Month: August 2019

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you,” Genesis 12:1 NIV

This verse marks the beginning of Abram’s story.  God calls to Abram and he obeys. The end………..NOT! 

Abram grew up in the city of Ur.  It was a major port metropolis.  Residents of Ur had financial security and a high standard of living. Abrams father Terah took his entire household and began a trek toward Canaan but stopped in Harran.  Terah did not honor God (Joshua 24:2) and he died before the journey ended.  But God called Abram to leave the traditions and security of his family and the convenience of urban life and go into a wilderness that would be the equivalent to the pioneer’s Kansas prairie. 

Why are these details important?  Because God called Abram away from what was ordinary and comfortable to make him His own, so he could become extraordinary!  Abram’s story ends with a complete change to the history of mankind, so you may think this invalidates the relevance of your obedience on this scale. But the story isn’t about the history of the world, it’s about becoming God’s own. We are nothing until we are God’s own. 

May you feel God’s abundant love today,

Gretchen

Hello again!

“Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven” Matthew 6:10 NIV

Holiness is the absence of sin and God and Heaven are Holy. God will not dwell in the presence of sin. SO….if Jesus said to pray, “On earth as it is in Heaven,” modeled in His Sermon on the Mount, (6:9) then Heavenly things are possible on earth.

Ask yourself, “What in Heaven do I long for on earth?”  (Be reasonable and know that those loved ones really don’t want to leave there and come back here.)  I long for God’s power and Holiness to dwell with me on earth just a powerfully as I know it will when my address is Heaven.  I can’t create a perfect earth, but I can pray for a Holy me on earth and live with the confident, overcoming victory I know I will realize when I reside there. The essence of Heaven is a space filled with God’s love, perfect justice and the absence of things that harm and create fear and sorrow.

Today I ask God fill me, my space, with His love and Holiness, empowering my encounters to be as though I was reaching down with God’s touch rather than my own.

Bring Heaven to earth. It is possible or Jesus wouldn’t have said so.

Love,

Gretchen

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4 (Revelation 19-22)

The Garden of Eden was the place God and man dwelt together, but sin separated man from his loving Creator. Now, there is a New Heaven and New Earth where God will dwell eternally. John sees the wedding of The Lamb and His Bride, The Church.  There are many references to wedding guests being invited, but collectively, they are The Bride. Throughout the Bible, the corporate and individual sinner has been labeled prostitute or adulterer. In contrast, it is an honor to be invited as a Bride, without blemish or wrinkle.

John watches as total destruction comes to the unrighteous and their father Satan. His domain was the abyss, the lake of fire, now it is his eternal prison of torture. There are now only two classes of people, the saved and the lost and John sees the glory of God become an eternal light, blotting out darkness and the need for locks and lamps forever. The New Jerusalem has no temple, but why would there be, God and Jesus are our eternal dwelling place, the sacrificing and repenting is done, we have arrived!

The vision ends, but an angel remains to verify all John has seen and been instructed to relate to those who will follow and believe. John establishes that all he says is true and finally, Jesus authenticates John’s revelation.

In the divine person of Jesus, we are given love, power and the hope of resurrection. The sum of all these things is Abundant Life, today and forever more.

Love,

Gretchen

Dear Beloved Readers,

This post concludes my journey through the Bible chronologically. When I began my blog 1,094 days ago, I felt God was calling me to three years. Today marks 36 months. It has been an incredible undertaking and I am changed forever.  To the future, I am going to rest a little and try to publish some of my other writings, some fiction and some non. For those who have supported and encouraged me from the very first post, thank you so much. You are game changers. For those who have only begun to read my thoughts and studies, if you would like to keep reading my daily devotionals, I am going to return to my first posts and edit them for better understanding. I will begin Sunday, August 18 reposting those for future use, but please understand they are rewrites of my previous work.

I am blessed to call you my friends. Diving deeply and daily into God’s word is the greatest joy I’ve ever known. Thank you for joining me.

Love Always,

Gretchen

Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For You alone are Holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed. Revelation 15:4 (Revelation 14-18)

Before John is given the view of God’s wrath, exacted in perfect judgement upon those who brought suffering upon the faithful, he hears a sound, like the roaring of the sea. It is a New Song only the redeemed can know. (The number 144,000 is not literal, but represents all God’s people.) All Heaven is singing praise for the mighty works of God. The prophets and Gospel writers were right; steadfast and persevering hope have brought rest from the toils and sorrows of life on earth. Heaven erupts in unutterable joy and praise for deliverance. This harvest brings a finality to mankind’s struggle against evil.

