***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, I have accepted the Lord and believe 100% in the Bible, but I am not able to talk to people well. It makes me uncomfortable and I come off the wrong way with people. How can I be of any use to Christ if I am like this?

ANSWER: Not everyone is gifted to be able to talk to people, however, this is something you need to work on overcoming. Don’t be intimidated or afraid, the Lord will give you courage and the words to speak. The key is talk to other people like you would your best friend. When sharing your faith, keep it simple and just tell them what Christ has done in your life, has meant to you, and that they too can have this personal relationship with Jesus if they want to. In the end, you are planting seeds, since ultimately it is up to each person to make that decision about Jesus for themselves. Seek the Lord for courage, boldness, and the words, and He will give you everything you need for that moment.

A Godless culture cries out! Back in early 2008, I shared with you the sad and almost unbelievable story of a group of 3rd graders in Georgia who were
plotting to kill their teacher (http://liveprayer.com/ddarchive3.cfm?id=3282). Only a week later, came a story from Central Florida of 6 high school cheerleaders who lured another high school girl to the home of one of the 6 where they proceeded to attack her and beat her until she was unconscious. The reason? To film the brutal attack and post it on the Internet! Daily, we are inundated in the news with acts of brutality that are so horrific it is hard to even believe how some people can treat other human beings!

For years now, I have been warning you about the public’s insatiable appetite for blood and brutality, as Ultimate Fighting that has become a mainstream “sport.” I guess it was inevitable, but it wasn’t bad enough you had grown men locked in a steel cage with the sole intention of beating one another into bloody submission, or even two grown woman involved in the barbaric form of fighting, but now you have 6-year-olds involved. Yes, you heard me, children as young as SIX, locked in a steel cage where the sole goal is to incapacitate their opponent, while their parents and other adults cheer them on.

I’ve got to be honest with you. I didn’t condone for a second what former Atlanta Falcon and current Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Michael Vick did in running a dog fighting ring, but I find it almost laughable that he went to prison for two years, had his NFL career damaged, not to mention it cost him apx. $100 million dollars when it was all over. In the meantime, it is perfectly legal for parents to put their 6-year-old children in Ultimate Fighting matches where the sole goal is to beat the living daylights out of your opponent.

What a nation. You can LEGALLY slaughter an innocent baby. “Doctors” can murder 5-6 innocent babies every day and society says that is perfectly fine. However, fighting dogs is illegal and will put you in jail, fighting roosters is illegal and will put you in jail, but fighting children is now a sport!!! I guess we care more about animals than people!!!

Ultimate fighting is the hottest “sport.” How far have we really come (or not), from the days of the Roman Coliseum? One of the contentions I have consistently made over the years is that man has never really changed from the Garden of Eden. We read about man’s inhumanity to man as early as the 4th chapter of Genesis in the story of Cain and Abel. Since man’s fall in the Garden, evil has been part of the human experience and is all around us. It takes on many forms. One of those forms has been evil masquerading as sport.

Throughout human history, sports, men competing against each other has been part of our world. In the capitalistic world of today, never before has sport become such a huge and lucrative business. It is very rare to find sports being played in its purest form any longer. In 2013 sports at almost every level are guided and ruled by one thing, money. In looking back on the history of sports, there have always been those physical competitions pitting one man’s strength and abilities against another. Most of these “fighting sports” like wrestling and boxing concluded when one man had an advantage over the other. However, there has always been more violent and brutal forms of fighting that often included weapons. These types of fights would only end when one man killed the other.

We often think back to the days of the Roman Coliseum. The “sporting events” they hosted with capacity crowds in attendance were fights amongst men to the death. As one man would gain an advantage over his opponent, the fight would conclude with the “death shot.” This would literally be one man killing the other to the wild cheers of the crowd. The halftime show at these Coliseum events would include taking men and women, often Christians, and putting them in the ring with a team of hungry lions. Of course, it was only a matter of time before each met their horrible death in the jaws of the lion, again, as the crowd cheered on. Of course we look at those days and say how barbaric, how inhumane, who could find any pleasure in seeing such brutality and death?

Well, the answer to that is WE WOULD! The hottest new “sport” that is now getting mainstream acceptance is Ultimate Fighting. Ultimate fighting has evolved from the underground fight clubs where men would fight other men with no rules or any other goal but to incapacitate or actually kill their opponent. The underground fight clubs in Asia have been famous for centuries and death was often the end result for the loser of those fights. Years ago when Ultimate Fighting began to emerge in the United States as a form of sport, it was still in a pretty no-holds-barred brutal form. As corporate money has begun to flow into this new sport, they have instituted more rules, doing that to sanitize the action in able to market it to a more mainstream audience.

However, even in this sanitized form, it is still a brutal contest between two men with the goal of incapacitating your opponent. I will guarantee you that as this sport gains in popularity, there will emerge competing “leagues” who will do away with many of the new rules to take it back to a more brutal form that the masses will crave. I have said for many years now, that there is only one place for reality television to go, one place for Pay-Per-View events to go, and that is to display people getting killed. The only thing that is missing from Ultimate Fighting is the “death shot,” that moment when one man has clearly beat his opponent, rendered him helpless, and then wins the match by killing him. I have no doubt that it won’t be very long before you will be able to pay $79 on PPV and see that type of “sporting event.”

