Life Lesson 5

                  Patience is a virtue. Patience without kindness is wasted in that you must have a proper disposition when you are waiting for this or that to take place. Being patient while being bitter or irritable at the same time reveals a negative picture. Your foul disposition overshadows the patience you are attempting to display. The world is in need of kindness and goodness, not another example of an impatient temperament.

            Biblical patience must be willing to wait as long as it takes for our request to come to fruition. Along with kindness should come peace, for waiting any length of time can become an arduous endeavor. Humans can be as a whole very impatient. This instant society we live in doesn’t help the situation. As you’re waiting have you ever considered that delays may keep you from an unfortunate situation that could potentially change your life forever, say a car accident or being robbed. Learn not to question delays but understand that delays can be part of the deal. God’s economy doesn’t have built in instant gratification. The answer to the question becomes manifest to us when God knows the best time for the answer to come and not a moment sooner. Our problems arise when we misread God’s sign and push thru to an end result that was not intended.

            Displaying kindness will speak volumes regarding being a positive testimony for Christ. As a believer, to not be kind paints an incorrect picture of Jesus and how He intends us to live. If you find it hard to be kind in any situation ask the Lord for his help in the form of the Holy Spirit who is our guide and mentor. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lesson 4

One morning, on my way to work, I caught myself lamenting past mistakes, consequences, disappointments, and injustices. There was no profit in that, so I slowly refocused on the present. You cannot go back in time and change history. You can however learn from the past, so it doesn’t end up repeating itself. I think you will agree, you take what is of value and let the rest go. 

            Life can be very hard, and sadness comes far too often, but there is a lighthouse for our soul that shines out brightly in the darkness of those desperate times. Tears of bitterness can turn to tears of contentment, and a heavy heart can once again become lighter than air. It depends on your focal point. What do you spend the most time focusing on, the negative aspects of life or the positive? Focusing on the wrong thing can wear you down and steal your hope. As believers in Christ we have much to find hope in. Just the very fact that Christ is returning for us should chase away any clouds of sadness from your heart. This life, with all its troubles, will not last forever, life with the Lord will.

            You can’t plow a straight row looking back, nor can you move forward when you are mired in the past. Reflect on your past if you feel the need to, but only to learn how to correct past irregular behavior and not to wallow in self-pity. Our history should be a learning tool for our future and nothing else. We can’t change it so let us revel in the fact that it is in the past and brighter days are on the horizon. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.  

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries 

Life Lesson 3

                  Although God is perfect, we are not intended to be perfect at all. We are part of a learning curve with more experienced believers knowing more, having experienced more and are more aware of their spiritual gifts. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I try to live my life as Christ would have me but unfortunately I fail more times than I succeed or at least it seems that way. Because of this I ascribe to the theory of the blind squirrel, which goes like this: even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while. I see myself as the blind squirrel. Fortunately God loves blind squirrels too. 

            I’m very hard on myself. I demand perfection when I know in my heart perfection from an imperfect person is impossible. There was only one perfect individual in the entire history of mankind and that was and is Jesus Christ. I think I’m a lot more selfish than I should be, so even if there were such a thing as a perfect man besides Jesus I would not be that person. I am famous for overthinking things. Thinking too much tends to allow procrastination to set in. My uncertainty many times causes me not proceed at all, instead of proceeding with caution. God doesn’t require perfection from us. He knows that we are from dust* and to dust we shall return at the end of our life. He gives us tools and guidance, which we often times don’t recognize as coming from him. We need to realize that everything the Lord does for us is for our benefit and ultimate good.

            I revealed this side of myself believing that there are others somewhere in the world that are like me. Take heart brethren, God’s unconditional love embraces us all with the warm support we need to go thru this life with more successes than we will ever realize. Not perfection, but success. Success in God’s eyes is far different than success in this world. As we place one foot in front of the other and proceed forward we will gain confidence and slowly grow into exactly what God has intended us to be all along. We are all different, not one of us is exactly the same, but we are all expected to try.  The person I will become isn’t like anyone else in creation. In that respect we are all unique - one of a kind. Don’t beat yourself up, see yourself as God sees you and allow him to untap the immense potential that exists 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

* Psalm 103:13,14 - “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.”

Life Lesson 2

            Here’s a life lesson for you. It is my contention that Christians are partially responsible for some people to turn away from God. Here’s a real life example that just took place at my job the other day. 

            Guy #1, who does not know the Lord, was told by a “religious” person, we’ll call him guy #2, that guy #1 shouldn’t be cursing, especially on that day, because it was Good Friday. Then guy #2 proceeded to drop an F bomb himself less than 5 minutes later. That would make guy #2 a hypocrite and that’s exactly how guy #1 saw it. 

            Point #1 – Chances are guy #1 may know very little to nothing about that holiday season. Point #2 – His cussing is not going to send him to hell; his rejection of Christ will. Point #3 – Guy #1 doesn’t know any better. Point #4 - Guy #2 DOES know better. Point #5 – Guy #2 was judging Guy #1 for doing something that he does as well.

             There are too many people like Guy #2 who pass judgment with their words of indictment, and they need to stop that. Once a person receives Christ the Holy Spirit will deal with the profanity issue. Sometimes we clean up our language only to have it reemerge sometime down the road. Let me repeat was I said in Point #3 above … people who don’t have a relationship with God don’t think anything of cussing and that is understandable. It doesn’t make it all right, but it is not our place to instruct him regarding what may be perceived as our regimented list of Do’s & Don’ts. Some of us need to get off our high horse before we make a fool of ourselves in front of others. We must humble ourselves. We are better than no one. We aren’t to compare ourselves to others, but rather to God. This will put us in the place where we belong, beneath the Lord and equal with everyone else. Salvation doesn’t elevate you in status; it forgives you of your sins. That makes you different in that one respect; otherwise, we are really no different than those who are unsaved. No matter how hard you try, even your best efforts will fall short in your quest to be just like Christ. In spite of that, continue striving to be a living example of our Lord, because as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Life Lessons

            Life is like a book with many chapters. The story begins and at an undetermined time the first chapter ends, and the second chapter begins. During one of the chapters you are introduced to the Lord, and he becomes a regular part of the story. There’s a chapter for childhood, one for the teenage years and a special chapter focusing on schooling, one chapter has a fixed climax when graduation occurs. There’s a chapter for college, chapter for courtship, chapter for marriage and a chapter for having children. Some chapters are light; some are dark depending on the subject. People come into your life either in the midst of a chapter or at the start or conclusion of another. 

            Having said all that, I tend to believe that some people are only in our lives for a brief time. When they move, switch jobs, or churches or simply pass away, a chapter ends and another one begins. We mourn the loss and move on. There is a chapter regarding the re-emergence of a person from your past where you discuss how much each of you had changed. Depending on how the chapters play out will determine whether you end up single, married, divorced, remarried or alone. All the while we try to figure out the meaning of this life and why it seems to be so complicated. For a large part of our life I believe we think way too hard about a lot of things and the more we think the more we become confused. Worry begets stress, which is kin to tension, which can do very bad things to your physical body. We take prescription drugs to regulate our heart, our head, our blood flow, and our nerves. 

            Some books, like their corresponding lives, are long and drawn out, others are short and definitively to the point.  Some make a big splash based on the character of the subject. Some just exist without much to say or do. Those with Christ in their lives will nearly always be more interesting. 

            It is said that our lives will be the only Bible others will ever read. I believe that is true, therefore, we should let our lives be true to what the author intended. Let your life be a worshipful symphony of truth and faith and hope and peace. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

In His Name & for His Glory.

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

5 Things We Need to Understand 

5. We need to learn how to surrender our will in favor of God’s will, for His will for us is designed with us in mind.

 

            As followers of Christ we need to realize that God has a will for each one of us. A perfect, edifying, all-inclusive will for us specifically. Now there is a general will that involves witnessing about the goodness of God in your life in the attempt to lead others to Christ. But I’m not talking about that right now. 

            We think we know what God’s will is; maybe we do, maybe we don’t, but scripture is clear regarding God and how well He knows us. “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:27 NIV) THE MESSAGE translation goes so far as to interpret this verse as such: “He (God) knows us far better than we know ourselves, ...”. That is a very true statement. He knows our thoughts and the motive of our heart. He knows what is good for us, while we do not. He knows what we should stay away from, while we do not. 

