A look at 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

"So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

     "Paul emphasizes spiritual judgment and spiritual insight into people’s lives and situations. Our experience of Christ’s love moves us to stop viewing others according to worldly standards and to learn how to view them from the standpoint of God’s great act of salvation in Jesus Christ. When Christ was regarded from a worldly point of view, men rejected and crucified Him as a blasphemer and troublemaker. But from the divine viewpoint, Christ is the Messiah and Son of God, in whom the new creation and reconciliation with God is given."

Resource: The footnote for verse 16 in The Life Application Study Bible.

AN INVITE TO MEET ST NICHOLAS & READ THE HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE

https://rlkeller4291.wixsite.com/mysite ... go to my ministry website for a history of St. Nicholas & of the Christmas Tree. Once on the website, you can simply click on the web address to the right of the colorful St. Nicholas banner and click on the menu tab titled History of the Christmas Tree to go to page 2 of my website to read the tree's history courtesy of DeLong's Farm of Nova Scotia.

Don't wait because it will be taken down once the new year comes.

FLAWED!

"We're flawed - broken - a total mess -- instead of looking for restoration we spend valuable time creating alteregos and facades to conceal our brokenness." - rlkeller

Hell

I liken hell to several things: 1) Hell is like being in an endless free fall in total darkness and you never, ever land; 2) Hell is like having every lustful pleasure you have ever fantasized just out of arms reach. You can see it but never touch it. It calls to you, but you can never go to it; 3) Hell is like being in a maze that goes around and around with no end and no beginning. No matter what direction you go in your end up in the same, exact place you started ... forever.

Think about that when you say there is no God. You better be real sure. As Brad Stine puts it: "If we all die & there is no God, then it's just eternal unconsciousness, you'll never know, but if you're wrong, you're know forever." Think about that ... rlkeller.

Consequences & the Missouri Senator

     I avoid political comments in my postings. I am not looking to create a firestorm. However, what I am about to say, though it involves a political figure, has a deeper, more significant meaning than having anything to do with politics. 

     The Missouri Democratic State Senator who stated she wished the president would be assassinated has been asked to resign. She is refusing. They may vote to have her removed from the State Senate and she may in fact be removed by her peers. My point in this matter is that anything and everything we say or do comes with associated consequences. Once she wrote what she did on her Facebook page she set in motion a set of consequences that cannot be avoided. She wrote what she wrote and no apology will correct the situation. As it turns out, she is a Christian woman or at least declared that "My judge and jury is my Lord Jesus Christ." Yes, she admitted she made a mistake. Yes, she admitted she failed and specifically apologized to the president, his family, the people of Missouri and her colleagues. That is all well and good but the universal law of consequences has been set in motion and it shall be fulfilled. What those consequences will be remains to be seen. Perhaps God will be merciful to her and spare her any dire consequences. Perhaps she should have thought her actions thru before she posted that incendiary message. 

     I want to stress that consequences are not a God thing. Consequences come attached to our words and actions. It's unavoidable. That is why we should never allow ourselves to be ruled by our emotions. We must think before we speak. Then think again. What we say and do can have an impact on a lot of people. We can't take back what we've said or done. It's out there and there is no delete key in life. rlkeller 

Common Decency

     Where has common decency and basic civility gone in society today? I am reminded of the rude, crude, raw nature of man nearly every day and I don't have to look any further than the men's bathroom at work. Some would say it's simply a cultural thing, but I don't think so. Sure, we have male workers from many South American countries working there, plus some from areas in Africa and French Haiti. Cultures would certainly be different, but peeing on a toilet seat rather than lifting it up is pure laziness, not a cultural difference.  Splashing yourself with water so as to get it all over the counter top and on the floor isn't a cultural thing, simply uncivilized and inconsiderate behavior. If I did that in their homes I don't think they'd like it one bit. It galls me, but I say nothing because they are unmoved by peoples criticism of their disgusting habits. It's sad to me that so many of our fellow men think nothing of the comfort of others who must also use the same facilities they enjoy. That's it ... just sayin'. rlkeller

THE LBGT COMMUNITY

   Have you noticed the progression of minority groups such as the LGBT community? Although they want you to think they are this colossus that dominates the landscape, they are a distinct minority. According to a study done by The Williams Institute Distinguished Scholar Gary J. Gates back in 2011, only 3.5% of the US population identify themselves as a part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender community; roughly 9 million individuals or the population of the state of New Jersey. So 96.5% of Americans would be considered straight, yet phobias abound. If you don’t agree with them 100% you are classified as intolerant. You are rolled into a classification such as “Homophobic” or now “Transphobic”.

     While it happens to be true that a person can do whatever they want in life, not all things are beneficial or constructive for them. Doing whatever you want is definitely NOT God’s plan for you. How do I know that? Because I know the Bible well enough to know that God has a plan for each of us that will bless us and cause us to spiritually prosper. Christ didn’t willingly die on a cross to let us simply give a head nod of acknowledgment and nothing else. Doing whatever strikes our fancy is like driving down a hill in the dark with no lights on. The results are rarely good.

     The LBGT community has thrust themselves on the scene essentially forcing people to notice them. Why? I’m not sure I know. I never understood why Gays feel so compelled to “come out of the closet”. They have made a lifestyle choice that I don’t happen to embrace or agree with, but it is their choice and I have no problem with their right to choose. I believe God has a problem with it, but I also happen to know that he loves all people, regardless of their choices in life. God in no way condones their lifestyle choice and sin is not tolerated in his presence, but it is their right to choose.

     In the end, God will sort this mess all out. May he have mercy on us all for none of us are perfect, not one of us. While he forgives, it must be sought and while he is tolerant of many things, he is NOT tolerant of sin in any shape, size or form. We must give up our own selfish desires and tap into the desires he has for us and make them ours. rlkeller

THE SAD TRUTH ...

"... is that most people tend to believe about 

other people what they know to be true 

about themselves."

rlkeller

THIS WORLD ...

The world in all its wisdom has reinvented a version of love that seems agreeable to mortal man. In reality it is nothing more than a cheap imitation of the real thing. This version doesn't deliver what one expects. This version leaves you wanting more. What you end up with isn't based on anything substantial - it's nothing more than raw emotions and lust! rlkeller

SAW THIS ON FACEBOOK - I LIKE IT!

Before you shoot your mouth off, 

make sure your brain is loaded!

SHARING ABOUT CHRIST

     It seems as though people, both young & old, don't want to hear what you have to say. They have their own thoughts & ideas & aren't interested in hearing yours. But every once in a while someone perks up when you speak & is genuinely interested. Perhaps these are those the Holy Spirit has reached? rlkeller

#Like is the new Love

My wife and I were just in the AVENUE women's clothing store a few hours ago and I spied a tee shirt hanging up with the following printed on the front in big gold letters:

#Like is the new Love

Apparently there is also a saying out there somewhere in some social media vortex that says: 

#Hate is the new Love

What does this mean? I know the world is getting crazier by the minute, but now I guess people are reinventing definitions for words.  I'm confused. So am I supposed to believe that 'love' is no longer 'love', but rather 'like'? So we don't 'love' our wives, parents, children etc, we just 'like' them and that is supposed to mean that we 'love' them?? Or am I just ignorant to what the inventor of this hashtag entry means by this. 

Is it just me or does it seem like people have a problem in recent years saying what they mean and meaning what they say? 