My friend, we humans have an incredible capacity to hurt others. Sadly, we see it every day here at Liveprayer. Most do it in non-violent ways. Selfishly leaving your spouse and often your children after many years of marriage. Saying things that we know will hurt someone. Making decisions that inflict pain in people’s lives. There are endless ways man inflicts heartache and pain on others. Why do people love to commit the sin of gossiping so much? They love to hear of others pain. Why do we drive by a car accident and have to slow down to look? We have this morbid curiosity with seeing others in pain.

The fact is, most people don’t love their neighbor nor do they “do unto others.” That is why those who follow these admonitions from the Lord stand out. It is not normal in this fallen world to love others as you love yourself. It is not normal in this fallen world to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. These principles go against the grain of how the world lives and teaches people to live. This world teaches people to love themselves above all, to put themselves first at all times. This world teaches to do unto others before they do unto you. It is the law of the jungle, kill before you are killed. So with this being the prevailing mindset of how the world lives, it is no wonder man has no real capacity to love or care for other men. That mindset transcends even to the “sports” they watch to entertain themselves.

I love you and care about you so much. The Ultimate Fighting craze is only a microcosm of where we are as a people, but I believe a very telling one. It only demonstrates that our desire to be entertained by watching men suffer now becoming a mainstream form of entertainment, is simply further proof of how far our society and culture has deteriorated. It is also further proof of how far away we are from God. We no longer even try to hide our gross sexual perversion or our debauchery. We no longer have any shame or guilt and curse those who remind us of our sins. We live in open and defiant rebellion to the God of the Bible, His Truth and have rejected the love of Jesus in our lives.

We escape through the use of alcohol, drugs, gambling, deny our flesh nothing as we feed it with pornography and illicit sex of every kind imaginable, and find entertainment in seeing men brutalized and killed. Oh, now more than ever this lost world needs to turn to Jesus. He is the only answer and hope. I realize that the world doesn’t want to hear about the Lord, but we see every day the destroyed lives of people who are looking for hope. That is why we do this each day. Fight to reach as many as we can through the Internet. Fight to reach as many as we can through the TV program. Look for new ways to reach the lost masses. I know there are people who are looking for a better life, who are tired of living in sin, who do yearn for real peace and joy. That is why with every breath I have, I will keep doing all I can to reach them with the hope and love of Jesus!

Please pray today for parents to NOT allow their children to get involved in this brutal form of “sport.” Pray for those you know who may find Ultimate Fighting entertaining. They have bought into the lies of this world that it is acceptable to enjoy watching men brutalize each other. Like drugs, and alcohol, and sex, and gambling, once their appetite for such violence is whetted, they will need to see more brutality, more violence to satisfy their cravings. Ultimately, only seeing men die in the name of sport will satisfy them. This is not a fad that will go away. It is not only here to stay, but will evolve into more brutal forms as the years go by. Ultimately, like in all things, the only real answer is to see the hearts of men changed by the power of God. Changed from hearts that seek to view their neighbor destroyed, to hearts that seek to love their neighbor as their selves. Our Godless culture is crying out.

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller

(C)opryright 2013, Live Prayer Church, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ANSWER: This is a common question Believers have. Loving others is NOT something nobody does naturally. It require the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit that resides with all Believers. Pray, and seek the Lord for that supernatural ability to “love others as you love yourself.” The old adage practice makes perfect is true. The more you practice loving others, the more you will find the ability to love your neighbor no matter who that neighbor is!

A Biblical answer to the recent NSA spying revelations. First, let me say up front Edward Snowden, the low level contract employee who had ZERO authority to leak the information he did, is a traitor and deserves to be tried, and if convicted, face the firing squad. Since when did anyone with a security clearance to do their job, determine what secrets the American people need to know about? According to that logic, the entire intelligence community would become totally worthless and ineffective in protecting our nation from those who seek to destroy it!

Snowden is no different than WiliLeaks founder Julian Assange and the openly gay soldier Bradley Manning. Manning is currently on trial for stealing and giving to WikiLeaks 750,000 top secret documents. He has stated in the past that part of his motivation was that the military didn’t properly treat enlisted men and women who CHOOSE to engage in perverted sex with someone of the same sex.

As I stated when Manning came to the light of day, Manning was not a hero as some portrayed him to be, but a traitor who deserves to be put to death for compromising our nation’s secrets! Snowden is NO DIFFERENT and if found guilty should receive the death penalty, not just for his crimes, but to deter others who think they are somehow “righteous” by disclosing our most critical top secret documents for the world (including our enemies) to see!

Having said that, let me deal with this issue from a perspective you won’t hear in the media. Anyone with common sense should have automatically assumed the government knows every phone call we make and everything we do online. Liveprayer has been online for 14 years, and has helped to pioneer much of the interactivity on the Internet that thousands of others are now using. I told people when we first launched in 1999 that anyone who thinks they have ANY privacy online needs to wake up. If you talk on a cell phone, if you have any activity on the computer, just assume the government is watching.

Does that give our government a pass to spy on its citizens? Absolutely not! There are many Constitutional violations that legal experts have been pointing out. However, I want to deal with how this hotly debated issue should be looked at by people of faith from a Biblical worldview.

Never forget, the Bible commands us to be subject to the government that rules us. We are to pray for our leaders daily. Liveprayer as a ministry has prayed for President Obama and his family from his first day in office to get saved and become true followers of Jesus Christ. While I disagree with most of what our government does, I have a Biblical duty to be a good citizen and pray for our leaders.