            The Lord even says thru the prophet Jeremiah that He has plans for each one of us: “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 NIV) We cannot know this, for we are incapable of foreseeing the future, but nothing is hidden from God. As long as He is with us in all our endeavors, our future in Christ is bright and hopeful.

            Autonomy is the enemy of obedience. Thinking you have all the answers and a plan for your life is detrimental to a believers walk with Christ. Would you rather follow the plan of someone who KNOWS or speculate regarding your future. God is perfect in every way and cares for us too much to watch us fail, but if you insist on doing things your way instead of Gods, you will ultimately fail. You see God has your whole future lined up for you. Following His will is somewhat like knowing which rocks to step on to get across a rushing stream. With the Holy Spirits leading you can know which way to go, without having to guess.

            This concludes our look at the 5 things we need to understand, I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Ministries

5 Things We Need to Understand

 

4. We need to understand that we are part of God’s unfolding plan.

 

            God's unfolding plan refers to the progressive and divine revelation of God's purposes and will for individuals and humanity as a whole. The idea of God's unfolding plan is rooted in the belief that God has a master plan for each person's life, which may not be fully understood at first but becomes clearer over time through faith, obedience, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For instance, the Bible states, "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]. This verse highlights that God's plans are ultimately for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

            This plan includes the redemption of humanity through Jesus Christ, the transformation of believers into the image of Christ, and the ultimate restoration of all things [Ephesians 1]. 

In summary, God's unfolding plan is a dynamic and progressive revelation of His will and purposes, which unfolds over time as individuals and communities grow in their relationship with Him. It is a call to trust in God's sovereignty, to seek His guidance, and to be open to the ways He leads and transforms lives. The ultimate reason for man's existence is to know God and experience the pleasure of His presence, as God created humanity for His own pleasure and to share in His glory. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

5 Things We Need to Understand

3. We need to understand that life can be very tough, unfair, and unjust, but God loves us, controls everything in His creation, and always work things out for our greatest good.

            God is NOT a genie in a bottle. Yes, God controls all things, but because He gives all of mankind a free will to do as he pleases, the door for evil to manifest itself has been opened. His children are obliged to seek His will rather than stumble thru life on their own. Your battles are not your own. God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, enables you to avoid evil and/or withstand it if it takes place. 

Do some believers die unexpectedly. Yes. That can be seen as the product of a dark, and sin-sick world. If God stopped all evil from taking place then what would be the point of giving us a free will. With that free will many enter into situations they have no business getting into, but our curiosity is our downfall. Do we not trust God? He’s not trying to keep us from having fun, but think about the things we want to do for fun. Some are innocent and some cross a line into the danger zone. God allows it because we insist by our actions. 

No matter what transpires in our lives, in the end as you look back over your life, you should see that everything worked out just as God planned it. He won’t interfere with any consequences a person may have won as a prize for a possible misstep, but even then I believe God shows us mercy. Know your Bible. Try to understand how God operates. Trust Him implicitly and without hesitation. Your reward shall come in the end. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name and for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

5 Things We Need to Understand

2 - We need to see others as God sees them.

            Judging others is a well-documented problem of mine, but I am not the lone ranger regarding this issue. I think most people have this problem to some extent and it’s not right. We know nothing about the individuals we judge. We judge their appearance, their voice, the way they talk, and so on. I’m really not sure what we think gives us the right to do this, but we do it. 

            To combat this issue I’ve been asking God to enable me to see others thru His eyes. We need to consider how He looked at us prior to conversion. I can tell you that He looked upon us with compassion, love, and mercy. I can tell you that for sure because of how 
scripture describes our God. “God looks upon us with a mix of holiness and love, seeing us as His creation, His children, and His friends, while also being fully aware of our sin and desiring our salvation. For those who are in Christ, God sees the righteousness of His Son rather than our sin. This means that God sees us as justified, redeemed, sanctified, even glorified.”

            Knowing all this, we should do the same, but it doesn’t come easy. We have to WANT to stop judging others; however, if we’ve been doing it for most of our lives stopping could be harder then it seems. It takes a conscious effort to stop and look at that person as a creation of God, just like you. It is a challenge for a lot of us, but if we’re serious about stopping then the effort expended will be rewarding. 

I have no doubt I’ve been judged by someone I may not even know, and you have been to. Have compassion on our fellow man. We all fall short of God’s glory, so we should keep that in mind and treat others the way we’d like to be treated. Let’s start adjusting our vision today, okay. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

 

5 Things We Need to Understand

1 - We need to see ourselves as God sees us ...

Too many of us Christians fall for the enemy’s lies regarding our worth. Maybe it’s negativism from your parents, or your friends, or bullies at work or school, or your bosses or teachers. We have no control over how others treat us. To counter the negativism, which can be understandably polarizing at times, we really must learn to see ourselves the way God sees us.

A negative Christian is an ineffective Christian. Once saved we have a clean slate. Any past mistakes in judgment we made do NOT define us now. God loved us prior to our conversion and His feelings for us have not changed one iota.; and they never will. The enemy will continue to try to drag us down; however, searching the scriptures and familiarizing yourself with God’s Word and more specifically God’s promises can elevate your mood and better equip you to combat the negativity that permeates our society.

            God sees us as highly valuable. You are one of His most precious creations. His love for all of us is unrivalled and never ending. After our salvation we are looked upon by God as a new creation: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are seen as holy and blameless because we are in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18). God sees me as His child (cf. John 1:12–13). He sees me as “dead to sin” (Romans 6:11). God sees me as His handiwork (Psalm 139:13–16; cf. Ephesians 2:10). God sees me as part of His flock: “He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (Psalm 95:7). So as you can see from scripture, Christians are valued very highly by our Heavenly Father. Don’t ever look down on who you are in Christ, for you are very special in His eyes and frankly, should anything else really matter? Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Self-Absorbed

“Being self-absorbed refers to a state where a person is excessively focused on their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences to the point of neglecting or being unaware of others. This preoccupation often manifests as a lack of empathy, difficulty listening, and an inability to consider other people's perspectives or needs. While the term is typically used negatively, psychologists note that self-absorbed behaviors can be unintentional and may stem from unmet emotional needs, anxiety, low self-esteem, or even exhaustion. Although not all self-absorbed individuals meet the criteria for a personality disorder, the trait overlaps significantly with narcissistic tendencies, including entitlement and a lack of compassion.

Common signs of self-absorption include dominating conversations, struggling to express genuine happiness for others, and being overly concerned with your personal image or external validation. The behavior can lead to strained relationships, emotional tunnel vision, and even isolation, as the individual may find social interactions draining and become trapped in a cycle of introspection. While self-absorption is generally viewed as unhealthy, it can sometimes be a temporary state driven by stress or mental health challenges, and self-awareness is key to overcoming it.”

I felt this article was very helpful in explaining from a medical point of view what true self-absorption is and is not. The word “temporary” in the last statement of the article shows me that there are times when the apparent self-absorption is not done purposefully. In other words, as it states earlier in the article, it is “unintentional”.

Being “self-absorbed” can strike anyone at any time, whether believer, agnostic, or atheist. It can be the result of events that have caused you to crawl inside yourself. It can make you either self-absorbed or indifferent and neither is beneficial to you. The agnostic and the atheist don’t have the issue of trying to cultivate a relationship with a spiritual deity, but believers in Christ do. Christianity isn’t just believing in Christ and continuing thru life on cruise control. We are to allow alterations masterfully done by the Holy Spirit within us. This will help keep us from ever turning inward, but rather encourage us to be reaching outward with the love and grace of God.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The above article is from the following website: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-does-it-mean-to-be-self-absorbed

 

A Repentant Prayer 

 

King David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm 51: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness… Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me… Create in me a new heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

 

            King David was as scripture declares “a man after God’s own heart” ^[1] and “the apple of God’s eye.” ^[2] If that is the case then why on earth would he need to utter the above prayer of repentance?  Because he is human; frail and fault ridden. No mortal man is perfect; not even close. So though his relationship with Almighty God was close, it required the Lord to exhibit extreme patience in the face of David’s indiscretions.

            David knew God intimately, yet was still tempted to sin and worse yet, had succumbed to that sin. He knew he was in need of a serious spiritual cleansing. He needed to be once again cleansed of his sinful behavior. David sought a new heart and a faithful and unswerving spirit toward his God.

