A Well-Worn Heart

What is it about the show Touched By An Angel that gets me every time?  When I think of it I remember how it can be a little on the cheesy side.  But I think I've hardly watched a show that I can get through without a least a tear or two.  This last one I watched was no exception.  In fact, I cried most of the way through it.  Darn their cheesiness. 

It was about a 16-year old girl who was in the hospital and needed a heart transplant.  Another woman, in the same hospital, had just been in a horseback riding accident and was being kept alive by machines.  The doctor and the angels were trying to talk to the woman's husband to explain to him how he and his wife could help this young girl by allowing the woman's heart to be donated.  The man would hear nothing of it.  He couldn't accept the fact that his wife was really already dead and his own heart was broken. 

The doctor's daughter visited the young heart patient and they became fast friends.  At one point, the 16-year old girl, facing her own death, looked at her new young friend and said, "You've done well with your heart."

At that moment I thought, have I done well with my heart?  Have I used it to it's ultimate capacity?  Have I loved all I could love?  Have I forgiven all I could forgive?  And, of course, the answer is no.  I've succeeded many times, but others I haven't.

But I have this moment in time to choose whether to do well with my heart or not.  I pray I choose to do all I can possibly do with my heart with the power of God moving me for the rest of my life.  I have one life.  One chance each moment.  How will I look back on those moments when my life nears its end? 

At the end of the show, the husband is finally able to accept his wife's death, and sees the good in donating his dear wife's heart so that another doesn't have to die.  Sadly, he chose too late.  The young girl received her new heart, but along with a new body in the arms of her Savior. 

The husband had been warned many times not to take too long in his decision.  And God speaks to each of us, too, to choose Christ before it's too late.  God desires to give you a new heart.  Not a literal heart, of course, but a soul-heart, if you will, that is not laden with your own sin, but rather one that has been forgiven of all your sins because of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for you on the cross.  You can receive that forgiveness by simply telling God that you are sorry for your sins and that you want His Son Jesus Christ to come into your life to be your Savior and your Lord.  Please don't wait. 

If you have any questions, please email me by clicking on the postcard in the sidebar. 

God bless.
Dorci

George Street Testimony

Never underestimate the ability of God to work powerfully through you when you simply do what He has called you to do at this moment.  He may not call you to be a pastor or a well-known evangelist, but He has called you to your own ministry. Whatever that is, whether that's raising children to love the Lord, praying for a neighbor, or sharing the gospel with others, if you'll do it faithfully, in God's strength and to the best of your ability, though you may not see results in this lifetime, He will do amazing things.  This is but one such story. 

"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from the heavens, and does not return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring out and bud, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My Word be, which goes out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall certainly do what I sent it to do. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break out before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:10-12)

Friday Funnies - Whatever you do, don't use your GPS to get to The Dress Barn.

Armour of God - Pray Always

Armour of God series - Part 1, Part 2a, Part 2b, Part 2c, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7


I didn’t want to finish up talking about the armour of God without including the call of Paul to prayer. Each piece of armour – the truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation and the word of God, are all obtained through prayer and will be maintained and strengthened by prayer.

“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints..” (Ephesians 6:18)

Paul includes the words “always” and “all” four times in this one verse.

“praying always”…Our call to prayer is not just when we feel like it, or when things get really, really difficult, or when we’ve exhausted all other resources. We were given the Holy Spirit so that we could be in constant communion with the One to Whom our battles belong.  We can go to Him day or night, home or away.  God is always listening. 

“all prayer and supplication”…Literally, this means with every form of worship and request imaginable. We should never be afraid to bring anything before our Lord. Nothing is too small, too big and there are no feelings of fear or anger or any other emotions or thoughts we can have that He doesn’t already know about. He wants us to learn to completely depend on Him.

“with all perseverance and supplication”…Don’t give up. You may have prayed about something for years. Don’t give up. You may feel discouraged. Don’t give up. You may think God has forgotten you or your prayer. He hasn’t. Don’t give up. See your request through to the end, whether the answer you are given is yes, no, or wait. Don’t give up.

“for all the saints”…The saints are not those few chosen by man to be put on a pedestal for others to worship. The saints are all those who have been made pure and holy by the blood of Jesus Christ. The saints are all those who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They are you and I. And we are to pray for all of them – as many and as often as the Lord puts on our hearts.

There is a couple who used to go to our church many years ago, but who moved out of state. I haven’t heard from them or anything about them since they left. But every now and then, God will put them on my heart, and I know I need to pray for them. The next time you think of a brother or sister in Christ, pray for them. You may not even know them personally, but pray for them.

Which brings me to the reminder that Paul gives to pray “in the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit knows of things that we don’t. He knows the needs that my friends whom I haven’t seen in years have. He knows the needs of that person sitting across from you in church. He knows the needs of your pastors and their families. He knows all the needs of all the saints that He puts on our hearts to pray for.

As we sit before Him, entering in to all praise and worship of our God, He will show us how to pray for the members of the body of Christ, and how to pray for ourselves. And as we lift up those prayers and supplications, the peace of God will fill our hearts, and each piece of armour will be even stronger than it was before.

God bless!

Fraturday Foodie - Cheddar Cheese Buttermilk Scones

Yep, Friday's gone, so this week it's Fraturday Foodie.  We had these scones with homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.  The first soup of the fall/winter season.  And then I had one for breakfast this morning.  

And p.s..can somebody please tell me why they have you use unsalted butter and then add salt??  Oh, wait. I think I just answered my own question.  Maybe it's because the amount of salt varies from one brand of butter to another and this way they can be precise about the amount of salt added to the recipes.  Huh.  Well thanks for helping me answer a question I've been wondering for a long time.  Who says you don't help out around here.

Cheddar Cheese Buttermilk Scones

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

2 1/4 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese

2 large eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons chopped chives

baking spray

milk for glazing

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, dry mustard, baking powder, sugar, salt and nutmeg.  Add butter, rubbing in with your fingers to form a course meal.  Add cheese and mix.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and chives.  Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add egg mixture.  Using a fork, toss lightly just until all the dry mixture is incorporated. 

4. Drop by spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet to make 12 scones.  Brush the tops with milk.

5. Bake 9-12 minutes, just until tops are lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack. 

The Persecuted Church in Indonesia

The focus of the persecuted church this month will be on Indonesia. Indonesia is made up of 18,306 islands, 6,000 of which are inhabited. Indonesia is currently listed as a hostile nation, wherein the government attempts to protect Christians, but they are still victimized with violence because of their Christian beliefs.

The religious affiliation currently in Indonesia is 80% Muslim and 16% Christian. The Indonesian government holds a belief called “Pancasila,” where people are technically allowed to choose the religion they follow, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism, but Muslims are given preferential treatment.

Two families in West Java, Indonesia have recently been forced from their homes because the families converted to Christianity and baptized. A Voice of the Martyrs contact reported that, “They were summoned by a Muslim leader [in the village] and told they should leave the village because Christians make the village unclean.”

The Voice of the Martyrs reports that in May of 2008, Muslim warriors attacked a Christian village, burned the homes and threw bombs. They killed a 47-year old woman and her 6-year old granddaughter, smashing the woman’s skull with an ax, and hacking the girl’s stomach with a machete.

Prayer Request

Some Christians had gathered in Indonesia to pray that the hearts of Muslims would be open to the gospel. A video tape of the prayer service leaked to Islamic organizations and Daniel and 40 other Christian leaders were arrested in Indonesia in April, 2007. Daniel, an evangelist, was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Please be praying for Daniel and other prisoners who are currently serving prison time or are being persecuted in any way in Indonesia. If you’d like to write a letter of encouragement to Daniel, you can do so through Prisoner Alert.

Please pray for continued growth of the body of Christ in Indonesia, that the Lord will strengthen them in body and spirit to stay strong in their faith, that they will keep spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and that the Holy Spirit will draw many Muslims and people of other religions to the Heavenly Father and that they will be saved.

God bless.

Armour of God - The Sword of the Spirit

Armour of God Series - Part 1, Part 2a, Part 2b, Part 2c, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6


“..and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” (Ephesians 6:17b)

Greek Word Lesson Alert!

There are two words for “word” in the New Testament.

The first is logos, which means “something said, or the expression;” as in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He (Jesus Christ) was in the beginning with God.” Or in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” This is the spoken word of God, or the expression of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The second, which we are discussing today, is rhema, which means “an utterance, individually, collectively or specifically; a command.” This is a specific word given by God for a specific situation, as in Acts 11:16, when Peter said, “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” This was a specific word that the Lord gave to him. God can speak to us for specific situations through the scriptures, through another believer or directly into our hearts. You know those times you’ve been in a trial or praying for direction about something and God speaks to your heart? That’s the rhema of God.

(By the way, the word for the scriptures, the written Word of God, is another word, graphe, meaning “a document.”)

We’ve been given a sword, our only offensive weapon, which is the Holy Spirit, Who dwells within His believers in all power, speaking to our hearts, giving us wisdom, direction and encouragement when we are confronted in an enemy attack.

There was a night very soon after I became a Christian when I was at home alone that I got a very strange and scary phone call from someone I didn’t know. Because of some circumstances in my past, I was filled with fear after I received the second phone call just minutes after the first.

Immediately, the Spirit of God spoke to my heart words from scripture that I had heard at church or bible study. I didn’t even know the reference but I ran to my Bible and tried to find it. It took a while to find it because, as I found out, I had heard the verses in a different translation than the Bible I had was in. But God was faithful to put a few keys words on my heart and I found the scripture soon enough.

“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret-it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more.” (Psalm 37:1-10)

Through my graphe, the Holy Spirit spoke His rhema to my heart. When satan would have filled me with fear, the Spirit comforted me and reassured me that I was safe.

Don’t wait until you’re faced with an attack, or a trial of some kind to get into God’s Word. None of us knows what a day will bring. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhema) that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"  We need to hear from the Lord.  Only He has the wisdom we need for each decision. 

Keep your sword at hand by stepping in closer to the Lord right now. Be familiar with God’s Word so that He can bring it to your mind when you most need it. Cultivate that intimate relationship with Him today so that your ears and heart are attuned to Him.


{I know it’s long - so sorry! And thank you to those of you who voted in the poll. We basically ended up with a tie!}

Step 1: Wait

I had the chance to bake this week. I've been baking now for about 20 years, and I love it.  To me, it's a way of expressing my artistic side with some flour, egg, sugar and usually, some chocolate.  In the beginning, I wasn't very patient.  I'd try to rush through steps and the end product would always show it.  At one point I realized I needed to slow down and do each step until it was thoroughly completed. 

Bring the water to a full boil.  Mix until the cream held stiff, not medium, peaks.  Add the sugar slowly, rather than all at once.  Don't forget the baking soda in the chocolate chip cookie dough. 

So as I was baking this week, I reminded myself that I needed to do each step to perfection before moving on to the next step. 

And then it hit me: God does the same thing with us.  He is patient.  He takes us through each step of growth and waits until we've completed it to His satisfaction, and then He will move us on to the next step. 

Learn to forgive that person.  Purge the bitterness.  Empty myself.  Gain compassion.  Learn wisdom through trials.  Know Him.

Love. 

The only thing is, I also have the same impatience I had in creating a pastry or a cake in God's process of creating me who He wants me to be.  I need to remember that I can't hurry the step God has me in right now or the end result will not be the same. 

I don't know exactly what God is creating me to be, but I do know that He is the consummate Craftsman.  He has a vision and I need to trust Him with each step.  And ultimately, if I slow down and yield to Him, I will be honored to mirror the supreme Artist.

"Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God'? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."  (Isaiah 40:27-31)