About Kent
“I am what all Christians are: flawed and always growing. I am not immune to failure, and I don’t always do the right things, but I learn from my mistakes, and always show love to all who I know. Furthermore, through Christ I have joy knowing I have His grace even though I didn’t deserve it and His love even as I can’t imagine it. I have written devotion for the past 14 years using my life’s experiences both before and after being born again and focusing on its relevance to Biblical teachings and today’s culture.”
~Kent
02
Mar '19
The Incredible Invisible Omnipresent God
02
Mar '19
Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker,
for He is our God.
We are the people He watches over,
the flock under His care. Psalm 95:6-7
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker,
for He is our God.
We are the people He watches over,
the flock under His care. Psalm 95:6-7
I have always been a huge hi-fi buff. My mother taught me about it when I was a kid, and she would take me to stores to listen to music in ordinary low end equipment. Then, she took me to the high end where the sound became addictive. Regular sound over the years would become to my ears, ordinary. Then, I would get home to my surround sound system with high-end speakers, and become in a state of euphoric bliss.
Back when I was an early teen, we had an appliance store called Highland Appliance. They had everything from refrigerators to TVs, but I used to go because of the assortment of hi-fi
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23
Feb '19
The Guiding Light
23
Feb '19
“The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?” Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.” John 12:34-36 NLT
Last week, I talked a bit about my own fear. There was a great deal of apprehension that went with it, and the days after writing it were a bit nerve racking to say the least. However, the thing I gained greatest comfort in was God would take me one of two places. One, He would
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16
Feb '19
Removing the Veil
16
Feb '19
Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:12-16
What is it you are afraid of? You might be worried about offending someone or hurting their feelings. You might lose a
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09
Feb '19
Blessed Assurance
09
Feb '19
“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”
The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Jeremiah 1:6-8
What does it mean to have confidence? As I mentioned previously, I can tend to worry about things and lose focus on what matters. The other day, I had a challenge where for one reason or another, I could not seem to get a project done. There were many distractions that prevented me from working on it, and before I knew it, I was hitting against a deadline. In this case, there was this feel of calm that came over me as I began to work on the task at hand.
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02
Feb '19
Simple and Complex
02
Feb '19
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away
childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will
see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know
everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will
see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know
everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
A pastor challenged me the other day saying, “We all know that we sin because we are sinners.” There
is great truth to that, and I agree wholeheartedly with that statement. However, it felt like for lack of
better term ‘generic.’ The statement seemed hollow because it was too simplistic. We are sinners, and
thus, we sin. But our issue with sin is much more complex than that. I worried I was over-complicating
the situation, but that was not the case. When we first came to know God, it was a very simple generic
understanding of these simple truths: 1) There is a God, 2) we are not Him, and 3) He loves us
unconditionally. Today, I write 500 or so words on one facet of each of those truths He has taught me,
and He connects with me through many different interactions. The homeless man on the street, the
woman holding her baby, a couple praying together, and even a phone call from my mom remind me
that God is everywhere. So, which is it? Is our connection with God simple needing repetition, or is it
complex in meaning and value as many of our relationships are?
Our relationship with God is both simplistic and beautifully complex. The simplicity of it is as the pastor
pointed out to me is God must be our provider. We are like children; dependent on Him for everything
and trusting that He knows what is right and just. This concept is easy to grasp. However, God is also
beautifully complex. I emphasize the word ‘beautifully’ because as we learn more of Him and grow in
our faith, we build on our understanding of Him, and since God is good, what the relationship produces
is the same. It is what moves us to tears as we gain greater knowledge of His will, and it opens our eyes
toward finding His purpose for us. It is incredibly complex because while we are inextricably linked to
Him and each other, no two pathways are the same. That is His intention, and as one of my churches
preaches, a mosaic of people cannot be obtained by everyone looking and thinking the same. It is only
through challenging and sharing that we gain greater understanding of His kingdom. It is why we can
look at verses like today and see both the child and adult in us. The child harkens to Jesus’ teaching of
one must be like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (see Matthew 18:3, 19:14). Yet we must be
foundationally solid to better recognize the inner-workings of our spiritual growth that makes us stronger
disciples for Christ (see Hebrews 5:12-14).
God is our everything. He is the foundation of our faith and light at the end of the tunnel. He can help
us get through the most difficult of times and keep us on the righteous path when we don’t. Paul’s
point in today’s verse is not to say we have all the answers. Instead, it is to challenge us to seek them. It
is to not settle for where we our in our relationship. It is to continue to push, struggle, and fight for it is
only then that true growth is achieved. Don’t over-complicate the journey. Trust that Christ is there to
guide you through it. How can God’s simple truths reassure you today? Where can you embrace the
beauty of your complex relationship with God? My prayer is that we grow spiritually by understanding
our simple and complex relationship with God. Amen.
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Kent
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26
Jan '19
As I Have Done to You
26
Jan '19
After washing their feet, He put on His robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” John 13:12-15
Happy New Year to you and your families! I wanted to give you some insight on my resolution for the New Year. In thinking about my past year and goals that I have set, I plan to spend a
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19
Jan '19
“Vegas Rules”
19
Jan '19
“Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.”
“You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.” 1 Samuel 12:4-5
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12
Jan '19
Meditation and Application
12
Jan '19
I will keep on obeying your instructions
forever and ever.
I will walk in freedom,
for I have devoted myself to Your commandments.
I will speak to kings about Your laws,
and I will not be ashamed.
How I delight in Your commands!
How I love them!
I honor and love Your commands.
I meditate on Your decrees. Psalm 119:44-48
forever and ever.
I will walk in freedom,
for I have devoted myself to Your commandments.
I will speak to kings about Your laws,
and I will not be ashamed.
How I delight in Your commands!
How I love them!
I honor and love Your commands.
I meditate on Your decrees. Psalm 119:44-48
What am I going to do in 2019? There were many milestones that I reached last year. One was making it
to twenty years at Thomson Reuters. Not too shabby for a person who had not stayed anywhere longer
to twenty years at Thomson Reuters. Not too shabby for a person who had not stayed anywhere longer
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05
Jan '19
What Christmas is all About
05
Jan '19
My evolution as a Christian continues. The other day, A Charlie Brown Christmas comes on. It was perfectly timed because my daughter had one of those ‘playing indoors and hitting the 55” HD TV’ wrong moments (see the 12/29 ‘God’s Righteous Anger’ Devotion), and I really wasn’t up for my initial reaction. So, I’m laughing as Snoopy boos the announcement of Charlie Brown, his owner, as the director and Schroeder plays ‘Jingle Bells’ practically breaking each piano key for emphasis. Then of course my heart warms as the Peanuts gang
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29
Dec '18
His Righteous Anger
29
Dec '18
Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for
sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He
said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have
turned it into a den of thieves!” Matthew 21:12-13
sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He
said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have
turned it into a den of thieves!” Matthew 21:12-13
Is it ever right to display anger? As I am raising my youngest child, I have found that there are typically
four levels of dealing with things she has done wrong. There is the first level where I must talk about
where she went wrong, and going forward, provide guidance on the right way. In these cases, it is not
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