Category Archives: Gossip

Hi. My name is Door. Door Keeper. Part 2

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Continuing with Part Two of our Mini-Series on The Doorkeeper. I hope you are blessed by Jacob’s story! You can read Part One here and Part Three here!

I met a Door Keeper recently who reminded me what service, humility, honor and love are all about. We were teaching a Revival By Design seminar at a great church in Wenatchee, Washington, a couple of hours from Seattle. (Btw, if you EVER have opportunity to visit this part of the country, just look at the view!)

I digress. The Sweetheart referred to our Doorkeeper as “Door” because of his name-tag. He called him that as if it was his first name and I was afraid he would be offended.

You cannot offend a true Door Keeper.

He was honored.

The Sweetheart called him up front during his Sunday sermon to congratulate him on his enthusiasm and attention to detail. He beamed as any 11 year old would. But it wasn’t a haughty pride. He loves what he does!

He takes his job seriously, very seriously. So much so that when I wanted to take his picture before I left and said, “Let’s get a couple outside…” he buzzed past me so fast to get to the door before I did just so he could open it for me. He wasn’t on the clock but that’s what is so unique about a true Door Keeper. Here he is with my beloved.

He was there to serve.

Door, or Jacob, as his parents and family refer to him, loves people. He lives to serve, to make others happy and to give of himself. He wears his nametag proudly but not with nose-in-the-air pride. He has been given a job in the house of God and he does it with every ounce of his being.

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17.

He represents Christ.

In everything, he reflects the glory of God. He is the first person visitors see when they come to church. His “Welcome, we are so glad you are here” will set the tone for their entire experience. His smile must be infectious but not cheesy; his love for God, genuine. He must express that even HE is happy to be there and honored to serve everyone.

You see, Jacob, our resident Door Keeper, is an overcomer. He has much to be thankful for. Let me share his story…

Jacob was born at 28 weeks gestation but was the size of a 25 week gestation baby on January 25, 2004.

He weighed a whopping 1 lb, 12 oz. That is not a typo, ONE POUND, TWELVE OUNCES!

He was only 14 inches long.

When he was first born, his parents were told not to expect him to come home until his original due date or after, another three months! He left the hospital on the morning of March 30^th sporting a heart monitor for the first two weeks.

His family says he has been a fighter ever since.

I know it would sound corny to say that Jacob knew he had a purpose lying there in that hospital. Jacob didn’t know much of anything if we are honest about it. But Jacob’s GOD KNEW and Jacob’s GOD DID have a purpose for this tiny life.

Those with much to be thankful for tend to live out life to the fullest. They share, they give, and they inspire, encourage and motivate others to realize that THEY TOO have much to live for and should give back as much as possible.

Jacob doesn’t intend to waste his life dwelling on the past but revels in the fact that God reached down to a tiny little baby that fit in the palm of his mother’s and father’s hand and breathed life into him for a purpose.

Door Keepers DO have a purpose!

“It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.” Mark 13:34 ESV.

He guards The Church.

This 11 year old boy guards The Church? Now we will get personal. Was Jesus sharing this particular parable about a man who leaves the care of his home to servants, each one with a specific job to do to remind US, to guard The Body of Christ? To protect it at all cost? To shield it from danger, peril and to defend everything it stands for no matter what the cost?

Yes. But even more than that.

“…and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.” He doesn’t know when his master will return. He cannot afford to let one thing slip; nothing must be out of place, careful consideration has been made for each important duty.

Every. Single. Day.

We were given a charge, just like the servants in this parable, each with his work. We might be:

Door Keepers

Toilet Swabbers (oh, so very important!)

Vacuum Professionals

Window Washers Extraordinaire

Parking Lot Attendants

Groundskeepers

Ushers

Worship Leaders

Musicians

Sunday School Teachers

Youth Pastors

Pastors

Assistant Pastors, Assistants TO the Pastor, etc., etc.

Pastor’s Wives

Sound Technicians

Event Planners

Cooks

Dishwashers

Translators

Deaf Interpreters

Encouragers

Servants

Peacemakers

Helpers

And as we said in our first post, we do not limit these acts of service to the Church building…the Church is a BODY that just happens to meet in a building!

What is it that we DON’T need in the Church?

Busybodies

Gossips

Backbiters

Backstabbers

Blabbermouths

Meddlers

Know-it-alls

Tell-it-alls

Drainers

Troublemakers

Agitators

Liars

Thieves

Professional Protesters

Fault-finders

Nit-pickers

Holier-than-thou “Christians”

Judges or Juries!

We need to show the Love of God everywhere we are, but, in The Church, we can’t afford to let our sinful attitudes prevail. Christ died for those attitudes, for our sins, our mistakes, our past failures so that we could rise above our sinful nature and point others to Him. It is our sole purpose in living! To worship our Creator and to spread the Gospel message that Jesus is alive and invites them IN. Never to be the same!

So here we stand at the Door with Jacob.

We invite them in, literally, figuratively, with our words, with our actions, with the love of God shining through us.

Jacob wasn’t busy running around trying to do jobs that belonged to others, unless they needed his help. He would not have forsaken his post to try to be seen with the praise singers practicing before church. Nor would he have stood outside the pastor’s door listening for “talk”. He would not have been cutting up with the other young people around the water fountain before church. Why? Because he had HIS OWN WORK in the Body. And he was busy doing it with all his might.

Each one of us with his OWN work.

Tomorrow? I want you to meet another Doorkeeper. This one is unique and not normally given the title. Join me, won’t you?

Do you have a Doorkeeper in your life? I would love to hear about them!

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God hates?

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Don’t forget your copy of The Daniel Fast, A Devotional. Great for ANY FAST or prayer journey. On Amazon in paperback and Kindle and Barnes and Noble too! Be blessed!

It is a joy to live according to Godly principles; we are motivated by Love!

The Bible speaks of Seven Things that God literally hates. Sounds pretty strong doesn’t it? Actually it is very strong. The Kings James Version states that they are an “abomination to Him.” In this case a dictionary definition seems in order. Abomination means: noun, that which is detestable, vile, and shameful; arouses intense hatred coupled with disgust; and is abhorred or loathed.

Proverbs 6:12 says these are characteristics of, “A troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers, who plots evil with deceit in his heart – he always stirs up conflict. Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed – without remedy.”

Proverbs 6:16:

There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.

1. Arrogant eyes. (Pride) We are not all the same. We do not all have the same talents and gifts. Hezekiah had pride in his possessions but they eventually brought down the discipline of God on him. 2 Chronicles 32:25. Hezekiah did humble himself and ask for forgiveness. “Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin.” Proverbs 21:4 NLT.

2. A lying tongue. (Making things appear as though they were true when they are not.) When you willingly and knowingly do not tell the truth with the intent to harm others…how damaging this can be to those around us! If it is in the workplace or in the Church, regardless, it will destroy your reputation, friendships, and character in an instant.

3. Hands that shed innocent blood. (You can simply destroy someone by telling them they are no good or have nothing to offer.)

Jealousy of another’s talents and gifts can also destroy your soul.

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Lucifer wanted to be like God! “For you said to yourself. ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.” Isaiah 14: 13-14. His end was destruction! Saul was jealous of David, “…They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king! So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman.” 1Samuel 18:8-10 NLT.

4. A heart that plots wicked schemes. (Even wishing or thinking vindictive, hateful and vicious things on others is a sin!) We must focus our hearts on the fruits of the Spirit that are mentioned in Galatians in 5:22-23 NLT: “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

5. Feet that are eager to run to evil. (Maybe also going to places we don’t belong.) Being in a hurry to tell tales. Those that just can’t wait to share the latest, whatever it is. Gossip is a sin! “Resist the devil and he will flee from you!” James 4:7.

6. A lying witness who gives false testimony. (Especially for personal gain.) As new creations in Christ we should reflect His nature. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT.

7. One who stirs up trouble in their family. (Is there anything worse than a troublemaker?) And is there anything worse than a troublemaker in the Church? Anyone who purposely causes trouble in the Body displeases God and gives place for others to sin and for him to sin even more. “If anyone claims, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.” 1 John 2:9-11 NLT.

The Apostle Paul talks about the consequences of these behaviors: “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 NLT.

The Bible encourages the opposite! If we have had problems with these sins in our lives there is hope! There are many examples of these sins in the Bible and of repentance and forgiveness:

David planned to have Uriah the Hittite killed so he could have Bathsheba for his wife. He paid dearly for his sin, and many times there are consequences for our sins; he lost his newborn son! But he was repentant and did find forgiveness for his soul.

Jacob caused so much trouble as a youth that he was sent to live with relatives! He tricked Esau into selling his birthright to start with; that didn’t settle well. God finally had to send an angel to wrestle with him to get his attention, “Your name will no longer be Jacob…from now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” Genesis 32:28 NLT.

The Apostle Peter had a lying tongue when he denied he knew Jesus three times. But he repented and then began to preach the Gospel!

Paul was a murderer and destroyed many innocent Christians before the light shone down from Heaven on the road to Damascus. His life was changed in an instant when he was blinded by that light and he became the greatest preacher that ever walked the face of the earth. He repented and was forgiven!

Do you have a lying tongue? Are you a gossiper? Are your feet in a hurry to spread evil? Have you given false testimony for personal gain? Is your heart full of pride? Have you been guilty of destroying someone’s gift from God? Do you continually stir up trouble in your family?

There’s an APP for that! It’s called PRAYER…and He will meet you there. If your heart is right, and you humble yourself before Him, you can find forgiveness. Don’t let the enemy tell you otherwise!

Don’t ever be too proud to bow your knee and admit to God that you have let any of these sins take hold in your heart! Get rid of them before it’s too late.

God’s love is bigger than our mistakes. All we have to do is ask.

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Surrounded by Positive People!

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In Bible Study last night at my wonderful church, Pastor Ron Hawkins was teaching from Galatians 5. What a powerful Word! I gleaned so much from it I wish I could just copy and paste his notes (smile). But he said something profound, although it is nothing new, it hit me and The Sweetheart at the same time and we were both scrambling to put it into Notes on our iPhones.

Are there people in your life that just bring too much DRAMA?

People that get JOY out of being NEGATIVE?

“Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” Galatians 5:7.

In addressing the Galatians, or maybe just a few select people in the Church, Paul asks them a pointed question that our pastor brought out so well:

“You DID run well, who hindered you?” (my paraphrase)

What happened? You were doing well, you were running the race, staying close to God, doing HIS will.

Who hindered you?

Friends, if there are people in our lives that constantly bring us down maybe it is time to clean house. Get rid of the drama, the negative in our lives, even if it means severing so-called “friendships”. That doesn’t mean we don’t love people, or reach for people, but we cannot allow them to influence us to the point of hindering our walk with God.

For the saying is so true, “Garbage IN, Garbage OUT!”

And those that just continually seek to destroy and seem to delight in gossip and rumors? Paul is even more bold in the 12th verse when he says,

“I would they were even cut off which trouble you.”

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:17.

Let us surround ourselves with those that are like-minded in Christ.

Those that build up one another, not tear down. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23.

Walk in the Spirit, and let the positive influence of the power of God rule us well.

You may also like Is Your Drama Your Mama?

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