Category: Faith

What God’s Doing – God’s Plans are Greater

Posted on by Dorci

At church this morning, among other things, we talked about the demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. (Mark 5 and Luke 8)

This tortured man had been staying in the tombs among the dead. The demons that inhabited his body had such incredible strength and power that even though the man would be chained and his feet shackled in irons, the demons broke free. “Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.” (Mark 5:5) What a horrifying existence. I can imagine he thought he would never be free of this hellish nightmare.

Jesus and his apostles landed there after a treacherous trip across the Sea of Galilee. Though the man probably didn’t know who Jesus was, the demons did, and the tortured man ran, fell on his knees before Jesus, and worshipped Him.

Jesus called out the impure spirit, who called itself Legion because there were many demons in control of the man. The demons had to obey and Jesus granted their request to be sent into a herd of pigs nearby.

I can’t imagine the relief of being restored to the land of the living. Well, in a much less dramatic way, I can.

The Bible says the man was now dressed and in his right mind. Jesus and his friends were now getting back in the boat.

It would seem Jesus had gone to this region for the sole purpose of freeing this man from the demons who’d had him bound. But why?

The man begged to go with Jesus. After all, he owed Him his life. But Jesus said no. He told him to “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19) 

So the man returned to Decapolis and began telling people his story of the miracle done for him, and about the Lord Jesus who’d done it.   

We’re all called to different ministries. Some are meant to serve in one way, and others in a different way. The way we’re called to serve may not be our first choice, and there may be different reasons for that. But God has a plan. He sees the Big Picture, the beginning from the end. He sees the choices we’ll make, the illnesses we’ll have, the circumstances we’ll find ourselves in, but His plans will not be thwarted.

There were a lot of things I wanted to do for God. I was filled with dreams of serving Him in certain ways. Some I was able to, but many more I wasn’t. I had one obstacle after another and even though I still tried, circumstances kept getting worse and I had to give up those dreams. So I began to write. And maybe that was God’s plan all along.

I may not have been demon-possessed, but I was sure chased down by some early in life and drawn into some things that only Jesus could have delivered me from. God used today’s teaching to speak to my heart and remind me of this powerful testimony and that He has a plan to use it, to be content with where He has me, and even joyful at the prospect of His plans for me. I’m still here so who knows what He has planned for the future.

When we give our lives to God, His plan for us will be even better than what we might have chosen for ourselves, and He’ll fulfill not only His plan for us, but for the Big Picture, one that’s greater than any of us knows or can see.

At the time, Decapolis was comprised of ten Greek cities.

One of them was Damascus, where Saul would later be headed to persecute Christians before Jesus knocked him to the ground and called him. Saul, the man we now know as Paul the apostle, continued on to Damascus where a disciple named Ananias was called by the Lord to restore Paul’s sight and take him to the other disciples there. Here is where Paul began his ministry, preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. And of course Paul went on to write at least 13 books included in the New Testament.

Another city within Decapolis was Philadelphia, one of the churches written about in Revelation to whom Jesus sent a message through John acknowledging His love for them.

The formerly-demon-possessed man with an extraordinary testimony wanted to go with Jesus to serve alongside Him, but Jesus wanted to use him in a different, even greater capacity – to go and give his testimony, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ around Decapolis, planting seeds for future harvest.

What’s God speaking into your heart?


PS – If you need prayer, please let me know.

 

Heavenly Father, wherever you have us right now, if it’s not our first choice, may we not be discouraged. We trust you have a plan for our lives, one you’ve had from the very beginning. May we be filled to overflowing with your Holy Spirit that we might be fruitful, and with hope and joy at the prospect. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

A Taste of Heaven

Posted on by Dorci

With every passing year (week? day?), every hurdle I face, every body part that breaks down, every headline I thought I’d never see, I find myself longing more and more for my heavenly home.

This world holds less of what I want, but heaven…the home of my LORD, my Savior, my Friend…that is where my heart is. And I know I’m not alone.

 

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
For in this hope we were saved.”
Romans 8:22-24

Ah, childbirth. In those moments of some of the most intense, blinding, delirium-inducing pain I’ve ever had, I never thought I’d be able to look back and smile. Even chuckle. I barely remember the pain now, but oh, the tremendous blessing I received afterward – now that I remember, and am still blessed with today.

And I can say yes, it was all worth it. The morning sickness, the cravings, the water retention, the back pain, all worth it. I can even cherish it now knowing the beauty that came from it.

And yes, no matter the pain in this life, it’ll all be worth it someday. The day will come when not only our adoption is complete, but we’ll see how the Lord used the trials in this life to mature our faith, to grow us closer to Him, and to receive those treasures we’ve laid up there, treasures greater than we can ever imagine.

For now, we continue to groan inwardly, to wait, patiently, for our time to come. There is a way, though, to experience a taste right now of the future reward for our labor.

Call up an old friend, a brother or sister in the Lord you haven’t seen in while, and invite him or her to lunch, dinner, coffee.

Laugh over old times, eagerly share what’s happened in your lives, how the Lord’s been faithful to always be there in the tough times, and what He’s taught you along the way.

As your heart is filled with the joy of the reunion, let it be a reminder of joy we’ll experience at the great feast in heaven as we join untold numbers of loved ones, those we sorely miss and those we have yet to meet, with our King at the head, and rejoice forever.

Until then, let us hold onto our Hope.

Do You Believe This?

Posted on by Dorci

 

“Jesus said… ‘I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; 
and whoever lives and believes in Me
will never die. 

 

 

Do you believe this?'”
John 11:25-26


Heavenly Father, we are in awe of the love, grace, and mercy you’ve shown to us through Christ’s death and resurrection, His victory over death, and ours. May we fix our eyes on you each day that we may know the power of Christ’s resurrection living and working in us, sustaining us, sanctifying us, transforming us into His glorious image. May we overflow every day with the same joy that filled the disciples that glorious, triumphant morning. In Christ’s precious name we pray, amen. 

Happy Resurrection Day!

If you’re reading this and you haven’t yet believed that Jesus is who He said He is-the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God sent to die as payment for your sins, that He is indeed God, and you have questions, please feel free to email me or message me on my Facebook page at the links to the right or at the bottom (depending on how you’re viewing this). 

In Christ’s love,
Dorci

 

Just Jesus

Posted on by Dorci

There are days when it all gets overwhelming, and this time I’m not talking about the trials of life. I’m talking about all the articles, the teachings, the books that remind us Christians how to have godly marriages or singlehoods, to remember to present the gospel to others, and what about who’s right and wrong about those disputed ideas in God’s Word, and don’t forget to serve God, and repent, and what to do when suffering, and sowing and reaping, and don’t do this and do do that, and, and, and…

And those are good things. We need those things. But sometimes I think we can get so caught up in all that that we can begin to try to do it in our own strength, to shoulder the burden of the Christian life ourselves. And some days I just want to reset and say to myself and to everyone –

Just Jesus.

Just focus on Jesus and He’ll lead us in relationships; just abide in Jesus and He’ll give us the desire to make disciples; just rest in Jesus and He’ll open His Word to us and give us wisdom; just remain in Him and He’ll sweetly convict us of any sins He wants to help us with. Just walk with Jesus and He’ll walk with us through suffering. 

Just keep relationship with Jesus first and He will do it. His Spirit who is alive in us will give us all we need to love, to forgive, to walk in power, strength, and courage, to be victorious in this life.  

So when it gets overwhelming and you don’t know the answers, you have no strength, you don’t know where to turn, just Jesus.

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke (zugos – to join, a coupling) upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
Matthew 11:28-30


The Eternal Symphony

Posted on by Dorci

Recently I was blessed to attend a symphony performing the music of the incomparable John Williams. You may or may not recognize that name, but you will recognize some of his masterpieces.

Not only is he a decades-long accomplished conductor, but he’s composed the scores for some of our most beloved films: Schindler’s List, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws (one of my favorites!), Saving Private Ryan, Fiddler on the Roof, Indiana Jones, and yes, every single Star Wars movie, and so much more. 

Soaking in the beauty of each arrangement, I watched as each section played in perfect unison, and every section harmonized with the others.

Dozens of individual sounds, while beautiful on their own, but together, as they followed the direction of the conductor, each sound contributed to form a symphony that touched the soul. 

Even within sections where all were playing the same instruments, each person had a slightly different way of holding their own, of sitting, of moving…

Some would periodically move back and forth across the stage to play more than one instrument. Most musicians had moments when they sat during a piece, waiting for their cue from the conductor. Some waited longer periods of time and only occasionally played their instruments.

As I listened to the waves of the violins, the pounding of the drums, the moaning of the cellos, the ting of the triangle, the crashing of the cymbals, this poetry set to melody, I couldn’t help but think of you and me. 

God has given each of us an instrument, if you will, a gift to bless those in the kingdom of God, and to be a light of His love touching souls in the world. 

We have different gifts, none more important than the others, but each one complimenting one another to accomplish God’s composition, the beautiful, eternal plan our Father has written.

As we keep our eye fixed on our Conductor, following His instruction, waiting when we’re called to wait, contributing as He directs us, not exactly like another but as the Lord has blessed us in our own way, that we can fully realize our part alongside our brothers and sisters in our Father’s grand orchestra. 

For those who know Jesus Christ as our Savior, God has given us, at this time in history, a part to play. Don’t despair if your part doesn’t seem as active as someone else’s, or if your instrument is different than another’s, or you seem to have longer (or shorter) waiting periods, or you have one gift while someone else has more than one. 

Each one of our parts is vital to the symphony God has planned. 

And one more thing. The word symphony is derived from the Greek word sumphōnia meaning unison of sound, a concert of instruments. 

That word is used one time in the Bible in the telling of the parable of the prodigal son.

The son had left the father, squandered everything he had and was left destitute.

He’d come to his senses and journeyed home, his father running to greet him. Though the son had been resigned to being a mere servant of his father, his father would have none of that. He embraced him, clothed him in his finest, and joyfully received him back as a son, and a grand celebration ensued. 

As the older son was coming home, “he heard music – sumphōnia – and dancing.” Luke 15:25b

Of course God doesn’t need any of us to accomplish His will, but He’s chosen to bless us with gifts that we might be part of His eternal composition.

As we each perform our gifts, God causes them to be used together to bring some to the Father for the first time, and some to return to a loving, trusting relationship with Him. The echoes of that orchestra will reverberate forever.

Could there be any more beautiful symphony than that? 

 

* * *

 

Heavenly Father, help us be sensitive to the prompting of your Holy Spirit to serve you with the gifts you’ve given us. I pray, too, for those who aren’t sure what their gifts are. Please show them how you’ve gifted them and how you desire they use those gifts in their own unique ways to accomplish your grand purpose. Thank you, Father, for your grace and mercy in allowing us to be a part of what you’re doing in the lives of others, and may we always be careful to do it all bathed in prayer and with your love. We ask it all in Jesus’ precious name, amen.