Month: June 2017

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war. II Chronicles 16:9

Peace is a gift from God to the obedient.

Asa followed his father Abijah as king of Judah. He did right in the eyes of the LORD. He removed false gods from places of prominence and commanded his subjects to seek God and obey His laws. The land was at peace and prospered.

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign he was threatened by Baasha, king of Israel, so Asa took gold and silver from the temple to buy protection from king of Ben-Hadad. God was not pleased with Asa’s reliance on earthly powers rather than on Him. God had been faithful and Asa turned from trusting Him to trusting in man and money.

Also known as faith in action, obedience grows strength and supplies unlimited power from Heaven.

Have a great Tuesday,

Gretchen

For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. Galatians 5:5

Christ died to set us free from the bondage of sin. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us to live victoriously in the world, yet not of the world. (Read all of Chapter 5, it’s amazing!)

The Jewish converts in the early church were not willing to release their orthodox traditions. They were circumcised as an outward expression of their heritage. They wanted gentile Christians to be circumcised too, as well as follow other strict laws from ancient times. Paul says, “NO!” It is not the body that pleases God but the heart, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Verse 6b says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Pretty powerful and enough said.

Have a great day,

Gretchen

 

You’ll Always Have Plan ‘B’

Life is really hard. I was raised in a great home, taken to church, to the alter, taught what it was for. Mom and dad modeled humility in word and deed. They walked daily with Christ, always facing the Throne of God. If they had moments of doubt or lacked faith, I never knew. Still……..their child was a sinner. Parental salvation doesn’t cover one’s off-spring. Mom and dad could not provide a world where I would not need grace. I had free will and wasn’t afraid to use it. Consequently, life got really hard from time to time.

It just so happens that all four children of James B. and Sandra J. Jones became incredibly decent people. The grands are shaping up quite nicely too! So, in honor of this Father’s Day I’m going to let you peek through the window of my past and see what Mr. and Mrs. JBJ did right in a world full of wrongs.

On the back side of our front door you will find children that received discipline. Inappropriate behavior was addressed, “You aren’t going to get far in life acting like that. Do better or life won’t be kind.” Their response to selfishness: “You won’t treat people like that (specifically each other) and sit at our table.” As unpopular as it is today, mom and dad lived putting God first, others next and themselves last. Their children lined up at the end beside them. Obviously it wasn’t fatal.

Love never failed. Mom and dad remain dedicated to each other and the higher calling they heard as young people. It isn’t that they fell ‘in love’, it’s that THEY LOVE.

The future is the point of life. Never have my parents relished in the glory days of their children’s achievements. If one of them catches you and holds you captive to their bragging, it will concern where we are headed, not where we’ve been. There’s a lot to do to leave the world better than we found it. They are our encouragers and cheerleaders, but what was won’t get you where you’re going.

And still………bad things happened……to each one of us. Sometime our choices were detrimental to our well being, sometimes a sinful world took its toll. In either case, their grace did not cover us. We had to be broken in spirit and humbled, then healed and molded in the likeness of a humble, broken, healed and victorious Christ. Their testimony tells that it was hard to resist becoming our god and fixing things as best an earthly parent could. They made the conscious choice to let God be God, lead us to Him and let His miraculous mercy do in us what it had done in them. This is singularly their greatest act of faith. I know this because, I am a parent of adult children.

Finally, what did the best parents on earth do when their children grew, left and made homes of their own? Since I know them I will tell you. They assured us that we always have plan ‘B.’ Plan ‘B’ is simply this. You will never, NEVER, be alone. There will always be respite in your father’s house, the porch light is always on. It’s not an invitation to exploit generosity, just a juniper tree, a safe shade to restore strength and joy so that we will remain strong until that day when we are all together for eternity.

Mom and Dad I love you!

Happy Father’s Day 2017,

Gretchen

Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Romans 6:12

Righteousness is not passive. It does not happen by accident and cannot remain without intentional effort.

Rome, a growing, sophisticated metropolis, had a growing Christian population that began on the day of Pentecost when Roman visitors to Jerusalem witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul has written this letter to those believers in hopes of visiting soon. Instead, three years later he arrives as a prisoner. Even so, his truth and works continued and Rome’s church grew.

God will not squeeze Himself into spaces harboring sin. Holiness is a choice. God is loving and just but He will not accept excuses. Sin is a death sentence, but Christ’s resurrection provides life ever lasting.

Happy Weekend!

Gretchen

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

This section of scripture is associated with the Full Armor of God. Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus emphasizing that successful Christian living is not passive, but active and takes on the reflection of Christ.

Pray without ceasing. Never let your mind be anywhere but on Christ. When you celebrate, celebrate with Him first. When you worry, lay it on His shoulders. When you are devastated, cry at His feet. Acknowledge that you have nothing. Everything comes from God and He is not selfish. Requesting is recognizing who is the provider and who is not.

Finally, we are one, the Body of Christ. Christianity is global and the burden is heavy. There is not a faithful believer anywhere that does not suffer persecution, spiritual defeat and exhaustion. Prayer is the connecting point and is vital to a humanity that God created to need each other.

I’m praying for you, please pray for me!

Love,

Gretchen

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 5:9

The church of Thessalonica suffered persecution from its very inception. Within a month of arriving, Paul, Timothy and Silas had to leave under cover of darkness. However, the infant church was not forgotten and news of its health was reason to celebrate. Although thriving under persecution, the church struggled with identity crisis. Many cultural barriers had to be breached and traditions let go. Pure and true theology was difficult to maintain.

Man’s perception of God’s character is incredibly important to our comprehension and response to trials and blessings. The citizens of Thessalonica were no exception. They had many questions and were subjected to the opinions of 1,000 tongues. Paul’s words corrected, clarified, encouraged and lead. The people followed, as evidenced in the fact that we have his letters preserved today.

When all is said and done, the most basic Biblical knowledge that everyone must know is, “God appointed us to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Nothing else will do.

Love,

Me and Paul

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.” Hosea 4:6

The first of the minor prophets, Hosea is a story worth reading. It tells of Hosea’s response to his adulterous wife in parallel to God’s enduring and unchanging love toward His people that have turned to other gods.

In times of prosperity the nation of Israel fell to careless worship practices and began adopting and adapting pagan gods into their daily lives. What was one more little god going to hurt? The answer is everything. A distraction between you and your Creator changes the perspective of His miraculous work, thus limiting your ability to remain Holy. God is very clear. He is jealous. He will not share. (Exodus 20:4-5)

While God does not ask us to practice meaningless ritual, it is of utmost importance that our focus be intentionally and correctly directed toward acknowledgement and praise for the One True God.

When worship practices are lacking in content we miss the time and opportunity to teach the next generation. Worship is important today for the sake of tomorrow.

Love,

Gretchen

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Mark 1:9

The Old Testament Jews, in accordance with strict Levitical law, followed rigorous cleansing rituals and diligently aspired to remain Holy by avoiding things considered unclean and repeated washings many times daily. John, the prophet who proclaimed the coming of the LORD, began a new cleansing or baptizing. It was a baptizing of repentance, a new order cleanliness.

Today we refer to baptism as a Holy Sacrament, an outward sign of an inward grace. Jesus, who was Holy and pure, stepped foot into the Jordan. When He rose from the water He was acknowledge by God and the Holy Spirit came upon Him, empowering Him to do the work He came to do. Praise be to God!

Jesus modeled, baptism as a symbol of a radical change in a person’s life. I was once asked by a small child, “Why does the church have a bathtub?” I replied, “To show the world you have washed away all your sin dirt.”

Spit Shined and Ready to Go,

Gretchen

Then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. II Chronicles 6:27

Chronicles, an historical accounting of Israel’s experience with God before their exile. Much of the events recorded are found in other books of the Old Testament, but Chronicles gives theological perspectives for present and future generations of God’s people.

Solomon is dedicating the Temple. Israel has morphed from people of slavery, through the years of nomadic desert travel to their promised home. They are now people of permanent residence no longer living in tents but houses. Therefore, it is appropriate that God have an earthly representation of His covenant fulfilled.

This prayer of dedication makes known the fact that God is utterly dependable and constant. He is always ready to hear and forgive those who genuinely seek Him and turn from their wrong doing.

Israel’s story is one of sin, consequence and repentance, sin, consequence and repentance. Missing in this cycle? God refusing to forgive and direct. It will never happen. No sin is too great, no secret so buried that God’s mighty power and grace cannot overcome and set things right.

Love,

Gretchen

The Ones That Stood By

The characters that took part in Jesus’ crucifixion are of great interest to me. In a general sense, every crowd is the same. People sort themselves into groups and patterns that are universal and so it is with the masses that came to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover this particular spring. I often wonder how I would’ve fit into the scene had I lived that moment and place in time. Honestly, I’m not sure, but reflecting makes me determined to live forward with greater focus and purpose.

A very diverse group gathered to witness this act of capital punishment that fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and took the power of death away from satan. Jesus’ twelve disciples, except for John, entrusted with the care of Mary, Jesus’ mother, were hiding in the shadows filled with fear and confusion. Roman soldiers mindlessly followed orders, but added their own twist of hatred by stripping Jesus naked, weaving a wreath of thorns and gambling for His clothing. Jewish officials, rigorously trained and formally educated, mixed just enough truth with just enough fallacy, to get their desired response from Rome’s authority. Two thieves completed the execution roster. One humbled himself and found hope everlasting, the other remained belligerent to the end. Jesus’ mother, along with her friends, stood boldly, stoic and loyal, looking far beyond the cross and the present situation. Finally there were the masses, lost faces in the annals of history. Within the masses there were those shouting, throwing things, spitting, swept up in a fever of self-righteous indignation. There were the curious and probably some that thought Jesus’ death was inappropriate but it didn’t effect their life so they separated themselves emotionally and remained quiet. AND maybe, just maybe there were those that stood back and said, “He got what He had coming.” “He got what He deserved!”

They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. John 16:2

I can place myself in the behaviors and attitudes of everyone in the assembly at the cross, after all, I am a former sinner now saved by grace. But those that thought, “He got what He had coming,” are the ones I struggle with the most. I have aimed darts at the hearts of others, poisoned with this horrible venom of judgement and scorn, deliberately withholding compassion. In doing so I placed myself in a sinful role. God alone reserves the right to judge.

Jesus, blameless and pure, died for the sins we committed, not His own. Therefore, He took what we deserved, what we had coming. It was the greatest love ever shown.

Sometimes we hide from the world, fearful and faithless. In ignorance we mock and abuse those that Christ loves. We rewrite truth to our own advantage or remain quiet when we should speak up. Still, like the thief, salvation is freely offered. We must lay down our lives at the cross, arise and look beyond to the Throne of God to the world that Jesus loves and the hope that He died to give.

Everyday we awake in a crowd called mankind. What role will we play? I encourage you to lead with love and spread the Good News.

Blessings,

Gretchen