An Automatic Win

“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how

will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Romans 8:31-32 (NIV)

The strategy for picking sides for our baseball games every day in elementary school was simple: fight to get Johnny on our team. We called him “Johnny 3T” because he was tall, talented and tough.

Everybody wanted Johnny.  If he was on our team, we didn’t lose – ever. When we were lucky enough to get him, we were never concerned about the opposition . . . because we had Johnny.

He would walk up to home plate, raise his bat over his shoulder, and the infield would automatically move back several steps. Sometimes he would point to the spot where he intended to hit the ball, not in arrogance but in confidence.

The outfielder in that area would immediately punch his fist into his glove and try to get ready as Johnny hit the ball but it never mattered. Having Johnny on your team was an automatic win.

We had confidence in Johnny when we played baseball as little kids but it is nothing in comparison to the confidence we should have in the power of our Heavenly Father.

 Paul asks a question in Romans 8:31-32 that honestly does not need an answer. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Think about it. Can you name one single thing in your life that is more powerful than the Lord? That can overpower Him or beat Him in whatever He does?

Let’s see. A pile of unpaid bills? A prodigal child? The fear of failure? A marriage that is on the edge? A friend who now seems more like an enemy? Your boss who is a bully? A life-threatening disease?

God, who is for us, will never ever be overpowered by anything or anyone. Nothing, absolutely nothing can stand against Him.

We do not need a strategy or luck to get the Lord to be on our “team” because He has already chosen us as His children. God is for us, my friends. I would consider that an automatic win.

Father, thank you for standing for me against those situations in life that threaten every day. You are faithful in all things. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever believed that you had situations in your life that God just couldn’t take care of for you?

• Did you try to fix them on your own? Were you successful?

Apply

• Write down in your journal the battles that you are facing in your life today.

• Beside each one, write down Scripture that reminds you of God’s promises to be with you throughout everything you are facing.

Power  

• Romans 8:31-32 (NIV) “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

• Psalm 108:6 (NIV) “Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.”

• Psalm 27:1 (NIV) “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”

Sock It to Me, Lord

 “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.”

Proverbs 21:19 (NIV)

 That was it! I was done! Once again, even after repeated reminders, my husband had walked into the bathroom and dropped his socks b-e-s-i-d-e the clothes hamper. Not IN the hamper, but beside it! I could feel my jaw tighten as I scrolled through my mental list of zingers to throw his way. “Are you blind?” “How hard is it to open the hamper and drop in the socks? Too much effort?” “Do I look like your mother? Your maid? Your servant?”

And then I did what I believed all wives were required to do: I stored that incident in my mind along with all the other times that socks were dropped on the floor, and anniversaries and birthdays were forgotten and an empty toilet paper roll was left in the bathroom and . . . you get the picture.

You probably know what came next, too. A little thing – my husband was 5 minutes late picking me up from work – and I hit him square in the heart with every single thing that I believed he had done wrong since the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately what I just described didn’t happen just once in our marriage but that scene was repeated over and over with few minor changes.

Then one day the Lord had had enough of my behavior and He placed in my life an older Godly woman who shared her marriage with me. She talked about being a newlywed and her determination to change her husband into her idea of perfection. That continued on for years until the day she received an unexpected life-changing gift from her son.

He walked into the kitchen and said “Mom, I’ve been teaching myself how to use my tape recorder so I taped you and dad talking yesterday. Do you want to hear it?” She smiled as he hit “play” but in an instant the tears flowed as she listened to the tone of her voice during her conversation with her husband.

She said that not only was her voice  negative and her words accusing and absolutely horrible but she could not escape the hurt in her husband’s voice as he barely answered “yes” or “no” to her questions.

In that instant she realized that instead of praising God for her husband and all the good qualities he brought to their marriage, she was literally ripping him and the marriage into pieces. “I went to my husband immediately and asked his forgiveness for my attitude,” she said, “and then I resolved to do everything I could to be the Godly wife that the Lord had called me to be.”

I have to tell you, ladies, that I was completely convicted that day of my attitude of arguing and complaining toward my husband and our marriage and called him at work to ask his forgiveness. And I would love to tell you that the toilet paper roll was always full after that and anniversaries were never forgotten again. Not true.

But somehow socks next to the hamper were no longer as important as my acceptance and love of my husband, God’s gift to me. May it be the same with each of you.