That does NOT mean I can’t and won’t speak out when the government is violating what God’s Word teaches. Anyone who has read my Daily Devotional for any length of time knows that I call out this government often for their support of killing innocent babies, promoting the homosexual agenda, and coddling the enemies of Israel.

Never forget that the government in place when the New Testament was written was Rome that persecuted Christians and sought to wipe Christianity off the face of the globe! Listen carefully!!! That did NOT stop Paul and the early church from preaching the Gospel and taking it to the world of their day. Paul took advantage of his freedoms to go on his various missionary journeys to plant churches and preach the Gospel without compromise!

At the end of the day, we can’t get distracted and must focus on and work on the things we have some control over. We have ZERO control of what the government does and does not do. ZERO. We never had nor ever will. I choose to focus my time, attention, and energy on those things I CAN control. That is why I choose to use whatever freedoms and liberties I have to preach the Gospel to the world, pray for people in their time of need, and take God’s Truth into the marketplace that is virtually void of Biblical Truth!

I love you and care about you so much. My word to you today is this. Unless you have a significant position in the US Government, working with the NSA or CIA, there is NOTHING you can do about whether the government is or is not spying on its’ citizens. What you DO have control over is your choice each day to be a bold witness for the Lord or go about your life in silence.

Personally, I refuse to take my eye off of the prize. This nation is in spiritual freefall. It is not political problems that plague us. It is not the revelation that our government is most likely spying on its citizens that plagues us. Our problems in this nation are SPIRITUAL, and only turning back to God and Biblical Truth can save our land.

As I tell you often, satan is the great perverter. He is also the great distracter! Don’t let this flurry of scandals regarding our government distract you. Stay focused on those things you can do each day to share the Gospel and take a stand for God’s Truth in the Bible. God will eventually work out all of these political challenges, but it is up to us to work out the very real spiritual problems that will eventually bring this nation to its’ knees and possibly end our existence as so many great, powerful, and wealthy nations have been wiped out in the course of human history!

The bottom line to the current NSA spying scandal for Christians is to keep sharing the Gospel and the hope we have in Christ, like Paul and those in the early church did despite living under an oppressive government that sought to destroy them!!!

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller

(C)opryright 2013, Live Prayer Church, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, I am confused, please help me. The Bible says if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is your Lord and Savior’ you will be saved. Then is there a second condition, that you must also surrender your life 100% in addition to believing to be saved?

ANSWER: NO! Salvation is by faith and God’s grace..plus NOTHING! Ephesians 2:8,9. The fact is you surrender your life to Christ when you make that decision by faith. That is what you are doing, giving your heart and life to Jesus. The Bible says we have been bought with a price. Surrendering to Christ is what happens when a person makes the choice to accept Jesus.

Today is the day the world celebrates Father’s Day. In our busy lives, it is good that we are forced to take a moment and recognize our dads. I had a wonderful father who unfortunately passed away when I was 16. Even though I missed sharing those young adult years with my dad, it was his love and nurturing in the early years of my life that helped build the spiritual foundation in my life. After praying about today’s Devotional, the Lord has directed me to use it as a special encouragement to the dads out there.

How often do we take what dad does for granted? There are Godly men out there who are the spiritual heads of their homes. They work hard to provide the income needed to sustain day to day life. They love and honor their wife. They realize their children are gifts from God and help nurture and mold their lives. These dads realize that serving God is their divine purpose and being the head of their home is their first and most important ministry.

Today is a day to make sure dad knows just how much we love and appreciate him.

For those dads out there that are working hard to be the kind of dad I just described, know that you are in my prayers. Know that each day as you spend that special time alone with the Lord, He will encourage you, prepare you, and make you adequate for that day. You are on the path God wants you to be on as you strive each day to serve Him, making your wife and children your number one priorities. Balance is one of the biggest hurdles you face each day, and I pray the Lord will help you find that perfect balance between work, home, serving Him, and relaxing.

The other big hurdle is being able to give God control. Having so much responsibility each day, letting go and really trusting God at certain time is not easy. Just remember, in John 15:5 it says, “Without me you can do nothing.” God has given you great talents, great gifts, but without the Lord ‘s strength, and He being in charge, it won’t make any difference. Make your faith real as you learn to trust Him more each day.

I recognize today that there are also many dads who aren’t the kind of dad I described. Unless someone is totally committed and surrendered to the Lord, overseeing the responsibilities of marriage and children often suffer. Without the Lord leading your life, getting caught up in all of the traps of this world happen frequently, and life really never makes much sense. The importance of being a husband or a father, doesn’t have the significance that it should. That is why so many men have left the home, abandoned their children, and continually are caught up in every kind of sin imaginable.

To those dads I want you to know that if you are tired of running from God, tired of the pain, tired of the heartache, tired of nothing working . . . this is the perfect day to turn it all around. Even though, this is a day we celebrate our earthly fathers, there is a Heavenly Father who loves you so much, and if you call out to Him, He will help you straighten your life out.

For those wives, ex-wives, and children of dads who haven’t been the Godly dad the Bible talks of, pray for your dad. Know that deep down he is hurting, and only surrendering to Christ will change that. God loves your dad more than you do, and He is the one who can change your dad’s heart. I’ ll pray with you for your dad.

I want you to know that I love you and do care about you. For you dads out there today, let me encourage you by telling you . . . if you keep Jesus first in your life, He will help you overcome the trials of this life, and allow you to see victories in every area of your life. In your marriage, in your children, in your career, in your service for Him….if you will simply trust Him and operate in His strength, you will know blessings and joy above and beyond anything you ever imagined.

Please know that I will be praying for you today, and if you need any special prayer to be the man, the husband, the father, the servant God has called you to be….please don’t hesitate to email me at:
bkeller@liveprayer.com. God has given us many great examples of how to be a true father. Follow Him each day and He will mold you and make you into the father He has raised you up to be.

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller

(C)opryright 2013, Live Prayer Church, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, One of my husbands nephews (Mormon) listed on Facebook his “religion” as “Danite”. I have no idea what that is or what it means, except that I know he is a Mormon. Could you please shed some light on that?

ANSWER: Another absolute fantasy that Mitt Romney, Glenn Beck, and those in the Mormon cult believe is that Native Americans are related to a lost tribe from Israel. That tribe, they are believe, came across the ocean about 600 B.C. to America, led by an otherwise unknown Jewish prophet named “Lehi.” Like the rest of the Book of Mormon this is nothing but a fantasy concocted by Joseph Smith. There is a complete lack of any archaeological or historical proof to support such a story. Archaeologists, linguists and genetic experts, outside of Mormonism have known for some time that Native Americans actually originated from Asia and not Israel. Like most Mormon doctrine, in complete contradiction to the Bible, they believe that Jeuss will return to Independance, Missouri, and NOT the Mt. of Olives as the Bible clearly teaches.

“Thank you Bill for your honest interpretation of the Bible. This world is full of wolves and it’s nice to hear it not being sugar coated. I was the caller who chatted about TBN being a money hungry monster. I am a new Christian and you are the ONLY preacher on TV I have seen that that doesn’t preach harvest seed nonsense, if you give them money you will become wealthy, and spend their program selling books and tapes. Please pray for me to be strong. I’m delivered from drugs and alcohol. Thank you again and God Bless!

“I prayed your prayer tonight and accepted Jesus. Thank you for being there for people like me.”

“I am writing today with heavy heart but not yet a broken soul. Pastor Bill, you helped me thru what I thought was the most difficult time in my life 9 yrs ago when I left my husband and family, returned home but tried to end my life. The Lord used you to bring me out of the pit of hell I had let myself go and I again thank you and God for giving me these years with my husband and family. My wonderful and loving husband John (of 41 yrs marriage) was suddenly taken to heaven on Sunday. I’ve been praying for the Lord to send whatever it takes to bring my children to know him knowing if it’s his will, it will all be turned to his purpose. I pray here and now that ‘this’ be the moment for my children Karen, Kristina, Jonathan and Coralie to know intimately the love of Jesus. I pray that we stand as one united family together in heaven with our own personal Savior! I need others to pray for us to get thru this. I love you, I thank you for your ministry.”

“God bless you Bill! My wife and I will not sit by and watch Liveprayer go down. This ministry has helped us in countless ways. It truly is one of the last voices for truth in this world with a platform to speak the truth. As a long time readers…and long time donors…I challenge everyone to give $10. I’m tired of God’s people having to beg to get His word out. He is the King of Kings! The Lord of Lords! If this is a last stand…than we stand with you!!!”

Paul wrote to his friends in Philippi, “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

As I read that passage of Scripture, it reminded me of my feelings towards you and the work here at Liveprayer. Paul took the Gospel to the lost and hurting in the world of his day by faith, trusting that God would provide for the day to day needs of his ministry. He looked to those that he ministered to to support his efforts to take Christ to those who were living without His love in their life. He was not ashamed to ask them to help him bring God’s Truth to the world of his day and to save souls! THEY MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR PAUL TO DO WHAT GOD HAD CALLED HIM TO DO!

He reminded them that in their giving, they were not giving to Paul, but they were giving to God. It was their obedience and faithfulness that God would credit to their Heavenly account. Likewise, as you give to Liveprayer, you are not giving to Bill Keller, but you are giving to God. It is your obedience and faithfulness that God will credit to your Heavenly account. YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO DO WHAT GOD HAS CALLED ME TO DO!

As we are 15 days into the month of June, please be in prayer with me for the operational finances we need to bring in right away. Thanks to your prayers and the sacrifce of many friend, we have finally covered the $25,000 shortfall we had from May, and now need to focus on taking care of the $40,000 we need for our June operations.

I made a choice 20 yrs ago when I answered God’s calling to the ministry, that I was never going to seek funds for my own needs, or to build my own kingdom, only to bring God’s Truth to the marketplace and build God’s Kingdom. I have been faithful to do that month after month without wavering. We are at a critical time in the history of this nation. GOD IS OUR ONLY HOPE AND ANSWER!

One thing I have demonstrated over these past 14 years is that I will NEVER compromise God’s Truth, even when it would be financially profitable to do so. Sadly, very few are left who won’t compromise simply to raise money!!!

This is the very time for which God has raised up Liveprayer. Our time is now. Now that the TV program is back on the air, over these coming months it will give us a highly visible place in the marketplace to help bring together the true remnant as one body and call this nation back to God and His Truth. I’m simply asking you to pray today and seek the Lord what He is calling you to do to help me to cover the $40,00 we need for our basic June operations.

