Author: The Kedge Anchor

How comfortable are you staying at home these days? For some this is a piece of cake for others, they are starting to go stir crazy. Be thankful you have a home in which to go a little stir crazy. But it’s ok to be uncomfortable. You don’t have to like it. You can choose to accept it or not, but accepting it will make things easier.

Paul, I imagine, was a little uncomfortable in prison. He is often pictured in chains sitting on a dirt floor, perhaps covered in some straw for some cushioning. I imagine being surrounded by the cold, hard stone cell is not comforting. Maybe it was a welcomed cold in the heat or an uncomfortable cold. It couldn’t have smelled good with the other prisoners and I’m pretty sure the food wasn’t from a five star restaurant.

Paul wrote to the Philippians whilst in prison. Philippians 1:13 “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” (NIV) What’s ironic, is the book of Philippians is a thank you letter. Doesn’t one need to be slightly happy about something to be thankful? Happiness and being thankful are choices. Paul not only chose to be thankful, he chose to learn to be content.

Think for a moment about ALL that you have. Look around you. Look outside. If you are reading this in the comfort of you your home, be thankful. There are some right now, they have no home. There are some at home living still in difficult maybe dangerous situations. How does one learn contentment in that? Let’s address those who don’t feel safe at home. I want to be sensitive to that. If you feel your life is in danger where you are, physically, reach out to someone, local authorities, a shelter, a church. God will make a way.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances.

Philippians 4:11

How does one learn contentment? Be thankful. “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) Now the verse says IN ALL things, not necessarily FOR all things. The prison walls became Paul’s comfort zone in a sense. This is where he prayed and wrote letters to the churches. Prison walls, prison guards and chains didn’t stop Paul from sharing the Gospel. Being able to share the Gospel from prison walls, brought Paul joy! Being joyful in difficult circumstances doesn’t discredit the grief and pain, but it give us HOPE. The Gospel brings us hope. If it wasn’t for Jesus we wouldn’t have the Gospel.

Jesus was uncomfortable on the cross. A fate He was willing to accept. For us. It still was hard accepting the whips, the beatings, the spitting, the betrayals, being forsaken, but it was because He loves us. We grow spiritually and emotionally, we become more creative, and learn contentment. So we stay at home as hard and uncomfortable as it can be for some because we love our families, friends and our neighbors.

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Photo by Keith Luke on Unsplash

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“Let us go over to the other side of the lake.”

Luke 8:22 (NIV)

Imagine. Jesus is with you and your friends and he says to you in a gentle, adventurous voice, ” Let’s grab that boat over there and go to the other side of the lake.” So, all of you with Jesus, jump into the boat and set sail for the other side of the lake. Not long after that, a storm brews and sweeps over the lake, tossing the boat, filling it with water. You and your friends are freaking out and you look over and see Jesus, sleeping at the back of the boat.

Ok at this point, you’re scratching your head, like really? He sleeps in the middle of the storm? But, this is Jesus!!! You can actually see him! He may be sleeping but he’s still ever present. Now, if I were a disciple back then, I most likely would have freaked out along with them. But, knowing what I know now, I may have initially freaked out, gone over to him and try to wake him, but would have stopped and realize, this is Jesus. This is Jesus, he’s sleeping. He said he was taking us to the other side. Ok, so knowing this, I feel safe enough to curl up at his feet and hang on tight!!!

If Jesus were to have told you that there was going to be a storm as you cross the lake, would you still go? Jesus tell us “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV) John 16:33. Here’s the truth, whether or not you believe in God, there is going to be tough times. There will be storms in life. We are living in the midst of one right now and this isn’t the only we will face. (Read the book of Daniel and Revelation).

“I’M GONNA SING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM …”

– Bethel Music

Now there is nothing wrong with asking God to calm the storm, remove you from a situation, remove someone from a situation, or just change the situation. He can and he will in his time, if it’s part of his plan. But what if he chooses not to calm the storm? Can you trust him to get you to the other side? This is Jesus, Emmanual, God with us. We can’t see him, like the disciples did. But we know he is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Being a Christian or a follower of Jesus, is not easy, honestly, and neither is this life on planet Earth. But let me tell you, I do not want to step in the boat without my Savior!!! He is my Anchor in the storm. He can calm the rough seas or He can keep me calm in the rough seas. Either way, He will take us to the other side.

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Raise a Hallelujah video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2XtRuPfaAU (Bethel Music)

Further Reading: Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5-6, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 4:31, Psalm 118:6, Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:7,

#hope #thekedgeanchor #hopeinthestorm #anchor #anchorofhope #hopeanchor #singinthemiddleofthestorm #raiseahallelujah #stormyseas #trustingingod #trust #love #jesussaves #emmanuel #godwithus #calminthestorm #godspeace #peaceinthestorm

Banishing Fear with God’s Love (Con’t)

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear …” 1 John 4:18 (ESV)

We are facing crazy, unprecedented times. News reports can instill fear and trigger anxieties escalating worry and attack out peace. The coming days seem uncertain. And they are. But nothing is for certain and that can cause some uneasiness.

But really, times were no more certain a month ago, a year ago, or a decade ago. Things have always been uncertain. It’s just that now, we have been awakened to the uncertainty. Things we have put our security in have been shaken, causing fear and panic. 1 John 4:18 tells us “perfect love casts out fear.”

So perhaps look at it this way:

IF God is love, and He is love, love is His character, it’s one of His attributes, love is His nature, it is who He is.

THEN there is no fear in God, for He and His love are perfect. Matthew 5:48 “… your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

“Just as the Father loved me, I loved you, abide in my love.”

John 5:9

Ok, so God is love, His love is perfect and because He is perfect, there is no fear abiding in Him!

Going even further, Isaiah 7:14 …The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and^[c] will call him Immanuel. (NIV) – God with us. God is always with us, He and His perfect love is always with us, because He is love!

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

It is when we acknowledge and recognize His presence can we experience peace and be free from fear. God alone can banish fear because He is love and His love is perfect. I know this is getting repetitive. He is always with us. We don’t necessarily have to feel His presence. Just acknowledge Him, His presence, recall a Bible verse, pick up a devotional or a Bible and abide in Him.Feelings can be deceitful and can be a false sense of comfort because they are fleeting.

Trust in the Lord your God, abide in Him and banish fear. He is with us always. His perfect love casts out fear!!!!

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#hope #thekedgeanchor #hopeforthesoul #anchor #banishfear #abideinhim #iwillneverleaveyouorforsakeyou #ingodwetrust #perfectlove #godislove #godisperfectlove #love #bestrong #becourageous #bestrongandcourageous #liveinlove #perfectlovecastsoutfear #immanuel #godiswithus

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:5

The headlines in the news currently is enough to make anyone’s head spin and heart fill with fear, worry and anxiety. It’s hard to determine what’s true and what isn’t, adding to the fear and uncertainty. We can talk to people we know who are more reliable sources and tell us some truth and weed out the facts. Taking the proper precautions, washing our hands, not touching our faces, covering our mouths when we sneeze or cough, and staying home when we are sick are what we do to prevent getting sick. These actions help calm our fears. But not in a way that only God’s peace can do.

For the believer, we can turn to God our Father who KNOWS all, He is omniscient. Nothing goes unseen by Him. He knows all about our current events, the who, what, where, when, how and why. He can write the story better than anyone because He has ALL the facts. We can trust Him.

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10 ESV

For the non believer, this is still good news! Just as believers choose to seek God so can those who don’t know Him as their savior. He sacrificed His Son for ALL. 1 Timothy 2:1-4  I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleasesGod our Savior,  who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (NIV).

The truth is we have a Hope. Jesus Christ is our hope in this storm life is tossing us. He sacrificed His life for us. He died to offer us forgiveness and eternity with Him. We are going to hear things, see things in the media and on social media but we don’t have to let those pieces of news rob us of our peace we have in Jesus Christ. We have a Hope in Jesus Christ, our anchor for the soul, Hebrews 6:19

There are no guarantees in this life and none of us know what is going to happen in the next minute, or tomorrow for that matter. We don’t yet have tomorrow, all we have is today, now. But we do know this, God knows the future, He has a plan for us all. Jeremiah 29:11 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. (NIV) He holds our future. Trust Him. Spend time in His presence, praise Him, talk to Him about your fears and anxiety. Reach out to someone who may be just as fearful, text, call, send an email, share God’s word, talk about the latest devotional. Recall how God has taken care of you in the past, recall how God has answered your prayers and think about such things as, whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy, (Philippians 4:8)

God is the only one who is in control. And he did give us control over how we take care of ourselves, control over how we take precautions, and we can have control over our reactions to the media and not letting it steal our joy.

Let us let go of our fears. Being fearful, just make you fearful, it doesn’t change the situation. Enjoy the day God has given us today, stay in the moment. Jesus is the missing PEACE in this life. Be Still and know He is God (Psalm 46:10). He is our refuge in the storm.

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proverbs32.org

There is HOPE in how we respond to injustice. How should we respond to injustice? It’s only natural ad human to be angry. But that’s not how God asks us to respond. How do you feel when an injustice is done to you or when you see an injustice. That question was asked in the last post, so perhaps this is part two; our response.

There are many examples of injustices throughout the Bible. Joseph’s response to his injustice is a good example. If you haven’t read the passage yet, please take a few moments to read it, (Genesis 37 and 50:15-21). Joseph responded with forgiveness. Verses 19 -21 in chapter 50 says; “But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God?  Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.  So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.” Joseph also gave what his brothers needed. He spoke kindly to them. I believe Joseph had compassion because he provided for his nieces and nephews as well.

Another example is in the parable that Jesus told of the unmerciful servant. Peter asked how many times must he forgive his brother in Matthew 18:23-35. Jesus replied” not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Jesus goes on to tell of the parable of a king settling accounts with his servants. One servant owed ten thousand bags of gold and begged the king to give him time to repay, he asked for patience. The king took pity and granted his servant’s debt paid. However, the same servant found one of his fellow servants who owed him and demanded he be paid back. The other servants found out about this and went to the king. The king’s response; verse 32 – 33, “You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ The servant who lacked a little empathy as well as mercy and was thrown in jail. When we don’t forgive others, we are just perpetuating the injustice. Regardless if the injustice was directly toward us, walking around with an angry unforgiving heart is literally unhealthy to our bodies. (Psych Central) We are hurting ourselves more than the person who hurt us, physically and spiritually. Mark 11:25 – “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Matthew 6:15 “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

(NIV)

Another example of forgiveness is Jesus forgiving the thief on the cross. Luke 23-32-43, Jesus forgave those who were mocking him, verse 34 – ” “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” ” And when the thief asked for forgiveness Jesus immediately forgave him; verse 42 – 43, “Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Salvation really is that easy, a repentant heart and asking Jesus into your heart.

It comes down to this. How do you want to be treated when you are the one causing the injustice? When you have been the one to hurt someone else? When you feel remorse and regret for your actions and words?

Let’s recap:

1 . FORGIVE. First go to God and ask for His forgiveness. Then ask for forgiveness from the one you hurt. Forgiving isn’t letting the offender off the hook. It’s freeing you of the bondage of bitterness. Your hands are washed in a situation when you forgive. God will deal with the other person. Ephesians 4: 31-32 – “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Romans 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord

2. Have MERCY like the king had on his servant. Treat others with the same grace and mercy. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, Luke 6:31. Be empathetic, have compassion on others. It’s not always easy. Make the choice to forgive and your heart will catch up. It’s not easy to make that choice. But if you’re making the choice based on your feelings; it’s gonna be hard. Make your choice based on being obedient to God, makes making that choice easier.

By choosing forgiveness, we are offering HOPE to a fallen world, just as God has done for us. By choosing forgiveness we are being imitators of God. So, HOPE can be found in injustice through forgiveness.

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#thekedgeanchor #anchor #anchorofhope #hope #forgiveness #mercy #grace #chooseforgiveness #hopeininjustice #jesusforgives #anchoredinhope #oceanofmercy

What if we had just one group, a small group of people to report the news honestly???

We do! GOD!! (He is triune) He brings GOOD NEWS!!!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

The Good Shepherd – Psalm 23

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