Thoughts from a Random Mind

What is fear? “A feeling of disquiet or uneasy anticipation of the future...a reason for dread or apprehension.”

Fear can be crippling. I figure just about everybody is afraid of something. Even the people that insist they aren't afraid of anything are saying that to hide their underlying fear of something. What am I afraid of? Hmmm, at first, I thought, "I’m afraid of displeasing the Lord." Hmmm, no, there had to be something deeper ... "fear of witnessing" ... there ya go. That must be it. But still I pondered. It was something deeper, something derived from personal experiences throughout my life that had put thin layers of fear around my heart. Let's see ... I am afraid of flying, but that can be avoided. I am afraid of being unable to move due to a disease or accident ... which plays into my anxiety issues (that's another story in and of itself). All these things were definitely offshoots, but what was the root of my fear. My mind was whirling like a minicomputer ... I've got it. I know what I’m afraid of. Why hadn't I thought of this before. Of course. My fear lies in being REJECTED. Tied to that is a fear of failure and also a fear of succeeding (which on the surface doesn't seem to make any sense but I think it’s real in my life). I fear rejection on many levels. I fear failure, which isn't so strange. 

I suppose a lot of people have a fear of failing. But I also have a fear of succeeding ... I don't think I deserve to succeed for some reason. So NOW I have to seek God and work towards removing the shackles that have bound me in so many areas of my life. It’s difficult to come face to face with your fears and even more difficult to remove them. But can WE really remove them. Perhaps through some sort of therapy, but that may take time. What about praying about it? Yes, that’s the key. I need to shift my focus off my circumstances and place it squarely on Jesus. I have a Heavenly Father who will no doubt show me the way to further spiritual freedom in spite of myself. It’s a fact that we tend to cause our own problems. Reflect on your own life and see what, if anything, you may be afraid of. Then go to the Father and see to be unshackled. Then praise the Lord. Regardless of how you feel you should always take the time to worship the Lord because he is forever worthy of our praise. Amen?

Psalm 150:1-2 ... “Praise the LORD.  Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.        Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.”  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

Is He the one and only absolute truth or is He just a fairy tale believed by weak-willed people seeking a crutch? Is there such a thing as ABSOLUTE TRUTH? Truth always seems to shake out as that which makes sense to an individual, therefore they see it as the truth. But is it true for EVERYONE. You see, doesn’t something have to be true for everyone to be absolutely true? I would venture to say that most, if not all people have differing views on what is true. Just like we all have a different definition of what is NORMAL. Doesn’t there need to be one solitary truth that trumps all others? And where would that truth come from? If you have chosen NOT to believe in the existence of God, then where would your truth come from? Doesn’t there need to be a universal truth; one that is true for all mankind?

It is my assertion that the answer to that is a hardy YES. It MUST be fair and just to everyone. 

Who represents that type of truth? I contend that only an eternal deity could possibly put forth such amazing truth that it would confound the human mind. The simplicity of it is astounding. Man’s autonomy trips them up and doesn’t allow them to see the simple truth that God represents. Reading God’s Word with an open mind can begin the revealing of the truth. Preconceived ideas must be left at the door, but that’s not an easy thing to do. It depends on what your preconceived idea happens to be. 

Can something be true without the evidence to back it up? If we don’t understand something does that mean it can’t be true? There can’t be multiple truths regarding a given subject, only one. Spiritually speaking, based on your upbringing and what you’ve learned thru your life, you either believe an almighty deity exists or that He doesn’t exist. If you assume that God doesn’t exist because you see no evidence of His existence, then shouldn’t you want to do an unbiased, independent investigation to find out for sure? 

