Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? I Corinthians 3:16
A temple, the physical representation of God’s presence among us, the anchoring place of the believer, a safe harbor for the weary and lost. We, the church, the Body of Christ, the individual, must be God’s human connection to this lost world, His temple. It needs us so much!
Have a great weekend,
Gretchen
David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 Samuel 22:1
King David’s life story is wrought with sin’s consequence. The ultimate cost of sin is death, but there is a great deal of life to be lived first. David made some very selfish choices, including adultery and murder. As a result, his household ran morally amok and his children suffered and made equally bad choices. Grief and regret followed David, but he always humbled himself before God and God restored His relationship to him.
Across thousands of years David’s words touch our reality (finish reading chapter 22). God is our Rock as life overwhelms us. A life’s story can be incredibly hard to look back on when more failures than success can be found, but God’s grace is more than sufficient to cover any sin and His joy makes all sorrow irrelevant.
David’s legacy is not his politics, but his humble and God seeking heart. That is a legacy worth leaving.
Happy Friday,
Gretchen
He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you, Deuteronomy 8:16
A key theme in Deuteronomy is ‘Remember.’
The children of Israel are about to enter the Promised Land. Once slaves, they are now a great nation. Their success depends on their covenant relationship with God. God and God alone will be their sole provider and protector and they will be His faithful and obedient people, a blessing to all the earth. Prosperity is given, but that will beget a lax attitude. Caution against forgetting the source of strength and wealth. DON’T FORGET!
As life moves forward, remember your seasons of manna. They are treasures that will see you through times of trial and teach a new and deeper knowledge of God’s character and love. Never let your praise quiet. It defeats the devil and affirms your allegiance to the One True God.
Have a great day,
Gretchen
The man who says,, “I know him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. I John 2:4
In the world of Theology there is ongoing debate between faith and works. We do not get to Heaven by our deeds, we cannot earn God’s favor. Agreed.
BUT…….if I, or you, became mute, would our actions tell the same story our spoken words previously did?
Learning some new sign language,
Gretchen
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him. Acts 10:38
This verse is part of an entire story (Acts Chapter 10) involving three men:
1. Cornelius, a Roman (gentile) centurion, who, by tradition should worship the emperor and the patron god of his military unit, but whose entire family worshiped and served God through benevolence.
2. Simon, a tanner, (gentile) who by trade came into daily contact with dead animals, making himself totally unclean in the Jewish tradition and strongly looked down on by the ‘keepers of the law.’
3. Peter, the apostle, The Rock upon which Christ built His church, the Body of Christ.
Cornelius had a vision to send for Peter who was staying at the home of Simon the tanner in Joppa. The next afternoon Peter had an encounter with God and realized that Jewish law was no longer necessary for honoring God.
Peter met Cornelius. Cornelius and his whole family were filled with the Holy Spirit, a second Pentecost, one for the gentiles. The end result was, Peter realized the Gospel was given universally to all, not just the descendants of Abraham.
We live in a world that seeks balance. Equality is extremely valuable, but in seeking our own brand we often deprive others of theirs. Peter, who loved Christ more than life itself, was making this mistake, but love allowed his heart to see the truth and change the face of Christianity. An open heart is a product of faith and an invaluable tool to the Kingdom of God.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Gretchen
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3
Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, sneaks away in the night to find Jesus, the teacher, seeking the comfort of truth. Jesus responds to his inquiry with rebirth, a radical new beginning, not bound by the natural cycle of life and death, but the beginning of life eternal.
It was to Nicodemus that Jesus spoke the beautiful words Martin Luther later called the Gospel in a sentence. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Death ends life, birth begins it. Eternal life does not begin at death, it begins at rebirth, that moment of belief, faith, confession and acceptance when Jesus becomes Savior and Lord. Come today and live forever.
Love,
Gretchen
P.S. My statement about birth and the beginning of life pertains only to the matter of Nicodemus and rebirth and has nothing to do with today’s subject of when life begins. Thank you.
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16
Wind, breath, dove or as gentle as a dove, the third part of the Godhead, that which has come to dwell in us and fill us so there is no part of us incomplete.
The Christian gentiles in the church of Galatia were struggling with orthodox Jewish tradition, specifically circumcision. Paul told them this physical act is irrelevant. Christ’s gift of Grace has eradicated any bondage, from sin or man’s law. However, freedom in salvation is not so much a freedom as an obligation to seek the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and produce spiritual fruit: Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness and self control. (v.22)
It isn’t our outward appearance, our traditions and rituals or anything else that keeps us close to the Heart of God. It is walking with and in His Spirit. Satan doesn’t like that neighborhood so it’s a perfect place of residence.
Love,
Gretchen
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
The early church struggled with divisions and such was the case in Ephesus, where predominately Gentile converts looked down on their fellow Jewish Christians. This Epistle written by Paul reads more like a sermon pamphlet than a friendly letter and in it he stresses an attitude of ‘oneness,’ evidenced with actions.
If you read all of chapter 4, or study the entire book, you will notice that Paul doesn’t speak in generalities. There is too much at stake and honest truth is called for. Unresolved bitterness and grudges result in spiteful behavior, crippling the spread of the Gospel and minimizing the miracle of grace. Our underserved, unmerited favor, salvation, free for everyone, puts us all on equal ground. One God, One Love.
If you are unsure about what to do, be nice. If you must ere, ere on the side of kindness. Just as Christ died for you, you must love the world that much too!
Love,
Gretchen
Take delight in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
This entire Psalm is a power packed song of encouragement, reminder and warning. It is not a blank check. Obtaining the desires of your heart is not the objective, sharing in the LORD’s delight is.
Shared delight, a component of a healthy relationship, is a drop of wonder, a pinch of laughter and a full scoop of undivided attention. We must seek God’s perspective and celebrate righteousness with single mindedness purpose. Then God’s desires and our desires merge. The result? He generously gives and you accept contentment and perfect peace.
Have a terrific Thursday.
Gretchen
Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
The creation story is told two times. In Genesis chapter one, God spoke and the world came into order. Chapter two’s accounting of creation connects the intimate details of man’s origin to his relationship with the Creator.
Breath. The source of life. Without oxygen intake we die. Other things sustain health, but life begins and ends with a breath. Breathing is involuntary. The moment we exit the womb, inhale deeply and exhale with a mighty cry, we breathe by no power of our own. Only His breath, that first gift of human life, was a choice.
We do have one free choice that pertains to our breath. Vocal chords, anchored between our nostrils and our lungs, operate according to our will. With this one organ we can spread the glory to the One who loves us most, or we can rip His world, our neighbors, apart, one word at a time.
Today with my breath I will smell some roses, sing some songs, laugh with children and shout to the LORD, for He is good.
Love,
Gretchen
