Obtaining Mercy

Oh How He Loves You and Me!

 

I often look at Scripture in amazment when It reminds me of all that Jesus did for us.

I won't pretend to understand it all, or to be able to explain everything Jesus went through here on earth.

However, I do know that Christ's being human, taking on flesh, was a decision made on purpose.

 

Hebrews 2:14a "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same..."

Hebrews 2:16 "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham."

Now, as to the "why?" of that decision, I can read the facts, but it's hard for me to fathom it.

 

Hebrews 2:17-18 "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."

 

Did you catch that?

Jesus took on the form of a man for these reasons:

1. to be make like His brethren
2. that He might be a merciful and faith high priest
3. to make reconciliation for the sins of the people
4. to suffer being tempted
5. to succor them that are tempted  (tempt = to try; to prove; to put to trial for proof.)

Jesus allowed Himself to take on flesh, just like ours, so that He would know how it felt to go through trials here on earth, and so that He would be able to "succor" us. 

That means He wanted to be able "literally, to run to, or run to support; hence, to help or relieve when in difficulty, want or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering."

I can only barely begin to understand the depths of Jesus' love and compassion for me, not just for my soul, to bring it to salvation; but also for my life here, for my heart:

• to bring me support;
• to help me;
• to relieve me with I'm in difficulty, want or distress;
• to deliver me from suffering.
• 
  

What an incredible love!  I stand in awe and amazement.

Let your mind and heart dwell on His love for you as you go through your day today.

I believe you will find peace as you understand the incredible scope of His thoughts and love for you.

A Blazing Hope

 

When Jesus healed the leper in Mark chapter 1, Scripture tells us that Jesus charged him,

Mark 1:44 "...See thou say nothing to any man..."

However the man did not obey Jesus' command.

Verse 45 tells us that the man

"...went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter..."

I am surprised that the man didn't obey Jesus; but I am even more impressed that he did such an amazing job getting out the word of Jesus' ability to heal.

After he told his story, Jesus could no longer walk into the city because the crowds were so large.  He had to stay out in the desert and people came to Him there.

You know, I was a spiritual leper...

And Jesus healed me too.

Do I "blaze" the news of my healing to all those around me?

Do I "publish it much" that Jesus has changed my life?

Did you know that this is the only time the word "blaze" is used in the Scripture?

There is a myriad of stories in the Bible that include people sharing a message.  In fact, many many stories come to mind.

However, no where else does it express it in this way.

 

BLAZE, n. [Eng.to blush.]  Publication; wide diffusion of report. In this sense, we observe the radical sense of dilatation (The act of expanding; expansion; a spreading or extending in all directions; the state of being expanded), as well as that of light.

 

This man could not be contained.  He must have told every person he met.  The news traveled fast and furiously - like a fire that was out of control.

Is that how we share the good news of the Gospel?

Is it like a burning fire that consumes our conversation with every one we meet?

Oh, Lord, let me blaze abroad the news that You are a healer and a Saviour. 

May my every conversation be a radical act of expanding the Good News of the Gospel!

The God of Hope Does Not Change

"IMMUTABIL'ITY, n. [L. immutabilitas; in and mutabilis, mutable, from muto, to change.]

"Unchangeableness; the quality that renders change or alteration impossible; invariableness. Immutability is an attribute of God."

 

Hebrews 6:17-19 "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;"

 

"Let us remember that no earthly circumstances can hinder the fulfillment of His Word if we look steadfastly at the immutability of that Word and not at the uncertainty of this ever-changing world. 

God would have us believe His Word without other conformation, and then He is ready to give us 'according to our faith.'" ~Sir R. Anderson, Streams in the Desert

 

We will change.

Those around us will change.

God will not change.

His Word will not change.

It is impossible for God to lie.

 

Matthew 9:28-28 "And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you."

 

The God of Heaven will meet our needs according to our faith in Him.

Trust Him today. 

No matter how Great the need...

God's supply will be GREATER!

 

Hope in the Unknown

 

"It is by no means enough to set out cheerfully with your God on any venture of faith. 

"Tear into smallest pieces any ininerary for the journey which your imagination may have drawn up. 

"Nothing will fall out as you expect. 

"Your guide will keep to no beaten path. 

"He will lead you by a way such as you never dreamed your eyes would look upon. 

"He knows no fear, and He expects you to fear nothing while He is with you." ~Streams in the Desert

 

Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

 

Our journey may not be as radical as the one that Abraham took; but if it is a journey of faith, it must go through places of which we have no knowledge.

Each journey begins with a single step...each voyage begins as our vessel leaves the shore.

It is a life of the Unknown, led by the All Knowing One.

We can trust Him. 

The Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life to be our Saviour. 

I suppose He can be trusted with our lives as well!

 

Matthew 8:23 "And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him."

Climb into the ship with Christ, push away from the shore...and experience the thrill of the life of faith!

Hope in the Midst of Trouble

 

Psalm 138:3 "In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul."

 

Do you wish to see God move?  Are you anxious for Him to work on your behalf?

Then perhaps your situation has not yet reached the point of its greatest difficulty.

 

Psalm 138:7 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Psalm 81:7a "Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee..."

Psalm 91:15 "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him."

 

God seems to show up right when we are in the middle of our troubles, when we are weak and helpless and crying out to Him.

 

"When in the hopeless place, the continued hopeless place, is the very time when He will stretch forth His hand against the wrath of our enemies and perfect that which concerneth us, the very time when He will make the attack to cease and fail and come to an end.  What occasion is there then for fainting?" ~Aphra White

 

When our situation seems at its worst, it is then that we should be filled with great anticipation and hope!

The Father Who spared not the life of His only Son for our salvation will surely come to our aid. 

Our victory is guaranteed when the God of Heaven intervenes!

Just Call Me "Isaac's Secretary"

Happy Monday, y'all!

I'm just popping in with a quick prayer request.

We are in the process of trying to procure grant money to purchase a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for Isaac.

I contacted my local Children's Medical Service and was sent a list of links to applications and 3 paper applications.

There were 10 sites on the list.

• 1 site doesn't have their application online yet, although it says it will be up by late April 2012.
• 1 site grants only $25-$200 for assistive devices.
• 1 site is only for Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties.  I do not live in those counties!
• 1 site is a loan site. I was looking for grants.
• 1 site is only for grants for ABA therapy which is for kiddos with autism.
• 1 site is from the UK.  I sort of doubt they are going to send off money to a kiddo in the US.
• 1 site is only for members of the Down Syndrome Association. Ike doesn't have down syndrome.
• 1 site's link did not work. I figured out the site, finally, but they had no grants on the site.
• 1 site was simply a list of agencies in my area, none of which mentioned that they had grants.
• 1 site does not cover vehicles.

Did you keep count with me?  Yep, 10 of the 10 sites listed don't work for us!!!

None of them can help us at all!  (I will be checking each day to see if the site that didn't have its application up, has it up yet.)

Of the three paper applications we were sent, 1 of them will not grant money toward a vehicle, but will grant money toward a lift, but no more than $5000.

The other 2 are very vague and give very limited information about what is covered and how much they will give; so I am not very hopeful about them either.

This is all very discouraging.

A vehicle for Isaac will cost upwards of $30,000.  This is a massive undertaking.

Would you please pray that God will give us wisdom and understanding about the process; and that He will lead us to the precise organization that will help us.

I despise wasting time pursuing dead ends, especially when my time could be so much better spent doing other things for my family, friends, church and business.

Thank you for praying for us.  We really appreciate it so very much.

HopeFULLy,

Alesha

 

Hope When I Can't Handle Any More

 

There are times when the emotion of the day threatens to overwhelm our reason.

It's not that there have been great catastrophes. 

There have just been many small irritating events that have filled our waking hours.

On these days we feel overwhelmed.

I'm grateful that the writer of the Psalms penned his thoughts on his overwhelming days.

Psalm 143:3-4 "For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate."

Did you catch that?  David said that his "enemy" had caused his spirit to feel overwhelmed.

It is Satan himself who is behind many of the infuriating, aggravating circumstances that threaten to ruin our day.

All of those little pesky darts that keep hitting, pinching, nipping, piercing our daily armor...they are from the Wicked.

So we need our shield of faith to stop them!!!

Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

But what if our shield is weak?  What if our faith is lacking?

The first mention of faithfulness is in Numbers where God talks about Moses. He says the following:

Numbers 12:7-8 "My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold..."

God equated Moses' faithfulness with speaking face to face with Him and with beholding His "similitude" or likeness.

For us to maintain our shield of faith, we must spend time with the Lord face to face.  We must behold His likeness in His Word.

For days that are overwhelming, we have to run to the Rock so that He can build up our faith!

Psalm 61:1-3 "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."

Run to the Lord by running to His Word. 

Let Him shelter you there.  Let Him encourage your faith so that your shield is strong, so that you can thwart the enemy's darts that are hurled against you.

We must remember on days when emotions run high, God's strength runs deep.

We can handle this day.

 

Oh Kepler!

 

Keppie got stuck under the bed today.

Tell me, how does this fit under the bed in the first place???

I had to move the whole bed just to get her out.  I think her new nickname is going to be "Heifer"! ;)

Happy weekend, y'all!

Alesha Kay

Hopefully Finding a Good Waiter

 

My husband is an excellent waiter.

Well, not a "waiter"...as in the person who serves you food at a restaurant;

But rather, a "wait-er".

He has no problem sitting perfectly still, waiting to make his next move.  His patience is really quite impressive.

Me on the other hand?  I am so NOT a good wait-er.

I literally hate to wait.  For anything.  For anyone. 

• I despise waiting.

Even if I'm standing still, and you can detect no movement, I assure you - in my mind, I am not waiting. 

I am calculating how much longer I have to stand here.  I am anticipating my next move.  I am preparing to move.  I am judging the distance I will need to move to accomplish my next task.

I do not wait well.

• There are times, however, when we must wait well. 

God wants us to be physically, mentally and emotionally still to hear from Him.  Until we are perfectly still and at peace, He will remain silent.

For some personalities that is an easy task.  For others of us, it comes only through enforced practice.

In Scripture the first three times we see the phrase "stand still", it is a direct command to the people of God to settle themselves before the Lord and wait for Him to give them their next move.

 

Exodus 13:14 "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever."

Numbers 9:8 "And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you."

Joshua 3:8 "And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan."

C.H. Spurgeon said, " 'Stand still'...ready for action, expecting further orders, cheerfully and patiently awaiting the directing Voice...Faith listens neither to presumption, nor to despair, nor to cowardice, nor to precipitancy, but it hears God say, 'Stand still,' and immovable as a rock it stands."

 

• Although I am still not a good wait-er, I am learning.

Often I learn most through times of forced rest and stillness, through pain-filled days when sitting still is the only possible choice for me.

I have found, though, that when I wait properly, I am filled with such peace.  I can hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit speak from His Word so clearly as the other voices fade away.

• I encourage you to cultivate the skills of a good wait-er. 

Practice stilling your heart as you read the Bible.  Focus your heart, mind and body on the Words there, and listen patiently to see what God the Father will speak to your heart.

Do you need to hear from God? 

Stand still...and be a good wait-er.

 

Whew! What a Week!

We have had such a great and busy week this week; and today my mind is tumbling and twirling with so many thoughts that I thought I'd stop by and share some of them with you.

Shall we do a Bullet Blog?  We haven't had one of those in a while, and I find those little round dots are very freeing...no need to connect the thoughts as we go along!

• We had an AMAZing Bible Conference this week.  I mean we literally had several services in-a-row where we listened to preachers preach the Bible!  There was no grand-standing.  There were no overinflated "preacher" egos.  There were no personality conflicts.  It was just GOOD BIBLE Preaching!!!  (For the record, we don't usually have all those negative things in our conferences any way.  I just wanted you to know what kind of services we really had!)
• My tomatoes and cucumbers are growing so well.  I am really pleased.  I put the lattice work in to the cucumber pots this morning, and we moved the tomatoes outside to get a little more sunshine.
• Ike's caregiver is not here today.  She is "caregiving" for her son.  He broke 3 fingers yesterday and is making all the necessary doctor's visits today.  Please pray for Nathan's fingers to heal quickly and completely.
• I am so SO weary of reading CHRISTIAN blogs with CURSE words!!!  You know, I expect it from the world, but NOT from fellow Christians.  I think this whole "being real", "being transparent" trend is just giving us excuses to live and act according to the flesh.  I know there are times when we all slip and say (or think) a "cuss" word.  However, to type that word out and proudly hit the "publish" button???  Shame on you!  You ought to know better!  It shows a lack of class and a serious lack of imagination and creativity.
• Isaac is sleeping the day away today...and has done that several times in the last few weeks.  I think he's going through a growth spurt.
• We are attending a family reunion on Saturday, and for the first time in years, I am excited to cook for it --- because of PINTEREST!!!  There are just so many easy recipes that it makes it really fun to pick out a few things to try.
• Next Tuesday I will be posting a "Do Over Challenge" post on my jewelry blog.  I am looking forward to that!  I re-made the necklace that was sent to me a couple of weeks ago, and have already worn it twice!  Now I just have to discipline myself to take some pictures for my post!  I'm looking forward to seeing what the other jewelry bloggers have done with their "do over" pieces!
• My cousin Joy, of Case Crossings, had her baby girl on Monday!  We are all so excited about her.  Joy and her husband like to "meet" their babies before deciding on a name, so we have called her "Tadpole" for months.  It was very difficult for 3-year-old Josiah to accept that his baby sister is now called "Joanna"! LOL!  Hopefully, he will pick up on it quickly, as he hears other people say it! :)

Yep, we've had a fun and busy week!  So now, I'd best get up from here and see what I can get accomplished!

HopeFULLy,

Alesha Kay