The fact that God DOES NOT change gives me hope. He is timeless, He is true, His love never changes. No matter how much I mess up, no matter how well I do, He loves me the same. I can’t do anything to make Him love me any more or any less. He is the same yesterday, today and forever! While the years may change, times change, culture changes, weather changes, God remains the same throughout every season in life!
Often when we hear about forgiving, the number seventy times seven, or 77 comes to mind. Matthew 18:22 says; “Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” But what does that mean, seventy times seven?” “( NIV). The King James version says, “… but up to seventy times seven.” That’s 490 times. So after 490 times of forgiving someone, that’s it, we’re done? Hardly. Jesus wasn’t just using a number to illustrate how often we should forgive. Jesus was using a technique often used by Jewish teachers called REMEZ (רמז – pronounced rehm-ezz) which means hint or clue.
It’s kinda like filling in the blank. If you remember some tests in school where you had to fill in the blank (if it was multiple choice fill in the blank I was a happy camper : ) ) Rabbis used to quote a passage of scripture and the students would fill in the blanks, this is known as deductive teaching and this is what Jesus was doing. Jesus wasn’t teaching a math class and just throwing out numbers. His followers knew the number 77 only appeared in scripture only once – Genesis 4: 23– “If Cain is avenged seven times then Lamech seventy-seven times”(NIV). Lamech was a vengeful man and returned offenses 77 times over. That’s a lot of passion in vengeance!!! Jesus was trying to tell His followers to forgive with as much passion as Lamech was in being vengeful. Like the photo above, what if we were to seek opportunities to forgive with as much power behind that wave crashing down on the lighthouse? What if we had that much passion in forgiving others?
There’s also something interesting about the number 7. Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). Much of it’s meaning is correlates to God’s creation.
When Jesus died on the cross His forgiveness for us was complete – “It’s is finished”, John 19:30. He completed His mission here on earth. His plan for salvation was completed. His sacrifice for us on the cross was complete and perfect love, He was the perfect sacrifice.
Is there someone you need to forgive? You don’t need to wait for someone to ask for forgiveness. You can forgive in your heart. It’s much more than words, saying “You’re forgiven” it’s a heart attitude as well. Your words need to be backed up with action. When the offense or offender comes to mind what do experience, what emotions arise? Sometimes I feel anger creeping in or I start to feel hatred. That’s when I have to forgive, again. I am human. God may forget our sins, but we are not God, we from time to time may remember. Sometimes I actually do feel sorry for those who have offended me and pray that God will be merciful to them. After all I know I have offended others and I want them to forgive me the way God has forgiven me. “… bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” – Colossians 3:13. Are you willing to show your forgiveness by being friendly and showing kindness toward your offender? Are you able to go as far as showing love? It’s not easy. But it can be done with God’s help “
Is there someone you need to forgive? You don’t need to wait for someone to ask for forgiveness. You can forgive in your heart. It’s much more than words, saying “You’re forgiven” it’s a heart attitude as well. Your words need to be backed up with action. When the offense comes to mind what do experience, what emotions arise? Sometimes I feel anger creeping in or I start to feel hatred. That’s when I have to forgive, again. I am human. God may forget our sins, (Hebrews 8:12) but we are not God, we from time to time may remember. Sometimes I actually do feel sorry for those who have offended me and pray that God will be merciful to them. After all I know I have offended others and I want them to forgive me the way God has forgiven me. “… bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” – Colossians 3:13. Are you willing to show your forgiveness by being friendly and showing kindness toward your offender? Are you able to go as far as showing love? It’s not easy. But it can be done with God’s help ” But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” – Matthew 19:26. (KJV).
This blog post inspired by: Dave Adamson / @aussiedave
A new year, a new song. What new song is God placing on your heart. Maybe it’s song you just haven’t heard or sung in while, maybe it’s a song by someone you haven’t of before or maybe it’s one you have written yourself. God wants us to sing to Him. I struggle with that at times. As the song goes, “I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm.” (Raise a Hallelujah – Bethel Music). Have you tried to sing in the storm? It’s not the easiest but it can be the most rewarding.
The drawing of the is hand is thought to be the right hand of the artist, Hendrick Goltzius. It could also be the hand of the man Jesus healed in the synagogue – Mark 3:1-6. The only similarity in the drawing and in scripture is there is a man with a withered hand in both. A little back story to what happened to the artist Hendrick Goltzius; according to his friend and biographer Karel van Mander (1548-1606), Hendrick fell into the fire place most likely trying to break his fall with both his hands. His mother tired to nurse him back to health but his hands never healed properly and was in constant pain. Thirty years later Goltzius drew what is possibly his own right hand. He may have had rough dexterity to draw with his left hand.
Here in scripture, Mark 3;1-6, where we don’t have a back story to how this man’s hand become withered we do know that Jesus heals it. And the fact He did it on the sabbath, that’s another blog post.
And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Mark 3:1-6 KJV
There was a word in this passage that stuck out to me; stretch. So I investigated. Strong’s Concordance G1614 – ekteinō, to stretch out, stretch forth. Made sense to me, seemed pretty straight forward. But as I continued to search I came across Acts 4:30 – “ By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus
Stretching here in Acts 4:30 -The following I found on the same page under the Thayer’s Greek Lexicon heading “ἀγκύρας, properly, to carry forward [R. V. lay out] the cable to which the anchor is fastened,(my emphasis) i. e. to cast anchor [“the idea of extending the cables runs into that of carrying out and dropping the anchors” The cable to which the anchor is fastened. Say what?!
“While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child andServant Jesus.” (Amplified Bible Classic Editions, emphasis mine). It hit me. Jesus invites us to reach out to Him, to stretch out our hands to Him for healing, for salvation, for a relationship with Him And that hand is “the cable to which the anchor is fastened.” Hebrew 6:19 – “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; …” (KJV). Jesus, our anchor, is at the other end of that cable.
The Kedge anchor is a real anchor (there’s a story behind the name of this blog, but that’s another blog post too) and kedging is a nautical term; “to draw (a vessel) along by hauling in on the cable of a light anchor that has been dropped at some distance from it, or (of a vessel) to be drawn in this fashion.” Do you see it? That withered hand is us, broken, sinful and in need of healing. Jesus has His hand reaching out to us. We just have to reach out and grasp hold of His hand, the Hand, the cable, that is fastened to the Anchor. Jesus is our hope, “an anchor for our soul, both sure and steadfast…”
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Last week’s verse spoke of a new heaven and a new earth in the book of Revelation 21:1. The book of Isaiah tells us that former things will pass away and God will tell us first.
Meeting Jesus in the clouds is our only hope. We will meet Him in the clouds, He will rescue us. He is coming for His bride, are you ready?
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Yes, you read the title correctly, no misspellings. The Merriam- Webster dictionary defines but as “— used to introduce a statement that adds something to a previous statement and usually contrasts with it in some way. I learnt that when offering a compliment anytime you frame a sentence with a positive and then add a “but”… anything before the “but” looses it’s importance. For instance, when your boss is reviewing your work. He or she might say something like, “You did a great job managing the people on that last project, but you didn’t stay within budget.” Using the word “but” in the middle of a sentence can negate anything and everything before it. You certainly don’t want to do this when apologizing, for example, “I’m sorry, but…”, I don’t think many people are aware of this when they are speaking. It is something we should be sensitive to, especially when apologizing. This is something I had to learn. This article may explain it better.
Didn’t set out for this post to become a lesson in communication but there is something to be learnt here spiritually as well. I was talking with someone a few weeks ago. If I remember correctly the topic was about planning. The person I was speaking with was concerned that not enough planning had been done for something. So I suggested, just trust God it will all work out. The reply was, “Trust God but…” that’s where I had to interrupt. Trust God but. Oooo, that’s dangerous. It sounded like God wasn’t big enough. We have a big God who sees the big picture. We have a God that goes before us and paves a way for us. We can plan six ways to Sunday, we can make all the plans we want BUT GOD, directs our steps. “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16: 9.
See how this can be applied spiritually? Man can plan BUT the Lord directs. The “but God” negates whatever we plan. That’s not to say we shouldn’t, we should plan, BUT GOD will directs our steps and provide. And if for some reason if we have done all we think we can do to plan for something, we as humans can forget, we aren’t perfect. God will provide whatever it is we may have overlooked, He will make it work. Because, Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
So be careful where you put your “but.” Whether you are giving praise or trusting God for something, stop and think, is going to be “God but…” or “But God…?”
Happy Monday! Hope the New Year is starting off on a good note. There are many people struggling today and the New Year may not look hopeful. But there is always hope. There is always Hope in Jesus!!! These free downloadable coloring pages are to help you memorize scripture. Take some time this week to slow down and be a little creative. Play some worship music as you color and just meditate on God’s goodness.
One thing that gives me hope is that one day this crazy, fallen world will pass away and a new heaven and new earth will take it’s place. Amen!
If you are enjoying these coloring pages, please share and like. Print a few extra and give them to your friends and family. If you are able to leave some in the break room at work. I know that can be a little tricky in some places. Be blessed!
What is hope? What is your hope for 2022? Better health, better finances, better job, better relationships, better grades … we all start a new with newness of something in mind. New always brings change and change can be scary sometimes. The future can look scary on the horizon with the way the world seems to be spiraling out of control, changes for sure to come.
The good news is, we can have hope despite current circumstances or in whatever situation we find ourselves. There is always hope. Merriam-Webster defines hope as;
What gives you hope or where do you place your hope? If you’re wanting good weather for travel do you place your hope in the meteorologist? Meteorologists are human and make mistakes, though they can be fairly accurate in their predictions. What about the future? In what or who are you placing your hope? Are you counting on yourself, family, friends?
Hebrews 6:19 says “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. …” Jesus is the only hope for this crazy world and our future. If we anchor in Him, our hope is firm and secure. No matter what happens in the world, which one day will pass away, God’s word will remain and it’s there in His word we can anchor ourselves in hope. Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
The Kedge Anchor 
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