Worship in Spirit and Truth
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Happy Friday!
First, I just want to ask all you out there to continue to keep Florida in your prayer as they recover from the devastation Ian has left behind. God sees all that has happened He was, He is and He always will be in the midst of any storm we face. Thank you for your prayers
Thank you to all of you who have either subscribed or just liked any of the posts here on The Kedge Anchor. If anyone here follows The Kedge Anchor on social media such as Facebook please note there will be a new Facebook page coming soon. Facebook has made some changes to pages and inadvertently somehow it was set up wrong when scrolling through the changes and Facebook doesn’t make it easy to undo changes so it’s a new page.
The only thing changing really is the link and hopefully more engagement. Instagram for now will remain the same.
Thank you to all who follow The Kedge Anchor.
Anchor in Hope!
September 19, 2022 -James 3:18
A Healthy Perspective on Evil
Are we giving the devil too much credit? When things go sideways who is to blame? Some people blame God, some people blame the devil, do we blame ourselves? Are we owning up to our sin? Or are we saying “the devil made me do it”? Sometimes it’s our own fault, our bad decisions, others throwing us in a pit, poor choices that cause us to fall in a pit. Who do we need to blame? Maybe we need a healthy perspective on evil?
The devil is the father of evil. He is the father of all lies. Evil entered this world with a thought that was a lie. Actually it was a half truth.. Half truths are a dangerous trap. It causes us to doubt God and it’s because it is not an out and out lie, it’s harder to identify. Read Genesis 3.
1 Peter 5:8 – “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Adam and Eve were all that the devil had to seek at the time. (how hard was that?) He told Eve a lie. Lies are a trap that leads to all kinds of sin. Lies can cause us to doubt, like Eve in the Garden. She doubted what God said, that they would die if they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We know now that we don’t need an explanation from God as to why we need to obey, just obey. We know now that after Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that they would die spiritually immediately (separation from God) and a slow human death. So when God gives us an directive, we need to trust Him and obey Him. He may or may not tell us afterwards why. He is God, He can do anything He wants.
Sinning began with a lie and it still holds true today. The devil may have dominion over the world and is the father of all lies, John 8:44, but he has no place in the world or mind or life of a Christian and sometimes we open that door and let him in renting space in our minds. How many times does a thought enter our minds, one that can cause us to doubt, one that causes us to believe something suspicious about someone, or a fearful thought? Our minds are a battlefield. It’s the devil’s primary way to attack us. We need to put on the full armor of God, Ephesians 6:11, we need to protect our minds with the Belt of Truth. We need to filter each thought through God’s word. 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” (NASB). Especially the thoughts that cause doubt, a fearful thought should be a warning. 2 Timothy 1:7 – “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (ESV). We do not have to give in to fearful thoughts. They are not from God.
The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” I may not know the exact specifications of God’s will for me, BUT I know this, I can discern what is fear, I can discern what is not good and what is not pleasing to God and all that is not from God. So how do we renew our minds? By reading the God’s word daily, by praying through everything at all times without ceasing, (emphasis mine)Ephesians 6:18 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17. (Just as side note here about God’s plan, He may not reveal the specifics of that plan because HE IS the plan, the Way, the Truth and the Life and while I make plans He directs my steps – Proverbs 16:9).
Look at Job. The devil had to go to God first before attacking God’s servant. Though there may not be a specific verse saying that the devil has to go to God first, I do believe that God is ultimately in control, Satan is limited right now. Satan is NOT omniscient, God has no equal, God has no rival, God’s name is above all names. Colossians 1:17 – “He is before ALL things, and in Him ALL things hold together.” (emphasis mine) God goes before us in in the valleys and on the mountain tops. Isaiah 41:10- He upholds us with His righteous right hand. Philippians 2:9-11 – “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
So though God may allow an attack from the devil, rest assured it is part of God’s plan and He is still with us through the fire and the flood. Proverbs 15:3 – “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” Job 28:24 – “For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.” Jeremiah 23:24 – “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” Here is a link to some more verses to read, for the sake of the length of this post.
The devil isn’t behind every seemingly bad situation. Sometimes it’s just our own dumb fault. Sometimes it’s just a bad choice The trial or test that comes along that appears to have the devils signature on it… have you considered that God is allowing it? The devil can meet us in the valley or the mountain top waiting for us to be find ourselves in another valley. Our Christian walk are the roads to and from the valleys and the mountain tops. We are either traveling through a valley or sitting on a mountain top. God works together all things for our good and His glory- Romans 8:28. We need to remind ourselves that if we are followers of Jesus, we are going to be attacked. Jesus said that we would have trouble in this world but He has overcome the world – John 16:33. So the devil may be behind it but God is still in control, which brings me far greater comfort than hearing someone say “Oh it’s just Satan. He knows his time is limited and he’s doing all he can.” While that may be true, personally, and I don’t know about you, but that isn’t helping me, how is that comforting? This is where, I believe we are giving the devil too much credit. It may explain a few things, but not everything. To me that statement could be a half truth. And half truths cause us to doubt. It’s not explaining that God may be allowing this trial or unpleasant circumstance to grow us. Perhaps if we are going to use that statement we need to follow it up with John 16:33 and Romans 8:28. Satan may behind something gone sideways BUT (be careful where you put your but) the more important part about this is GOD IS IN CONTROL! He will never leave us or forsake us.
Someone once told me that “God grows us through what we grow through.” So is it safe to say; we need to look for God working in every situation, not the devil’s doing? We need to own up to our sin and wrong doings and stop giving the devil credit for what God may be allowing.
September 12, 2022 – Galatians 5:14
“… through LOVE serve one another …” Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve – Matthew 20:28. Jesus set the greatest example of serving in love.
September 5, 2022 – Colossians 3:23
Back to School – Part 2
Part 2 – Back to School – What are some ways we can please God? After all He is the only that counts. He does give us authorities over us to obey and obeying authority is something God tells us to do. Of course within reason. When authorities begin to abuse their position and begins to go against God’s word then we need to take caution when it comes to obeying authority. Again another discussion.
So how do we please God? I believe a lot of times we are looking for something specific. We seek God’s will for our lives. What does He want me to do specifically? While I do believe He a permissive will for us and a perfect will for us, I tend to think we can get too caught up in that. I know there have been times where I didn’t take a step or do anything because I was a afraid it would be the wrong thing. We make plans, but God directs our steps, Proverbs 16:9. If we have a pure heart about a decision, if it’s not where God wants us, He will direct us on the right path.
Our faith is what pleases God. Faith comes by the word of God. I thinks it’s so easy to get wrapped up in God’s plan. Living in fear of doing the wrong thing, worrying about the consequences. I think it was Charles Stanley who said, “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him.” God will direct our steps, He’s got our backs if we are truly following Him.
Mike Donehey wrote a book, Finding My Life for God’s Will, he says that maybe God isn’t giving us specifics of the plans for us, because He is the plan. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life…!” Highly recommend this book! (and I’m not getting paid to say that)
So unlike the first days of school worrying about making a mistake and getting detention, I don’t have to worry with God. I just need to do what pleases Him in my daily walk. He has it all written out in His word. It’s my responsibility to follow the syllabus and obey the Teacher.
Think on These Things
How often do you have worrisome thoughts where you can’t seem to think about anything else. The same thought keeps playing over and over in your head. It can be hard sometimes to shake our thoughts, we are after all human. But this isn’t healthy. This way of thinking can cause us some physical issues such as hypertension, upset stomach, heartburn, headaches, tight muscles all of which just adds to the stress level and makes us tired. This just impacts our day to day life making us forgetful.
But we do have a choice. We don’t have to have worrisome thoughts. Worry is a form of meditation and if we can worry about something, a situation, or whatever it is we can change our thinking by praying about the situation. Praying is a form of meditation. This all may sound a lot easier said than done. It takes time and practice but with God’s help we can change the way we think.
Taking the case to God is the first step. Lament. Tell God all about it. Your words don’t have to be pretty, no “art thous,” no thees,” you just need to let it all out. There’s no hiding how you feel, God sees your heart. So let it out, He can take it, He’s a big God! He wants to hear all about it. Maybe write it out in a journal then when there’s a breakthrough you can go back and see how far God has brought you.
While your journaling, if you are journaling, write out a verse you that comforts you. If you don’t journal, jot the verse down on 3×5 card or just a piece of paper and put it in your pocket. Pull it out and read it over and over when you find the thoughts creeping in. This is something that will keep you mindful of your thoughts.
Philippians 4:8 – “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Think about what you are thinking about. Try and catch yourself and when you realize you aren’t thinking healthy that’s when your thoughts can jump track and think about more praise worthy things. Satan is subtle. He can get us thinking about some really “innocent” things. He can use something someone says to you that just eats away at you. Be careful where your thoughts lead. Your thought could start out innocent. Satan can corrupt and innocent thought. I could be thinking about something, a project I want to do. Then I can start to think about how I will get it done, which sometimes can lead me to think, “how would so and so do this?” Then I begin to compare myself to so and so and think that they are so much more successful than I am and I have no business doing this project. Next thing I know I have a bitter heart. If I’m not careful and I can’t retrace my thoughts I will just keep going down that road of comparison. I need to catch myself when I compare and thank God for the things and the abilities He has given me and move forward with that confidence.
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Self control takes practice, so does controlling your thoughts. It most likely isn’t going to happen overnight. When you find yourself in a cycle of worry and thinking not so healthy thoughts, ask God to give you the courage to stop and begin by thanking Him for one thing. Then thank Him for another and then another. Think about the times He has come through for you, think about how He has provided and think about how He has created the earth and the universe for us to enjoy. Make it a daily practice to “think on these things.”
Judgement Day
“And on that day when we will pay for all the deeds we have done, Good and bad they’ll all be had to see by everyone” – Amy Grant, My Father’s Eyes.
There will come a day when we will stand before God, whether or not you believe in Him or not, we all will stand before Him and have to give an account for everything we have done, the good, the bad, the ugly, all of it.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 – “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (NIV).
2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” This has to happen before God can create the new Heaven and new earth.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 – “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”
The Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial brought this to mind. The entire world is hearing and seeing all the bad in their relationship. The accusations toward each other, the emotional and physical abuse, all the dirt is just out there for us all to see. I can’t imagine the stress and judgement of the world they must be feeling on just these chapters of their lives. Pray for all those involved. And one day that’s how it will be for us, standing before God and everyone to see the good and bad we have done. It won’t be just a few things, it will be everything!
But unlike what Johnny and Amber are experiencing, we have a God who has provided a way out of God’s judgment. (and if they are willing to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness, He will forgive them) When we stand before God on Judgement Day if we have Jesus in our hearts, as our Lord and Savior, His blood covering us, that’s all God will see, His Son’s blood and we will have eternity with Him. As we live our lives day to day we are writing the story of our lives. We all have the opportunity while we are living here today to repent an ask for God’s forgiveness. Then God will wipe out all the bad and only remember the good things we have done. Hebrews 10:17 – “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
It’ll be too late on judgement day to ask for forgiveness. The time is now, today is the day. Why wait? God isn’t trying to keep from having fun. He is offering you freedom and eternity now.
If God doesn’t love us, why would He provide a way out for us. It’s God’s desire that all come to Him, 1 Timothy 2:3-4 – “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (emphasis mine).
Where do you want to be on that day? The time is now to ask for forgiveness.
Letting God’s Love Shine Though Our Brokenness
God can use your brokenness to heal others. Your story can become the hope for others. God can use anything for His glory, even our pain and suffering. God does and will heal us. Sometimes we have the scars to remind us of what we have been through, be it physical or emotional, we all have scars. And that’s ok. Jesus understands scars. He has a few. And it’s by His stripes we are healed Isaiah 53:5. NLT says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” He was whipped. Through those wounds He poured out His blood to save us from hell so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. Jesus is our Hope, His wounds heal.
What does letting God’s love shine through our brokenness look like? What does that look like for us? Is it like getting a cut and letting the blood cleanse the wound? What are we doing when we let God’s love shine through our wounds, our scars?
Is it sharing our story, our hurts or our current pain? Does it mean sometimes we have to open a wound to and start that healing process over again? Being brave and courageous enough to share our story can be hard, scary. We are afraid of judgement, rejection, or perhaps someone unfriending us. It’s a risk yes. And even though we may have to reopen that wound again to share our story, we can know we are still healed from it when we respond with love, grace, mercy and forgiveness to reopening that wound. When we no longer feel the resentment and hatred from it but feel God’s love we know we have been healed. It is possible and healing for everyone is different.
When we share our story we are bleeding hope into someone’s life. Jesus offers healing through that, there is healing in His wounds and in His wings.
The Kedge Anchor 
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