PIERCED

 

PIERCED

CRUSHED
PUNISHMENT

WOUNDED

STRIPES
But He was pierced for our transgressions, 

He was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace

was upon Him,

and by His stripes

we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

    PIERCED

The nails used to hold Christ to the cross were about 7-inches in length: head, shank, tip. 

    This is a Remembrance Nail my Mother found at a thrift store some years back. And she gave it to me. These were created in 1973 after much research by the man who commissioned them to be made. It's a heavy nail with a roundish head and a thick point. It was this type of nail that PIERCED Christ Jesus' hands and feet. And while the nails fastened Him to the cross, it was Love that kept Him there. 

    CRUSHED

    Oppressed in spirit, bruised in body, Jesus knew pain like many of us have never experienced. A crown of thorns was not just laid atop His head, but pressed into His head with such force that the top of His head bled. He was whipped then covered with a robe; when the blood had begun to dry on the robe, it was lifted off His body, tearing anew the wounds on His back. He was forced to carry His own cross up a hill. Then He was nailed to it. The reverberations of the hammer hitting the nails echoed through His broken body.

    We have oils and ointments and drinks to dull the sensations of pain in our bodies and minds. He had none of this, though when it was offered Him, He refused (Psalm 69:21; John 19:29). 

    PUNISHMENT

Hebrews 9:27, 28 tells us "Just as it is appointed unto man to die once, and after that to face judgment,  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." 

    He bore my sins and yours. He took our punishment upon Himself that we would not be punished for our unrighteous, wicked ways. Christ Jesus allowed Himself, in obedience to His Father, to be tortured and killed for us (Luke 22:42). 

WOUNDED

    Not all wounds result in death, but this wounding which Christ received not only resulted in His death, but was instrumental in conquering death once and for all to all who believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. 

    What are these transgressions for which He was PIERCED and WOUNDED? Rebellion. Rising up against God and God's Word. Rebellious thoughts and actions and attitudes. Insurrection against God's Authority. Treasonous words and actions.

    STRIPES

    It is for our rebellion that He willingly let Himself be led to a mock trial; let Himself be taunted, whipped with a Roman leather whip which had barbs in it designed to rip and tear the flesh off of the one being punished in this way. He allowed Himself to be led on the road to Calvary. He is God's Word in the flesh and in the flesh He submitted and surrendered to God's Will that God's Purpose would be carried out:

    JOHN 3:16, 17

For God so LOVED THE WORLD that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

    By His STRIPES we are healed. Healed of the sin in our hearts. Healed of the sicknesses in our bodies. Healed and delivered of the torments of the mind. All we have to do is believe that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. 

    And having believed it is only in this love we have for Him that we can choose to honor Him with our lives. So we ask The Holy Spirit to reveal God to us in His Word and help us to live a life that honors God. That's The Way of Holiness. That's the path we traverse and the journey we begin in this life. 

    It's a simple faith. So simple that it is impossible for many people to believe it. But I believe. Do you? 

    

BY HIS WOUNDS - Mac Powell (Glory Revealed album)

ONLY JESUS - Casting Crowns 

BETTER IS ONE DAY - Kutless

    

Anticipate Change with Joy

     I have severe Fibromyalgia  (herein referred to as Fm). All of my senses are heightened. It's like they are on DEFCON 5 all the time. Nothing tastes like it used to. I smell things no one else with me can smell. Hugs are limited (I choose when) and you can't just walk up to me and grab me, even if your intent is to help me (you will only hurt me). The only fabric I can tolerate is cotton. I am 53 and I wear tri-focals. My hearing is excellent: I can hear a whispered conversation 5 feet away. This said, any gathering in small rooms is like being shut inside a box with the speakers blaring.
     Most of the stuff I learn about Fm is through my own online research as the doctors I have been in contact with are clueless. There are many networks available to share and vent, but since Fm affects us all differently, there is little you can do but trial and error when it comes to taking care of your illness.

     That being said, you need to learn or relearn basic anatomy and internal infrastructure. I think the first thing any of us need to learn, before we learned to read and write, is how our body works. So we won't be  alarmed by  change; that we are not only ready for it, but looking forward to changes. Instead of being filled with panic, anxiety and fear, we should anticipate with joy the suffering (changes) our bodies go through. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy. It's true, though, you know.

     We plant seeds in their season and anticipate the taste of sweet corn, fresh tomatoes and peppers, strawberries on the vine. Nature fashions their nests and hives. We build houses, fill them with people and create homes. The changes in a woman from child to young lady are visible to all. The changes in a man are not. But he does change. We all know how we felt when it happened to us. Some of just weren't ready. We should have been made aware by the caring adults in our life that we weren't going to stay children and that change was not only inevitable, but a good thing. Just like the changes many of us are going through now. "I will praise You; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Your works; and that my soul knows very well." Psalm 139:14
     I have had the opportunity to undergo many tests to determine what it is exactly that is causing so many changes at one time in my body. Most of you know the routine: CTs, MRIs, blood work-ups, brain scans. Then there's the psychiatrist (who is either a pill pusher or thinks I am crazy), the psychologist (who thinks I am fine); the neuropsychiatrist (who agrees I don't need her services); the neuropsychologist (who runs cognitive tests to see how my brain syncs), the oncologist (who clears me); the arthritis specialist (who treats me), the family doctor (who refuses to see me any more) who sent me to the orthopedic doctor (but I have no breaks or fractured bones) who referred me to aquatic therapy, which did not help me. "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for You are my Praise." Jeremiah 17:14

    I don't cry. I haven't cried in six years. Not since I buried one of my sons. That's change, too. Death affects life. Twenty-one years ago I married the father of my twins and became a stepmom to his 2 kids; six years after that we separated and the following year we divorced. While I was single my relationship with God remarkably increased. "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praise." Psalm 113:3 

Photo by my sister Laura Bavetz, as seen on Capturing My Arizona

     During this time many changes took place on all levels of life. And then seven years ago I remarried. He proposed and six months later we were married. My life changed again. Now I had a new husband and stepson; my boys had a stepdad and a new place to live. The following year my son Nick died. And the year after that I my body forgot how to stand up or even walk. Perhaps the trauma of life impacted my body so much that it just broke down. I have offered this as a solution for the stuttering and stopping of speech and thought, but been rejected or referred by so many doctors to so many others, that I have decided to not even broach the subject again. But I still do my own research. "Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world." I John 4:4
   Some of the sites I have found helpful are listed below. But mostly, it is the spiritual side of my life that has been the most help to me. It is my friendship with Christ that gives me strength to go on, to persevere with determination the chores He has lined up for me to do. And while each new day brings its own challenges and changes, the day also brings its own rewards. "My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding." Psalm 49:3

     Today, for example, I got 7.5 hours sleep. I fell asleep around 3AM and woke up at 11:25AM. This was restful for me. I would prefer to go to sleep sooner, but this seldom happens. And, no, I do not want to take sleeping pills. I will retrain my body to sleep at a normal time. I eat foods my body can tolerate. I drink water all day long and have milk with my meals. I take the pain meds the way they are prescribed and do not experiment by taking other peoples' meds; nor do I share mine. I read nutrition labels.
     I am using the Trial and Error method of taking supplements and vitamins I am missing in my diet. Before you do this, you need to research them. Many supplements, vitamins and herbs interact with prescription medication. While some reactions are subtle, like a rash, many more are life-threatening: you could stop breathing, give yourself a heart attack or bleed out when you cut or scratch yourself.
     The only doctor whose care I am under is the Rheumatoid Arthritis specialist. She diagnosed me with osteoarthritis and is treating me for that and for the Fm. Right now her only Rx is pain meds. Everything else is up to me. I knew I had osteoporosis; have had it for a while now. I adapted. To diagnose this the doctor runs a bone density test to determine the thickness of your bone structure. As I stated previously, I am 53; my skeleton is 80 years old. While the reason is undetermined, I believe it is due to the early hysterectomy I had and the subsequent HRT I was on for five years.
      "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13  There is an old hymn which states: "He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall". Though the line refers to falling back into sin, I also believe that Jesus keeps me from falling physically. Should I ever fall down again, it will be because God is allowing me to fall down to fulfill His purpose at that time. Yes, it will hurt; I will be in extreme pain. No, I don't want to fall down; I do my best to remain upright and balanced at all times, though I have a tendency to tilt my whole body, not just my head.
     Motion is an affirmative action on my part. And yours. Just how much exercise you implement into your daily routine depends on you. I was referred to The Balance & Wellness Center to gauge my ability to function around the home, my mobility and balance. The results were not only shared with me, but sent back to the arthritis doctor who referred me there. They taught me basic yoga, stretching exercises and some Pilates. These are things I do every day now. I break up the time, though; while there, my sessions lasted 45 minutes; here at home I break the time into 15 minute intervals. If I don't do the whole 45 minutes, I don't stress it either.
     If you and I don't take care of ourselves now, someone else will. And, perhaps, not the way we want to be taken care of. That is a change I would prefer not to happen, with or without joy.

In addition to the links scattered throughout the above article, I would also like to include these helpful sites:
Food Substitutions
Living with Pain
Click to Donate Mammograms
Avon Skin-so-Soft Oil
50 Bizarre and Unusual Facts About the Human Body
Not a Wheelchair
Neuropsychology Central
Unsafe Foods Farmers Won't Eat
The Incredible Human Body
Pioneer Thinking

The other blogs I enjoy reading that help me, in addition to the links on the right side of this blog:
Joni and Friends
22 Reasons to Never Give Up
Praise As a Weapon

Consider Him

Consider Him:


He was Obedient ~ Philippians 2:8
He was Meek, Lowly  ~ Matthew 11:29
He was Guileless ~ 1 Peter 2:22
He was Tempted ~ Hebrews 4:15
He was Oppressed ~ Isaiah 53:7
He was Despised ~ Isaiah 53:3
He was Rejected ~ Isaiah 53:3
He was Betrayed ~ Matthew 27:3
He was Condemned ~ Mark `4:64
He was Reviled ~ 1 Peter 2:23
He was Scourged ~ John 19:1
He was Mocked ~ Matthew 27:29
He was Wounded ~ Isaiah 53:5
He was Bruised ~ Isaiah 53:5
He was Stricken ~ Isaiah 53:4
He was Smitten ~ Isaiah 53:4
He was Crucified ~ Matthew 27:35
He was Forsaken ~ Psalm 22:1


He is Merciful ~ Hebrews 2:17
He is Faithful ~ Hebrews 2:17
He is Holy, Harmless, Undefiled, Separate ~ Hebrews 7:26
He is Perfect ~ Hebrews 5:9
He is Glorious ~ Isaiah 49:5
He is Mighty to Save ~ Isaiah 63:1
He is Justified ~ 1 Timothy 3:16
He is Exalted ~ Acts 2:33
He is Risen ~ Luke 24:6
He is Glorified ~ Acts 3:13


The Lord is My Portion


My Maker, Husband ~ Isaiah 54:5
My Well-beloved ~ Song of Solomon 1:13
My Savior ~ 2 Peter 3:18
My Hope ~ 1 Timothy 1:1
My Brother ~ Mark 3:35
My Portion ~ Jeremiah 10:16
My Helper ~ Hebrews 13:6
My Physician ~ Jeremiah 8:22
My Healer ~ Luke 9:11,
My Praise ~ Jeremiah 17:14
My Refiner, Purifier ~ Malachi 3:3
My Lord, Master ~ John 13:13
My Servant ~ Luke 12:37
My Example ~ John 13:15
My Teacher ~ John 3:2
My Shepherd ~ Psalm 23:1
My Keeper ~ John 17:12
My Feeder ~ Ezekiel 34:23
My Leader ~ Isaiah 40:11
My Restorer ~ Psalm 23:3
My Resting Place ~ Jeremiah 50:6
My Strength, My Song, My Salvation ~ Psalm 118:14
My Meat, My Drink ~ John 6:55
My Passover ~ 1 Corinthians 5:7
My Peace ~ Ephesians 2:14
My Wisdom, My Righteousness, My Sanctification, My Redemption ~ 1 Corinthians 1:30
My All in All ~ Colossians 3;11




And as you and I continue our studies we will discover that this listing is only the beginning of who Christ is.