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When Life Is Beautiful & Ugly On The Same Day

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 by 16 Comments

Happy Wednesday!

This has been a strange week for me. Simultaneously, there are two scenarios taking place in my life right now. One is beautiful, the other is ugly.

Beautiful

I’m in Lexington KY (@ Bethel Harvest Church) having the time of my life with dear friends Pastor Marion and Stephanie Dalton. Sunday’s services seemed to be phenomenal. Yesterdays leadership meetings were just the same. The leaders (and Church family) at Bethel Harvest Church are brilliant, loving, and legendary.

Ugly

Then, there is a terrible war going on with something that is very important to me. Since I can’t give you the details of the situation without downing the other people involved, I’ll just generalize for the sake of this message.

Sometimes, this is the way things turn out for us. Isn’t it? One the one hand, we want to celebrate like a rockstar for the VERY good things happening. Then, on the other hand, we’re fighting back the tears more than anyone can imagine.

Yesterday was quite likely the most vivid moment of emotional contrast I’ve ever known before.

Life was

beautiful

and ugly

on the same day.

I’m not sure if I have a spiritual lesson about this… just figured I would write transparently and see where it goes.

Here are the verses I meditated on yesterday (Isaiah 54:11-17 NLT):

 11 “O storm-battered city,
troubled and desolate!
I will rebuild you with precious jewels
and make your foundations from lapis lazuli.
12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies,
your gates of shining gems,
and your walls of precious stones.
13 I will teach all your children,
and they will enjoy great peace.
14 You will be secure under a government that is just and fair.
Your enemies will stay far away.
You will live in peace,
and terror will not come near.
15 If any nation comes to fight you,
it is not because I sent them.
Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.

 16 “I have created the blacksmith
who fans the coals beneath the forge
and makes the weapons of destruction.
And I have created the armies that destroy.
17 But in that coming day
no weapon turned against you will succeed.
You will silence every voice
raised up to accuse you.
These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord;
their vindication will come from me.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

As cliché as this will sound, vain is the help of people in times like these. Thank God for all of the handshakes, hugs, and helpful words. But there are some days when there is no breakthrough to be found in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. (1Kings 19:11-13)

Only a small, still, VOICE from our Father.

God’s written word is His living voice.

I’m still not feeling too victorious at the moment, but, the more I meditate on my loving Father’s SMALL STILL VOICE (The verses above from Isaiah 54), the better I will feel.

More than that, God is attracted to faith… and by faith, the mountains always topple.

Here is a great video for the moment: My Hope Is In You – Aaron Shust

I prayed for you this morning while I wrote this message. Maybe it’s been good to know that you’re not alone in the valley today. Even better, to know that we’re not going to die in the valley either. With much love…

Hold On To Your Dreams,

Chuck

Filed Under: Inspiration, Video Tagged With: ,

Our Stomachs Turn While Our Grateful Hearts Burn

Friday, April 10th, 2009 by 2 Comments

Happy GOOD Friday Everyone!

Oh, did I mention today is GOOD Friday? Yes, it is Good Friday everyone… the holy day that we Christ followers remember Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. It’s a VERY big deal… and a very awesome day! 

Think about the following Old Testament prophecy given through the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus came into the earth. 

Isaiah 52:13-14 MSG

“Just watch my servant blossom! 
   Exalted, tall, head and shoulders above the crowd!
But he didn’t begin that way. 
   At first everyone was appalled.
He didn’t even look human— 
   a ruined face, disfigured past recognition.“

I think about how amazing Jesus is to so many millions of us throughout the earth today. I think about how we esteem him and love him… and attribute our beautiful lives to his awesome sacrifice. Jesus BLOSSOMS in this age of grace… EXALTED, TALL, HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE CROWD! 

But HE DID NOT START THAT WAY.

At first… everyone was appalled… they could not stomach the gore of his passion! Isaiah predicted: He didn’t even look human… a ruined face, disfigured past recognition.

Philippians 2:5-11 NLT

 “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

 Though he was God,
      he did not think of equality with God
      as something to cling to.
 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
      he took the humble position of a slave
      and was born as a human being.
 When he appeared in human form,
      he humbled himself in obedience to God
      and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
      and gave him the name above all other names,
      that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
      and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
      to the glory of God the Father.”

So then, when we look at the passion of Christ we witness something that turns our stomach. Beholding our savior disfigured beyond human recognition… bleeding out for you and me… it’s almost more than we can bear.

Yet, this passion is the greatest LOVE STORY ever told! And while our stomachs turn… our grateful HEARTS BURN with appreciation and we melt at the foot of his cross.

On Good Friday each and every year we visit the cross… we bow in silence before that holy place that Jesus ransomed his life for ours! We consider the humility of GOD ALMIGHTY, reaching down to serve us and suffer for us! We are reminded that WE MUST HAVE THE SAME ATTITUDE that Christ Jesus had… and that humility is the surest way for God to LIFT US UP and make us great!

Let me end with the verse I began with: “Just watch my servant blossom! Exalted, tall, head and shoulders above the crowd… BUT HE DIDN’T BEGIN THAT WAY!”   

Maybe on this Good Friday, we can thank God for our own CROSSES as we remember the results of our saviors obedience! God is a righteous judge… and he still says to us, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and he will RAISE YOU UP!”

We have a Good Friday service from 12-1pm at Destiny Family Center today… come if you can… and have a most outstanding day!

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Feed the Hungry & Help Those in Trouble

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 by 3 Comments
We distributed 75,000 pounds of food that day! (Heather Floyd blessing a homeless man)

We distributed 75,000 pounds of food that day! (Heather Floyd blessing a homeless man)

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Today, I want to make the blog about the unfortunate people in our society. As you know, this Christmas more than any other in my lifetime, our nation is running over with weeping citizens. Every day, I see more and more people gasping for air under the weight of financial oppression. For some reason, my compassion is off the charts so much more than usual this Christmas… and I just know that we can make a difference one family at a time.

Yeah, there are some cruel people out there in our society who scorn at the thought of reaching down a helping hand. I have heard my share of scornful comments throughout the years. Whenever we do our homeless outreaches, there are always those heartless souls who herald out the common phrase, “I don’t give to the poor… because they are just going to use it to buy alcohol or drugs.”

The only reason people think like this, is because they have never walked in the shoes of a homeless person. I believe that Compassion is the ability to experience life through other peoples eyes… to be able to FEEL their pain… so much of their pain that it BREAKS OUR HEART TO PIECES! Sure, quite a few of these unfortunate folks are in their predicaments because of poor decisions. Yet, we must always remember that each of us are just a few poor decisions away from their same demise.

Isaiah 58:7,9-11 says this: “I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from your relatives who need your help… Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out of darkness and the darkness around you will be as bright as day!”

Notice that helping the helpless is a very big key to our own personal wellness. There is a distinguishable blessing promised for all who look after the unfortunate people of their societies. So, this Christmas… this WEEK, look around and find a few people you and your family can reach with Gods love! Consider doing something over the top to say, “God cares and we care!” Be discrete off course, not announcing your gifts with trumpets… protect the pride of a father and mother in front of their children. Give the gift they really NEED… whether its food… or presents for a parent to give their toddlers… or a drivable car. Do the best you can, and watch how this enhances your Christmas! If you want to give through our ministry, call the office at 540-337-2216 and we will bless a family in your honor!

Have another amazing day! You guys are a city set up on a hill for all the world to see! Leave your comments… see you tomorrow morning!

Special Note: the outreach depicted in the photo was carried out in Washington DC in partnership with Convoy Of Hope and Gerald Mayhan Ministries. Check out their websites!

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When Life Seems So Useless…

Monday, December 15th, 2008 by 2 Comments
16 Years of Progress!

My Daughter: 16 Years of Progress!

Rise and Shine Blog Friends… It’s Another MONDAY!

Church at Destiny Family Center was amazing yesterday… as always! People were on fire! I hope you were there… :)

I’m reading again in Isaiah today… got stuck on a couple of VERY COOL verses! Isaiah 49:3-4

He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel,
and you will bring me glory.”

I replied, “But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;
I will trust God for my reward.”

Isaiah gets this glorious message from God, “YOU ARE MY SERVANT… YOU’RE GONNA BRING ME SO MUCH GLORY!!” And he replies, “But my work SEEMS so USELESS!”

I too have felt like this so many times before. Have you… ever felt like this before? Ever felt like your life was taking one baby step forward followed with two giant steps backward? Ever felt like no matter how much you aimed for PROGRESS, it all seemed so useless?

Progress is so difficult to assess with a casual glance. There are always good things happening that we cannot see with our human eyes. That’s why we have to learn to trust God for the outcomes of our lives. Our part is to believe him when he says, “YOU ARE MY SERVANT AND YOU WILL BRING ME GLORY!” And then, even when our work seems so to be turning out useless, we must LEAVE IT ALL IN THE LORDS HAND… and TRUST GOD FOR OUR REWARD!

I’ve met and known most of you blog pals… and I can say that you are beautiful people! You are amazing servants of God and your lives are bringing him more glory than you may feel like right now. So smile big today… it’s Christmas time… the season to be JOLLY! Leave the results in Gods hands… trust him to work everything out… and he will do just that!

Have another most outstanding day! Love you guys!!

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