WHOM DO YOU TEACH?

"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." Luke 10: 16 (NIV)

"Who do they think they are? They preach to others about how they are supposed to live. Of all the nerve!"

If the person is lecturing others about their behavior because they personally didn’t like it that would be a problem. But in Luke, he said that when the person teaches about the Lord, they are speaking for Christ and Jesus Christ speaks for God. The power is the source of our authority. If we are speaking for Jesus then we are preaching scriptures, not expounding on our own philosophy of life.

Share the joy of the Lord with all you meet but be sure it is Lord you are lifting up. Those you speak to cannot come to God if you are speaking your own words and not God’s. The path to Heaven leads through the words of the Bible. Let us all make sure our words are truth and not false teachings. Let us pray:

"Father God, your words are holy truth. The path we walk toward Heaven is paved with anagram bricks, stones with letters that spell out the directions to your kingdom. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be yours and yours alone Father. Forgive me when I may have led someone astray because I taught the Gospel according to me and did not teach the love song of the Lord. Only you are holy God and worthy of praise. In the name of Jesus, my savior whom I serve, I pray. Amen."

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Visit: www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com for fun stories.
Also: www.directbuybooks.com

WHAT IS YOUR JERUSALEM?

"As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." Luke 9: 51 (NIV) "Jesus set his face like flint toward Jerusalem, caught up in his vocation as Messiah."

We all have our Jerusalem, a consequence of the great cause for which we live. A friend said she wished she didn’t have to write the book she is working on. That was my feeling when I wrote, Length of Days - The Age of Silence. I know there will be those who will rile against some of the Christian-based concepts in the book. But, I wrote it because I obeyed God and followed through on the cause for which I was called.

You too have a Jerusalem. While Jesus began his walk to the Holy City, even though he knew what awaited him there, he still went. He didn’t drag his feet as he shuffled along unwillingly. He was resolute! He fixed his face like flint!

We have to understand our mission before we can cast it in stone and face our destiny with eyes of flint. With every successful book, there is a sequel to be written and critics to face. For every educational goal, there are doubting family members and some who would not want you to gain success above their own. For every child there is to rear, there are those who claim this great calling is not worth your time and energy. For every step of faith, there are those who say you have no right to speak up or speak out because you are no better than they. Of course we aren’t. Jesus, whose way we follow, is the only one worthy of praise.

Lift up the Lord Jesus Christ and the cause for which you were called, not your own personality, and God’s kingdom will have another paving stone for the walk that leads others home. Let us pray:

"Father of our Lord whose way to the cross has begun, we praise your name and seek your will. We too have our own walk to Jerusalem, not with the consequences that awaited Jesus but consequences still. We choose to fix our eyes on the cause you have given us. Others may try to define us, but it is your image we seek. Forgive us when we let others hold us back from doing your will in order to satisfy their own needs. Fill us with your Holy Spirit that we may follow the Lord who dwells within. In the name of Jesus, our Savior, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

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and: www.lengthofdays.com

STILL WE COME

Mark 1: 40-45
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

41 Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44"See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."
45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

What if Jesus stood before you, touched your infirmity and healed you? Where you had been blind, the colors of Spring would burst forth and fill your senses with joy. Where you had been crippled, your feet would dance the dance of faith, two steps forward and one step back. Would you have been able to hold in your joy and tell no one? I don’t’ know that I could.

Because the man told everyone that he had been healed from leprosy, Jesus was swamped by other needy who also asked to be healed. The crowds became so large, Jesus had to maintain a low profile outside the city.

Also, the officials’ took greater notice of Jesus the more the stories of his healings became known. Whatever reason Jesus didn’t want attention drawn to himself, the people still came.

When the soul longs for fullness and the body grasps for health, for ourselves or for those we love, the presence of a healer would not be something or someone we could ignore. And, once the healing had happened, it would be nearly impossible to not let our joy be known.

Now, it is not Jesus who keeps us away. It is the world that no longer believes in the Great Physician. They would mock and scoff at us if we told them we had been healed by the Lord. We are told to stay away from this man, Jesus. But, still we come—because he is Jesus. Let us pray:

"Father of our Lord and healer, Jesus Christ, we worship you God. Your kingdom will come when you are ready. For this I praise your name. Your son, Jesus, said your kingdom is at hand. I ask this day to hold onto your hand so that my hand will be clasped within your kingdom. I come, as they have all come, seeking your healing, healing of mind, body, and soul. I know that you will make me whole, for the Word of God has said it is so. Forgive me when disbelieve creeps in. Give me the faith of the saints, that I may be wholly yours. In the name of Jesus, your son, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Visit, www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com for fun stories.
Also: www.directbuybooks.com

CELEBRATE LIFE

John 12: 1-8 (NIV)

1. Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3.Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5. "Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages." 6. He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." John 12: 1-8 (NIV)

"I am so glad you had this party now, rather than waiting until after I’m dead," Mother had said after her eightieth birthday party.

Mother was an only child and grew up without the play of childhood. She had never had a birthday celebration before which made her eightieth one so special. Mother had been to many funerals and knew that most churches offer a dinner for the family and friends so they can gather and celebrate the life of they just lost. Mother was thrilled that she was able to celebrate her live as she had lived it with her loved ones.

Jesus knew that Mary was celebrating his life, the life he lived with his disciples and friends. While the perfume was expensive, Mary used it as an anointing oil which honored Jesus’ life and ministry.

Jesus reminds us to celebrate the living while they are with us. Love your lovelies while you have them gathered around you. Celebrate life by celebrating theirs. Let us pray:

"God of glory, Lord of our lives, we worship you and thank you for the life you have given us. Fill me with your love and your presence that I may be able to do your will as you call me to yourself. I ask that I may see each loved one around me and not pass them by. Your word does not describe Jesus as ever being in a hurry and yet we push ourselves with some silent drive. May we slow down so that we might see others more, honor others more, accomplish more, and love more. In the name of Jesus, our Lord, we pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Visit, www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com for fun stories.

Also: www.directbuybooks.com

REPENT AND LIVE

Luke 13: 1-9
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse, sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Psyllium fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ "‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’" 

In Luke 13, Jesus was clear about what happens when we do not repent. We are cut down and thrown away. But my friends, if we repent, we can be fruitful for God, and—we live! We don’t just live, we live large in the bosom of Life itself!

