INSULTED BY THE PREACHER

Offense is conflict or resentment brought about by a perceived insult. That was me last year on 1/7/24. I was sitting in church listening to the Sunday morning sermon. I always have pen and paper ready in case Holy Spirit says something profound that I need to hear. The preacher made an accusation that sounded just like a direct attack on me. I looked down at my notepad to hide the vexing expression on my face. At the end of the sermon, the preacher said, "I feel a heaviness in the room." That was definitely me. My spirit had sunk below sea level, and I was deeply offended.

Yesterday, I was in morning devotion and stumbled across Psalm 119:165 in The Passion Translation that says, "There is such a great peace and well-being that comes to the lovers of Your word, and they will never be offended." Wow! That hit me hard, and in my heart I knew that I needed to be delivered from being offended by preachers.

Offense can come upon us as an unwelcomed visitor and take up permanent residence if we don't deal with it. It's been a year and a half since that happened and I've still not fully come to terms with it. None of us are perfect, not even the minister preaching the word of God. I blamed the preacher for targeting me, but I could've handled that a lot differently.

Three Steps To Take

• Decide that I'm not going to let this thing take up residence and fester in my heart. I will be delivered, and not let the enemy destroy me with it. Offense darkens that place in our soul, and the enemy uses it to bind our hands and feet from progressing.

• Be quick to forgive the offender, and let them off the hook. Jesus said to forgive them 70 times 7 (Matt. 18:22).

• Surrender the offense to God.

There may probably be other times when a preacher's words may cause me to stumble, but if I always surrender the offense to God, He will help me get back up, and revive and restore me to full throttle. Now unto Him that is able to keep me from stumbling... (Jude 1:24). From now on, before I hear a sermon, I will prepare my heart through prayer to God. I will pray not to be offended, and that He will open my spiritual eyes that I may see and perceive, and my spiritual ears that I may hear and correctly understand what Holy Spirit is speaking to me. I will pray that He'll minimize my flesh, and increase my spirit to accept what is being imparted to me, and let me be renewed, revived and refreshed by the sermon, and not angered, hurt, and frustrated.

The apostle Paul said to the Corinthian church, "I nursed you with milk, as a mother would feed her baby, because you were not developed enough to digest complex spiritual food." I don't want that to be me. I want to graduate from milk to solid food and mature in Christ Jesus. I want to be able to sit through any sermon and not become offended by the preacher, even if I don't always agree with everything that's being said.

1 John 1:7 (NKJV) If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

As of today, I am delivered and walking in the favor of God.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

WE'VE REACHED A MILESTONE

Years ago this blogsite started as a place to compose my fiction work, because I love to write. Shortly after that, I began posting Christian faith material. Heavenly Father knows how to transition our journey when we least expect it. I deleted those fiction posts, and The Writer's Blog became the Voice of the Dove. The post you're reading right now, is number 500! I reached a milestone that I never saw coming.

The Importance of Celebrating Milestones

(1) It boosts confidence

(2) It helps us stay motivated

Some time ago, the Lord told me, "When you stop chasing page views and start blogging to bless your readers, they will stick around longer. And that means more social media shares, more email subscribers, and yes — even more page views." Since then, I rarely ever view the stats page. I PRAY. I write. I post. I share. I move on to the next one. I give God all the glory that I've been able to reach this great milestone.

Here's To 500 More Blogposts!!

I pray the blessing of the Lord will be upon you. May you increase in Him and prosper as He leads you to live and walk in victory.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

BANISHING FEAR 😨

Banishing Fear Through Love 💙

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Matthew 6:34 (NKJV) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Deuteronomy 1:21 (NKJV) Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.

Philippians 4:6 (NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

BEAUTY OF HOLINESS

Worship The Lord
In The Beauty of Holiness

When I was growing up, we attended the holiness church. We were taught that a number of things were sinful and was not permitted for us to do. Such as, women couldn't wear pants. Women couldn't cut their hair. Women couldn't wear make up, or dresses above the knee. We couldn't wear short sleeve tank tops. I was not supposed to go to pep rallies at school. We were not permitted to go trick or treating on Halloween. We couldn't go to a movie theater, and there were so many more.

As soon as I turned 18 years old, I moved on from church and never looked back. I got rid of all my dresses, and only wore pants.

My grandparents had 11 children, so we were a large family of church folks. Years after my grandmother passed, some family members decided to have a memorial service in her remembrance. It was scheduled at a Sunday morning church service in February 1999. I went to the memorial service to honor my grandmother, not to worship God. When church was out, I found myself wanting to come again, and over the next few weeks, I kept coming again and again. By the end of Spring, I had accepted the Lord and became a full time church member. That was 26 years ago. I remember when church service was over, tears would still be rolling down my face.

The Lord has brought me so far from my frame of holiness thinking. Today, I hardly ever wear dresses. The Lord had to actually deliver me of being offended with dresses. I don't hate dresses anymore, but I still wear pants most of the time because that is my personal preference.

The beauty of holiness is not what we do externally. It is actually how we honor God internally. And as we we worship God in the beauty of holiness, our outward behavior automatically causes us to walk upright. The love we have for Father God, causes us to walk in the Spirit, and not fulfill the lust of the flesh... or to do anything that will offend our heavenly Father. And when we discover that we have walked outside of His will, we immediately repent and get it right.

The beauty of holiness is not following a list of do's and don'ts. It is:

• a consecrated state of mind toward God
• a demeanor of reverence toward God
• inward purity without hypocrisy
• exercising faith and fervency in spirit
• honoring God in love and sincerity

I love my heavenly Father (whom I call Daddy). He is my all in all. The love I have for Him propels me to do the right thing — not a set of rules and regulations. The children of Israel had the Ten Commandments and failed to keep those.

I believe with all my heart, that a love relationship is what God's wants from those that accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." He yanked that monkey of legalism off my back, and we have developed a beautiful father/daughter relationship that I would not trade for anything in the universe. I love You Daddy. Thank You for loving me.

We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

SONG: Take My Life (Holiness)

Blessings everyone, go in peace.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

GOD IS WITH US

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father Jacob loved him more than all his other sons, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. Becoming envious of their father's love for him, they sold Joseph into slavery, but God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles.

Time after time, God rescued Joseph from whatever trial he faced. God gave Joseph the favor and wisdom to overcome each adversity and to eventually win the confidence and respect of his captors, including Pharaoh, the king of Egypt himself.

With each adversity, God increased Joseph's wisdom and favor with those who were over him. Pharaoh entrusted the entire nation and his household to Joseph's stewardship. Some time later, a terrible famine spread through the entire region - from Canaan down to Egypt - and everyone suffered greatly because they couldn't find anything to eat.

Jacob heard that Egypt had stores of grain; so he sent his sons, to procure food there. Later, when they returned to Egypt a second time, Joseph revealed his true identity to them. He also told Pharaoh his family story. Joseph then invited his father Jacob and all his clan to come and live with him in Egypt. So Jacob came, along with 75 extended family members and was taken care of by Joseph.

God's intent in allowing Joseph to endure these trials was to preserve the lives of countless people. We might wonder in our own lives, why God is permitting what we're going through, but the Bible says it is not to harm us. He's bringing good out of all of it.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

LOVING GOD AND BEING LOVED BY HIM

God loves to be loved, and because we're made in His image, we love to be loved too. He designed us to desire Him. His tugs within us draw us to Him. We crave close communion with Him, desiring to be fully embraced by Him. The only one who can truly satisfy the human heart is the one who made it.

God desires close communion with those made in His image, with heaven hidden deep in our hearts. He is nearer to us than we think and richly present in all our moments through out the day.

The deepest yearnings in our hearts are for intimacy with God. That feeling of homesickness is a longing to join Him in our heavenly home and live for eternity with our Everlasting Father. There's a God shaped hole in the heart of every person which cannot be satisfied by nothing else except the Everlasting Father.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION

To MEDITATE on God's Word is to call to mind — mull it over — reflect on it — ponder it — dwell on it (and in it) — and apply it to oneself. It's spending enough time in God's Word until you recognize what God may be speaking to you personally. It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the watchful eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.

Christian meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire in prayer as a way to find closer union with Christ.

Blessed is the one who meditates on God's word. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and whatever they do prospers.

My advice:

~ Read from your daily devotion ~

~ Read a Verse of the Day text ~

~ Keep a journal of what became significant ~

~ Close with a word of prayer ~

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

RECOGNIZING GOD'S VOICE

About 17 years ago, I used to do daily 10-minute meditations to see if I would get a word from the Lord. If I heard something, I would write it down and date it. I did not always get a word from the Lord, but I tried to make myself available just in case God had something He wanted to say. I would set the microwave timer for 10 minutes and go sit in complete silence until the buzzer went off. While, I was really just seeking to get a word from the Lord, this exercise actually trained me to recognize the voice of God a lot more clearly.

Hebrews 5:14 (KJV) - Those, who by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

We can think God's thoughts, and He can hear our thoughts. God's thoughts rise up within us as a still small voice, and the sound of a gentle whisper in the quietness of a humbled heart. Like newborn babies learn their parents voices, we can train our senses to discern the voice and thoughts of God.

TRAINING EXERCISE

— Set timer for 10 minutes —

— Sit quietly with pen and notepad —

— Write down what God says —

You may not get something every time you do this. That's part of the training exercise, because when you do hear God's voice, you'll immediately recognize that was Him.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

SERVING WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE

Clear Conscience:

inward cleanness and peace,

with no guilt and no regrets

When the Israelites brought their gifts and sacrifices to God as sin offerings, it cleansed them of the sins they had committed, but couldn't give the worshiper a clear conscience for those sins.

However, the blood sacrifice of Christ Jesus does much, much more. Christ offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice without blemish to God. His blood cleanses us from sin, and gives us clear consciences so we can worship the living God.

1 Peter 3:21 (RSV) Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED

The chief priests, elders, officers, and all the council pressed Pontius Pilate (the Roman governor that ruled in Israel) to sentence Jesus to death for blasphemy. Pilate brought Jesus before the judgment seat to be tried, and then concluded that he found no fault in Jesus, and sought to release Him. The Jews pressed him even more and threatened to report him to Caesar. At that point, Pilate delivered Jesus to be scourged and crucified. That scourging fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy... by His stripes, we are healed.

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. (John 19:1)

I gave My back to those who struck Me. (Isaiah 50:6; also Matthew 27:26)

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. (Isaiah 53:4; also Matthew 8:17)

By His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5; also 1Peter 2:24)

Believe and receive.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

SERENDIPITY

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and a song came to me from back in the day (more than 10 years ago). I couldn't remember who the artist was but I just started singing in my head the small portion of the song I could remember. Eventually, I fell back to sleep.

When I awoke this morning the first thing I did was google those lyrics to see if I could find it. Nothing was coming up. I search everything, but got nothing.

Finally, I thought I would see if perhaps the song might be saved in the music app on my tablet. Boom! There it was! I've had it on repeat a lot all day, and it has blessed my soul. I said to the Lord, "This is one of those occasions when you seek for something so long and heavy that by the time you find it, it bears significant value."

I thought I would share it with you.

Enjoy!

You Are

Vocal Artist: David Daughtry

There is not "one" word in the English vocabulary that fully describes the Lord. We can say that He is holy, amazing, brilliant, glorious... and many other appropriate adjectives, but they don't fully describe all of God. Simply said... to Moses God said, "I Am." Simply said... I agree, "Yes You are."

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

YOU'RE AS OLD AS YOU FEEL YOUNG

Popeye's father, Poopdeck Pappy was trying to repair a broken down boat, and Popeye told him he was too old and needed to slow down. However, Poopdeck Pappy responded by claiming he was "as young as his son".

Then, while Popeye was sleeping, Poopdeck Pappy totally completed rebuilding the broken down boat, and woke Popeye so he could see the fantastic results. He boldly confessed to Popeye, "you're as old as you feel young," The concept was clearly demonstrated through Poopdeck Pappy's actions, and his bold response to Popeye's claim that he needed to go sit down somewhere.

Deuteronomy 34:7 (NLT) Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

SIMPLE BIBLE STUDY METHODS

I.    OBSERVATION OF THE TEXT

• What do I see?
• What does it say?
• What are the facts?
• Whose speaking?
• Who is being spoken to?
• What issues were the recipients facing?
• What is the relationship of the speaker and recipient?
• Where is it taking place?
• When is it taking place?
• How does the context fit into what comes before and after it?

II.    INTERPRETATION (What does it mean?)

• Look up the cross reference Scriptures, using Scripture to interpret Scripture
• Consult trusted Bible commentaries
• Write out anything that seems confusing for future research
• For clarity, write down the point you think the author is making

III.    APPLICATION (Make it Personal)

• How is the passage relevant for me?
• How am I falling short?
• What can I do to specifically apply this truth to my life?

SOURCE:    Pastor Stephen G. Brown, Greater Life Church - Dallas, TX

                    https://www.greaterlifedallas.com

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

MY TYPING DILEMMA

I took my first typing class in the tenth grade in high school, but I sucked at typing. When we did typing speed tests, I would pull off 20 words per minute, while the the rest of the class was averaging 30-35 words per minute.

My typing teacher was insistently trying to talk me into dropping her class, but I didn't want to. It was very discouraging.

A few weeks after school started, the school district realized that I should've been bussed to a new school that had opened, but I was somehow overlooked. They got me situated with a new schedule at the new school. I attended typing class at the new school and seemed to do much better. I was still slower than I wanted to be, but not way behind the rest of the class.

As I advanced to my senior year, the instructor for Vocational Office Education (VOE) also just happened to be my typing teacher. I was able to participate in this program. This was an after school work program where I was able to attend 3 classes in the morning and go to work in an office setting in the afternoon (gaining much needed experience).

After I graduated, I knew that I wanted to go to secretarial school and make that my career, which definitely requires typing skills.

Years passed and I still struggled with my typing speed, even in secretarial school. When I interviewed for secretarial jobs, my typing speed would sometimes not pass the requirements.

One day, my mother asked me to run an errand for her over to my Aunt Paula's house. As she and I were talking, I told her about my typing dilemma. She encouraged me not to type by the letter, but type by the word. She said, "As you type, don't spell out words, just type the words you're reading." I began doing this, and practiced diligently. My typing speed increased dramatically.

If I had listened to my tenth grade typing teacher and dropped typing class, I would've never been able to pursue my 20-year secretarial career path. I would've failed at my love of writing because typing is a major requirement for writing.

Whatever your niche is, hold tightly. Don't lose hope. If that niche is God's will for you, it will certainly come to pass. Though it might tarry, wait for it, because in the end it will speak, and will not lie. When the appointed time comes, it will manifest (Hab. 2:3).

Let God's Will Be Done

Plant your mustard seed 🍯 and watch it grow.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

MORE THAN ENOUGH

Bible Characters That Were Unsure of Themselves:

🔹 Moses said, "Who am I?"

🔹 Gideon said, "Why me?"

🔹 Jeremiah thought, "I'm too young."

🔹 Esther considered her approach could get her killed.

In spite of their doubts, God’s faithfulness never wavered. God can turn doubt into profound spiritual certainty, with victories you never thought possible.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV) Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †