Month: November 2019

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision; “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” Genesis 15:1

Abram was a righteous man, a prosperous man, a man of great faith.  The LORD made a covenant with him, to make his descendants a great nation from which would come Israel’s greatest king, and the Messiah.  God made this amazing, unbreakable promise to an old, childless man, who’s wife was beyond child bearing years. Abram needed reassurance often!

Abram’s nephew Lot got caught in the crossfire of feuding kings in the Valley of the Salt Sea. He and his entire estate were taken as spoils of war.  Abram gathered a militia from his own household and faced down trained armies to successfully rescue his family member.  Success didn’t counteract doubt. Abram’s faith needed affirmation!

God is faithful and good. He will keep His covenants. He will do what He said He would do, and still in weakness we cry out.  God always answers.

Whether it is in praise, joyous wonder or total desolation, God wants to be the One we run to and reach for.  If there is any example from Abram we might follow, this would be it……go to God for everything.

Love,

Gretchen

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.  Ephesians 6:5

The book of Ephesians is focussed on the character of Christ’s church.  Paul, the author, was a missionary to gentiles but, He entertained no division or prejudice in the body of Christ. As Christians, we are all on equal terms and God does not play favorites.

Our attitude toward those who have authority over us is not a reflection of their character, but rather ours, and our behavior and attitude is the perfect reflection of our relationship with Jesus.  Our actions are our testimony, so be careful of what you say by doing.

Have a great Friday,

Gretchen

All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Proverbs 16:2

Tweaking facts or spinning truth to manipulate outcomes has become an art form.  There are those that believe it is a valid and appropriate part of social structure.  The problem is, in doing these things, we put ourselves smack at the center of the universe. Our needs and purposes supersede everyone else’s.

The one truth that will never change:  God knows! He knows whether you acted in purity of thought and action or if you meant to change an outcome in your favor regardless of truth or consequence.

God and only God has complete access to your mind and heart.  You have no secrets. He knows, so open your heart and let Him fill you with His Spirit.   Sweep the cobwebs out of the dark corners and let the Son shine in.

Have a great Thanksgiving,

Gretchen

They surround me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them down. Psalm 118:11

The Psalms are poems: Songs of praise, Laments, Prayers and Petitions written by and for various people in acknowledgement of the One True God.  This particular psalm is a  thanksgiving, a testimony to the power of God’s protecting and sustaining presence.

To the Psalmist it is understood: The only true king is God, mediated through David and continuing in his dynasty. Psalm 118 is a ceremonial hymn celebrating the king’s victory with the help of the LORD.  It wasn’t sung once and then put away to gather dust for 1000’s of years until we picked it up today.  It was used regularly to acknowledge that strength and preservation come from God alone.

It is important to daily acknowledge who is God.  It’s an act of worship and it keeps life in perfect perspective. A residual outcome of worship is peace…… He is God, and I am not.  I can rest, because He won’t.

Have a lovely day,

Gretchen

But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14

Due to hundreds of years of racial prejudice, Jews did not travel through Samaria, but the Son of God does not let man’s social barriers determine His itinerary. On this day Jesus took the shorter route on His way from Jerusalem to Galilee.  Tired and thirsty He sat down at Jacob’s well. Along came a woman with a spiritual need, a moral problem.  Jesus broke with cultural and gender bias by asking the woman for a drink.

What sort of Jewish man would ask a Samaritan woman, the lowest of all human form, for water?  A man who came to offer something besides heartache, sorrow, prejudice, isolation, abuse…..

This woman was in a downward spiral created by the choices she made according to her pleasure and need for instant and repeated gratification, or perhaps the circumstances of her birth into race, gender or socio-economic status, and maybe a tragic combination of all these things.  Jesus offered her a life forgiven, renewed and eternal. She accepted His gift and brought as many people as would listen back to the Well of Living Water, aka Spring of Hope. 

It’s still springing up for you too.

Just a sinner saved by Grace,

Gretchen

A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

Read all of chapter 13.  It is my opinion that it retells one of the most beautiful moments in time.   

Jesus is speaking these words to His disciples. He has quietly reflected on how much He loves them, shared His last earthly meal with them and shown them His servant’s heart by washing their feet.

What separates the believer, the Christian, from all else on earth?  Love.  Love is the defining attribute.  You can keep all of the commandments and ancient Jewish laws, but if you do not love your fellow man…………you’ve missed in entire point!

Gretchen

We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19

The prophetic passages in the Bible are messages of hope divinely given to people separated from God as a result of sin.  Let me say again, “Prophecy is hope!” It’s the light at the end of the tunnel.

Peter was an eye-witness to Jesus ministry.  He listened intently to the lessons and parables used by His dear friend as He prepared them for His imminent and necessary, unjust death.  The moment of reality was dark, devastating, earth shattering! The disciples were frightened, so they dispersed and hid. They were on the brink of giving up completely. Nothing made sense according to all they’d been taught and thought they knew. Then came Sunday morning, hope rose from the grave, ancient prophecy came into focus correctly, and the future was crystal clear. Peter is giving testimony to the promise of God’s faithfulness past, present and future.

God is not sending us into an unknown future.  He’s leading us through a life we cannot comprehend.  Prophesy grants us the clarity of God’s all knowing, all powerful constancy to stay the course He began, and that is Hope!

Love,

Gretchen

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God . 2 Corinthians 9:11

The Corinthian church struggled with putting aside the idea that Christ was the way to personal success, affirmation of peers, and social power.  These early believers put themselves at the center of Christianity rather than Christ. 

Paul is teaching that personal sacrifice for others is the example modeled by Christ.  God is the giver of all things.  Generosity of spirit and action perpetuate the Gospel by meeting the physical and spiritual needs of others.

God is so very good. Our sacrifice and service to others glorifies Christ, the One that gave everything so that we could live.

Have a Wonderful Day,

Gretchen

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. John 15:1

In the Old Testament Israel is referred to as the vine taken by God and planted in a place of hope, The Promised Land.

In this poignant passage, Jesus is addressing only His disciples. Dinner is done, Judas has left to follow his evil heart and it is just hours before the world’s most shameful miscarriage of justice. The Gospel will be carried to the ends of the earth by these eleven men hearing this story. They must understand so they will not give up.

Basic vineyard maintenance was common knowledge and the above connection was not lost on the disciples. There is a Gardener, there is a vine, there is a branch, so there should be fruit. Jesus chose this analogy to illustrate our connection to Him, His connection to God and our universal connection to God’s plan. While being the Son of God, Jesus is still the mortal Son of Man, complete with free will. But, He gives that will lovingly back to His Father and rests in His plan. Jesus remains in His Father so that we have the hope of remaining in Him.

God is the source of everything.  He is good and trust worthy.  Everything He does is for our benefit, to draw us to His throne. Jesus’ greatest act of trust was submitting to God’s will. When we do as Jesus did, we will get the exact results.………Perfect everything.

Love,

Gretchen

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all you might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom Ecclesiastes 9:10

We live in a society obsessed with personal quality of life. We live in the moment, for the moment! Me first!

Outside of scripture, everything we see and hear teaches and encourages this: Take care of yourself so you can take care of others. I see the logic of this but, I also recognize how outrageous it becomes in the hands of the theologically negligent.

It is our legacy that matters, now and later.  Someone is watching, someone is following, someone is emulating you.  You are leaving a mark.  What does it look and sound like?  Is it integrity and a work ethic that is honorable? Is it a life’s pattern of putting God first, beginning with time allocated for explicit worship? 

Make your life count for something beside yourself, because death is inevitable no matter who you are.  And when you’re gone you can’t change what’s been done.

Have a great day,

Gretchen