Websters defines Relentless as "that does not relent; unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh; unrelenting: " It means to be "rigid, unbending, obdurate, adamant, unyielding."
My heart is on a road I've never really been down before like this. I mean, I've loved Jesus and purused Him, but I've just seen something in Him in the last few months that has altered me. Altered my perceptions of life. Altered my perceptions of being a Christ follower. Altered my perceptions of the battle we are involved in. Altered my perceptions of HIM.
The last several months have brought on much craziness in our lives. From issues we are dealing with in our children, to this crazy, amazing trip across the world to Africa, to selling our house, to moving, to.....there is a long list of things I could keep naming. Bottom line, in the midst of it all, there has been a battle going on. It is a battle for my heart. There are 2 battles really. One is being waged by the enemy of my soul. He wants to destroy my heart. He wants nothing less than to destroy me, to knock me down, to knock me out of the battle altogether. His attacks are fierce at times. But they haven't destroyed me yet, and by the grace of God they won't. But he is relentless in his attempts to destroy what Christ has done in me. To destroy the works that Christ is doing in me now. And to steal and destroy my destiny in Christ.
The other battle is one being waged by Father. It's not even close to the same kind of battle, but it is a battle nonetheless. It's a battle FOR my heart. He WANTS my heart. And not just part of it....He wants all of it.
I am learning through all of these different things, that in order for me to continue on the journey, I MUST be relentless in my pursuit of Him. I must be rigid when it comes to how I live my life. I must be adamant and unyielding to what I will and will not do. To how I will determine to go after His heart with all that is within me. I must be Relentless. I want to be unyielding to the ways of the flesh in my life, to the ways of the world. I want to be anything but status quo when it comes to how I pursue Him.
On the flip side of this, I am learning that His pursuit of me is the same...it is relentless. He is jealous for me. He doesn't want part of me. He doesn't want half of me. He wants ALL of me. And so out of that intense love He has for me, He pursues me...relentlessly. In His pursuit He allows me to walk through different valleys, periods of darkness, periods of sorrow. Why? Because He knows that when I walk through those times, when I find Him in the midst of it, my heart is forever changed. He knows that during those times, He becomes my all in all. And so He pursues...relentlessly.
You see, in His relentless pursuit of my heart, and by allowing me to walk through the valley, when I have tasted Him, when I have tasted His goodness in the darkest of times, He knows that it will turn my heart to pursue Him. And the more I see His goodness in the darkness, the more relentless I will be to pursue HIS heart. See the connection? Friend, there are some priceless treasures to be found in the darkness. (that's a whole nother blog right there!)
He pursues me, so that I will pursue Him. He draws me so I will seek. It is relentless. And I want to be relentless in my devotion to Him. He loves us, oh how He loves us......relentlessly.....
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
A trip to the other side of the world....
If you would've asked me a few years ago, "would you like to go to on a mission trip to Africa?" I would have happily answered NO WAY. "I'm not called to missions", I've always said. So I never gave it much thought. Sadly, anything that had to do with missions has never really interested me. I thought it was great if someone went on a mission trip or moved across the world to be a full time missionary, but personally I never had any interest in doing anything even remotely close. Until this year.
In January of this past year I made alot of decisions in my life. One of those was to pursue Christ deeper than I ever have. I wanted to dig deeper, to dive deeper, to live deeper than what I had known before. I was tired of being normal as it pertained to me spiritually. I wanted something more than what I had, more than what I had ever known. And I went on a journey to pursue just that.
And while I don't feel a call to sell all of my belongings and move halfway across the world, I have felt a call to do something else, which I believe is what Father calls each of us to do. Say YES. Put our yes on the table and let Him decide what that means, where that leads us. We say yes before we even know the question. And that's what I've done. I've put my yes on the table and said whatever, whenever, whomever, however, whereever.
I started reading the book Radical a few months ago. It changed my life completely. It turned the whole "yes" into something deeper. And it challenged me to go deeper in so many ways. While reading that book I felt such a strong calling to go on a mission trip. I didn't know where, I just I wanted and needed to go. And it was a strong desire in my heart. Actually a very foreign desire because I'd never really wanted to do that before. So as it all turns out, I found out about a trip my church was taking to Zimbabwe on a Friday, 2 weeks before they were scheduled to leave. Turns out God had that trip in mind for me because 2 weeks later I had a passport, a plane ticket, and was on my way halfway across the world to step into something I'd never dreamed possible.
To say that this trip was life changing is an understatement. I saw things I never knew. I saw God in ways I had never had before. I saw Him in a different people group as they worshipped Him in their tribal tongue. I saw Him in glorious creation through wild animals and majestic waterfalls. I saw Him in the eyes of children who had nothing, yet had everything. HE was all they had. And He was enough. It was a humbling thing, needless to say. Here in America, we have all we need. Our faith doesn't cost us anything, really. Maybe our pride at times. But its not at a point where it costs us our lives.
One thing that has stuck with me is desperation. How desperate am I to see Him? Not just see Him, but to see Him around me in ways I've never looked for before. To see Him in the people I meet. To see Him in His creation. Just to SEE Him. Theres a song that's near and dear to my heart, "The More I Seek You" by Kari Jobe. That song came to life for me in Africa. Because I went seeking Him, and I found Him in so many unexpected places. And the more I found Him, the more I fell in love with Him. It's hard not to fall completely head over heels in love with Him when you start seeing Him, seeing Who He is. Who He REALLY is.
There's so much I could say about Africa. It's hard to put into words sometimes how amazing that trip was. It has put a love in my heart for a people group I never even heard of until those 2 weeks in August of this year. And now the people of Zimbabwe are forever etched into my heart, into my soul. If you're my facebook friend you can view all of my albums from the trip. If not, I'm attaching a few of my faves here.
I'll leave you with this, if you haven't put your yes on the table yet with God, do it. Throw caution to the wind and let yourself jump into complete abandonment to Him in every way. I promise you won't regret it.
In January of this past year I made alot of decisions in my life. One of those was to pursue Christ deeper than I ever have. I wanted to dig deeper, to dive deeper, to live deeper than what I had known before. I was tired of being normal as it pertained to me spiritually. I wanted something more than what I had, more than what I had ever known. And I went on a journey to pursue just that.
And while I don't feel a call to sell all of my belongings and move halfway across the world, I have felt a call to do something else, which I believe is what Father calls each of us to do. Say YES. Put our yes on the table and let Him decide what that means, where that leads us. We say yes before we even know the question. And that's what I've done. I've put my yes on the table and said whatever, whenever, whomever, however, whereever.
I started reading the book Radical a few months ago. It changed my life completely. It turned the whole "yes" into something deeper. And it challenged me to go deeper in so many ways. While reading that book I felt such a strong calling to go on a mission trip. I didn't know where, I just I wanted and needed to go. And it was a strong desire in my heart. Actually a very foreign desire because I'd never really wanted to do that before. So as it all turns out, I found out about a trip my church was taking to Zimbabwe on a Friday, 2 weeks before they were scheduled to leave. Turns out God had that trip in mind for me because 2 weeks later I had a passport, a plane ticket, and was on my way halfway across the world to step into something I'd never dreamed possible.
To say that this trip was life changing is an understatement. I saw things I never knew. I saw God in ways I had never had before. I saw Him in a different people group as they worshipped Him in their tribal tongue. I saw Him in glorious creation through wild animals and majestic waterfalls. I saw Him in the eyes of children who had nothing, yet had everything. HE was all they had. And He was enough. It was a humbling thing, needless to say. Here in America, we have all we need. Our faith doesn't cost us anything, really. Maybe our pride at times. But its not at a point where it costs us our lives.
One thing that has stuck with me is desperation. How desperate am I to see Him? Not just see Him, but to see Him around me in ways I've never looked for before. To see Him in the people I meet. To see Him in His creation. Just to SEE Him. Theres a song that's near and dear to my heart, "The More I Seek You" by Kari Jobe. That song came to life for me in Africa. Because I went seeking Him, and I found Him in so many unexpected places. And the more I found Him, the more I fell in love with Him. It's hard not to fall completely head over heels in love with Him when you start seeing Him, seeing Who He is. Who He REALLY is.
There's so much I could say about Africa. It's hard to put into words sometimes how amazing that trip was. It has put a love in my heart for a people group I never even heard of until those 2 weeks in August of this year. And now the people of Zimbabwe are forever etched into my heart, into my soul. If you're my facebook friend you can view all of my albums from the trip. If not, I'm attaching a few of my faves here.
I'll leave you with this, if you haven't put your yes on the table yet with God, do it. Throw caution to the wind and let yourself jump into complete abandonment to Him in every way. I promise you won't regret it.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Always....
Well, it's been a while since my last post, but my heart is full tonight and I want to write. I've been doing alot of thinking lately about our stories. God really opened up my eyes last week to how everyday of my life and what I'm going through is just a page in the book of my life. I never know what that page is going to say, what that chapter is going to be about, what the details that will be surrounding it. Sometimes its good and fun and joyous. Then other times it's challenging. And painful. But the best part of all...I know Who wrote the book. I know the Author of my life. And His endings are always redemptive. They are always glorious and holy. They are always beautiful in every way. And He has an ending for my story. He has an ending for this chapter of my life right now. And though the pages from start and the pages in between may be filled with hard days, I know there is an end in sight that is beyond my mind to comprehend at how beautiful and redemptive it will be. He will bring about His purposes. And His great Name will be glorified.
I guess thats why it makes it easy to serve Him, to love Him. Because no matter what, He always has my best interest at heart. He is always working the circumstances of my life to bring me to Him, to draw me to His heart and to ultimately bring Him glory. Is it always fun? No. Sometimes the journey is tough. But when I keep my eyes fixed on Him, the waves don't seem so big. The storm doesn't seem so strong. There's something about looking at Him that makes everything around me seem so small and insignificant. Do I always keep my eyes focused on Him during the storm? No. Sometimes I take them off and look around. That's when is start to sink. Like we all do, really. I forget Who I am looking at. But if we could just realize the power to His gaze...wow. There is so much in His gaze. Look into His eyes and you'll find courage. You'll find strength. You'll find love. You'll find peace. You'll find the I Am. The Great I AM.
Theres a new song out by Tricia Brock. It is beyond amazing. It's called Always. The chorus says,
"Oh my God, He will not delay, my Refuge and Strength always...I will not fear, His promise is true, my God will come through always...always." That song has become my life. I have kept it on repeat this last week. It is a breath from Father Himself to my spirit. He knows all that we go through. He knows every struggle-big and small. And He will not delay in coming to our side. He will not delay to bring us strength, to be a refuge for us in times of trouble. And He will ALWAYS come through. ALWAYS. What a comforting thought.
Sometimes things seem overwhelming. We all encounter things that are bigger than us. More than we can handle. But that's when He steps in. He shows Himself strong. He shows Himself true in every way. And He shows us that He is God, that He is good even when the circumstances are not. He is still holy. And more than that, He shows us that He is able. Our God is able.
He is the place our soul finds rest in the battle. Sometimes when the battle is most intense, when we have been injured from fighting, when we are deeply wounded, He steps in. He becomes that shelter. He cleans us up, and fills us with strength to go another day. To keep fighting. I know in my life, the battles are raging. Some days they are more intense than others, but one thing remains the same....He is my refuge and strength always. And He WILL come through. Always.
So I want to encourage you. If you are in the midst of a battle, if you are wounded, if you are just tired from it all, then do this...lift up your eyes, for your help comes from the Lord. He will be your refuge and strength. You can rely and stand on His promise. He WILL come through. ALWAYS.
I guess thats why it makes it easy to serve Him, to love Him. Because no matter what, He always has my best interest at heart. He is always working the circumstances of my life to bring me to Him, to draw me to His heart and to ultimately bring Him glory. Is it always fun? No. Sometimes the journey is tough. But when I keep my eyes fixed on Him, the waves don't seem so big. The storm doesn't seem so strong. There's something about looking at Him that makes everything around me seem so small and insignificant. Do I always keep my eyes focused on Him during the storm? No. Sometimes I take them off and look around. That's when is start to sink. Like we all do, really. I forget Who I am looking at. But if we could just realize the power to His gaze...wow. There is so much in His gaze. Look into His eyes and you'll find courage. You'll find strength. You'll find love. You'll find peace. You'll find the I Am. The Great I AM.
Theres a new song out by Tricia Brock. It is beyond amazing. It's called Always. The chorus says,
"Oh my God, He will not delay, my Refuge and Strength always...I will not fear, His promise is true, my God will come through always...always." That song has become my life. I have kept it on repeat this last week. It is a breath from Father Himself to my spirit. He knows all that we go through. He knows every struggle-big and small. And He will not delay in coming to our side. He will not delay to bring us strength, to be a refuge for us in times of trouble. And He will ALWAYS come through. ALWAYS. What a comforting thought.
Sometimes things seem overwhelming. We all encounter things that are bigger than us. More than we can handle. But that's when He steps in. He shows Himself strong. He shows Himself true in every way. And He shows us that He is God, that He is good even when the circumstances are not. He is still holy. And more than that, He shows us that He is able. Our God is able.
He is the place our soul finds rest in the battle. Sometimes when the battle is most intense, when we have been injured from fighting, when we are deeply wounded, He steps in. He becomes that shelter. He cleans us up, and fills us with strength to go another day. To keep fighting. I know in my life, the battles are raging. Some days they are more intense than others, but one thing remains the same....He is my refuge and strength always. And He WILL come through. Always.
So I want to encourage you. If you are in the midst of a battle, if you are wounded, if you are just tired from it all, then do this...lift up your eyes, for your help comes from the Lord. He will be your refuge and strength. You can rely and stand on His promise. He WILL come through. ALWAYS.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
A Running Leap...
