Month: March 2019

As a child I had a favorite place:  At father’s feet, more accurately described as, “In his way”. Everywhere he went, I would follow.  If I wasn’t allowed or invited, I would mourn. The evening sound of his truck pulling in and the distinct tinny slam of its door were music to my ears. He’d return home smelling of saw dust and sweat, pick me up, toss me into the air, catch me and hold me tight. Heaven on earth. Year’s into adulthood I realize those moments instilled me with positive strength to press through darkness later in life.

In addition to pastoring, my father was a carpenter.  Summer days I would wake early and head off with dad to where ever new structures were being erected.  His expertise was roofing.  He would throw two bundles of asphalt shingles over his shoulder and shimmy up a ladder with no hands, drop the bundles with a thwack, kneel on one knee and begin weaving back and forth across a house in a rhythmic bang and swish of denim on wood, shingle on roof, hammer on nail.

My brother and I were very small when off we went to roof a house with dad. He pointed us to a sand pile in clear view of his aerial perch and climbed up the ladder.  The sand didn’t appeal, so I quietly followed dad. Honestly! What danger would there ever be in trekking behind one’s father?  He had already nailed a few shingles before he realized he wasn’t alone. His reaction isn’t the point of this story, he can share it himself another time.  The point is, I WANTED DESPERATELY TO BE WHERE HE WAS, WATCHING AND ENGAGING WHAT HE WAS DOING.

As I grew older, time with dad became scarce, but one summer he was building houses on Beaver Lake in north west Arkansas. He put me to work cleaning trash around building sites and other odd jobs.  As an adult I recognize that it was probably inconvenient for him to find work for me rather than do it himself, but as an eleven year old, I was oblivious. One miserably hot day his nail gun broke and it was back to old school hammer swings, except the nails were attached together by glue and paper, designed to shoot through a compression tool like bullets in a gatling gun. I was put to work with a pocket knife separating the galvanized the nails. It was mundane but it kept me off a roof, away from the bluff above the lake and I was with my father, earning my air and super proud to be the world’s best ‘dad helper.’

Many years later I felt an unmistakable call to Christian service.  It was an entirely new way of thinking and processing life’s encounters. Standing, sitting, working, living as close to my Heavenly Father as I could possibly be was wonderful, and there wasn’t a job that was too lowly that I wouldn’t gladly do, just for the precious moments spent in His service.

Life is wonderful at the feet of the Father. He is good, long in love, abundant in patience and has a great sense of humor. (Volunteer in the children’s department and you’ll see what I’ve discovered.) Join me at the Father’s Feet. He’ll give us something to do, put us to work and it will be amazing.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1.

Love, 

Gretchen

If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted. Jeremiah 42:10 (Jeremiah 40-44) 

Remember Jeremiah’s prophecy of 29:11? God has a plan of peace and prosperity! Nebuchadnezzar has set up Gedaliah as governor in Mizpah. God has said to reap a harvest and put down roots. But within three months, Gedaliah is assassinated, along with 70 men. In fear of repercussion from Babylon, these agents of evil kidnap their countrymen and head for Egypt. Jeremiah was among those taken against their will. There is a seeking of God’s will and Jeremiah delivers the message to remain in Judah where God will care for them, but instead, they continue to Egypt and return to self gratifying idolatry. Just as God promised, these people become extinct.

God says again and again, “Don’t take the easy way out! Follow me, I know what’s best.” Once again, separated from everything he loves and surrounded by idolatrous Hebrews, Jeremiah remains faithful, speaks truth, and trusts God’s plan for a future he cannot see, or even perceive in his great grief and desolation.

You don’t need perfect circumstances to cultivate personal Holiness. We look to earthly principalities and institutions to endorse our values and make moral living an easier target. This is an ideal that unlikely to occur, so don’t be distracted. DO WHAT IS RIGHT! When no one else will, YOU DO IT ANY WAY!! Because God has a plan, and it is good.

Love,

Gretchen

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” Lamentations 3:22-25 (Lamentations 1-5)

Jeremiah had every right to gloat and say, “I told you so.” It wasn’t in his character because it was not the model of compassion and love he witnessed from the One who Loves us most. He chose to life like Him.

The five poems of Lamentation were written in the three months between the burning of the glorious city of Zion, and the departure of refugees to Egypt. Jeremiah felt profoundly that God had given Jerusalem up to the enemy as consequence for their sin. Although the action was justified and understood, his grief was inconsolable.

All that Jeremiah loved, the thing he fought the hardest for, was gone. He was broken, but at his very lowest, he trusted in God’s great goodness. We will share a place in Heaven with this great man of faith, a place named The New Jerusalem and what a day that will be!

Love,

Gretchen

I will save you; you will not fall, by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in Me, declares the LORD. Jeremiah 39:18 (Jeremiah 37-38, II Kings 25)

King Zedekiah keeps badgering Jeremiah for some news of hope. None is forthcoming. The only prophecy Jeremiah delivers is the message to cooperate with the invading Babylonian forces.  Jeremiah is accused of keeping moral low among Jerusalem’s residents, but famine, drought, pestilence and warfare are the problem, not Jeremiah’s truth. With the city under siege, Jeremiah leaves to check on his own personal property and is accused of trying to escape for nefarious purposes.  He is beaten, then imprisoned.  Zedekiah tries to be faithful and rescues Jeremiah, but he is a weak man and cannot apply any faith in God to overcome his nation’s problems.

When Nebuchadnezzar’s men finally enter Jerusalem, they pillage the temple, remove EVERYTHING of value and burn it to a pile of rubble. Then they kill those of nobility, men women and children, take some of the poor captive, but then, in an act of brilliant repopulation, Nebuchadnezzar gives the poor people vineyards and wine presses and leaves them to reside in Judah. 

Finally the prophets are vindicated. Their messages have proven true. Jeremiah is first taken with the captives. Nebuchadnezzar recognizes him as a man of honor and integrity and offers him a position in his court. Rather than live the rest of his life in comfort with the ‘haves,’ he choses to live the rest of his life among the ‘have-nots.’

Eventually, Jeremiah becomes a refugee in Egypt to escape conspiracies against him. From a very young age, this man, called to save his people, remained faithful when there was no viable, earthly evidence that he should. He watched those he was sent to save, perish, but he was faithful, because, on the very, absolute, worst day, God is Good! He is Hope and He loves us.

Love,

Gretchen

I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in My wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them. Ezekiel 25:17 (Ezekiel 25-32)

God is the LORD of the World! All nations are held to the same standards, no one is beyond God’s sovereign hand nor His judgement. The prophecies of these chapters came after Ezekiel learned of the fall of Jerusalem. Each of the surrounding countries took part in Judah’s downfall, watching in vengeful delight as Babylon marched through. They didn’t laugh long, as that same powerful army came knocking on their door. Judgement came for them too.

Egypt’s pharaoh was given the same status as God.  This is NOT acceptable and God will not tolerate man’s reliance on human principalities in His place. Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Trye, and Sydon were wiped off the maps of history. Egypt lost its wealth and prestige.

God called Babylon His servant, but still called evil, evil. Willing or not, God used Babylon’s powerful, genius of a leader, to deliver His judgement on Judah. However, within 100 years Babylon was no more. God is the ONLY, ONE TRUE GOD. He will judge, protect, deliver and call His people as He said He would. Our only acceptable response is faithful obedience. In this you will live by the standard set by the One who loves you most.

Happy Wednesday,

Gretchen

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.’ Jeremiah 30:2 (Jeremiah 23:1-8, 30, 31, and 33)

The political winds of Babylon would soon change and God was going to work miracles in the world of His covenant people.  He commanded Jeremiah to write down all His words so that coincidence and happenstance would not be credited for His purposeful work on man’s behalf.

The message given to the prophet is two fold. God plans to reestablish Israel as a unified nation, and the captivity and oppression the Judah is temporary. This new kingdom will last forever and be defined with perfect justice and everlasting peace. In detail it is described by Jeremiah and Isaiah. It is not the world power some are looking for, but it is the hope we all need, a new covenant made by the Creator that becomes the Savior.

While Jeremiah is writing the very breath of God for us to know, he is under house arrest in a besieged Jerusalem with false prophets maligning his every effort to direct the people back to God.  God assures him there will be a day of reckoning for those who use God’s name to propel their personal agenda. Don’t use God’s name if you are not speaking clear Biblical truth and pointing people toward His hope and eternal life.

Love,

Gretchen

I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the LORD. I will kindle a fire in your forests that will consume everything around you.” Jeremiah 21:14 (Ezekiel 24, Jeremiah 21:1-14, 32 & 34)

God has a different meaning for death than man does. This is evident is the simultaneous death of Ezekiel’s beloved wife and the final siege of Jerusalem, 700 miles apart. Ezekiel was told this was to be a prophecy to Jerusalem, who was in the final throws of death itself.

There are some quandaries in the Bible. Ezekiel’s absolute, ultimate sacrifice is one of them. Was his wife terminally ill? Was it sudden? Scripture doesn’t say, but Ezekiel is denied the traditional process of grief, in which a community comes together, honors the life gone and comforts the surviving family members. There are some assumptions that can be made though. She most certainly was a woman of faith, to have been a help mate to a man of great calling. Also, God Himself comforted His prophet and so, Ezekiel may have seen the Glory his wife now knew.

Jeremiah was in Jerusalem when Zedekiah, the puppet king, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and brought the full wrath of Babylon down on the city. As a last resort, Zedekiah turns to God, and in a gesture of good will, frees the slaves that should have been emancipated years prior. The slave owners quickly regathered their laborers without consequence, so this new found interest in righteousness wasn’t deeply heart felt. In the end, Zedekiah was carried off to Babylonia with his eyes gouged out. Again, God addresses this death, the final passing of an era, an end the children of Abraham and Moses thought they were exempt from, by declaring there would be no time of mourning. This death was of separation from Himself. To mourn would mean to find good and there was none to remember.

As the end for Judah loomed, Jeremiah was instructed to purchase a field, take the land title and preserve it, to be found at a later date. In this instruction, God gave a hope for the future. There was coming a time when Israel/Judah would be a righteous nation and again produce crops and prosperity for those who remain faithful and obey. There would be life after horrible death.

What will death mean for you? Life everlasting or complete and total separation from God?

I hope you have a Friday kind of Monday!

Gretchen

Long ago, before my brain was fully developed, I agreed to coach the cheerleading squad for our school district. I knew what I was getting into as far as adolescent drama, car washing Saturdays and uniforms that didn’t make it into duffle bags, but somewhere between my own pep rally years and today’s modern spirit teams, things changed. The job as instructor meant teaching students that couldn’t turn the lights out when they left a room, to catch a friend they had just launched into the air to perform all manner of stunts. There was one priority, one rule only: Protect the spinal column……at all costs, do not ever let a flyer’s body hit the ground.

The team I coached was athletic, vivacious and full of school spirit, but our brave flyer NEVER went straight up when tossed. During hang time she could thrill the crowd with rolls, spins, and flips, but there was a 100% chance she was NOT coming straight down. The stunt bases, spotters and I, her coach, could never take our eyes off of her when she began returning to earth. It was our singular objective to remain, in one accord, beneath her, vigilantly providing a soft and sure footed landing. Failure was NOT an option. We successfully accomplished our mission every time and had many fun hours leading the home team and student body as we took home the win.

In honest transparency, the team had its squabbles. Lots of them. Every member had their favorite dance number, or chant, or uniform…and they knew to form alliances with each other to negotiated with, and persuade the boss, I mean coach, to see things their way. BUT! All else became secondary, when keeping that one girl, the one who received the oohs and awes, flying high and safely landed, despite any distracting differences or offenses. Only we few, watching from beneath, knew she had the easy job and she wouldn’t be up there if we weren’t using all our physical and mental strength, for her benefit.

Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Philippians 2:2-3 NIV

Fellow Christians, there is an important mission, one target, one purpose, to spread the Good News of hope, life, SALVATION! Jesus tells us, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 NIV. In a common obedience to love, all differences must be put aside.

When our flyer was in the air, it didn’t matter if she wore a braid instead of the ponytail we had all agreed on.  We were on a mission of life and death, continued health over a crippling accident. We didn’t fail and The Body of Christ must not either. Someone’s life is hanging in the air, and if we can’t love one another, more than we love getting our own way, we can’t give them a landing on the solid ground of Truth and Life.

Love,

Gretchen

The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share in the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. Ezekiel 18:20 (Ezekiel 18-23)

When things go badly, instinctively fingers get pointed, blame is assigned and no fault of one’s own is declaredc. It has obviously been a stumbling block throughout the ages, not just for the current, young generation. But, be mindful, God says He won’t buy it! You sin, you die. You choose righteousness, you live.

A large part of Ezekiel’s commission was to teach an entitled nation they had things turned around. Their blessing was ‘input’ in preparation for incredible ‘output’. They were so absorbed in their right to ‘input’ the ‘output’ never occurred. By removing all privilege, God humbled this people to show them His true character and authority, and to create in them a heart that would never wander again. Indeed, they did become a small group, a remnant, who desired nothing more than a God who bound their hearts to Him.

When you stand before God, He will only look at your actions and reactions as they relate to your behavior. Don’t expect a time of argument or rebuttal, and remember! No excuses. How someone else treated you isn’t the issue, but how you treated others. 

Love,

Gretchen

Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.  Ezekiel 12:1 (Ezekiel 12-17) 

The purpose of the prophecies for Israel and Judah was to make the nation aware of its sin and  return to obedience. God’s people were not willing and the nation came to an end, its citizens carried into captivity or remained locally in devastating circumstances. Still, there was division among these people that had seen the prophecies fulfilled and punishment rain down.  Some believed and sought guidance, others were anxious, bitter and rebellious. Ezekiel symbolized this horrible state by carrying his belongings on his back.

False prophets still spread words of confidence in Jerusalem’s impenetrable power, and their conflicting messages eroded trust in God. However, everyone is responsible for their own faith, both the incorrect messenger and the hearer that choses to believe the comfortable over the correct. The wrong teacher will be condemned to death, but those who demand God to compete with a ‘circus act’ to prove Himself worthy of their attention will also, meet their just end.

God gives Ezekiel three important allegories to share among the captives. First, Jerusalem is a useless vine, a piece of wood that produces no fruit, can’t be used to build anything, and is only good as kindling. Second, Israel/Judah are like an adulterous wife who was given security and prosperity, but traded it all for a life of self-indulgence. Lastly, two eagles and a vine represent Egypt, Babylon, their kings and Zedekiah, Judah’s final king. The tender twig is The Messiah, the restored royal member of David.

We are all accountable for what we ingest and digest as our spiritual food. No one will get a ‘get out of hell free’ pass, due to a misunderstanding of convenience. I’m glad we serve an all-knowing God that judges with perfect love, but in that there is the ‘ALL-KNOWING part. You will have no secrets, so do right in all things at all times.

Love,

Gretchen