HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

With a small amount of pride, I’d like to wish my daughter, Amanda, a Happy Birthday. With six children and nine-and-a-half grandchildren, many months include family birthday celebrations. Only three months ago, the world celebrated the birthday of the king, Jesus Christ. Now, during our recognition of Lent as we approach Easter, we as a nation are moaning under financial uncertainty. What short memories we all have! We praised God for the gift of Salvation through Jesus, only to say, “What are you doing for me now, God?”

We as Christians, do not base out religion on the death of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We base it on the resurrection of the Son of God on Easter Sunday and the promise that Christmas had foretold. Let us celebrate Christ’s birthday every day, with the same hope and promise and expectation that we experience during Advent. Also, we’re not Good Friday People. We are Resurrection, Easter People. Now, I remind you that we also need to live as Advent People, every day - full of joy and peace and light and color and hope and thanksgiving. The birthdays of family and friends can remind us of the precious gift of life, both in this world and the next. Yes, our finances have been rattled at this time. My friends, a great deal of what we think we need, is just fluff with no substance. Use these difficult times to focus on what is real, on helping others. Happiness is not a goal. Happiness is the by-product of the way we live our lives!

Happy Birthday, my friends, for you can be reborn each day, by the power of Jesus’s love that you accept from God and then share with others. Today and every day, is the beginning of a new life for all of us. Live responsibly, as joyous children of the Lord! Let us pray:

“Father, God, Holy, Holy, Holy is your name, not even spoken by our religious ancestors. May your throne be planted firmly on the solid ground of Christ’s promises that we hold in our heart. Oh what joy beyond speaking that we experience when we draw near to you. May your Holy Spirit direct our ways, not only during this time but always. We ask you Father, for your peace and joy. We lift up those who have lost their jobs and fear they will lose their homes. Place those in our path who need reassurance of your love and salvation so that we may be used by you to shine through our humanness and send rays of warmth and love and hope upon them. Forgive us when others only see our whining, our fear, our distrust, and our lack of stewardship of that which you have blessed us. We want to be Advent/Easter People, People of the Way. Give us strength and courage to be used by you, Lord. We don’t even want to know how or when, so that your presence may not be clouded by our pride. Thank you, thank you Father, for your son Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen”
Doris
Copyright 2009 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to his love. Let me tell you mine.”

ANSWERED PRAYER

We pray about so many things, on behalf of so many people, in so many circumstances. But, do we stop to thank the Lord for answered prayer? Many times, we don’t even give thanks for the yes answers, and usually never thank him for the no or later responses. Let me tell you about God’s miraculous work in the life of my cousin John as an answer to many prayers.

John had surgery the first of December 2008. He had a very difficult time and didn’t wake up. A few days later, he had a heart attack and cardiac arrest which resulted in irregular brain waves. He later had staph infection, kidney problems, and then an entire body involvement with total bodily systems failure. He didn’t regain consciousness in December or January. Our family, our church, his family and church and many friends and others prayed for John to improve, wake up and gain strength. About the second week in February, John woke up. His doctors said it was a miracle. He will finally be moved out of ICU this week after two and a half months.

Do you tell your family and friends how much you love them while you can? John lives in Ohio so I only see him once or twice a year, but he always says, “I love you.” If you had to Go Home today, would you have said the things you wanted to say? And, when God smiles and warms your life with proof of his existence, as he did in John’s life, do you give thanks, or do you think, “Well, after all that’s God’s job?” Let us remember to give thanks daily for the miracles he has done in our lives and the ones he has given us to love. Can you believe it, God loves even you and me. He wants to be in our lives, listening to and answering our prayers! We are his children and he is a loving father. Let us pray a prayer of thanksgiving:

“Oh Father God, you breathe health into our body and life into our soul. Holy, holy, holy is your name. Your kingdom is at hand when we invite Jesus, your son, to dwell within us and the Holy Spirit takes up residence there. Then, we are truly a temple of your earthly presence, not for our sake or glory, but for yours. We thank you, God, for our answered prayers and seek your forgiveness for our shameful lack of gratitude when we forget to pray a prayer of thanksgiving. You send blessings down all around us like the gentle rain from heaven and soak into our being like moisture on a thirsty land. And still, we do not thank you. Forgive us Father, for we have neglected our worship of you and have limited our prayers to “give me . . .”, or “grant me . . .” with no thought to praising and thanking you. And yet, we know that you live in the praises of your people, for your Word has said it is so. We ask nothing for ourselves today. We just stand with uplifted hands to you, praising you and thanking you for blessing us with love and health and peace and grace and mercy. In the name of Jesus our Savior and Redeemer we pray. Amen”
Doris
Copyright 2009 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to his love. Let me tell you mine.”

GOD'S GIFT OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER

Today is Presidents’ Day. We have admiration for some and aggravation for others. However, they were and are our presidents and the office of The President still deserves our respect. The policies of the president of the United States, touch the lives of everyone around the world.
Many of us non-presidential types feel we have no influence, no talent at all, nothing to contribute to the world. My Dear Ones, you most certainly do. You have presidential power to completely change the life of another. In the book of Esther 4:14, she was told: “Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” Sully Sullenberger, the Captain of flight 1549, said he believes that all of his training and experience up to that day last month, were a preparation for landing that airplane on the Hudson River, saving 155 souls - for just such a time as this. You may never know whose life you touch, but you are the one person God has intrusted with the soul of another, to safely land them at the footstool of Our Lord, for just such a time as this. And the good news is, you don’t have to worry about it because it isn’t about you, it’s about God, and His work in your life that will draw others to Him. Praise His name if we don’t know who we have touched. We don’t need to know who, or when, or under what circumstances we are used. We don’t need an earthly reward or recognition for what God has done through us. Just let Him shine and we are all blessed. Let us pray:

“Our loving father, we praise your name and give thanks for your love. We know that we have had a hole in our heart that only you can completely fill. Because of our pain, we know that others experience the same need. With no personal awareness, we pray that this is the day that you use us for your purpose, to call others to you, at such a time as this. Forgive us for thinking that we had to do something, that we had to chose the soul to be saved and the circumstances under which we could be used. We know you provide paths to holiness every day, completely beyond our awareness. Finally, we are willing vessels of your Holy Spirit, bringing you to an ailing world for the building of your kingdom. We just pray, oh Lord, that you receive all the glory and honor. For we know, if we try to claim credit, our arrogance will nullify the entire blessing. May you be lifted up so the soul who looks to us can be brought up out of their despair and shine brightly within the brilliance of your light. In the name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen”
Doris
Copyright 2009 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to his love. Let me tell you mine.”

. . . THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE

With Valentines Day next Saturday, our thoughts this week turn to love. Many of us think of Eros, or romantic love, desire, when the middle of February comes around. Dear ones, we cannot completely, wholly love another unless we have agape love, selfless love, the love God has for us. On this Valentines Day, seek out the Lover of your Soul, seek and you will find. Once God has filled your heart, it expands to include so many others. Believe the promises of Christ are for you. Believe that God’s love is . . . for you. Believe that you are His very own. You have to wait no more. You are already His! Let us pray:

“Dear loving Father, you are the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the Heavenly Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Christ. Breathlessly holy is your name. May your Holy Spirit of love come to live in my heart this very day, at this very time. I seek and accept your will for my life and the lives of those I love. This week, oh Father, I think of love. May love be the focus of my life each and every day, not just one. Fill me so full of your agape love that I spill over with kindness, generosity of spirit, and love onto everyone around me, like a fresh mountain stream in the springtime. Forgive me when I have withheld my love and the manifestation of your love as I have walked my daily walk with you. For, where I go, I take you with me. I either carry that love well or I carry it poorly. I claim Jesus’s promises of the indwelling Holy Spirit and invite Love into my heart this day, this week. For these blessings, this anointing, I pray that you receive all the glory. In the name of my savior and King, Jesus, I pray. Amen.”
Doris

Copyright 2009 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to his love. Let me tell you mine.”

PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU

All around me, I receive prayer requests from people going through difficult situations at work, at home, in the community, even in their church. We pray earnestly for their release from these unjust circumstances and for their strength in living each day and seeing the problem through. But, we often forget to pray for the one who does the persecuting. If we pray, just as sincerely, for the one who is making our lives miserable, we all benefit. The persecutor’s heart can change, followed by their behavior, followed by their words - in that order - behavior usually changes before the language does. It’s a win/win situation. Let this week’s prayer be your own Love Dare (term borrowed from a book by that title). I dare you to pray for your adversary, at this time, on this first day of February. Let us pray:

“All mighty God, who parts the sea and raises the dead in body, we pray for those who are dead in heart. May your kingdom be alive in us and in those who persecute us, just as it is in the high Heavens. On this day, at this very time, we pray for the innocent, those who weigh heavy on our hearts, those who live under the thumb of someone else. We lift their pain to you. Give them strength to withstand the world’s deception. Touch their lives so clearly that they know you are there with them. Also, we pray that you forgive their persecutor, their lies and oppressive attitude, that the one dead in heart and spirit may have a life that blossoms with your love. We pray that the offender may be lifted up and receive all the blessings you have in store for them, that they may become the very best them that they can possible be and that they finally walk honestly with you. Forgive us when we have wished them ill, for they are your children too. We lift them up in love, that they may stand before your amazing, precious face. We know that you can transform lives. For these blessings,we pray that you receive all the glory and honor from their transformation. We believe and claim the promises of Christ, that you will be there with us in the deepest pit and that you will forgive and bless the one who placed us or our loved one there, that their heart and soul may be healed. In the name of your son, our redeemed, Jesus, we pray. Amen.”
Doris
“Copyright 2009 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to his love. Let me tell you mine.”

