Category: Sacrifice

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

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.

Pain That Earns a Crown

Posted on by Dorci

“1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:1-5

Did you know that in the Greek, the word for rejoice in verse 2 –  “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God”….is the same word for glory in verse 3 – “glory in tribulations…”

Rejoicing and glorying in the hope of the glory of God: yes. But they aren’t exactly the first words I think of when I think of my tribulations – or pressure – as the Greek describes it. In our modern vernacular we might say “being stuck between a rock and hard place.” There’s no place to go, no way out, and nothing we can do about it.  And for this we are to rejoice just as we are to rejoice in the hope, or expectation, of the glory of God.

How can we do that?

Just as we can rejoice in what will come as a result of our hope, our faith, our expectation: the glory of God, we can also rejoice in what will come as a result of our tribulations: perseverance…character…hope. Just as we wait for the glory of God Himself, we wait for the glory of God to be made manifest in ourselves through our sufferings.  It’s through pain and suffering that we’re conformed to the image of God’s Son.

Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 as a runner who competes.  A lot of training goes into an athlete before competition, and spiritually speaking, tribulations are our  God-given trainer.

A runner runs until his feet bleed, his shins ache and his muscles spasm, but he doesn’t give up.  A boxer hits a speed bag, a heavy bag and a sparring partner until he’s bruised, bloodied and his knuckles are raw, but he doesn’t give up.

No matter what opponent you’re facing, don’t give up.   It may be more than you bargained for, it may leave you in tears and breathless, it may bruise your soul, but don’t give up. Trust in the One who sees you, the One who uses pain to produce in His children His own character.  Allow our loving Father to discipline and prepare you, to mature and perfect you for whatever He has planned – in this life and the next – so that you may run the race and win the crown.

Grace and mercy,