SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

The man moved quietly through a small group in Rediger Chapel at Taylor University last week. Jerry B. Jenkins*came to sign books and speak to interested writers. The best-selling author had much to boast about but I found him to be humble and gracious.

You’ve heard of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, a trivia game based on the assumption that any actor can be linked through their films to the actor, Kevin Bacon, with six degrees of separation. Christians are the same. When I first arrived at Rediger, I walked down to the lower level where my office had been when I directed the Counseling Center there. A few people were in “my office” but I recognized no one. When Mr. Jenkins began to talk, I learned that his wife graduated from the same school as the niece of my husband, Fort Wayne Bible College. Also, his son graduated from Bethel College, another Counseling Center I directed. I discovered, there is one degree of separation–times three–between Jerry B. Jenkins and me and I had never met him before.

Many years ago, we drove past a home in Las Cruces, New Mexico where a car, with Elkhart, Indiana license plates, was parked in the drive. Bill went up to the door to inquire. Not only had the man and his wife been in Elkhart the week before, he had preached at my sister-in-law’s church.

The real miracle is, as Christians, we are all connected to one another by only one degree with no separation. We all believe in the same God and follow the same Savior. In prayer, we visit the homes and hearts of family, friends, and people all over the world who are on their knees at the same time. The blessed Family of God is close knit but not close-minded; they include brothers and sisters by the millions. Do not defame the body of Christ, his family–his church–with one-upmanship. Family members stick up for one another. There is no degree of separation between us and God and only one degree of separation between one another. Jesus Christ is our connection. Praise be to God for his family so dear. Let us pray:

“Our own dear Heavenly Father, we can never thank you enough for including us in your family. Holy is your name and the name of your church. Sometimes family members lower themselves to sibling rivalry when they love themselves so little they try to elevate their own status by putting others down. Forgive us. We are already lifted to the position of second-born of God! What a holy mystery we live, aware of our place at your table but shielded from your glory since it would be impossible to take in all your majesty. May we be people-gatherers to your feast, Dear Lord. May we reveal a tiny glimpse of you as we move through our days, just one degree of separation from all other Christians. We are but one degree from the great Saints who have gone before and one degree from those who watch us, for we are the only Christian they know. May we be worthy of the responsibility in spite of ourselves. In the name of Jesus, your son and our brother, we pray. Amen.”
Doris
Copyright 2010 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

* Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, Left Behind Series.

RENDER UNTO CAESAR--VOTE!

“Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God, the things that are
God’s.” Jesus recognized our obligation to the two worlds in which we live, our country and the Kingdom of God. We must take our responsibilities to both seriously. God is the creator and king of all that we are and he reminds us that we must also participate in the society in which we live.

Most of us believe that God gave our forefathers the discernment to lay the groundwork for the freest nation in history. We are people who dream our own dreams, make our own decisions, and set our own path, with our feet planted firmly on the way to glory. If we do not support this republic, it may be hundreds or thousands of years before our children rise above the tyranny of a burdensome, intrusive, and punitive government to forge their own way again. But, where will they go? What new worlds await them?

It is for this very hour, this precise time in history that we have been called to take our stand. We can keep the dream of freedom and democracy alive for the entire world, or we can roll over tomorrow morning and get a few more minutes of sleep before getting ready for the day. But, what day are we turning our back on? At what precipice are we standing? Do we close our eyes again and yawn our way all the way down the ragged cliff of indifference, or do we take our stand on November 2 and say, “I will stand in the gap? Those who want to take our freedoms will have to go through me!” God is in control of my life and my country–so shall it be–so shall it continue to be. Praise be to God! Let us pray:

“Father God, creator of all there is, we humbly give our country back to you. You inspired our founding fathers and whispered freedom in their ears and planted it in their hearts. We are your children and we are theirs. Forgive us when we have been too lazy to insure that our freedoms are protected. We have awakened, Father. We pray it not be too late. Freedom is alive and moving across this great land you have given us and we have heard the call to take our stand. We ask for your insight, your discernment, into the grave issues of our day. The questions are hard and the answers even harder–but you have the solutions. We as citizens, turn our hearts back to you, so that hunger, illness, loneliness, and the pains of life are handled willingly by our churches and communities, so that government does not impose their will upon free people. We ask that generosity flow like honey in the lives of people, and simplistic–enough–living once again take precedence over greed. We have been your children and now ask for wisdom to become your adults, taking on a mature roll in the life of your church and your Republic. We pray in the name of, and by the power of, Jesus, your son, our Savior. May it be so. Amen”
Doris
Copyright 2010 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

SWEET MOMENT OF PRAYER

“Meet me in your prayer chair or on your knees at nine.” All across the country, believers are pausing for one minute of prayer at nine p.m. every night.

Most of you know of the great chorus of prayers that is lifted up each evening at nine for the safety of our nation and its return to the Lord God. Like golden ribbons of melody, our prayers for our country waft up to the ear of God and wrap their threads around our heart where the Spirit of our Lord resides.

It is at this time in our history that prayers are most urgently needed. I will not presume to tell you how to vote or which side of the issues on which you should stand. I only ask that you learn the truth of the political positions and use that knowledge in casting your vote in eight days.

Our founding fathers laid the foundation of our great country with a Bible in one hand and the sword of freedom in the other. We are a Christian nation as long as the words of Godly recognition and supplication in our constitution remain at the core of our country. Please, prayerfully study the people who are seeking office in your state and vote as you believe God leads you. Remember, whomever we send to Washington to represent us, only has the power we give them, unless we give them all the power that belongs to us as citizens. The words are, “They represent us,” not “They dictate to us.” The only right they have to govern, comes from the governed. It is an awesome responsibility to select our political representatives. Please pray before voting, then vote with an open heart. Let us pray:

“Oh Father God, you chose the first King for your chosen people. We, as your children, have chosen you to be our king. We pray that your kingdom of truth and love will come today so that our country may be healed. Guide us next week as we cast our vote for this country you have gave us. A beautiful, blessed republic like ours may not come around again for hundreds of years if this one fades into history. If we don’t speak out for our bright, precious jewel on the Potomac, we may be cast into darkness where choice is no longer ours to claim. Give us discernment to know your ways that we may choose our leaders in keeping with your will. In the name of Jesus, your son, we pray with humble hearts. Amen”
Doris
Copyright 2010 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

DADDY'S HOUSE

“Is that a Hudson River painting?” I look up at a large, framed landscape hanging in George Washington’s Mount Vernon home last week. Hudson River paintings, with their depiction of eastern America at a time when the country was just born, all fresh and new, with virgin forests and untouched streams, had always spoken to me.

“Yes, it is,” the guide smiled.

“Amazing,” I whispered. I marveled at the connection I felt to our first president through his choice of art and my sense of being home, in Daddy’s house, the father of our country.

As we move through the splashes of Fall color in the October meadows and woods all around us, let us never forget that we are walking through “Daddy’s house” - the creation of God and the kingdom of God. Jesus said, the Kingdom of God is at hand. It is on our right and our left and surrounding our every step. Yet, we live as though we were in a foreign country, where nothing makes sense and all seems unfamiliar. That’s because we are looking for the kingdom we have built, the lands we have acquired, the things we have stockpiled. The kingdom of God is His domain, where the gold we have gathered is in the precious souls of all those we touch for His sake. The only type of collecting that has value is “people gathering” - new residents for the Kingdom of God, finally finding a home in Daddy’s house. Let us pray:

“Holy Father, how easily we call on that name with no awareness that you are truly Abba, Daddy. Forgive our blindness, our arrogant independence that says, “Old man, we don’t need you anymore.” Yet, in spite of our rebellious nature, our narcissistic self-love, you call us from the winds of life that blow old character flaws away and breathe new life into each heart. Blow a little harder this day, oh Father. Blow in like a mighty wind and touch your people once again. We are a proud, independent people. But, our pride has falsely convinced us that independence means a turning from you rather than the truth of independence as a turning from man’s lies. To depend on you is wisdom. To climb up, like a child, on the lap of God, is to finally know who and whose we are. We are truly your children and we can only find our home at last, in our Daddy’s house. Thank you for opening your arms each new day. Praise be to you, God the father, through the life and blood of your son, our brother and savior, Jesus, the Christ. Amen.”
Doris
Copyright 2010 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

THE NORTH WIND DOTH BLOW

The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow,
And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?
He’ll sit in a barn and keep himself warm
and hide his head under his wing, poor thing.

Mother used to recite this16th century poem to my sister and me in the Fall when the wind was beginning to blow and the leaves started rustling in the field beside our home. I have often quoted it to my children and grandchildren. The words were originally intended to remind a child of the safety of their own home, while at the same time, telling of the plight of the robin.

For me, there was never sadness that the robin was not in our warm home, laying on the floor near the hot air register listening to my parents talk or listening to the radio. I saw the beauty of God’s world in which even the robins have a dry and warm place to spend an Autumn evening.

I wonder how often we take the time to give God thanks for the simple things of life, the song of the birds, a roof over our head, the happy sounds of family. The secret to life is not in the big house on the hill. It’s in the sweet, fragrant drafty barn, where we are needy enough to depend on God. Let us pray:

“Oh breath of life, Holy is your precious name. May we come to the stable often where we can be protected, nourished, and loved by you. Forgive us for not trusting you to lead us, so that we may be privileged to witness your miracles in our lives. When we stay out of the wind for fear of being blown and pummeled about, we miss the blessing of being touched and steadied by your mighty hand. Loving Father, today, we venture to the barn, where you can keep us warm, where we can hide our head under your wing, blessed thing. Amen”
Doris
Copyright 2010 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Sinning Doesn't Take Any Real Talent

The man shook his head and whispered, “They don’t like me because I sin differently than they do.” He was a member of an unpopular group, disapproved of by “good Christians.” My friend, a sin is a sin, and sinning doesn’t take any real talent. Anyone can do it . . . and we all do. Then why, pray tell, are we more critical of others’ sins than our own?

It seems to me that some TV preachers and a few heading local congregations, gain their popularity by having someone to oppose, their own unique enemy. They don’t rant against everyone who goes against what God lovingly has planned for us. They have their own Professor James Moriarty, who may be just as fictional, an inflated myth of their own making.

Rather than looking for the faults in others and shining a light on their sins, let us get on our knees and beg for God’s forgiveness for the sins that we do. The only hope we as sinner have, comes from the source of all hope, God. Stop criticizing other Christians. That defames the body of Christ. Seek the good in others. God will take care of their sin. Then, at the end of your days, you will have walked in beauty and will have been touched by grace, both yours and those you chose to love rather than criticize. Let us pray:

“My dear and precious Father, God, how purely loving you are. May you surround me like the fragrance of sweet-smelling perfume, that the essence of your being may stay with me wherever I go. Only you can eradicate the stench of sin. Only your grace can cleanse me again. This very day, oh God, wash away my imperfections with your balm of grace and re knit a right spirit within me. Use this flawed servant in any way that pleases you, for I no longer want to be captain of my own soul. The truth is, I never was, for in the kingdom of souls, you are the only master. May I serve you in ways not known to me, so I may not boast or seek any praise. Thank you for using me, dear Lord, and to you I will give all glory and honor and praise. In the name of Jesus, our dear Lord and savior I pray. Amen”
Doris
Copyright 2010 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

"Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!"

“Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye,” the town crier would call out the news and proclamations of the day. It was against the law to heckle or deter the crier in any way as they were representative of the crown that was currently on the throne. Who sits on your throne? And, do you even hear the warnings and messages of the crier who represents your king?

A life wasted is one that has been lived serving the wrong monarch. A life squandered is one spent listening to a false crier, an impostor, a perverter of the truth. He dresses in the same red and gold robe, white breeches, black boots and tricorne hat as the representative of the King. He looks so normal and speaks the words we want to hear. So, we choose to believe him. He represents a god we have created and his words are comfortable. But, it is still a lie.

And still he calls, “Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye the people of God.” But, they would not. Will you be part of the generation that turns from false gods, seeks the truth, and returns to the Lord your God? Let us pray:

“Holy Father, Truth divine, let me hear with this heart of mine. Flood my thoughts with your love and grace, and fill my life with your sweet embrace. Give me your words, both true and pure, to heal my wounds, my stain to cure. Forgive my bent for seeking ease, meet me there upon my knees. Give me a heart that hears your voice, and filters out the whole world’s noise. Love divine, oh greater still, the joy of life within your will. Oyez, Oyez, Oyez. Amen”
Doris
Copyright 2010 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”