The Bible teaches to give according to your ability to give. For some that may be $5, for other it may be $20, for others it may be $50. Still others God has blessed and you can make a sacrifce today of $100, $300, $500, $1,000, or more. Never forget that it is not the amount God sees, but your sacrifice, and He will honor your heart as you obey His voice. Will you help me today?

Will you please take a minute today, and pray, seek the Lord what He is asking you to sacrifce to help me as we boldly stand where virtually nobody else will, in the marketplace declaring His Truth as unpopular as that is today, to help lead this nation back to God and Biblicla Truth while leading the lost to faith in Jesus Christ!

TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: http://www.liveprayer.com under the “Donation” link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com,or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St.Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.

I love you and care about you so much. For these past 14 yrs of Liveprayer, I have walked by faith, not trusting in the devices of man, but God to move on hearts to help me. Together we have impacted tens of millions of lives worldwide and over 700,000 souls we know of will be in Heaven. However, our work is not quite finished, and I need you now more than ever! Know that you and your family are in my prayers each day. Thank you for your love, prayers, and sacrifce as we take our stand in these last days. The time is very short, our time is now! Will you stand with me?

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller

(C)opryright 2013, Live Prayer Church, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, “I’m a member of a fairly large Southern Baptist church in Mississippi. I would categorize us as conservative and hold to a literal view of the scriptures. Recently our church congregation began a joint study entitled “Sent.” It is Lifeway material that focuses on the call that Jesus has given to believers to be sent as He was sent. The clear intent of the study is to educate and motivate participants to embrace their calling to share the gospel in their world. Up to this point we are certainly on track, but a key part of the study is for the larger congregation to divide into many smaller groups of about 15 individuals to brainstorm ways in which they can develop specific ideas about how they will carry the mission of “Sent” out into our local community. Now, here is the troubling part. Our group (and I have also heard this concern from a others) has stated it’s desire to not involve itself in a potentially “confrontational message,” but instead to simply do service work to the community. They infer that the recipients of their deeds will be struck with a compelling desire to know what motivates our church members to reach out to them and therefore they will want to come to our church. When specifically asked to come up with evangelism projects for their small group, it seems that the vast majority of the group default to community service projects. I’m at a loss to understand and respond.

ANSWER: See today’s Daily Devotional

How the Gospel is now seen by CHURCH MEMBERS as a “controversial message!’ Sadly, we are living in a generation where the vast majority of pastors are gutless and compromised. Faux pastors who support and promote gross sins like homosexuality, abortion, and a social justice agenda created by taking the Bible out of context. Some of these faux pastors are actually proudly engaging in homosexual relations without any repentance! Others clearly aren’t even saved!!!

Some of these compromised pastors have created and packaged man-made marketing strategies like purpose driven/seeker/emerging church/prosperity gospel designed to put warm bodies in their mini-stadiums instead of converts. To keep them coming back each Sunday, they stay away from talking about things like sin, the eternal hell fire and damnation that awaits those who reject faith in Jesus, and anything else that would upset people. Instead, they entertain the people and give them a nice motivational message so they drop a check in the bucket when it comes by!

The end result is a generation of weak, ineffective, and Biblically illiterate people who go to church, many who have never even made a decision to accept Jesus by faith. Because they have never been correctly taught that the Bible is the only Truth there is, they are sponges for the lies and false doctrines of the cults, false religions, and New Age gurus. Most quickly embrace the love of God, the mercy of God, the forgiveness of God, yet dismiss that God is also a God of judgment and punishment and won’t be mocked.

Sadly, one of the lies so many who sit in Christian churches embrace, is the universalistic lie from hell that if people are “good” and “do their best,” they will make it to Heaven. They have bought into the “works based” teachings most cults, false religions, and New Agers promote. They have never been correctly taught the most important decision each person has to make is whether to accept Jesus into their heart and life by faith or not. Subsequently, they don’t put the same emphasis on the eternal souls of men, even though Jesus died for each one and God says it is His desire that NONE be lost!

Because souls are not a priority to most, because most have never been taught the importance of sharing their faith which is a COMMANDMENT from our Lord and not an option, most are reluctant to share the Gospel with another person. Adding to that reluctance is this lie that people will be offended by those who “push their faith” on others. The fact is, people should be offended if someone DOESN’T share the Gospel, since it is the message that determines the eternal destiny of your soul!!!

Let me ask you a question. If we, those who know Jesus don’t tell someone how to be saved, who will? The media? LOL! Seriously, how is someone supposed to even have the option to find everlasting life unless someone who is saved gives them that opportunity? It is hard to blame the people, since the vast majority of churches don’t even give people an invitation to accept Jesus by faith!

It sickens me that the minions of satan are so bold with his lies designed to destroy people’s lives and insure they die and end up in hell, yet the followers of Jesus are so timid with the truth, having the words of everlasting life to save men’s souls but choosing to remain silent. I guess it boils down to the fact satan’s followers truly believe in his agenda, whereas the followers of Christ really don’t believe what they claim to, since if you believe it you will live it and shout it from the mountaintops!!!

I am in NO WAY diminishing “good works.” Good works SHOULD flow from a life that has been redeemed. However, lots of people do good works. The mafia does some good works in their neighborhoods. It is a hallmark of cults like Mormonism and most of the New Age teachings. Sadly these people believe it will help them achieve eternal life. How about this for a novel idea, do good works AND share the Gospel!

