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Imagining Our Departure =)

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 By 4 Comments

Good Tuesday Everyone! 

I woke up this morning thinking about what it’s going to be like in that exact moment I cross over the threshold of time and eternity. Have you ever thought about this… I mean, really thought about this?

It’s pretty wild to IMAGINE how it will go down. Not how we will die or when we will die… but how a person actually exits this earth to enter into heaven.

I laid there in my bed… closed my eyes and ears in order to block off two of the physical senses God gave me for maintaining contact with this physical world. There in the darkness and in the quiet, I became increasingly attuned to the REAL ME… the SPIRIT PERSON inside of this curly headed pod everyone calls Chuck.   

With our five physical senses, we have access to this PHYSICAL world. Sometimes, these physical senses distract humans from accessing their spiritual self. This is why people usually close their eyes when kissing… to shut off the sight sense in order to heighten the feel sense, or to access the REAL PERSON inside of the physical body. 

As we leave this earth, we will peel off this human pod much like a butterfly breaks out of her cacoon. In that exact moment… our access to this physical world will slowly fade away… our senses will be turned off… and our human SPIRIT will step right out of its physical house and into eternity without missing a beat! 

2 Corinthians 5:6-9  So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as WE LIVE IN THESE BODIES we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. (we are supposed to live like this) Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be AWAY from these earthly bodies, FOR THEN we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though OUTWARDLY we are wasting away, yet INWARDLY we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is SEEN, but on what is UNSEEN. For what is seen is TEMPORARY, but what is unseen is ETERNAL.

There is more to life than meets eye… or the ear… or the nose… or the taste… or the feel. This earth is the environment for the human body. The human body is the medium through which the HUMAN SPIRIT has expression in this physical earth. And these are both temporary… they will not last forever. 

Life here on earth is temporal. Become more spiritual… more attuned to the REAL YOU… more aware of God. Walk with God… know him… love him… serve him… and enjoy him! Then in that day, when you shall cross over… it shall be no strange experience when the physical senses shall slowly fade away… and you are left with nothing except the REAL YOU… to break out into what is next! And what a glorious day this shall be for us all!

Pretty DEEP blog today huh? I hope it adds tremendous value to your amazing lives! We love you all… praying that your day is most outstanding!

Filed Under: All Message

Lifting Up The Down Trodden

Monday, May 25th, 2009 By 2 Comments

Happy Memorial Day!

We spent a good part of our weekend reconnecting with some old friends. For us, this was more fun than anything else we could have done!

About seven years ago, these friends rescued a family of Sudanese slaves and brought them to America for freedom! They spent time teaching this family how to speak good english and how to manage money… and how to love and worship God. The results of this rescue are absolutely astonishing! 

During our visit with these old friends, we had the pleasure of spending quality time with two of the Sudanese children. Emily was pretty moved about this… and commented several times about what these kids must have experienced in Sudan. She kept mentioning how special it is to see them living a BEAUTIFUL life with a good church family. 

Here in America, we take so many of our freedoms for granted, never really able to comprehend what life is like in many other parts of the world. Thank God for Lion of Judah Ministries and the compassion that drove them to RESCUE a family of 21st century slaves. There is no way to fathom how things would have gone for this Sudanese family if they had been left in their oppression.

We too have the ability to FREE the oppressed. Even here in America, there are so many people in so many forms of oppression. All it requires is a sacrificial HEART… the willingness to take whatever blessings we HAVE and leverage them for the release of the oppressed. This can mean cutting back on our own extravagances so that we can GIVE extravagantly to our churches. It can also mean lending our time, talents, and spiritual giftings to LIFT UP THE DOWNTRODDEN people we run into every day!

Each of us have SOMETHING that we can leverage to LIFT UP THE DOWNTRODDEN. We are far more blessed than we believe… far more able than we know… far more destined to HELP than we may ever realize.

Today… on the day we remember those who have GIVEN THEIR ALL for the FREEDOM we now enjoy… may you and I choose to become FAR MORE SACRIFICIAL with our own lives. May we RISK OUR ALL to REACH DOWN and FREE THE OPPRESSED people in our circles and throughout this world!

John 15:12-13 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

2 Corinthians 8:9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

Galatians 5:13-14  For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Remember, it is more blessed to give than it is to recieve… this is the surest path to true fulfillment. Have a super day everyone! 

Filed Under: Journal & Message

Lay It All Down

Sunday, May 24th, 2009 By 2 Comments

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Memorial Day is tomorrow… it’s got me thinking about sacrifice this morning. I’m so grateful to all the men and women who gave their ALL so that I can live here peacefully with my beautiful family, in this beautiful home… with this nice computer… and my wireless internet… and blog about whatever I am led to articulate.

Even though there are so many things I would love to change about this country, we are still America the Beautiful… and I never want to take that for granted. Every time I meditate on the sacrifices of our servicemen and women, I feel compelled to go farther… to do more… and give everything… to LAY MY LIFE DOWN for the cause of FREEDOM.  

John 15:12-13 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is NO GREATER LOVE than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Considering the sacrifices of those who have gone before us… we should look at our personal commitment to this great country, our fellow man, and our amazing God. The Apostle Paul said this, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” –Acts 20:24

We must never make life about ourselves… and we must never retreat from duty because of the intensity of a battle. Let us USE our lives and SPEND THEM up while we are here. And when we are departing, we will look back without regret, knowing that we fought a good fight, finished our course, and kept the faith… leaving the incoming generations the same inheritance of freedom we received from our sacrificial forefathers! 

Have a super day everyone… think sacrifice… think service… think GRATITUDE… think about Jesus dying for your ultimate freedom… and think about how YOU are planning to USE WHAT you’ve got for FINISHING THE WORK ASSIGNED YOU BY THE LORD JESUS… the work of telling others the good news about the wonderful grace of God.

Filed Under: Message with Video

The Gentle Whisper in Our Cluttered Hearts

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 By 7 Comments

Happy Saturday Friends!

Blogging on the patio this morning… what a day! Last night we went to Coree’s senior dinner at the Joshua Wilton House in Harrisonburg VA. Free meal on the school… I suppose we paid for it through tuition… still a VERY nice touch! The company was amazing… food was too. 

Today, we have friends coming from Lion of Judah Ministries in Blackstone, VA… they are leading worship at Destiny Family Center tomorrow morning… CAN’T WAIT! You should drive to the Shenandoah Valley for the weekend… there is still time… great place to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend!

Yesterday morning, I went to console a family that lost their 47 year old daughter in the night. It was unexpected and very painful for these folks. The exciting part of the story is that Lisa came to Destiny Family Center about two months ago and gave her heart to Jesus… and she was SO IMPACTED from that experience. Thank God Lisa didn’t leave this earth THREE months ago. God prepared her heart… and he REACHED her… just like he is working to reach so many others before they also depart this temporal physical world.

God has so many ways of reaching people… 

“What a Father we have… making us homesick in many undetectable ways! He’s the gentle whisper in our cluttered hearts during those fleeting moments when we are brought to silence. Faintly, we can hear him drawing us to open our dusty Bibles! He’s the nagging coworker inviting us to church every Sunday! He’s that mysterious “feeling” deep in our bellies, telling us there has to be a better way! Yes, God is speaking to us all day long… just waiting for us to respond to him. Waiting for us to run out of other options and finally come to the realization that real life begins with him.” –Chapter 4 of my book

Today… we will meet people God has been working on… people he is right now preparing for eternity… one month before their departure, they will intersect with one of us! 

Have a fun day everyone… I will chat with you later and HOPEFULLY SEE YOU TOMORROW! Do something fun with your Saturday… something beautiful!

Filed Under: Journal & Message

Show Me Your Feet! (lol) =)

Friday, May 22nd, 2009 By 10 Comments

Happy Friday Bloggies! 

About three years ago, I called a buddy of mine on his cell phone to say hello. This guy is the toughest, meanest, roughest, macho-est guy I know. I’ve been to watch him tear people up in the boxing ring several times. He’s spent quite a bit of time in police cars and jails for putting other people in the hospital. He grew up on lots of crack, and a reputation for being the baddest dude in town. Six years ago, I had the privilege of leading him to Jesus at Destiny Family Center… and we became very good friends right away.  

It was a Saturday if I remember correctly…

  • I called this new bro of mine and he answered, “hey man whatsup?” 
  • I said, “hey, what are you up to?” 
  • He stuttered for a few seconds and reluctantly confessed, “Not a whole lot… just in the Harrisonburg Mall… I’m getting a pedicure.” 
  • Obviously, I started LAUGHING PRETTY HYSTERICALLY at this point… and I said, “A ped-i-cure??? You’re getting a PEDICURE! Ha-ha… you sissy boy!” 
  • And I continued, “Is your wife with you? Are you guys getting some couples thing?” 
  • He said, “Noooo??”
  • I asked, “Ohhh did someone give you a gift certificate?” 
  • He tried to buck up with some confidence at this point and fired back, “NO… I came here by myself and I’m paying for this WITH MY OWN MONEY because I LOVE PEDICURES!”
  • After he told me I should try one sometime… and I sassed him a little longer… we ended the call and went about our day… me trying to get this pampered image of my boxing buddy out of my head! LOL

Romans 10:13-17 …for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE who bring good news!”

How beautiful are THE FEET OF THOSE… WHO BRING GOOD NEWS! Isn’t that a strange but FUN way of honoring Gods messengers… to say that we have BEAUTIFUL FEET? I personally love my own feet. Emily makes fun of them, saying that I have ELF’S toes because they CURL up… but I like my toes EMILY… you will not make me insecure! LOL 

Maybe when we get to heaven… all the people who made the BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN THIS LIFETIME will have the most BEAUTIFUL FEET for all ETERNITY! Maybe we’re all gonna be walking around BAREFOOTED in heaven… and people will be like, “woe dude, NICE FEET!” 

From these verses in Romans 10, I feel the fire of evangelism being stoked inside my heart most aggressively! For me, this is the chief goal of my life… to BRING GOOD NEWS to as many people as I can before leaving earth. This is the mission of the church and it is the chiefest calling of every Christian… to freely give away this amazing salvation that we have freely received. 

So, in a non fetish kind of way, I want to know… HOW ARE YOUR FEET DOING THESE DAYS? Are they BEAUTIFUL because they are carrying the GREATEST NEWS in all the universe to the people who need it most? Or… DO YOU NEED TO SCHEDULE YOURSELF FOR A PEDICURE? Come on… don’t let that reputation of yours keep you from having beautiful feet! If my boxer friend can handle the abuse he took from me that day at the nail salon… you and I can SHINE CONFIDENTLY FOR JESUS CHRIST… UNASHAMED OF THIS GOOD NEWS! 

Romans 1:16 For I am NOT ASHAMED of this Good News about Christ. It is the POWER OF GOD AT WORK, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

Nice blog today… that’ll get us going in the right direction! Get on your HAPPY FEET EVERYONE… spread the good news all weekend long! Oh… don’t forget Destiny Family Center, Sunday morning 10am! Chat with you guys and gals later on…

Filed Under: Journal & Message
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