Half Empty or Half Full?

Posted on by Dorci

Most of the last (almost) eleven months I’ve been in the furnace, I’ve felt the Son of God in the fire right next to me. Praise the Lord, I’ve been blessed with many people praying on my behalf, especially in the beginning and for the next several months, and that has made all the difference.

But there have been days I only feel the red hot, scorching, sweltering heat. On those days the Lord gently reminds me there’s another perspective. That I’m not in the fire to be hurt, but to be refined, to burn off the impurities so that my faith will come forth as pure gold.

There are so many good and godly perspectives to have when in the heat of a trial.

He even reminded me through a dear friend recently when she said, “Look how far you’ve come!” Oh, was she right.

The Lord continues to hold my hand, to coax me along, to encourage me on those hard, exhausting days when it’s all just so overwhelming, reminding me to lay down my flesh, my human perspective, and see through His eyes.

To punctuate that thought, He spoke to me through an amazing woman whose life I can’t even begin to imagine, but she’s living it with His grace, with His eyes, bringing Him glory.

Through Katherine Wolf’s story, the Lord reminded me that I don’t need to see my life as a cup that’s half empty or even half full, but that because of His love, “my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5b)

I hope you’re blessed by her story.

 


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2023 National Day of Prayer

Posted on by Dorci

 

Hello Friends. Well, today is our National Day of Prayer. It seems each year we need it a little more than the last. This year’s theme is Pray Fervently in Righteousness and Avail Much, taken from James 5:16b – “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

When we ourselves are walking uprightly in the Holy Spirit, not grieving Him, but being sensitive and obedient to His leading, and actively praying according to His will, our prayers will be powerful and we will see the Lord work mightily to move mountains.

You can find all the information on this year’s Day of Prayer, its history, events, livestream, and more, here.

Our Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today, exalting and praising the mighty name of Jesus the Christ, the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. LORD, we pray for ourselves first. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 23-24)

I repent of my sins and ask you to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I lay down those sinful deeds and thoughts and take up your righteousness, and with it your peace and joy. May my life be salt and light to those around me that you would be glorified in all I say and do. Fill me with your love and compassion for the lost and all those you put in my life.

We lift up our nation to you, LORD, its churches’ leaders, government leaders, schools’ leaders, and leaders at home. We pray for the pouring out of your Holy Spirit to open the eyes and hearts of those who’ve been blinded, to convict of sin and bring about a revival for the salvation for many, and revival among those who have known you but have been drawn into the world and become complacent.

We pray for your mercy, that you would bind the enemy and his lies and deception. We pray for the healing of those who would answer your call, believing on the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.

May we humble ourselves and turn back to you as a nation, looking to you in all we do. May you heal us that we would again be a light to the world of your goodness and faithfulness when a people put their trust in you and in your Holy Word.

Thank you for hearing our prayers, and we thank you in advance for what you’re going to do.

We pray it all in the name of our Lord Jesus, our Savior, amen.

Sunday Praise and a Prayer

Posted on by Dorci

 

Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you today and praise your mighty name. Even though we don’t always understand what you’re doing in our lives, maybe even rarely, we know you have a plan and you’re working everything together for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purposes. You do everything well. 

Thank you for giving us a sense of humor to help lighten those heavy loads, to bring some cheerfulness to those dark days. Things can get pretty crazy, as you know, and you knew we’d need a way to bring a smile to our face. We’re so thankful for the amazingly thoughtful Father you are.

We praise You because we are fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, we know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)

Lord, help us to always remember and be grateful for the beautiful and complex way you’ve created us, and most of all, that you created us in your image. Only by your creative and thoughtful hand could that be accomplished, and we give you all the praise and honor and glory. 

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

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

 

For the Joy Set Before Him

Posted on by Dorci

 

Though innocent, He endured it all to do His Father’s will, standing in an impossibly large gap, taking on the debts of our blackest sins with His own death, a death on a cross, and reconciled us to God. 

That joy set before Him was you and me. 

 

Looking unto Jesus the
author and finisher of our
faith; who for the joy
that was set before Him
endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and is set down
at the right hand
of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Hosanna!

Posted on by Dorci

The God of Israel had just rescued His people from their mighty enemies through a parted sea on dry ground. Dry ground. They didn’t have to wade through a little bit of water or even slog through mud. God provided a red carpet toward the Promised Land.

Days later, they camped near some springs of water and seventy palm trees. (Countless studies could be done on the significance of the number 70 in God’s Word.)

Not too long after, God ordained certain holy days to be celebrated every year, one of them being the Festival, or Feast of Tabernacles.  During the seven days this feast was observed, the Israelites were to live in tents, or tabernacles, made from the leaves of various trees, including palm trees, as a celebration and remembrance of the Lord’s deliverance and provision in the desert.

Because this joyful holiday had been celebrated generation after generation, palm leaves became a symbol of victory, triumph, and faithfulness.

So when Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey just before Passover, the crowds who had gathered there, recognizing Jesus as their savior (although their idea of what He was there to do would be vastly different), it was only right that they cut down palm branches to welcome Him.

“On the next day, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, a great crowd who had come to the Feast took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him. And they cried,

‘Hosanna (oh save)! 
Blessed is the King of Israel
who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
John 12:12-13

He did indeed come to save us, but in an even much greater way than they thought. He didn’t come to only save us from a cruel and unjust government, but to save us from ourselves, from our own sins that would have brought a certain death to our souls in this life and an eternal one in the next.

The next time the apostle John would give us a look at the significance of palm leaves would be as he was given a glimpse into heaven.

“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.’

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

‘Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!’”
Revelation 7:9-12

 

 


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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


Putting Aside the Hard Shell

Posted on by Dorci


“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” 
Ephesians 4:31-32 ESV