tracks

While running on the beach one morning during the Beach trip with the youth, I heard the Father whisper into my ear. Some of you may think that is weird, but the Word says that the sheep KNOW HIS VOICE. The Voice was clear and simple. I had been running down the beach, being careful not to get my shoes wet. I don't like sand and wasn't too thrilled about the fact that it was slowly filling up my shoes. Still....I ran. And it was in that moment, I heard the Voice whisper in my ear.
Later in the week, I had the chance to share with the students what the Lord had said to me on the beach. It was obvious that it was the Voice of God because the students immediately latched onto the phrase that was given and began to "run" with it.
What did He say? "Let's Make Tracks!" Not a phrase I would typically use, but on the beach as I watched the footprints of those in front of me wash away and thought about the ones that I was laying down as I ran, the Lord gave me a phrase and word picture of what our calling is to be. We MUST be a people that are running with the Father and leaving tracks for those who come behind. God's Voice to me was "Christy, Let's Make Tracks....run after me and leave tracks for those who are coming behind." And then, I realized that the world was quickly coming behind me and erasing what I had laid. Whether it was the surf or others who were messing up my tracks with their own, the tracks that I lay are in danger.
So, how do I fix that? I make sure that those who are following my tracks are following close enough that they don't miss the tracks that have been laid and end up following another course. I make sure that those who are following are laying tracks as well, so that the consistency of what has been laid continues. I make sure that those who come behind are faithful to follow and make tracks as well.

There is also a different interpretation of the "let's make tracks" thought....for many, that phrase is something that is used to say..."Come on, let's get moving, let's go!" The cool thing about when God speaks-all meanings apply. Come on...let's go, let's get moving and Make some Tracks. Let's lay some tracks that can be followed and let's follow so closely that we don't have to worry about the world wiping away what we lay down.

This week....Let's Make TRACKS!

PS....check out the pics....all about laying tracks, where we walk and the putting feet to what the Lord has said. COME ON LET'S GO! ALL FOR YOU

bleeding

The woman who had hemorrhaged for 12 years and could be healed by no one came at touched the fringe of His garment, wanting to be healed. Her faith was amazing....believing that she only needed a touch of his garment. And she was right, she was immediately healed. It has always amazed me that Jesus stopped everything to identify who touched him. Naturally, He is God...He knew who. He wasn't looking for her or wondering who she was. He knew...all along. And yet, He asked the question, "who is the one who touched me?" The disciples thought this preposterous. People were pressed all around, many touching Him. But only ONE received the power of healing from the touch. Not because she spoke and asked. Not because she cried out. But because of her faith. She merely just wanted a TOUCH of His garment for she knew it held the power she longed for.
When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice and that Jesus knew what had happened, (which is funny to me-she had to realize that she couldn't sneak up and get something from God. And that if He could heal her, He could identify her.) that she came trembling and fell down before Him, declaring in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him and how she had been immediately healed.
Jesus wasn't interested in identifying her. He already knew her. He wasn't interested in finding out why power had gone out of Him. He already knew why. He was interested in her DECLARING in the presence of ALL the people what the LORD had done. He wanted the glory among ALL the people, not in secret. She came and bowed low, trembling and worshipping Him and He was able to show even more grace and compassion and receive even greater glory.
I am just like this woman. Knowing that all I need is a touch of His garment, coming in secret amid the crowd. And yet, His desire is that we would not try to "get" His power in secret, but declare among ALL the people the need and how He meets it. He does not want us to hide in the crowd, but to declare amongst everyone, worship at His feet in front of everyone and fall down before Him in front of everyone.
Her faith made her whole, because her faith was GREAT....a touch of the fringe of His garment. But He doesn't leave it at the healing or at making her whole. He wants it declared among the people.

Isa 43:21 "The people whom I formed for myself, will declare My praise.

Every thing in our lives is an opportunity to touch the fringe of His garment and declare His praise among the people. We can not hide in the crowd but MUST come before the crowd and make His praise glorious.
Ps 66:2 Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.
ALL FOR YOU

Random thoughts on sharing life

If Jesus brought the Father glory by accomplishing the work which He had been given to do in reproducing Himself in the life of the disciples....If Jesus realized that all He had been given to the Father HAD to be passed on to those He was entrusted with-given by the Father.....and if Jesus lives in me-I am dead-He lives, then we have been given the same work to do-to glorify God by being sure that we accomplish the work given in reproducing Jesus in the lives of those the Lord has entrusted to us.
God has given us people, not just ministry and our lives MUST be given to pour LIFE into a few. Jesus staked everything on a few. He risked His Father's glory, fame and message on a FEW. (it wasn't really a risk, but you know what I mean.) He put all He had to offer in a few, knowing that it would mass reproduce. He was willing to stake everything, His Kingdom, heaven and His Father's fame on a few. His whole work depended upon what He did with the 12, particularly 3. His whole ministry would have either succeeded or failed based on what He did in those lives. And IF He lives in us....the same methodology and the same truths remain. What if we looked at people that way? as if the whole success of the Kingdom was based on what we did with what we had been given? ( I realize the Father does the work in us...but again..you know what I mean?)
What does it take to think and live like this? TIME....that is all it takes. Not money, not technology, not programs, but Time spent with the Father so that we have something to pour out and time spent with people, to pour out on. God gets glory when we see others through to completion. We MUST continue to flesh out the Word=which is life, to pour it onto people. We were all created to bring glory to God, by Christ living IN/thru us. So, What was Christ doing that He still wants to do in and through me? Reproduce disciples by pouring LIFE onto a few-.
How often are we lazy slaves with the people we have been entrusted? The disciples were God's gift to the Son and the Son's gift to the Father. God has given us people and our gift back to Him is to give back disciples that we have poured everything we had into. People are a gift to us! But most of the time we view them as a burden. That SO needs to change.
We are very quick to share with people what they should DO...and yet, we need to spend more time sharing who they should know. We are to SHARE LIFE-share JESUS, share the WORD. For Jesus is life and the Word. So How do we share Jesus and the Word....by SHARING LIFE.
When Jesus came He came that we might have LIFE TOGETHER....both I in Him and He in me, but me in you and you in me. That WE may be One as the Father is ONE with the Son. How does this happen? Sharing LIFE together. For it is the only way we KNOW one another-that intimate faith. It is relationship in the daily, in the moments. It is the OVERFLOW-what's on our hearts and minds will flow out of our mouths-we will talk about and to the ones we Love-both God and one another.
If the Word is indeed our life and it is not an IDLE Word....then Life together looks like talking about Jesus and His Word in the daily everyday moments of life. If this is NOT happening-Is He our Life? We can't share what is not ours. We should bleed Jesus and His Word. Not works, not programs, not service-but HIM. Jesus' ministry was talking about the Father and glorifying Him by laying down His life for others and investing in 12. What if we began to think like this? Everything Jesus had, He passed on to the disciples. And that is what we are to do. We are to pour our lives out for one another as we SHARE LIFE with one another-living LIFE TOGETHER....for LIFE IS CHRIST and CHRIST is TOGETHER.
Jesus did not say to live life so that Christ is seen in US alone...He said live life so that it is seen in others. God is glorified in THEM-the disciples. What if we began to view success based on not only our own walks but in making sure that the others make it to completion? What if the few became our dream so that Christ recieved glory? Would we be willing to STAKE Everything ON ONE....other than us....making it to completion in Christ. If everyone had ONE who was living life to make sure they made it....we would all succeed.

I guess the thought that is piercing me today is that our intention in life can not be independent but must be staked on sharing LIFE TOGETHER so that He gets glory, disciples are made and the bleed reproduces. The enemy will stand against this, but God's plan is clear. SHARING LIFE TOGETHER is what reproduces disciples. It is not idle life....or idle words, it is indeed our LIFE......
ALL FOR YOU

yawn or yearn

Have you ever passed Yawn gas? You know, when you yawn and then the person next to you yawn's because you did. In fact, you may have just yawned right now thinking about it. Wouldn't that be funny?
Yawning has always been a sign of being tired or perhaps bored. And yet, the Father has called us to run after Him, to follow after Him, to YEARN for Him. However, most of what is seen in us is yawning, not yearning. No wonder the world is not interested in what we have. We look bored and tired of it.
We are such a spoiled people. We have the BEST of the best. We have everything we could dream of available to us. The best music, the best preaching, the best of relationships. We have the best technology, the best air conditioning, cars and houses. We have sung the greatest of earthly responses to the Lord and heard the most well spoken sermons. We have had available to us the Word of God and people to explain to us how to study it. We have had the presence of ALMIGHTY GOD all around us, Living IN US and longing to draw us closer. Yet, all we can do is Yawn instead of Yearn.
Instead of Yearning for His presence, responding to His greatness so the world may see and basking in the blessings of all that He has given to draw us to Him, we Yawn. We stand in our services and act as though the treasure we have received is just another on a list of spoils we have retained. I had someone tell me in the last couple weeks that we just look dead-and that can't be all we have to offer the God of the universe. I CONCUR!
We are spoiled rotten. We are selfish and we are calloused to the truth. We yawn instead of yearn. Which makes me question whether we see and know God. Isaiah 40 says Have you not seen, have you not heard that the Everlasting God of the universe, the Creator, the Lord does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary and to Him who lacks might He increases power. How do we become bored with such a God? How is it that we grow tired of whispering His name, serving His Kingdom and expressing His worth? How is it that we don't long to lavish our love and worship upon Him with each passing breath? Because we don't yearn for Him. We stand in our churches and yawn, waiting for the service to be over instead of yearning for His presence to fall in such a way that we don't want to leave.
Why is it that we don't? We are spoiled. But it is also evidence that we are not IN LOVE with Him. Our hearts are not fully given to Him. We have been taken captive by the things and pleasures of this world. And so we look at Jesus and yawn while we yearn for time on the boat, at a football game or by the pool. We don't have to be taken captive and put into slavery by another country. We are already there. We are held captive by the things of this world that have stolen our love and affection, causing us to yawn instead of yearn.
Eph 5 says it this way, "Awake O sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you."
Stop yawning and wake up. Yearn for Him and He will shine on You. And quit passing the YAWN GAS! ALL FOR YOU

cost of following?

The cost of Following Christ seems so high. While we all want to receive what God offers, few of us long to Follow In what He requires. And somehow, in the dichotomy of thinking, we have divorced the idea of Following Christ from being a Christian. Another words, we want the grace without the obedience. We want to accept and not follow. We want what we want without the cost.
I know most of you would disagree and say that you are a Christian AND you are Following Christ. However, let me challenge you to look at the Followers of Christ in the Bible. Just take a few minutes and look at the lives of the Disciples, of Paul and the countless others that the Word calls Followers of Christ. And then look around and see how many people we see in our churches living like that. I am SO convicted when I look at the Word and measure my life against it. Haven't you ever looked at the Bible and then at the lives of American Christians and thought.....could we all have missed it-because what I see looks nothing like what is described in the Word? In fact, my heart aches as I look around and see that is in this Book is Nothing like what I see being lived out around me. And it has challenged me to take a fresh look at my life and begin to count the cost of being a Follower of Christ.... and to ask what does that REALLY look like. I am finding that I must REPENT-change the way I think about Following and the cost of it.
In fact, when we start talking about the cost of discipleship, the cost of following Christ-it just seems too high. Honestly, it just seems like what it will cost me and what I get...just doesn't measure up. After all, I can accept God's grace, live as I want-doing a few good things and coming to church along the way and still get into heaven, right? Is that why Christ died? So that we could live as we want, but still get in? Did He really die so that God could have a people that Followed Him with a half hearted commitment and mediocre love? So, why should I pay the price of Following Him in ALL, when I can still get in if I don't. I mean...He will forgive me of all my sins, if I confess? MAY IT NEVER BE. That is what Paul said. (Romans 6) What crazy thinking! The dichotomy of being a Christian and a Follower is NOT Biblical.
But we still think this way. The cost is too high. Let me give you an example of this thinking. We will spend thousands of dollars on vacation. We will rise early to work out or to go hunting. We will take days off work to enjoy our latest recreational activity. We will forgo time with our family for work. We will mark out time for relationships that we enjoy. But do we do ANY of these things in order to be a better Follower of Christ? Will we spend thousands on time away that will advance our Spiritual journey? Will we rise early to spend time in the Word, make it to a prayer or accountablity small group? Will we take days off of work to attend a conference that will point our hearts towards the throne? Will we forgo time with our families in order to see the Kingdom of God advance? Will we mark out days at a time to spend searching out the things of God? So, tell me again...what is it we value?
You see, maybe it isn't that the cost of discipleship is so high. Maybe it is that we don't value it enough. Maybe, it is that we value other things more highly and thus are willing to sacrifice for them. If we were offered a thousand dollars a verse to memorize Scripture, we would certainly start memorizing like crazy. All of us would TRY. But why does it take that kind of motivation to make us strive to place the Word inside of us? Could it be that we value money more than the Word. That we see the value in memorizing Scripture when we are being PAID for it? Our thought...."we are actually getting something out of it." But aren't we getting something out of it regardless?
The cost of Following is high. But the truth is, we aren't willing to pay it. And so the question begs....are you truly a follower if you aren't willing to pay the price it costs to be one?
A though crossed my desk this week that has sent me reeling into thought about these things.
"the cost of Following Christ is high. But isn't the cost of NOT Following higher?"
It may cost us to Follow Christ. It may cost us our family time, our rec time, our dreams, our vacations, money and much more. But what is the cost if we don't Follow Him? Isn't that cost higher than if we do?
Count the cost....your choices determine your future.ALL FOR YOU

better Daddy

Micah continues to WOW us with his thoughts on life. And His questions! The things that run through the mind of a five year old are scarier than things that run through my mind (which can be pretty intense and scary at times!) We have had all sorts of questions lately, including; Why are bears bad animals? How does the chick get inside the egg? And how do babies come out? But my favorite this week was two fold.
Podcasts are a big deal in our house. And my kids are learning to LOVE preaching. If we are in the car, they are listening to some sermon and it is funny how much my five year old listens and asks questions. On the way to church this week, we were listening to a preacher who was talking about God being Jesus' Father. And out of no where, Micah chimes in to the conversation.
"Mom, is there a better Daddy than God?"
Now, I can guess where the question came from. I am sure he was thinking that Joseph was Jesus' Daddy, after all, that is what the Bible says and we have taught him. So how can God be Jesus' Daddy and is God a better Daddy than Joseph? Not to mention, I am thinking he thinks his Dad is pretty cool and I figured that fit into the equation somehow. So I asked him what he meant.
He replied, "is there a better Daddy than God?" Since I got no more information, I decided to run with that....
"No, Micah, God is the best Daddy ever. And, He is our Daddy as well."
"How can God and Daddy be my Daddy?"
Now certianly, I could have talked about God, the Father and the contrast between Him and the Father of lies-the enemy of our souls. I could have explained how God made us and has the right to be our Father. But instead, I decided to explain the gospel in such a way that maybe he might actually understand. "Well, God desires that we live to listen and obey Him. And when we choose to follow Him, doing all He says to do and when we Love Him with all our hearts, He comes into our lives and tells us how we should live. He becomes our Daddy."
Thinking, I had done a pretty good job at the Daddy question, I waited for his reply.
"I am not so sure about the listening and obeying part, but I want Him to be my Daddy."
I laughed, because I realized how honest his answer was and how much it represents most of us. We want God to be our Father, but we are not so sure about the listening and obeying stuff. We want the salvation without the obedience.
So I asked Micah, "You don't want to listen and obey God?"
He replied, "yeah, I do-because I Love Him and want Him to live in my heart."
The Scripture says that a child shall lead us....and while the honesty of his heart so represents us, he already recognizes that if we love Him, we will obey-even when we are not sure that is what our flesh wants to do.
Micah has the faith of a five year old. It will grow and mature. But the Word says that there are many who remain in this state-babes, never maturing. How odd it would look to have churches full of 35 year olds that never progressed mentally passed the age of five. How strange would it be to think it normal for 50 year olds to have never matured past the five year old standards.
Is there a better Daddy than God? Of course NOT! But sometimes we allow the enemy to make us think there is. Maybe it is time we grow up IN HIM and listen and obey-even if it isn't what WE want, because our love for Him is so strong that nothing else matters. ALL FOR YOU