About R. Keith Richardson
My story –
God has given me a full and blessed ministry for over 25 years. During that time, He called me to pastor churches in Oklahoma, Illinois, and Tennessee, starting with my first paid church position as Music Director in a Baptist church in Chickasha, Oklahoma. (Actually I began ministering much earlier, about 12 years old, when I was called as fulltime pianist and organist, then at 16 accepted a position as Music Director for a small congregation in Oklahoma City, OK.) It has also been my pleasure to serve as Youth Pastor in two churches.
The driving force of my ministry has always been a sincere desire to bring the truth of the Bible to people in a manner that they can understand, enjoy, and utilize in their lives. With a dash of wit, some serious study, and the power of the Holy Spirit, I endeavor to make the Bible “come alive” for my readers, listeners, and students.
I currently reside in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where the Lord continues to use me in His service in many new and exciting ways. I am also the proud father of 3 beautiful and gifted children; Jared, Laura, and Michael.
What I believe –
First, I am a Bible teacher and preacher. I believe the Bible to be the complete, authentic, thorough, perfect, and the indisputable Word of God. With that said, you must understand that I will never argue the validity of the Scriptures or their authenticity. It is the premise of every other belief I possess.
1. I believe that the Bible was inspired by God as He moved “holy men of old” to record His truth. It is the complete, final, ethical, and moral source of truth for mankind’s conduct and beliefs.
2. I believe there is one living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the maker and supreme ruler of all that exists; past, present, and future. In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal in divine perfection, and executing different but harmonious offices in the work of redemption.
3. I believe that Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born to Mary, a virgin, exactly as the Scriptures foretold and describe. I further believe and celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the central event of history and the sole ground of hope for human redemption.
4. I believe that a person comes into a right relationship with God, not by religion, but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and leader of our lives. Christ is our only hope. I further believe that authentic faith in Jesus Christ will evidence itself in a “new life” which seeks full devotion to Jesus Christ. Obedience to the teachings of Christ found in the Scriptures lead to freedom expressed by loving service to God and others, and spiritual fruitfulness is normal as empowered by the Holy Spirit.
5. I believe the Genesis account of creation (God created the heavens, the earth, and all that is in them in six consecutive twenty-four hour days) to be fact and not allegory or figurative; that man was created in God’s own image and after His own likeness and not through a process of any evolutionary change of species.
6. I believe that Heaven is a real place and an eternal reward for the followers of God. Jesus promised His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion that He was going to prepare this wondrous place for them and return to bring them to it. The same promise is offered to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and call upon Him to save them.
7. I believe the devil (Satan) is real and seeks to destroy anything good and righteous. Although originally an archangel of God he was cast from God’s presence because of wicked ambition, pride, and vanity. God will ultimately defeat him and cast him into the lake of fire (hell) where he will be punished throughout eternity.
8. I believe Hell is real with real torments and is the place of punishment for Satan, his followers of fallen angels and demons, and all who reject Jesus Christ. The Bible describes it as a place of separation, darkness, pain, and suffering that never ends.
9. I believe the local church was established by Christ to bring in disciples, encourage one another in faith and life, and teach and instruct in the things of God so that they too can go into the whole world and bring others to Christ.
