Author: pastor.gerooney@gmail.com

But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14

Due to hundreds of years of racial prejudice, Jews did not travel through Samaria, but the Son of God does not let man’s social barriers determine His itinerary. On this day Jesus took the shorter route on His way from Jerusalem to Galilee.  Tired and thirsty He sat down at Jacob’s well. Along came a woman with a spiritual need, a moral problem.  Jesus broke with cultural and gender bias by asking the woman for a drink.

What sort of Jewish man would ask a Samaritan woman, the lowest of all human form, for water?  A man who came to offer something besides heartache, sorrow, prejudice, isolation, abuse…..

This woman was in a downward spiral created by the choices she made according to her pleasure and need for instant and repeated gratification, or perhaps the circumstances of her birth into race, gender or socio-economic status, and maybe a tragic combination of all these things.  Jesus offered her a life forgiven, renewed and eternal. She accepted His gift and brought as many people as would listen back to the Well of Living Water, aka Spring of Hope. 

It’s still springing up for you too.

Just a sinner saved by Grace,

Gretchen

A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

Read all of chapter 13.  It is my opinion that it retells one of the most beautiful moments in time.   

Jesus is speaking these words to His disciples. He has quietly reflected on how much He loves them, shared His last earthly meal with them and shown them His servant’s heart by washing their feet.

What separates the believer, the Christian, from all else on earth?  Love.  Love is the defining attribute.  You can keep all of the commandments and ancient Jewish laws, but if you do not love your fellow man…………you’ve missed in entire point!

Gretchen

We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19

The prophetic passages in the Bible are messages of hope divinely given to people separated from God as a result of sin.  Let me say again, “Prophecy is hope!” It’s the light at the end of the tunnel.

Peter was an eye-witness to Jesus ministry.  He listened intently to the lessons and parables used by His dear friend as He prepared them for His imminent and necessary, unjust death.  The moment of reality was dark, devastating, earth shattering! The disciples were frightened, so they dispersed and hid. They were on the brink of giving up completely. Nothing made sense according to all they’d been taught and thought they knew. Then came Sunday morning, hope rose from the grave, ancient prophecy came into focus correctly, and the future was crystal clear. Peter is giving testimony to the promise of God’s faithfulness past, present and future.

God is not sending us into an unknown future.  He’s leading us through a life we cannot comprehend.  Prophesy grants us the clarity of God’s all knowing, all powerful constancy to stay the course He began, and that is Hope!

Love,

Gretchen

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God . 2 Corinthians 9:11

The Corinthian church struggled with putting aside the idea that Christ was the way to personal success, affirmation of peers, and social power.  These early believers put themselves at the center of Christianity rather than Christ. 

Paul is teaching that personal sacrifice for others is the example modeled by Christ.  God is the giver of all things.  Generosity of spirit and action perpetuate the Gospel by meeting the physical and spiritual needs of others.

God is so very good. Our sacrifice and service to others glorifies Christ, the One that gave everything so that we could live.

Have a Wonderful Day,

Gretchen

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. John 15:1

In the Old Testament Israel is referred to as the vine taken by God and planted in a place of hope, The Promised Land.

In this poignant passage, Jesus is addressing only His disciples. Dinner is done, Judas has left to follow his evil heart and it is just hours before the world’s most shameful miscarriage of justice. The Gospel will be carried to the ends of the earth by these eleven men hearing this story. They must understand so they will not give up.

Basic vineyard maintenance was common knowledge and the above connection was not lost on the disciples. There is a Gardener, there is a vine, there is a branch, so there should be fruit. Jesus chose this analogy to illustrate our connection to Him, His connection to God and our universal connection to God’s plan. While being the Son of God, Jesus is still the mortal Son of Man, complete with free will. But, He gives that will lovingly back to His Father and rests in His plan. Jesus remains in His Father so that we have the hope of remaining in Him.

God is the source of everything.  He is good and trust worthy.  Everything He does is for our benefit, to draw us to His throne. Jesus’ greatest act of trust was submitting to God’s will. When we do as Jesus did, we will get the exact results.………Perfect everything.

Love,

Gretchen

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all you might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom Ecclesiastes 9:10

We live in a society obsessed with personal quality of life. We live in the moment, for the moment! Me first!

Outside of scripture, everything we see and hear teaches and encourages this: Take care of yourself so you can take care of others. I see the logic of this but, I also recognize how outrageous it becomes in the hands of the theologically negligent.

It is our legacy that matters, now and later.  Someone is watching, someone is following, someone is emulating you.  You are leaving a mark.  What does it look and sound like?  Is it integrity and a work ethic that is honorable? Is it a life’s pattern of putting God first, beginning with time allocated for explicit worship? 

Make your life count for something beside yourself, because death is inevitable no matter who you are.  And when you’re gone you can’t change what’s been done.

Have a great day,

Gretchen

Finally, bothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Paul refers to the recipients of his letters as brothers and sisters. They were family, the family of God, and we all know, family can talk straight and get away with it.  He is doing this.  Christians…….live to a higher standard than the rest of the world, be true and noble, just do the right thing by making God’s will your will, His ways, your own.

The essential element in this verse is “THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS.”  Our mind is the ONLY place we have complete and total secrecy. No one can know what we are thinking except through our actions and words. Even then, most are able to maintain limited privacy. This freedom gives way to reckless thought processes with little risk of consequence.  But! Eventually our hands, feet and mouths follow our thinking and become actions and words.  Paul wisely implores us to stop things at their starting point and turn to truth, honor, integrity, righteousness and beauty in thought and deed.

Love,

Gretchen

But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it.  I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” 2 Samuel 24:24

David took a census of all the able bodied men, prospective soldiers, in Judah and Israel.  This act was in disobedience to God. God doesn’t rely on earthly might and His people don’t need to either.  David got his numbers but in return, experienced great regret, God’s anger and a consequence that effected the well-being of his people.  Afterward, he acknowledged his sin and confessed.  God, through the prophet Gad, demanded a sacrifice. David was obedient, followed God’s instructions precisely, and went to carry out his expensive penance. However, a man named Araunah respectfully offered his king, David, a threshing floor and animals needed for sacrifice. David had no desire to short cut through God’s command.  He was honorable and obedient and God’s favor returned.  The place of this altar became the location of Jerusalem’s temple.

Just as David was prone to do, we often demand our own way.  In doing so we replace God’s all-knowing, all loving, control of our lives, including outcomes, with our ill informed, powerless efforts.  We mess things up in a hurry. The good news is, God is there.  He can fix anything we’ve done wrong and unlike David, our sacrifice has already been paid by Jesus.

Hold your tempers, control your impulses and let God be God.

Love,

Gretchen

But very truly I tell you it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. John 16:7

These are words spoken by Jesus.  Verse 1 says, “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.”

Jesus is mere hours from His earthly destiny, the cross.  He knows in full what will transpire and He knows full well His beloved disciples, his friends and fellow servants, have no idea what’s ahead. They have no point of reference for a Lamb that will die so that all may live.  They are devout Jewish men, taught to look for a conquering Lion that will rule the earth alongside God’s chosen people.  We know the rest of the story, they did not.

It is so hard to turn loose of tangible things that comfort us.  The disciples not only failed to understand why Jesus had to leave, they weren’t especially enthusiastic about trying. I don’t blame them.  Never the less, Jesus did not grow angry or impatient with their questions, concerns and doubts.  He spoke over and over of God’s plan for them, and for you.

During His ministry Jesus never quit teaching God’s way, while not our way, is perfect……. perfect timing, perfect love, perfect wisdom, perfect victory, and the all powerful Advocate would continue the work done by the Lamb of God.

Love,

Gretchen

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. Acts 6:7

This statement is the conclusion to the account of a dispute over disbursement of resources, by the early church, to widows and orphans. The Christian community was growing, but that didn’t mean the Gospel was progressing. Conflict has snuffed out many good intentions. But! The prayer and preaching of the disciples had an effect on the way Christian people acted toward each other and those in need. A movement  began in the early church, a common spirit of love, encouragement, and putting other’s needs first.

How did the word of God spread?  Through love in action!  Church didn’t end when the preaching quieted.  Church began when God’s people were moved to improve the world they could touch, smell, hear and see with manpower rather than lip service.

Happy Weekend!

Gretchen