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“And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Jesus must become real to His disciples. He can no longer be the man of the prophecies, certainly not the opinions of the Pharisees and sadducees, or just a man of miraculous deeds. He must become the Son of God, the Messiah, their Savior.

Peter had spent two and a half years working beside Jesus serving others, healing and teaching and finally he understood and confessed that Jesus was the Heir of Heaven. This single truth is the foundation of all Christendom. Peter was not given the power to forgive sins, but through the Holy Spirit he and the other disciples delivered the means. He was the orator on the day of Pentecost, the birth of the church for both Jew and Gentile.

Just like Peter, we must discover Jesus as our own Messiah. We rely so heavily on tradition and what other people say, but just like the twelve disciples, we must diligently seek Biblical truth and the intimate, personal Savior Jesus died to be.

Love,

Gretchen

Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will turn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. Revelation 1:7

Revelation is meant to be the book of the Bible with the most optimism, for it holds the most precious promises of God. We are protected and victorious. This book was written after the horrendous tortures of Nero that took the lives of both Paul and Peter. During the persecution of Domitian, John, a Jewish Christian (tradition indicates it is John the Apostle, although there is good argument it is not), was banished to the Island of Patmos where this revelation from God was given. The message of these visions was meant to warn against selfish, personal agenda in the churches, apathy toward suffering and sin, and remind us of the greatest triumph imaginable for those that persevere, love and worship the Lord God.

What we are reading is what John saw. Jesus will return and everyone will recognize Him, even those who denied His existence or divine connection. There will be no mistaking who has arrived and what His purpose is.

My heart sings knowing that on that day I will be judged in the purest of ways. My creator knows my heart, my joys, my grief, my defeats and my wins. I will not be allowed to make excuses, or inflate my intentions. It will be just me and My LORD, the omnipotent, omniscient, all powerful Savior, present for a transparent accounting. Then I will see Him face to face and my everlasting peace will be complete.

Have a Triumphant Thursday,

Gretchen

Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (I encourage you to read verses 13-18)

God gets blamed for many things He did not do. Man was born with the urge to sin, to have his own way. We lust and that drives us to put ourselves first and hurt others, leaving scars on the beauty of the gift God granted. And if that is not enough, these sins bring death, eternal separation from God and all that is Holy and good.

God is good. He gives life, restores what is broken. He gave His Son so that we could be reborn with the power to put away our instinct to sin.

We know where to turn for help and guidance, our attitude is positive and life has value and hope when our perspective shines on the weakness of our nature and the strength of God’s overcoming power.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday,

Gretchen

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4

The beauty of the Psalms is that they have God at their center, not man. Psalm 91 is a hymn of trust. God jealously guards and protects His people.

My daughter loves chickens, and from her flock I learned that when danger approaches, chicks run to the hen, even those that are not hers, she fluffs her feathers and causally sits down as if nothing is bothering her, completely hiding the helpless beneath her wings. The chicks are as secure as if they never existed. To the predator they are invisible. God’s protection is like this!

Dwelling in the Psalms is a most comforting respite. Thousands of years ago, there were people that thought my same discouraged thoughts, felt bitter agony, feared the world they existed in, longed to see into the future, had only hope to cling to and in the midst of their struggles they found a Faithful Father. That Wonderful LORD is still the same for each of us today.

Love,

Gretchen

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Isaiah. 64:8

Through many turns of events, the descendants of Abraham came to be residents of Egypt and then slaves. God’s covenant people were in bondage so they cried out! God heard their prayer and sent Moses to lead this people, who knew nothing of governing themselves or following anything but the absolute power of a pharaoh, out of their misery and into a life of complete peace and prosperity……Except, discontent and disobedience kept getting in the way.

Israel went from becoming the most powerful and influential nation on earth to scattered bands of refugees and immigrants. God sent prophets to remind these hard headed people of who they are and who He is, but years and years go by and it seems all hope is gone for this nation to come together again and bless all of mankind.

Isaiah prays a prayer of praise and petition. He praises God for who He is, and the nation He created, but expresses His desire that Heaven tear open and end all of the suffering. In reality, Isaiah knows this will not be the case. There will come a savior, a Prince of Peace, but He will come in God’s time. Until then, Isaiah leads a humble remembrance that we are made by God’s will. All we are and all we have is the work of His hand. He will not destroy what He poured the very best of all creation into.

When you feel there is no hope, focus on the warm, tender hands that formed every miraculous molecule of your being. You are fearfully and wonderfully made to be a vessel that can both receive and disperse the fulness of God’s love and power.

Have a Great Day,

Gretchen

Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16

The event of Jesus setting the disciples straight on the value of children is in all three Gospels. Woven into sloppy grins, sticky fingers and dirty little toes is the heart of a child. A heart that trusts with reckless abandon, loves with no reservation, and has a malleable attitude of giving and gratitude, gains God’s glory.

Pomposity, a behavior motivated by the impression that God is honored by our notice, has no place in the presence of the One who gave His life for ours.

Never out grow your inner child.

Happy December Weekend,

Gretchen

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

We are all sons and daughters of Adam. We woke up in this world one day, by no choice of our own, with a sinful nature. The human race is all very much the same in this manner. Adam did not arrive as we did. He arrived in the perfect likeness of God and chose to sin. Adam sinned, contaminated mankind and destined us to die. Jesus, the Son of God, died to eradicate death and return the human race to the image of God.

Grace is completely illogical! The good don’t sacrifice their lives for the bad. But because Jesus, loving and good, did so, anyone, the bad and sinful, who believes, can have all the glory of Heaven. Grace truly is amazing if you consider all it encapsulates: hope, family identity, inheritance, peace, freedom, justice, an advocate, a provider, AND eternal life.

The crucifixion was not just for one person, or one race, it was for everyone and anyone who believes.

Grace, the gift that keeps on giving.

Love,

Gretchen

Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22

Absalom was David’s third son but became first in line of succession. He waged an overthrow attempt against his father. David felt betrayed and overwhelmed at the inevitable fate of his son as a result of his evil. He just wanted to opt out of real life for a while.

This Psalm speaks the gut wrenching truths of the soul. It begins with a confession of anxiety and continues into a plea for God to disrupt the wicked, then concludes with an acknowledgement of faith and resolve.

The weight of the world was on David’s shoulders. If managing a kingdom weren’t enough, his family was a mess and he couldn’t to fix it. BUT, he remembers who hung the stars in the Heavens and gave the sun a song and so he does the only thing he can do. He throws his mental weight and stress onto the LORD because He alone shall, (not can, but shall) maintain all that David needs to fulfill his life’s responsibilities.

God is ready to be God. Let Him.

Have a Wonderful Day,

Gretchen

The Heavens are Yours, and yours also, the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. Psalm 89:11

Ethan the Ezrahite, this Psalm’s composer, was one of David’s song leaders. Imagine King David, and all of Jerusalem having amazing worship led by appointed leaders like Ethan. I hope Heaven has a highlight reel when I get there. I’m sure this Psalm will be on the playlist.

God as creator of everything is the rightful owner. He is all and has all, yet He gave all for you and I. These lyrics are a lengthy story of God, our faithful covenant keeper, powerful protector and all seeing, all knowing, perfect judge.

In times of great need, whether it is perseverance, faith, protection, comfort…….there is absolute assurance in knowing who God is and who isn’t god. He is the ONLY One, True, Good, Good Father.

Happy Wednesday,

Gretchen

Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God. I Peter 1:21

At the time Peter wrote this letter the church is 35 years old and Paul has just been martyred. Nero has declared war on Christianity and by his example the torture and persecution of Christians reached across the entire Roman Empire. It was brutal. Silas was tasked to carry this letter to the many churches Paul established, filled with Peter’s love and encouragement to remember hope is found only in the Resurrection of Jesus. Peter felt with great certainty that he and his wife would soon be martyred for their commitment to the perpetuation of the Gospel, but their salvation was sealed by Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, so they had comfort rather than terror.

Peter was a front row witness to Jesus’ miracles, the crucifixion, the empty tomb, Christ’s fellowship before the ascension, the ascension AND Pentecost. Of course his hope was in the Savior he knew personally, but this letter is a testimony to those who had not seen and heard as Peter had.

It was not silver and gold, man’s most precious commodity, that secured eternal life, but the very thing that flows through a body and sustains life. That most wonderful gift was blood, Jesus’ blood, given to ransom and redeem our souls. Peter saw it in living color and wants us to know with total assurance that it is true.

Love,

Gretchen