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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.  You can’t buy peace. It comes from a relationship between both a faithful God and faith-filled man.

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

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 everlasting.

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 an 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 a 1,000 tongues. Paul’s words corrected, clarified, encouraged and led. 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

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.” Hosea 4:6

The first of the minor prophets, Hosea is a story worth reading. It tells of Hosea’s response to his adulterous wife in parallel to God’s enduring and unchanging love toward His people that have turned to other gods.

In times of prosperity the nation of Israel fell to careless worship practices and began adopting and adapting pagan gods into their daily lives. What was one more little god going to hurt? The answer is everything. A distraction between you and your Creator changes the perspective of His miraculous work, thus limiting your ability to remain Holy. God is very clear. He is jealous. He will not share. (Exodus 20:4-5)

While God does not ask us to practice meaningless ritual, it is of utmost importance that our focus be intentionally and correctly directed toward acknowledgement and praise for the One True God.

When worship practices are lacking in content we miss the time and opportunity to teach the next generation. Worship is important today for the sake of tomorrow.

Love,

Gretchen

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Mark 1:9

The Old Testament Jews, in accordance with strict Levitical law, followed rigorous cleansing rituals and diligently aspired to remain Holy by avoiding things considered unclean and repeated washings many times daily. John, the prophet who proclaimed the coming of the LORD, began a new cleansing or baptizing. It was a baptizing of repentance, a new order cleanliness.

Today we refer to baptism as a Holy Sacrament, an outward sign of an inward grace. Jesus, who was Holy and pure, stepped foot into the Jordan. When He rose from the water He was acknowledge by God and the Holy Spirit came upon Him, empowering Him to do the work He came to do. Praise be to God!

Jesus modeled baptism as a symbol of a radical change in a person’s life. I was once asked by a small child, “Why does the church have a bathtub?” I replied, “To show the world you have washed away all your sin dirt.”

Spit Shined and Ready to Go,

Gretchen

Then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. II Chronicles 6:27

Chronicles: An historical accounting of Israel’s experience with God before their exile. Much of the events recorded are found in other books of the Old Testament, but Chronicles gives theological perspectives for present and future generations of God’s people.

Solomon is dedicating the Temple. Israel has morphed from people of slavery, through the years of nomadic desert travel, to their promised home. They are now people of permanent residence no longer living in tents but houses. Therefore, it is appropriate that God have an earthly representation of His covenant fulfilled.

This prayer of dedication makes known the fact that God is utterly dependable and constant. He is always ready to hear and forgive those who genuinely seek Him and turn from their wrong doing.

Israel’s story is one of sin, consequence and repentance, sin, consequence and repentance. Missing in this cycle? God refusing to forgive and direct. It will never happen. No sin is too great, no secret so buried that God’s mighty power and grace cannot overcome and set things right.

Love,

Gretchen

When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement. John 16:8

These are the words of Jesus as He prepares His disciples for the events that are just hours away. Up until this point Jesus has been with the early believers in the flesh, but in order for salvation to become a reality, He must suffer an unreasonable judgement and death.

Jesus died at the hands of the unjust so that we may have perfect justice. Only He knows our mind, our agenda, the true reason for our actions. He knows the secret places of our hearts we don’t share with anyone, the places that shake our faith, break us or make us strong.

God does not see us as the world does, nor does He judge us by the world’s standards. We are safe and secure in Him, our Creator, when we lay ourselves before Him to be cleansed and made Holy. Live in the confidence of God’s unfailing and unconditional love and truth.

Happy Friday!

Gretchen