Category: Humility

Stumbling Block

Posted on by Dorci

“‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” 1 Corinthians 10:23-24

As we grow up in Christ, we learn to put away our so-called rights. We learn that just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. It doesn’t mean it is good for our walk, good for the building up of our brothers and sisters in Christ, good for our witness to the unsaved world, and good for glorifying our Father.

As our love grows, so does our desire to put aside those things that would keep us from shining as brightly as we can in this dark and aging world. More than the “thing”, we desire to magnify the Name of Christ and to be about our Father’s business, not our own.

If you had one week to live, what would you put away for the good of Christ and to make the most of the time you had left for Him? People are dying around us, if not physically, then spiritually. If we have a chance to be Christ for them, so to speak, to be the embodiment of the Spirit, which we certainly are, and to show them there is a different way, a holy way, a godly way, is the “thing” worth it?

People may not say it, but they are looking for something different. Something other than what the world offers, because what it offers is sin and disillusionment and destruction and death. They are looking for a way through, an answer, a peace in the middle of the storm, a purpose.

They don’t know it, but they are looking for Christ. Is the “thing” you would give up a stumbling block, for yourself or for them? Is it worth it? Life is short and we have one purpose: to glorify our Creator. To know Him and make Him known. Is it time to kick the stumbling block out of the way?

In Christ we have the freedom to do, but even greater is the freedom we have to give it up.

In His great grace,

Thankful Thursday – Forgiven

Posted on by Dorci

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.’

Jesus answered him, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’

‘Tell me, teacher,’ he said.

‘Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’

Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’

‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’

Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.'” Luke 7:36-48

Nothing gets by Jesus, right? The Pharisee thought he was talking to himself, but Jesus knew what was in his heart: judgement. Legalism never leaves room for love.

He knew what was in the woman’s heart, too: repentance. She came face to face with the Son of God. His glory and grace, in contrast to her sins, brought her to her knees in repentance and humility so much that it spilled out into her actions without a care what people thought. She worshipped Him with all she had.

I’ve been forgiven for much, too. I’ve been called a fanatic for my faith, and by someone who called himself a Christian. But I don’t care. Christ was fanatical about His love for me as He allowed Himself to be arrested, “tried”, and crucified, all for my sins. My only argument with my critic is that I’m not fanatical enough. Christ gave me His life. Is my all too much to give in return?  Never.

In His Grace,

Be Strong and Courageous

Posted on by Dorci

Moses had just died and was buried, and the time for grieving was over.  The Lord now called Joshua to take his place. The man who’d been Moses’s aide, his servant, the #2 guy, the one who was used to taking orders, would now lead God’s chosen people into the Promised Land.

God began to prepare Joshua for the long and grueling road ahead, and His instruction was carefully studded with these words:

“Be strong and courageous…” Josh 1:6

“Be strong and very courageous…”  Josh 1:7

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Josh 1:9

God didn’t say it just once and move on.  He repeated it, with increasing emphasis, three times.  He wanted Joshua to remember.

The Lord was with Joshua throughout their journey, giving him instruction, instruction that sometimes made no sense at all.  But Joshua had learned to take instruction, to be a humble servant, and humility always makes the best leaders.

It would not be the last time the Lord would remind Joshua to not be afraid.

Sometimes we can read these ancient stories and forget that these were real people.  Joshua was just a man, just a human being with flesh and blood like all of us.  And there were times he was inclined to be afraid, and why the Lord had to periodically remind him not to be.

It’s been eleven years since the Lord spoke to me the words “Be strong and courageous” four times in the span of one month.  The very next month I would begin a journey of health issues, mysterious symptoms and pain, and the Lord has had to remind me many times not to be afraid, that He was with me.

Throughout this journey, He’s blessed me at just the right times – times when I didn’t think I could take one more step – with a message, a teaching, a friend, to remind me to be strong and courageous.

There have been times on this road that I’ve looked back with regret that I wasn’t as strong and courageous as I felt the Lord had called me to be.  But I see that it wasn’t just a call at the beginning of the journey, it’s been what the journey is about.  It’s been about making me strong and courageous, it’s been about strengthening my spiritual muscles, as any trial worth its weight is wont to do.

And without those reminders, those messages, those Spirit-filled whispers of scripture, those perfectly timed words from friends, I would have sunk into quicksand and never come out.

After the Lord finished giving instruction to Joshua, Joshua then turned and gave instruction to God’s people.

“Then they answered Joshua, ‘Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!” Joshua 1:16-18

These are the kinds of friends to have – and to be – especially on the front lines of serving God where the enemy is sometimes the closest.

We need friends to remind us to take courage, to look up, to remind us of our purpose and the reason why God saved us – for our eternity, yes, but also to be a light in this dark world.  We need friends to help us put our hand back on the plow and remind us that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:17-18

We need friends to remind us that that which is unseen, the Lord Almighty, is the One who strengthens us, and He is with us.  We are not alone.  The clearer our vision settles on God, the stronger and more courageous we’ll be.

There are friends around each one of us who are going through something hard.  Let’s look up from our own struggles every once in a while and be that encouragement.

They may not tell you how much they’re struggling, but if you’re careful to look you’ll see it in their eyes.  If you listen, you’ll hear it in their voice.  And most importantly, if you listen to the Lord, He’ll show you who needs prayer, a kind word, a hug, a cup of coffee or lunch, a friend.

You just may be the one who keeps someone from slipping into the sinking sand.

The Name

Posted on by Dorci

“Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very natureof a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:6-11

Prayer Attitudes

Posted on by Dorci

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of his reverent submission.” Hebrews 5:7-8

Don’t think you have to come to God all stoic and speaking like you’re reading out of the King James Bible with a lot of thous and thees, or that you have to pretend to have it all together. God doesn’t want pomp and circumstance, He wants your heart. He wants you.

It’s okay to come to Him when you’re depressed and crying or riddled with anxiety. In fact, it’s imperative that you do come to Him in those times. Jesus did.

But it is also possible, and even necessary, to keep an attitude of reverent submission at the same time.

Come into the Light with all your heart, keeping no secrets and leaving nothing behind. He is El Roi, the God who sees you. He already knows, He loves you, and He wants to heal you and grow you into spiritual maturity. He has plans for you and rewards for those who diligently seek Him. Don’t be afraid. Be excited!

Grace and Peace,

The Wilderness Trip

Posted on by Dorci

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” Luke 4:1-2

The wilderness is a lonely place to be. In fact, the Greek word for wilderness means lonesome. Sometimes we’re called to be in a spiritual wilderness, and in those times it’s good to remember that Jesus Himself was called to one, too. Not only was He called, He was led there by the Holy Spirit, knowing He would be tempted by the enemy. Why would the Father do that? He was already full of the Holy Spirit (and I’ll get back to that in a minute), so what else did He need?

He needed to identify with us.

Hebrews 4:15 tells us “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin.”

As the Father prepared Jesus for ministry through suffering, He also must prepare and discipline us if we’re going to do any good work for Him, and that can mean a wilderness experience. It may be 40 days like Jesus’s, and it may be 40 years like Moses’s. God appoints the time.

When we are in the wilderness, we can know we’re not alone. Our Lord has already been there and understands. He is not just some high and lofty God looking down with judgment. He knows what it is to be tempted by evil. He knows what it is to be hungry. He knows what it is to suffer. He sees us and He has compassion, and when we’re in the wilderness we can take comfort in knowing Jesus is right there.

I know all the various trials I’ve been through in my wilderness experiences have given me an understanding into the hearts of those who are suffering that I never would have had otherwise. It’s turned my sympathy into empathy, and I see the pain in their eyes and their hearts a little bit better. I know better how to pray for them.

Jesus is our example of enduring suffering and yet not sinning. He shows us what to do when we’re tempted by evil. But His example starts with being full of the Spirit.

Don’t be caught off guard when God decides it’s time to prepare you in the wilderness. Be full of the Holy Spirit right now and every day. Be prayed up and obeyed up. Forgive and ask for forgiveness. And keep your eyes fixed on the One who understands every step through the wilderness.

Glory to God in the Highest!

Posted on by Dorci

“And it happened in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be registered, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee to be taxed (out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David). And he took Mary his betrothed wife, being with child.

And while they were there, the days for her deliverance were fulfilled. And she brought forth her son, the First-born, and wrapped Him, and laid Him in a manger– because there was no room for them in the inn.

And in the same country there were shepherds living in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came on them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were grievously afraid. And the angel said to them, Do not fear. For behold, I give to you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For to you is born today, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is a sign to you. You will find the babe wrapped, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it happened as the angels departed from them into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Indeed, let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has happened, which the Lord made known to us.  And hurrying they came and sought out both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.

 

And seeing, they publicly told about the word spoken to them concerning this Child. And all those who heard marveled about the things spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, meditating in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as was spoken to them.”
Luke 2:1-20

From my home to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and pray today and everyday you are reveling in the joy of the Gift that is above all gifts, the gift of a Messiah, a Savior, the only one by whom we can be forgiven for our sins and given the promise of heaven, Jesus Christ. I pray you know Him, and not only that you know about Him from your parents or grandparents, or from going to church, or because you live in the America, but because you’ve repented of your sins before Him, put your trust in Him and received Him as your own personal Lord and Savior.  If you have not done that, you can do that today, right now, right where you are.  You will never receive a greater gift.  And I pray that you are endeavoring to walk with Him so closely that you hear His heartbeat, that you breathe His scent of servitude and compassion, that His light is your light, and that it all flows through your spirit as a witness to the world around you of His great grace and mercy and love and joy and peace…..   I could go on and on!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Want to be the Greatest?

Posted on by Dorci

“Then He (Jesus) placed a little child among them; and taking the child in His arms He said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming my Father who sent me!’” Mark 9:36-37

Jesus and His apostles had just traveled through Galilee and had come to a house in Capernaum.   I can just imagine all the things twelve men might discuss on a long, hot, dusty journey. Jesus found one discussion on this journey of particular interest.  Once they were settled, Jesus asked them what they had been talking about along the way.  Of course He already knew.

“But they were ashamed to answer, for they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest!  He sat down and called them around Him and said, ‘Anyone wanting to be the greatest must be the least—the servant of all!’” Mark 9:34-35

And there it is.  The answer to the question we all ask.  We all long for a purpose in life. We all want to be great, to be important in some way, that is, to contribute, to leave our mark on the world.  To know that our life has meaning.

Jesus says God’s way is different than the world’s way. It’s a 180 degrees opposite, in fact, than the way world seeks to find meaning. It’s not about being the richest or most famous or most influential or most good looking or hanging with those who are.  It’s not about climbing the ladder, or being one of the elite so that others will serve us.

It’s about bending down.  It’s about noticing the least of these.  It’s about loving and serving and providing for those who are in need, for those who are most helpless and most dependent on the mercy of others.  Jesus says lead by putting yourself last and being the greatest servant!

Only when we’ve humbled ourselves enough to serve the likes of a child—one who has no ability to give us anything in return–it is with this same humbled attitude that we can then truly submit ourselves to Christ and receive Him to ourselves. Then we will find meaning and purpose for our life.

And when we do feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 “When you did it to these my brothers, you were doing it to me!”

Jesus says that when we serve others, we are serving Him.

And when we do serve these precious ones, like the one Jesus held in His arms, we are most like Christ.  We are His arms and hands and feet.

Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, gives us an opportunity to do just that through Operation Christmas Child.  Every year they collect shoeboxes that people like you have filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene necessities, clothing, shoes, and all kinds of goodies, and then present them to children all over the world for Christmas, along with the good news of Jesus Christ.

And Christmas is right around the corner!

In order to have time to ship the shoeboxes to where they’re going, National Collection Week this year is November 17-24.  That’s only 9 weeks from today!  You can look on their website to find the collection location nearest to you.  The cost for shipping is $7 per box, and you can even donate that online if you want to find out where your box(es) is going. You can find all the information on their website.

What a joy to serve these precious children and bless them in not only practical ways, but to help make a difference in their lives with the love and message of Christ.

Blessings!

 

A Mother’s Day Message A Lifetime in the Making

Posted on by Dorci

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

This won’t be your typical “my mom’s the best mom in the world and everything I am I owe to her” kind of Mother’s Day message.  Nope.

This will be a different kind of message.

These words are, though, a lifetime in the making, and I fought hard for them. I clawed my way through a mountain of pain to find them, and I struggled to find my way back out again.

You might have guessed that growing up I didn’t have a “normal” mother-daughter relationship.  My mother didn’t teach me all the things a mother should teach a daughter.  She taught me things a mother should never teach a child, like how to hold a grudge, and how to mistrust people.  How to take daily criticism and stuff it way deep down inside until it turns into unrelenting insecurity.

As I grew up, I took all those things and so much more, lifted up the ol’ metaphorical rug and swept it all underneath.  Nevermind that the rug was miles high and anywhere I went I had to climb over it.  Nevermind that half the time I couldn’t make it to the top, and instead slid all the way back down again.

As the months and years went by, some of that pain began to seep out from underneath, so I kicked it back under there where it belonged.  As hard as I tried, it kept spilling back out again.  Furiously I kicked and swept and shoved and struggled and sweated and cried.

Slowly I began to realize that it was God standing there lifting up that rug.  He was the one letting me see all that pain.  And He didn’t just let me see it, He gave it to me.

After a lifetime of my own pain and struggles, I’ve had time to reflect on her life through eyes not much different than her own, not just as my mother, but as a human being.

I heard more stories of her painful childhood; I gained more of an understanding of mental illness; I saw that she had been misunderstood and criticized by family, friends, doctors; I saw her struggle with all that under the weight of living with an alcoholic, wayward husband and trying to raise two daughters, one of whom had a very difficult to manage neurological disorder.

And the picture I had of my mother became more and more detailed.  The colors went from black and white to living, breathing, heart-wrenching reds and blues and purples.

I saw that all that time she was crying out for someone to love her, for someone to help her. She just didn’t know how.  The pain and fear and insecurity came out as anger and it pushed people away.  It pushed all of us away.  And I’m sorry.

I’m sorry I couldn’t see that then.  I’m sorry, Mom, that no one ever saw that.  I pray that now you have someone who is able to look past the walls you’ve built up around your heart and love you anyway.  I pray you know Jesus does.

The words I searched and struggled for all my life are this:

I forgive you, Mom.

From the bottom of my heart I forgive you, and hope you can forgive me.  I hope you know the forgiveness of Jesus so that one day you will have the peace and love you’ve longed for all your life.

I forgive you, Mom, and I love you.

 

Why Pray?

Posted on by Dorci

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’

And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?  I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’ Luke 18:1-8

This Thursday, May 1, is the National Day of Prayer, and our country and world are in desperate need of it.  Prayer has taken a back seat in favor of entertainment, the pursuit of money, even religion.  Our time with God has been neglected.  How do I know?  Because I look around at the state of things and I see the fruit of it.

I see morals being thrown out the window by the bucketful.  I see people using one another for their own gain.  I see adults’ behavior regressing into immaturity and downright childishness.  I see the family unit disintegrating more and more. I see disrespect and even hatred on a whole new level. I see sin coming out of the darkness and living proudly in the light for all to see, and I see people afraid to stand up against it.  I see the pain and suffering caused by rampant sin.

And more and more those who call themselves Christians are looking and walking and talking no differently than non-believers.

Yet I see Christians pointing an accusing finger at the world and talk about how awful it is and if they’d just straighten up and fly right everything would be okay.  But God says that “if MY people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

God doesn’t tell the world to change, He tells His own people that if we will repent, and if we will submit and turn from our old man and live righteously before Him, then God will our land.  We are the example to the world.  We are to be salt and light.  And when we are right with God then we will be able to, by the grace of God and the blood of Christ, stand in the gap between God and unbelievers and pray that God will open their spiritual eyes and that they will be saved.

It starts with us.

I was saved, because of the persistent, year-long prayers of a Christian, when I was 25 years old.  By that time I’d already formed a lot of erroneous beliefs.  One was that abortion was acceptable since our laws give us a right to it, and the other was that God and satan were equal powers, the only difference being that one was a power for good and the other for evil.

But the moment I was saved and indwelt by the power of the Holy Spirit, my eyes were opened and those two beliefs were dispelled.  I knew immediately that abortion was wrong and that God’s power over satan was infinite.

The only way to see our country and world transformed is to pray for them, one person at a time.  To pray that God will soften hearts and open eyes, like He did mine, and that people will be saved.

A lot of us are weary, though.  We’re weary of seeing sin gain the upper hand.  We’re weary of trying and feeling like we’re moving two steps forward and one step back.  We’re weary of praying and praying and praying and not seeing results.  I get it.  I’ve been there.

There are some things I’ve prayed years for and still have yet to see fruit.  But that doesn’t mean nothing’s happening.  God is making things happen behind the scenes that I’ll never see.  He waits for circumstances, other people, our hearts and a multitude of other things to be just right before He can answer prayers.

Some He’ll answer quickly, and some take a lifetime. But His timing is always, always perfect.  There are some answers where I’m beginning to see the bud develop, but it’s taken an excruciatingly long period of time.  And there are some things I prayed a long time for, and now know those things will never happen.  And in those instances hope can take a hard hit.

But God says don’t give up.  Hope in Him.

In the Luke 18 parable, Jesus illustrated that if even an unrighteous person relents to someone’s pleas simply because they don’t give up, how much more will God, who is fully righteous and loving towards His children, give to them when they continue to seek Him?

Yes, you’re weary.  And distracted.  So am I.

So why pray?  The bottom line is this: God wants to see our prayers answered.  He wants to show us His will.  He wants to broaden our dreams and give us victory in this life. And what’s more, He wants us to have the peace and courage and wisdom we need every day, and the only way to have those is through prayer.  That’s why He tells us to pray and keep on praying.  Some answers to prayer simply take a long time.  And what if we give up before it’s time?

So let’s find a little corner and sit down at the feet of Jesus—the giver of strength and peace and wisdom–and pray, and gain our strength again.

Let’s stand in the gap for our family, our church, our friends, our neighborhood, our state, our country, our world.

Our children and grandchildren are growing up fast and the legacy we leave them in this world will depend on if we choose to pray or not. It’s a responsibility and privilege we can no longer take for granted.

Here is the link to the website for the National Day of Prayer.  I hope you’ll choose to be one of those on the front lines of prayer for our nation and our world as the time draws closer to the Lord’s return.

And when He does, as Jesus asked, will He find faith?  Will you and I be the ones He sees holding onto our faith in Him as we continue to seek Him in prayer?

Tomorrow we’ll talk about how to pray.  Please pray for me as I seek the Lord for wisdom.

God bless you as you pray!