Posts by Dorci

The Saturday Song – Almost Home

Posted on by Dorci

I don’t have to tell you we’ve all had a rough year. And for a lot of us that’s on top of a rough decade…life…you get the idea.

And the trials of this life don’t show any signs of letting up.  

But this life is not all there is. 

For those who have chosen Christ as our Savior, this world is just a temporary place where we grow closer to the Lord, let His character replace our own, where we let the Author and Finisher of our faith mature us and prepare us for the life He has planned for us – the real life – the life after this, where we’re more alive than ever. 

Right now, we live with our eyes on that prize. We live with a hope and a steadfast faith that seeks to be about our Father’s business, loving and drawing the people He’s given us into that most sacred of relationships so they, too, can live with hope, knowing this life is only temporary, and we’re almost home. 

 

 

Almost Home
by MercyMe
 
Are you disappointed
Are you desperate for help
You know what it’s like to be tired
And only a shell of yourself
Well you start to believe
You don’t have what it takes
‘Cause it’s all you can do
Just to move much less finish the race
But don’t forget what lies ahead
 
Almost home
Brother it won’t be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength
Sister run wild, run free
Hold up your head
Keep pressing on
We are almost home
 
Well this road will be hard
But we win in the end
Simply because of Jesus in us
It’s not if but when
So take joy in the journey
Even when it feels long
Oh find strength in each step
Knowing heaven is cheering you on
 
We are almost home
Brother it won’t be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength
Sister run wild, run free
Hold up your head
Keep pressing on
We are almost home
Almost home
Almost home
 
I know that the cross has brought heaven to us
But make no mistake there’s still more to come
When our flesh and our bone are no longer between
Where we are right now and where we’re meant to be
When all that’s been lost has been made whole again
When these tears and this pain no longer exist
No more walking we’re running as fast as we can
Consider this our second wind
 
Almost home
Brother it won’t be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength
Sister run wild, run free
Hold up your head
Keep pressing on
We are almost home
Almost home
Almost home
We are almost home
Almost home
Almost home
We are almost home

Remain Steadfast

Posted on by Dorci

 

STEADFAST


The Lord has been putting this word on my heart lately. 

Remain steadfast. 

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 
1 Peter 5:8-9

This is Peter telling us this.

Peter, the one who told Jesus he would never deny Him – even if he had to die with Him.

Peter, one of the apostles whom Jesus took and asked him to pray the night before He was arrested, and then fell asleep.

Peter, the one who impetuously drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. 

Peter, the one who vehemently denied Christ three times. 

But all that doesn’t make him less credible; it makes him more. 

He’s saying don’t do what I did! He learned what the devil had been up to and he wanted to warn his brothers and sisters in Christ to be aware. 

To remain steadfast in the faith – steadfast in our convictions, steadfast in the truth, steadfast in our reliance upon Christ and Christ alone, now and forever. 

The devil’s ways are the same as ever. he’s looking for people who are at a weak place, who aren’t being alert and vigilant to the devil’s ways, who aren’t steadfastly trusting in the power and righteousness of Jesus Christ. 

Right now, when the world seems like a raging sea, is an opportune time for the enemy to try to discourage us, to trip us up, to question Jesus, and maybe even walk away from Him, even a step. 

But we who are in Christ can confidently “lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever…” 
Hebrews 6:18b-20

No matter what happens in this life, we don’t have to give in to fear and be tossed around in the waves of confusion. We have an anchor of hope.

We have the promises of God, all of which in Christ are yes and amen. His promises are for this life and extend all the way behind the veil that lies between this life and the next.

Our sure hope, our anchor in rough seas, is that Christ is with us now, and He will surely call us to live with Him in His home where we’ve laid up treasures beyond comprehension, and where love and peace and joy are the way of life.     

And we’re reminded of this hope every time we pray, every time we read God’s Word, and every time we enter into fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Our steadfast anchor of hope will keep us steadfast, too.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Cor 15:58

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Pastors Everywhere

Posted on by Dorci

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise your holy and righteous name. You are the First and the Last, the I AM, the Creator of everything and everyone. 

Father, we want to thank you today, on this Pastor Appreciation Day, for every pastor who has answered your call on their lives to serve you and your people. 

Thank you for giving them the strength and courage they need to do all they do every week, and every day. Thank you for leading them, for giving them your wisdom, for holding up their arms when they’re exhausted from the constant call they face in this high-profile calling, along with all they do for their wives and families. 

We pray you would continue to renew their hearts for service, that they would not grow weary, but would continue to serve you in your strength. We pray you would fill them with wisdom to meet the challenges they face, to keep loving the people you’ve given them, and to keep serving you with a pure and sincere heart. 

Father we pray for pastors’ wives as well. We know they work hard to support their husbands, to sacrifice time with them, and to serve their families.

Lord, we pray for continued strength and wisdom for them, too. 

Lord, may they all know how very much they are loved and appreciated by those of us they serve, and of course by you. 

We pray they know their service is not in vain. That they would know you are using them in mighty ways even though they might not always see it. And help them remember they are laying up the most precious treasures in heaven. 

Please protect them from the enemy, fortify them, and fill them with your peace. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Thankful Thursday – Good Medicine

Posted on by Dorci

 

“A merry heart does good like a medicine…”  
Proverbs 17:22

Today, and every day, but especially in the middle of this mess, I’m so thankful God’s given us a sense of humor to lighten our hearts, change our countenance, bring us together, and remind us there is still joy. 

What God revealed to Solomon when he wrote the proverb, modern medical science now understands. 

Laughter causes us to take in more oxygen, stimulates our organs, improves the function of blood vessels, and increases the endorphins released by our brain. It stimulates circulation and relaxes the muscles. 

It can help fight stress, relieve tension and pain, and lift depression. 

And yeah, it can burn calories. It might not be a lot, but I’ll take it. 

 

Thankful Thursday – Mercy

Posted on by Dorci

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
 1 Chronicles 16:34

There is so much going on in the world right now that our minds can get pulled into a million different pits, so I thought it was important to start Thankful Thursday again.

I don’t have to tell you how despairing and overwhelming the state of this world is in right now. 

But God’s mercy endures, now and forever, and when we remember that, and give Him thanks, we will have hope. 

The words of David recorded in 1 Chronicles were part of a psalm spoken when the ark of the covenant was returned after battle to its rightful place in the tabernacle. God’s glory had been restored among His people.  

Today we’re facing another kind of spiritual battle, and the enemy is doing all he can to hijack the glory of God from this world. 

But God’s glory now lives inside His people. We are His tabernacle. 

And we know that “All the promises of God in {Christ} are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”  2 Corinthians 1:20

In Him we have His immeasurable love and grace and mercy and forgiveness. 

In Him we know He will lead us, give us wisdom, and provide for us. 

In Him we know our eternity is with Him. 

This life is short, and one day, when this battle is over, all wickedness will disappear, and His glory will reign forever more, where we will live in eternal peace and safety and love. 

So, wherever your thoughts have roamed to today, let’s focus them back on our merciful Heavenly Father, who already has the victory (and so do we!), and give Him thanks.  

What are you thankful for today?

 

I Would Rather

Posted on by Dorci

The Saturday Song – God’s Not Dead

Posted on by Dorci

It’s revival day! 

Today’s the day Franklin Graham is leading Prayer March 2020 in Washington D.C. for the healing of our nation, and the day Pastor and Rabbi Jonathan Cahn is leading his event, The Return, also seeking God’s forgiveness, repentance, revival, and healing of our nation. 

Heavenly Father, we come to you in humility and total dependence on You, praying that in Your mercy You would pour out the power of Your Holy Spirit throughout our country to soften hearts and open eyes to the truth of the destruction of sin, and the truth of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that paid for our sins, that many will turn to You with repentant hearts and that there will be a great awakening and revival of our nation in the name of Jesus Christ.  We pray you would send your warrior angels to bind the hand of the enemy from stopping or disrupting any of the prayer events going on today. We look to You, LORD, for help and hope and renewal. In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen. 

This is the song the Lord put on my heart to share today.

 

 

God’s Not Dead (Like a Lion)
Newsboys

Let love explode and bring the dead to life
A love so bold
To seek a revolution somehow

Let love explode and bring the dead to life
A love so bold
To bring a revolution somehow
Now I’m lost in Your freedom
In this world I’ll overcome

My God’s not dead
He’s surely alive
He’s living on the inside
Roaring like a lion
God’s not dead
He’s surely alive
He’s living on the inside
Roaring like a lion

Roaring, He’s roaring, He’s roaring like a lion

Let hope arise and make the darkness hide
My faith is dead I need resurrection somehow
Now I’m lost in Your freedom
In this world I’ll overcome

My God’s not dead
He’s surely alive
He’s living on the inside
Roaring like a lion
God’s not dead
He’s surely alive
He’s living on the inside
Roaring like a lion

Roaring, He’s roaring, He’s roaring like a lion
He’s roaring, He’s roaring

Let heaven roar and fire fall
Come shake the ground
With the sound of revival
Let heaven roar and fire fall
Come shake the ground
With the sound of revival
Let heaven roar (Let heaven roar) and fire fall
Come shake the ground
With the sound of revival

He’s living on the inside
Roaring like a lion
God’s not dead
He’s surely alive
He’s living on the inside
Roaring like a lion
God’s not dead
He’s surely alive
He’s living on the inside
Roaring like a lion
God’s not dead
He’s surely alive
He’s living on the inside
Roaring like a lion

He’s roaring, He’s roaring, He’s roaring like a lion
He’s roaring, He’s roaring, He’s roaring like a lion (Roaring like a lion)

 

 

 

Further Update for The Return

Posted on by Dorci

Hello Friends. I wanted to share with you the link to the updated schedule for the event The Return, as the times have changed just a bit since I last posted. 

The main event is this Saturday, September 26, but there will also be an event this Friday afternoon/evening, and a time of worship Saturday afternoon/evening, depending on your time zone.

You can watch it live from the website. Please remember all times listed are for Eastern Standard time, so please adjust accordingly. 

What is The Return?  Pastor Jonathan Cahn explains it like this:

“A movement, an appointed time, and a specific day set apart for one purpose – the return to God, that there be a coming before His presence in humility, in sincerity in prayer and repentance, that there be intercession for America, for each other, and for oneself, for God’s mercy, for salvation, for healing, for revival, for restoration, and for the fulfillment of God’s purposes for America and all who dwell within it.”

Along with Jonathan Cahn, there are many speakers and prayers scheduled, and I expect this to be a powerful time of repentance, of awakening and returning to the Lord.  

Heavenly Father, you are the Righteous and Holy One. We are in desperate need of your grace and mercy and forgiveness through your Son’s sacrifice on the cross.  We pray you would anoint these speakers and prayers, that your Holy Spirit would fill them to speak your will, that you would draw countless people to watch this event, to hear of your love and offer of forgiveness, and that you would bring a powerful revival within each of us, and throughout our country and our world. In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen. 

The Saturday Song – Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)

Posted on by Dorci

Happy Saturday, friends. You know, for the most part I feel called to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ, but every once in a while the Lord will put me in the path of an unbeliever, and that’s where I want to be today. 

In the path of those who have no idea what this Jesus thing is all about, and the path of those who once thought they knew, but they’ve been away for a hundred million different reasons. 

I want to tell you from the bottom of my heart that God loves you more than you can ever know. Yes, He does. You might not feel it right now, but sometimes feelings lie. 

You might have been hurt and blame God. I understand.

You might have done something terrible and don’t think He could ever forgive you. I understand. 

You might be afraid to trust Him again. I understand. 

I’ve been there, done all that, bought the t-shirt and worn it until I didn’t think I could wear it anymore.

But the power of the blood of His Son paid for all of it. 

And thirty years down the road I also understand that if you let Him, God will heal your heart; that He not only can forgive you, He is waiting to forgive you; and that no matter what the future holds, He will be right beside you, hurting with you when you hurt, but through it He will give you His peace and strength to forgive, to heal, to grow in grace and love, into very the image of His own beautiful Son. 

And just like the story Jesus told the people who had gathered around him: “while {the prodigal son} was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him,” (Luke 15:20) so the Heavenly Father waits for you to take but a step toward Him, asking for forgiveness, and He will run to you with such compassion and all the love you ever wanted, throw His arms around you, and welcome you home. 

Today’s song is dedicated to you.

Father, let the chains fall…

 

 

Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)
David Crowder

Lift your head weary sinner, the river’s just ahead
Down the path of forgiveness, salvation’s waiting there
You built a mighty fortress 10,000 burdens high
Love is here to lift you up, here to lift you high
 
If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
 
All who’ve strayed and walked away, unspeakable things you’ve done
Fix your eyes on the mountain, let the past be dead and gone
Come all saints and sinners, you can’t outrun God
Whatever you’ve done can’t overcome the power of the blood
 
If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
 
If you’re lost and wrecked again
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
 
Let the chains fall…
Let the chains chains chains chains chains chains…
 
If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
 
If you’re lost and wrecked again
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide

 

The Saturday Song – I Will Rise

Posted on by Dorci


“There’s a peace I’ve come to know”

“Jesus has overcome”

“There’s a day that’s drawing near”

“And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees

        And rise

             I will rise…”