            David exhibited humility when he recognized his need to be cleansed by the Lord. He knew what he had done was sinful in God’s eyes, but did it, nonetheless. Now God knows the sincerity of David’s repentant prayer and the motivation of his heart. It was one of contrition, deep sorrow and regret. 

            The lesson we can take from David’s situation is that God obviously understands our frail state and while we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our God, mistakes in judgment shall be made. God’s grace doesn’t allow our mistakes to define us. We always have a chance to repent. Take David’s prayer to heart. Perhaps it may even apply to you. I know it does me. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” (Acts 13:22 NIV); The phrase also appears in the Old Testament in 1 Samuel 13:14 (NIV), where the prophet Samuel tells Saul: “But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

^[2] David refers to himself as the "apple of God's eye" in Psalm 17:8, where he prays, "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

Fractions

            Here is something that I never thought of before. I heard it today as a lyric from a song. “Without the Lord we’re a fraction of what we’re supposed to be.” Without the Lord we are incomplete. Now those who don’t know the Lord have no concept of that. God created us in our mother’s womb. Folks who don’t happen to believe that are liable to believe just about any other notion regarding how they came into existence. But for those who have chosen to believe, there is a level of excitement that exists in their heart and soul.

            I would imagine that any person would like to be a ‘whole’, rather than a ‘fraction of that same whole’. Wholeness only comes thru Christ’s blood. Eternal life only comes thru Christ’s willing sacrifice in our place. We speak of how ‘God is love’, and he is. How do we know that? Just look at what he did for us all. That is love magnified. Who could ever top that?

            Those who consciously avoid dealing with the ‘salvation from sin’ issue are short-changing themselves and they don’t even realize it. Their autonomous nature refuses to allow their conscious mind to assimilate the knowledge needed to become a child of God. Not understanding the magnitude of what is being offered shines a spotlight on their ignorance regarding the topic. To clarify, ignorance is not ‘stupidity’, it’s ‘not being aware of something’.  

As I’ve said before, ignorance and stubbornness make terrible bedfellows. You are unaware of something, and you are steadfast in your ignorance of that thing. Frankly, especially nowadays, people do NOT want anyone telling them what to think or do. 

            Until folks do a self-examination of your heart, mind, and soul, they will more than likely always remain a fraction of a thing. It doesn’t have to be that way, but it’s a plain fact that not everyone God created will embrace him and surrender their life over to his leadership. People will accept just about anything if it’s free, but will never receive salvation even though it’s also free. Why? It messes with their sensibilities. It replaces their autonomy. Their pride will never allow it. 

            Allow the Lord into your life. It sounds like a bad thing, like you lose control of your life, but that isn’t true. God’s template for living is in the Bible and once you familiarize yourself with it things begin to make a whole lot more sense. You are now a whole instead of a fraction and your life will never be the same (in a good way).

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

             

Lord, why can’t I stop cursing?

 

“Swearing acts as a rapid pressure valve for anger, frustration, pain, and stress.  It triggers a mild fight-or-flight response (measurable via heart rate), which can temporarily blunt pain perception and discharge emotional tension.  

Once a trigger–response loop (e.g., frustration → swear word) is repeated enough, the brain routes it through deep, automatic structures rather than the deliberate language centers.  The result is a neural shortcut that bypasses conscious choice — which is why it feels involuntary. 

Swearing is socially contagious — you learn it from family, friends, and peer groups, and it functions as an in-group signal of trust, authenticity, and intimacy. Communication Accommodation Theory explains how people match the language of those around them. 

The "disinhibition" explanation is when under sudden pain or stress, social self-monitoring drops and taboo words that would normally be suppressed come out. This is partly why swearing spikes during physical pain, surprise, or conflict. Involuntary, context-free cursing can signal Tourette syndrome or other neurological conditions affecting the ventral prefrontal cortex.  This is distinct from habitual but voluntary swearing.

The most common pattern in everyday life is a combination: a personality predisposition + emotional regulation need + social reinforcement + habit entrenchment, making it feel almost reflexive.”

