Thoughts from a Random Mind 

Is it possible that many Christians aren’t well grounded in the Word of God? Is that perhaps why people are now “DECONSTRUCTING” their faith? They pray and when they don’t receive an immediate answer it must be because there is no God. Too many new believers must feel entitled to all the riches in glory without having to make any alterations to their mindset or behavior. Are people looking for short cuts regarding their spiritual walk? 

A true believer in Christ will understand what it takes to cultivate their relationship with the Lord. It takes an earnest desire and unabashed determination to serve our God. We aren’t handed everything on a silver platter. There are times when we must pray thru and trust that the Lord knows exactly what He’s doing. If something doesn’t work out the way you thought it would that shouldn’t cause you to doubt God. 

Do you comprehend who God truly is? Do you read the scriptures? Do you FEED your spirit man daily? What are you waiting for. The road doesn’t get easier; it gets harder as in desperation the devil begins to pull out all the stops to throttle God’s plans. He is a defeated foe, and he knows it so there is nothing he won’t try to cause you to get tripped up. 

Buckle up and set your face as a flint, ready to do battle (figuratively speaking) with all who would try to minimize the impact God can make in a person’s life. Be the best representative for Christ that you can with the help of the Holy Spirit within you. We already have the victory; we simply must stand fast and endure the storm of hate that is infiltrating our land. May God have mercy on our land and give all Christians the wherewithal to stand up for that which is right and just according to scripture. In the end, may God’s perfect will be done. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Note: Our greatest weapons are prayer in Jesus’ name & the Word of God. 

Is being gay a sin? Part 2

 

The question, “Is it sinful to engage in homosexual activities because of same-sex attractions?” has a more straightforward answer. Being drawn toward a morally forbidden relationship is not an active sin; it is a temptation. Sin occurs when we dwell upon the wrong thoughts, the temptation spawns, or when we yield to the temptation. Feeling a same-sex attraction is not an active, willful sin, but yielding to that proclivity and engaging in homosexual relations is.

Our culture assures homosexuals that they were born gay, and that confused sexuality is to be celebrated, not overcome. It is now fashionable to call oneself “gay” or “bi” or any number of other faddish sexual labels without any real understanding of their meaning—or of the moral and eternal implications.

We are all sinners, born with a nature that wants only to please itself. The sinful desires within us vary from person to person, but the root is the same (Romans 3:11). When we realize how broken we are and that we cannot have fellowship with a holy God in such a deplorable condition, we gratefully accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). He paid the price that we owed to God for our treason against our Creator. He also paid the penalty for the sin of homosexuality, just as He did for pride, rape, adultery, and theft. Those sins, and a thousand more, are what keep us from God and sentence us to an eternity without Him. We cannot continue to define ourselves by the very sins that crucified Jesus, while also assuming that we are right with God. First Corinthians 6:9–10 lists many of the sins that the Corinthians once practiced (homosexuality is on the list). But verse 11 reminds them, “That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” In other words, some of the Corinthians, before they were saved, lived gay lifestyles; but no sin is too great for the cleansing power of Jesus. Once cleansed, we are no longer defined by sin.

Homosexual behavior won’t damn a person any more quickly than pride or greed or adultery. Without Christ, we are lost, whether gay, or straight. But, when we surrender our lives to the lordship of Jesus, He gives us a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). He destroys the power that sin once held over us (Romans 6:1–7). The old nature that once dictated our actions has been conquered in a born-again child of God (John 3:3). Temptation still rages. Weaknesses still torment. But the power of the Holy Spirit helps us to resist Satan and overcome the sins that once held us captive (Colossians 2:14; James 4:7). We can choose new life in Jesus or the old life of sin. But we cannot have both (Matthew 6:24).

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Taken from post on www.gotquestions.org

Is being gay a sin? Part 1

 

            Admittedly, this is a HOT BUTTON topic. There are various answers to this question, but what does Almighty God have to say about it?

In order to answer the question “Is being gay a sin?” we need to break this question down and deal with each piece separately. Instead of asking “Is being gay a sin?” we need to ask, “Is it sinful to have same-sex attractions?”,which leads to the follow-up question, “Is it sinful to engage in homosexual activities because of those attractions?”

Regarding the first question we should take the time to distinguish between sinning and being tempted. Being tempted is not a sin. Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned (Matthew 4:1; Hebrews 4:15). Eve was tempted in the garden, and the forbidden fruit definitely appealed to her, but it seems that she did not actually sin until she took the fruit and ate it (Genesis 3:6–7). A struggle with temptation may lead to sin, but the temptation itself is not a sin.

The problem with same-sex attraction is that it is an attraction to something God has forbidden, and any desire for something sinful ultimately has its roots in sin. Our natures have been so infected with sin that what is evil often looks good to us. Sin causes us to see the world and our own actions through a warped perspective. Our thoughts, desires, and dispositions are all affected. Scripture says we are sinners by nature (Romans 5:12). So, same-sex attraction, per se, is not always an active, willful sin, but it springs from the sinful nature. Same-sex attraction is always, on some level, an expression of the flesh, or the fallen nature.

Our world is filled with forbidden fruits, including the enticement to “be gay.” A happily married man can be suddenly smitten with attraction for his new associate and wrestle with those feelings every day. A sober alcoholic can struggle with the ongoing desire to drink, even years after he becomes clean. Those desires do not represent an active choice to sin, although they stem from the sinful nature. They are part of being a fallen creature living in a fallen world.

