Month: April 2020

That is why I am suffering as I am.  Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have trusted to Him for that day. II Timothy 1:12

Alone in prison except for Luke, Paul writes this last letter to Timothy.  Death is imminent and soon, yet he is encouraging those he loves to carry on the mission they began. Paul has no regrets, fully understanding the cost of following Christ is life given in sacrifice. 

Paul as a child of God, a sinner saved by grace, has unlimited trust in his Father. These words are beautiful, spoken alone in two sentences, yet their poignancy takes on a powerful dimension when understood in their entire context.

In Paul’s final words of encouragement, he relates his unconditional thankfulness and confidence in the God that designed Grace before time began and provided it for him and all mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Our everything, just as Paul’s, is in Christ alone.

Happy Wednesday,

Gretchen

Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

In chains awaiting execution, Paul sends a letter to the first church he established. He has been beaten, stoned, hounded by mobs, but in all these trials he found the secret of contentment in all circumstances…..rejoice.

Sneezing, coughing, even giggling is a reflex, but rejoicing is a choice. It doesn’t happen by accident and is the antidote to defeat.  We must rejoice. Especially when we don’t feel like it.

Some synonyms of rejoice are delight, celebrate, revel and triumph.  These behaviors are the evidence of our faith, the secret of our success. Rejoice in all things because our hope is in the LORD.

Blessings,

Gretchen

“I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me.  Then suddenly the LORD you are seeking will come to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” Says the LORD Almighty. Malachi 3:1

Malachi shows in chapter 2, our attitude toward God’s Holiness and Sovereignty is reflected in our actions toward each other and sometimes, good things happen to bad people.  Steadfast faith is stretched when simple reasoning becomes complex disillusionment.

One promise in the Biblical narrative that gives eternal hope is the assurance of justice. Those who have committed evil and refused to subject themselves to God’s authority will be dealt with appropriately and those who have been faithful will receive their reward.

Waiting is hard, especially in times of trial and despair. Hope seems impossible to grasp and cling to, yet hope is all that’s left. God has not forgotten you. He hears the cry of your heart and everything that is happening is a part of your journey to His throne and victory over sin and death.

Love,

Gretchen

May the LORD now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. II Samuel 2:6

Saul, Israel’s first king, anointed by God, has been killed in battle along with his son Jonathan. (The details of Saul’s death are better explained in I Sam. 31.) Jonathan and David shared a deep and committed friendship that reached beyond politics and traditions. When David heard of their deaths he was deeply grieved.

David was to be Israel’s next king, chosen by God’s authority rather than man’s heritage. God told David to take his household and go to Hebron where he will be anointed and begin his reign.  The words above are spoken in a message sent to the men that showed proper respect to Saul and Jonathan, giving them a proper burial and dignity in death.

David was often the victim of Saul’s ruthless treatment, but before he takes the throne he chooses to lead Israel in traditional mourning, thus putting love, mercy and compassion above entitlement.

David…….a man after God’s heart.  Love, mercy, compassion………the things God gives, the things He expects us to share with others.

Happy Saturday!

Gretchen

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel. 36:26

Ezekiel prophesied the total destruction of Israel as a consequence of habitual idolatry and profanity toward God. However, God is not a God of abandonment or giving up. With the foretelling of consequences was the continued promise of a loving Savior, whose covenant is eternal for those who pursue Holiness.

The reference to ‘heart’ encompasses the total being. Complete transformation and renewal will occur. Notice this verse does not say ‘restoration.’ The implication that some of the old will remain is misleading and defeating. God removes the destructive old or dead, and makes a new living and vibrant life.

The prophecies of Ezekiel are not limited to the consequences of Israel’s disobedience, but extend to the oppressors too. Wrong decisions lead to difficult situations of abuse and oppression, but that does not mean God approves of those exacting exploitive or abusive behavior.  God will renew you and deliver you from all sin that attempts to destroy you, not just your own. This sounds outrageously ambitious, but never underestimate the power of God’s love!

Living Boldly!

Gretchen

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.  Proverbs 22:6

What constitutes a good start?  What must a child understand and believe?

* God is love. Romans 8:37-39 and I John 4:8

* They are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalms 139:14

* Jesus, God’s Son, died so they might be saved. Acts 2

* God has a plan for living in peace with the world and those around you. I Cor. 13.

The greatest leap of faith ever made by a parent is the total and complete release of their child’s life back to the Creator. This is huge! Give them Jesus, and give them back into His loving care. Let them know and they will find the same faith you have.

Love,

Gretchen

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.  Acts 2:21

These words were spoken by Peter on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came like a mighty, rushing wind, and tongues of fire, to fill every new believer, God fearing Jews from all over the Roman Empire. They were forever changed and thus began Christianity, the Body of Christ.

Peter recalled the prophesy of Joel, and the words of David, bringing all who experienced the filling of the Spirit and all who witnessed it into one clear understanding of Jesus’ purpose and God’s work of Grace and Mercy. Three thousand were saved!

We are NOT abandoned to the grave, death does NOT have the final say. Jesus died to save us from the evil of this very day and the darkness of an eternity without God.

Hallelujah!!!!

Gretchen