There is nothing we can do to deserve eternal life. Jesus paid the price that ransomed our souls. But, we can bear fruit. In Gelatins 5:22-23 we read: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

We can choose to love and we can choose to be joyous by not complaining. We can have peace, because Jesus promised he would leave us peace. Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are also choices of the heart. For the remainder of Lent, let us rehearse the Fruits of the Spirit, practicing then until they become part of us and define who we are. Let us pray:

"We love you Lord and we lift up your name as holy as you are holy. We ask that you implant the Fruits of the Spirit deep within our heart as you fill us with your presence. We ask today that you accept our sorrow for all we have done that has offended you so that we might repent and reconcile our hearts to your own. Forgive us when we have believed that we do not need to repent for we have not wronged you in some dramatic way. When we have sinned against you, it is not measured in pounds. It is measured in your tears. We thank you for all the times we can come to you again and again. You planned for us to live from the time of creation. Now it must be our plan too, if we are going to live with you. In the name of Jesus, your son, we pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Visit, www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com for fun stories.

Also: www.directbuybooks.com

FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry." Luke 4:1

"I could never have the strength to resist temptation like Jesus did."

Have you heard people make similar statements? We feel inadequate because we are. Look at the scripture again. It does not say Jesus decided to test God so he went out alone and refused to eat. Radicals might claim Jesus had an eating disorder and he was going to take control of the situation over which he believed he was losing control—his own destiny.

"Okay God, you’re going to make me do your will, but you can’t make me eat!" Extremists might claim this was how Jesus took a stand with his Heavenly Father. It is amazing how some people interpret scripture.

Let’s look again. Luke 4:1 says that Jesus was first filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, he didn’t decide to test God, he was led by God, through the Holy Spirit, and Jesus obeyed.

Temptations are all around us, from the quiet discussions inside our own mind, to the visible choices we make. We argue with ourselves over the "politeness" of speaking up for the cause of Christ. We doubt our ability to accomplish a task the Almighty has called us to do! We also see no harm in striking up a friendship with a particularly good looking new co-worker, or shave a little off our income tax liability. These are all temptations. To rise above the temptations, first become solid from the inside out by allowing yourself to be filled by the Holy Spirit.

We allow ourselves to be filled when we ask God to move into our lives and take up residence as our invited guest. But, never treat Him like a guest, someone who comes and then goes. Integrate Him into yourself so he Lives in us as we live in Him. Then, when temptation comes, it is the indwelling Spirit of God who resists, not the earthly part of us. Let us pray:

"Father of Love and Hope, you are holy, holy, holy. We bow down before your name and your presence and ask that your Holy Spirit may come and make your home within us. We are weak but you are strong. Only you can stand face-to-face with temptation and be the victor. For this miracle in our lives we praise you, God of Glory. Forgive us when we have been arrogant and thought we could resist the powers of evil on our own. Thank you for your constantly abiding within me even before I knew you were there. And thank you for the sacrifice of your precious son, Jesus, in whose me we pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Visit, www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com for fun stories.
Also: www.directbuybooks.com

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　





　

　

　

　

　

　

　

ABSENT, NOT GONE

Yesterday I had to be out of town from early morning until late in the evening. I wasn’t able to spend prayer time with you. I was absent, not gone and I thought of you today. Some parents are in far off wars and they are absent too, but their love and presence in their families’ lives are not gone.

Our Heavenly Father is the same way. While He is never absent from us, we are sometimes absent from him. Still, He is always there. If we seek to live lives of peace, we must strive to not be "gone" from Him.

Today is the Sabbath. Were you with Him this morning, either in our church or in the meadow or in the quiet of your room? He was there, waiting for you. Let us pray:

"Father of Light, Life, and Love, holy is your name. I ask that you make your home within my heart, so that I may make my home in yours. Father, there are so many absences, some we have no control over and many that we do, if we will put our priorities in order. But you, Father God, are never absent, never gone. I ask you Father for steadfastness, that I may always be present in the lives of those you have given me to love, and that I may be present and focused in the work you have given me to do. I pray to be present in my own life, present in the lives of my family, and present in your heart. Forgive me when I drift away from you for you are the only real place there is. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Redeemer. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com
Also: www.directbuybooks.com

SATISFIED YET?

"When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed." Exodus: 16: 15-18 (NIV)

Even though God gives us all we need, it never seems like to be enough. If it is winter, we long for spring. If it is the heat of July, we want the first flakes of snow. We are never satisfied with what we have.

Right now, everything in northeast Indiana is blooming! The tulips near the back deck are full and yellow with red splashes, the daffodils are wonderful, and the forsythia bushes are bright yellow bundles of sunshine.

But we’re not satisfied. We begin to negate the splendor of early spring. "What if the weather turns cold again?" we question. "What if there is another frost? Will we lose all the flowers that are so beautiful now?"

 We want even more control over our environment. "Boy, I am hot!" we complain. "I would prefer that the temperature stays around 72 degrees until December 24, then it can snow for Christmas Eve." We are never satisfied.

The Bible tells us that God will provide our needs, not our wishes. Daydreams are for children. Those of us who provide for our families, work and gather the manna and snare the quail, must begin to know when we are satisfied if we are going to live contented lives and rear happy children.

Look at all you have gathered around you, When you are obedient to God, if you have great need, you will have enough, and if your need is small, you will have enough. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Let us pray:

"Father God who provides the manna and the quail, you supply us with enough so that we may be satisfied, and we glorify your name. May we live in the bounty of your family. I ask, Father, for the gift of enough, for the earthly part of me will never be satisfied without your blessing. Forgive me when I undo your gifts by wanting more. You are all I need and your gifts are plenty. Today, I have enough, and for that contentment, I am satisfied. I pray to receive my daily portion each day, in the name of Jesus, my Lord. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com
Also: www.directbuybooks.com

SHEPHERD THE CHILDREN

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:11 (NIV)

"Joe, go find Billy," Grandma Kime had given the German shepherd and collie mix his order.

Aunt Ruth Miller started up the alley and Grandma hurried down the highway toward Elkhart. Grandma was worried. Both four-year-old Billy and his new, red tricycle were missing.

A while later, ahead of her, along the side of Route 33, little Billy came pedaling along. The dog, Joe, was shepherding him like a stray lamb. Joe walked beside the little boy, between the tricycle and the road, constantly nudging him farther to the side.

A few years later, Joe put his life on the line for his family, his nation as a war dog. His medals for bravery were mailed home, but he never returned.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, nudges us along the way. As we do the father’s will, Jesus walks between us and the dangers of the highway. He protects our soul from the darkness around us and keeps us in the Light.

Parents who protect their children from premature experience with the world and bring them up in the way of the Lord, are often ridiculed. They are told that society is better able to parent them. They are wrong.