 

My assessment of the problem: You can feed your mind with positive thoughts daily... habitually. Pick other words to replace the curse words; like “biscuit eater” in place of “b*stard”. “Firecracker” in place of “f*ck”. “Sheet” instead of “sh*t”. “Beach” in place of “b*tch”, and so on. Most unsaved folks cuss and think nothing of it. Following suit with them via the words you use will not win you any friends. They may wonder why a “Christian” is really not too much different then them. We are to strive to be like Christ, not our buddies at work. Mingle with unsaved folks, absolutely, but do not replicate their behavior.

If you truly want to stop cussing, it takes determination and self-control. You can do it, but only with the Spirit’s help. I’ve battled this problem most of my adult life. I have good periods of time and horrible periods of time based largely on the level of stress I happen to be dealing with at the time. I am a work in progress, but I have every confidence that with God’s help I will beat this bad habit. 

Until next time, give all your problems and concerns to the Lord.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: www.neurolaunch.com, www.scienceinsights.org, www.themindsjournal.com

Quote Contemplations

“I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them.” –  Bob Goff *

 

            It’s often been said that men want to fix things and women want security. I don’t know how true that is, but it sounds about right to me. The thing is we may think a lot of people need fixing, but all they really want to be loved or appreciated for who they are. I think that is what the essence of Bob Goff’s quote is.  Instead of looking at people and only seeing the faults, flaws, or problems, we need to look more clearly at them and see who they truly are. 

            There are people with annoying habits or in your face personas that are really only crying out for attention. People have a desire to feel like they matter. The more folks are the target of destructive statements, the more they will begin to embody what’s been said. If you’re told you are lazy loser, over time you will begin to believe you are lazy loser. Conversely, if you are told you are awesome blessing, you will begin to feel good about yourself. 

            Do you have a burning desire to fix someone? Why not simply go and spend time with them and get to know them for who they truly are. As a follower of Christ we may find an opening to share our testimony with them. That should NOT be the sole reason we reach out to people. St. Francis of Assisi is quoted as saying: “Preach the gospel at all times & if necessary, use words.” Live like Jesus did, not literally as in dress how he dressed, eat what he ate, no... live like Jesus from a behavioral perspective. Only God can fix people; we just need to know them and befriend them for the sole reason of making them feel loved. 

            Jesus made everyone feel included and of value. He treated everyone the same. We are to be the same way. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Robert Kendall Goff (born February 22, 1959) is an American lawyer, speaker, and author.

Quote Contemplations 

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein 

            To be a success in life you must be able to accomplish whatever goal you happen to set for yourself. Success has the potential to become egocentric in that you do things for your own notoriety; for your own sake and not necessarily for anyone else, though certainly not always. Pride and arrogance CAN become enemies of success if they are allowed to be. Achieving success on any level for the betterment of humankind is admirable and also desirable. This must be kept in mind, so you seek success for the right reason(s).

            To be of value means to be useful.  It can mean a few other things, but for my purposes “useful” fits the bill. It is commonly used to indicate that something or someone provides a benefit, or significance, and is not always assigned to monetary worth.  

While it is true that a benefit of success can be that it is useful as well, being useful as an individual can have a positive influence on all who are touched by one’s usefulness. 

The quote on top isn’t tied to spirituality per se, but can be fashioned in such a way as to edify believers. Matthew 10:31 states that believers in Christ are of more value than the sparrows of the field. Hence, we are of great value. As we spread the Gospel the words of God enhance the value of the receiver. 

It would seem that just as trust is linked to faith, so success is linked to value. When a person is of value then their words and actions become more important. Think of Paul or Peter as just two examples of men of value who were successful in what they did, though it never translated into financial gain. Many times just the opposite. Be a person of value to those around you. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

You Are Loved!!

 

                  Life can be very hard at times. It can be unfair. There are times when we can feel forgotten, overlooked, or even unloved, even by the ones who made a covenant to love, honor, and cherish till death do us part. There’s something I’d like to impart to you all. YOU ARE LOVED!! You are not loved superficially, but rather eternally. Almighty God, who created you in your mother’s womb, loves you deeply and without reservation. He created you out of love, and sent His Son to die in your place out of love. His greatest gift to mankind is a life for a life. Even if we wanted to, we could never do for ourselves what Christ did for us all. 

            If you feel down and out today; if you feel disregarded or irrelevant, know this day that you are loved more than any person on this earth could love another. Our attempts at loving someone, whether family, friend, or spouse end up being weak and in many cases unacceptable in the eyes of the God and the recipient.  The only way we can know how to love anyone is thru our relationship with God. 

            This world has no idea how to love another person. It has nothing to do with the material goods, money, or sex. Those are by products of loving someone, but in and of themselves are inconsequential. 

            The bottom line here is that if you desire to actually BE loved, you must tap into God. You must turn control of your life over to Him, not just as Savior, but as Lord. The world has sold you a bill of goods; a cheap imitation. If it weren’t true then why are there so many “loving” couples getting divorced? God’s Word tells us we are loved by Him. You will find true love nowhere else.

            Until next time, walk with the King & allow Him to love you.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Quote Contemplations 

 

“It’s NEVER right to do wrong, but conversely, it’s NEVER wrong to do right.” – RL Keller

            The wrong thing may be easier, it may be more profitable, or may make you popular with the wrong crowd, but the wrongs things are addressed in Proverbs. The Amplified Bible translates Proverbs 14:12 thusly; “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death.” Could mean physical death; however, when man goes his own way his spiritual presence drowns in a sea of conceit & ignorance. Man feels that going it alone is the correct path to take. On that path man is enticed with many questionable things. There are many tangent paths one could take.

            Doing the right thing is always preferable, with one caveat... a person’s heart motivation. Your motivation for doing something is known to God alone (and the doer of the action him or herself, of course). God judges our heart’s motivation. Doing something for recognition or notoriety is arrogant and worthless in God’s economy. A humble spirit allows a person to do whatever happens to be necessary without fanfare. Not being noticed is or at least should be their goal.

In Matthew 6:3, Jesus says "don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing". In other words, give so discreetly that the giver themselves doesn’t dwell on their own generosity.  They want to show that the act was motivated by pure love rather than a desire for any sort of recognition. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Quote Contemplations

“Wealth, if you use it, comes to an end; learning, if you use it, increases.” – Swahili Proverb

            What a great proverb!! Money may pay for a lot of things, and it certainly is necessary to survive, but it is not the end all and be all of anything. However, when you learn something new it stays with you forever. The Bible teaches us that “... the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.” [1 Timothy 6:10 Amplified Bible]  

A common misconception is that money itself is evil, but that would be incorrect. What I’ve said many times is that there is nothing wrong with acquiring wealth. What’s important is “how you got it and what you do with it”. 

Money is a very important resource, but it will never be as important as the acquiring of knowledge. You can accumulate knowledge thru the years and have it at your disposal for a lifetime. Knowledge can help you in so many ways; but monetary gain can only do so much. From a biblical perspective, knowledge can lead a person to salvation, but money cannot save a man’s soul. You cannot buy your way into heaven or God’s good favor. Those things are offered by God freely thru your seeking forgiveness from a lifetime of iniquities.

Learning is one thing, but concentrating on learning scripture from God’s Word is where your future takes off in a spiritual direction. You cannot lose by investing time in God. The vast benefits can only be of a positive nature and not negative. So keep money where it belongs and devote more of your time to learning life altering teachings from our Lord. 

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Quote Contemplations 

 

“Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” – Japanese Proverb

 

            A dear sweet Christian woman from my past had a saying that I found to be true. It was “Truth is truth wherever you find it. Just eat the meat and pull out the bones.” The above proverb falls under that category.

The Samurai Code suggests that fear is a mental construct rather than a physical reality.  Simply put, a ‘mental construct’ is something that is constructed by one’s mind. Our imagination can be very active as we invent in our minds scenarios that may or may not take place. We don’t KNOW that they will but the possibility of a certain thing actually happening can generate fear in one’s mind. This is how anxiety takes place, and it’s purely mental. 

I know about anxiety because back in the ‘80s I was dealing with a lot of very stressful situations at work and at home. Some were my doing and some were part of the rigors of my job. Fear is not a fun thing to have to deal with. I’ve been on a couple different prescriptions to help deal with it. I am also claustrophobic. 

I know personally how irrational fear can be at times. I once described a full blown panic attack as having your body react as if there was a loaded gun directly in front of your face, yet nothing is there. So now you can see why I was attracted to the proverb above.