Father, I thank you for this man that you have given me as my husband. May I always remember that he is your gift to me and treat him with the love and respect that he deserves. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• If someone were to tape record your conversations with your husband, would you be ashamed or embarrassed by what you say and how you say it?

• Would the majority of your conversations be affirming and positive or demeaning and negative?

Apply

• Praise God every day for your husband and all the unique, wonderful qualities he brings to your marriage.

• Think of ways to praise and affirm your husband as an important part of your life and then tell him.

Power

• Proverbs 21:19 (NIV) “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.”

• Proverbs 21:9 (NIV) “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.”

• Proverbs 31:10 (NIV) “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”

Number Three

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach

the good news to all creation.”

Mark 16:15 (NIV)

My sister Mary shared a life-changing experience that was a huge turning point for her and sharing her faith. She was sitting at the doctor’s office in the waiting room and noticed a man across from her who had a look of anguish on his face as he waited for his name to be called. She said “hello” and they had a brief conversation.

The Lord prompted her to share His love with this gentleman and to encourage him on whatever journey he was on but she hesitated for a second. “What if he gets angry with me? What if he thinks I am being nosey?” she thought for just a moment and then she was called back to a room. He was gone when she came out and she never saw him again.

A few days later, Mary looked up from her desk at work and noticed an older gentleman wandering up and down the aisles in the store. As she helped him find what he wanted, she sensed his loneliness and immediately felt in her heart that she needed to share Jesus.  Mary felt the Lord’s urging: “Go talk to this man. Encourage him. Share the Good News.”

Once again - unsure of exactly what to say - she hesitated. As the man walked out of the store, the Lord gently spoke to her heart: “Please…don’t let there be a number three.” Her mind instantly went back to the gentleman in the doctor’s office days before and now to this man leaving her store.

            Immediately she confessed her disobedience to the Lord by not sharing His love with these two gentlemen and resolved from that day forward that she would share her Savior with everyone she met.

God gives us one opportunity after the other to share Him with people around us. Nothing – absolutely nothing – should keep us from speaking about eternity with people we meet every day. What if we are the one that the Lord has placed in the path of someone who is lost and hurting and needs to hear love and forgiveness?

Don’t let anything stop you from sharing Jesus. “Please…don’t let there be a number three.”

Father, I know you place people in my path that you want me to lovingly talk to about you. Please forgive me when I hesitate. Give me courage and wisdom to tell them the Good News that only comes from you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you felt the Lord nudging you to share His Good News with someone and you hesitated?

• What was your reason for not sharing Jesus with that person?

Apply

• Plan ahead different ways that you can share your relationship with Christ with people you meet.

• Pray for opportunities to share Jesus and listen for His voice to direct your path.

Power

• Mark 16:15 (NIV) “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

• Isaiah 52:7 (NIV) “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news…”
  
  

• Psalm 96:2 (NIV) “Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.”

Best Reunion Ever

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command,

with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,

and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who

are still alive and are left will be caught up together

with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in

the air. And so we will be with

the Lord forever.”

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV)

The videos showing a family member coming home from the military to surprise those they love get to me every time. I automatically get out the tissues when one pops up on the internet or on television.

They all make me cry. The son who thinks he is throwing a pitch to his catcher, when the catcher’s mask is suddenly pulled off to reveal Dad. The wife who has been told she is to receive an award for her husband in his absence, only to turn around and see him running toward her. The child in class who looks up from her deskwork and yells “Mommy, you’re back!” as her mother peeks in the door and falls to her knees to scoop up her daughter.

The stories behind those beautiful reunions are similar. Family members have been gone for several weeks or months, serving their country in the military. Some have been able to Skype occasionally as well as talk on the phone; others have not been able to communicate with each other except through mail.

They also share one common bond: none of those getting the surprise reunion had any idea it was being planned. They knew they would see each other again but had no idea exactly when it would occur

.

Today’s Scripture from I Thessalonians has become sweeter than ever to me in recent years. Paul is speaking about Christ’s return and he is explaining what will happen. From this passage we learn that Jesus will be the one leading the glorious get-together. First He will collect His children who have passed away and then those who are still alive. Both groups “will be caught up together . . . in the clouds.” Wow!

Can you imagine it? Hugging a spouse or child again! Or smiling as you once again see a parent or grandparent! I can only imagine the hugs and laughter and smiles that will roar through the clouds at that glorious reunion.