The greatest task anyone is given, regardless of their occupation, their influence, their education and degrees, or their wealth, is to shepherd their children. Family is everything. Children are the beginning and building blocks of Life. Living for God, as shepherd of your children and mentor of other children around you, is what life is all about. Let us pray:

"Father God, author, creator, and sustainer of Life, uttering your name changes the world. May I hold your name in reverence, so that I may be used by you to shepherd my little acre of Life. Father, some of us have forgotten your children, which is the same as forgetting you, for they are life developing, as you are Life developing. I ask that I may see the children around me, that I may hear when they speak and that I may sooth them when they cry. May my words be stories of you, the very lessons of life that they will need to shepherd their corner of your meadow. Forgive me when I am too busy and don’t gather the children into the love I share with you. Guide me in a holy balance, serving you and shepherding them. In the name of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Read more about Grandma and Grandpa Kime at http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com, second from top.

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FAMILY UP A TREE

"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 1Timothy 5:8

"Mrs. Kime? This is Alma Stanley. Would you please meet me in the back yard?" Mrs. Stanley was a good neighbor who lived just beyond the garden fence.

Albert and Pernniah Kime had begun rearing their youngest daughter’s children after her death. Jack, age nine, was the oldest, then Bev, Merry and little Billy, age five-months old. As the precocious little guy grew, it took the entire neighborhood to keep Billy safe and to spare his grandmother any stress. She was sixty-seven and Grandpa Kime was seventy-seven when they began rearing the second family. Their decision came quickly. Of course they would take in Helen’s children.

That beautiful summer day, Grandma Kime met Alma in the back yard. "I don’t want to frighten you," Alma began, "but Billy is in a hammock over our heads. He seems to have strung a rope out the attic window and somehow attached it to the top of the maple tree. He seems to be causing a traffic problem on the highway out front. People are slowing down to see what Billy is doing up there, three stories off the ground. I really hate to worry you."

Little, four- foot ten and a half inch Grandma Kime looked high over her head and there was eight-year-old Billy, laying in the old hammock with a stack of comic books across his chest. Huge ropes Grandpa had made from twine that had been bound around stacks of newspapers, anchored the hammock to the roof peak and the tree top.

"Billy Rapp, you get yourself down on the ground this minute. I have pies in the oven," she demanded sternly as she started back toward the back porch. "Thanks Alma," she added as she hurried back into the kitchen to monitor her seven pies, one for each day of the week.

When Helen died, an old family friend in Illinois wanted to take Jack and Beverly and a church family spoke up for Merry. They were fine people, but, as good as they were, that simply wouldn’t do. It didn’t matter that the Kimes were old enough to be the children’s great-grandparents. The only thing that mattered was that they loved them and they were willing to provide a home and a presence of family for them.

Today, families are also up a tree. They have forgotten to put people before play, love before self, togetherness before things, and family before emptiness. First Timothy tells us, those who put self before family is worse than unbelievers. Let these days before Easter be a time to put your house in order.

Don’t leave your children up a tree. Let them know you are there for them, regardless of separation due to war, heavy work load, divorce, and other signs of the times. Love your children into a lifelong, deeply rooted feeling of belonging. Let us pray:

"Father God, you are the head of the family, the very core of life. Family is at the center of your heart. We worship you and hold your name as Holy and unspeakable, except in healing, loving tones. Please include me in your family just as one of your children who needs a home. Safe with you, I will be better able to do your will. I ask you, oh Father, to heal all the families of the earth. Our children are losing a place at the family table and many children are growing up in hunger, hungry for love and hungry to belong. I ask for your peace to fill all families and return them to your loving arms. Forgive me when I have not provided encouragement to help mend a broken heart or a torn family. I lift up these families to you, in the name of Jesus, your son. Amen."

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

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www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com
www.dorisgainesrapp.com

FAMILY OF GOD

"And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God." Acts 16: 31-34

"You boys get out of here, right now," Grandma Kime scolded as she chased her son and some neighbor boys out of the basement and batted at their heals with her broom all the way up the steps.

"Ma, we just tasted a little of it," her son pleaded.

"You wait until your daddy gets home Friday night and he finds out you three were into the communion grape juice." Then her voice hushed to a whisper. "And I know you could taste that it had fermented!"

"That just makes it wine, Ma. Jesus drank wine," the boy snickered as he tried to get out of the way of the straw broom.

"Don’t you dare say things about the Lord, Young Man," she demanded as she swiped at the calves of his legs some more."Besides, Christ’s wine was not stored in my Ball canning jars, Mister," the little four foot, ten and a half inch tall mother of three boys and two girls insisted.

To her son, she said, "You have to weed the garden all by yourself tomorrow. Let that be a lesson to you."

Sure enough, Pa got home from five-days work on the New York Central Rail Road and Ma had the children all lined up, clean and polished in the best clothes she could make in 1922. Family was everything. Hard work and a pint of homemade wine didn’t change that.

"Well Ma, how were they this week," Pa would say as he passed in front of the children like a general inspecting his troops.

"They were just fine Pa," Ma would say and Pa would drop a quarter into each outstretched hand. And, they had been fine. The young wine-taster had spent hours in the acre-garden in the hot sun as he chased out every non-vegetable that grew there and had learned a lesson. Don’t cross Ma.

Pernniah Kime was like Christiana in Length of Days - The Age of Silence. Family was her life. Grandma Kime had her parents down the road, five children and a husband who worked hard.

Where has the family gone in 2012? Not only do they not eat their dinner around the family table, many homes don’t even own a table. If God will save all those in the home through the faith of one member, can’t you see the importance of living in the original community, the family? Let us pray.

"Holy Father of us all, we give reverence to your name as head of our family. May it be possible that your plan for family come alive in mine. I pray for all families because I know they are in pain. No one can hurt a family more than the ones they love. I see your children weeping for a family that will never be again and it breaks my heart. I ask this day, that you rain down love on your children and refresh their souls with the sweetness of your shower. Turn their hearts from the things of the world—a larger home, a faster car—and back to you, oh God. Forgive me when I have been impatient and unloving with my family. Wrap them in your love, Dear Lord and lead me away from whatever robs my family of your love. In the name of your son, Jesus, I pray. Amen."

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine." Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Read more about Grandma and Grandpa Kime at http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com, second from top.
Also: www.directbuybooks.com

CATHERINE MARSHALL AND I

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. " James 1:22

"I’m sorry, I have no gas. I can’t move my car away from the pumps until you reopen," my husband, Bill, explained.

We had come to the Washington D.C./Virginia area for my interview with the Christian writer, Catherine Marshall. It was during the summer of gas rationing. We had coasted on fumes all the way down the off ramp and around the curb into the station driveway.

"Well, okay," the service station attendant agreed and pumped enough gas to carry us out of town. By the time our tank was full, there was a line of thirsty cars out across the station drive and down the block.

All of the angst and threatening gas gage were worth it. My morning with Catherine Marshall was inspiring. She answered all of my questions with grace and patience, for an article I was to write for a new national magazine. The company’s decision to not launch the new periodical took absolutely nothing away from my trip to the beautiful rolling hills around Evergreen Farm in Lincoln, Virginia.

Before I left, Catherine invited me to take a tour of their new Chosen Books Publishing building in a former eight-room, two-story, red brick schoolhouse just down the road from the home she shared with her husband, Len LeSourd. That visit was another priceless experience. I asked Catherine if she was involved in the publishing business in any way.

"Oh my no," she answered. "Writing and publishing are two entirely different talents in the book business."

Chosen Books was started on prayer, inspiration, and a faith in the Lord’s Guiding, by John and Elizabeth (Tib) Sherrill. The Sherrills invited their friends, Len and Catherine LeSourd to experience the dream and great adventure with them.

It is with that faith and trust that I have decided to offer my novel, Length of Days - The Age of Silence in hardback, on a book distributing website, www.directbuybooks.com. The book is already in e-Book form, so why not offer a real-as-life, hand-held paper form? I had been reluctant to take that next step. I could hear Catherine Marshall’s words, "Writing and publishing are two entirely different talents in the book business."

I am, however, determined to be obedient and follow the will of the Lord as I understand it. I am happy to announce that Length of Days - The Age of Silence is available today in hardback on the Direct Buy Books website.

I know God has also placed a task on your heart. He knows you are apprehensive, maybe even afraid to put yourself out in the public eye where you might have to defend your ideas. If God has given you something to do or say: to write, to create, to sell, He will walk with you as you meet the public in your own store, restaurant, website, or books, whatever it may be. Let us pray for the courage to follow through for God.

"God of all creation, of all new ideas, of all plans you have for us, we humbly bow before you. We know the tasks you have given us are extensions of yourself and for that we praise your name. Success in your eyes may be different from success in our own. We think in quantities and you think in the value of a single soul. May I see the responsibilities through your eyes, not my own. I am just called to be obedient. Only one life blessed may seem like a job failed to me, but it is sung as a song of hallelujah in Heaven. May I reach Heaven’s joy by my own follow-through of the simplest task you lay on my heart. Let me never forget to give you all the praise and glory. I pray for courage to be fully yours, in the name of Jesus, your son. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com will give a little longer version of the Catherine Marshall and I story.

Also, please visit: http://www.directbuybooks.com           

WE SHARE IN HIS JOY

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy servant! Since you have been trustworthy with a small amount, I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master's joy!'" Matthew 25:21 (International Standard Version © 2008)

Come to the garden and share in the joy of the Lord, an experience shared only by those who love the Lord. We have visited the garden, as described to us in C. Austin Miles’ hymn In the Garden, for several days. The link is below. The garden is there with the gate open wide, waiting for us.

Matthew 25 does not say that God shares in our joy, although I’m sure He has joy for all of us when we do His will. Verse 21 says, when we are obedient, do His will and are trustworthy servants of His, we share in HIS JOY! All the joys of Life, from the beginning, are God’s, and we share them with Him! That seems like more joy than any of us could ever dream!

Don’t stand far off and see the happiness of those who are willing to call on His name. Come to the Garden of God and share in His Joy! Let us pray:

"God of Life and Joy, I thank you for creating a garden of beauty and peace where we can spend time together. While the garden is an image to help me see the possibility of your tranquil presence, your Word has told me you will share your joy with me when I follow Jesus Christ into your light, your joy. Your Holy Word does not say that I must wait until I reach paradise to find your great delight. It says, if we are trustworthy in the small tasks he gives us, he will give us even larger jobs to do on his behalf. With each successive, larger responsibility, comes greater joy in the doing. Holy Father, I thank you. I also ask for your forgiveness when I have falsely believed that the small tasks have no value, so I don’t do them, or I don’t do them well. Any job that you give me to do in your name, is precious beyond words. For each glorious responsibility you give me, I thank you, and pray in the of Jesus, your son, that I see the ‘God-Job’ stamped on every work order. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen."

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

We have been visiting the wonderful hymn, In the Garden, by C. Austin Miles (1913). The link is to the hymn sung by Alan Jackson. The pictures are priceless. Skip the advertisement before the video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0WA8OSXZg

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com. The March 9th post may be uplifting to you.

I AM HIS

"Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’" 2 Timothy 2:19 NIV

Come to the garden and talk to the Lord! Can you stretch your mind far enough to imagine God talking to you in the cool of the garden? What He says will change your life!

"You are my own. You belong to me." He knows which of us are His. He leaves no one out. We exclude ourselves. Those who call on His name and turn away from evil are His.

"But I am not strong enough to do all that," you may cry. No one is. We do not guarantee our own salvation. Jesus Christ does. Only He is worthy.

Our part is to come to the garden and call on his name. We have been focusing on the words of the hymn, In the Garden the last several days. The link is below. The garden is that beautiful, quiet place inside. It is an image that you can focus on that feels safe, peaceful, and full of His presence. Visit the garden often enough that the garden lives in you.

I know some of you do not believe that there is beauty at the core of your being. Some have told me there is nothing at their center, just emptiness. Since our soul is the dwelling place of God, invite Him to enter, and He will live there. That is our part. Then, go about the rest of the day believing that your prayer has been heard and live the day as one who belongs to Him. Let us pray:

"Holy God of Heaven, I come before you, knowing it is not I who saves my soul, but the presence of Your Spirit within me. May I do your will, oh God, as I walk along the path that leads me home. I ask You Father, to come in and make your home within me. I want your beautiful, peaceful garden to be my dwelling place, my home. And, I want your garden to live in me: the Garden of God inside and out. For all these blessings, I give you the glory, God. In the name of your son, my Redeemer, Jesus, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

We have been visiting the garden every day for several days through the words of the wonderful hymn, In the Garden, by C. Austin Miles (1913). I am including a link to the hymn sung by Alan Jackson. The pictures are priceless. Please skip the advertisement before the video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0WA8OSXZg

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com . The March 9th post may be uplifting to you.

HE WALKS WITH ME

"I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people . . . 'I will also
walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people . . . " Leviticus 26:12

Come to the garden of God where you can inhale the fragrance of His presence as He walks with you in the cool of the morning. We have come to the garden every day for the last few days. The link to C. Austin Miles’ hymn is below. Sooth your soul with the wonderful lyrics and the beautiful pictures of his song.