Now I cannot prove that God exists; however, I have chosen to believe it as a fact that He exists, came to earth in human form, lived for 33 years and died on a wooden cross to cleanse mankind of their accumulated sins. If I’m wrong, I die and have no other conscience thought; so I will never know whether God exists or not, but it won’t matter because I no longer exist. However, if God does exist, and sin is a real thing, and there is a standard that you should be following to have the best possible life, and you don’t choose to believe then what would happen? You wouldn’t stop having conscience thoughts once we die. What happens to you right when you die is debatable, but your final destination will either end up being God’s heaven or hell, forever separated from the God you didn’t believe in. It would be like have a life sentence with no chance of reprieve. Seeking forgiveness, which had been in play until time is no more, is no longer an option. You gambled and lost. If all that happens to be true, then whether you believe or not will not change that particular truth. Don’t fall into the trap of believing what seems right to you, because you chose the easiest path. Solomon states rather emphatically in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, But its end is the way of death.” It’s a choice we all must make. Choose wisely.

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

                  I have a question for you. Is God your first choice or your last resort? When and only when circumstances become dire do you then cry out to God, or do you keep in regular communication with Him? What do YOU think is the correct answer. For me, the only correct answer here is to honor the privilege we have in knowing our Creator intimately and that only happens thru visiting with Him regularly, not once in a blue moon. He WANTS to hear from you. He desires your fellowship. Even though He knows all we are thinking He still wants to communicate with you.

                  Communication isn’t the direct one-on-one variety; it’s more like sensing His presence. Feeling His love pouring over you. You have to be able to sit still for that type of relationship and sitting still doesn’t seem to jibe with the society of today. Could be meditating on the goodness of the Lord or simply praising His name quietly to yourself or out loud. Communication can be thru the reading of His Word, for if you allow it to, scripture will speak to you on the deepest level of your soul and spirit. Your focus needs to be on the Lord and not your life situations. Your problems can chew up your time and cause undue stress, and tension. It doesn’t have to be that way. 

I find that if I occupy my mind with writing or reading, I divert my thoughts from that which is bothering me to the Lord. I deal with anxiety at times. Am on medication for it. Have been for years. I was told by a Christian counselor many years ago the practice of altering your focus onto peaceful, uplifting thoughts. So if I have anxiety rising up within me, I gravitate to the Psalms or Proverbs to calm myself. That plus the work of the Holy Spirit helps me remain calm. God cares and is there with you in each of life’s situations. Sure, you’ll become overwhelmed at times. After all, we ARE still humans, but God provides ways for us to conquer that which we are battling with. 

So make God your FIRST choice and NOT your last resort. Seek Him while He may be found and stay in close contacts with Him. Life can be difficult for sure, but it doesn’t always have to be as difficult as we make it out to be. Focus on your relationship with God and work at making it strong. 

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

 

Anything done to the extreme is unhealthy, even “religion”. Being over-zealous regarding your beliefs can be a major turn off to those around you. Don’t be “in-your-face” about what you believe. If it isn’t appreciated in politics, to name one example, then why on earth would it be alright in religion. Share the gospel when an opportunity presents itself, don’t bludgeon people with what you believe to be the truth. Pray for those opportunities to come and they will. Share from your heart out of love and concern for a person’s soul, not to earn another notch on your belt, so to speak. Be zealous, but be humble at the same time, understanding that God doesn’t need you, but rather has chosen you to deliver His message to a dying world. However you deliver said message, do it regularly and with compassion. We are being watched closely by non-believers. They’re looking for contradictions, and / or mistakes, slip ups that will give them ammunition again Christians. Aside from salvation, we are really no different than unbelievers. Cut us we bleed. We get stressed and fearful; just like anyone else. We, of course, do have a master plan … God and His Word.

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

 

CONSCIENCE - To have a conscience means to have a sense of right and wrong, and a feeling of obligation to do the right thing. It can also mean having a sensitive regard for fairness and justice.

 

            If a person has NO conscience, it would mean that they have no sense of what is right & what is wrong. They feel NO obligation to do the right thing. They justify their words or actions by what they are thinking or how they feel at the moment. A person with NO conscience is liable to think, say or do just about anything. They tend to be irresponsible (in a general sense). Their world revolves around them and only them, making them selfish. They feel no guilt because their morals & ethics are skewed. 

            A person who HAS a conscience will feel some level of remorse for what he or she has either said or done. They understand the hill that must be climbed to gain someone’s trust back. The pain they may have caused bothers them. If you’re a Christian, you should be seeking forgiveness from the Lord & the object of your error in judgment. Receiving forgiveness from God is a given if sought with the right heart motivation. Forgiveness from the target of your mistake may be harder to receive. 

            At times even when the person WITH a conscience regrets what they’ve said or done, and sought forgiveness, their guilt outweighs the forgiveness achieved.  If you don’t feel you have much of a conscience, grow one with the help of the Lord. Focus on that which is upright & good & fair & just and not those things that create ambivalence in their mind.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

 

                  WWDJ was an acronym that was popular in the 1990’s. It stood for the catch phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” That is a very poignant question that should be utilized in our everyday life. 

                  As true followers of Christ, what should our first thought be when confronted with a challenge or a dilemma? Shouldn’t it be What Would Jesus Do? Let’s face it, we don’t know everything ... no one does. In contrast, Almighty God knows all that can be known. He alone can provide a way out of any challenge or dilemma. Yet we still insist on doing things our own way.  So why is it that when we do that and things blow up we want to blame God, when we didn’t choose to seek Him prior to the explosion? God owes us nothing.  NOTHING.  It is out of the goodness of His heart and His deep seated love for us that He sent His only Son to take on the punishment for all sin as a physical example of that love.

                  Jesus’ life is a perfect example of how we should live OUR lives. If you want to know characteristics that are embodied in “love”, look no further than 1^st Corinthians 13. The way one should act is spelled out very succinctly in that chapter. We should lead with love. Lead with kindness. Lead with compassion. Lead with mercy. It IS what Jesus would do.

                  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

 

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t (Jesus) leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until He finds it?”- Luke 15:4 (NIV) 
          Jesus is referred to in scripture as the Great Shepherd. As depicted in Luke 15:4, a shepherd will seek high and low to find the one sheep from his flock that has wandered off. Those under his care are safe, but the one that is lost is in great danger. Jesus shed His own blood to save those lost and dying souls who don’t know Him as well as those who have embraced “the gift” of salvation. 
          We need to start seeing those around us with Jesus eyes. We don’t need to see them as if they are somehow less than us because they are unable to see the truth right in front of them. No, just as Christ showed us mercy in OUR ignorance, we must also see all others with that same type of mercy. We see some pretty interesting looking people out there in this wacky world of ours. We need to look past the outer shell and see that they too have a beating heart in need of love, patience, grace, and forgiveness. Just because we believe in Christ doesn’t make us any better than anyone else. We need to see people as God sees them and display His love, patience, mercy, and grace for them all. 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

 

What is truth?

            It is my assertion that everyone on the face of the earth has their own version of the truth. This begs the question is there an ABSOLUTE truth?  The influences that exist in each of our lives will tend to dictate that which we believe to be true. Those influences give birth of preconceived ideas that taint our ability to determine any absolute truth that may exist. 

                  If you choose not be believe in an almighty God, then that would eliminate His representing an absolute truth. However, disbelief doesn’t cause the truth to no longer be true. It simply means that person has chosen not to believe it to be so.

                  Pontius Pilate, during his encounter with Jesus, asked the question, “What is truth?” Being cynical due to the compromises he was forced to make with the Jews during his governorship, he really wasn’t looking for an answer to his query, but rather asked in almost a mocking tone, perhaps believing that no absolute truth exists except in an individual’s mind.

                  True believers in Christ believe that God is the spiritual embodiment of truth and thus Jesus Himself is as well. They believe that within God’s realm lies absolute truth. One must embrace this to benefit from it. Due to the free will God allows us, we can believe or disbelieve whatever we choose, but there is no actual middle ground between truth and fiction. Something is either true or it is not true. Man provides the middle ground so as not to have to decide. Many sit on the proverbial fence, hovering between what is true & what is not. Believe what you wish, but understand that absolute truth is the truth that is true for everyone, not just a portion of society. It must be fair and just for everyone, not a select few. Now having said that, non-Christians may counter with the notion that their unwillingness to put all their chips in with God doesn’t make what they believe any less true. Only in the end will our beliefs be unequivocally verified as right or wrong. As the saying goes, “Time will tell”.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries