Month: January 2017

It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade. Mark 4:31-32

Years ago I studied these verses while writing a series of lessons for children. I was so disappointed when I discovered that the mustard seed isn’t the smallest seed on earth. A quick google search will inform you as it did me that the smallest seed comes from a jungle orchid. However, Jesus was not writing an article for scientific scrutiny but rather speaking in parable, a story told to teach a spiritual lesson. Jesus’ audience knew nothing of jungles, or orchids. They knew a great deal of mustard plants, olive groves, grape vineyards and in that context the mustard seed is quite amazing.

The Kingdom of God, not Heaven and eternity to come, but the one in our present midst, is grown from the most basic source, love. The initial size does not determine outcome, the planting does. So just love.

Have a great weekend,

Gretchen

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD. Romans 8:38-39

A battle for a new world order has been waged since Satan felt he was worthy of godlike status and was expelled from God’s presence, aka Heaven. There is One True God, the Creator/Designer of that order whose keystone is love. Satan’s chaos is irrelevant and cannot thwart God.

Love for mankind is God’s choice, His supreme design. There is nothing, NOTHING, that can separate us from that love. Sadly though, our unchecked free choice and its accompanying sin separates us from God. Satan would have us believe that God is spitefully doing the separating, but He is not (refer to scripture above).

Turn your face to the Son! His open arms are waiting for you…… to hold you tight…..forever.

Love,

Gretchen

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy. Micah 7:18

Micah is known as the grieving prophet. His heart is pained by a sinful world, while maintaining the hope of our redeemer. Like Micah, we must see the effect of sin, but isolate ourselves from its burden and power.

In Micah’s world everything was falling apart. Ethical behavior was hard to find, loyalty, even in family relationships has become an antiquity. But by the very evidence that God sent a prophet to such a time and place is proof that God still has a plan to redeem and restore the totally corrupt and fallen generation.

Our God is an incomparable God. Only He is a forgiving God. Even in His anger He hears our heartbroken cries and has compassion on each of us. He does not stay angry but DELIGHTS IN MERCY. He delights in giving us love and grace!!!

Have a Wonderful Day,

Gretchen

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales;
rather, train yourself to be Godly. I Timothy 4:7

Timothy is Paul’s young associate, sent to pastor the church in Ephesus and guard them against false teaching. Timothy is Paul’s trouble shooter and this letter was written as Paul realized his execution was coming nigh. He longed to soften the blow of his persecution by strengthening and encouraging his young protege.

As the progeny of a mixed marriage, a Jewish/Christian mother and a Gentile father, Timothy had never been circumcised, but Paul encouraged him to become circumcised so that no Jew could criticize him for being unfaithful to God’s covenant with Abraham. The church of Ephesus struggled constantly with the bombardment of pagan gods and many people seeking an earthly agenda for prosperity rather than the faithful worship of the One True God. Paul was committed to the highest standard of integrity to the Good News of Grace.

Satan, the author of misinformation and misuse of good information, takes every opportunity to create confusion. Confusion leads to frustration and then it is a short step from frustration to despair. Stay in God’s word. It will not let you down. Ask and you will receive includes clarity in time of confusion.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday.

Gretchen

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36

Jesus is not known nearly so much for what He says, as for what He does. Jesus was followed from place to place and people sought Him for what He did. He healed. He was touched by human need and He acted.

Untouchable lepers, the blind, the crippled, a child, the demon possessed, the storm tossed and the spiritually lost. These people determined where and when Jesus went. WOW!

The harassed and helpless needed a shepherd. A shepherd’s singular duty was to protect the flock from harm while leading it to green pastures. One lost sheep was not acceptable, for they all mattered equally and were of great value.

Compassion, it should change our attitude, our direction, our determination and our man power. I don’t want to live a moment without receiving or extending this most precious gift, for it was and always will be the catalyst for Grace.

Have a terrific Tuesday,

Gretchen

So then, if you know the good you ought to do and don’t do it, you sin. James 4:17

Humans tend to build castles in the air, or rigorously put away for a rainy day. Tomorrow means a great deal to us. Regardless of which plan we have for the future, we have one. In fact, we are shamed by the financial community if we do not. But James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the early church says these things in verse 17 concluding his words on planning for a future found in verses 13-16.

To define sin is simple. It is any act of opposition to God’s Devine and loving plan. There is no hierarchy of sin, disobedience is disobedience and the payment for sin is eternal death, separation from God and Holiness forever! We are called to do good, but we get terribly distracted with our accumulation of security measures that we forget there is a world in need of Jesus.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are the Hands, Feet, Ears, Eyes and Heart of Jesus. Tomorrow has no guarantee and if it doesn’t come, the only thing that matters your is righteousness. If you are going to leave something behind, leave a legacy of love.

Have a lovely day,

Gretchen

At the Feet of My Father

As a child I had a favorite place: Under my father’s feet, more accurately described as, “In his way”. Everywhere he went, I would follow. If I wasn’t allowed or invited, I would mourn. The evening sound of his truck pulling in and the distinct tinny slam of its door were music to my ears. He’d return home smelling of saw dust and sweat, pick me up, toss me into the air, catch me and hold me tight. Heaven on earth. (I must insert that my siblings were also part of theses homecomings that might have happened once in a blue moon, but it wasn’t quantity, but quality that made lasting sunshine, granting me positive strength to press through darkness later in life.)

In addition to pastoring, dad was a carpenter. Summer days and Saturdays I would wake early and head off with dad to where ever new structures were being erected. His expertise was roofing. He would throw two bundles of asphalt shingles over his shoulder and shimmy up a ladder with no hands, drop the bundles with a thwack, kneel on one knee and begin weaving back and forth across a house in a rhythmic bang and swish of denim on wood, shingle on roof, hammer on nail.

My brother and I were very small when off we went to roof a house with dad. He pointed us to a sand pile in clear view of his aerial perch and headed up the ladder. The sand didn’t appeal, so I quietly followed dad. Honestly! What danger would there ever be in trekking behind one’s father? He had already nailed a few shingles before he realized he wasn’t alone. His reaction isn’t the point of this story, he can share that another time. The point is, I WANTED DESPERATELY TO BE WHERE HE WAS.

As I grew older, time with dad became scarce, but one summer he was building houses on Beaver Lake in north west Arkansas. Dad put me to work cleaning trash around building sites or other odd jobs. As an adult I recognize that it was probably inconvenient for him to find work for me rather than do it himself, but as a preteen I was oblivious. One miserably hot day his nail gun broke and it was back to old school hammer swings, except the nails were all attached together by glue and paper designed to shoot through his nail gun like bullets in a gatling gun. I was put to work with a pocket knife fixing the problem. It was mundane and I suspected dad was just trying to keep me off the roof and away from the bluff above the lake. I really didn’t care. I was with my father, I was earning my air and I was super proud to be the world’s best nail separator.

Many years later I felt an unmistakable call to Christian service. It was an entirely new way of thinking and processing life’s encounters. But I began to realize that once again, I was standing, sitting, working, living as close to my Father as I could possibly be and there wasn’t a job that was too lowly or mundane that I wouldn’t gladly do just for the precious moments spent in His presence.

Life is wonderful at the feet of my Father. He is good, He is long in love and patience and sometimes really funny too. Join me there and if He backs up or turns around quickly, He’ll find us right under His feet, in His way, watching and learning everything He does, and He’ll put us to work.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1.

Love,

Gretchen

But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. 2 Samuel 12:3

King David had an affair with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, an Israelite special forces soldier. When Bathsheba conceived David tried to cover it up, but Uriah’s noble character made this impossible so David had him killed. (This story is covered in chapters 11 and 12 of 2 Samuel) Using this ‘social’ story, Nathan, God’s prophet attempted to draw David’s awareness to the magnitude of his sin.

Nathan tells of a rich man with many sheep acting with incredible selfishness. When a traveler came along he took the poor man’s only sheep to feed to his guest rather than deplete his own flock. David is quick to anger at this wicked man’s blatant disregard for others but he doesn’t readily see its parallel to his own actions. David had everything and still wanted more, at great expense to others. An unchecked, covetous heart has no moral boundaries.

The Holy Spirit calls to us before and when we head toward trouble. God doesn’t want us there, it is not part of His plan for us to go there. Guard rails exist on the straight and narrow path of Righteousness. Don’t climb over them. It is not okay to justify risky moral behavior. There is NEVER an acceptable reason to sin. The cost of eternal life is not worth it.

Have a great weekend!

Gretchen

I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on the human race! Ecclesiastes 1:13

Ancient religious scholars attributed righteousness with a good and prosperous life while death and destruction were the evidence and consequence of sin. This disillusionment created a pessimistic view of God. Life is futile, nothing but a struggle. So what’s the point? Do we have a purpose?

The writer, most likely Solomon, king David’s son, credited with being mankind’s wisest model, realized that awareness through knowledge brings sorrow, yet self indulgence has it’s own brand of grief. Life is a vicious cycle and then we die. As a result of sin, God did lay a heavy burden on the human race and the hoist from which to escape is faith.

Knowledge is a tremendous and valuable asset, but it is not what pleases God. That is found in faith. Without faith it’s impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

Have a Wonderful Friday,

Gretchen

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

Paul and Silas founded this first Christian church in a town built on gold mining, in the home of Lydia, an astute business woman. She was one of the first converts and offered her home as a place of worship and discipleship. This church sent Paul funds while he was under house arrest in Rome.

The early church saw Paul continually imprisoned for the work of the Gospel. They were confronted with false and twisted theologies constantly. The Philippians were a proud people and struggled with division over petty issues of culture. In order to grow and survive, this group of people began to learn and live a bigger picture.

We must look directly past the end of our own noses in order to safely step forward. The problem lies in never looking further and concluding that’s all there is.

We are called to a single minded Holiness, but an egocentric mentality that brings all things back to us is destructive. Great love is found in putting aside our convenient interest for someone else’s best interest.

Have a lovely day,

Gretchen