So years ago when I was dealing with infertility, it took a toll on me spiritually. I was so hurt and angry and sad and just down right depressed. It was all I wanted in this world. Just to have a baby. But it just wasn't happening. Through my journey, I ended up at a scary place in my walk in with Christ. There came a point that I found myself at the edge of a very dangerous cliff. This cliff was a place where I could jump and turn my back on Christ, or could I turn around and go back to what I knew to be truth about Him. I have to be honest...I looked over the edge. I thought seriously about jumping. My heart had so many questions and was so hurt. I had allowed the enemy of my soul to sneak in and whisper lies to my heart about the goodness of my Father. And the sad thing...I was believing them.
So I stood on the edge of that cliff, pondering what it would mean to jump. What I would really lose if I did. What would really be the consequences. And I looked down into a bottomless pit beneath me. Pitch black, and bottomless. But after looking for some time, I decided to turn around and begin the journey back. The journey that took me back to Him, to His truth, to His embrace.
When I began that journey back, I wasn't alone. He came running to meet me. Just like Father....to come running after us when He sees us on that journey back home to Him. And through that He transformed my heart completely.
Well this leads me to the current time in my life. I have been on a passionate pursuit of Him for some time now. Since January I have put on my spiritual running shoes and started running after Him. And it has just progressed to such a degree that the same high I used to get while doing a physical run, I now get when I am running with Him each day. I am obsessed with Him. With finding His heart.
For the last few weeks my heart has really been stirred. Stirred to a point that it is new territory for me spiritually. I've never walked in such a way with my Father. And now I find myself at another cliff in my life. More like the grand canyon type of cliffs this time. And what I see when I look out is the sky and a vast sea of opportunities in Him. And this time, HE is calling me to jump. Not just jump, but to take a running leap and fly with Him. To soar on the wings of Him, to fly so high I can feel the wind in the trees, to see leaves dancing. To take a running leap and not knowing where the wind of His Spirit will take me, but to just trust His ability to get me there. And so I did it. With no hesitation, I have taken off running as hard as I could, and I leaped off the edge of this cliff. And let me tell you, I'm flying.
Where am I flying? Well, apparently my Father has seen fit to carry me to a place I never dreamed. I'm leaving for Africa in less than two weeks. I have no idea what to expect. I only want to go into this trip with the expectation that He has brought me to this place for His kingdom purposes. It is certainly not of my doing. It's all Him.
So, I'm cutting loose every tie I have with the things of this world. I'm leaving them all behind. Anything that weighs me down or keeps me from leaping off the edge, I am counting as loss. I count everything as loss compared to the awesome priviledge of knowing Him, of flying with Him. I want to soar. I want to experience everything He has destined for my life. I want to be radical in how I live my life for Him. What others may think is crazy or insane or a waste, I want to give to Him. It's His anyway. My life, your life, everything. It all belongs to Abba.
Let's fly...
Stacy
So I stood on the edge of that cliff, pondering what it would mean to jump. What I would really lose if I did. What would really be the consequences. And I looked down into a bottomless pit beneath me. Pitch black, and bottomless. But after looking for some time, I decided to turn around and begin the journey back. The journey that took me back to Him, to His truth, to His embrace.
When I began that journey back, I wasn't alone. He came running to meet me. Just like Father....to come running after us when He sees us on that journey back home to Him. And through that He transformed my heart completely.
Well this leads me to the current time in my life. I have been on a passionate pursuit of Him for some time now. Since January I have put on my spiritual running shoes and started running after Him. And it has just progressed to such a degree that the same high I used to get while doing a physical run, I now get when I am running with Him each day. I am obsessed with Him. With finding His heart.
For the last few weeks my heart has really been stirred. Stirred to a point that it is new territory for me spiritually. I've never walked in such a way with my Father. And now I find myself at another cliff in my life. More like the grand canyon type of cliffs this time. And what I see when I look out is the sky and a vast sea of opportunities in Him. And this time, HE is calling me to jump. Not just jump, but to take a running leap and fly with Him. To soar on the wings of Him, to fly so high I can feel the wind in the trees, to see leaves dancing. To take a running leap and not knowing where the wind of His Spirit will take me, but to just trust His ability to get me there. And so I did it. With no hesitation, I have taken off running as hard as I could, and I leaped off the edge of this cliff. And let me tell you, I'm flying.
Where am I flying? Well, apparently my Father has seen fit to carry me to a place I never dreamed. I'm leaving for Africa in less than two weeks. I have no idea what to expect. I only want to go into this trip with the expectation that He has brought me to this place for His kingdom purposes. It is certainly not of my doing. It's all Him.
So, I'm cutting loose every tie I have with the things of this world. I'm leaving them all behind. Anything that weighs me down or keeps me from leaping off the edge, I am counting as loss. I count everything as loss compared to the awesome priviledge of knowing Him, of flying with Him. I want to soar. I want to experience everything He has destined for my life. I want to be radical in how I live my life for Him. What others may think is crazy or insane or a waste, I want to give to Him. It's His anyway. My life, your life, everything. It all belongs to Abba.
Let's fly...
Stacy
Monday, July 18, 2011
A Holy Embrace....
I am a hugger. I love to hug. I don't like those little "pat" hugs either. If we're going to hug, then let's hug. I want to squeeze your head off your shoulders. If I hug you, then when we're done hugging, you're going to know that I love you. Period! Hugs make me happy. I am a touchy person for the most part and a hug to me just says "I love you" better than anything sometimes.
There's a big difference between a hug and an embrace though. A hug is good, but an embrace, well it's full of many more emotions. If we embrace, then we are sharing more than just a small hug. We are sharing an intimate moment. Understand? I love the sweet embrace of my husband and kids. We hug and it becomes an embrace out of our deep love for one another. LIke when I have been gone and haven't seen my kids for a few days, when we finally see each other we share a very sweet embrace. It says "I love you, I have missed you and you are mine!" I love a sweet embrace of a friend. When a hug becomes an embrace out of sharing difficult battles together or just sharing Jesus with each other. Recently I had been talking with a sweet girl all week via text because she was out of town. We had shared some sweet, sweet moments together about what God was doing in her life. And so we decided when she got back we would meet together and talk about all that happened that week. When I pulled up to meet her, she came barrelling across the yard and we hugged for what seemed like an eternity. That hug became a very sweet embrace. An embrace that spoke much love. Those kinds of embraces are what makes my heart skip beats. But as great as those embraces and hugs are, I love the embrace of my Father even more. There is no embrace on earth quite like the sweet embrace of my heavenly Father. It's in an embrace with Father that we come to see the meaning to Abba Father in our lives. It's through an embrace with Him that we come to "know" His radical love for each of us.
I've recently come to a very real realization of this in my life. Through spending time with Him and pursuing Him, I have been swept away and into the arms of the greatest Love I've ever known. I have crawled up into His lap and spent many, many moments there in His sweet embrace. And THOSE moments with Father radically change our lives. Those moments cause your heart to abandon all that it once held dear in order to pursue more passionate moments with Him.
Through these embraces with our Father, we come to real heart of worship in our lives too. I think of Mary when I think of worship. Remember the story? It's found in Mark 14....
3 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating,[a] a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. 5 “It could have been sold for a year’s wages[b] and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
6 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
Mary's worship has echoed into eternity. She gave all she had in her worship of Him. It was extravagant. And the fragrance of her worship still fills the earth today. Think of every time you've heard this story. It's a radical form of worship that still is talked about to this day. Mary radically cut away what the world thought was security and of great value. She wanted to "waste" her life at the feet of Jesus. Wow. Just think about that statement! She was radical in her worship and it was beautiful in the Father's eyes. Her worship was a fragrant offering to Him. I wonder, is that how our worship is? Is our worship such that it creates a fragrant aroma when we pour it out? You can't give God your life in heaven. You can only do that here on earth. He is worth giving up everything we hold dear to pour our lives out for in complete worship while we are here. Worship when worship costs us something. That's a worship that touches Father's heart.
Mary found the treasure of His heart and she knew it was something worth losing everything for. Have we found the treasure of His heart yet? If so, are we willing to pour out everything we have in order to give our worship back to Him? I don't know about you, but I want a holy embrace to define my life. What the world sees as a waste, I want to pour over His feet. He IS someone worth giving up everything for. And He is worth our fragrant offerings.
There's a big difference between a hug and an embrace though. A hug is good, but an embrace, well it's full of many more emotions. If we embrace, then we are sharing more than just a small hug. We are sharing an intimate moment. Understand? I love the sweet embrace of my husband and kids. We hug and it becomes an embrace out of our deep love for one another. LIke when I have been gone and haven't seen my kids for a few days, when we finally see each other we share a very sweet embrace. It says "I love you, I have missed you and you are mine!" I love a sweet embrace of a friend. When a hug becomes an embrace out of sharing difficult battles together or just sharing Jesus with each other. Recently I had been talking with a sweet girl all week via text because she was out of town. We had shared some sweet, sweet moments together about what God was doing in her life. And so we decided when she got back we would meet together and talk about all that happened that week. When I pulled up to meet her, she came barrelling across the yard and we hugged for what seemed like an eternity. That hug became a very sweet embrace. An embrace that spoke much love. Those kinds of embraces are what makes my heart skip beats. But as great as those embraces and hugs are, I love the embrace of my Father even more. There is no embrace on earth quite like the sweet embrace of my heavenly Father. It's in an embrace with Father that we come to see the meaning to Abba Father in our lives. It's through an embrace with Him that we come to "know" His radical love for each of us.
I've recently come to a very real realization of this in my life. Through spending time with Him and pursuing Him, I have been swept away and into the arms of the greatest Love I've ever known. I have crawled up into His lap and spent many, many moments there in His sweet embrace. And THOSE moments with Father radically change our lives. Those moments cause your heart to abandon all that it once held dear in order to pursue more passionate moments with Him.
Through these embraces with our Father, we come to real heart of worship in our lives too. I think of Mary when I think of worship. Remember the story? It's found in Mark 14....
3 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating,[a] a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. 5 “It could have been sold for a year’s wages[b] and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
6 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
Mary's worship has echoed into eternity. She gave all she had in her worship of Him. It was extravagant. And the fragrance of her worship still fills the earth today. Think of every time you've heard this story. It's a radical form of worship that still is talked about to this day. Mary radically cut away what the world thought was security and of great value. She wanted to "waste" her life at the feet of Jesus. Wow. Just think about that statement! She was radical in her worship and it was beautiful in the Father's eyes. Her worship was a fragrant offering to Him. I wonder, is that how our worship is? Is our worship such that it creates a fragrant aroma when we pour it out? You can't give God your life in heaven. You can only do that here on earth. He is worth giving up everything we hold dear to pour our lives out for in complete worship while we are here. Worship when worship costs us something. That's a worship that touches Father's heart.
Mary found the treasure of His heart and she knew it was something worth losing everything for. Have we found the treasure of His heart yet? If so, are we willing to pour out everything we have in order to give our worship back to Him? I don't know about you, but I want a holy embrace to define my life. What the world sees as a waste, I want to pour over His feet. He IS someone worth giving up everything for. And He is worth our fragrant offerings.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Radical changes....
So this week I started the book, Radical, by David Platt. All I can say is WOW. This book will rock your world. It has mine. I've only read through chapter 3. I could sit and read it all in one night, but there is so much meat there I want to digest it slowly. And more importantly, I want what I read to actually "take" in me. Meaning, I don't want to just read this book and walk away saying what a great book it was. I want to read this book and do something with it. I want to be changed. Totally and completely changed.
The first chapter of the book is entitled, "Someone Worth Losing Everything For - What Radical Abandonment to Jesus Really Means." If that doesn't stop you in your tracks and make you take a hard look at your life, I don't know what will. This whole chapter is full of hard truths. I mean those truths that make you look at your own Christian walk and think "am I REALLY a Christ follower?"
This chapter has focused on the church as a whole basically and how we have settled with conforming Jesus and His Word to fit "us", not the other way around. Which is a crying shame. We are comfortable with our faith because honestly, our faith has never been challenged. Not like those in foreign countries who risk their very lives to come together and meet and worship Jesus. They risk everything. They don't have comfortable sanctuaries with air conditioning and cushioned pews. They don't have a magnificent praise team. No, what they have is a burning desire for Jesus that drives them to risk everything in order to follow Him...to pursue Him. Could you and I honestly look at ourselves and say we'd do that? Would we risk our families, our jobs, our very lives in order to come together with other believers to seek the heart of God? I'd like to say I would, but when it all came down to it, would I? Would you?
This has caused me to really look inside my heart. To truly examine the level of my committment to Christ. Have I abandoned everything for the sake of following Him? Am I taking His Word literally or just arranging it to fit my life? Am I living a comfortable christianity or am I willing to live radical in my pursuit of Christ? Am I willing to forsake everything...my family, my job, my friends, my hobbies, my time, my money, my life... all for the sake of pursuing the power of the Cross in my life? Phillipians 3:8 says, "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ". DO I consider my life worth nothing in order to find Him?
Jesus is calling us all to abandon our comforts and everything that is familiar to us and follow Him. To pick up our cross daily and follow Him. To abandon all the attachments that this world has on us, and to follow Him. To consider our lives as nothing, and to follow Him.
I don't know about you, but I want to be a Christ follower who sees that Jesus is worth giving up everything I hold dear. He is worth my total abandonment in every area of my life. He is worth confronting the sin that resides in my heart so that I can have all the fullness of Him in my life. He is worth it all. And He IS Someone worth giving up everything for.
I believe our christian walk is about the journey. It's about the journey of discovering Jesus everyday. Everyday that we spend time with Him and in His Word, He reveals more of Himself to us and provides us with the opportunity to lay down our lives, to radically confront the sin in our hearts, and to pursue Him. You see, the pursuit of Him is the fun part. Jeremiah 29:14 promises us this, "You will seek Me and you will find Me when you seek with ALL of your heart." Did you notice what it said? It didn't say you'll find me when you seek me just a little....or with some of your heart...or with only the parts of your heart you feel comfortable enough to deal with and let go. No, it says we will find Him when we seek for Him with ALL of our heart. That is RADICAL seeking friends. Holding nothing back. Counting everything as loss for the sake of knowing Him. We will find Him when we are seeking Him. When we are radical in our abandonment of all we hold dear in this world...we will find Him. And He is a treasure worth finding.
So, here we are. We have the choice every day we wake up. Will we be radical Christ followers or comfortable christians? I say forget the comfortable....lets go for epic and change the world.
~Stacy
The first chapter of the book is entitled, "Someone Worth Losing Everything For - What Radical Abandonment to Jesus Really Means." If that doesn't stop you in your tracks and make you take a hard look at your life, I don't know what will. This whole chapter is full of hard truths. I mean those truths that make you look at your own Christian walk and think "am I REALLY a Christ follower?"
This chapter has focused on the church as a whole basically and how we have settled with conforming Jesus and His Word to fit "us", not the other way around. Which is a crying shame. We are comfortable with our faith because honestly, our faith has never been challenged. Not like those in foreign countries who risk their very lives to come together and meet and worship Jesus. They risk everything. They don't have comfortable sanctuaries with air conditioning and cushioned pews. They don't have a magnificent praise team. No, what they have is a burning desire for Jesus that drives them to risk everything in order to follow Him...to pursue Him. Could you and I honestly look at ourselves and say we'd do that? Would we risk our families, our jobs, our very lives in order to come together with other believers to seek the heart of God? I'd like to say I would, but when it all came down to it, would I? Would you?
This has caused me to really look inside my heart. To truly examine the level of my committment to Christ. Have I abandoned everything for the sake of following Him? Am I taking His Word literally or just arranging it to fit my life? Am I living a comfortable christianity or am I willing to live radical in my pursuit of Christ? Am I willing to forsake everything...my family, my job, my friends, my hobbies, my time, my money, my life... all for the sake of pursuing the power of the Cross in my life? Phillipians 3:8 says, "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ". DO I consider my life worth nothing in order to find Him?
Jesus is calling us all to abandon our comforts and everything that is familiar to us and follow Him. To pick up our cross daily and follow Him. To abandon all the attachments that this world has on us, and to follow Him. To consider our lives as nothing, and to follow Him.
I don't know about you, but I want to be a Christ follower who sees that Jesus is worth giving up everything I hold dear. He is worth my total abandonment in every area of my life. He is worth confronting the sin that resides in my heart so that I can have all the fullness of Him in my life. He is worth it all. And He IS Someone worth giving up everything for.
I believe our christian walk is about the journey. It's about the journey of discovering Jesus everyday. Everyday that we spend time with Him and in His Word, He reveals more of Himself to us and provides us with the opportunity to lay down our lives, to radically confront the sin in our hearts, and to pursue Him. You see, the pursuit of Him is the fun part. Jeremiah 29:14 promises us this, "You will seek Me and you will find Me when you seek with ALL of your heart." Did you notice what it said? It didn't say you'll find me when you seek me just a little....or with some of your heart...or with only the parts of your heart you feel comfortable enough to deal with and let go. No, it says we will find Him when we seek for Him with ALL of our heart. That is RADICAL seeking friends. Holding nothing back. Counting everything as loss for the sake of knowing Him. We will find Him when we are seeking Him. When we are radical in our abandonment of all we hold dear in this world...we will find Him. And He is a treasure worth finding.
So, here we are. We have the choice every day we wake up. Will we be radical Christ followers or comfortable christians? I say forget the comfortable....lets go for epic and change the world.
~Stacy
Monday, June 13, 2011
Your Great Name....Jesus
Have you heard this song by Natalie Grant? Oh my, it is a humdinger. But don't listen to it unless you can take a minute to stop and soak it in. I'm going to post some of the lyrics to this song here, because they are just full of such power I want you to see them...
Lost are saved; find their way; at the sound of Your great name
All condemned; feel no shame, at the sound of Your great name
Every fear; has no place; at the sound of Your great name
The enemy; he has to leave; at the sound of Your great name
Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name
All the weak; find their strength; at the sound of Your great name
Hungry souls; receive grace; at the sound of Your great name
The fatherless; they find their rest; at the sound of Your great name
Sick are healed; and the dead are raised; at the sound of Your great name
Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name
There is so much truth wrapped up in these words. As I write this blog tonight I have this song on replay on the ipod. I can't get enough of it.
I guess I am coming to a new revelation of the true POWER in His name. Phillipians 2:9-11 says it all,
9 Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor
and gave Him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
I have read that scripture a million times over the years. Knew what it said, knew it was truth. But tonight...well, tonight it has come alive.
Now go back and read the words of that song again. What is it in your life that needs to bow before the name of Jesus? Do you struggle with fear? It bows before the name of Jesus. Anger? It bows before the name of Jesus. There is no struggle, no issue, nothing, that can stand against the mighty name of Jesus. None of these things have to control us. I don't know about you, but that gives me great hope.
The more I have thought about this, I have come to the realization of something in my own life. How much time I have wasted and allowed the enemy to use against me because I have not taken my struggles, my weakness, my issues, and acknowledged that they are powerless against the name of Jesus. How often do we walk around in defeated mode because we don't think we can really overcome something. It seems to powerful. It seems to have too great a hold on our lives. I have news for you and me...there is nothing we deal with that has more power than the name and person of Jesus Christ. We can find victory in every battle with His name.
There is great freedom in that for me--when we realize that we aren't fighting these battles alone. If we are a Christ follower and He lives within us, then we have a power living within us that is greater than anything in this world we may face. God has given us weapons to use in our battles against the enemy, but the greatest weapon that we as Christians have is one word...JESUS.
That name makes people uncomfortable. They can say "God", but not "Jesus". Why? Because something happens when we speak His name. It stirs. It creates. It is power. And to think it is used in such a vain way. The most precious name in all the world.
I urge you to take a moment. Get quiet and still. And just begin to say His name. And as you say His name, remember the power in that name. Remember every struggle you are facing. And as you say that name above all names, allow His presence to meet you right where you are, in the midst of every battle, and remember that those enemies are nothing against the power of His great name. If you don't know Him personally, call on His name as your salvation. The lost find their way through His great name.
He is so many things. Redeemer. Healer. Defender. Saviour. King. He is Jesus.
~Stacy
Lost are saved; find their way; at the sound of Your great name
All condemned; feel no shame, at the sound of Your great name
Every fear; has no place; at the sound of Your great name
The enemy; he has to leave; at the sound of Your great name
Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name
All the weak; find their strength; at the sound of Your great name
Hungry souls; receive grace; at the sound of Your great name
The fatherless; they find their rest; at the sound of Your great name
Sick are healed; and the dead are raised; at the sound of Your great name
Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name
There is so much truth wrapped up in these words. As I write this blog tonight I have this song on replay on the ipod. I can't get enough of it.
I guess I am coming to a new revelation of the true POWER in His name. Phillipians 2:9-11 says it all,
9 Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor
and gave Him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
I have read that scripture a million times over the years. Knew what it said, knew it was truth. But tonight...well, tonight it has come alive.
Now go back and read the words of that song again. What is it in your life that needs to bow before the name of Jesus? Do you struggle with fear? It bows before the name of Jesus. Anger? It bows before the name of Jesus. There is no struggle, no issue, nothing, that can stand against the mighty name of Jesus. None of these things have to control us. I don't know about you, but that gives me great hope.
The more I have thought about this, I have come to the realization of something in my own life. How much time I have wasted and allowed the enemy to use against me because I have not taken my struggles, my weakness, my issues, and acknowledged that they are powerless against the name of Jesus. How often do we walk around in defeated mode because we don't think we can really overcome something. It seems to powerful. It seems to have too great a hold on our lives. I have news for you and me...there is nothing we deal with that has more power than the name and person of Jesus Christ. We can find victory in every battle with His name.
There is great freedom in that for me--when we realize that we aren't fighting these battles alone. If we are a Christ follower and He lives within us, then we have a power living within us that is greater than anything in this world we may face. God has given us weapons to use in our battles against the enemy, but the greatest weapon that we as Christians have is one word...JESUS.
That name makes people uncomfortable. They can say "God", but not "Jesus". Why? Because something happens when we speak His name. It stirs. It creates. It is power. And to think it is used in such a vain way. The most precious name in all the world.
I urge you to take a moment. Get quiet and still. And just begin to say His name. And as you say His name, remember the power in that name. Remember every struggle you are facing. And as you say that name above all names, allow His presence to meet you right where you are, in the midst of every battle, and remember that those enemies are nothing against the power of His great name. If you don't know Him personally, call on His name as your salvation. The lost find their way through His great name.
He is so many things. Redeemer. Healer. Defender. Saviour. King. He is Jesus.
~Stacy
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