JANUARY/WINTER BLUES

It’s January 26 and, depending on where you live, one winter month is nearly “in the can,” as they say on radio. By next Sunday, it will be February. Mamma used to say, “Don’t wish your life away.” Or, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” With the economy down, winter still on center stage, and many of our youngest and strongest still fighting a war or terror, we could easily be tempted to “wish our lives away.” I wish it were warmer, then I could . . . ; I wish it weren’t hot, then I could . . . ; I wish I had more money, then I could . . . ; I wish the world were at peace, then I could . . . ; I wish I could paint better, then I could. . . .
I remember taking a class in Beginning Drawing at New Mexico State University and saying “I wish I were a real artist.” My professor said, “Oh, you are an artist. If you draw or paint, you’re an artist . . . maybe not a good one, but you are an artist.” It has come to me recently that we already are who we wish we were. Maybe we don’t believe it or aren’t doing a very good job of it, however. If you wish you were rich, you already are - rich in family, friends, and the grace of God. If you wish it were warmer, maybe you could already be warmer by filling your heart with God’s love beaming down like sun rays from Heaven. You could turn your face toward others, rather than focusing on the snow at your own feet. If you wish we had peace in the world, what are you doing to make sure there is peace in your home? If you wish you had more talent, how much practice time are you willing to put in to insure your success? How much do you just “wish” instead of believing you already are who God created you to be? We need to be thankful for all we have, live up to our potential, and work hard at maintaining the gifts the Lord has already given us. Wishing won’t bring anything but disappointment and lives unfulfilled. Let us pray:
“Our loving Father, the one true God, we bow before you and praise your name. May your kingdom be built in our hearts so your peace may bring joy to others and draw them ever closer to you. On this day, at this time, may we realize that we already are who we wish we could be, whether we’re good at the task before us or not. Where we wish to be loving people, let us love. Where we wish to be rich, let us live lives rich in character. Where we wish to be at peace, let us bring peace wherever we go. May we be who you knew us to be when you created us but we were afraid to become. We already are the children of your dreams, we are just doing a lousy job at it, because we just wait to be, wish to be who we already are, but don’t live to be. Forgive us for our dissatisfaction and longing to be other than who and what we are, since we were perfectly designed by you. To you, we give all praise and glory, for you are the king of the kingdom in which we already live, but fail to recognize. In the precious name of Jesus, who knew who and whose he was, I pray. Amen”
Doris
“Copyright Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.”
“God gives us stories that testify to his love. Let me tell you mine.”

MY OATH

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” That is the oath that President Obama will take tomorrow. He will pledge his loyalty to our country and the laws and beliefs that formed it and to do the job he was elected to do. We, as citizens of two worlds, The United States and Heaven, need to think about our own pledge and to faithfully recommit ourselves to it. You could write your own or borrow mine.
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute my obligations and remember my privileges as a citizen of the United States and within the Family of God. I will help to preserve our Constitution, reminding myself of its contents by reading it (online or on paper) on Inauguration Day and I will preserve our Bible by acknowledging it as the divine word of God and reading some portion of it each day. I will protect and defend our Constitution and our Holy Bible by speaking up and speaking out to those who would seek to undermine their message and rewrite their sacred words. I will execute the office of ‘citizen’ by participating in the life of our country and Christ’s Church, finding where God can use the talents he has given me, and exercising those talents to the glory of God.” Let us pray:

“Father of all, we praise your holy name and thank you for all you have done in our lives. Tomorrow will be the day we begin a new governing administration. We pray that you will bless and preserve our country, our constitution, our president, and those who govern, both new and those newly elected. May they realize the awesome responsibility that has been intrusted to them and know they will need to trust in you for insight and strength. May your presence be known and felt each day of their term in office, that your will for our country may rise out of their decisions, with their cooperation or in spite of themselves. We pledge our loyalty and support by the oath we also take, to remember each blessing and stand up and be counted in this world we live and in your blessed family of believers. Forgive us for past lazy citizenship and our inability to see that the kingdom of God is at hand, as Jesus said it was, expanding our world from the earth to heaven. We do not live in two worlds but when we invite you into our heart in this world, we complete the wholeness of our citizenship. Where we go, when we speak, when we defend and preserve, so goes your kingdom within us. Blessed be your name for you are holy, holy, holy. Lead us not into the temptation of believing that we have done anything marvelous. Miracles are within your purview, not ours. We are merely witnesses to your glory and give testimony to your greatness in our lives. May you shine your smile on the United States and bless your people once again. In the name of your precious son, our redeemer and Lord, Jesus, we pray. Amen.”
Doris
“Copyright 2009 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to his love. Let me tell you mine.”