And regarding 'hate', am I supposed to accept that not only is 'like' the new 'love', but so is 'hate'? So whether I 'like' or 'hate' someone it means I really 'love' them? Is that like saying something is 'dope' and that's supposed to be a good thing? I simply don't get it. rlkeller

TIME

     My devotional today (found at www.minidevos.blogspot.com) looks at Psalm 90 where Moses prays to God, both praising him for who he is and speaking to the frailty of man. We can tend to be so foolish with our time. I know I can. I let it slip thru my fingers like grains of sand. I am already 62 years old and wonder where the time went. If my final years go as quickly as the first 62, it won't be long before I'm standing before Almighty God. How much of my life have I wasted? How many bad choices have I made? Any heartache or pain I have experienced was more than likely brought on by a bad decision on my part. Those nasty consequences. You can't avoid them. Will I make better use of my time going forward? I'd like to hope so, but I am a flawed human being, broken yet healing. I will attempt to do what I can to better utilize my time this side of heaven for the King of Kings. Will I succeed? Only that which the Lord is in will succeed. Those peripheral things that matter little will sadly still probably eat up small chunks of my time. I am human, a created being, made in God's image. I'll be laying my life before the lover of my soul daily and see what comes of this crazy, chaotic, broken, mixed up life I am living. Be well and live for God. rlkeller

NEW WEBSITE

I have a new website up and running. I plan to add a lot more to it over time, but for now check it out to see how it looks. 

Hope you like what you see. 

May God richly bless you!! 

rlkeller

website link:  http://rlkeller4291.wixsite.com/mysite

JUDGMENT IS A FUNNY THING ...

     Judgment is a funny thing; not funny ‘ha-ha’, but funny as in strange.  Man insists on passing judgment on his fellow man based on externals; their physical appearance, their economic status, their education or lack there of, whether they are adorned with body art (tattoos) or not, how they speak, how they think, and so on. If someone doesn’t believe exactly like us then they can’t possibly be a Christian. We seem to think we have cornered the market on what’s right and what’s wrong based on our acquired knowledge thru sermons, bible studies and personal study. We can accept the fact that we are flawed but still manage to place labels on others. The incredible thing about God is that he does none of that. He hones in on a person’s heart. He knows the depth of their commitment. He created them and is willing to forgive them just like he did us. Who are we to pass judgment on anyone? That isn’t what we have been called to do. God alone judges, we simply trust God and obey his commands. We’re such a mess. When will we ever learn that the outward flesh tent that our spirits live in doesn’t tell the whole story. There is no sin too great that God cannot forgive, no obstacle too high that he cannot help us over. Forgiveness awaits those who need to be forgiven, even those who judge others without really knowing them.  “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” – Matthew 7:1-2 NLT

[ I write this because this happens to be one of my major flaws as a believer. If you suffer from the same problem, hopefully this will cause you to think. RL Keller ]

FLAWED

"We're flawed - broken - a total mess! Instead of looking for restoration we spend valuable time creating alter egos or facades to conceal our brokenness "  rlkeller

Book No. 4

I am plodding along slowly with my writing of my fourth book, Stark Raving Obedience. I'm working on chapter 8 at the moment. My work schedule keeps me from making a whole lot of progress, but that's alright, because God is still on his throne and he knows what's best for me. It will be completed when it is completed. My monetary situation will no doubt be resolved by the time I am ready to publish, unless the Lord opens the door for a publisher to add me to their stable of authors. If it's the Lord's will for that to take place, nothing on this earth will be able to stop it. 😀 rlkeller

AN OPPORTUNITY ...

Dear faithful followers of Christ,

I feel impressed to extend an opportunity to all those who have been an important part of Bread of Life Ministries. The opportunity is to be a part of the publishing of my 4th book, STARK RAVING OBEDIENCE, which I am in the midst of writing at this time. I have 6 chapters complete but have much more to say on the topic so I don’t have a clear idea when it will be finished. Once completed, I will be confronted with a financial obstacle I know the Lord will remedy when the time is right.

My offer to you is that you become partners in this endeavor by making donations to Bread of Life Ministries. Any monies I receive as donations will be placed in this simple interest bearing savings account. When the time comes to publish my book I trust that enough money will have been accrued to pay for the publishing of my book. At that point it will not be my book alone, but our book and most importantly, God's book. 

All I am asking is that you lay this before the Lord and ask if you should be involved. If you feel the answer is yes, then ask him how much and how often. Any size donation is humbly and gratefully received and appreciated. When I am putting the finishing touches on the manuscript I will have on a separate page the names of all those who contributed to the publication of this work. This would be a collaborative effort that we can all be very proud of. 

