DORCAS THE DOER, PART ll

James 1:22 says this, But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only,

 deceiving yourselves.

Last month we looked at the acts of Dorcas as recorded in the Bible and what lessons we can learn from the brief account from Acts 9:36-42 where we read the account of a woman who personified this verse beautifully.  She is known by two names: Tabitha (which is Aramaic) and Dorcas which is Greek.  For our purposes here I will be referring to her as Dorcas.

Let me summarize her story for you:

Dorcas lived in the seaport town called Joppa and was known for her good deeds, especially to widows. She became sick and died. After Dorcas’s body was washed and put in a cool upstairs room, the disciples sent for Peter who was ministering in the

general area. When he arrived back at her house, he found the widows crying and they showed him all the clothing that Dorcas had made for them. Peter sent them all out of the room and knelt down and begin to pray, then he turned to the corpse of Dorcas and told her to get up. She immediately opened her eyes and sat up after which Peter helped her to her feet. He then called all of the believers and the widows and presented the resurrected Dorcas to them. Of course news like this doesn’t remain a secret and it soon spread throughout Joppa what had happened and many believed in Christ as the Lord. In fact, Peter didn’t return to Lydda, but stayed in Joppa at the house of Simon the tanner.

 Dorcas’s legacy to us is that of a woman who knew what talents she possessed and wasted no time in putting them to good use blessing others. Dorcas was good at using a needle to fashion clothing, which she skillfully did for the destitute widows in her community. This month I want us to look at the rest of the story.

The Scripture tells us that at some point Dorcas fell sick and died. It is clear from the reaction to her death of the disciples and the widows that Dorcas was far more to them than just a seamstress who made clothing. They had come to love her as a true servant of Christ, with a heart full of his love that spilled over into their lives.

So, following cultural practices, her body was washed and wrapped in cloth and placed in a cool room in the upstairs of the house. Then, one of the disciples, remembering that Peter was in Lydda, sent two individuals to get him to come to Joppa. Why did they send for Peter? It is most likely that they heard that Peter had prayed for a paralytic resulting in his healing and they were hoping for such a miracle. Since Lydda was about twelve miles away, they lost no time in going to ask him to come. When Peter arrived in Joppa and went to the house of Dorcas, he was greeted by totally heart broken people. One writer described it this way: “The works of Dorcas were recognized in the feeling which the Christian community experienced when Dorcas was gone. They remembered her self-consuming service, her compassion, her faithfulness, her charity. They knew that they had lost their dearest friend. The picture of these people gathered about her in her room weeping does not describe people who are sorry for the things and service they had lost but because they had lost one whom they love.” (Harold J. Ockenga,  Women Who Made Bible History, page 224-225)  The grieving widows didn’t really have to tell Peter what Dorcas had done for them, she had left tangible evidence of her ministry to speak for her.

Peter recognized their great loss and was touched by the scene he was witnessing.

Then, he did something that may seem strange to us. He asked them all to leave the room, leaving him alone with the deceased. However, Peter recognized that only God can raise the dead and he wanted to be alone to talk to God. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by the grief and devastation the widows were feeling. When alone, Peter began to pray and then he looked at the corpse and, speaking her name said, “Dorcas, get up.” Now, that’s putting faith into your prayers. She immediately opened her eyes and sat up. Peter then took her hand and led her downstairs to show those gathered there what God had done. What was the result of this healing? As you can imagine, word soon got out that the woman who had died was now resurrected, and many people believed in Christ as the Lord!

There are lessons “aplenty” in this story. The disciples offered more than just sympathy to the widows who had lost their dearest friend and benefactor, they had faith that God could move into this situation and raise Dorcas back to life. Although Peter was 12 miles away, and that meant the two men had to walk 12 miles to reach him (no smart phones in those days) and then Peter had to walk the 12 miles over to Joppa, they

didn’t doubt that God would “do His thing.” They never once said, “Oh, it’s too late now.” Secondly, no one disputes that Dorcas’s life was lived in total devotion to God and others. Yet, her death and resurrection brought many to the Savior and gave her more years to meet the needs of the poor. While sewing might not seem as glamorous as the great healing ministry Peter had, yet Dorcas was honored by one of the greatest miracles in the New Testament.

The name of this ministry, Friends Needing Friends, was not chosen by its founder, Dotti Ackerman, because she liked the sound of it. It is to remind you that, as a widow, you are the friend that someone needs as she walks the road of widowhood. Likewise, you need others to stand by you, encouraging you through words and actions as you encounter difficulties on your journey. What instrument has God placed in your hand? You might not think that a sewing needle would be an instrument in helping to establish a church in a seaside town. But Dorcas’s life would prove you wrong. 

Dandi Mackall says, “Remember what Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper? If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” According to this scripture, the blessing is in the doing.  Dorcas did not miss the blessing. She used her enterprise to help those who were in need. If you follow her example, you too will become a doer.

May 2018 continue to make you a blessing to each other as you journey through widowhood being Friends Needing Friends.

                                                                                    

Message by Shari Hervold

Music by: Amy Grant & Sandi Patty - El Shaddai

Music by: Sandi Patty & Larnelle Harris
P.S. These are just a few of my favorite songs and people singing them.  I hope you will enjoy them too.   (Dotti Ackerman)

DORCAS THE DOER - PART 1

DORCAS THE DOER, PART I

Happy 2018! This is a very special year in the life of Friends Needing Friends. All year we will be celebrating the 30^th anniversary of this great ministry to widows around the world. I have been associated with FNF for 29 years, and never cease to be amazed at the wonderful things God has wrought through it. So, to honor the lives and work of women from the Bible, for the next few weeks we want to look at the ministry of a woman from the New Testament known as Dorcas.

James 1:22 says this, But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

In Acts 9:36-42 we read the account of a woman who personified this verse beautifully.  She is known by two names: Tabitha (which is Aramaic) and Dorcas (which is Greek).  For our purposes here I will be referring to her as Dorcas.

Let me summarize her story for you:

Dorcas lived in the town called Joppa and was known for her good deeds, especially to widows. What did she do that earned her so much attention? She stitched clothing for them. Yet, at some point, she became sick and died. After Dorcas’s body was washed and put in a cool upstairs room, the disciples sent for Peter who was ministering in the general area. When he arrived back at her house, he found the widows crying and they showed him all the clothing that Dorcas had made for them. Peter sent them all out of the room and knelt down and began to pray, then he turned to the corpse of Dorcas and told her to get up.

She immediately opened her eyes and sat up, after which Peter helped her to her feet. He then called all of the believers and the widows and presented the resurrected Dorcas to them. Of course news like this doesn’t remain a secret and it soon spread throughout Joppa what had happened and many believed in Christ as the Lord. In fact, Peter didn’t return to Lydda, but stayed in Joppa at the house of Simon the tanner.

Let me give you a little context before we continue. Joppa was a seaport and many sailors’ widows and children would have lived there. The small wooden boats of that time were not particularly seaworthy, especially if a storm came up and they were caught a distance from shore, This would create widows of many women.  Even though Christ changed the status of women and some women were church founders (Lydia), disciples of Christ (Mary Magdalene), and even prophetesses (Phillip’s daughters), women were far from equal in the dominant culture. Widows were especially vulnerable and were often dependent on the largess of the local community or synagogue. The Christian believers had many such individuals and Dorcas made sure their needs were met.

We know little about the background of Dorcas herself. Some feel that she may have been wealthy because the fabric out of which to make the clothing was costly. She may have been a widow but this too is speculation. However, what we do know is that the Scripture refers to her as a “certain disciple.” This includes her among the numerous disciples mentioned in the New Testament. The writer, Melanie Newton, reminds us that part of our story of faith is how we are living it out on a daily basis. Dorcas was a woman who knew her talents, or what she did well, and she shared that gift to minister to the needy widows in Joppa.

God choose her needle to show HIS GLORY.

Her main tool was a simple needle. This was many years before even the crudest sewing machine was ever invented. This was tedious work, yet day in and day out she ministered to the needs of the destitute, demonstrating her love for God and for them with each stitch.

You see God created each of us with abilities and they are embedded in our DNA. Some of the more obvious ones are musical talents, artistic abilities, math wizards, wordsmiths, sensitive spirit, etc. and these abilities will develop further as we mature. Out of these various talents can come good works that we can use to help and bless others. You see whatever you can do, God wants you to use it to be his channel of grace to others. I know a retired nurse who, because of her medical background, offers her services to some of the chronically ill in our church community.  In addition, she offers her time to visit people in the hospital. I know another woman who, besides making beautiful clothing for her family, sews the costumes for the large drama productions her church presents each Easter and Christmas. When I was an actor in these large productions, my stage make-up was skillfully applied by a professional make-up artist. These women all were donating their gifts to help further the kingdom of God. Yes, even applying stage make-up can be used to enhance God’s work because many people came to know Christ through these productions.

What talents do you possess? 

Where do you see a need in your community, church, or family? 

What can you do to meet that need?

Dorcas’s legacy to each of us is one of not just possessing a skill, but using it to help others, all the while being Christ’s hands extended.

Message by Shari Hervold

Next month I want us to look more closely at the rest of this story and the lessons it has for us.

   

                                                                                                        

Sit back and enjoy the wonderful music of Southern Gospel,

 "Why Me Lord" by Guy Penrod. 

"The Cross Made a Difference in Me" by Guy Penrod

"Amazing Grace" by Guy Penrod

Dare to Make Your Goals a Reality

Robert Herjavec, the Croatian-Canadian businessman and television personality, is credited with the quote, “A goal without a deadline is just a dream.” Dave Ramsey, well-known Christian financial advisor, said it this way, “A goal without a plan is just a dream.”  I think if you combine the two quotes you have a workable blueprint for turning goals into reality. Even so, it is often difficult to take the first step toward doing that.

As widows your life has undergone some drastic changes. Many of the goals you and your husband created died when he did. But that in no way lessens the fact that you are still a living, vibrant person who runs the risk of shriveling emotionally and spiritually unless you have goals for your life in your “new normal.” Even your physical well-being is affected when you no longer plan for the future and dwell in the past or what might have been. St. Paul put it this way in Phillippians 3:13-14, Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  

As look through the Bible at the lives of some of the widows, I find that there are several examples of those who, either through necessity or just a strong desire, set goals for themselves and set about to seeing that they came to fruition.

In the book of Ruth we read the story of Naomi who, along with her husband and two sons, went to live in Moab because Judah was suffering a severe famine. I’m sure the adjustment for Naomi was difficult living in a foreign country with no extended family for fellowship and support. Then, at some point her husband dies, followed by the deaths of her two sons. Her life was totally turned upside-down and her new normal was not at all to her liking. When she heard that the famine had broken in Judah, a plan began to foment in her mind. She began longing for the familiar, for family, for the ability to worship God with fellow Hebrews, and to see and enjoy the

familiar landscape of Bethlehem again. Even though she was old and the trip would be arduous, Naomi made her plans and set out for home. Some scholars think that she joined a caravan going that way because it would be dangerous for a woman to travel alone. However, it is clear that Naomi didn’t just sit around and dream about home and die of homesickness; she made plans to see her goal become reality.

One of my favorite stories about a widow who was persistent in getting her goal met is in Luke 18. Jesus tells the story:  “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’ 4-5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’” This widow’s goal was simply to get her property back. Most

likely she was left destitute and was desperate. She had to have thought through very carefully what she would do because we are told that she went directly to the judge. She lay aside her fears, she wouldn’t be deterred because she was simply a woman whose rights were minimal at best, and when she was rebuffed, she just persisted in stating her case until the judge, out of sheer frustration, awarded the case in her favor. Doesn’t that just make you want to shout, “You go, girlfriend!”?

I’ve chosen only two examples, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. However, there are many stories in the Bible of people who set goals and didn’t just sit around and hope they came true, but rather set deadlines and formed plans for seeing that their goals were met. You might question how you go about setting goals for your life. I suggest that the best way to get clarity is to read God’s Word, then seek Him in prayer to see what he lays on your heart. There are many Scriptures that address this. "Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light..." Ps. 37:4-6
Once you set a goal, remember that you are a daughter of your loving Heavenly Father. Seek Him for His help and guidance. “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 Don’t be discouraged if things don’t happen just as you planned for; tomorrow is another day and you may have to “regroup” and adjust either your goal or your plan. Most importantly, continue to delight yourself in God, He knows what is best for you.

Ladies, I encourage each of you to take heart and keep in the mainstream of life until God calls you to Himself. Let nothing deter you from setting goals and seeking God’s strength and guidance in forming plans to fulfill them. You were made for more than merely dreaming dreams and waking up to find that nothing has changed. And never forget Phillippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

Message by Shari Hervold

"Walk With Me Lord" by Lynda Randle

"He Will Carry You"  by Lynda Randle

Dotti Ackerman - Founder & Director of FNF

Why, God?

Have you ever questioned God? I tend to think that most of you, as I, have questioned God at some point in your life. In speaking with a friend recently she mentioned that she had served God for many years, within a relatively short time-span had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, several mini strokes, cancer, endured chemo-therapy, and was now in great pain from chemo-induced myopathy in her feet. She, like most of us, wondered why God would allow so many afflictions to come her way. Is it wrong to question God, she wondered.  

The Bible tells us about the young son of the women of the house was taken ill and died. (I Kings 17:17) She railed at Elijah, “What have I to do with you, Oh man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son?” Elijah took the boy upstairs and lay him down and spoke these words to God, “Have you brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge by killing her son?” Then Elijah prayed for the boy and he was restored to life. Yet, God heard and answered Elijah’s prayers for restoration to life for the boy. As a result, the woman’s faith in God was totally restored. Such is the love and mercy of God. Then the widow said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God and that the words of the Lord in your mouth is truth.

In the above story, neither Elijah nor the widow were rebuked by God for their questions.

There are many instances in Scripture where God was questioned. Job, who faithfully served God, questioned him, (Job 21:7).

The book of Habakkuk is full of questions to God from his prophet, as are the Psalms.

Gideon bombarded God with questions concerning his calling.

Even Jesus called out to His Father on the cross, “Why have you forsaken me?”

Most Bible scholars don’t condemn or question a true believer’s right to question God, but they do caution us about the way we approach God.

Rev. Billy Graham states that “It’s not necessarily wrong to ask God why He’s allowed things to happen to us the way they did. God doesn’t want us to pretend or be ashamed when we come to Him –and in any case, He already knows what is in our minds and hearts. Don’t question God because you think He may be wrong; He isn’t. Instead, ask Him to help you to trust Him, even when you don’t understand. God loves you –if he didn’t He wouldn’t have sent His Son into the world to die for you. But He did and that makes all the difference.”

When you approach God humbly and fully acknowledge His sovereignty, don’t fear that your questions will offend Him. One writer even stated that coming to the Lord with our questions and concerns is healthy. But we do so realizing that His wisdom is perfect and that He knows all things. He may not always provide the answers to our questions; that’s where our faith comes in. We may never fully know or understand His ways, but we can always trust His character. Sisters, He is your loving, heavenly Father who walks every step of life with you and, ultimately, that is all you need to know.

May you experience the peace and joy of our loving God regardless of what you are experiencing today. 

Message by Shari Hervold

Chris Tomlin - "Whom Shall I Fear"

"Chris Tomlin - "Good, Good Father