Galatians 2:20

Monday, August 1, 2011

M.I.C.A

"He is jealous for me

loves like a hurricane, I am a tree

bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy...."


David Crowder's song, Oh How He Loves has been been playing in my head for the past two weeks. The words are a great expression of what my heart has been feeling too! I have been broken, overwhelmed, or more like "beat-up" by the Gospel in a good and convicting way . Team Lewis has been M.I.C.A -missing in some "camp" action! Our time has been consumed as we have been away at various camps focusing on the Truth of the Gospel with students from the ages of 3rd grade to seniors in high school.


I really thought this post would be loaded with tons of pictures of students doing crazy things, making funny faces, rallying around the word, because all of that did happen. We just ended up staying so busy and running off such little precious sleep that I didn't even have time to think about breaking out my camera. So, I'm just going to document it from the heart! :)


Even though our camps didn't consist of actually roughing it, I will be honest and say that I was a much happier girl once my tattered mattress in our cabin was covered with my sheets from home. Some things just make you function better when they are "out of sight, out of mind!"


At the same time, isn't that what the Lord is after...to strip away those things that would be "insulating" and comfortable so that HE alone is the one that our gaze is set upon. Maybe a silly example, but even through an old worn out mattress set before me that I would call my bed for a week, I saw how my flesh was challenged by completely shifting my focus on the things that are seen. I am thankful to the Lord for little lessons like this that speak to my heart and remind me once again that it's not about MY personal preference, but that it's about the GREATER of being purified and sanctified of self!

*On a little side note, this was the definition of purity that was given this past week @ youth camp.

PURITY - NO competing loyalties...oh how my heart cries out for that to be true.

We spent our last week at youth camp in Missouri where Paul Washer was our main speaker. The topic was "The Cross-Centered Life!" Just like the song says, "If the gospel of grace was an ocean we would have drowned!" We were immersed!!!

I know that the proclaimer is merely a vessel used as an instrument of grace, but I am so very thankful for this brother in Christ who preaches the Truth without any reservation, compromise, and holds nothing back! For he even said, "I am and there are No great men of God, but little weak feeble men with a GREAT and MERCIFUL GOD!" Oh may I only boast in my weakness so that His strength is made perfect!

As a result, our faith has increased because our ears heard challenging Truth that magnified the Father!

Oh how I am tempted to type out word for word all of my notes just because they are so rich, but I won't just because this post would end up turning into a mini-book.

In summary though: YOU weren't made for you! If you are saved, you are saved because GOD did it for HIS SON! It's all out the Glory of the Father and Son! His death was not to save you from your sin, but from the wrath of God!


I love the illustration that visualizes this: It's as if you and I were standing in front of a million mile wide and million mile deep damn that breaks and ALL the water is rushing towards us with the purpose of destroying our life, but then seconds before it reaches the tips of your toes the ground opens up and drinks in every last drop! PRAISE GOD the Wrath of God was satisfied by the prefect life of His Sons death.

Death is not just to "fix" you, it's been given so that you would give EVERYTHING to HIM! So our style of life must show that we are daily reorienting our lives in order to live a cross-centered life!

Probably the one thing that was said that gripped my heart more than anything is when Paul gave the definition of faith.

FAITH - to not only repent of your sin, but to repent of your GOOD WORKS! It breaks my heart to know how blinded I can be to think I'm ok, but in reality my heart is full of filthy self-righteousness.

For the sake of His name, our prayers were answered in many of our students lives as we asked God to remove hearts of stone and give them a heart of flesh (Ecc. 36:26) so that they will follow Him for the rest of their days! Couldn't help but to give a praise report for all that God has done and continues to do!

After camp we had a 4 day pit-stop at home to wash, wash, and wash more clothes before taking off once again. I finally feel like I have time to play a little bit of catch-up since we are in a place where the demands of being a wife and mother aren't as great since I'm not having to manage our home. We flew out this past Thursday to join my parents for a family vacation in the Bahamas! My soul loves this place because the pace of life is slllloooowww! I am able to chew and meditate on the word with a lot less distractions. Oh how my soul was needing a quiet place to debrief.

I will probably turn into a daily or at least an every other day blogger while we're down here. Not because I'm striving to receive a blogger award, but simply because my heart is soo full of things God is showing me and of course I can't resist updating pictures of my little beach beauty!

Just a little sneak peak until then...



1 comment:

Hurst Family said...

Wow! I may not be on vacation but your words refreshed me as if I were! Can't wait to see more posts! So thankful for what you, Michael and the students/leaders learned while in Missouri.