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Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When He had said this, He breathed His last.” The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” Luke 23:46-47

Throughout the humiliation and injustice of Jesus’ conviction and sentence, He held no resentment.  He displayed self-control when praying for those who murdered Him and offered kindness, grace and mercy to those present.  After facing down the pains of hell, so that we would never have to, Jesus breathed His last and returned to His Father.

The threat of our sin and the darkness of our imminent death was broken. Satan was defeated once and for all! Heaven and nature responded.  The inanimate earth shook, a curtain was torn and the graves of the righteous opened (Matthew 27:51-52). God gave a grand salute and welcomed His Son home.

We stir the air with simple words, but on this day over 2,000 years ago, a thief joined Jesus in paradise and a soldier became a believer, all because love meant more than heartache and suffering.  Yes, Heaven rejoiced and it hasn’t stopped since!!!!!

You are Loved!

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Luke 23:44-45

Devised for cruelty by a hard hearted and inhumane age, death by crucifixion was torturous.  The victim often hung for days before death came, serving as an object lesson for all who passed by. For Jesus, it was over in approximately six hours.  Within that time He was offered a stupefying gall to ease His pain. He chose to remain clear headed. He asked forgiveness for those who persecuted and mocked Him, gave eternal life to a thief hanging beside Him,  and secured an earthly home for His mother. He loved!

So that Jesus’ act of atonement could be complete, God withdrew His presence and darkness fell. Human’s will never know an agony like the final hours on the cross, a literal hell on earth. It was meant to be this way so you and I never have to experience separation from God. He loved!

A curtain hung in the temple between the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies.  Once a year the High Priest would pass beyond the curtain and intercede for the sins of the people.  At the moment of Jesus’ death there was no longer the need for an intercessor. We now have direct access to God through His son Jesus the Christ. He loved!

The most incomprehensible injustice of all generations, brought about the most poignant giving of love man will ever know.  Ponder until you understand just how loved you are!

Happy Monday,

Gretchen

This is the complete, unauthorized accounting of my daughters’ response to perfect parenting. I suspect neither one of them reads my blog, which frees me to be totally biased and opinionated about things I could just leave alone, but won’t.

I gave birth to two exceptionally intelligent, strong and beautiful daughters.  From the moment they first drew breath I knew they were just what the world had been waiting for.  Naturally, I  made plans, followed by plans for the plans.  My vicarious dreams had no boundaries. Lucky for them, I had it all under control.

AND THEN……

Somewhere between the terrible twos and Kindergarten they demonstrated in action and deed, they were not in accord with my agenda. Thing 1 had no interest in looking like a catalogue mannequin every time she stepped out of the front door.  Thing 2 had no desire to engage in the many perfect playdates I choreographed. They each had a free will and they weren’t afraid to use it.

As Things 1 and 2 grew and matured I began to see the indelible blend of DNA on their personalities.  SCARY!!  Amongst all their talent and grace, they were a lot like their father and I. I did everything in my power to stop this generational spiral. They were meant to be greater than us, not like us!

AND THEN……

My children became ordinary.  Thing 1 spends hours in the dirt. She hated school, mornings, clothes that touched her funny and most anything else I consider moderately civilized. Thing 2 loves education, logic, order and the arts, but she can be annoying with her perfectionism. Still they had great potential to make their mother and father look like a really great parents if they would just cooperate!

AND THEN……

One sleepless night my adolescent child and her younger sister cried the tears of hopelessness.  They discovered vicious people take the lives of innocents and it’s hard to discern between friend or foe.  Terrified, they wanted all of us to stay close to home and create a cloistered world of surety and safety. 

AND THEN…….

I knew I had to build faith, not walls, not success, not grandeur, just a simple faith in the One that created them, loves them most and knows best.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23

These children of mine, so much like me, struggling with anxiety and depression, wondering if all their dreams will come true or whether life is vain, just as I did and still do, need only Jesus. I have great confidence that the God who found me in my despair will always be available to them in the same comforting and sustaining way and they will figure it out because….they really are exceptional in every way! And your children are too.

AND THEN…….

I look upon my girls and say, “Thank you!” followed with, “What were You thinking?” because they are brave, bold, and adventurous and I sometimes wish I had built those walls…….but not really.

Love,

Gretchen

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people. Ephesians 1:18

The focus of Ephesians is the character of the Church.  It is believed to have been a letter written by Paul, a prisoner in Rome, as a circular to many churches in the Ephesus area. These words from their very first writing were meant to give encouragement and show gratitude for Christian fellowship among those facing difficult circumstances in their daily faith journey.

The gift of salvation is just the beginning. Accessing the power of the resurrection and bringing Heaven to earth is what the church is called to do. 

Happy Weekend!

Gretchen

But they shouted, “Take Him away! Take Him away! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify you king?” Pilate asked, “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. John 19:15

The determination of mankind to halt God’s work of Grace is astounding. God’s infinite persistence to continually offer Grace is amazing!

The Sanhedrin was the ruling court for the Jewish people of Judea/Jerusalem. It had great power over civil issues, but was subject to Roman governors. This counsel consisted of elders, lawyers, Pharisees and Sadducees.  These men were far more interested in protecting their cultural and monetary advantages than acknowledging that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus’ trial was highly unusual and technically invalid according to Jewish law!  There were no witnesses, it was done in the dark of night and the death sentence was pronounced and carried out immediately when the law says there is a waiting period of at least a day.

The offense Jesus was charged with was blasphemy, claiming He was the Son of God.  The very evidence that He was and is God’s Heir is what got the Jewish authority so angry and anxious about their own future.  Rome didn’t care who Jesus said He was so the Sanhedrin concocted the charge of sedition, the act of creating an uprising against the state. Still, Rome wasn’t all that worried, but the Jews would not stop until they forced the Roman judicial system to over look normal protocols and carry out the death sentence they wanted.

Evil was exhaustively determined to rid the world of this man called Jesus.  BUT!!!! The Good News, The Gospel……is the rest of the story, AN EMPTY TOMB and life everlasting!

Have a Lovely Friday!

Gretchen 

Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

In ancient times, the colors scarlet and crimson were fast.  If you have ever washed your whitie-tighties with a red sweater, you know you are doomed to wear pink undies into the foreseeable future. A number of products promise to restore your unmentionables to pristine perfection, but the scar of red tint is never completely gone. Nothing was different in Biblical times. These words illustrate that only God’s miraculous power can make things new.

Humans are born with the urge to have their own way at any and every cost! Isaiah begins his call as a prophet with a vision that shows just how badly man has drifted away from the One who created them in His own image. These entitled covenant people offered platitudes through meaningless prayers and sacrifice.  They practice empty worship thinking they will fool God by camouflaging their hearts. How offensive to the One who designed them to live in peace and joy at no expense except obedience. Yet, He is ever willing to intervene in for man’s corrupted heart and wash away the stain and scar of sin.

God says to Isaiah, “Come now, lets put this to rest!”  Those who continue in their disrespect and sin will be removed from the presence of God, those whose hope and trust is in the LORD will be saved.

Have a Terrific Thursday!

Gretchen

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things whether things on earth or things in Heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20

Paul defines Christ as The Image of the Invisible God, First Born of all Creation, Creator of All Things, Infinite, Designer of the Universe, Head of the Church, Peace Maker, and The Fullness of God. To be made full means to be brought to perfection. Jesus is the Perfect representation of a Perfect God.

We live in a broken world. Governments don’t serve people, families hurt one another, communities are twisted into personal agendas, and the world’s message is “Me first” rather than “Love thy neighbor.” Except! Christ, the fullness of God’s Glory, came to restore the perfect relationship between man and God. While earth’s principalities, from corporate to patriarchal to governmental, are wreaking havoc for a populous that has no voice, God is at work weaving personal peace for each one of us, and robbing death of its victim.

Every age has had its devastation and hopelessness.  The people of Colossae’s church struggled with the same crisis you and I see each day. They felt threatened and anguished, but Paul delivered the news he knew first hand, God is in the business of salvation, not destruction.

Have a Victorious Wednesday!

Gretchen

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

God’s gift to the world: Love. Grace is unmerited favor, worthiness you have not earned. It is not a barter of equal give and take. It is your get out of hell free card and all you have to do is reach out in faith and take it. Grace is the manifestation of God’s kindness, His choice to love always, anyways, every man, every where.

Carnal man seizes credit for anything he can, then turns it to his advantage over another.  This is the complete antithesis of God’s abounding love.  God alone is able to save, not man’s talents or endeavors and God does so because He choses to. 

It is a great temptation to exhaust ourselves attempting to be worthy of man’s standards. Hint: Man will never be satisfied with you, but God was the moment He wove you together in your mother’s womb.  Seek to honor His love. It is by His grace alone that you are saved.

Love,

Gretchen

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. Psalms 146:5

The last four hymns in the Bible’s song book are called the Hallelujah Psalms.  Psalm 146 is the first of these. 

Jacob’s early years are marked by total lack of integrity and complete self indulgence.  There were consequences for his behavior, the greatest of which was total separation from all that he loved and gave him security. On a lonely night with nothing but the stars to keep him company, Jacob had an encounter with God.  The God that made a covenant with his grandfather Abraham made the same covenant with him.  His descendants would number the stars and bless all nations. Abraham’s God became Jacob’s personal Lord, faithful and loving.

Our only hope is in the same God that provided abundantly for David, Abraham and Jacob.  He is generous and kind.  This Psalm is sung today in both contemporary and traditional worship settings.  Find a tune and fill your day with praise.

Love,

Gretchen