Please do this for me: think of those special people in your life who have passed away. Now, picture meeting them again face to face.

Just as the military families don’t know when the reunion will take place, we Christians do not know the exact date. But we DO know it’s going to happen one day.

Oh the smiles and laughter as we all shout “best reunion ever!”

Father, oh the hope that you give with your promise that we will be together with our loved ones who knew you. Thank you for that joyful reunion. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you had doubts about seeing a loved one again?

Apply

• Re-read today’s verses of Power and picture in your mind what the beautiful reunion will be like with loved ones who have passed away.

• Praise the Lord for His death and resurrection that make heavenly reunions possible.

Power

• I Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV) “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

• John 14:2-3 (NIV) “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

• I Corinthians 2:9 (NIV) “ . . . No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him . . .”

I Really Want to be Nice

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

Romans 7:15 (NIV)

Right before I climbed out of bed early one morning to work out, I lifted up my day to the Lord. I asked Him to direct my attitude to be one of kindness and compassion; to help me see anyone who is hurting or needs an encouraging comment; to overlook those whose attitude is less than kind toward me; to ignore things that are hurtful and instead look for good in everyone.

Requests sincerely spoken from my heart as I tell Jesus that I want to be like Him. And then I go to the gym.

The one with the music blasting at a “permanently damage and rupture your eardrum” level turns the music UP louder when I ask if he could turn it down just a bit. Immediately the anger in my heart begins to grow as I quietly wish he would pull a muscle and have to leave.  I really DO want to be like Jesus but to this guy, Lord? Are you kidding?

Then I follow an elderly woman driving 10 mph in a 40 mph zone as I hurry to the store. She signals she is turning left and then suddenly swerves back into my lane and never realizes that I came within inches of hitting her. Honestly! Why in the world is she even driving? Impatience and unkind thoughts join the anger already building in my heart.

And if that wasn’t enough, I have to deal with yet another call to the phone company and explain for the 5^th  time that my bill is incorrect and I never made any calls to a foreign country nor have I ever called one in my entire life. Add the fact that I can’t understand what the woman is saying and she keeps repeating that she is sorry but doesn’t correct my bill because she needs to transfer me to yet another department! People like this, Lord? Those who really don’t care about my problem? I’m supposed to be kind to them?

It is 10 a.m. and I have already done the complete opposite of what I had just prayed only hours earlier. What in the world is wrong with me?

Paul, in Romans 7:15, totally understood what we are facing. He writes “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Sound familiar? That’s us!

Paul was a Godly man who loved the Lord with all his heart and yet he struggled with the very attitudes and emotions that we struggle with every single day.  I truly long to be like Jesus. I want to be His hands and feet and for people to know by my actions that I serve Him with every part of my life. And yet, I fail again and again.

Thankfully, we have a Father who understands that we will fail repeatedly because we are human and because we are weak. We allow sin to creep in and unfortunately try to determine for ourselves just who WE think we should be kind to in our lives.

The Lord has given us a helper as we maneuver through every day. He is the Holy Spirit. We read in John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

He is the nudge in your heart that says “Take a deep breath. You have no idea what is going on in her life.” He whispers “You just did that same thing yesterday and you are forgiven.” He reminds me that the Lord of my life is the Lord of all. And that He loves everyone – no matter how loud the music or how slow the driver.

And so I will try again. I will ask for forgiveness and a second chance. God replies with “Of course.” I will remind myself of Colossians 3:13 that says “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

My blood pressure will go back to normal. My breathing will relax. And my heart will rejoice that God forgives us for the very things we get angry about with other people.

Father, thank you for your patience and forgiveness with me as I try to live a life as you would have me live. I will focus on you and your word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·         Can you remember a time when you became angry over an incident someone did that you did yourself?

·         Why did you think that what they did was somehow “different” than you doing the same thing?

Apply

·         Journal your actions in the last week when someone did something to irritate you or make you mad and your reaction.

·         Thank the Lord for forgiving you for your negative reaction, take a deep breath, thank Him for His forgiveness, smile and praise Him for what He has done in your life. Repeat as necessary.

Power

·         Romans 7:15 (NIV) “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

·         John 14:26 (NIV) “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

·         Colossians 3:13 (NIV) “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Do You Smell Something?

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father

will send in my name, will teach you all things

and will remind you of everything

I have said to you.”

John 14:26 (NIV)

There is an absolutely gorgeous, exotic plant that thrives in the rain forests of Indonesia. During its flowering phase, the bloom can reach more than 8 feet in height, 20 feet in width and the plant weigh as much as 170 pounds! Its giant leaves and flowers are displayed in breathtaking shades of lime green and dark burgundy.

As amazing as it sounds, this plant will only flower every 6-10 years, so with a lifespan of 40 years, it will only bloom 3-4 times before it dies. But there is something even more amazing about this plant – the reason for its nickname. It is called the corpse plant.

One only has to get within smelling distance to realize instantly that the amorphophallus titanium, or corpse plant, has a distinctive aroma that smells like rotting flesh. It is believed that the smell helps to attract carrion beetles and sweat bees which are instrumental for the plant’s pollination. Humans, however, are quick to hold a covering over their faces to keep them from breathing in the stench.

If only sin had the same road kill odor as the corpse plant! We wouldn’t be fooled by the outer “beauty” of the corpse plant (sin) because the foul stench would serve as an instant alarm. “Get away! Run! Don’t go there! That is not where you should be!” it would warn us.

But wait . . . we DO have an instant alarm to help us recognize sin, don’t we. That alarm is the Holy Spirit. As today’s Scripture states, God placed him in the heart of all believers, to guide and direct in each situation every single day.

And how to we contact that “alarm”? Simply ask. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you when you are faced with temptations in your life.  He is faithful. He reminds you of God’s Word and he provides the answer.

No matter what you may be facing today, my friends, remember to trust the Holy Spirit to sound the alarm when you get near the corpse plant of sin.

Father, thank you for your gift of the Holy Spirit. Please help my spiritual ears to be open to his leading each and every day. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever felt an “urging” in your heart to not do or say something?

• Do you think that it might have been the Holy Spirit speaking truth to you?

Apply

• Dig into God’s Word and journal Scriptures that explain why the Holy Spirit was given to believers.

• Listen with your heart to his prompting when you are facing decisions and are uncertain which way to turn.

Power

• John 14:26 (NIV) “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

• II Corinthians 2:15 (NIV) “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”

• Ephesians 5:2 (NIV) “…and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Address Change

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am

doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not

perceive it? I am making a way in the desert

and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

Moving from my old home to a new one created a lot more problems than I had anticipated. Trying to downsize was a huge issue since I was moving from a 5 bedroom to a 3 bedroom home. And of course, all the paperwork created a near migraine by the time it was finished.

One dilemma that was totally unexpected was changing my address. I thought I was ahead of the game when I bought four packages of “I’ve Moved!” cards to send to friends until I realized that they got packed in the move and were not found until a year later.

Fortunately the post office forwarded my mail from my other home for a few months, which helped as I notified insurance agents, medical facilities and credit card companies of the address change.

But for 6 months after the move, I kept receiving mail at my new home that belonged to the previous home owners. I would write “doesn’t live here anymore” and put it back in the mailbox but I continued to receive letters from the same companies over and over. It was almost as though the senders didn’t believe my message on each envelope.

It struck me that sometimes as Christians we are viewed in that same way. When we give our lives to the Lord, we are told to “forget the former things” as we read in Isaiah 43:18-19.  But, as sad as it is, too often there are Christian brothers and sisters who do not.

They may not speak openly about what you did or didn’t do before you gave your heart to the Lord but their actions and glances are every bit as loud as a spoken word. And while God Himself assures us that He forgives and forgets, some do not.

If that is where you find yourself today, my friends, please remember what your new “home” is filled with: room after room of forgiveness and grace and mercy. Pray for those who feel the need to judge you by your past, that they will truly experience becoming a new creation, as you are in your new “home.”

Maybe my old “home” was larger with more storage . . . but it does not compare to my new “home” in Christ.  Just as I wrote on those envelopes, you too can live with confidence in knowing that God does not judge us by how we lived in the past. Nancy doesn’t live there anymore.  

Father, I praise you today for your forgiveness and mercy and for creating a new me when I turned my life over to you. Show me the new life that you have for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever had someone make a comment or look at you in a way that let you know they remembered your past before you came to the Lord?

• What was your first reaction when that happened?

Apply

• Make note cards with today’s Power Scriptures on them.

• Place them around your home, in your Bible, in your car and in a cabinet to remind you about your address change when you turned your life and “home” over to the Lord.

Power

• Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

• Isaiah 43:16 (NIV)  . . . For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.”

• II Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”