The fact is God allows people to cross your path every day who are lost and without Christ. It is YOUR JOB AND RESPONSIBILITY to share Christ’s love with them. In the end, it is up to that person to either accept or reject the offer to accept Jesus, but it is YOUR JOB to share that offer with them!

Sharing your faith with others is like praying. There is only one wrong way to do it and that is not to do it! Over the years there have been thousands of books and tapes produced on witnessing, one evangelism program after another created, and the fact is they are ALL great. You can never learn too much about how to witness to others, how to share your faith. The reality is there is no one way to do it, but many different approaches. In the end, however, they all lead a person to the eternal choice they must make about Jesus.

You have to remember that each person who shares their faith is unique and different in how God has wired them, each person you witness to is unique and different in how God has wired them, and the circumstances and dynamics each time you share your faith are also unique and different. That is why today I wanted to take some time to share with you a simple way to witness and lead someone to faith in Jesus Christ.

The number one reason people don’t share their faith more often, and sadly in the case of most Christians who fail to do it at all, is fear. The biggest fear is the fear of rejection. Witnessing has many similarities to sales which is why you find people who are most proficient at witnessing are usually great sales people. In the world of sales the first thing you learn about is rejection. A good salesperson is able to hear 99 people say no and go into that 100th sales presentation just like it was the first.

That is not easy to do and why it is a gift to be a great salesperson. Even if you are not a natural salesperson, the key is to never forget that if someone says no when you share with them how they can be saved, it is not you but Jesus they are rejecting. Just like a good salesperson never takes it personally when someone turns them down, you can’t ever take it personally when someone you ask to commit their life to Christ says no. Again, they are saying no to Jesus, not you.

Also, the key to being a good salesperson is being a good closer. You will never get the sale if you don’t ask for it, and you will never see someone come to Christ if you don’t ask them to. The basic rule of Sales 101 is ABC or, Always Be Closing. The basic rule to Evangelism 101 is asking the person you are witnessing to if they would like to know Jesus as their personal Savior. At the end of a sales presentation you have to ask the person for the sale, and at the end of sharing the Gospel you have to ask the person to accept the Lord.

Another fear so many people have is being asked questions they can’t answer. You don’t have to be a theologian to tell people about Jesus. If they ask you a question you don’t know the answer to, simply tell them you don’t know but will find out. Contact your pastor or your Sunday School teacher or someone at your church for the answer. This is why the more we read and study God’s Word for ourselves the more confidence we will have when we are confronted with different questions.

However, never forget that most people asking questions are not really interested in the answer as they are in trying to justify their own unbelief. Most ask questions as a way of proving that we are “wrong” and they are “right.” People who reject God’s Word and the love of Christ in their life, will use questions there may not even be an answer to, to feel better about their choice to reject the Lord. That is why I will answer their questions, but immediately put the focus back on them and the choice they have to make regarding accepting Jesus in their heart.

The other great fear people have about sharing their faith is offending the person you are talking to about the Lord and what ramifications there may be to them personally. So rather than offend someone, rather than deal with whatever persecution there might be, they simply say nothing. Listen, it is better you offend someone with the hopes of them coming to know the Lord than sitting back and saying nothing, while they die in their sins and are lost for all eternity.

It is better someone calls you “Bible thumper,” “stupid for believing the Bible,” “intolerant,” “hateful,” “no different than the Taliban,” or whatever else they may say to you to try and intimidate you into being silent, than saying nothing knowing they will die one day and spend eternity in hell. The fact is the Gospel IS offensive to those who reject it, but it is the words of everlasting life to those who choose to believe.

I love you and care about you so much. The bottom line is that God has commanded us, not suggested to us, that we share our faith in Christ with others. This is not a commandment to just pastors or evangelists, but to EVERYONE who knows Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you really love someone, how can you let them die, knowing that without Christ they will be lost for all eternity, without telling them about Jesus?

I will be praying for you today, praying that you won’t allow fear to keep you from being obedient to God and telling others about Jesus. The easiest and most natural way to approach someone about faith in Christ is by simply sharing what Jesus has done and meant in your life. There is no way to deny what you have personally experienced in your relationship with the Lord.

Today, I rebuke that sprit of fear of rejection, I rebuke that sprit of fear of questions you can’t answer, I rebuke that spirit of fear of offending someone by telling them about Jesus, I rebuke that sprit of fear of being persecuted for sharing the Gospel. I pray that God will give you a spirit of BOLDNESS and COURAGE as you tell others about how they too can know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior!

I take a very direct approach to witnessing. I look the person in the eye and ask them if they believe they will die one day. Of course they say yes. I then ask them if they believe they have ever sinned. Again, they will say yes. I tell them that they are right, they have sinned and they will die one day. I remind them that the Bible says tomorrow is promised to none of us and that each day is literally a gift from God.

I go on by telling them that it is their sin that is separating them from a Holy God who loves them so much and desires for them to spend all eternity with Him. I tell them that is only possible because of what Jesus did. He willingly died on the cross for our sins and that is why if you will confess Him as your Savior, ask Him into your heart and life by faith, HE will forgive you of your sins and you are guaranteed to spend eternity with God your Creator when this brief life is over.

I share with them that this choice not only has eternal ramifications, but means something to them right now. Those who know Jesus as their Savior have the power of God residing within them, and can know the peace, the joy, and the abundance of this life that is impossible without Christ. Additionally, they can see the plan and purpose God has for them fulfilled during their brief journey here on earth.

At that point I simply ask them if they would like to know Jesus as their personal Savior. If they say no, I tell them that I will be praying for them and that they need to spend some time alone with God and pray about what I told them. I remind them that God loves them and He is there when they are ready. If they say yes, I spend a few moments to make sure they know that what they are doing is literally giving their very life to Christ. He gave His life for them, and they are now giving their life back to Him.

The key for you to remember is that this is a personal decision each person has to make for themselves. Nobody can make it for them, you can’t force them, or intimidate them, or scare them into making it. It has to be a conscious choice that they make. When they are ready, I simply have them pray with me what is commonly called the “Sinner’s Prayer.” This prayer does not exist in the Bible, though it is taken largely from Romans Chapter 10. These words don’t save anyone but are simply a verbal guide for what they are doing BY FAITH in their heart.

“God, I am a sinner. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I believe in my heart, and confess with my lips, that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Come into my heart Jesus. Take my life, I surrender it to you. From this moment on, I will live my life according to the Bible and serve you. Thank you for taking away my sins and giving me everlasting life. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen”

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller

(C)opryright 2013, Live Prayer Church, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, why do some people talk about near death experiences when I myself knew nothing when I had my heart attack and respiratory arrest until I woke up 8 days later on the vent.

ANSWER: The Bible says the dead have no more part of this life. I feel people who claim these visions after dying are sincere, but believe they were really never dead to begin with and dismiss what they claim. Yes, there may have been a few moments when machines said they were dead, but they clearly were NOT dead or they would not have come back to life. I am certain our finite minds have NO ability to even begin to understand or comprehend what eternity in heaven, or hell, will be like.

The George Zimmerman trial and race. Last year when the shooting and death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in an Orlando suburb occurred, I was sickened how it was immediately turned into an issue of race. Over the next few months in an Orlando courtroom, the events of that fateful night will be presented to a jury who will decide Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence. Sadly, no matter what the jury’s verdict is there will be outrage and possible violence by those who disagree with that verdict.

Every time any incident with racial overtones occurs, the same people rise up to try and cash in. People like the faux Reverends Sharpton and Jackson, to stoke the fires of racism and act like they are relevant. I am still waiting for these two race-baiting opportunists to apologize for inciting racial animosity during the Duke lacrosse fiasco where everything they alleged proved to be a lie. Sharpton of course still has yet to take responsibility for his role in the Tawana Brawley scam several decades ago, while Jackson is in the news for his shakedown of corporations and fathering babies with women other than his wife

*Note: I still can’t understand why a legitimate news organization like NBC, would have anything to do with Sharpton, let alone put this illiterate man who constantly butchers the English language, on the air.

What we do know about the Zimmerman case after all of the hype and false narratives that were presented is that Martin, is not the choir boy he was made out to be, but a young man who smoked pot, glorified guns, thought of himself as some sort of gangster wannabe with his gold teeth, who was kicked out of school on numerous occasions for fighting and drugs.

Zimmerman on the other hand, seems to be a wanna be policeman who took his role as a community watchman a bit too seriously. The trial will reveal how much of his aggressive actions that fateful night led to his altercation with Martin that ended up with Martin being shot dead.

Let me say this up front, racism is another dividing tactic straight from the pits of hell itself and is found from the early days of human existence and is still present around the world today! There is no white race, black race, brown race, yellow race, red race, or polka dot race. We are all of one race…the HUMAN RACE!

What does God say about racism? The Bible says that ALL MEN are created in the image of God. God created all men equal. I tell you frequently that satan is the great perverter. It is satan, not God, who seeks to divide men by their skin color, ethnicity, financial means, and any other way you can dream up to divide people. God created men equal to live in harmony with one another. It is satan who introduced division into the human experience.

In God’s plan of redemption, there is no division. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world, ALL men. It says that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES. That is a universal call to ALL MEN regardless the color of their skin or where they live. In 1 John 2:2, it talks about how Jesus laid down his life for EVERYONE. Everyone means ALL MEN, the entire human race. This satanically inspired way we have of dividing ourselves through racism, prejudice, and discrimination all make a mockery of what Christ did on the cross. He faithfully and obediently went to that cross to die for the sins of ALL MANKIND.

You also have the Biblical example of Jesus during His earthly ministry. Again, racism is not a new phenomena to the United States in our brief 237 year history. Forms of racism have been part of the human expedience since the very beginning. Jesus commanded us in John 13:34 to love each other as He loves us. He used people of other ethnic backgrounds often in His parables. One of the most powerful is the story of the Good Samaritan.

If you remember, the Jewish religious leaders passed by the man who had been robbed and beaten and laying on the side of the road, leaving him to die. It was the Samaritan, the non-Jew, who honored God by stopping and ministering to the needs of the injured man. Don’t forget, it was Jesus who told his followers to make disciples of EVERY NATION, reaffirming the value of all men.

I love you and care about you so much. Dividing men by skin color, ethnicity, are the works of the devil. Those who truly seek to serve and follow the Lord are not looking to divide men but unite them. A true follower of Christ understands that God created all men equal, that we are all part of the human race. Racism, prejudice, and discrimination are NOT of God, since we are hurting someone God created and loves and Jesus died for!

