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My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to My name, because My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty. Malachi 1:11

The spiritual leaders of Judah had been leading sub standard worship that perpetuated a very casual attitude toward God’s authority and sovereign power. God was NOT pleased. It was costing the people their assurance of His love, leading to hopelessness.

God’s chosen people were turning away from His commands and covenants. People of foreign lands acknowledged God and worshiped Him with greater honor than those He had redeemed from slavery and brought to the promised land.

These words, spoken by Malachi were intended to shock his hearers, but this truth is still relevant today. The heart of worship is the center of our faith in action and an indicator of spiritual health. God doesn’t need our worship, we do! He longs for it because He knows the great works and power that will result.

Happy Weekend,

Gretchen

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

Christ is the image of the invisible God. We must recognize and emulate, or clothe ourselves in, the virtues God revealed to us through His Son.

Becoming a Christian means change from an old life to a new. The former was self-centered, the present is centered on the qualities that Jesus modeled while in the flesh. Our behavior must be reshaped in the mold or likeness of Christ.

These characteristics were Christ’s priority. They must be our’s also.

Love,

Gretchen

Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. Daniel 4:12

The early chapters of Daniel are stories of great faith, showing God’s values confronted with hostile cultures, Daniel and his friends were courageous and held true to their convictions in the face of terrible consequences.

Nebuchadnezzar was a very powerful king. His father, Nabopolassar, was founder of the Babylonian Empire. In the midst of his self importance and authority, this mighty king could not shake Daniel’s faith. It made a difference! Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, part of which is described above. He called magicians, astrologers and diviners to interpret his dream but they failed, so he called on Daniel, recognizing once again the power of the Most High God, the God of Daniel. The interpretation of the dream revealed that this world leader would fall and live like a wild animal isolated from human contact.

Though earthly governments and principalities exist, God is sovereign. There are no kingdoms of men that will circumvent God’s power or authority. Our focus should always remain on obedience, worship and praise for the Creator of all things.

Love,

Gretchen

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

These are the words of Jesus from scripture known as The Sermon on the Mount.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you have uttered the word, “Yes,” you have probably endorsed something or entered into an agreement. Following through reflects your character.

No. Think for a minute how different the world would be if this one little word was respected. No means no. It’s okay to say it and stick to it. If you are questioning the ‘No’ you started with, someone may be trying to persuade you in a direction your honorable instincts have already decided.

Indecisiveness is an open door for the evil one. Slam it shut!!

Have a lovely Wednesday,

Gretchen

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war. II Chronicles 16:9

Peace is a gift from God to the obedient.

Asa followed his father Abijah as king of Judah. He did right in the eyes of the LORD. He removed false gods from places of prominence and commanded his subjects to seek God and obey His laws. The land was at peace and prospered.

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign he was threatened by Baasha, king of Israel, so Asa took gold and silver from the temple to buy protection from king of Ben-Hadad. God was not pleased with Asa’s reliance on earthly powers rather than on Him. God had been faithful and Asa turned from trusting Him to trusting in man and money.

Also known as faith in action, obedience grows strength and supplies unlimited power from Heaven.

Have a great Tuesday,

Gretchen

For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. Galatians 5:5

Christ died to set us free from the bondage of sin. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us to live victoriously in the world, yet not of the world. (Read all of Chapter 5, it’s amazing!)

The Jewish converts in the early church were not willing to release their orthodox traditions. They were circumcised as an outward expression of their heritage. They wanted gentile Christians to be circumcised too, as well as follow other strict laws from ancient times. Paul says, “NO!” It is not the body that pleases God but the heart, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Verse 6b says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Pretty powerful and enough said.

Have a great day,

Gretchen

 

You’ll Always Have Plan ‘B’

Life is really hard. I was raised in a great home, taken to church, to the alter, taught what it was for. Mom and dad modeled humility in word and deed. They walked daily with Christ, always facing the Throne of God. If they had moments of doubt or lacked faith, I never knew. Still……..their child was a sinner. Parental salvation doesn’t cover one’s off-spring. Mom and dad could not provide a world where I would not need grace. I had free will and wasn’t afraid to use it. Consequently, life got really hard from time to time.

It just so happens that all four children of James B. and Sandra J. Jones became incredibly decent people. The grands are shaping up quite nicely too! So, in honor of this Father’s Day I’m going to let you peek through the window of my past and see what Mr. and Mrs. JBJ did right in a world full of wrongs.

On the back side of our front door you will find children that received discipline. Inappropriate behavior was addressed, “You aren’t going to get far in life acting like that. Do better or life won’t be kind.” Their response to selfishness: “You won’t treat people like that (specifically each other) and sit at our table.” As unpopular as it is today, mom and dad lived putting God first, others next and themselves last. Their children lined up at the end beside them. Obviously it wasn’t fatal.

Love never failed. Mom and dad remain dedicated to each other and the higher calling they heard as young people. It isn’t that they fell ‘in love’, it’s that THEY LOVE.

The future is the point of life. Never have my parents relished in the glory days of their children’s achievements. If one of them catches you and holds you captive to their bragging, it will concern where we are headed, not where we’ve been. There’s a lot to do to leave the world better than we found it. They are our encouragers and cheerleaders, but what was won’t get you where you’re going.

And still………bad things happened……to each one of us. Sometime our choices were detrimental to our well being, sometimes a sinful world took its toll. In either case, their grace did not cover us. We had to be broken in spirit and humbled, then healed and molded in the likeness of a humble, broken, healed and victorious Christ. Their testimony tells that it was hard to resist becoming our god and fixing things as best an earthly parent could. They made the conscious choice to let God be God, lead us to Him and let His miraculous mercy do in us what it had done in them. This is singularly their greatest act of faith. I know this because, I am a parent of adult children.

Finally, what did the best parents on earth do when their children grew, left and made homes of their own? Since I know them I will tell you. They assured us that we always have plan ‘B.’ Plan ‘B’ is simply this. You will never, NEVER, be alone. There will always be respite in your father’s house, the porch light is always on. It’s not an invitation to exploit generosity, just a juniper tree, a safe shade to restore strength and joy so that we will remain strong until that day when we are all together for eternity.

Mom and Dad I love you!

Happy Father’s Day 2017,

Gretchen

Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Romans 6:12

Righteousness is not passive. It does not happen by accident and cannot remain without intentional effort.

Rome, a growing, sophisticated metropolis, had a growing Christian population that began on the day of Pentecost when Roman visitors to Jerusalem witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul has written this letter to those believers in hopes of visiting soon. Instead, three years later he arrives as a prisoner. Even so, his truth and works continued and Rome’s church grew.

God will not squeeze Himself into spaces harboring sin. Holiness is a choice. God is loving and just but He will not accept excuses. Sin is a death sentence, but Christ’s resurrection provides life ever lasting.

Happy Weekend!

Gretchen

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

This section of scripture is associated with the Full Armor of God. Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus emphasizing that successful Christian living is not passive, but active and takes on the reflection of Christ.

Pray without ceasing. Never let your mind be anywhere but on Christ. When you celebrate, celebrate with Him first. When you worry, lay it on His shoulders. When you are devastated, cry at His feet. Acknowledge that you have nothing. Everything comes from God and He is not selfish. Requesting is recognizing who is the provider and who is not.

Finally, we are one, the Body of Christ. Christianity is global and the burden is heavy. There is not a faithful believer anywhere that does not suffer persecution, spiritual defeat and exhaustion. Prayer is the connecting point and is vital to a humanity that God created to need each other.

I’m praying for you, please pray for me!

Love,

Gretchen

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 5:9

The church of Thessalonica suffered persecution from its very inception. Within a month of arriving, Paul, Timothy and Silas had to leave under cover of darkness. However, the infant church was not forgotten and news of its health was reason to celebrate. Although thriving under persecution, the church struggled with identity crisis. Many cultural barriers had to be breached and traditions let go. Pure and true theology was difficult to maintain.

Man’s perception of God’s character is incredibly important to our comprehension and response to trials and blessings. The citizens of Thessalonica were no exception. They had many questions and were subjected to the opinions of 1,000 tongues. Paul’s words corrected, clarified, encouraged and lead. The people followed, as evidenced in the fact that we have his letters preserved today.

When all is said and done, the most basic Biblical knowledge that everyone must know is, “God appointed us to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Nothing else will do.

Love,

Me and Paul