection.  Scripture tells us that mortal man can do nothing to harm us (1).  When the national economy is dreadful and the wolves are attempting to break through your door, take heart, for your God is always watching and can be trusted to be your place of refuge even in the most trying of times.  rlkeller

(1)  Psalm 56:4, 11; Psalm 118:6; Hebrews 13:6