After this amazing celebration of believers comes a solemn ceremony where seven angels are given seven vials of God’s wrath. These judgments parallel Egypt’s plagues. Persecution, oppression and abuse are avenged to the fullest degree! The Redeemed bear the mark of God and the wicked are marked by their allegiance also. There is no escaping what you have lived.

Babylon is mentioned in these chapters. It is representative of all nations that have used political  and religious power treat people as commodities. Every age has its Babylon, that which entices people away from God by means of greed, luxury and selfish pleasure. But rest assured, God’s faithful will be vindicated. It is so certain, it’s as if it’s already happened. So, join Heaven’s chorus and sing a New Song in worship for what God has done, will do, and is doing!

Do, Mi, Sol,

Gretchen

In early adolescence my dad was diagnosed with depression. As he began coping with things long misunderstood, he modeled a beautiful faith in a loving God, and talked openly to those he influenced most strongly, his wife and children. Here are moments from his journey. And dad…….we love you most!

I LOVE YOU…….MORE 

    Early one morning a few years ago, I had a moment of serendipity while walking across the parking lot of a shopping mall.  Just ahead of me was a young father and his son who was probably about five or six years old.  It was a bright Saturday morning and they were strolling along in a most carefree manner, impervious to my presence.  As they walked, the little boy looked up at his dad and said, “I love you Dad.”  An answer, accompanied with a big smile,  came immediately, “I love you more!”  This drew a challenging air and expression from the little guy, “No!  I love you more.”  This brief exchange continued for a couple more rounds until the little boy grabbed his dad’s hand and began to skip in a manner that expressed he was totally contented, confident and carefree.  Soon we entered the store and they out of my presence, but not out of my memory.  That little fellow is a young man by now, maybe with a child of his own.  I just have the feeling that he has grown up to be a well-adjusted gentleman and family man.

     Only the most cynical of observers would consider that brief colloquy as confrontational and argumentative.  In fact, I hear words often expressed, “I love you….more.” Evidently it is one of those expressions that attempt to express a swelling feeling in the chest and the thrill of emotion that one has for a beloved.  Countless poets have attempted to find the perfect way to say it.  The Elizabeth Barrett Browning literary gem comes to mind:

                        How do I love thee, let me count the ways,

                                    I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

                        My soul can reach when feeling out of sight

                                    For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

and the concluding lines-

                        I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears

                                    of all my life! and if God choose,

                        I shall love thee better after death.

     I have had the good fortune of sharing my life with a girl these fifty-eight years who has shown me that kind of love.  And hopefully, I have been able to reciprocate in like measure.  I am glad that I heard someone much wiser that I instruct young newly-weds.   “Marriage isn’t a 50/50 proposition, you have to give 100%.”   I’m sure glad I learned that because if it were a 50/50 deal, I would always be behind in the score.  Every time I try to even things up, Sandy does something to run the score up and I’m always behind.  Thank God! She has been content with my lowly 100%.  That probably means her love for me (not that I deserve it) is 110%.  I’ve heard her say, “I love you more” and show it in countless ways.

     This has caused me some deep and probing reflection.  How do you love someone more?  How is love multiplied….compounded….what’s the formula?  At the risk of sounding like I know something no one else knows, and to salve my conscience  and sense of honesty, I have a confession to make and an epiphany I believe was taught to me by the Spirit of Love.

     First, my confession.  Long before modern pharmaceuticals were developed to treat such disorders, I suffered severe bouts of depression especially through my early years in marriage and ministry.  The problem definitely had social dimensions.  Strangely enough, I could go in public and perform, preach and conduct business as usual (or so I thought).  But in private, especially around those closest to me, I would be quiet, non-communicative leaving the impression that I was angry and something was wrong with others.  I’m sure I was a real sweetheart and a joy to be around.  The darkness enveloping my emotional self created a shell that was almost impossible to break.  Looking back, I can only credit the grace of God working on by behalf to prevent disastrous consequences. When my “silence symptom” was at its very worst I could not force words “I love you” through my teeth to my precious wife.  The emotional strength was just not there.  Oh my!  The old song from Hew Haw was my undeclared theme ….”Gloom, despair, and agony on me, deep dark depression, excessive misery.”  A good family doctor’s observation and prescription for Prozac was a God-send, but I needed more.

