Month: November 2025

Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it. 2 Cor. 8:24

Paul, throughout his letters, has preached the oneness of Christ across racial divides. Racial tensions between Jews and Gentiles were a reality and very deadly at this time. Paul taught that there was great virtue in doing good for those that persecute you and asked often for Gentile Christians to set aside money for oppressed Jews. They went above and beyond the call. As a result Paul had to delegate Titus and two other associates to manage the churches of Macedonia and their offerings in an ethical and responsible way. This verse is a call to accept these emissaries in a way that will continue the work of the gospel.

However, there’s another subtle message. Paul says, “Love those I love…… If you love me, then love them too.” He is echoing Christ’s call to love one another….If you love Me, love those I love.

We have accepted His grace and we love Christ. So now we are asked to love those He loves. We didn’t earn Christ’s love upon Salvation. We were freely GIVEN salvation because of His love. It is our highest calling to LOVE those that Christ loves, ………everyone!

Accepting love is the first step toward salvation, so let’s offer it and lead the way!!!!

Gretchen

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. Galatians 1:11

These are the words of Paul to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia.

The early church had no written Gospel, they had the revelations of the Apostles, so they were dependent on word of mouth and letter writing. Many false prophets wanted a piece of the action in this new fad called Christianity. It took very little time for personal agendas and the chance of turning a ‘dollar’ to distract the eager and unsuspecting believer. Hey, it happens today too!

Paul was aggressive in testifying of his encounter with God, his perseverance for the Gospel and his passion that everyone hear and accept the Good News. His message follows and is still the most important thing anyone can hear and accept today:

1. The God of Israel is the true and living God, always has been, always will be.
2. He alone saves people from their sins and is worthy of worship.
3. Jesus, God’s Son is our Savior.
4. This Salvation is free to everyone who will receive it.

Have a Great Friday!!!

Love

 And his affection for you is all the greater when He remembers that you were obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 2 Corinthians 7:15

This seems a strange verse to pull out for a devotional, but as always I encourage you to read the passage in its full context.

Paul is referring to his associate missionary Titus, a Gentile converted to Christianity who did not observe orthodox Jewish practices, a serious offense to some early church members. Paul was preaching a salvation based on faith rather than works and Jewish law. He sent nontraditional Titus to Corinth to correct some evil behaviors in the new church. This young congregation of believers was so eager to hear the Good News that they willingly accepted Titus and his message. Paul is ecstatic that the Gospel is continuing and his brother in Christ was accepted without bigotry.

It is possible for every Christian to be bogged down in the petty things of life. Satan loves it when God’s Word is sifted through prejudices to the point that the message it carries never gets delivered. Live and love as Christ, let the Gospel shine through.

With Gratitude for each of you,

Gretchen

As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allowed inheritance. Daniel 12:13

As a young child I had ‘Early onset leadership skills.’ In other words, I was bossy! Dad ask me often if I thought God took the day off and left me in charge. I can laugh now, but at that time I was intense.

So much of life is spent surviving…… earning money, engineering family life, keeping peace, staying healthy……… In the midst of all this purposeful action it is easy to think we actually have control over things other than the state of our heart in relation to who is God and who is not. This clarification is the mission of the prophet Daniel. The final words of his book tell that no matter what, our earthly end will come. The reality is hope. Our immortal life will just be a continuation of our mortal character.

God’s faithfulness is pure and constant and is not determined by our autonomy or theology. Our inheritance comes by way of our heart and God alone knows if He is our personal One True God.

Have a lovely day,

Gretchen

If I go up to the Heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:8-10

I love traveling. The anticipation of seeing something for the first time is one of my favorite states of being, but I also love returning to places that hold treasured memories. Sometimes I travel to find myself, and other times to escape the same. Oh my what a mess!

But maybe not so much………………

No matter where we are, spiritually or physically, God is there. Our minds constantly take us to the outer limits of our comprehension, much further than our physical bodies would ever dare to go, and so the Psalmist who had the same mental, physical and spiritual content as you and I put to words his realization that there is absolutely no where God is not.

The presence of God is your choice, not a state of geography or zen. There are days when our spirits fly high and of course God is there, but when we crawl into our dark place, is He there too? Yes, and here is the Good News!! He is your auto pilot when you are lost and can’t find your way. He is the firm grip on your hand when you are perilously close to the edge. All is well, He is there.

Gretchen

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. I John 2:1

It is God’s desire for us to live Holy lives. It is possible because it says, “So that you will not sin.” But, we are human and our Creator knows that. In His perfect love, perfect timing and perfect wisdom, He gave us a perfect advocate to plead our case and say, “Don’t hold it against them, I’ll take the consequence.” WOW!!!!!

As our Savior Jesus already took the blame, and as our advocate He stands before God as our defense lawyer.  He never loses a case.

Love,
Gretchen

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalms 86:15

Extolling the Lord’s virtues is a form of worship that grants perspective in comparison to the things of this world. David had seen the temples and the tributes to pagan gods. The results from ungodly prayers to the unGodly gods were truly lacking. What material things on this earth, your car, your career, your yard, your house payment, the things that take the greatest amount of energy, both mental and physical, have the attributes of compassion, grace and abounding love and faithfulness toward you? “NONE?” You say? David realized the same thing.

David knew his shortcomings, but he also understood the universal power and authority of his Creator, Savior and Redeemer God who is worthy of praise and admiration. This Psalm is a lament, David was in trouble and His only hope was God’s character. 

In confidence we can stand firm when the bumps and bruises of this life are defeating us. Even when the mess is of our own making, God is merciful, gracious and abounding in steadfast love.

Love,

Gretchen

Do everything in love. I Corinthians 16:14

When I was a teenager, believing I held all the answers to the universe and adults just didn’t get it, I sang a song in youth group that averred, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” THIS is the only thing I had right. Beginning at home with my siblings, to the bully in the hallway, to the children across the globe, behind ‘The Wall’, whom I blamed for complex issues we were all too young and innocent to comprehend. My love, or lack of, defined me then and does today. It isn’t an option, it is the single element of Christian character.

Love means no agenda regarding expectation for reciprocity, just a call to share the mind of Christ in all things. If you like lists, as I do, here is one: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) And don’t forget to be humble, protect others dignity, give up the need for vengeance, and preserve trust and hope with faithful…….LOVE! (I Cor. 13)

LOVE, 

Gretchen

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

Paul is reiterating his point that the Law fulfilled, the New Covenant, is founded on love for God and fellow man, not meaningless or resented obligation and legalism. Love does not keep a ledger or balance sheet, it is an endless fountain of blessings, but the maintenance of this life does have a monetary stamp on it, and Christians are expected to ethically meet their civic and financial obligations. There is blessing to be found in this too. We are representatives of The Kingdom. Give abundantly and be faithful to those who are dependent on your patronage and payment. 

Paying my bills,

Gretchen

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8

The church was only about 35 years old. Nero’s persecution of Christians was severe in and around Rome, but was not widely spread except, he encouraged Christianity’s enemies across the Empire to take every advantage to abuse at the slightest pretext. This letter was born shortly after Paul’s martyrdom and just before Peter himself was executed for his faith. Its purpose? To encourage and shore up forbearance under extreme difficulty and remember Christ’s work was fulfilled through suffering. 

Christians are referred to Pilgrims, a people on a trip through strange and foreign lands headed to a hope filled land. In that frame, we know suffering is part of the journey to our eternal home with Christ.

Along the way, when suffering brings despair, in weakness, a brotherhood can quickly turn to competitive positioning for earthly authority and false security. Peter’s call is for us to honor all men but fervently uphold one another, for Christian love is the supreme virtue of a life. It is The One Thing We Cannot Survive Without!!! 

Loving you,

Gretchen