Sadly, 11 am on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week in this nation. That is truly a shame since the one sanctuary from racism should be the church. Yet sadly, most churches don’t lead the culture, they allow the culture to lead them. So rather than modeling what God says about this issue, in far too many churches, they perpetuate this ungodly attitude men have for other men who look different than them.

They better wake up since when we die, and stand at the gates of Heaven, there won’t be a line for whites, or a line for blacks, or a line for Asians, or a line for Hispanics, or a line for those from the Middle East, just like there won’t be a line for Catholics, or Baptists, or Methodists, or Pentecostals. No my friend, when you take your last breath there will only be two lines. One for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and one for those who have rejected Christ.

The Bible proclaims those who reject Christ will be cast into the flames of hell for all eternity, and those who know Jesus will be welcomed into their eternal home with God their Creator in Heaven. At that moment, Galatians 3:38 will be realized, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus!”

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller

(C)opryright 2013, Live Prayer Church, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, I heard that prophet Ezekiel is used in the Koran and mentioned by Muslims. How can that be and why?

ANSWER: Many cults and false religions plagiarize parts of the Bible. Much of the Qu’ran is simply plagiarism of the Old Testament, as is much of the Book of Mormon.

Praying with your family. As we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday, I have a powerful and encouraging word for all of the men out there. Women, make sure you send this to your husband father, or the men in your life. This simple but powerful act can literally change the spiritual state of your home!!!

Each day I try to do my best to encourage you and give you practical guidance to help translate your faith into your everyday life. Today is one of those core areas that is critical to the spiritual life of a family. Men, you are REQUIRED to take the spiritual headship of your home and make prayer part of the daily life at your house. You should pray with your spouse EVERY day alone, and the two of you should be praying with your kids EVERY day.

Does this insure you will have no problems in your marriage, or with your children? NO. But it must be part of our everyday life to commit the issues we are facing to the Lord in prayer, to be thankful for all God does for us each day, and to openly express our dependence on Him.

For those single moms and dads, during this season you need to be the spiritual leader in your home and it is up to you to make time each day to pray with your kids. There is nothing greater you can do in the life of your children than that daily time of prayer together.

This is not a matter to debate. The Bible clearly tells us to pray one for another. How much more should we pray together as husband and wife–as a family unit? It becomes like everything else in our life, a matter of priorities. It is amazing how much we can accomplish when it is something we want to do.

However, there always seem to be reasons why we can’t do the things necessary to maintain our focus on the things of God. I am not talking about 5-hour long prayer meetings, although there may be times when that is greatly needed. Even 15 minutes, praying about the issues you are currently facing. There is no better lesson for your kids than to see God answering prayers in their life and not answering in some cases. It helps prepare them for the real world they are living in and helps them to learn to be dependent upon God each day.

For a husband and wife, you share the most intimate thing possible physically, yet for some reason you can’t share in the most intimate thing spiritually? That never has made sense to me. Trust me, I realize that this is a big step for many, but a necessary one!

Let me leave you with this challenge. Take the next 4 weeks. Make 5 minutes each day to pray with your spouse alone, and another 5 to pray with the children. With your spouse, each of you take a few minutes to share your needs, then the husband or wife lead in prayer for those needs. Before you end, each of you just take a minute to pray for your spouse, that God will bless them richly that day.

Do the same with your kids. Take a few minutes to have each of your children share the needs pressing; then either dad or mom lead in prayer..then both the mom and dad should pray over each child for God’s protection and blessings. A side note, keeping a prayer journal is a great way to look back after 6 months and see God’s faithfulness. Simply write down the request and date…and then the answer when it comes and the date.

MAKE THIS A PRIORITY TO DO EACH DAY FOR THE NEXT 4 WEEKS!!!

Trust me when I tell you that it will change you relationship with your spouse and children. OK, for those who have a spouse that isn’t saved and isn’t going to go for this, here is the plan. Spend a few minutes either at night or in the morning when your spouse is sleeping to lay your hand on them and pray for them. Then gather your kids and have your prayer time with them.

I love you and care about you. Praying with your spouse each day and praying with your kids each day doesn’t make your home immune from the trials and tribulations of this world. It will, however, keep your home focused each day on the Lord, and who is in control. The journey of faith we are on is a 24/7 experience. Not one hour on Sunday, or every now and then.

Can you see how much harder it becomes to be involved in sin when you are focusing on the Lord each day personally, and then with your spouse, and then with your kids? God will honor those who honor Him. It is time we quit being so lazy, quit waiting until we are in the midst of crisis to call out to the Lord. The reason we are weak and ineffective in our Christian lives is because we are lazy and do nothing to strengthen ourselves for the storms of life.

When those storms come, we are lost and have no idea how to fight. A good soldier is always in training, so that when it is time for battle, they are prepared. The Bible tells us that our enemy is not of flesh and blood…it is a spiritual battle we are in. Subsequently, it is critical that we are training daily to fight those spiritual battles, both in our personal life and in the lives of those God has given us in this life.

I will be praying today that you hear this word and act upon it. It could be the difference between seeing victory or defeat in your marriage and the lives of your children. God is placing the weapons you need to fight with in your hands. Use them!!!

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller

(C)opryright 2013, Live Prayer Church, Inc. All Rights Reserved.