Month: September 2019

Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.  2 Cor. 8:24

Paul, throughout his letters, preached the oneness of Christ across racial divides. Racial tensions between Jews and Gentiles were a reality and very deadly at this time.  Paul taught there was great virtue in doing good for those that persecuted you and asked often for Gentile Christians to set aside money for oppressed Jews, They went above and beyond the call.  As a result, Paul had to delegate Titus and two other associates to manage the churches of Macedonia and their offerings in an ethical and responsible way. This verse is a call to accept these emissaries in a way that will continue the work of the gospel.

There’s another subtle message.  Paul says, “Love those I love…… If you love me, then love them too.”  He is echoing Christ’s call to love one another….If you love Me, love those I love.

We have accepted His grace and we love Christ.  So now we are asked to love those He loves.  We didn’t earn Christ’s love upon Salvation. We were freely GIVEN salvation because of His love. Our highest calling; to LOVE those that Christ loves, basically…..everyone!

Love,

Gretchen

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. Galatians 1:11

These are the words of Paul to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia. 

The early church had no written Gospel. Having only the revelations of the Apostles, early believers were dependent on word of mouth and letter writing. Many false prophets wanted a piece of the action in this new ‘fad’ called Christianity.  It took very little time before opportunity for personal agenda became a chance to turn a ‘dollar.’ Young and unsuspecting believers were distracted and confused. It happens today too!

Paul was aggressive in testifying of his encounter with God, his perseverance for the Gospel and his passion that everyone know and accept the Good News. His message follows and is still the most important thing anyone can hear and accept today:

1. The God of Israel is the true and living God, always has been, always will be.
2. He alone saves people from their sins by means of Mercy and Grace, and is worthy of worship.
3. Jesus, God’s Son, is our Savior.
4. This Salvation is free to everyone who will receive it.

Love,

Gretchen

And his affection for you is all the greater when He remembers that you were obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 2 Corinthians 7:15

This seems a strange verse to pull out for a devotional, but as always, I encourage you to read the passage in its full context.

Paul is referring to his associate missionary Titus, a gentile, converted to Christianity, who did not observe orthodox Jewish practices, a serious offense to some early church members.  Paul was preaching salvation based on faith rather than works and Jewish law. He sent nontraditional  Titus too Corinth to correct some evil behaviors in the new church.  This young congregation of believers were so eager to live Holy lives they willingly excepted Titus and his message. Paul is ecstatic that the Gospel is continuing and his brother in Christ was accepted without bigotry.

It is devastating when Christians become bogged down in the petty things of life. Satan delights when God’s love is sifted through prejudices to the point the message it carries never gets delivered. Live and love as Christ, let the Gospel shine through.

Love,

Gretchen

As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allowed inheritance. Daniel 12:13

As a young child I had ‘Early onset leadership skills.’  In other words, I was bossy!  Dad ask me often if I thought God took the day off and left me in charge.  We can laugh now, but at that time I was intense.

So much of life is spent surviving…… earning money, engineering family life, keeping peace, staying healthy……… In the midst of all this purposeful action it is easy to think we actually have control over things other than the state of our heart in relation to who is God and who is not.  This clarification is the mission of the prophet Daniel. The final words of his book tell that no matter what, our earthly end will come. If God is our One True God, our immortal life will just be a continuation of our mortal character.

God’s faithfulness is pure and constant and is not determined by our autonomy or theology. Our inheritance comes by way of God alone. Efforts to prove otherwise are in vain.

Love,

Gretchen

If I go up to the Heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:8-10 

For many, late August and early September are the last hooray of Summer, and with the cooling of fall, life settles into a sedentary routine until we once again begin weaving dreams of sunny days to come. 

I love traveling. The anticipation of seeing something for the first time is one of my favorite states of being, but I also love returning to places that hold treasured moments.  I realize that sometimes I travel to find myself, and other times I travel to escape myself. Oh my! What a mess!

But maybe not so much………………

No matter where we are, spiritually or physically, God is there.  Our minds constantly take us to the outer limits of our comprehension, much further than our physical bodies would ever dare to go, and so the Psalmist who had the same mental, physical and spiritual content as you and I, put to words his realization that there is absolutely no where that God is not. 

The presence of God is not a state of geography or zen. There are days when our spirits fly high and of course God is there, but when we crawl into our dark place, is He there too? Trust Him to be your auto pilot when you are lost or that firm grip on your hand with you are perilously close to the edge. Rest well, for all is well…… He is there.

Gretchen

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. I John 2:1

It is God’s desire for us to live Holy lives.  It is possible because it says, “So that you will not sin,” but, then we are human and our Creator knows it.  In His perfect love, perfect timing and Oh! So perfect wisdom, He gave us a perfect advocate. Someone to stick up for us, to plead our case. Someone to say, “Don’t hold it against them, I’ll take the consequence.”  WOW!!!!! Jesus Loves Me, This I Know!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Gretchen

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

The infinity of God is a truth that boggles the mind.  God always was and always will be.  He does not exist in linear time, He created it, therefore, it is His to administer as He pleases, to bring glory to Himself. 

So what does an all powerful God do with time?  He makes everything beautiful. 

From the moment you became a being you entered into eternity. Eternal life doesn’t happen when you give your heart to Jesus, your residence just changes and you begin to grow more beautiful with each passing day.

Love,

Gretchen

Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand.  The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. Hosea 14:9

The path of least resistance leads to crooked rivers and crooked men. – Henry David Thoreau.

I am a school teacher. I say a million times a day, “Make a good choice.” This is not a new concept. The entire book of Hosea is God saying make good choices or horrible consequences will rain down.  Sometimes it’s tough to hear, but it is a very serious reality.

God is my creator and the lover of my soul. Jesus is my savior and has paid my redemption.  I walk daily in the reality of my second chance……..and my third and fourth…….millionth.  Through Christ’s blood I always have another chance.  But there are two myths many people have bought into this blessing and I’m going to dispel them.

  

Myth 1. Human life gives you second chances. 

Truth – IT DOES NOT!   Time marches on, brokenness leaves fissures, moments/opportunities come and go quickly, never to return, hurt people don’t hang around.  Odds are you won’t get a second chance.

Myth 2. People are born with dispositions toward wisdom or rebellion. It’s just fate.

Truth – There’s a great deal of theology to be hashed out here but in simple terms, God Loves His Creation and that is YOU! He has gone to every extreme to redeem you and bring you to eternal life.  It’s a choice, NOT fate.

Wisdom is a choice. It is a good choice. You have to ask for it to obtain it.

Rebellion is a choice.  It is easy, lazy and bad.  Guaranteed, you won’t like the outcome.

Praying!!

Gretchen

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

These were Paul’s final words, his final goodbye to the converts in Ephesus.

Children fascinate me and sometimes they get a bad wrap concerning their ability to share. Yes, they go through developmental stages that challenge even the most creative parents, but as a whole, they smile and look for others to smile back. They are givers. I have never witnessed a small child hoarding anything. They take what they need and leave the rest, or they take what they need and attempt to engage others in their activity. 

Paul is one of the most independent characters of the New Testament Church.  He bows to no earthly person or ideal.  He’s fiercely protective of clear and true theology and aggressive in correcting those who misinterpret his words or actions. 

By this description, Paul is not a guy I would want to meet in a back alley on a dark night.  Except the reality was, he was a sinner, saved by grace, humbled by his lack of worth, accept through the blood of Jesus Christ.  He was bold, not entitled, he was hard working, not selfish and the earthly things he accumulated were for one purpose only……..to spread the gospel and help those that had no voice. He had a childlike faith that we are called to emulate.  The blessing is in giving, not getting and clinging. So be childish; gather, connect and share!

Have a most blessed day,

Gretchen

P.S. No man ever grew poor giving things away.  A generous person always has something to give.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

I love words and find it amusing when two words are combined to emphasize an existing known. One of my recent favorites is ‘Hangry.’ Hangry is the state of subconscious anger due to famishment.  It is not a pretty thing to witness. The human body has a hair trigger alarm system to keep itself functioning efficiently. Hunger and thirst are part of this survival plan and when deprived of sustenance, things collapse quickly.

Jesus is making a parallel between a physical hunger and thirst to show us a righteous heart will have a similar longing, a survival reflex for the things of God. Desires and appetites are a given but the righteous will seek what is good and just. It also goes in reverse. The more we become focused on Godliness the more our instincts turn toward correct and healthy choices for the things we take into our hearts and minds. The most beautiful part of the whole concept is that God will NOT withhold Himself.  He will provide your heart and your mind a most glorious feast.

Love,

Gretchen