So think about it, pray about it and if you don't wish to be involved then that's perfectly fine. I don't know anyone’s personal situation and only offer this as an opportunity to be a part of this ministry endeavor.  

You will notice on top of the upper right hand column on my devotional blog, ministry blog and author’s blog a PayPal button so your donation can be done quickly and easily.

Thank you for your time and may God continue to bless you and your family so that you might be a blessing!

RL Keller

Author & Founder of Bread of Life Ministries

http://pandevidamin.blogspot.com

http://minidevos.blogspot.com

http://rlkeller-christianauthor.blogspot.com

A SOBERING THOUGHT

Consider how much darker this world would be if it weren't for people of faith.

RL Keller

THE PRICE PAID

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”  Romans 5:6-8 New Living Translation

    There was a time, preordained by Almighty God, when he would send his own Son to make a payment on behalf of those whom he created. Scripture confirms in at least three places that there was a specific time when forgiveness would become available to all mankind. Acts 2:23 (NLT), which says: “But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him”; Galatians 4:4 which says: “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law” and John 17:1 which says: “After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you.” A plan set since the foundations of the earth; a time known only to God himself; an hour that would change the course of history.

     What the Lord did for us we could never do for ourselves. We were, as Paul says, helpless and without hope.  Without the existence of God there is nothing. We live, we die, we rot in the ground. We cease to exist.  As we approach Easter Sunday, focus on the price paid for your redemption. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Reformation Study Bible.

AMAZING PEOPLE

     Today I experienced two things that made me scratch my head. One was the inconsiderate nature of humans. In our start up meeting at work, one of the female leads was speaking about what was on tap for the day. One of the workers was talking aloud to a co-worker next to him at the same time. He was told to stop talking. His response was both rude and disrespectful. Frankly, I was a bit surprised because the guy seems like a decent guy. I came across him later in the day and made mention of the situation, tell him what he was doing was seen as being rude and disrespectful. He said he saw my point but didn't think it was a big deal. This is the same guy who admitted to me a day or two ago that he had serious anger issues. That he would pick a fight with someone that angered him at the drop of a hat. He didn't care if it got him fired. I was thinking more in terms of doing jail time.
     On my way home I saw someone fling an empty clear plastic cup, empty but for some ice cubes, out his car window onto the grassy median. As the cup was in mid air the cap and straw came off and flew in a slightly different direction. People amaze me at times and not for any good reasons. Mostly for the ignorant, insensitive things they do. elk

RAMBLING

     Ok, I confess that last entry was kinda strange. It's what I was feeling at the time. Felt like airing it out.  Saw back-to-back concerts this past weekend. Casting Crowns, with Danny Gokey & Unspoken at the Rock in Newark, NJ on Friday night & Toby Mac with Matt Maher, Mac Powell, Mandisa, Capital Kings, Ryan Stevenson & Hollyn Saturday night at Temple Univ. WOW! We had floor seats for the Toby Mac show. What a blast!! Casting Crowns was superb as usual and the rest of the acts were all great! I was a little disappointed with all the talk that took place Friday night, but all in all it was a good show. Toby Mac was the bomb though. He tore it up! God was lifted up and glorified and we all left filled to overflowing. elk

DOG'S RULE

     I'm about to say something that may just fly in the face of all I believe to be true about God and serving him.  I have come to the conclusion that I really don't like a whole lot of people very much.

Maybe it's just the difference in our lifestyles, maybe it's just their indifference toward others, I just don't know. But I believe that saying about dogs is true: The more I know about people the more I appreciate my dog(s). Don't know if that's an actual quote attributed to someone, but let's face it, dogs are always glad to see you, obviously miss you when you're not with them and give you lovin's at a moments notice. I love my dogs ... I'm not very sure about a lot of the people I meet. There, I said it. It's out there. People are moody, inconsiderate, hateful, spiteful, deceitful, untrustworthy wretches. Now that is a general statement that doesn't apply to most I suppose, but in my sphere of influence I am finding that to be true. Maybe I just don't know the right people. That's very possible. But you can't always pick who you end up being with ... as with a job. Anyway, I think I've made my point. People suck, dogs rule. (lol ... okay, it's not really that bad, but I think you get my point). rlk

DETACHED

     I believe I just figured something out. The closer you become with the Lord the more detached you feel from this world. Now I know God's children are not from this world*, but rather our citizenship is in heaven, yet I never realized until several months ago how detached one can feel with their surroundings when they delve deep into the things of God. I have begun to feel like I am literally not a part of this world. Things that I placed importance in no longer matter as much. It's a peculiar feeling really. You feel like you aren't present wherever you are. Things seem far away when in reality they are right in front of you. It's an odd sensation. Now don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that I have arrived spiritually speaking. Not at all. It's just an ethereal experience that is difficult to explain. It just happens, I don't conjure it up or anything like that. I just will be standing somewhere, look around and realize that I really don't belong here. I relate to very few people in this world. The ones who are hurting I seem to be drawn to or they are drawn to me. It's humbling. I guess it has to be a God thing.  Love you all ... be a blessing to someone you meet today!

*Philippians 3:17-21 "Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destinyis destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."rlk

THE SHACK

     My wife and I saw the movie version of the book THE SHACK last night and it was wonderful. As with most faith-based movies, there will always be certain Christians who will have a problem with some facet of the movie. I saw a headline online that stated 'Christians site danger is portraying God as a woman'. If you see the movie that portrayal is explained. Later in the movie God portrays himself as a man when a man is needed to minister to Mack (the lead character). I think the way the Trinity was represented was spot on and was made very easy to understand. We both loved it. It made us cry a bit as we identified with feelings and emotions Mack was wrestling with. I read an article about how Sam Worthington had become a Christian a few years back and was interested in continuing to do faith-based, inspiring movies related to God. That's good news because Sam is a very talented actor. I highly recommend this movie to all who wish to get a glimpse into one mans relationship to God and how it grows.  Excellent flick. Go see it. elk

RIGHTEOUS THRU FAITH

Psalm 97:12 (GNT)

“All you that are righteous be glad because of what the Lord has done! Remember what the holy God has done, and give thanks to him.”

         Did you realize that once you give your life over to Christ, in addition to having all your past sins removed as if they were never committed, you are looked upon by God as being righteous*? To put it in simple terms, we are clean and stand righteous before God by virtue of what Christ did for us on Calgary’s cross. We are to be glad and should always remember what God through Christ has done for us, for it is something we never could have done for ourselves. For that we should be eternally grateful. I shudder to think of where I would be without Christ in my life. It’s all due to God’s mercy and grace. He saved me from certain death at the hands of my own selfish desires. There is no doubt that we are our own worst enemies. We make wrong decisions based on wants rather than needs and get ourselves into all sorts of trouble all by ourselves..

            Do you trust God today? You can. You cry out to Him only when you feel you need Him most, but I tell you, you need Him always. If you embrace God you receive the greatest love you have ever experienced. Think of it. The One who created you in your mother’s womb loves you and that love will never change. Ever. He loved you before you ever knew Him. The Christian life is not free from problems or pain, but it is filled with the mercy, love and forgiveness of Almighty God. People consider anything to sooth their pain, but the pain doesn’t go away. It’s still there when the dust settles at the end of the day and when the sun rises on a new day. You cannot escape life’s hardships no matter what you do; however, you can go through them knowing in your heart that God is in complete control of all things. You don’t have to simply endure life; you can enjoy it to the fullest in the face of any obstacle. God doesn’t remove obstacles, but rather teaches you thru them to deal effectively with all life’s many issues, if you will listen. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE : GNT is the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) Copyright © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.

RIGHTEOUS (def): Morally upright; without guilt or sin.

Philippians 3:9 (GNT) “I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith.”