Let those amazing words sink in to the core of your being. God will walk with us and be our God and we will be His people. It is true! We have searched everywhere, from the fun of games to the thrill of climbing to the top of the highest mountain, but You are not there if we aren’t seeking you. You will meet us in the beautiful garden if we will humble ourselves and enter the open gates.

Come, come to the garden. It is the cradle of truth and love you have hoped to find. Be rocked in the boughs that reach down and invite us in, to relax, to live. Let us pray:

"Almighty and everlasting God, I worship you. May your garden kingdom’s gate be marked clearly with a Holy light from you. Turn my feet home to the grasses of your sweet acre, that I may walk with You in Your holy meadow. Sometimes I want to go my own way and then am foolish enough to think I would find you there. You always seek me and call my name and draw me back to your sanctuary. For this I praise you and give you glory and honor. In the name of the Christ, your son, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mineCopyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

We have visited the garden every day for a few days. Enjoy the lyrics and pictures of Alan Jackson’s video of the wonderful hymn, In the Garden (1913), by C. Austin Miles. The link is here. Skip the ad. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0WA8OSXZg

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com . Friday’s post may be uplifting to you.

HEAR THE VOICE

"And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together." Revelations 14: 2 (New Living Translation ©2007)

Come to the garden and hear His voice speaking to you. His son, Jesus, will interpret the music of the harps for you. Imagine, a love song just for you and yet for all.

The garden is an amazing place. It is located in the heart of God and has an open gate to welcome all who will enter. Once inside, you have His total attention, for He claims you for His own. If you ask Him, the garden will grow within you. As you go about your day, you will be able to live within its hedge of protection, taking the garden with you.

Come to the garden. It was planted for you. Let us pray:

"God of the garden in human hearts, I bow before you and lift your name in praise. Take my will and make it yours, so that I might do your work among your people. Give me the courage to step through the golden gates to your garden, that I may hear your sweet voice and invite your Spirit to interpret your melodic themes. Forgive me when I have been afraid to enter your sanctuary, for fear I will not be free to go my own way. My childish, selfish desires are an embarrassment to me. I only want to live in you and your word live in me that I may hear the song of your harps every moment of my life. I pray to you, Lord God, in the power of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

We have visited the garden every day for a few days. Enjoy the lyrics and pictures of Alan Jackson’s video of the wonderful hymn, In the Garden (1913), by C. Austin Miles. The link is here. Skip the ad. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0WA8OSXZg

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com . Friday’s post may be uplifting to you.

THE DEW ON THE ROSES

"From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine." Genesis 27:28 (New Living Translation 2007)

Come to the garden of God while there is still dew on the flower petals. C. Austin Miles so beautifully expressed this idea in his hymn In the Garden. To view and listen, follow the link below.

Why should the dew be so important? Just think about the connections. The dew is on the ground and softness of the folded blossoms in the early morning. The flowers are asleep and wait the sun, just as we sleep in our faith and awaken at His call.

Come to the garden before the heat of the day burns off any desire to approach the Gardener. Dew glistens like sparkling jewels in the morning of the day. Come to the garden when you first open your eyes and fill your being with the sweetness and fragrance of the grass and the tenderness of the flowers. There, you will awaken to a new start, a new day, all fresh and sprinkled with dew. God will bless your day with an abundant harvest of love and the bountiful new wine that will quench every thirst. Let us pray:

"Keeper of the garden who sprays the mist of dew on each new day, I thank you that you are always there in the glow from the rising sun. Your freshness is like a new baptism and a new beginning. May I feel the warmth of your presence from the time of the dew to the end of my day. Holy are you, God, and more precious than anything I know on Earth. I ask that you meet me in your garden at the dawn of each new day and let me take your garden with me in my heart. Forgive me when I choose the dung heap over your tall and fragrant cedars and fresh babbling brook. From the restful peace of the garden, I will give you all the glory. In the name of your Son, my Savior, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

We have been visiting the garden every day for a few days. Enjoy the lyrics and pictures of Alan Jackson’s video of the wonderful hymn, In the Garden (1913), by C. Austin Miles. The link is here. Just skip the ad. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0WA8OSXZg

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com . Friday, March 9th’s post may be uplifting to you.

COME TO THE GARDEN - ALONE

"Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:8 (NIV 1984)

"I’m lonely." Have you ever had those thoughts or used those words? We come to the garden alone, but, being alone is not the same as being lonely.

Alone does mean being isolated or by oneself, you’re right. But, it also means "unique; unequaled." You alone can crack the safe and let the bank president out. That’s "alone."

We stand in the presence of God alone, without mother, father, spouse or friend. There is not an earthly person with us. But, we have someone far more able to stand with us than those we love on earth, Jesus Christ. But, we do not have to wait until Heaven to spend time with the Son of God. We have the garden.

We are visiting the garden every day for a few days. Enjoy the lyrics and pictures of Alan Jackson’s video of the wonderful hymn, In the Garden (1913), by C. Austin Miles. The link is here. Just skip the ad. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0WA8OSXZg

Do not be afraid to come to the garden alone. Once there, you will never be isolated again. And, the beautiful truth about the garden is, it finally becomes part of you. You take it with you. It’s like a beautiful day spent with a loved one. When you’re tired and need rest, you can close your eyes and visit the day again and again..

Come to the garden every day until the garden lives within you. Let the garden into your heart and it will become part of your memory. Let us pray:

"Creator of all there is, from the mighty storm to the fragile butterfly, I lift up your name as Holy, Holy. May your garden always be here, that I may walk its paths and enjoy your presence. I ask to smell the sweetness of your presence as I draw near. James 4 promised that if I come near to you, you will come near to me. I claim that truth and thank you for it, even before I hear your voice. Forgive me when I have not believed that you will come near even me. I will tell others of your nearness and give you all the glory. In the name of Jesus, your Son, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Please pass this link to a friend.

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com . Friday’s post may be uplifting to you.

COME TO THE GARDEN

"It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it." Luke 13:19 King James Version

What grows in your garden—weeds—flowers—spices and herbs? Do you know how to tend the garden? I’ll have to confess, I wouldn’t have the faintest idea. I’ve never planted a garden even though Grandma Bryson was president of her garden club.

However, it is God’s garden that we are invited to enter and find rest. That garden I understand. In my vision of God’s garden, I see a cluster of trees with low hanging branches that sway in a gentle breeze. Flowers of every color, and colors yet unnamed, laugh in the sunshine. Window pane butterflies flutter and birds soar to the top of the nearby trees. A small bench sets beside a crystal clear brook and a sculptured gate stands open nearby. Jesus comes and spends some time with me as we sit and talk and walk along a fragrant path.

We will be visiting the garden every day for several days through the words of the wonderful hymn, In the Garden, by C. Austin Miles (1913). I am including a link to the hymn sung by Alan Jackson. The pictures are priceless. Please skip the advertisement before the video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0WA8OSXZg

Come, my friends, to the garden of God. There is rest for the soul beyond the mind’s imagination. Seek his peace and his presence. Come to the garden every day until the garden lives within you. Let us pray:

"Father God, creator and keeper of the garden, you are more holy and amazing than my mind would ever be able to grasp. I can grab hold of the hem of your garment so that you might lead me through all my days. I ask that you leave the gate to your garden open wide. I tend to lose my way when the guideposts are not large enough for even me. I long to find your rest and the beauty of a life lived with you. Forgive me when I seek the alleyways rather than your sweet acre. Let me visit you in the garden every day, until your garden grows and blooms within me. May I then pass out tender petals along my way. In the name of Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Please pass this link to a friend.

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com . Friday’s post may be uplifting to you.         

LISTEN AND SPEAK BOLDLY

"Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself . . ." (John 5:25-26)

About two years ago I spent a month as the lead psychologist in a men’s prison. Some of the offenders, I just want to yell at. I wished I could have shaken them and said, "What in the world were you thinking?"

Other men, I would look into their eyes and find them empty. There was no joy, no hope, no emotions, no life. They were dead inside. I prayed for each of them every day.

Friends, you don’t have to be an immoral prisoner to be dead within yourself. Have you lost hope or the joy of living? Do you feel alive inside or dead within? The Word of God has said, the hour is here when you who are dead to the love of God will be able to hear the loving call of Jesus. Then, you will live!

You haven’t heard his call? Then knock on his door and invite him to take over your life. That is why he came–for you and for me. Perhaps your ears are not tuned to the God-frequency. That doesn’t mean he isn’t calling. It means we get to participate in the listening. Speak boldly to the Lord and ask him for ears to hear. Then live the rest of the day, knowing your prayer was heard and live the life of one who has been called. Let us pray:

"Father God you are more Holy than words can speak or our minds can understand. As Jesus had promised, he has life within himself and as Your children through Christ, we have life within us. How marvelous is your plan for us, oh God! I ask this very day, to hear your voice Lord. I invite you to call my name. I will live my life as if I had heard your call, even if my ears of faith may not be strong enough to hear you. Forgive me when I demand that your voice thunder from the mountains, or glow from a burning bush. Please, speak to me even in whispers and I will try to live my life so that I do not miss a single word of your love song. In the name of Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen"

Doris

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Please pass this link to a friend.
Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com . Friday’s post may be uplifting to you.

PERSECUTED FOR THE SAKE OF GOD

"The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am working.’ For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God." (John 5:15-18)

I don’t have to tell you that we live in strange times. What had been believed by believers and tolerated by nonbelievers has now been cast into the valley of forgotten truths. My friends, don’t let it stay there.

I know, if you refer to God as your father, you too will be made fun of at a minimum and persecuted at the extreme. Just as Jesus was persecuted for his new beliefs and teachings about a relationship with God that was closer than anyone before that time could have ever imagined, so may we be persecuted if we say three words. Concerning the new relationship with God, made possible by Jesus, we can say, "It is true!" And three more words, "He is Abba (Father/Daddy)."

Would you risk persecution to follow the Christ to the Cross? The entire Middle East is willing to die for their belief in their understanding of God. Can we live with the kind of faith that could change the whole world? Let us pray:

"Abba, Daddy God, I wish to climb upon your lap while you sooth and comfort me. I know you have not called me to be a child, with no responsibilities. You have called me to take up my cross and follow your son, Jesus. Let me live within your kingdom, even as my feet walk the streets of Earth. Only there will truth be Truth, real and abundant. Forgive me when I have feared persecution. While I know it is possible, I know it is not from you and you will give me the strength to walk the foreign streets of my home. I want only to be yours, dear God. In the name of your son, my Savior, Jesus, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Please pass this link to a friend.
Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com . Yesterday’s post may be uplifting to you.

TWO GRANDFATHERS, OTHER TIMES

You have followed this blog faithfully. For that, I thank you so much. I am including a fun piece this afternoon that I posted a few minutes ago on www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com. I hope you will enjoy it. Feel free to pass the link on to a friend.
_________________________________________________________

TWO GRANDFATHERS, OTHER TIMES

"Albert, the church trustees and I would like to talk to you," the Pastor called up to the gray haired man in bib overalls who balanced himself near the church steeple.

The old man moved his block and tackle across the steep roof ridge a little further and inched his body into position. "Sure, Reverend, just as soon as I get these shingles nailed down," Al agreed.

"Well, now, Albert," the minister stated respectfully, "that’s just it. It’s the roof we want to talk to you about."

"Can’t stop just yet. I’m losing daylight." Albert Kime faithfully kept at his job.

Al was my husband’s grandfather, a strong, gentle man who began rearing his youngest daughter’s children when they were five months, two and a half, seven and nine-years old. Grandpa was seventy-six and Grandma was sixty-six when the children moved in.

Albert had already retired from the New York Central Rail Road as foreman of the bridge building crew after an accident that cost him the sight in one eye. When he started parenting the second family, he added to his eighty-eight dollar a month pension with his work at the church across the street. Nothing seemed to stop him. Every day, he would carry two, twenty pound buckets of coal ash in each hand, from the furnace in the basement, up the steps and out the door.

After the sun set and Albert had finished his shingle repair, the trustees finally met with their busy custodian in the pastor’s study. For want of other words, the chairman of the committee asked, "Albert, you just had your birthday recently, didn’t you? What am I thinking? Of course you did. The whole church celebrated."

"The thing is, Al," the pastor stumbled into the conversation, "some of the men are feeling guilty about you climbing on the church roof. The roofing company had refused the job. They said the slope was too steep for them—and, well, you are ninety-two years old now."

Grandma and Grandpa Kime were different from Christiana’s grandparents in my novel, Length of the of Days - The Age of Silence. Even though Christiana’s wonderful old ones were privileged citizens in 2112, at age seventy-five, they had come to the end of their Length of Days. They would be picked up and driven to the portal chamber under Howard Mountain. Grandpa Kime lived to be ninety-four years old and died at home, surrounded by his loved ones.

Each set of grandparents were loving and kind, good and steadfast people. But, in 2112 the country had forgotten about those qualities. A reverence for life had been driven from the heart of man.

Christiana is constantly pursued by the Chief Inspector of the Blue Guard. Will she be able to shake his stalking long enough to find a way to overturn the Length Days laws and save her grandparents from the never-ending-sleep? Will she be in time?

Doris Gaines Rapp

Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Length of Days - The Age of Silence will soon be released in paper form on Amazon. It is already available as an eBook on www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.

DO WE GO AFTER WORTHLESS THINGS?

"Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves? They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord. . . ?’" (Jeremiah 2:4-6a)

What terrible thing did God do to you?

How on Earth could anyone answer that question? The only honest answer is bound to that same Earth. "I asked for things of the world and did not get them. Therefore, God did not honor my prayers."

I would question, "How could anyone ask that question?" God is all Love. He would not do anything to harm us. Jeremiah says, the people "went far from me . . . after worthless things." God did not abandon us. We turned our back on God and went so far from him that we became worthless ourselves.

Can you grasp the full implication of being worthless in the eyes of God? That indeed would be hell on earth. The only things of life that are worthwhile are the things of God. So, seek God first and his righteousness, and our needs will flow like honey from the hive, as the sweetness of life lived with him is embraced. Let us pray:

"God Almighty, Lord of Love, I humble myself before you. I ask this very moment that you come into my life and make your home there, as I accept my home in your presence—I in you and your word in me. I also ask that you set my feet back on the higher trail where I can share the path with you. Forgive me, Precious God, for all the times I have gone far from you and sought out worthless things. Only you are worthy of my seeking and finding. ‘Where are you?’ - need not be my question. I want you to be out in front of me always where you can brightly and rightly lead. In the name of Jesus, the Shepherd who keeps me on the path, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Please pass this blog link to a friend.
Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com

THE HIGH PRIEST OF HEAVEN

"Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

The Lord God wants us to get up the nerve to approach Him. He wants us to draw near to Him, but we hold back. We believe we are weak and unworthy. Of course we are unworthy! Only Jesus was without sin.

Our unworthiness is just an excuse for lack of following. Perhaps we like the darkness too much. What if God decided to establish His kingdom right now? How inconvenient would that be?

We might even say, "Now hold on a minute, God, I have plans. I have things I want to do."

Would we be brave enough to ask God to postpone His plans. Then, claim to have no nerve to approach the throne of Grace and seek His will for our lives? Wow! We sure try to manipulate God, don’t we? The ironic thing is, we don’t think God knows of our conniving. How very foolish we are. All He wants is to be our God and that we be His people. It truly is that simple. Love wants to love us. Let us pray:

"God on the throne of Heaven, you are the one true God and the Lord of my life. You are more precious than anything I can imagine, for you are outside of my ability to describe. It is so amazing to think that I can approach your throne with boldness, knowing that you have invited me there. I ask for the courage and faith to finally respond to your invitation. Forgive me when I have said, "No, not now. I’m too busy, God." You are the giver of every opportunity. Give me the boldness to say, "Yes, Lord, use even me." In the name of Jesus, the one who blazed the trail that leads to You, I pray. Amen"

Doris
God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Please pass this blog to a friend.

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com

BECAUSE HE KNOWS ME

When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone. (John 2:23-25)

Jesus knows you and me better than we know ourselves. He realized that those who had seen him change water into wine and bring the dead back to life, believed in His because of what they had seen. They had faith because Jesus had been put to the test. He did not need them to bear witness for Him because they would not be testifying from their faith but from the physical proof that He was Lord. Belief comes before signs and wonders. And, He knows us very well and therefore, does not trust us with the miracles.

What does Jesus know about you? Think of all the things you have done or failed to do in your life thus far. What are you hiding from God? Of all those events, what keeps you from following in the steps of Jesus? Is it possible that you are hiding that you are not perfect? Well, imagine that!

If perfection were possible in our lifetime, there would be no need for Heaven. Are you really that important? I know I’m not. Let us pray:

"Dear God of Glory, Lord of Love, I give praise to your Holy name. I know I am not fit for Heaven, but Jesus my Redeemer was and is. Give me the balance to walk in His footsteps so that the doorway to your kingdom may be within reached. I would gladly make my home on the door sill if you would but let me in. Father, I ask for the faith of the saints, that I may believe even before I see. Forgive me when my faith waivers. The "me" who is yours, grieves when I have not trusted you just because you are you. Let me not be tempted to seek other wisdom, for you are all in all - all wise, all perfect. May all glory be yours, Father. In the name of Jesus, the Christ, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Pleases pass this blog link to a friend.

http://www.prayertherapyrapp.blogspot.com
Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com

WHAT ARE YOU CALLED?

He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). John 1:42

Jesus changed Simon’s name to Cephas which is Aramaic for Peter. In Greek, Peter means petros, or stone. Remember, later Jesus said, upon this rock I will build my church.

Names were very important in the time of Jesus. Their name identified their linage and what others expected of them. In early Europe, a person’s surname usually named their career or job. John Baker was a baker and Mr. Tailor was a tailor. In the case of Simon, Jesus called him his solid rock.

What would Jesus re-name you or me? We have no idea what our future will be and what part we might play in service to God. It is said, "The only predictor of the future, is the past." If you were to choose one word that defines you, what would it be? Is it pleasing to God? Would He have given you that name or is it only a self-serving descriptor?

If I were able to give you a blessing, it would be that you know yourself so well you can be described in one word and that word comes from the heart of God, who knows you even better.

Let us pray:

"Name above all names, Glorious Lord, I humbly bow in your presence. Come Sweet Love and let me live in your world and may your Word come alive in me. I ask that you take my life and claim it for your own, renaming me whatever is your will. I would rather be called Sweeper and gather up the crumbs from under your table than to not be included at the Banquet of Joy. Forgive me when think I must do something great in order to serve you. Every job in the kingdom is equal to the next. While I know that, my earth-bound heart forgets. I love you Lord, call me anything . . . just call me unto yourself. In the name of Jesus Christ, your son and my Lord, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp
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Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com

WHO’S BETTER THAN US?

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." (Luke 18:9-14)

"Man, you should have been at our church yesterday. There had to be six-hundred people there. I have worked hard all year. I started a new youth group, a Wednesday night family night with Bible Study for adults and Mission projects for the kids. I remember when we were a small church like yours. You’ll catch up to me. I have put in about eighty hours this week," the pastor of Every-Third Church said as he rubbed his eyes.

How many "I" and "me" words can you count? How often is "God’s will" or "Give God the glory" acknowledged in the boasting of this man or woman of God? Is s/he a Pharisee or a tax-collector? Or, is s/he a misguided pastor of their flock who has gotten caught up in the growth and outreach of his/her church and has mistakenly believed it was due to their own charismatic personality and their own gift of preaching. When a church is based on the eloquence of the pastor and not the worship of the King, it is no longer a Christian church, it is a social club or cult.

Come to the Lord’s church, His people in praise to Him, and find loving support and your spiritual family. One does not have to leave their current place of worship. Find your church within the church. But, don’t make the Pharisee’s mistake and view yourself and your group as the true and loyal Christians who meet there for worship and everyone else as heathens.

The same is true within Denominations. There should not be distinct factions who view themselves as more holy than others. You would defame the body of Christ with those thoughts. Love every single one of them, the ones you agree with and the ones you do not, and let God whisper His love through you. Love another into Heaven, don’t believe that criticism will get them there. Let us pray:

"Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I humbly bow before you. I ask that your kingdom of Love and grace surround me and draw me into your home. Father, please let me discover your face on everyone I see. Let me not boast of you but bear witness to your work and presence in my life. May whatever I do for your glory, be hidden from my eyes and seen only by those in need of your vision. With your great love, let me see myself as equal to all your children, just on a different step of the same path. I know I cannot drag someone into Heaven and my own bragging will not get me there either. Fill me so full of your love, that others will see only you when I pass by. I thank you that my humble days of service can begin today, because I believe you have heard my prayer. In the name of and by the power of Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com

WHO IS YOUR FAMILY?

Then [Jesus’] mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:31-35)

"Who are my mother and brothers?" To the Jewish people of Jesus’s day, family and tribe were their identity—their ancestors and their line of inheritance. In Mark three, Jesus has just told the disciples that he has expanded his family to include all who do the will of his father, God.

We are in the season of Lent, the forty days that lead up to Easter. To what family do you believe you belong? Some friends in Christ don’t even believe they belong to the family of their origin. How could they believe they are part of the family of God? How? Through faith—faith in God and in the Salvation made possible through the sacrifice of his son Jesus, the Christ.

I cannot force you to believe. I can only say . . . it is true! The absolute beauty of life is that we are part of a family called, "Love," called "Christian."

For these remaining days in Lent, I ask you to live as if it were true. Remind yourself each day to walk in His presence. Soon, it will not be "What if?" but "I believe it is!" Let us pray:

"Father God, Holy One, I lift my hands to you. You are only Holy, the only truth. I ask that your kingdom be established in my time, if it is your time. For today, and each day, I choose to believe Christ’s teachings, that I am part of your Family even now. Increase my faith, for it is weak. Forgive me when I read your Word as a "wonderful ancient tale," for it is Truth, as you are Truth. Lead me not into ways of self-service, but along paths that serve you. In the name of your son, Jesus, whose power and glory are above all, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

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Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com

DO YOU ALSO BELIEVE?

Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’ The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my little boy dies.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. (John 4:46- 50)

"The man believed" are the words that are being lifted up today. We often go to God in prayer and then reserve our belief on the positive results. "If you will do this, God, then I will believe." The John four passage tells us that we must believe as we ask and then our belief in God encourages the outcome.

I could ask, "What do you believe?" But the better question is, "When do you believe?" In Prayer Therapy, belief begins when the prayer is offered, not when God proves Himself worthy. If we have faith only after we get what we want, then the belief is in the power of our praying, not in the power of prayer. Let us pray:

"God of us all, your name is above all names. I beg your forgiveness if and when I use it with disrespect. Your kingdom is at hand, for Christ has told us so. Thank you, God, for the promise of your dwelling. I ask you Father for the belief of the saints because my own is weak. I choose to believe that you will increase my faith from this moment on and I will live this day knowing that you have heard my prayer. Forgive me when I doubt you for you are the only truth there is. Lead me in paths of your glory. In the name of Jesus, my Redeemer, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp
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Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com

OUT OF THE ORDINARY

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" (John 4:27)

When the disciples saw Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman, they were shocked, maybe even afraid. They knew the authorities were looking for ways to stop him. Devout Jewish men did not talk to Samaritans and they certainly didn’t interact with women. Jesus didn’t see it that way. He had something to say to the woman and ordinary practice would not stand in his way. It didn’t matter who was shocked or frightened by his actions.

Are we afraid to share Christ’s precious message with his children for fear it might shock someone? We must be bold. We must step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary.

We live in extraordinary times. We are called to shift out lies from truth and fear from trust. Go to God every day for his guidance. He will walk with you through the tricks, deceptive advertisements and fraud that have become commonplace. Seek truth and be bold in proclaiming Christ to others. Let us pray:

"Father God, I praise your holy name. Enter into my life so boldly I cannot miss the signs of your presence. Your will is what I seek. I ask for Christ’s bravery to step out of the ordinary. I do not seek recognition, only that your extraordinary love and truth may be shared with whomever I come in contact. Forgive me when I have been weak and afraid. I am human but you are God. Let me serve you in the way that pleases your heart. In the name of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his life for me, so that I might be brave enough to serve you. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp
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PAPER JAM

Have you ever had a stack of papers to shred, a twenty-minute job, and there were so many paper jams, it took thirty or forty? The problem? You tried to make a short job shorter and fed more paper into the shredder than it could possibly handle. Who won—you or the shredder?
We do the same thing with good ideas. We develop a business plan for a restaurant that could be the jewel in the center of a string of five-diamond eateries. However, we choose to place it in a suburban, neighborhood strip mall. We close it four months due to lack of patronage.

What about trusting God? We feed Him, the creator of the Universe, our great plans, our goals and dreams, and then say, "Hurry it along, please. You don’t know how much the world needs my wisdom."

Are we the paper, the jam, or the feeder? God wants all good things for his children who love him and follow His lead. He won’t bind us up if we’re willing to be the paper. We dare not push ahead of the Lord, plant our feet and not let Him pass. Think about it. How can we be in God’s will if we refuse to be fed by Him? We must take our time—a few pages, not a jam-full—and seek God’s will constantly. Let us pray:

"Father God, Almighty Lord, we bow before you, for you are Holy. I ask that your Kingdom may come in my life that I may be completely in your will. I ask that you make your plan clear to me and light my path each day. Forgive me when I run ahead of you and expect you to follow. That is not possible, for you are God. I will not see your light if I try to take the lead. Give me the words to help others along the Way that leads to you. May all glory be yours, Father, for glory will tarnish if I try to wear it on Earth. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp
Please pass this link to a friend.

Also: http://www.lengthofdays2112.blogspot.com http://doris.gaines.rapp.suite101.com/success-is-possible-in-todays-economy-a402072