Dealing with fear can become very difficult at times. This particular proverb shows us that the level of intensity your fear is determined by a person’s thoughts or perceptions.

I firmly believe the following statement to be true: “a person’s perception IS their reality. Your mind can convince you that something which isn’t true or real actually IS. Your mind can be a powerful force for either good or evil, whichever way your tendencies lie. 

            This proverb implies that a person can have power over their fears thru mental discipline, so that anxiety doesn’t dominate their minds. Many times our fears are imaginary; a figment of our imagination. Ask the Lord to strengthen your mental discipline so you can overcome the fears in your life. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Quote Contemplations 

 

“Life is 10% what happens to you & 90% how you react to it.”- Charles R. Swindoll

 

            I would say we pretty much have no control over what happens to us in our lives. With that in mind I share this quote from Rev. Swindoll* It appears to me that our lives end up being defined by how we react to circumstances that arise each day. Having said that it is my firm belief that followers of Christ are NOT defined by their past mistakes and God never holds those things against us.

            Our attitude is tied directly into our response to things that arise in our daily lives. Do we have a positive or negative attitude? That answer comes from what we feed our mind. If we feed our mind positive affirmations we should have a positive disposition, which by definition would be our mood or temperament. Feed your mind a steady diet of negative words and thoughts and you will dispense those type of responses.

            All this has to do with our ability to exhibit self-control. We need to have a “want to” to learn how to utilize self-control; a “want to” to learn from the Holy Spirit who is more than willing to train us. God’s word is also a premium way to learn what is expected of us as Christ’s followers. So prepare yourself to deal with the challenges the enemy throws your way to disrupt your walk. Satan can do nothing to you unless you open the door to him. Otherwise the only thing he can do to any of us is just what God allows him to do as a means of teaching us spiritual truth.

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*Charles R. Swindoll is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, and educator born on October 18, 1934.  He is the founder of Insight for Living, a global radio ministry, and the founding pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. 

 

Quote Contemplations 

 

“The first duty of love is to listen.”- Paul Tillich*

 

                  Listening should be the byproduct of hearing; however, hearing doesn’t always translate to listening. You can hear something all day long and not even realize there is noise being produced. It could be words spoken, lyrics from a song, music, construction sounds. Just because you hear it doesn’t mean you are listening. I will go so far as to say that when there is noise and you don’t want to hear it, you can always put on white noise from a white noise app on your phone or laptop. If you care about someone or something you will be courteous enough to actually listen.

            In friendship or marriage listening to one another is paramount to the relationship. It shows that you care about them enough to have interest in what they are saying to you. Communication needs to be important in any relationship. Two-way communication. It shouldn’t ever be a solo event, at least not as a rule. Listening is support. Listening is appreciated. Showing you care in a tangible way is vital to any relationship. 

            Intimacy in a marital relationship is very important, but listening can mean more if it’s real and not phony. Acting like you care when you actually don’t will be found out sooner or later. You can’t fake loving someone, but physically showing you care enough to make the other person more important than yourself is showing them love... true love that should be lasting. You must make it sustainable, not hit or miss. So listen more than you speak and show those you love that you truly care. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Paul Johannes Tillich (1886 – 1965) was a German & American Christian existentialist philosopher, religious socialist, and Lutheran theologian who was one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century.

YOU SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUIT

 

            Let’s face it, at times actions sometimes contradict one’s profession of faith. Although Christians are not to judge others, they can be “fruit inspectors”. 

            Matthew 7:16, 20 state, “You can identify (false believers/teachers) by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.” “...just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

            False believers/teachers were prevalent in Jesus’ day, as they are today. If they are humble and do not seek any sort of glorification, chances are they are legit. Only God can truly know the heart of an individual, however, as we become closer to the Lord we too will see thru the thin veil that covers a persons motives. We are not to chastise them, but rather pray for them and if the opportunity arises, speak with them in an instructive and encouraging way realizing that no man is perfect. Just as God has forgiven us, He will forgive them if forgiveness is sought. We must walk in a spirit of humility, understanding all too well that “there but for the grace of God go I”. ^[1]

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

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] John Bradford, English church Reformer and martyr (1510–1555).