Thoughts from a Random Mind

 

            I see the word “Resist” on clothing items and more recently, on lapel pins. Resist what? It seems that the subliminal message that is being sent is to “resist all authority”. We see those words on t-shirts from the OBEY line of clothing. Clenched fist, resist. As a Christian we are called to resist a whole different set of issues. We are called to resist temptation. We are called to resist sinning. To resist passing judgment. To resist all ungodliness.  These are things that are worth resisting. Resisting authority can lead to anarchy, which, it would seem, is what some progressive, free thinking people are looking for. Buck the system. Live and let live. Leave me to live as I choose and I will do the same for you. What standard are they living by? They have no standard. It becomes individualized. Everyone has his or her own idea of what is right and wrong. No absolutes. We serve a God of absolutes. He is consistent. He is unchanging. His standards, found in the Bible, are the bedrock of Christendom. Rules to follow which lead to peace, contentment and joy in spite of our circumstances. There is forgiveness offered for those who seek it. There is a call to allegiance and being his representative in a dark and sinful world. The opposite of resistance is surrender and that is what Christianity really is. Surrender to that which is fair and right and just. Farewell to selfishness and hate. Resist no more, surrender and fall into the loving arms of Christ. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

            I think where many Christians go wrong is that we look at the exterior of others & see what we consider to be bad or unhealthy behavior & we judge them, many times verbalizing that judgement. We say things like: “You shouldn’t gossip”,” You shouldn’t smoke”, “You shouldn’t live with someone outside of marriage”, “You shouldn’t drink or do drugs or have illicit sex with strangers” … Reflect on your life prior to your conversion. What were you like? How did you speak to or treat others? We are very quick to judge & there in lies a serious problem for Christians. We haven’t been called by God to judge others.  We are viewed as judgmental people who are hypocrites by the world. In my estimation speaking to others about Christ shouldn’t come with criticism. How did Christ look upon you prior to salvation? If all were judged by God for our thoughts, words and/or actions who on earth could stand? We all, myself included, need to ask the Lord to help us see others the way He does. Perhaps then we will begin to stop judging others. It’s not their gossiping or smoking or drinking or any other thing that they do that will keep them separated from God. It’s their rejection of Christ. They may not verbalize their rejection, but as the saying goes “actions speak louder than words”. If someone lives a selfish lifestyle that leaves no room for the Lord, they have rejected Christ. By the same token, if a believer lives a lifestyle that leaves no room to spiritual growth they are taking God’s grace for granted.  Before we speak to others we should examine ourselves to see if we measure up to Christ. We are no better or worse than anyone else … we are simply forgiven. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

            The brevity of life can hit you like a punch in the gut at times. Our lives are like a wisp of air, which dissipates into the winds of time. One never knows on what day or at what time we will take our last breath. Several years ago I found out that a 56 year old co-worker died in his sleep over the weekend. Although he was a smoker, he didn’t seem to be in poor health at all. When I lived in Texas a short time ago I knew a co-worker who was up in a tree in his yard cutting down limbs. He lost his balance and fell, landing squarely on the crown of his head. He was pronounced brain dead at the hospital.  While living in NC back in the ‘90’s, I had a co-worker who was doing nothing more than starting his lawn mower. While pulling the starter cord he lost his balance and fell backward hitting the base of his skull squarely on the bumper of his parked car. He died instantly. 

            These examples all prove one basic fact of life; we have no control over the longevity of our lives. We could literally be here today and gone tomorrow. It is a very sobering thought to not know when your life will end. It makes our eternal destination go from being an after thought to a more important, more immediate concern. 

            Where will you spend eternity? Do you believe there is a God? If not, are you sure? If you do, have you allowed that belief to change your life? If you haven’t don’t you think it deserves some consideration? We all have a choice to make. We can go about our lives either believing or disbelieving in God. That is our choice. We can also decide to enter into an intimate, personal relationship with God or we can keep at a distance and not allow him to forgive us of all our misdeeds and make the changes necessary to re-create our life. It’s our choice. You hold the key to your future in your hand. What will you do with it?  

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

It’s Not Me

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

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

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts From a Random Mind

            Why do babies suffer and die? Why do good people suffer and die? It is a nearly impossible question to answer, because God doesn’t explain his actions. People walk away from God because they cannot wrap their mind around the ‘why’ of it. At the risk of being trite I hold my tongue. I can repeat the typical reasons that are spit out to a hurting public, but I refrain because I truly don’t know. I don’t have all the answers and God isn’t interested at this time in providing them. It seems to fall under the category of either, “I will talk, says the Lord, and you will listen” or “I will ask the questions, and you will answer.”  God was like that with Job. There are times in scripture when apparently the one asking the questions either has no right to ask or can ask but will not receive an answer. None of this has anything to do with having faith. Believing doesn’t require understanding; neither does it need facts to substantiate our faith. Call it blind faith if you want, but it is what it is. We cannot change events in time, nor can we solve all the world’s problems. All we can do is trust God at his word. Sometimes that is much easier than it seems. 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

Edification

            To edify is to build someone else up. It can involve encouragement, compassion, kindness, and prayer. Far too often both Christians and non-believers spend their time knocking people down to lift themselves up. It is many times tied to ones ego and self-image. If someone grew up in a home that was toxic edification would have been pretty much impossible to find. That person will carry that negativity into adulthood where it will be spewed upon anyone and everyone arbitrarily, as they deem necessary.

            The recipient of the verbal onslaught is damaged psychologically and emotionally. It is only the well-adjusted, mentally and emotionally stable person that can withstand these sort of attacks and not have it cause irreputable damage. The main point though is were these attacks necessary.

            Regardless of what justification is used to shut down opposition to this negative behavior, it is wrong in God’s sight. Those that haven’t received Christ into their life have an excuse for such behavior. They simply don’t know any better. It is behavior that has been programmed into their minds by their parents, friends, etc. And it will not stop until they have a desire to stop it.

            Christians who act out in such a way will use some of the same justifications as the unsaved, but they should really know better than to act that way. Nowhere in Scripture does it tell us that the antithesis of edification is alright. Followers of Christ are to emulate Him and He doesn’t act that way. There is no justification acceptable to Almighty God that makes it okay either. As believers we are to exhibit loving kindness to all humanity, regardless of their race, religion, color, and so on. If you have any doubts as to how to act in a given situation, seek God thru His Word and find your answer. The answers are there if you are determined to find them.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

Faith will lead a person to salvation. Salvation will expunge all sin, as in remove it as if it never happened. Without past sins you are able to grow spiritually over time. Perseverance is essential to the spiritual maturation process. A stick-to-it attitude so that when opposition comes you are stable enough in your faith to push thru to the other side of it.

            Let’s face it. Who wouldn’t want to glide thru life with no obstacles or problems. That’s a la-la land take on life. Things don’t work that way in real life. Some folks walk away from their faith when things get too hot and hairy. The Christian talking heads say those folks may not have been truly saved. That’s not for me to say, but you do have to wonder how committed some folks are to drawing closer to God. 

            Understanding exactly who God is in relation to the world you live in is an important piece of the perseverance puzzle. The only way to know that is to rely on the Word of God to reveal it to you. There has to be a dedication to reading AND grasping the significance of each verse read.  Understanding who God is, who we are in relation to Him, and what He wants from us should be a lifelong pursuit for each believer. Dig in your heals and let the Bible expedition begin.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries 

James 1:3-4 NIV – “…you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Thoughts from a Random Mind

 

                  It’s an unfortunate reality that if one church or one believer or denomination does something that goes against the flow of society, ALL Christians are painted with the same brush. If that person or group acts like this or that then ALL Christians must be that way or feel that way. That is NOT TRUE. Christians are human, just like non-believers. Cut us and we bleed.  We make mistakes with the best of ‘em.  

                  So when I see Christianity stereo-typed in a subtle way on a Lifetime movie, I bristle. The movie showed the family in church, establishing the fact that they are Christians, I suppose. So the issue in the movie, in a nutshell, is that their teenage daughter (16-ish) has romantic feelings for girls. Her parents suspect she’s with a boy, grill her on what the heck is going on with her, because she’s been AWOL. Staying over at her significant others place over night on occasion. The daughter, to keep her parents from assuming she’s sleeping with a boy, blurts out that she likes girls. The parents are shocked to say the least. Her mother shouts, “NO YOU DON’T!” The daughter says yes she does, and both parents are visibly distraught over this news. In a rage, her mother screams for her to “GET OUT!!” So her parents kicked her out of their house over this. 

                  I was very sad to see the parents reaction. Now I’m a believer in Christ. Have been for over 40 years. I understand that homosexuality is a hot button, highly controversial topic and I can’t say that it would please me to find out that type of news from one of my daughters, but to reject your daughter rather than love them through this situation is just plain wrong. It’s not biblical at all. 

                  Do I believe homosexuality is a sin? Yes, I do. The lifestyle. God LOVES all of His creation and as His children, we are to love them as well. Love and respect all peoples; and I do. The LGBTQ are just like any other societal group. I’ve known many in my life through work and have treated them like I would anyone else. I don’t believe God made people to be gay. I believe that the enemy has placed unnatural desires within the hearts and minds of a multitude of people throughout the world.

                  I don’t happen to believe that there are big and little sins. The condition of one’s heart tells the Lord where they stand on issues. To practice a gay lifestyle is no worse than murder, robbery, selling or taking drugs .... But to shun your own child over this particular issue, is not what a Christian should do. And ALL CHRISTIANS ARE NOT ALIKE. Having homosexual inclinations but never acting on them is different and THAT is between that person and God. I do not pretend to know what the right answer is here, but I do have my thoughts based on how I believe scripture should be interpreted. 

                  It’s a complicated issue, without a doubt, but telling someone they are going to hell or even implying that is so wrong. People go to hell for their rejection of Christ. Period.  But I don’t believe a person can claim to be a follower of Christ and live a life of sin. 

                  Having said all this, I’d like to end with this. God is the only One who knows the content and motive of a person’s heart. We do not. I do not. So I refuse to judge those who disagree with my take of following Christ, and I also refuse to judge those who live in sin. It is between them and God. Christ died for them and wishes for them to renounce their sin and come into the light of His forgiveness and love. That is an individual’s choice. 

                  The media will never stop trying to make Christianity something that it is not. And a lot of people will never darken the door of a church because of the lies told about religion. Many others are simply not interested in accepting Jesus into their life. Fine. That also is an individual’s choice. Just understand that if Christianity is true and accurate, then those who simply don’t want to will end up apart from God forever. Am I right, am I wrong? Only God knows, but I am trying to be fair in my assessment of things and elevate, not denigrate

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

What exactly is “normal”? One definition is: “Conforming with, adhering to, or constituting a norm, standard, pattern, level, or type; typical.” Is normal a universal word; can it be defined the same in any and all situations? Or is it a subjective word; subjective meaning: “Based on a given person's experience, understanding, and feelings; personal or individual.”

I think it should be pretty obvious what the correct answer is. My definition of normal may be totally different than anyone else’s. I would venture to say that the vast majority of people in the world today would have differing meanings for the word “normal”.

I consider myself to be a relatively “normal” person based on God’s own assessment of mankind. I even line up pretty favorably to the societal meaning of “normal”. If I disagree with another person, who is right and who is wrong? Does it matter? Saying something is your opinion apparently gives you some sort of immunity for saying you’re wrong. 

So is being a Christian normal? Does it matter? Are all Christians weird? That’s easy. Of course not. Someone who believes different than you isn’t weird, they’re just different than you. 

Frankly, I’d rather not be labeled as “normal”. I want to be different than other folks. They may think I’m weird, but I’m just different than them. My likes and dislikes are different. What I watch and/or read is different. How I spend my spare time is different.  Fellow Christians, don’t strive to be “normal”, strive to be the absolute best version of yourself. How is that possible? Follow God’s lead. Read His word. Talk and listen to God. He knows how to reconstruct you from the inside out. Trust the Lord and seek His perfect will for your life. That’s not normal and that’s not weird; that’s exactly what God wants from you. 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Note: Both definitions listed in this post are from the American Heritage Dictionary.

Thoughts from a Random Mind

Are Christians Criminals?

                  Was Jesus arrested and tried like a criminal in a kangaroo court that was slanted against Him? Yes, He was. Why? The religious leaders of His day found Jesus to be a threat to their way of ruling the Jewish people. They were legalistic, Jesus was not. 

                  The Son of God was tried and found guilty on trumped-up charges. He was labelled a heretic; a criminal against God. So, if Jesus was found guilty of crimes against God, does that make those who follow Him criminals by association? If it was a crime to be a Christiann today, would there be enough evidence based on the way you live your life for you to be arrested? 

                  We may not be looked upon as criminals, but we ARE viewed by many as charlatans and purveyors of false teachings. We are viewed as being a few bricks short of a full load for believing in someone we cannot see. We are viewed as weird, while all we are is different. Scripture tells us this world is not our home; we’re simply passing through.  

                  If Christianity is considered such a threat to civilization, why aren’t all the other “religions” from various regions of the world as well? Christianity is targeted for one reason; it deals with topics that are unpopular to the masses, such as, sin, disobedience, judgment, and eternal damnation. 

                  Telling the truth doesn’t seem particularly popular, at least in some sections of society. Just because people don’t ascribe to the same belief system doesn’t make us wrong and them right. Yet, I find too many people who are willing to dismiss biblical teachings as erroneous without taking the time to do a heartfelt investigation into the matter. The fact of the matter is that many people simply don’t want to be bothered to look into the tenets of Christianity, since they’ve already determined it to be false.  Say you don’t believe in something and that removes it from your consideration. ‘Live and let live’ is their mantra. And you know what, if that’s the path they wish to travel, then so be it. 

Christians believe God gave all in His creation a free-will to live as they so choose. That way the ones who choose to accept Christ at His word and follow Him do it willingly. That also opens the door to the fact that God sends no one to hell. No He does not. People decide they just plain do not want to follow Jesus and that punches their ticket for a date in front of Almighty God. At that point your eternal destination has been determined and there is nothing you can do about it. 

I know that it sounds harsh ... serve God or go to hell, but in reality that is exactly what it is. I am compelled to share this fact because NOT TO would be like me walking past your house and it was on fire, and you’re asleep inside, yet I say nothing and just keep walking. I would imagine that fire would be a very nasty, terrifying way to die. You may not want to hear this, but the God you refuse to believe in by faith loves you enough to send His Son to die in your place to pay your sin debt. That’s like being convicted of murder and then getting a reprieve at the last possible moment.  

You can blow all this off if you want to. That’s your right. The Christian has absolutely nothing to lose by following Jesus. The non-believer has EVERYTHING to lose by making the reverse decision. Come embrace the love of God and find out what REALLY living is all about. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

Can a dead man come back to life?

                  The answer to that is YES. First example is from the gospel of John 11:1–44.  Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, had died. Jesus came and raised him from the dead to show those present the power of God.  The second example is Jesus Himself rising from the grave. There is also a third example. 

                  Do you realize that we are all walking, talking dead men and women prior to our conversion? When a person receives Christ into their heart and life their spirit is jump started.  We are no longer dead, but very much alive, spiritually speaking. Without the redemption provided by Jesus blood, we will die in our sinful state. 

                  The unredeemed soul is born once, but dies twice. He is born physically, but when he / she dies it is both their physical body and their spirit that dies. The redeemed soul is born twice, and dies once. They are born physically and when they receive salvation they are born spiritually. So when they die their body dies; however, their spirit lives on throughout eternity with its creator. Therefore, they are born twice, yet only die once.

                  Can a dead man come back to life? If that person has received Christ in their heart, then YES, they certainly can. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing. 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

 

The question of the day is the following: Can one become a Christian and deny the Trinity? My answer would have to be NO. Not believing in the Trinity would mean that you truly do not know WHO God is. You surely can SAY the name God, but do you understand His true nature? In that same vein, you couldn’t know & understand who Christ is. He is God in human flesh. 

                  The Incarnate Christ is critical to understanding the gospel. Read John 1:1-14 to achieve an understanding of who Christ truly was. To deny the Trinity is to deny the Incarnation of Christ and misunderstand the one true gospel.

                  This would be difficult for folks like Mormons and United Pentecostals (Jesus-Only Pentecostals). These folks believe in a type of MODALISM, where God is at times in the mode of the Father, or the mode of the Son or the mode of the spirit, but never all three at the same time. That would be considered a heretical view of the Trinity, making the group that disbelieves cultic with regards to this wrong view of the Trinity. This is because they would be denying the distinct Personhood of the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit.

                  At times folks question the virgin birth of Jesus. To question the virgin birth or even deny it is true therefore would be denying the deity of Christ & in turn also the Trinity. That type of person would reveal the fact that they truly do not understand the very nature of the gospel & therefore cannot truly be saved. I say that because it is Christ who has the power & authority to forgive sins. No normal man can possibly do that. It is therefore critical that a person who wishes to be saved must believe in the main tenets of the faith, which would be the Triune nature of God, the deified Christ, & the indwelling Holy Spirit. To not believe that then would lead to question their belief in the Bible. Unless they have never read it, they are denying the infallibility of God’s Word. 

                  What we believe or don’t believe is totally up to us as individuals. We choose what we believe. God made it that way because He wants willing followers, not ones who feel they MUST follow. There are those in society who would like nothing better than to erase God completely from man’s consciousness. All because they have decided that Christianity is false and should be stopped from spreading any further. Their misunderstanding has taken them off into the wrong direction, in my opinion.

                  Why is it that Christianity is the only “religion” that is attacked? Why are God & Jesus the only “religious” figures used as curse words? It wouldn’t be because it is the only “religion” that calls out sin and presents hell as the future dwelling place of those who refuse to believe in Christ as their Savior & Lord, would it? Of course it would. Christianity is the only belief system that points out man’s flaws and then provides a way of escape thru Christ’s blood. People today just want an “I’m Okay – You’re Okay” existence. Don’t trouble them with those things that are not proven to be real. God knows everyone isn’t going to buy into His plan for humanity, but the offer is there for the taking anyway. He is patient, giving every man, woman, and child the opportunity to be redeemed up until time is up and that time will come at some point that is known only to Almighty God. Believe as you choose. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://www.gty.org/library/questions/QA519/can-you-be-a-christian-and-deny-the-trinity; Grace to You Ministries.

We’re Truly a Blessed Nation

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”- Psalm 33:12a

            The people of His inheritance is Israel, however, because of their rejection of Christ, the door was opened for gentiles to receive God’s grace and mercy. This great country of ours was founded on such principles. Sadly, the influence of Satan has permeated much of our landscape. Being given a free will to choose allows us to do as we please. The positive side of that is that when we choose to serve God we do so willingly without coercion. We don’t have to follow the ways of God, but we can. The United States of America was and is great because its’ people as a whole are great. There are still millions of Americans who love this country and believe strongly in God. 

            This nation had been on a path of destruction. Poor decisions and poor leadership took us there. For us to rise up as one nation under God again it will take the commitment of believers to pray each day for our nation. Freedom is not, nor was it ever free. It was bought with a price. Let us not be reckless, but strong in the face of adversity. May God’s perfect will be done for our great nation. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

Thoughts from a Random Mind

I scanned through an article regarding the cultural changes & how the church must adapt if they want to survive. I have some questions. Is biblical truth no longer true? Who authorized the supposed changes to the church’s approach to spreading the Gospel? Isn’t bowing to social pressure the wrong approach? Is adapting the church’s culture for the sake of inclusivity and diversity the correct thing to do?

The answers are easy: God’s Word, like God Himself, is infallible. What is said throughout scriptures was true, is true, & always will be true. Can verses be taken out of context or misinterpreted? They absolutely can; however, using well respected theologians and pastors to help us interpret scripture will show that there are truthful answers to many of the questions “deconstructionists” may have. The real question is will they accept the answer provided from the bible? 

I contend that people simply don’t want to know Jesus. They might think differently if they realized that just because they do not believe something or agree with a certain doctrine that doesn’t make it false. If you feel a certain way and seek information only from THAT particular viewpoint, you’ll not gain any new knowledge. 

Question God; doubt Him & His Word. That doesn’t frighten Him one bit. Hopefully, your questions & doubts will cause you to go deeper into the spirit realm. As a result your faith should become more galvanized, rather than fractured. It really depends on how serious you are to find the truth. By all means, compare other “religions” against Christianity. You’ll find that none deal with the problem of personal sin at all. Without the existence of sin then a Savior isn’t necessary. 

It's too convenient to simply disbelieve something. To strike it from the record. To not think about it. Again, that action on your part does not negate the validity of our presuppositions. So, it is true to Christians, and questionable to others. The cultural shifts represented in the writer’s article, seek to control all church itineraries by injecting questionable teachings and doctrines that they say are antiquated. They say our churches need an upgrade. Rubbish. These proponents claim the world needs a huge upgrade in the way they evangelize and present the Gospel. The message doesn’t change with the times. A sin is a sin is a sin. No big or little sins. No mortal or venial sins. 

For me, anything that attempts to alter scripture without solid evidence from scripture is taking the wrong path.  Our feelings are irrelevant when it comes to the truth. How we feel about something should have no bearing on what the truth really is. 

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

In His Name & for His glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://www.missionalchurchnetwork.com/blog/culturalshifts

Thoughts from a Random Mind

 

SINCERITY is a quality of naturalness and simplicity; the trait of being serious; the quality of being open and truthful; not deceitful or hypocritical.

 

INTEGRITY is firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility. Incapable of being bribed or morally corrupted; inflexibly just and upright.

 

TRANSIENT is remaining in a place only a brief time.

 

“... the incorruptible glory of God with the corruptible images of man and animals, highlighting the difference between the eternal and the transient.”

 

                  Are you a sincere person? Do you mean what you say, or do you walk the line between what is morally / ethically acceptable and what is not. Sincerity is important if you want others to trust and respect you. 

                  Do you value your personal integrity? I wonder how much people actually think about their moral / ethical compass? If someone doesn’t know the Lord, how do they know which path in life to take? At least with God you have a template to follow that is found throughout scripture. You know, how to process various situations, whether or not to lie, how to treat family and friends, how to forgive, how to love and so on ... things that should become behavioral traits that define us as a person.

                  Do you know who you are? Without the Lord, you are the captain of a rudderless ship without a compass. With the Lord you are a captain whose rudder AND compass is the Holy Spirit within you. The Lord is a lighthouse on the coastline.  Pay attention to His leading and you’ll never crash upon the rocks.  Trust God for all things. Your eternity depends on it.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Definitions: The American Heritage Dictionary.

Thoughts From a Random Mind

            What if others could hear everything we said? Before you speak, pretend wherever you are is bugged so that the entire world can hear every word you’re saying. Even a person you may be speaking ill about. If that were the case some of us might never speak again. It’s a fact that we ought not speak ill of anyone. Nothing positive ever comes out of it. Speaking ill of another to an uninvolved party is gossip and therefore sinful in the eyes of God. Fortunately forgiveness is available for the asking. We must learn from our mistakes and be careful not to repeat them. 

                  True Christians are supposed to have a willingness to become like Jesus Christ. Imitating Christ’s behavior can only help. We are to lay our will down and seek taking on the character of Christ. Truthfully, it’s a lifelong pursuit, but each step of the way is beneficial to our long-term goal of living a godly life. There will be mountaintops and valleys, but God is there with us at all times. We are literally never alone, despite our occasional feelings of loneliness.  Our main focal point each day is to be Jesus-like to those we encounter. It’s critical to our intimate relationship with God. We are children of the one true King. If we are within the parameters of God’s will for us then we have absolutely nothing to fear. He will see us thru each and every situation that we encounter in life. 

                  A good rule of thumb is to talk less and listen more. I said “listen”, not just “hear”. We learn nothing new when we speak, only when we listen; therefore practice keeping your mouth closed and your ears open more often. Don’t listen to just anyone, listen to God. Practice discerning what is coming from the Lord as opposed to what is coming from your own mind. Spend time in godly endeavors. We deserve nothing but punishment for our sin, so quit acting like we’re owed something, cuz we’re not. Entitlement is for the selfish and self-righteous. Our Heavenly Father graciously meets all our needs. The desires of our heart should always lean towards Godly things. Place your will down and allow him to mold you into all he knows you can be in this life for him. 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Ministries

THOUGHTS FROM A RANDOM MIND

            The Lord dropped a little nugget of truth in my heart today. Nothing extraordinary, but it did cause me to ponder it for a bit. 

                  When we are single we tend to be selfish. We only think about what we need or want. We have no one else to look out for or provide for. When we begin dating we find that our selfish ways no longer work. We may view it as being asked to change who we are and in a way we are. We bristle at that because we like who we are, just the way we are. 

                  Christians are not immune to this. As we dig into scripture we come across Ephesians 5:25 where it states very clearly, “Husbands, love your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,…”. ^{[Amplified Bible]} If we resist we will run into big trouble somewhere down the road.

                  Our priorities must shift. From ME – GOD -OTHERS to GOD – OTHERS – ME.  We should have no problem adhering to this if we understand the meaning of the name JEHOVAH JIREH. It means “the God who provides”. We can become selfless with our spouses because our needs will never go unmet.  We need to believe that and then trust God to fulfill his promise in that regard. 

                  It has taken me a very long time to learn this lesson myself. In my mind I was the victim of character alteration most of my adult life, when in reality, it very well may have been God nudging me to allow change to take place in my life. I suppose you could say this falls under the category of “Better Late Than Never”. 

                  Husbands, if you want a harmonious home with a wife who loves you for all the right, godly reasons, then make a self-assessment and allow the Holy Spirit to make the necessary changes. Change may not come instantaneously, but a willing heart is fertile soil for spiritual growth. 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

My wife told me a sad story. What I’m about to write is all I know about the situation, but what I know is enough to make me shake my head in disappointment.

There was a young girl with bright pink hair, multiple tattoos and body piercings. She was dressed provocatively. She was sitting in the pew of a church. The first time she’d come.

The church completely ignored her the entire service. 

            I have ONE question: Is THAT what Jesus would have done?  The congregation did the exact opposite to what they should have done. So what if that girl NEVER darkens the door of a church ever again? That church lost a golden opportunity to win a soul for Christ. 

            Again, I know nothing about the situation or the person this happened to. I just know that it happens throughout the world a lot more than we know or would like to admit. Think long and hard regarding how you treat strangers. Treat them the way you’d like to be treated. Treat them the way God treated you prior to your conversion. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts From a Random Mind            

            Over the last few years I have encountered more and more people with the apparent mindset that it is easier to get forgiveness then permission. They do whatever, knowing it is not morally or ethically acceptable and when they are found out they simply say they’re ‘sorry’. Those who do such things out of total ignorance will tend to not only say they are ‘sorry’, but that ‘it won’t happen again’. Those trying to get away with doing what they want will not state such intentions. It’s a curious thing. The discerning mind picks up on this fairly quickly. I can’t believe it would be pleasing to the Lord because in matters of the heart and its motivation their intention is hazy at best. With Christ as our example, I cannot imagine any scenario where Jesus would act in such a way. You can be sure Jesus Christ would have never used diversionary tactics to get what he wanted. Ethics and morals are two columns of integrity that must be honored and exercised to establish a general trustworthiness among the brethren and those outside the faith. Once you are not trusted you have lost ground to the enemy that will be very difficult to regain. Keep your motives pure and your actions unmistakable so your faith is never questioned. While some will scrutinize, looking for any reason to discredit you, at least you have not given them a reason gift wrapped and on a silver platter. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

                  There I sat at a high school graduation just a few hours ago and I was thrown back to my own college days. At that time in my life I had no money to speak of so I would go to the mall and people watch. I wasn’t a believer at the time, so my thoughts were all over the place regarding people’s appearance, the way they were acting or something as simple as the way they walked. I would critique and categorize each one who passed by. I found that interesting. It wasn’t that I was making fun of people or determining which ones I was better than. It was just a hobby of mine, people watching. Well, I was doing it at the graduation this evening, some 43 years later. 

                  There’s a saying that goes something like this: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I still analyze people passing by. But today I looked hard at them and said to myself, God loves those people just as much as he loves me. I wonder if they know the Lord. I also wonder what their back-story is. Who were their parents, where did they go to high school, did they go to college, where was their first job, what do they do now, how many times have they been married, is or was it a harmonious union, do they go to church? I think to myself, that person was once someone’s little baby. How were they raised? Were they raised in church? When you think like that other people watching takes on a whole new perspective. We begin to look upon them with compassion and mercy. 

                  People are a lot more than the ones others can laugh at on a “People of Wal-Mart” video on YouTube. I’ve been guilty of judging by people’s appearance for a long time, but now I am slowly beginning to see them differently. I believe it began when I asked the Lord to let me see others thru HIS eyes and not my own. We must learn from our mistakes and shortcomings, or we are no different than the world we seek to change.  Until the next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

 

While we certainly CAN dispute biblical doctrine and debate their validity, we cannot go around making up our own rules based on what we feel should be true. Okay, well you can do that, but it only breeds doubts, questions, and unbelief. Quasi*-Believers think they are Christians just because they believe in God & Jesus. Sadly not being sold out for Christ allows their doubts and questions to negate their faith. That is like floating in the open sea with a life saver within reach, yet never reaching for it. You believe you can survive on your own and while you certainly CAN survive, is that truly living to the fullest extent? Christ died a horrific death so mankind could have the opportunity to actually live our lives to the fullest. It has nothing to do with our abilities or potential. It’s what is given to us when we give ourselves over to the will of God for our life. Check out these verses:

 

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." – John 10:10

 

"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

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear** the Lord and turn away from evil.” – Proverbs 3:5-7

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries 

*Quasi – apparently, but not really ** In this case “fear” means reverence & respect. Therefore, this verse is telling us to show the Lord His due respect and reverence.

Thoughts From a Random Mind

            I was sitting outside in the backyard one afternoon last winter enjoying the cold, clean air when I thought of something I found interesting. As I look about I saw the barren, lifeless trees all around me. It reminded me of the barren, lifeless heart of an unsaved man. Without Christ in one’s life there is nothing worth living for if you want to be honest about it. Everything in this world either breaks down or dies at some point and there’s nothing any of us can do about it. The barren trees also symbolize a dying, decaying world that is mired in sinfulness, which is a festering sore on humanity.

                  It is no surprise to me that Easter or Resurrection Day is in the springtime. It’s the time when trees sport their new buds and flowers begin to bloom. This is representative of new life, just as Christ rose to new life and we rise to new life when we receive the forgiveness of God.  The new life all around gives us all reason for hope. The beauty of the blossoming trees and the blooming flowers shows us what that new life looks like. 

                  Once in full bloom we represent all that is good and right about God. The thought of all this made me smile for I realized that I was loved deeply by my Heavenly Father, and nothing would ever change that. I am no longer a barren tree. I am alive and well and living as his vehicle to teach and write about godly living in an ungodly world. May God bless me that I might be a blessing to others and may he do the same for you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

Possessions

            To possess something is to own it. People accumulate a multitude of possessions in a lifetime. Some are worth keeping, some are expendable. Those would be the things that have little to no value. Other possessions have intrinsic value, in that they are essential to one’s life and well-being.  

            There are things that we need and things that we want. Desires do not equal need. Our desires are driven by what we feel we must have. We must come to the understanding that all things that we desire are not essential to life. Take salvation ... it is essential to ones existence both now and in the future, but many have no desire for it because they don’t understand their need of it. 

            The most important possession is something that we cannot own, but rather something that owns us. God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. He seeks to possess your heart, for in possessing your heart He will be able to mold you more into His image. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts From a Random Mind

            What is truly important in life? I know when I get perturbed about something at work I complain to myself about it and then come to the ultimate conclusion that it’s really not important & not worth being upset about so I promptly dismiss it. I wasn’t always like that. I would stew about things for hours. It affected my countenance and my attitude. People could look at my face to see how I was feeling; I projected negativism. As I have grown in the Lord over the years (and trust me it took a while) I have more of a tendency to overlook things or let them slide. Oh, I still get upset about some things, but the Holy Spirit helps me to allow the anger to dissipate, like water as it evaporates as steam.

                  How do you handle situations that arise in your life … at home, at work, at school, during sports competition?  Do your emotions get the better of you? Do you lose control and allow the worst parts of your old nature to surface? In the heat of the battle we can say and do very uncharacteristic things. When this happens in a Christian’s life the only thing we can do is ask the Lord for forgiveness, which surprisingly is the easy part. Facing strangers, peers or family members can be very difficult. It’s called ‘eating crow’ in some circles and can be very humiliating. I know because I’ve had to come forward and ask forgiveness for overreacting to a given situation far too many times. 

                  Let me conclude this by saying in this world both believers and non-believers are rarely allowed the luxury of being human … of being themselves. In those cases everyone seems to become either a critic or a judge and jury. Isn’t it funny how others seem to know better than you how to live your life? Do yourself a favor and follow God’s lead and regardless of how you are perceived, you’ll be alright. I’d rather be favored in God’s sight than man’s any day of the week. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries