Daily Devotional for Saturday May 23, 2020

The vast majority have never read the instruction manual!!!

(Matthew 24:35)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, please help us to wake up as a nation before it is too late. We have squandered Your blessings, taken advantage of Your love and grace, and deserve Your wrath. Please oh Lord, be merciful for a few more hours and give Your undeserving people one last chance to repent of our sins and turn our hearts and lives back to You. In the name of Jesus I pray...AMEN!

***THE DAILY LIVEPRAYER TV NUGGET: There is a large percentage of people who make some of life’s most important decisions...by flipping a coin!!! As difficult to believe as this may be, IT IS TRUE! There is a large percentage of people who do not like confrontation and really do not like having to make difficult decisions. In their paralysis, they end up literally flipping a coin! For those who end up taking this extreme measure to make life-changing decisions, I would suggest an alternative...PRAYER! Prayer is when you ask GOD to help you make a decision. Prayer is when you put your decision in God’s hands and trust Him to guide you. Instead of living your life by chance, live it by CHOICE! THAT CHOICE WILL COME FROM GOD HIMSELF!!!

*Don’t miss the Liveprayer TV program, airing “LIVE” every Monday thru Friday from 11pm EDT to Midnight! For details on viewing options for the Liveprayer TV program, “LIVE” or “On Demand,” go to: https://liveprayer.com/liveprayer-show-about.cfm

Having preached to several hundred thousand people in evangelistic meetings at churches of all denominations, having ministered to millions over the years via our television production ministry, and having prayed for and intimately counseled thousands and thousands of people over my 30 years of ministry, I would have to say the biggest problem I have encountered with believers is that the vast majority have never read the instruction manual!!!

Statistical research shows that less than 10% of professing Christians have ever read the entire Bible. The church as a whole is Biblically illiterate! From time to time in my devotional I will give my opinion on an issue, and I am very careful to always let you know when it is Bill Keller's opinion. Most of the time I just let God's words speak for themselves. There is not one issue, one thing we deal with in everyday life that is not covered in His word.

How many people are in terrible marriages where one spouse is a nonbeliever? Do you think God admonished us to "not be unequally yoked" for nothing? How about those dealing with horrible illnesses because they abused themselves over the years with alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Does God not tell us our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit? How many families are ripped apart by bitterness and hatred when the Bible commands to "have love one for another," "forgive as Christ has forgiven you," and "love your enemies." I have to be honest. In many cases it is not rebellion to God's Word, but complete ignorance of God's Word.

Like many men, I get a new electronic toy and the first thing I do is open the box, toss the instructions to the side, and start "putting it together." Usually after a period of time when it is not working, or I have broken something, I grab the book and put it together correctly. How much easier if I would have done that first. So is our walk with God. Many people claim they can't hear God. God may be talking to you and you can't hear Him because you don't know what to be listening for.

The Bible is the INSPIRED INERRANT WORD OF GOD!!! If you want to hear God, just read the Book. That is God speaking to us!!!

I have come to the conclusion that those who are getting this devotional each day are of above average intelligence, which is why I am very direct, to the point, and don't hammer things over your head. I say it, knowing you are smart enough to know what you are expected to do, and I don't have to paint a picture. So if you ever listened to me at all, hear what I am going to say to you now. This applies to everyone, even those that may have read the Bible cover to cover 100 times.

***It takes an individual of average reading ability 90 hours to read the entire Bible. That is one hour a day for 3 months (or 30 minutes every day for 6 months, or 15 minutes every day for a year). With many people now having extra time due to the Chinese Flu, carve out one hour every day and start reading at Genesis 1:1. One hour. I suggest that for 90 days you get up 1 hour earlier than normal and do it the very first thing. Trust me, God will give you the strength you need during the day. Losing one hour of sleep for 90 days will not kill you. Quite the opposite. It will save you 100 times that in loss sleep over the years from problems caused because you didn't take time to read the instruction book. Now listen, I understand that some of the Old Testament can be dry. The Jewish laws, the genealogy of kings, some of the prophetic books can be very confusing and at times boring. Plug on. Don't get discouraged because you don't understand everything you are reading. Having read the Bible cover to cover many, many, many times, every time is like a new experience as I learn more each time. WARNING: I am not the Bible answer man so don't start flooding me with questions. I'll pray for you anytime, but I cannot handle thousands of Bible questions. I do suggest, though, that you keep a note of questions and talk them over with your pastor.

Trust me when I tell you, those 90 days will change your life. You will see things you never thought were in the Bible. You will see God's warnings and promises to help you through tough times. Most of all, you will start to understand a little about how God thinks. How can you please God if you don't understand how He thinks? He knows you are not a mind reader. That is one reason He gave you the Book, so you could begin to understand a little about what is expected of you.

I promise you, the 90 days of doing this will possibly be the most important 90 days of your life. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of what I am challenging you to do. Start at the very beginning. That way you can see God from the creation of our world to the end. It is better than any book or movie you have ever read or seen.

The Bible is our final authority for all matters concerning this life. In this day of being politically correct, accepting everyone's beliefs and ideas, we are in the mess we are in morally and spiritually because we have gotten away from the black and white truth of God's word that this nation was founded upon. We have none to blame but ourselves. In this day of instant gratification, drive-thru food, cell phones, fax machines, email, Federal Express, and jet travel, we want what we want now and refuse to wait.

We have become lazy, which is why we don't take the time to read the Bible. I guarantee you that you will spend 90 hours plus in front of the television, the computer, with the newspaper, doing something that you enjoy over the next 90 days. I am not saying quit living and enjoying your life. What I am saying is that you have the time, it is now a matter of whether this is a big enough priority for you to take the time.

I love you, care about you, and my heart breaks every day as I read and try to respond to the thousands of special prayer requests I get. How much heartache and pain could have been avoided if people would have only read the Book and followed the instructions. You cannot believe how much sense this life makes when you are living under the direction of God's Word.

I will be praying that the Lord really opens your heart and conviction floods your very being as you read these words. I can't force you to do it; you have to want to do it. I will be praying and trusting that His Holy Spirit is moving on your heart, even now as you read these words.

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller