Tag: grace

Saturday Song – Remind Me Who I Am

Posted on by Dorci
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!”
1 John 3:1a

 
Remind Me Who I Am
by Jason Gray
 
When I lose my way
And I forget my name
Remind me who I am
In the mirror, all I see
Is who I don’t wanna be
Remind me who I am
 
In the loneliest places
When I can’t remember what grace is
 
Tell me, once again
Who I am to You, who I am to You
Tell me, lest I forget
Who I am to You, that I belong to You
To You
 
When my heart is like a stone
And I’m running far from home
Remind me who I am
When I can’t receive Your love
Afraid I’ll never be enough
Remind me who I am
 
If I’m Your beloved
Can You help me believe it
 
Tell me, once again
Who I am to You, who I am to You
Tell me, lest I forget
Who I am to You, that I belong to You
To You
 
I’m the one You love
I’m the one You love
That will be enough
I’m the one You love
 
Tell me, once again
Who I am to You, who I am to You
Tell me, lest I forget
Who I am to You, that I belong to You, woah
 
Tell me, once again
Who I am to You, who I am to You
Tell me, lest I forget
Who I am to You, that I belong to You
To You
To You

2022 National Day of Prayer

Posted on by Dorci

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, 
so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted 
and now being built up in Him
and established in your faith, just as you were instructed,
and overflowing with gratitude.”
Colossians 2:6-7 NASB


Thursday, May 5 is this year’s National Day of Prayer, and boy do we need it. The date has come in the middle of this nation’s war, quite literally, between life and death. 

The theme given for this year is ‘Exalt the Lord, who has established us,’ which is based on Colossians 2:6-7. 

The Hebrew word for exalt, when exalting the LORD, means “to be high actively, to rise or raise, to lift up. 

In our dictionary exalt means to raise in rank, honor, power, character, quality, to elevate. 

To praise. 

It is to see God and acknowledge Him for who He is: the Righteous One who judges all and through Christ shows mercy. To humble ourselves before Him, elevating Him in our hearts, minds and souls, praising Him as the King of kings and Lord of lords, seeking Him to do His will on earth as it is in heaven, to do in His strength what we can never do alone. 

Let’s lift our voices together, coming to the throne room of God to praise Him and to seek His mercy. 

Heavenly Father, the Holy and Exalted One, the One worthy to be praised and glorified forever and ever, our Creator, our Giver of Life, and Redeemer, we lift you up as our Lord and King. 

We humbly come before you on behalf of this nation that has been ravaged by the evil one and has turned away from you and your truth and believed lies. 

Father, we ask for the merciful pouring out of your Holy Spirit to give people eyes to see and ears to hear the truth, to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior, the one who bore all our sins on the cross that we might be forgiven of all our sins and have life with you now and forever. 

We pray you would pull the spiritually lost and blinded back from the brink of hell. 

Father, we pray, though, that those who have yet to know you, who are believing and proclaiming and fighting for lies, would see your love in us.

Help us remember that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12)

Though we are angry at the sin because it destroys the sinner, may we be your lights, shining your love and grace and mercy to all those whose hearts will receive you. 

May you grant repentance, LORD, and freedom for the captives. 

We are humbled and blessed beyond comprehension that you know us, and have opened our eyes and hearts to know you. Thank you for revealing yourself to us in the pages of your Word. May our love for you and our faith in you grow more passionate every day.  We pray in the precious name of Yeshuah Hamashiach, Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One, the One who was, Who is, and is to come. Amen.

 

Walking Through Holy Week – 6

Posted on by Dorci

“While He was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss Him, but Jesus asked Him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, ‘Lord, should we strike with our swords?’  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus answered, ‘No more of this!’ And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
Luke 22:47-51

Walking Through Holy Week – 1

Posted on by Dorci
“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist.

After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.”
John 13:1-5

Sunday Praise and a Prayer As We Look Forward

Posted on by Dorci

“{The disciples} brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’

‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’

‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!'”
Matthew 21:7-9

***

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

And they cried out in a loud voice:

‘Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.’”
Revelation 7:9-10


Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you today and every day as we remember what you’ve done through your Son, and what you have prepared for our future. 

Christ’s triumphal entry was but a small foretaste of the victorious never-ending glory we’ll revel in while in the presence of our Savior and King. 

Thank you, Holy Father, for your immeasurable grace and mercy. Through all we must endure here, we look forward to this most joyful time, celebrating with You and one another the victory you’ve won for us. 

In Jesus’ most holy and precious name we pray, amen. 

 

“Come!”

Posted on by Dorci

“And because lawlessness will abound,
the love of many will grow cold.”
~Jesus
Matthew 24:12

I’ve been thinking about these words a lot lately. It’s easy to read them and assume that it’s the people who practice lawlessness whose love will grow cold, and that’s certainly true. 

But in my own heart I’ve seen how easy it is to simply sit and watch or read about the wickedness going on around us and become angry. Yes, we should have a degree of righteous anger, but if we’re not careful, that righteous anger can turn into self-righteousness, judgment, bitterness, and with them the loss of grace, mercy, faith, and love. 

We can get our eyes onto other’s sins and off our own, and forget how much we need forgiveness ourselves. Over time, a lack of repentance and the guilt that sets in can keep us from sitting in the presence of the Lord, the Source of the love we so desperately need.  

And slowly, replacing a tender heart of love, anger begins to fester, and the enemy slowly leads us away, not from salvation, but from fellowship with our gracious Heavenly Father. 

“You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”
1 Thessalonians 5:5-8

Let’s be alert, filled with the Holy Spirit, resisting the enemy, abiding in the love of Christ, the One who is able to rescue us from ourselves, and remember the hope Jesus gives in the next breath after His words we started with at the beginning:

“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”  Matthew 24:13

That word “endures” means “to stay under or behind, remain, to undergo, bear trials, have fortitude, persevere, abide, patiently suffer…”

Yes, we’re living in hard times, but remember, the things of this life are not the goal, this life is not the end, it is the beginning. It is the training ground for the life to come; it is where we cling to Christ, and even more through those very hardships, receiving His character for ourselves, growing into spiritual maturity, prepared for what He has for us in the next. 

So let us “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

If followers of Christ should be characterized by anything, it should be by His love. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So what should our response be to the violence, the hatred, the blatant disregard for life we see around us? Yes, be angry at the sin, yes, be angry at the enemy and the war he’s declared on Almighty God, and then let’s emulate our Lord and Savior who was filled with love and prayed from the cross that His Father would forgive those who put Him there. 

We, too, can let the love God’s given us through the filling of the Holy Spirit lead us to pray for those who are caught in the sin. We can ask our gracious and merciful Heavenly Father to grant them repentance and salvation, pulling them back from the pit of hell, just like He did for us. 

So, if you’ve drifted away from the Lord or you deliberately walked away for whatever reason, and your love has grown cold, or maybe your faith is there but it’s lukewarm, which Christ said was even worse than being cold (because it’s so deceiving), or maybe you’ve never given your life to Christ and you know there is something missing, something you desperately need and have been looking for but haven’t yet found, today is the day.

Christ is ready, willing, and able to forgive you and receive you and fill you with His love, a love that is able to go far above and beyond all other loves, a love that will quench our thirsty souls, renew hearts and minds, and heal us more than we can imagine, and this is what He says to you:

“The Spirit and the bride (followers of Christ) say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.”  Revelation 22:17

“Come!”

 

 

The Saturday Song – Light the Fire Again

Posted on by Dorci

“These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.'”
Revelation 3:14-18

Be aware! God’s Word says that in the end times, “because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12

The moment we realize our faith has become cold, or worse, lukewarm, we have a remedy in Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is able to light the fire in our hearts again if we’ll only call on Him.


Light the Fire Again
by Brian Doerksen

Don’t let our love grow cold
I’m calling out light the fire again
Don’t let our vision die
I’m calling out light the fire again

You know my heart my deeds 
I’m calling out light the fire again
I need Your discipline
I’m calling out light the fire again

I am here to buy gold refined in the fire
Naked and poor
Wretched and blind I come
Clothe me in white
So I won’t be ashamed
Lord light the fire again

Light the fire again, yes
Oh yeah

Don’t let our love grow cold 
I’m calling out light the fire again
Don’t let our vision die
I’m calling out light the fire again

You know my heart my deeds
I’m calling out light the fire again
I need Your discipline
I’m calling out light the fire again

I am here to buy gold refined in the fire
Naked and poor
Wretched and blind I come
Clothe me in white
So I won’t be ashamed
Lord light the fire again

Lord light the fire again
Lord light the fire again
Lord light the fire again
Lord light the fire again

God Promises to Walk Among Us

Posted on by Dorci

“As God has said:

‘I will live with them
    and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.’ (Lev. 26:12; Jer 32:38; Ezek. 37:27)

Therefore,

‘Come out from them
    and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
    and I will receive you.’ (Isaiah 52:11; Ezek 20:34,41)

And,

‘I will be a Father to you,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.’ (2 Sam 7:14; 7:8)

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
2 Corinthians 6:16b-7:1

Sunday Praise and a Prayer to Be Still

Posted on by Dorci

Oh Heavenly Father, we praise you. We praise the One, the only One, Who is full of grace and mercy. 

Today we simply ask that you would help us to be still and know that you are God. Help us to cease from our works, to cease striving to gain your love and your favor. In your Son you fully love us already and nothing can separate us from your love. 

Help us be still within our spirits and lean into our Savior Jesus. 

You know what we need, and we ask in your great grace and mercy that you would provide for us, and that we would give you all the glory. In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen. 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for the Body of Christ

Posted on by Dorci

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. Thank you for your unending, merciful love that brings healing and goodness into our lives. 

Lord, we pray for the body of Christ, for believers whose spiritual walk has been lukewarm, who have allowed themselves to be pulled into the world and the love of things in it, who have been lured into the belief that they have just enough faith to save them, but are missing out all you have for them.

We pray that in your mercy you would open their eyes, soften their hearts, and bring them to repentance and a desire for spiritual things.

We pray our brothers and sisters would be unfulfilled by all the world has to offer, and know that what is missing is you.  We pray you would give them a hunger and thirst for righteousness, that they would seek hard after you, and that you would fill them with the peace and joy they long to have.

We pray you would show them the way to true and lasting faith as they give their whole hearts and lives to you. 

For those who have believed at one time, but whose hearts have grown cold, LORD, please reveal yourself and show them your desire to love and forgive them, to gather them under your wing and heal their hearts and minds, and to make known to them the plan you have for their lives. 

For those who are abiding in you, but maybe there are some areas of their lives they have kept from you, please give your strength and courage to let you have it all. That we would give you our whole hearts, even the hard things, the things we can’t face alone, and face them with you, knowing you are compassionate and full of grace. 

Father, help all of us yield our whole selves to you, that we can experience all you have for us, every healing, every blessing, every gift, and every bit of spiritual growth while we have time. And may we be a light, Lord, for the whole world to see how great is your love. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.