Category: Sacrifice

The Sacrifice of Praise

Posted on by Dorci

 

Well hello there. You might have noticed I’ve been mostly absent the past year. I’ve been dealing with more health issues than I can tell you, and I’m still trudging through it all. It would be easy for me to say it was a wasted year, but in God’s hands I know nothing is wasted. Sometimes the Lord calls us to go with Him outside the camp, outside the comforts we know, die to ourselves and share in His sufferings so that even in the middle of the pain, the grief, the suffering, we will come to know He is still good and faithful and worthy and offer our Great High Priest a sacrifice of eternal praise.

“The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”
Hebrews 13:11-15

I don’t understand it all, but God does. Instead of trying to explain it, I thought I’d let Brandon Lake say it for me.

May the Lord bless you all with enduring faith.

(please scroll down)

 

Hard Fought Hallelujah
by Brandon Lake

Yeah, I don’t always feel it
Yeah, but that’s when I need it the most
So, I’ma keep on singing
‘Til my soul catches up with my song

There’s times when my hands go up freely
And times that it costs, oh-oh
There’s days when a praise comes out easy
Days when it takes all the strength I got

I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
Been-through-hell hallelujah (ooh, ooh)
And I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail
Story-to-tell hallelujah, oh
‘Cause God, You’ve been patient
God, You’ve been gracious
Faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing
So I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, it-is-well hallelujah, whoa-oh
Hallelujah (ooh, ooh), hallelujah

I’ve wrestled with the darkness
But I’m tryin’ to reach for the light
Yeah, the struggle keeps me honest
And it breaks down the walls of my pride

‘Cause faith isn’t proven like gold
‘Til it’s been through the fire, eh-eh
My head, heart, and hands are feeling heavy
But that’s when I lift them just a little higher

I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
Been-through-hell hallelujah (ooh, ooh)
I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail
Story-to-tell hallelujah, whoa-oh
God, You’ve been patient
God, You’ve been gracious
Faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing
I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, it-is-well hallelujah, oh
Hallelujah, hallelujah (ah, ah, ah, ah, ah)

I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
Been-through-hell hallelujah (hallelujah)
I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail
Story-to-tell hallelujah, whoa-oh
God, You’ve been patient
And God, You’ve been gracious
Faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing
I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, it-is-well hallelujah (ooh)
Oh, hallelujah (mm, eh-ah, eh)
Hallelujah

Oh-oh, oh, oh-oh-oh
Hallelujah, hallelujah, halle-
Halle-, mm-mm
Hallelujah

 

Unclean Hands

Posted on by Dorci

I love court shows. Well, not all of them, but there are a couple I like to watch. Every once in a while one judge in particular will bring up the concept in the law of unclean hands. That is when a someone sues another person, but they themselves acted illegally, unethically or in bad faith. 

This judge will usually explain it by using an example like this: let’s say someone sold another person illegal drugs and the buyer didn’t pay the seller the amount they agreed so the seller is suing for the money. The judge will explain that the courts can’t do that. They can’t make fair or right something that’s illegal. 

We love justice. God built into us a sense of fairness, of right and wrong. That’s why people protest, why people speak out, why people love court shows. 

The problem, though, is sometimes we’re all too willing to overlook our own sin. 

There are times we stand in prayer before the Father, the ultimate Judge, with “unclean hands.”  We’ve chosen to repeatedly walk a sinful path, to hold onto some sinful attitude, like not forgiving someone for the sin they’ve committed against us when God’s forgiven us for a lifetime of sin, and then ask Him to bless us.

Yes, we ask for forgiveness, and in Christ we are forgiven and won’t face eternal punishment for our sins, but when we’ve chosen sin we can’t expect God to bless us or protect us from the consequences of that sin.  

Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous;
    you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 5:12

In Christ, God’s called us to a holy life, a life different than the world, a life of death to self’s indulgence to sin, not only to glorify Him but because He desires to protect us from the consequences that sin brings – the pain and suffering, the lack of peace, sometimes even an early death. 

Our God is more gracious and merciful than any earthly judge, and for a time He may warn us to stop, but if we don’t heed His warning, He’ll give us over to sin’s consequences to teach us so we’ll stop sinning. 

Or, every day, over and over, we can choose to take up our cross, die to ourselves and follow Christ who gave up His life for us. We can choose to be transformed by the renewing of our minds by the work of the Holy Spirit in us, knowing our righteous Father will bless us with His favor – His delight and good pleasure. 

Course that doesn’t mean that by living righteously we’ll never suffer and it doesn’t mean every time there’s a trial in our lives we’ve done something wrong. It just means we live in a sin-filled world. 

Someday all sin will be judged and the new world will be perfect the way God intended it to be in the beginning.  

Until then, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can choose to walk uprightly, glorifying our Heavenly Father, receive His blessings, and rest in His peace.

* * *

Heavenly Father, we ask not only for forgiveness for our sins, but from the heart we repent of them and turn from them. In your strength may we daily walk the narrow road and have eyes only for You. Thank you for the amazing grace and mercy we know we don’t deserve but that you’ve shown us over and over. May we never take it for granted nor abuse it. Out of our love for You and our gratitude, may we always choose to live righteously, giving our bodies to You as living sacrifices. In Jesus’ precious name, amen. 

 

 

Walking Through Holy Week – 5

Posted on by Dorci

“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him. 

He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ 

An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
Luke 22:39, 41-43

Not a 9-5 Job

Posted on by Dorci

Pastors only work a couple of hours on Sundays, right?  Maybe a couple more if there’s a midweek study?  Well, not quite.

Not even close.

Besides spending time in prayer, studying God’s Word and preparing the teachings, pastors oversee all the church staff, each ministry, all the events, manage the church building maintenance, allocate church finances, counsel hurting people, resolve disputes (at least try!), perform weddings and funerals, and I’m sure a lot of other things that we don’t even know about.

And they do it all while also managing their own household, marriage, children, all with the same challenges we all have.

And it’s not only what they do, but how God calls them to do it – with all love, grace, mercy, humility, wisdom, patience, and stewardship.

In his first letter to Timothy (third chapter), Paul says, “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.  (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”

And speaking of the devil, make no mistake, pastoring a flock is a front lines position. Pastors, and their families, are particularly open to spiritual attacks.

This is not a job, but a calling they pour their hearts into, day in and day out, 24/7, and pastor burnout is not uncommon.

That’s where we come in. 

“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to appreciate those who diligently work among you [recognize, acknowledge, and respect your leaders], who are in charge over you in the Lord and who give you instruction, and [we ask that you appreciate them and] hold them in the highest esteem in love because of their work [on your behalf].”
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 AMP

Every Sunday we walk in and sit down, taking for granted that someone has laid down his life in service to the Lord and to us, to feed us, to train us, to care for us as the Lord would have him do.  Showing our appreciation is the very least we can do to serve them back, to encourage them, to let them know their service is not in vain, but is making a difference in our lives.

Of course that can be done any time of the year, but to come together in October to corporately show our appreciation during Pastor Appreciation Month is a way we can stand together with our pastors, and their families, as one in the Lord.

Thank you, pastors!

 

Heavenly Father, we lift up our pastors to you and ask that you would fill them up with your Spirit, and renew their hearts with the love, wisdom, and encouragement they need to continue faithfully in the service you’ve called them to.  We pray you would strengthen their marriages and protect their families from the enemy.  Help us to never take for granted all they do, and remind us to pray for them, this month and always.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.