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“A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 (Matthew 26:20-29, Mark 14:19-25, Luke 22:14-30, John 13:1-38)

As the disciples prepare and gather for their evening meal they are sifting through what seems to be cryptic messages from Jesus. They argue among themselves concerning who will have what honor in the New Kingdom. Inability to put away expectations of a tangible, earthly kingdom are causing conflict and pride to arise within the group. The prophecies being fulfilled will make sense soon enough and leave the future generations with indisputable evidence to the Kingdom of God for those who choose to believe, but in their present, they are struggling with what it all means. 

The plot to kill Jesus will soon be successful, but on this evening Jesus declares calm in the midst of His storm. In His own darkest hours Jesus bows to wash feet. This is how He shows status and power are not the objective, humility, love and servitude are. The disciples are called to a mutual love, one that will be necessary to sustain them in the days to come.  Jesus modeled the true nature of the New Kingdom, now it is up to these me, and us today, to follow it through.

Perfect love is seen in the relationship between God and His Son. God loves us so much He sent His son to die for us.  The Son loved His Father so much He never hesitated to do His will, which wasn’t to die, but to love. Remember, the dying was because He loved. This cycle of love is never ending and boundless. It is our example and the mission we have been given. It’s a tall order, but remember, it isn’t merely a suggestion, it is the New Command.

Love,

Gretchen

6/23/22 

“If anyone hears My words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” John 12:47 (John 12:37-50)

In His final hours of daylight Jesus reaches out to those who struggle spiritually. The disciples were sent to begin preparations for the Passover meal. They have no idea it is going to be The Last Supper. Along with those who outright detest Jesus are some who want to believe He is the Messiah, but remain quiet due to the reactions of those who passionately hate Him. Jesus says, “To reject Him is to reject God!” Yet, He came to bring light and life, not the darkness of judgement and death.

Soon those near Jesus will curse Him, yet here He is declaring love over judgement. His premier objective is salvation! Judgement will have its day, but only after everything possible has been done to rescue the lost and show them the way, lit brightly with love.

It is difficult to set aside judgement with so much pain and anguish all around, but chose to act in strength and love, leading others to the Light. Don’t face the world through the darkness of condemnation and then slam the door shut when you are done. Jesus, the only One who has the right to judge, choses to defer until all hope is exhausted. He is our example, do as He does. Love!

Happy Thursday,

Gretchen

“As you know, the Passover is two days away-and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”  Matthew 26:2 (Matthew 26:1-16, Mark 14:1, 2,10, 11, and Luke 22:1-6)

Maybe Judas was tired of waiting for Jesus to become an earthly king, or maybe he was so greedy his avarice made all his decisions, and then there is the possibility that he was jealous of the circumstances.  He wasn’t the rock star, nor was he part of Jesus’ inner circle. Perhaps he didn’t think they would actually kill Jesus, just force Him to show His hand. Where the seed of sin began does not matter, that it found fertile soil to sprout and grown in Judas’ heart does. As a result he sold Jesus for the price of a slave.

The church leadership’s strongest motivation was to see Jesus dead, but as Passover approached and Jerusalem filled with celebration, they knew it would be risky to openly arrested Him. The approach of one of His disciples, with a plan to secretly disclose Jesus’ location, so He could be quietly taken into custody, was a delightful turn of events. Their evil, in the face of such righteousness, will never cease to astound the believers, throughout the ages, as they ponder, “How did Jesus restrain Himself in the situation He saw Himself in?” The answer is simple.  He saw beyond the pain to His future glory, and in that vision, He saw your glory too.

When life is at its very worst, look beyond the cross. It kept Mary, His mother and Jesus going, because at this time, they are the only two that truly knew He was born to die.

Love,

Gretchen

“They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on.” Mark 12:44 (Matthew 21:20-46, 23:1-39, Mark 11:20-33, 12:13-44, Luke 2-:1-47)

Jesus had no patience for religious pretense. His rejection by the spiritual leaders of the day was not surprising nor an original theology. It had been going on since Israel was established. The Sadducees dismissed the idea of life after death, the Scribes were experts on Law, but totally deleted the love factor, and the Pharisees were determined that Jesus must ‘Messiah’ on their terms if He expected their cooperation! Exceptions to these wicked sects did occur and some very good and faithful men emerged during this time, but they were few.

In the parables of The Two Sons, The Tenants, The Vineyard and the Marriage Feast, Jesus speaks directly to the church leaders and the nation of Israel. The chosen people would be cast off because they ignored, rejected, and martyred God’s messengers.

The Temple had once again been cleansed by Jesus. He was ready to abandon it to its own destruction when a widow entered the area where offerings were placed.  Among the proud wealthy, publicly giving their sizable tithes and offerings came a widow who put in two very small coins, the very least someone could give. Jesus recognized her gift as more than a required amount, but a total sacrifice of all she had in this world.  This set the standard for true worship and service founded in love. After this, Jesus departed and ended His public ministry.

The state of your heart is the only state that matters. Love enough to give your life as a LIVING sacrifice and it will always be perfectly, exactly enough!

Love,

Gretchen

As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Luke 19:41-42 ( Matthew 21:1-17, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:41-44, John 12:12-36)

There is no feast in all of Jewish history with more importance than Passover. It is the commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt, the final plague when every Jewish household covered their door with the blood of a pascal lamb and the angel of death spared their home by ‘passing by,’ because they were covered by the blood. What an appropriate time for Jesus to make His way to Jerusalem one last time. He knew His day was approaching, the culmination of His work on earth, but it was a season of dread and sorrow.

To fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy in 9:9, Jesus sent His disciples to get a young donkey, an unbroken colt. He would enter the City of David in peace, not as a warrior on a valiant steed. The cheering crowds gathered and laid their clothing and palm branches along the route to cut down on the dust. They, along with Jesus’ disciples praised Him to a deafening roar that made the Pharisees complain. Jesus responded that quiet lips would only make the rocks cry out. These people believed Jesus was finally going to build His Kingdom and free them from oppression for all time. It was their day and they were thrilled. In a few short hours their ideas of a victorious kingdom would conflict painfully with God’s plan and things would get ugly in a hurry.

When Jesus came out of the grove of olives, He saw the vista, the panorama of Jerusalem and wept. His heart ached for the hope of what could have been. It wasn’t one hour, one choice, to give His life for ours, it was days and days and days. Still, He spoke and acted in love, preparing those whose faith would be bent to breaking, knowing many of the voices singing praises on this day would turn to brutal hatred, spitting and cursing. It didn’t matter……IT DIDN’T MATTER!  His hope for what could have been became our hope of what can be! Salvation and freedom from sin!

Happy Weekend,

Gretchen

But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such a these.” Luke 18:16 (Matthew 19:3-30, 20:17-23, Mark 10:2-40, Luke 18:15-19:27, John 12:9-11)

In January before Pentecost that spring, Jesus begins His final journey to Jerusalem. There is a new urgency in His actions. Everything He has done so far is done once again, for His disciples have become caught up in personal glory. They do not understand the difference between a Spiritual Kingdom and one of this earth. Jesus’ lessons on humility and service intensify. In the midst of all this, Mary, Lazarus’ sister seems to get it! She comes with valuable perfume and anoints Jesus’ feet.

As Jesus traveled from town to town on His way to the cross, He heals the blind, cuddles babies, and reminds His followers of the burdens they must bear on His behalf. In His last parable to the public He teaches of final accountability with rewards and punishments that can’t be undone. Then there were three men, a rich young ruler, a Pharisee and a publican. The Pharisee attempted to corner Jesus with a subtle conflict between Jesus’ words and Moses’ law regarding divorce. There was no clash of truth. God’s plan is one woman and one man for a life time. When man’s heart hardens as he declares free-will, all is not lost because Grace and Mercy abound. The rich young ruler spent his lifetime willing to keep God’s law. He clearly knew who Jesus was and Jesus was pleased, but when told to sacrifice the things of this world for all that is eternal, the young man turned and walked away, longing for a Savior on his own terms rather than Heaven’s. Finally, a little man planned to arrive early and climb a tree, just for a glimpse of the One who set the captive free. As Jesus passed by He called for Zachaeus to come down and dine.  Zachaeus, a despised collaborator with the Romans, was moved so profoundly he voluntarily submitted to give half of his wealth to the poor and repay everyone he had cheated four times over.

Heaven will be populated by those with a childlike faith and humility. There will be no pomposity in God’s presence. Only the teachable, trustful, unsophisticated, loving and free from pride believers will be welcomed to Jesus’ side. The state of man’s heart and priorities, not money, was the issue in the examples these scriptures give. A divided heart is a distracted heart, which is a vulnerable and impossible way to live. God must come first in all things so we are available to receive the very best Heaven has to give.

Love,

Gretchen

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 (John 11)

There was a family of three, a brother and two sisters, who were very dear friends of Jesus, Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Mary once poured valuable oil on Jesus’ feet and dried it with her hair. Jesus and His disciples received word Lazarus was ill, but they delayed in going to Bethany. There were multiple death threats against Jesus, but two days later He decided it was time to go. Although the twelve reminded Him of the dangers of traveling, He went anyway. Thomas, the doubter, led the disciples by commenting, “If He dies, I’ll die too.” (What a great testimony of love and commitment.)

Lazarus died, leaving his sisters grief stricken. Just like today, friends gathered to comfort and help in anyway they could. When Jesus arrived Martha went to meet Him and declared her faith. Jesus told her death did not have the last word. She misunderstood, thinking He spoke of the Resurrection of souls. Jesus tenderly explained, “I am the Resurrection and THE Life.” Wait no longer! She then returned to tell Mary, who ran to His side and bowed at His feet again. She was distraught and Jesus wept. Then! He went to the tomb and rescued His friend from the grip of death.

Upon on hearing of Jesus’ latest miracle, the Sanhedrin decided Jesus had to go! Jesus knew His time was drawing near, (less than a month now) so He returned to the village of Ephraim and cloistered Himself with His closest followers.

The story of Jesus sharing emotionally in Mary and Martha’s heartache is one of the most beautiful in the Bible, but all who witnessed it play out misunderstood or misinterpreted Jesus’ actions, until a decaying corpse walked whole and hardy from the grave. Soon it would be Jesus lying lifeless in a cold, dark cave, but death, the final enemy, was already defeated.

While Jesus walked on earth He encountered people time and time again, looking for the very thing that stood before them. He explained, stop seeking, you have found Me, I am here. Like faithful Mary, we too let worry, fear, sorrow and anxiety hide the presence of Jesus. Our eternal life is today and we are called to LIVE, “On earth as it is in Heaven!”

Love,

Gretchen

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is, or There it is’  because the Kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20 (Luke 15, 16, 17:20-37, 18:1-14, 20:1-20)

Following Jesus’ harsh lessons on arrogance, self-interest, and absence of compassion and love, He turns to parables, the lost sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son, to illustrate how much He loves to forgive. In another story he commends a dishonest manager for his shrewd business dealings. While this seems to conflict with integrity it is a word picture that recognizes we need money to exist, but it must not be our god and we should always praise the One who provides everything. Jesus tells of the crippled servant that went to Heaven and his rich master begged him to dip his finger in water and touch his tongue because hell was agonizing. Jesus states, there will come a time when all choices are final. Finally, pray with bold persistence for God hears and will answer, just as He did for the widow.

If Jesus had a hobby, it would be forgiveness. No matter how much we fail, His Mercy and Grace are boundless and more than sufficient to cover our sin, heal our soul and meet our need. There is room enough for a sermon in every verse listed above, but I will spare you. However! I encourage you, when you feel worthless, defeated or lost in an overwhelming world, read any of the above parables and find just how valuable you really are.  Jesus told these stories for us to hear and place in our hearts, where His scripture says, The Kingdom of God already is.

Happy Mid Week,

Gretchen

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ Luke 13:32 (Luke 13:23-14:35

Jesus went into a Perean province ruled by the debauched ruler Herod Anitpas, who earlier ordered the beheading of John the Baptist. Herod was presently concerned about a public uprising as Jesus came healing and performing all manner of miracles, but Jesus had no fear of Herod as His time will come in Jerusalem.

While dining at the home of a Pharisee on the Sabbath, Jesus makes several observations and used the event to teach truths.  A man with a painful disease asks for healing. Jesus first asks those who are sitting before an opulent feast if it was lawful to heal this ailing man. They remained silent so Jesus continued. He inquired of their action if it was their child or their valuable ox stuck in a ditch. Would they act according to their law, or respond in love, compassion, and meet the need? Jesus restored the man’s health and sent him on his way.

As the meal progressed Jesus used the typical behavior of the religious rulers to make several points. As each person sat according to their social status, Jesus reminded them there is no gain in self-seeking assertiveness. Humility and meekness bring Glory to God. There is no honor in giving generously to those who can reciprocate, but in ministering to those who have no hope of ever repaying, you please God and blessings await in eternity.

Across the Jordan River Jesus went to spread the good news. There was a hostile government wishing Him dead, but a lost world was crying out. There were many who sought to enter the Kingdom by means other than Jesus. There will be a day of judgement when they will know they were sadly mistaken. The Pharisees ached for Jesus to come to their way of thinking and see the Law as they did, from their perspective, with their agenda. Actually, Jesus did see these things…..and knew they were wrong. Through instruction and action He showed them a better way. They just didn’t want it, so they stewed and brewed and plotted His death. They unknowingly signed their own death sentence.

There is only one way through the narrow door to Heaven and the first step is confessing that Jesus is the Christ and He died for you. Don’t let a wide load of stubborn assumptions and personal agendas keep you from entering through this door, because there is no other.

Love,

Gretchen

“But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” John 10:38 (John 10:22-42)

In 168 B.C. during the Greek Empire, Antiochus Epiphanes profaned and desecrated the Temple with Hellenic gods and made it a crime to observe Jewish customs. A revolt led by Judas Maccabaeus was successful, but the Temple was in very rough shape. Four years later it was ready for rededication. In Jesus’ time, and still today, Jews celebrate this minor holiday called The Festival of Dedication, better known as Hanukkah, in honor of the relighting of the Temple lamps representing God’s presence.

In this episode, occurring in the winter before the crucifixion, Jesus is accused and nearly stoned for blasphemy.  Blasphemy is the act of claiming to be or acting as though you are God. This IS a very offensive act. Consider the many ways man promotes himself as God. Telling lies and demanding others act upon the rewrite of reality, thus assuming God’s sole authority, is risky business? Judging others and acts of oppression are more invasions of places only God has the right to go. This is a serious matter. It was when Jesus walked the earth and it is today in a world of confusing messages. It was not uncommon for religious leaders to question Jesus. They guarded the sanctity of God carefully, even if they did become painfully legalistic.

While Jesus was in the Temple celebrating, many gathered around and again asked Him to clarify who He was. Jesus rested His authority on God, with whom He is One, but presented His acts of love as evidence of His deity. The people CHOSE to remain in suspense. At this moment they made the conscious decision to ignore who Jesus was, becoming violent in their frustration. Jesus escaped and returned to the place of John’s baptisms. There, many listen follow, and come to believe.

While there is every reason to believe, many will refuse. We don’t come into faith by accident and we don’t remain an unbeliever passively either. Press on in light and truth and let God do the rest. 

Happy Monday,

Gretchen