Salvation | Chuck Balsamo

Another Video and The Story of Ricky Lee!

Friday, April 3rd, 2009 by chuck 2 Comments

Good Morning Family and Friends!

I just prayed that each of you would wake up today with a STRONG SENSE of victory! That you would feel good from the moment your conscience is powered up! So give in to that HAPPY feeling deep in your soul… take the gift and go out to live your perfect Friday!

Thanks for all the positive feedback on the videos… it means so much to know how much they are blessing you guys and gals!

I have to tell you about this guy Ricky Lee Wade (similar to the late great martial arts legend, Bruce Lee) lol. Ricky has an amazing story and uncommon passion for evangelism! After living quite a few years addicted to drugs and way down in the lowest gutter, Ricky gave his heart to the Lord at Destiny Family Center a few years ago! Since that day, God has blessed Ricky and the transformation is as good as it gets! He married a beautiful young lady, has a beautiful son, and another child on the way!

Well, Ricky Lee was at the Sunday night “30+ Thoughts on Effective Evangelism” meeting… and that moment was like pouring a forest of gasoline soaked logs on a bonfire!

On Monday, Ricky went to an apartment complex and walked around asking folks if he could pray with them about anything on their mind. People were very receptive and Ricky prayed from apartment to apartment. During one of these moments, Ricky was on the porch with a lady and her daughter… they wanted Ricky to lead them through the prayer of salvation. As Ricky got ready to do so, a police officer interrupted and asked Ricky to come to his car. A person had called the landlord about a suspicious man walking around… and the landlord called the police.

After everything checked out ok… Ricky was released to continue with his efforts. He went back to the apartment with the lady and her daughter and prayed with them as they gave their lives to Jesus! As he was walking away from that apartment, the cop asked Ricky to come back to the car. He told Ricky that he had talked to the landlord and that Ricky was cleared to be there any time he wanted… that the work he was doing was a blessing to that complex.

Ricky then asks the police officer if there is anything he can pray with him about… and ten minutes later the man gets out of the car and turns his life over to Jesus… right out in the middle of the parking lot in front of everyone!! Way to go Ricky Lee… thanks for putting good teaching into better ACTION!

The inspiration for this kind of evangelism is found in the following video clip from Sunday night! I hope todays video adds tremendous value to your amazing lives! We love you and we’re praying for you! Tootalooooo!

Filed Under: Journal & Message Tagged With: destiny family center, evangelism, ricky lee wade, salvation

Happy Birthday Coree/ Another Video- Clip #2

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 by chuck 5 Comments

Good Morning Friends!

Today is the 18th birthday of my BABY BOY! Coree is such a delight… well, most of the time that is! At 18, he still has a young heart and he’s one of the funniest people I know!

About a year ago, youth Pastor Nathan Bain told Coree and Heaven this redneck game he used to play when he was a kid. It’s called possum stompin… ever heard of it? So, ever since then… Coree and Heaven and some of their friends drive down a bunch of our gravel country roads at nights from time to time looking for possums.

The goal is to find one trying to cross the road… stop the vehicle, get out, kick the possum, get back in the vehicle and drive away… with the bragging rights! (Please don’t turn us in to the animal rights people… we’re talking about an innocent little kick here you guys!)

Until a few days ago… they have not found a possum in more than a year of diligent searching! Coree and Lucas Wade were driving home from the gym on Sunday evening and there it was!!! A four legged furry creature was in the middle of the road! So Coree nailed the brakes, put the truck in park, and he and Lucas jumped out to go stomp their first possum! Coree didnt have his contact lenses in that night… bad boy!

As they ran around front to the headlights… Coree and Lucas had their feet back ready to kick, until Lucas YELLED to Coree, “NO, NO, Coree DON’T, It’s a SKUNK!” The only thing that would have made this story more funny would have been if the skunk had sprayed them! Unfortunately, it did not… and poor Luke and Coree and a few of their friends are still waiting for that glorious day they successfully administer their first stompin! And Emily and I are left with another laugh and the pleasure of having a son that loves the simple things in life! Happy Birthday Coree… we are so blessed to call you our son!

Ok, on the preachy side of things… from the stats, it looks like you guys loved yesterdays video! So, I’m going to include another one in todays blog. I hope it also adds tremendous value to your amazing lives!

In todays video, I’m expounding on one of my 30+ Thoughts on Effective Evangelism, taught on this past Sunday night: “The FAITH that a person needs to be saved is contained within the message about salvation.” Great thought… I think you’re gonna LOVE it!

Enjoy the video and leave your beautiful comments! Oh… and have a super day!

Tootaloooo everyone!

Filed Under: Journal & Message Tagged With: bible, Coree Balsamo, evangelism, faith, heaven balsamo, lucas wade, nathan bain, possum stompin, salvation

It’s Storytime Everyone!

Thursday, January 29th, 2009 by chuck 7 Comments

superman Happy Thursday Everyone!

If you’ve been reading the comments to my recent blogs, you will know about a teenager named Hettie. Every once in a while someone comes along and BLOWS ME AWAY with their story. Hettie has that kind of story!

It all began with a tiny little Hettie… and I knew this Hettie when she was a tiny little girl… she grew up in a beautiful home… was taught to love Jesus and people… was told over and over how special she was and how God had something very special for her life… Hettie was perfectly on her way to a perfectly beautiful life.

And then came hardship… and after a few years of significant family trouble… Hettie was left in the wake of a ferocious divorce… forced to leave her beautiful house… left without a beautiful home. Over the next few year, Hettie descended into the depths of living hell… doing things she vowed to never do… going places she vowed to never go… becoming a person she had vowed to NEVER be. Hettie lost her way… and mostly all the onlookers lost their hope that Hettie would ever rise again.

And then came happiness… and just about the time when all hope was GONE… like a super hero swooping down out of nowhere, God flew down to Hettie’s rescue! The story of Hettie’s BEFORE and AFTER is so far fetched… people will wonder if she’s making it up! Yet, this is her story… an inspiration to me and so many others!

And next comes hope and future… and as god told his prophet Jeremiah, “For I know the PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU… plans to prosper you and not harm you… plans to give you a HOPE, a FUTURE, and an EXPECTED END!” I am on the EDGE OF MY SEAT about what is next for Hettie… praying for her day and night… knowing that there is something special about this young lady… hopeful that God, who has begun this MIRACLE RESTORATION is going to finish what he has begun! Hettie has a gigantic gift of influence… and Hettie is a pristine communicator.

And today comes STORYTIME… and Hettie is telling her story at Riverheads High School, in front of her peers… the story must be told… it’s burning in Hettie like a fire… this morning at 8:45am Hettie will make her case for Christ… she will describe her amazing before and after… and I WILL BE THERE TO HEAR IT LIVE!

The Apostle Paul told his story to King Agrippa in AD60… told about how badly he was persecuting the church and killing Christians… told about how Jesus SWOOPED DOWN and KNOCKED HIM OFF HIS HORSE… Paul told Agrippa what Jesus said to him…

“The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down like an animal. But now, up on your feet-I have a job for you. I’ve handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what’s happened today, and to what I am going to show you. 17-18“‘I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.’ 19-20“What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn’t just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change-this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life-right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world.”

Have a very fun day you guys… think about your own personal story… how long has it been since you told your beautiful story? In a world overrunning with bad news… we should tell our story a hundred times a month! Oh the people out there, just waiting for storytime… longing for someone to sit down beside them and tell how it started… on to where it all fell apart… on to the mighty rescue… and on to HOPE AND A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE! Dear bloggers, please tell your story to someone today…

Chat with you guys and gals throughout the day… love you guys!

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: acts 26, apostle paul, hardship, influence, rescue, restoration, salvation

Stories From The Streets Of Washington DC…

Monday, January 26th, 2009 by chuck 3 Comments

Good Monday Everyone!

I’m in my family room listing to a Kent Henry Worship Instrumental… feeling pretty overwhelmed with God’s love right now. How can I explain moments like these in human language? Every once in a while, the reality of God sweeps through my heart and mind… my eyes water, a tear slowly make its way down my cheek, chills pop all over my body… and I sit in that moment wishing it would last forever!

Like the alignment of sun, moon, and earth that brings us the rarity of an eclipse… these spiritual moments occur through the rare alignment of certain spiritual occurrences. And when they all come together at one special moment… their rarity is felt and appreciated for some time!

I suppose for me today… the components of my experience are very obvious! It begins with the Washington DC Outreach. This year, even more than previous years… I really experienced the enormity of what took place! There are so many hurting, lonely people in our earth. And while so many well to do humans point the finger down at these bleeding ones, God compels us to come to their aid! God cares about each one of them… not desiring to lecture them about the series of wrong turns they made that led them down into the gutter… He possesses us with his compassion and sends us to kneel down beside them… He gives us a message to speak… He asks us to read them a love letter… And we go with his love and his tears. He embraces them with MY ARMS… and I can feel HIM IN ME making his appeal through MY HEART.

This year, we took a team of 35+ into the frigid streets of our nation’s capitol. All day long, we gave HOPE to the HOPELESS. Even more than the message we gave them was the message we asked them to tell us. We gave them our ears… we listened to them like they mattered… and they FELT OUR LOVE FOR THEM! Their tears and ours flowed like rivers all day long.

On man “Alfrado” explained how he came to America from Elsalvador… it took him 3 months to get here, dreaming that this would be a place of new life for him. And there he was sleeping on park benches and eating food from the trash containers. Alfrado said that some nights, it’s so cold he is scared to fall asleep… that he may freeze to death and not wake up.

Another lady “Pricilla” said that she just got released from prison a year ago after being stabbed in her spine during a prison brawl. She grabbed me and made a puddle on my shoulder as she wept about how scary it is living on the streets at night! She talked about being raped and beaten over and over… and told me that she is not built for this kind of life!

Then there was “HANK”… the happiest homeless man on the face of the earth. We all left Hank wondering if we had met an angel! Just like Hank, so many of these destitute men and women gave us back so much more that we gave to them!

Throughout this day, we distributed hundreds of sandwiches, care packages, sweaters, sweatshirts, blankets, and everything else we could get into their hands. More than these… we gave them Jesus… and they took him happily into their hearts! Every single person on our team stepped out with a fearless kind of faith… they shared their personal life stories, prayed like seasoned ministers, and gave LOVE as if God himself was right there in physical manifestation!

Special thanks to Evangelist Gerald & Phyllis Mayhan for being our homeless outreach GUIDES… for their passion, their humor, and their love!

Beyond the DC Outreach, God is warming my heart today with the nearness I feel with my wife and kids, the accuracy I feel in the message I have been preaching at DFC, and the awesomeness of Gods Word stored up in my heart after reading the bible cover to cover in 66 days! All of these things have come together this morning to BLESS ME with a very SPIRITUAL MOMENT. To God be the glory for all of this… and for filling my life with his amazing love! I pray that he will work in all of us more and more… and more and more! That we will RISE AND SHINE in 2009… that we will love living the life of a beautiful people in a CITY ON A HILL… SHINING for the entire world to see!

Check out the DFC webcast archive from yesterday morning to watch more on the DC Outreach… and to catch the rest of that amazing service! Chat with you guys later on…

Filed Under: Chuck's Life, Leadership Tagged With: compassion, evangelism, family, homeless outreach, hope, relief work, salvation, washington dc

Teens Led Church Last Night :)

Thursday, January 15th, 2009 by chuck 10 Comments

Good Thursday My Friends!

My jaw dropped from the start of the service last night, as the teenagers of Destiny Family Center SHINED LIKE STARS! There is no greater measure of accomplishment for a church than to watch an emergent generation step up and stand out! That’s exactly what happened last night! The attendance was abundant… they had invited their friends and family to come watch them give their version of Jesus to our church.

Three high school teachers and two other local Pastors came to cheer them on. All of us were moved by the words and actions rising up out of their beautiful hearts! When the service was over, 13 teens and adults raised their hands and passionately prayed the prayer of salvation! These guys and gals even gathered in a huge circle after dismissal, praying for God to set them apart for something GREAT!

Jessica Smith was the chosen one from our youth group to give last nights message… and what a message she gave! There were times that I couldn’t believe my ears! Jessica spoke like a seasoned orator… easily and comfortably commanding the wholehearted attention of us all! I personally, hung on every word coming out of her mouth! Jessica challenged us to do whatever it takes to make our relationship with God more important that anything else in this world.

The Lifehouse skit, “Everything” was flawless! It reminded everyone about how God lovingly rescues us from the dark forces bent on dragging each person down into misery!

These guys and gals were greeting people coming through the doors, opening the service, receiving the offering… they ran the church last night, from beginning to end! Nobody could overlook the wonderment they lavished on everyone in the building. We were smiling ear to ear as they turned our church, their schools, and this community upside down! In that brief moment of time, we all felt great pride and a new hope for the future of our world!

Genesis 22:15-18 The angel of God spoke from Heaven a second time to Abraham: “I swear-God’s sure word!-because you have gone through with this, and have not refused to give me your son, your dear, dear son, I’ll bless you-oh, how I’ll bless you! And I’ll make sure that your children flourish-like stars in the sky! Like sand on the beaches! And your descendants will defeat their enemies. All nations on Earth will find themselves blessed through your descendants because you obeyed me.”

These are the promises God gave to Abraham because he dedicated his son to Gods purposes. Let us claim these promises over our young as we also dedicate them to his great purposes! May they FLOURISH and SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE SKY! May our descendants always DEFEAT THEIR ENEMIES! May ALL NATIONS of the earth FIND THEMSELVES BLESSED through our emerging generations!

Let’s pay attention to our young today and every day! Let us go out of our way to CHEER THEM ON… and make them know that we believe they are mighty champions!

God bless you all… have the best day ever! Chat with you later…