Author: pastor.gerooney@gmail.com

Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Micah 7:8

Micah a prophet of the 8th century BC speaks of God’s judgment against Samaria, Israel’s capitol and Jerusalem, Judah’s capitol. He denounced money-grabbing rulers, priests and prophets and the exploitation of the helpless. There was rampant dishonesty in business and a great deal of sham religion by people bent on social climbing rather than true worship. These sins meant destruction but in the aftermath of destruction comes the promise of restoration, God’s specialty.

When sin is the normal order of life, healthy relationships are impossible. Buildings may crumble, but the emotional and spiritual erosion of humanity is the high cost of worldly gain. A consequence of disobedience is shame, but when your hope is in the LORD a light comes to cast away the shadows of sin’s sorrow.

Corporately, Israel and Judah failed until there was only a remnant left to seek God’s will and glory. In that state of destitute darkness came a Holy Infant, the Light of the World.

Basking in the Son,

Gretchen

The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him. Psalm 37:23

This well loved Psalm is an acrostic poem, with each section beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is a collection of proverbial sayings from wisdom writers.

We live in a world where wickedness is prevalent at every turn. It is discouraging and joy draining. This Psalm of David speaks words for victory over our questions of “Why?” and “How long must we?” Throughout its forty verses David advises, trust, take delight, commit, be still and know, wait patiently, refrain from anger. When fretting is the active verb that defines us, evil is nipping at our heals.

From man’s perspective it looks like those that flagrantly disobey God prosper……A LOT!…. but…..The LORD laughs at the wicked because He knows what end is coming for them and their power will be broken.

Never give up on doing good. There is no law against kindness. It is the great antidote for evil. The end result will be firm steps here on earth and life everlasting.

Happy Weekend’s Eve!

Gretchen

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Matthew 16:24

Salvation is free. Discipleship is costly.

The Pharisees, now joined by another groups of Jewish leaders, the Sadducees, continue to follow Jesus’ every movement and action, sifting it through their educated knowledge and failing to see His connection to Heaven. The great obstacle was their preconceived notions and sense of entitlement in relation to their Jewish heritage. They sought personal justice and power, man’s agenda, NOT God’s. I will add here that the Pharisees and the Sadducees had very little common theological ground. They were simply unified in their resistance to Jesus as the Son of God, the Christ.

Jesus knew His earthly life was coming to a close. He alone understood and saw what lay before Him and His beloved friends. His disciples recognize Him as He is, the Savior, but they have no inkling of the cost He and they are about to pay. Jesus will give up His flesh to establish His Kingdom on earth in the hearts of man. His disciples will also be called to give up all rights to their flesh as citizens of this Kingdom. Just as Jesus’ cross took His life, they must voluntarily lived crucified to this world.

The cross we bear is our sacrifice to the allure of this world in exchange for the things of Heaven. We are missionaries in a foreign land, although we are only in our own back yard.

Love,

Gretchen

Therefore, the LORD Himself will give you a sign” The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah, the Old Testament Gospel writer, foretells the Good News of Jesus’ birth 700 hundred years before the fact.

Ahaz, Judah’s king, would except nothing from God or His prophets, but Isaiah speaks anyway, of a child, “Immanuel”, that brings judgement. We think of this as a bad thing in the frame of a comeuppance, but it actually means a perfect, flawless justice. This is something wonderful, coming in love, from the weaver of our souls.

Later, “Emmanuel” the Christ child, God with us, came as the greatest wonder the world has ever known. This prophecy for Ahaz, an arrogant king, is a promise for us all. God always had a plan to save and always will. When we think all hope is gone, remember God is NOT in the giving up and quitting business. He is the world’s only rescuing, redeeming and restoring specialist.

The virgin’s child: Perfect justice, perfect love, perfectly all you need.

Love,

Gretchen

Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His Heavenly Hosts. Psalm 148:2

A most lyrical passage that I encourage you to read in its entirety.

Doxology: A liturgical expression of praise to God. The word comes from the Greek term doxa meaning opinion. The Psalmist gives His opinion…God and God alone is worthy to be praised throughout all creation. Nothing has been created apart from God and the entire universe is capable of praising God and yet, all this glory is God’s gift to each of us.

Verse 14 completes this beautiful acknowledgement of all that God has done by recognizing the bounty, the “horn” or cornucopia, of God’s provision.

God is so Good! The whole world declares His works and I don’t want to be left out of the choir! Sing loud, sing proud. I’ll be the squeaky, somewhat flat soprano with a southern drawl!

Do Re Mi,

Gretchen

But our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20

The community of believers is a colony of Heaven. The Ruler of Heaven and earth is our governing authority. The benefits and blessings of Heaven are ours. Its justice system is our hope and we stand firmly to defend and support our homeland.

There are all manner of fun little quizzes on social media that invite users to answer a series of questions and react to various statements. The collected data can supposedly determine your place of origin and residence. This fun pastime has yet to determine I am a citizen of Heaven, but I am reminded every time I begin these surveys that I am a consenting product of my environment.

As a new creature in Christ, I am a representative and ambassador for the place I call my home, Heaven. Someday, our Prince will return and take us Home to where our heart is. Let me invite you to come with me to the most wonderful place in the universe. Heaven! It’s out of this world!

Love,

Gretchen

Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name. I Chronicles 29:13

Worship is man’s faithfulness to our faithful God. For Israel’s second king, David, worship of the One True God was a priority, not an afterthought. David is now at the end of his life so his son Solomon has been crowned and given the blueprints for the Temple. In addition, David gave generous gifts to the Temple building fund and the people of Jerusalem followed and gave also.

God made it clear to David that he would not build the temple he dreamed of. He is passing the torch to his son Solomon. From father to son, traditions and admonitions are given and the people come forward in support of the Temple building and give deeply. They gave back to God what God had extravagantly given to them.

David’s passion and heart, his love for his Savior, is being passed to the next generation. In this act of coronation, Israel has recognized that all they have came from God. The model we live today has a deep and lasting effect on the generation rising. They are watching, they are weighing and they are deciding. Live and model faithfulness to the Faithful God. It will shine a light on the path they must follow.

Love,

Gretchen

“He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “By His wounds you have been healed.”1 Peter 2:24

Salvation does not guarantee anything but hope and eternal life. We look for justice and seek what is fair, but fair isn’t really the settlement we long for. Fair means we get what we have earned and what we need, nothing more, nothing less. Jesus didn’t live and die so we get what we earned. He came to prevent that!

Peter’s words are in the context of a passage encouraging Christians to have a good work ethic no matter the circumstances and be a good citizen because it’s the right thing to do. Jesus, who was sinless, willingly took our sins on Himself and lost His life in a most gruesome, undignified and UNJUST manner.

If we spend our energy focused on how others treat us, then our eyes are not on the things of Christ. Put the idea of earthly justice away from you. It is a stumbling block. Our hope is in Christ’s victory over death, so we in turn must die to this world and step into righteousness. In this manner we become in this world, not of it.

Love,

Gretchen

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God. John 13:3  

The Last Supper is beginning. Jesus’ love for His earthly friends is about to manifest itself in the most loving, unselfish way any human can love another; humble servanthood and personal sacrifice.

If God has put all things under Jesus’ power, Jesus could have devised and manipulated many things that would cast the consequences of sin onto us, the actual sinners. But He did not.  He chose to follow God’s plan.  It was always, totally and completely voluntary, purposeful and loving.

Mercy and Grace, a living reality, all because Jesus chose to love.

Happy Weekend,

Gretchen

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

The ancient nation of Judah had a false confidence that God would protect His covenant people regardless of their disobedience and thoughtless ‘worship’.  As a result of continued neglect for God’s laws, Jerusalem was devastated for the second time.  The Babylonians destroyed the temple and took thousands into exile……… Sin, the thief of all things good.

Isaiah, also known as the Old Testament Gospel writer, speaks to these exiles but also all whose hope is in the LORD. Judah was concerned with their entitled power on earth.  It was taken away. God is concerned with our surrendered hearts now and forever.  His purpose is not to punish, but to make us righteous and Holy, totally trusting and obeying Him alone. By His hand we are upheld in strength to face whatever foes come our way.  We are not alone.  God is there, just call His name and you will be in His presence. 

Have a beautiful Friday,

Gretchen