Happy Saturday!

If you’re a hunter, then you might know what its like to PRAY FOR THE SUN TO RISE. Most hunters walk into the woods long before day break… they want to be in their stands and quiet when the light come on. And if one does not have proper gear… the hour before sun break is the COLDEST and LONGEST hour of LIFE. I remember one time in the early 90′s, I was in the woods BEGGING GOD for the SUN TO SHINE ON ME… and even though it started getting light, the sun was blocked from getting too me until something like an HOUR or TWO after it was light… and I nearly FROZE TO DEATH waiting for a RAY OF DIRECT SUN LIGHT to SHINE ON ME!

This is the same message conveyed in todays video: Let the light… of your face… shine down… on our hearts. And let me-feel it… I wanna feel your love… your breath oh God.

Have you ever felt like this before? Like you were going to freeze to death and die… if God did not HURRY UP AND SHINE DOWN ON YOU?

Sometimes, we dont even recognize how cold we’ve gotten… and how desperate we are for God’s face to shine down on our hearts. Life gets complicated… so many things blocking his FACE from shining on us. And even though the SUN IS AWAKE, it’s not WARMING US PERSONALLY.

As you watch this video and read the lyrics as I’ve written below… see yourself as the FREEZING HUNTER longing for the sun to shine on you! Stay in your PRAYER STAND this morning until the SON LIGHT SHINES ON YOU. Look for it, pray for it, reach for it… until the difference is REALLY FELT. Trust me, there is a profound difference between that general light that makes the day time-and the LIGHT OF GODS COUNTENANCE SHINING DOWN ON YOUR OWN HEART.

The difference is BEYOND WORDS… few ever have the privilege of knowing this difference… and once YOU HAVE, you will never be the same!

Oh lord bless me… and keep me… cause your face-to shine on me. Lord be gracious… with the light of your countenance-give me peace.

For I live-only… to see your face-to shine on me… for I live only… to see your face-to shine on me.

Oh lord bless me… and keep me… cause your face-to shine on me. Lord be gracious… with the light of your countenance-give me peace.

For I live-only… to see your face-to shine on me… for I live only… to see your face-to shine on me.

Let the light… of your face… shine down… on our hearts. And let me-feel it.

Let the light… of your face… shine down… on our hearts. And leeeet me… feel it-yeae yeahhhhh… and let me… feel it-yea yeahhhhhaaaooooooo… and let me feel it…

I wanna feel your love your breath oh God…

Oh lord bless me and keep me… cause your face-to shine on me. Lord be gracious… with the light of your countenance-give me peace.

For I live-only… to see your face-to shine on me. For I live-only… to see your face-to shine on me.

For I live-only… to see your face-to shine on me (for I) for I live-only to see your face-to shine on me… (ooohhh, I live) For I live-only to see your face-to shine on me… yeeahhh, for I live-I live only… to see your face to shine on me.

Let your glory shine on me… ohhh your glory shine on me, God. You’re what I live for-what I live for, yea yeahhh!

I hope todays blog opens up a deep place in the heart of every reader! It’s the weekend… have fun! See some of you tomorrow at Destiny Family Center- 10am!

Happy Tuesday!

I woke up this morning concerned about so many things. My heart aches so much for the USA. I want to help her… I have dreams of leading her to safety… I’m positive I have some of the answers… but nobody seems to be listening. The whole land rises daily, like zombies walking on a dirt path at night straight over a deadly cliff. I feel like a crazy person standing with a roadway-sign out, last chance-exit here! And the whole country just keeps on walking in the same direction… with their arms forward and their eyes closed, oblivious to the SIGNS.

Please don’t take me as a gloom and doomer here… I don’t usually blog like this. My aim in this life is to INSPIRE tomorrow’s better world. I want to reach more and MORE people with REAL hope. Yeah, some would deem me narrow minded… they see guys like me as the obstacle in the expressway to PROGRESS. Political correctness and the modern obsession for TOLERANCE… it’s taken away my right to stand on the solid rock of my ancient truths.

Thank God I come out of a generation that was told the truth, WHILE THE TRUTH WAS STILL BEING TOLD. And while liberal historians work tirelessly at the devious task of re-telling American history, I will never be able to forsake the truth I already know and BELIEVE! America WAS founded on Christian values… she was established by men who LOVED Jesus unashamedly… and when she stood on that unchanging ROCK of her founding values, she stood tall.

Today, we claim to be a nation for everybody… and we have become a nation for nobody! We claim to be a nation of many gods… and we have offended the ONE GOD that birthed us and raised us well into young adulthood.

Look at us… all grown up now! We’ve become so BEAUTIFUL and INFLUENTIAL and INNOVATIVE and RICH. And thinking ourselves to be WISE, we have become FOOLS.

America has become the PRODIGAL NATION. We didn’t like having a FATHER who told us how to live. We felt as if GOD was HOLDING US BACK… he was slowing us down! We felt as if we knew better than GOD… we sniffed a better world just beyond the borders of his protective care… we claimed to be advanced far beyond his antiquated ideals!

Some time ago, the majority voice of this country went before FATHER… and they DEMANDED our inheritance! It’s taken them a few decades to GET FATHER OFF OUR BACKS… they asked FATHER to STOP CONTROLLING US… to stay out of our decisions… they sought for independence from the “OPPRESSIVE CONTROL” of an intolerant, old fashioned GOD.

Our nation wanted a sexual revolution and we got it! We wanted to SPEND our money however it FELT best… and WE DID IT! We wanted to live however we FELT like living… without having to FEEL BAD about LIVING WRONG.

And here we are… LIVING THE LIFE right? And just like the YOUNG MAN in the story below… we have NO IDEA where this road is going to take us!

Luke 15:11-24

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”‘

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]‘

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

Can one man make a difference? Can one church… or a few churches make a difference? Is there any real HOPE for us? While politicians claim NEW HOPE in creating a NEW AMERICA… are we going to FIND REAL HOPE if we continue in this liberal direction. Will we survive in a world of untold dangers without A FATHER… without A GOD?

Maybe I’m just a crazy person… but I WANT TO LIVE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF A LOVING FATHER… I WANT A FATHER WHO SHOWS ME HOW TO LIVE RIGHT… even if this means I WILL HAVE TO STOP DOING SOME OF THE THINGS I FIND PLEASURE IN DOING. Because real freedom is not found in being controlled by nothing… real freedom is found in being accountable to a LOVING FATHER.

I have seen into the future… and even though I feel way too insignificant these days, standing before this bottomless pit of national decay… even though I’m way too SILENT in a SEA OF DEADLY VOICES… my day will come! My support will gain momentum… people will join to my cause… and we will do what we can do to bring America to her senses!

I hope todays blog gives its readers a burden for America… that it will CREATE PRAYER. God bless you all… I am praying especially for all the highlanders out there… for the legends of tomorrow incubating in the caves. Your day is coming…

Happy Sunday!

Had a super day with Emily’s brother Dave in Washington DC yesterday! We went with my daughter Heaven to check out a culinary college- The Art Institute… she dreams of owning a Bakery!

I’m still feeling an overflow from Friday Night Fire in Harrisonburg this weekend. I woke up LONGING for church this morning! I’m mean really, this is how I’ve felt for a few months now… and EVERY single service at Destiny Family Center seems to be BUILDING UPON THE LAST ONE. It’s getting EASIER to preach… easier to worship… easier to lead… easier to pray… easier to save people… easier to connect with people in a meaningful way… EVERYTHING gets EASY when God is experienced by everyone in a revival kind of way.

At our church, we ACTUALLY BELIEVE that God is a VERY REAL and VERY TOUCHABLE living entity. He is WELCOME every time we open the doors to our building… and somehow I’m certain he knows this! EVERY time God’s people assemble together, GOD assembles with us! This blessing is gonna happen for us DFC’ers again @ 10am EST TODAY… just a few hours from RIGHT NOW!

Sometimes, we are far more AWARE of him than we are at other times… but he is ALWAYS there!

Awareness defined: Awareness is the state or ability to PERCEIVE, to FEEL, or to BE CONSCIOUS of events, objects or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being AWARE of something.

I realize this may be too much scripture for anyone to swallow in a short blog on a SUNDAY morning… but it’s an EASY read… so, lets see what happens!

• First is the story of Jacob’s classic encounter with God at Bethel and how Jacob FINALLY RECOGNIZED that GOD WAS THERE…

Genesis 28:10-17 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway [a] resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it [b] stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “SURELY THE LORD IS IN THIS PLACE, AND I WAS NOT AWARE OF IT.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

• Second is the story of Jesus just after his resurrection from the dead: two of his disciples were walking and talking about what had happened… and Jesus started walking along side of them… and even though they we’re too DISTRACTED to RECOGNIZE Jesus at first… they later said, “Were not our hearts BURNING within us while He (Jesus) talked with him on the road and opened the scriptures to us?”

Luke 24:13-33 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.

17He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19″What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

25He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ[a] have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, “WERE NOT OUR HEARTS BURNING WITHIN US WHILE HE TALKED WITH US ON THE ROAD AND OPENED THE SCRIPTURES TO US?”

It’s true that sometimes… God SURROUNDS US and OUR HEARTS DO BURN within us and we are NOT AWARE. Today: when we assemble at church with all our church buddies… as we read this blog… as we pray… and worship… and fellowship, let us PAY ATTENTION to the BURNING IN OUR HEARTS! I don’t want to MISS A THING… do you?

Happy Friday!

Yesterday was FUN! Loved interacting with a few new friends from Indonesia… and all the new pastors my blog seems to have TOUCHED these past few days. Thanks for saying thanks through facebook and here on the blogsite. I’m learning SO MUCH from all the conversation you guys and gals are creating this week!

Thanks for being so ENTHUSIASTIC over the topics I’m presenting! Thank you especially for retweeting my twitter updates, mentioning my blogs on your twitter networks, and posting the blog link on your facebook walls! You are driving the traffic UP very quickly, giving us all a far better shot at building tomorrows better world!

Still dreaming of a day when a few hundred of our unique DAILY visitors will comment their names, locations, and life dreams! The stats show you’re out there… and I pray for you every morning! I LOVE meeting new people and hearing all about your situations… I LOVE this more than almost anything else! I love to ENCOURAGE and INSPIRE people towards their divine purpose in life! And I can’t do this for YOU unless YOU say hello. How about TODAY? Hello, my name is Chuck… (smiling big… waiting for a smile back)

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Todays topic: the word Prodigy!

Prodigy defined: 1 a: a portentous event b: something extraordinary or inexplicable 2 a: an extraordinary, marvelous, or unusual accomplishment, deed, or event b: a highly talented child or youth.

Portentous defined: 1: of, relating to, or constituting a portent (which is something that foreshadows a coming event-a prophetic indication of significance.) 2: eliciting amazement or wonder!

Whenever I hear this word: Prodigy… I posture up in my seat, even jump to my feet… shivers race across my skin… my eyes water! The lethargic places of my own heart and life BOUNCE TO ATTENTION… knowing the world will be changed by what IS or IS ABOUT to happen! PRODIGY!

From the definition, we see that a prodigy is more than a person… it is a portentous EVENT: something so EXTRAordinary or inexplicable… so marvelous… so talented… that it FORESHADOWS a coming EVENT! A prodigy is SO EPIC it carries a certain PROPHETIC indication of significance!

Yesterday, I read an article posted by my dear friend and publisher, Michael Hyatt–CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers! Well, he’s not really my dear friend… and he’s not my publisher YET… in fact, Mike (lol) and I haven’t been properly introduced… YET. Maybe someday! Yes, definitely someday! (hands crossed in prayer, head tilted up)

Anyway… I read this blog Michael Hyatt posted from Mary DeMuth on the subject of Prodigy… and it INSPIRED me. Here’s a few quotes from that article:

• A study orchestrated by K. Anders Ericsson who looked at musical prodigies found the common denominator for mastery and success: 10,000 hours of practice. “The emerging picture from such studies,” says neurologist Daniel Levitin, “is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world class expert-in anything.”
• When I (Mary DeMuth) share my publication story, that I spent ten years writing in obscurity, folks inevitably want me to share the “fun part” when I met my agent at a conference and my success seemed to blossom overnight. So many want to know the secret of instant publishing success.
• Those who write novels ask me how to deepen characterization, or create a character out of a setting, or evoke mood, or widen suspense. I usually can’t answer that. Why? Because most of what I write now is instinctive, born from years of experimentation and failure. It’s something I cannot teach. It’s something an author must do on their own behind a desk, in quiet places where rewards of publication seem far off.
• While it is true that some publishing sensations happen overnight, it is more true that most authors spend years and years toiling over craft, trying techniques and failing, submitting to smaller entities and suffering from perennial “rejectionitis.” That’s the reality.

After I read this article yesterday, I posted the following clip on twitter: study of musical prodigies discovered: common denominator 4 mastery & success-10,000 hours of practice!

From that twitter update, Wayne Anson replied with: If the same is true of walking moment by moment with Christ… that would be only 625 days. Less than 2 years @ 16 waking hours a day.

And to that I replied: wow wayne… EXCELLENT THOUGHT!!! A Christian Prodigy! Seriously… who wants to be one of those today? Maybe this is why I’m still on FIRE after almost 19 years of walking with Christ. I’ve been a fanatic since day one: because, to him that is forgiven MUCH also loves MUCH! I am that man who was forgiven much AND loves much… and I wish to remain that man EVERY YEAR for the rest of my life!!

John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul… all PRODIGIES and no wonder they were. Each man spent not 10,000 hours, but 100,000 hours or more to the greatest cause of all time! They were NOT men… they only started as men who grew into the most PORTENTOUS EVENT in all of world history!

So today… when considering the word PRODIGY, what- if anything are you dedicating your life TO? What changes can be made RIGHT NOW… so that 10,000 hours from this exact moment… your life will come off as an INDICATION OF PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE? That we may be known AND remembered NOT as mere people–but as PORTENTOUS EVENTS in world history!

I hope todays blog adds tremendous value to your amazing life! I’m speaking in Harrisonburg tonight at 9pm… see yesterdays blog for more details… HAVE A SUPER FRIDAY!