     Before I share my epiphany, you need to know something about my wife.  She has a few scruples regarding her domestic chores that she refuses to change.  She thinks the dishes should be washed after every meal.   She does not leave the bed unmade when she starts her day, regardless of her hurry or agenda.  She does the wash (one chore she doesn’t trust me with) because she has a certain way she likes everything separated and folded.  My socks and underwear are folded like they came out of the package. The old and the odd ones go to the bottom or back, the best on top and arranged in stacks by color.  Hankies and other items have their place so that I can find exactly what I need in the dark.  She hangs clothes on hangers even when I leave them lying around.  She takes initiative in preparation at meal time and likes her surroundings to be neatly arranged and in the proper place.  While I try to share in these chores, the truth is, I haven’t come close to doing my share in the domestic department but she has NEVER complained.

     Here is my epiphany.  I believe it was a message straight from the heart of God via the Holy Spirit. At about year 15 in our marriage and in the throes of a severe bout, the Spirit reminded me that I was not verbally expressing my appreciation and gratitude to my most loyal benefactor.  I probably hadn’t said,  “I love you” for some time.  At the Spirit’s prompting, I was able to put my arms around her and sincerely say, “I appreciate all the little things you do for me….” and I began to name them.  As the words were formed and spoken the emotional cloud lifted and tears flowed.  The words of love now flowed easily. It is impossible to over-estimate the transformative effect this had in our day-to-day interaction.  While some of the episodes of depression occur to this day and I take my daily dose of anti-depressant,  the depths of depression have never returned at the previous levels. 

 

     So, a couple of things I have learned from living life in my lane.  First, when the Holy Spirit teaches a lesson, it’s a lesson learned.  Second, if you really want to love “more” take inventory of everything the one you love brings into your life and sincerely express appreciation and gratitude.  It’s amazing what a calm and closeness it brings into the relationship.  “How do I love thee, let me count the ways…..you care for me…..you cook for me…..you do a zillion little things that I can so easily take for granted but you never change or complain. Thank you!”

     I love you……more!

 

 

 

Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. Revelation 5:8b (Revelation 8-13)

The prayers of the faithful play a significant role in outcome. In addition to 5:8, 8:3 tells of a wonderful aroma, our prayers, pleasing to God. John sees these prayers as a treasure in Heaven and he watches as God brings the answer to petitions.

John is shown a picture of God preparing Heaven and earth for final judgement.  God’s people are represented as a woman with a crown of stars who gives birth to a Son who rules all nations, but Satan rises in opposition with political oppression followed by all out war and religious persecution. When destruction from outside doesn’t bring an end to God’s people, false prophets, also called false lambs, begin tearing apart The Church from within. With the powers of Heaven doing battle for good, Satan fails.

We struggle with what Satan is, and the pain and sorrow in which he delights, but it is of great importance for us to recognize what he is NOT! John’s vision has a great deal to do with this understanding. Satan is not a god, certainly not The God! He has no power of all-knowing, all-presence, all-being. He fears the name of Christ and knows his doom is inevitable.

God protects and cares for His own. The prayers of the Saints have worked! They are the most valuable asset we have. When you think your prayers haven’t been heard or honored, remember, they have not been stored in the dusty archives of Heaven, but are an active part of worship here and beyond, today and for all eternity. Pray Saint Pray!!!!

Love,

Gretchen

Then I heard every creature in Heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and eve!” Revelation 5:13 (Revelation 4-8:6)

John’s revelation turns from the things of earth as Heaven’s door is thrown open and he sees and hears God the Creator and Redeemer praised for His power and majesty.

For every scholarly commentary written, there is an opinion of what the visions of John mean to each of us.  I will not choose a favorite theory and adopt it for your consumption. But there is common agreement we simply will not fully understand until we personally behold Christ in all of His Glory. However, one theme is clear: No matter sin’s destruction or tribulation, God is on His Throne. Sin’s sorrow will never outweigh the power of The Church as The Church remains faithful and earth endures.

We will not live a trouble free live on earth, but we will come through to a permanent home of peace and security in Heaven, our living hope. Today’s crisis is not your forever, for joy comes in the morning.

Love,

Gretchen

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Revelation 1:8 (Revelation 1-3:22)

John is the only living Apostle when a messenger from Heaven arrives and tells him to scribe what Jesus is going to reveal. His visions were then to be sent to the churches of Asia where extreme persecution was taking place.  Imperial Rome was attempting to wipe Christianity off the face of the earth, but admonition and encouragement sustained the faithful and the Church then and today survives triumphantly.

Revelations tells the story of a sovereign Lord engaged in battle with the forces of evil. It uses supernatural imagery, figurative language and symbolism that is not easy to fully understand, but we do know the number of completion, God’s signature, is seven. God’s omnipotent knowledge as Creator of the universe and Jesus as the fulfillment of righteousness is shown through love that conquers Satan. “Then all the churches will know that I am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” (Rev. 2:23b) is evidence of the precious promises of eternal life for the believer and the agony guaranteed for the lost and rebellious.

Of the seven churches, two were blameless; Smyrna and Philadelphia. Two were spiritually bankrupt: Sardis and Laodicea, and three were accused of apathy for their tolerance of wrong teaching and immoral behavior among their members and leaders. Take heed!

God’s Word is to have a central place in the church and is designed to hold The Church to its mission. This final chapter is the consummation of God’s plan of redemption, established throughout the history of Biblical revelation. We are loved and our hope is in the promise and surety of eternal life.

Love,

Gretchen

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. I John 3:16 (I, II, III John)

The Christian Church was 60+ years old and many attempts had been made to amalgamate the Gospel with prevailing philosophical trends. John, the Apostle wrote three letters, the first a circular letter sent to a large audience and meant to be shared far and near, and two short and very personal letters that were preserved because they were probably attached to the larger correspondence. The objective was to warn against corrupting Christianity with pagan behaviors and thought and restate the Truth.

John was Jesus’ most intimate friend, the one Jesus had asked to care for His own mother at the crucifixion. Following the destruction of Jerusalem, John lived the rest of his life in Ephesus, from where he sent these letters. One misbelief that infiltrated Christian practice was dualism, the idea that body and spirit were separate. The body’s sins did not sully the spirit.  This allowed for deeply immoral habits within the Christian community. There were also false prophets claiming to have a superior knowledge of God and denied the incarnate Christ.  John had walked intimately with Jesus for three years. He knew He was fully The Son of Man and fully The Son of God.

The Church must cling to the Truth and the Truth is, you must believe Jesus, the Son of a loving God, died for man’s salvation. We have the assurance of eternal life and we show this knowledge of Truth by following God’s command, to love one another.

Love,

Gretchen

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 (Hebrews 11-13)

These chapters are the Biblical Faith Hall of Fame, a pep rally of sorts for those who came before us, we the present and those who will follow. A great encouragement for the persecuted and unjustly accused to remain strong and persevere. The same God that was faithful to them, is still faithful today. We can rest our hope in this.

Rather than expound on a very simple concept, I am going to list the accomplishments of faith as listed in Halley’s Bible Handbook, pg 654. It is tremendous inspiration.

-Abel’s faith brought the first sacrifice for sin

-Enoch’s faith brought relationship with God.

-Noah’s faith saved his family

-Abraham’s faith led him into the unknown that became the City of God and a confidence in God’s omnipotent and sovereign love and power.

-Sarah’s faith turned the impossible into reality.

-Isaac’s faith foretold the future.

-Jacob’s faith rested in the hope of promises fulfilled.

-Joseph’s faith sustained him from king to pauper to king.

-Moses faith chose to suffer with Israel, forsaking his place in pharaoh’s palace and the deliverance of the Hebrew children across the Red Sea.

-Joshua’s faith brought down the wall of Jericho.

-Rahab’s faith brought her into the security of Israel

-Gideon’s faith made him a mighty warrior.

-Barak’s faith subdued kingdoms.

-Samson’s faith made his weakness become strength.

-Jepthah’s faith defeated armies.

-David’s faith obtained promises.

-Daniels’ faith closed the mouths of lions.

-Jeremiah’s faith was tortured but stood firm.

-Elijah and Elisha’s faith raised the dead.

Yes, you can put out the fires of hell on earth with a little squirt gun when its loaded with a tiny seed of faith.

Love,

Gretchen