Some people may not always be able to control how or what they feel, but they CAN control what they do with those feelings (1 Peter 1:5–8). And we all have the responsibility to resist temptation (Ephesians 6:13). We must all be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) and “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Taken from post on www.gotquestions.org

Where do you go when you die?

The Bible is absolutely clear that there are only two options for where you go when you die: heaven or hell. The Bible also teaches that you can determine where you go when you die. How? Read on.

First, the problem. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23). We have all done things that are evil, immoral, or unethical (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Our sin separates us from God, and if left unresolved, our sin will result in our being eternally separated from God (Matthew 25:46; Romans 6:23a). This eternal separation from God is hell, described in the Bible as an eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15).

Now, the solution. God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14; 8:58; 10:30). He lived a sinless life (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5) and willingly sacrificed His life on our behalf (1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 1:18–19). His death paid the penalty for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). God now offers us salvation and forgiveness as a gift (Romans 6:23b) that we must receive by faith (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9). “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Trust in Jesus as your Savior, relying on His sacrifice alone as the payment for your sins, and the Word of God promises you eternal life in heaven.

Where do you go when you die? It is up to you. God offers you the choice. God invites you to come to Him. It’s your call.

If you feel God drawing you to faith in Christ (John 6:44), come to the Savior. If God is lifting the veil and removing your spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4), look to the Savior. If you are experiencing a spark of life in what has always been dead (Ephesians 2:1), come to life through the Savior.

Where do you go when you die? Heaven or hell. Through Jesus Christ, hell is avoidable. Receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, and heaven will be your eternal destination. Make any other decision, and eternal separation from God in hell will be the result (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.gotquestions.org

What is the Unforgiveable Sin?

 

According to the Bible, the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This refers to a persistent, willful rejection of the Holy Spirit's testimony about Jesus Christ, ultimately hardening one’s heart against repentance. It is not a single, mistaken word, but a sustained defiance. 

It should be pointed out that it was in the Gospels that the Pharisees accused Jesus of using satanic power to heal, directly attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the devil. How does that translate to us today? It involves consistently rejecting the Spirit’s conviction of sin and refusing to repent. Okay, so why it is unforgivable? It’s not that God refuses to forgive, but that the person perpetually rejects the only mechanism (the Spirit) that draws them to repentance and faith, making forgiveness impossible. Please understand what the unforgiveable sin is NOT.  It is NOT a fleeting thought, a single sinful act, or a moment of doubt, but a state of hardened, unforgiven rebellion.

 

            Here is what two of the four Gospels say about this type of sin...

Matthew 12:31-32 - “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy [every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things] will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven.  Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

 

Mark 3:28–30 - “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and all the abusive and blasphemous things they say; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit and His power [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin [a sin which is unforgivable in this present age as well as in the age to come]”—[Jesus said this] because the scribes and Pharisees were [attributing His miracles to Satan by] saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.thenivbible.com

Is God in Hell?  

 

If God is Omnipresent, as in everywhere by His spirit, is He in hell?

 

The answer is that He is there spatially, but NOT relationally. His spirit is there; therefore He knows everything that takes place there. However, He has NO relationship with anyone in hell. No communication, no redemption, no pardon... those who have chosen NOT to have any affiliation with God are condemned to an eternity separated from Him with no way out.  

For the unsaved, that is not good news for there is nothing that they could ever think, say or do that Almighty God is not aware of. It’s incredible to think that He knows all of us so well that He knows what we will think, say, and do PRIOR to it taking place. What???  Knowing all that can be known will do that. Even as a believer, it is a daunting fact that we need to keep in mind (though I’m sure we don’t). THINK long and hard before you let your own thoughts become words that cannot be retrieved. Thinking something is one thing, saying what you’re thinking can be a big mistake, because once it’s said it can tend to take on a life of its’ own. And many times you cannot apologize your way out of the mess you’ve caused.

It is also a blessing that God knows us that well because He will know when trouble is brewing for us and will guide us, by His Holy Spirit, away from that trouble. That is if we desire to avoid the trouble in the first place. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and our guide. He is always available to assist. Take comfort in that fact. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

What is a CINO?

 

A “Christian in name only” (CINO) refers to someone who identifies as a Christian but does not adhere to core Christian beliefs or live according to biblical teachings.  This term is often used to describe individuals whose actions, values, or beliefs contradict the teachings of Jesus Christ, despite claiming the Christian label. 

Characteristics of a CINO include a lack of genuine commitment to Christ, superficial religious practices, and alignment with worldly values over scriptural principles.  They may attend church occasionally or identify culturally as Christian but do not exhibit a transformed life or spiritual fruit. As one source notes, they may claim the name of Christ but are "spiritually dead" ^{(Revelation 3:1)}. 

Biblical basis for the concept comes from Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21–23, where He says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father.” This emphasizes that true discipleship requires more than profession—it demands obedience and a life reflecting Christ-like character. 

Cultural Christianity is a common form of being a CINO, where identity is based on heritage, tradition, or social norms rather than personal faith.  Examples include those who only attend church on Christmas and Easter, or who support political or social positions contrary to biblical teachings while claiming Christian affiliation. 

Various sources also link the term to hypocrisy, noting that such individuals can damage the witness of the Church by claiming Christ while living in contradiction to His teachings. The call across many religious perspectives is for self-examination: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith” ^{(2 Corinthians 13:5).}

Until next time, walk with the King & treat others the way you’d like to be treated.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries