Every time I see a rainbow . . .

Every time I see a rainbow. . .

            I left Nashville this afternoon after a visit with my son with storms threatening.  A tower of storm clouds on one side contrasted with the brilliant summer sun on the other.  I hoped I would outrun the storm.  I hate to drive in hard rain.  The rain held off.  Then I saw a half rainbow, one end on the ground, the other ending in the storm cloud.  Then came a spatter of rain, with the sun still shining brilliantly, then a harder, but brief shower.  While the rain came down I realized that the rainbow was now a full bow, both ends anchored to the ground.  And I was driving through the center of the bow!  The rain ended; the bow disappeared, but it did not disappear from my mind.

            We have had major storms this spring and summer in the physical world—torrents of rain, wind, hail, tornadoes even.  But in each of our lives we have other storms.  Some are financial; the air conditioning goes out, the doctor’s bills mount, perhaps we have even lost our jobs.  Some are physical—the fatigue, the discouraging report from the doctor, the unexpected surgery.  Some are emotional—depression, anxiety, grief, fear, anger.  Some are familial—older parents who need more and more help, children who are struggling (sometimes even adult children), marriages in crisis.  Some are spiritual storms—doubt, struggles with our faith.  No one is immune to storms.  We all face them.

            But for every storm there is a rainbow, sometimes too dim to really be certain of what we have seen; sometimes as clear as the one I saw on the way home from Nashville.  But every rainbow represents the end of a storm, the promise of clear blue skies.

            When I was a teenager I sang in a women’s trio.  One of the few songs that I remember we sang was by John W. Peterson.  I always remember the words when I see a rainbow:

            Every time I see a rainbow shining in the sky above

            I remember God’s great mercy and His faithfulness and love.

            When there’s a rainbow in the sky,

The clouds that frowned go smiling by.

            ‘Tis a promise written there of a Father’s love and care

                        When there’s a rainbow in the sky.

            The clouds will pass; the storm will spend itself; the rainbow of God’s mercy will shine.  His mercies are new every morning.  His faithfulness and love are limitless.  I am grateful for rainbows to remind me of Him.

                                                            ~~ Faith Lamb

Fruit of our Freedom

We celebrate the date our country was born and the freedoms that followed.  We also celebrate being born again and the freedoms that follow. I am thankful that God graciously allowed me to be born in America and that He chose me as one of His own affording me freedom from the bondage of sin.  I know I have not always walked in this spiritual freedom appropriately or produced the kind of fruit the Lord expects of me, but I desperately want to grow in Him.

Galatians 5:1;13;16;22-23  say, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”

The fruit of the Spirit is not pick and choose, but a total lifestyle that includes each and every fruit. Years ago I did a study by Beth Moore.  The following are nuggets of truth that I gleaned:

   We must show love as Christ loves, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable with the risk of rejection.

   We must choose joy that defies our circumstances and causes our heart to swell.

   We must be an instrument of peace as we get up under God’s authority.

   We must be inspired by mercy which brings about patience through the power of our Holy God.

   We must be tender with kindness just as Christ administers tenderness toward us.

   We must show goodness through an energized expression of benevolence.

   We must show we believe in the reality of a sovereign God by our faithfulness to Him.

   We must surrender our lives to real power with gentleness expressing calmness in the storms.

   We must have self-control as a mighty warrior not out of control like a slave in chains.

Freedom!  What a glorious word. I want genuine freedom that comes only through a life controlled by the Holy Spirit!

Tina Laubscher

Delicous and Nutritious!

If all goes as planned, when you read this little collection of thoughts I will be in Togo, West Africa. It's the end, we believe, of an adventure that started seven years ago, and it's been such a treat to be part of the plan! Besides the obvious blessings of seeing God at work in the lives of teachers and children across the world and the delight of getting to know some of our missionaries better, one thing I have really enjoyed is the delicious fruit that is in season in Togo during the months of June and July.

You just have not tasted good pineapple until you've enjoyed the sweet, almost white, fruit of West Africa. Possibly it's that good in other tropical places, but I've not been anywhere else where it's so. I have also come to appreciate a good, ripe mango, and having them together, cut up with a little banana fresh off the tree is just a piece of heaven!

Isn't it wonderful that these things that are so good for us taste delicious as well? I have on my refrigerator two lists of foods that are supposed to be effective for special health concerns. One is a list of cancer-fighting foods, and the other is a list of foods that keep the brain healthy. Guess what's on the top of both lists. Go ahead, guess. . . . Berries! Isn't that fabulous? Berries are so delicious, and they also happen to be very good for us.

A couple of years ago, Jane Martin gave me some raspberry canes that I planted in a corner of my back yard. I happen to really love raspberries. It is a singular delight of my summer days to go outside in the morning and pick a handful of raspberries to put into my bowl of Rice Krispies. Now and then while I'm picking the berries, I think of how very good God is to give us such wonderful nutritious food that also tastes amazing. He didn't have to make it that way.

There are numerous verses that speak of God's goodness, but the one I'm thinking of now is I Timothy 6:17--"Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." Amen.

One Nation Under God…With Liberty…

Independence Day observes the beginning of our nation no longer under the rule of another. Webster defines independence as “the state of not being subject to the control of others…self-governing…not requiring or relying on something else…not looking to others for one’s opinions or for guidance in conduct…” We like the sound of being independent! However, when America became free from Britain rule, America did not throw all government out the window. There were laws to be followed and order to be implemented. I’ve been thinking about this idea as it relates to our Christian liberty, and I’m not the first. Paul wrote in Romans 6:16, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” In John 8:34, Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” The idea here, is habitual sin, though we sometimes revert back to our old habits even when we’re free. Webster defines addiction: “to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively.”

Consider that besetting sin in your life, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Maybe it’s lack of financial discipline. Maybe it’s gossip. When I surrender to the sale racks for items I don’t need or to the temporary pleasure I experience at the cost of slandering a sister in Christ, I do not typically think about myself being addicted. In fact, the first things that come to mind when I think about addictions are drugs, alcohol and prostitution, as those are the issues common to the women I work with on Tuesday nights who have been incarcerated for these behaviors. I do not have addictions to these things, so I often let myself off the hook. In fact, most of us wouldn’t perceive our behaviors as addictions, I’d like to argue that we may need to think outside the box (or should I say bottle) a little bit. As Eve was deceived in the garden, I too, find myself believing that I’m missing out on great things, and I have erroneously indulged. I should see HUGE RED FLAGS flying when I start thinking this way, because Psalm 84:11 says, “…no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless...” But oftentimes I allow untruth to set me in bondage rather than listening to the “truth that will set me free” (John 8:32). I surrender to the temptation and many times become addicted.

My prayer is that July 4, 2011, will be Independence Day for the ladies of Grace Baptist Church. May our addiction to sin be liberated as we enslave ourselves to righteousness. May we live with liberty...under God.

~Rebecca Phillips