His Mercy Endures!

Psalm 136… His Mercy Endureth Forever!!!

O give thanks unto the Lord, for 

 He is good (v1)…

 the God of Gods, (2)…

the Lord of Lords (3)…

He who alone doeth great wonders, (4)…

Him that by wisdom made the heavens, (5)…

Him that stretched out the earth above the waters, (6)…

Him that made great lights, the sun to rule by day, the moon and stars to rule by night, (7,8,9)…

Him that smote Egypt in their firstborn and brought Israel from among them with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, (10,11,12)…

Him which divided the Red sea into parts and made Israel to pass through the midst of it but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea, (13,14,15)…

Him which led His people through the wilderness, (16)…

Him which smote great kings and famous kings, Sihon king of the Amorites and Og the king of Bashan and gave their land for an heritage, even an heritage unto Israel his servant (17,18,19,20,21,22)…

He who remembered us in our low estate and hath redeemed us from our enemies (23,24)…

He who giveth food to all flesh (25)…

the God of heaven (26)…

…for His mercy endureth forever!!!!

As I read this, I thought, “WOW…this is just a tiny tiny tiny portion of what God has done! Why do I EVER doubt him? UGH!” Yet, he is ALWAYS patient, ALWAYS kind and ALWAYS forgiving.  If all ever had to go by was this one passage of scripture recording of His glorious divinity and power, it should be enough to dispel any fears or doubts I have. BUT, I have seen miracles first hand, time and time again, in the lives of people I love and even in my own…so, dear Jesus, “help thou my unbelief”!!! Oh that my faith would be increased and my mind and soul given understanding and wisdom to always seek You out… every single day…to live in the light of your love and power of your presence…

If we could ever grab hold of this truth then there is no telling what God could do with our lives… Could he use you to lead a person to Him? YES! Could he use you to part the Red Sea of someone’s life, making way to their land of victory? YES! Could he use your meager lunch to feed thousands? YES! And sooooo much more!!!

YES, his mercy truly does endure forever…even through our unbelief, HE is STILL there, watching and waiting for HE IS GOOD!

Enlarge Your Tent

"ENLARGE YOUR TENT"

(prepare for God's blessings)!

Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.  Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.  Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.  For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.  In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. 

-Isaiah 1:1-8

 "Do miracles happen?", you ask... well, let me share with you what the Lord revealed to my own doubtful heart this morning....

Many years back, the Lord gave me this passage of scripture...I have them underlined in my Bible.  I didn't understand at the time what they meant; because, really? How can a barren woman have  "seed" that will make the desolate cities to be full of life?

 The shame I understood...the "hid my face from thee for a moment" concept, I got! The everlasting kindness, I knew possible, but for me? Would it come to pass?  I was a vile person you know, living a life of sin and disgust...how could God EVER use such a woman?  What was He trying to say?

As a child of God, I am living proof, that you CAN NOT straddle a fence trying to keep one foot in the world and one in the ways of God.  You truly are "unstable" in all of your ways...and quite miserable too!  You guys can't begin to imagine the horrid life I lived.  I was so far away from my Savior that that "small moment" where His face was hidden seemed like an eternity.  To even conceive that I had a purpose was foreign to me.

 But, when I finally surrendered all of myself to Him, He set me free.  Free from the life of addiction, free from the life of willing disobedient sin.  Freedom, wow, freedom even from the shame of what I had done.  To know that I don't have to be ashamed of the sins of my youth any longer... that I am forgiven and chosen, is just a gift that I don't deserve.

 You see, He IS making a barren woman's "seed" be so far reaching in their inheritance of Christ, that it will make the desolate cities to be full of life...He told me to ENLARGE my tent, that I shall break forth on the left AND the right.  This truly seems impossible...yet, every single week, my home is filled with the most precious "noise" I have ever heard...my kitchen table peppered with glitter and smudged with glue...the floor full of toys and books that, at the end of the day, I cherish the opportunity to clean up...the little one napping in my bed that I get the privilege of kneeling in prayer for... quiet time that is often NOT so quiet... HE has allowed me the great responsibility and privilege to teach Sunday School to 4 year olds each week at Church, to be a part of their little lives...  I get to care for all these kids, love them and laugh with them, teach them about Jesus and oh yes, most assuredly and thankfully, be taught BY the Lord THROUGH their innocent view of life.

 My once very empty life is now soooo full of children whose lives I get to be a "front row", "from the dugout", "lifetime- 'box-seat' fan",  "first base coach" and "side-line cheerleader" for!!! The price for that ticket, some may say was steep... but to me, it was nothing! It is my honor that God chose to make the womb of my flesh empty; so that, the womb of my heart be full to overflowing!! 

The promises of God are so much greater than I could ever begin to understand.  To think that He loved me even then, in my wretched state just amazes me...to know He has always had a plan for my life...well...YES...miracles DO happen! 

...My life is one of them!!

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me withthe garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of rightousness as a bridegoom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.    Is. 61:10

My sweet sister sent me a link to this song today and it touched my heart so deeply that I just had to share it with you guys.  The Lord is so compassionate and full of mercy that sometimes I simply lack the words to express my gratitude. 

He Let Me Come In

May each of you be blessed by this and encouraged in the Lord!

Jump in the Water

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.  JOHN 21:7

    Life is so short and I am forever hearing (and saying) we oughta "dance like no one is watchin", "sing like no one is listening", "live every moment like it's your last"...but, do I do this... nope... well tonite... I did... I have always wanted to just throw caution (and vanity and pride) to the wind and do something crazy like jump in the lake fully clothed...no forethought ...totally spur of the moment type of thing... and it was AWESOME!!!!! nothing but silly abandon...laughter and FUN...the car ride home was prolly the MOST fun... soaking wet, looking like a raccoon and feeling like a million bucks inside! It put some things in perspective for me.
     Life IS short and it IS precious moments by moments... I saw a quote one time that said "ENJOY today because you are exchanging a day of your life for it" (or something like that) and it is true... no need to be sad and let the little trivial "trip ups" get you sidetracked.  The devil (to quote a friend) is PUNK and so predictable.  Let that same Spirit that was so powerful and raised our Savior from the dead, be the same one that leads you! When you are a child of God...it's already within in you... ACCESS it... LIVE... WOW... what a truth to grab hold of... yeah... Abundant life... He died for us to have it..
    I want to have that same adventurous spirit with serving the Lord as I did tonite jumping in the water.  Peter did...You see, this was not the first, but the THIRD time Christ has shown himself to the disciples since His resurrection. (JOHN 21:14)  At this point, Peter had already denied His Lord three times, hid in fear wondering and hoping (I'm sure) that one day he might get a chance to say he was sorry to Jesus.  It made no difference to him what anyone thought now...He was GOING to get to Him... no matter what.  He wasted no time waiting on a boat ride with the other disciples (JOHN 21:8)... in true Peter fashion, he just jumped head first and swam to the shore to meet the Savior; and Peter found Him wating...with a  fresh hot meal for his body, forgiveness for his soul and a mission for his life..."feed my sheep" (JOHN 21:15-17) and he never looked back. This time Peter's jump out of the boat to meet Jesus would mean a lifetime of walking on the water moments!  Oh, that I may have that kind of faith.
    So, don't just dance like no one is watching or sing like no one is listening... dance and sing BECAUSE God IS listening and He wants you to live every moment with the fulness of joy.  Honor Him with your smile,  your laughter, your joy; honor Him with your speach, your actions; honor Him with your thankfulness and your faithfulness; honor Him with your enjoyment of every good gift He gives you.... you just never know what a crazy jump in the water just might bring!

James 1:21-25

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
James 1:21-25

 We are often in the "audience" when a wonderful sermon is preached and God may very well reveal a truth to our hearts that someone else may NOT get.  If we just sit on that we will "forget" what God has been revealing to us by holding the Word up to our souls and using it as a "glass" {a hard brittle transluscent,transparent substance} to be a mirror ...reflecting an image of how these truths can help us live in Him and through Him...how we need to change and the freedom and forgiveness we can have in Christ. When we are not listening attentively and taking an active step toward Him, then all we see is ourselves (natural face), we aren't seeing the inward man, the soul changes that God is trying to reveal to us.  We forget the person that we were, cause all we see is right now.  It is easy to let these truths escape us if we are not practicing what He is teaching us through the Word being spoken to our hearts.
 Being a "doer" doesn't just mean the outward acts of faith; it is also recognizing and seeing the inward man.  It, to me, means taking that reflection and living out the true definition of "doer" which is {performing what is required, keeping, obeying in practice}.  The practice of reading the Word, studying it, AND living it in our service to Him by having a servants heart for others. keeping  For me, taking all of what I HEAR and learning to meditate upon it is also a big part of being a "doer".  When I look in that mirror, I don't wanna just see myself... I want to see God in me, what He wants to change within me and the work HE would have me to in service to Him, the things I need to be thankful for, the sins I need forgiveness of (Search me and try me Lord).  I don't ever wanna just walk away and forget the truths and convictions He is showing me.
Now for the next scripture (v 25), I had never really caught this or even thought about what it might mean. And well, it was quite amazing when I began to study it out.
The simple definitions blew me away...
{liberty} Freedom from imprisonment, bonds, or other restraint upon locomotion.
{law} a rule of being or of conduct, established by an authority able to enforce its will; a controlling regulation; the mode or order according to which an agent or a power acts.
So, freedom established by an authority able to enforce its will... WOW! I got it this time around Brother... His will in my life is to  live in the salvation that HE gave me.  I know I can't be perfect in my flesh, but, through HIM I can be perfect in my purpose which is to praise HIM and bring glory to HIM... I can walk in forgiveness and service and to me, THAT is being a "doer" of the Word and not just "hearer.

Jesus Is My Constant Light

Jesus Is My Constant Light

Jesus is my constant light; even through the darkest of day...

My fears may well up inside; but are quickly calmed by His gentle way!

Even though I may stumble and fall; He is faithfully every nigh...

To pick me up and carry me when I have failed to walk by His side!

His promises always ring true; and, are the sword with which I fight...

The battles that war against me and try to hide the truth and light!

Doubt and sin can rob you of your peace and faith in God's love...

But stand firm upon His Word; let HIM strengthen you with whatever comes!

For there is no one who can pluck you from His mighty hand...

This marvelous God who holds the sparrow and numbers every grain of sand...

Is the very same One who promised He would never leave nor forsake you...

He watches over your every move and His love will guide you through!!!

God Bless!

Tonya

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

John 8:12

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  And I will be found of you saith the Lord and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places wihther I have driven you saith the Lord and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”  Jeremiah 29:11-13

There was a question presented in a group discussion today about our free will and God’s knowledge of the future.  Kind of a “predestination “ question , I suppose.  He had asked if any of us had ever questioned as to why God would even create Adam and Eve if he knew they were going to sin.  I have had this question posed to many times here lately from other Christians who are either out of God’s will or simply just desperately going through battles they can’t  explain; and, to tell you the truth, it is not that easy of a question to debate because it is one that the answer to boils down to having FAITH!  Faith in Him, His wisdom, His plans, His thoughts, His forgiveness, His power and His might!!   Faith is the key to accepting ALL of His Word and without accepting ALL of it; you are only using bits and pieces of life’s map.

This is a question to all of you parents…You wanted your children right? You love and need them in your life…couldn’t imagine your life without them I presume?  But, when they were little tots and they fell or hurt themselves, did they look at you and say “Mommy, why did you do that?” of course not… they just looked up with trusting eyes and said..”make it better”.  And YOU chose to create THEM.  You wanted proof that you exist, that you matter in this world….that you won’t leave this earth without knowing such love.  Now, imagine that love on a much grander scale.  How would you feel if they started blaming you for every hurt, problem, fear, mistake or trial that they came across in life?  It would devastate you wouldn’t it?    When another friend of mine brought that valid point into the conversation, I really thought about it.  I know when I have blamed my own mother for something we disagreed on, it has hurt her and put distance between us that had to be repaired.  So, when I fail to see that God created me out of sheer love and desire for my praise … I am saddened that I am not living up to my purpose.  To encourage others, be faithful to my friends and family always with a listening ear, forgiving heart and open mind… I am not doing what I was created to do.  Because when we love one another and lift each other up…we ARE praising Him.  We are giving notice to His most prized creation… US!  And, He inhabits the praises of His people!!  (PS. 22:3)

                    

                When times get tough, when illness strikes or trauma of any kind befalls us or our family and friends; we want to blame Him and overlook the fact that it is only by His grace that we are here to experience EVERY single facet of this existence.  So often, we want to praise Him and believe in Him when things are only going our way.  When bad things happen, they just happen.  People are in this world and people are flawed and full of sin.    Satan roams this earth seeking who can destroy and totally devour. (I Pet. 5:8)  But people BE of GOOD cheer!  For He that is within US is greater that he that is within the World!! (Jn 16:33)    God does know our futures, He has plans for His children… Jeremiah 29:11  Plans to prosper us, Plans to lead us out of sin’s captivity. Plans to bring us peace!  How could we NOT want that?  

O Woman, Great is Thy Faith...

Seeing your desperate estate will lead you to a determined action of faith and THAT moves Jesus.  These two women recognized where their help would come from and with desperate faith, went for it.

  It didn't matter that one was just another face in a throng of people...

Mark 5:24-33

 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.


 ...or the other was an intruder to a private dinner.

Matthew 15:22-28

And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me.
 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.



They each had a need that the world could not provide and when they heard of Jesus; they knew that they MUST get to Him no matter what the cost.    It is a moving and unwavering faith that makes YOU move toward HIM and away from yourself and man's opinions.  Acknowledging your helplessness and wretchedness leads you to a place of reverent faith that moves you because all your confidence is no longer in anyone other than Christ. 
   I wanna be THIS kind of woman in my prayers to my Savior.  When praying for myself, as the first woman did, or interceding for another, like the Syropheonician woman.  They neither one cared what man would say or do.  All they wanted was a touch from the Master...and they GOT IT!

Faith in Action

I have often wondered why the Lord would use the most wretched of sinners to bring about such glorious victories in the Bible.  One such person is Rahab.  I too have been where Rahab was; waiting on the wall looking for hope while living a life of sin...then she saw them and knew she HAD to act.  One Woman's faith changed the course of history.  Her "choice" to believe in THE God of the Hebrews and hide the men of the Lord so they could escape, eventually saved her WHOLE house. When the city of Jericho fell (Joshua 6:17-25), Rahab and her whole family were preserved according to the promise of the spies, and were incorporated among the Jewish people. I once struggled with how God could ever use my house, my life, my past to do anything for Him. Then I read this story and it changed my life.  It was the beginning of my deliverance from the sin of addiction. It was a message of just how big my God is and how great is His grace and forgiveness; for surely if He could use a harlot's house to save a nation; then maybe, just maybe He would use me.  Surrender to His will and death to my self is where the miracle happens.  "Gird up thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me." (Job 38:3, 40:7) We ALL have to answer to God when He requires of us to stand accountable; so, I want my substance, my loins, my core to be a foundation of Truth; for the truth shall set us free!!