Monthly Archives: November 2011

RECESS

By shellyhuey | Uncategorized , Victory Update

Recess…just the word brings back memories.

So EXCITED, I couldn’t wait for recess. My ears strained to hear that dismissal bell. I watched the clock slowly tick time away. I wanted to be SET FREE from that stifling, restrictive classroom. I couldn’t stand sitting in my desk. I wanted to push my chair out from that desk and bolt out the door. I felt trapped, and desperate for a BREAK from the monotony. I wanted to PLAY and RUN and LAUGH out loud.

On the playground, there was a whole NEW set of rules. The kids decided who was on what team. The kids decided what friends to hang with. The kids decided how to talk to each other. The kids decided how to treat each other.

WHAT FREEDOM! No adult telling us what to do!

But right there WITH us on the playground was an adult…the playground aide. The playground aide never got in our way. He was just available to us. Anytime. He took the time to get to know us. He knew who we were, he knew our names. He watched everything we did. He actually liked us. When he asked us to do something, it was in a quiet yet powerful way, so we respected him. And we DID what he asked. We knew that if there was a problem, we could go RUNNING to him for answers. What was overwhelming to us, was really quite simple to him. We EXPECTED his solutions to work…and they did. Every time. We went back to our games empowered with a fresh new start.

Born again Christian.

The words bring back memories. So EXCITED, because we are SET FREE. But time has slowly ticked away. You might find yourself in that stifling, restrictive classroom called life. Feeling trapped. Sitting at your desk. Desparate for a BREAK from the monotony.

Someone wants you to come out to recess and PLAY again.
Someone wants you to come out to recess and RUN.
Someone wants you to come out to recess and LAUGH out loud.

The playground aide of your soul, the Holy Spirit is calling your name. You operate under a NEW set of rules on the playground of Sanctification. You already chose what team you are on.

You get to choose your friends.
You get to choose who to hang with.
You get to choose how you talk.
You get to choose how you treat people.

WHAT FREEDOM!

Like that playground aide…

The Holy Spirit won’t get in your way.
The Holy Spirit already knows who you are.
The Holy Spirit watches everything you do. And He actually loves you.
The Holy Spirit is available to you. Anytime.

And He is right there WITH you on that playground.

Respect Him.
DO what He asks.
RUN to Him with your problems.
Admit you can’t fix your life.
What is overwhelming to us, is really quite simple to Him.
EXPECT His solutions to work. They will. Every time. And you will be empowered with a fresh new start.

Be EXCITED, so much so that you can’t wait to run, play and laugh again.
So push that chair out from under your desk and get ready to bolt out the door.
I think I hear that dismissal bell.

Welcome to recess.

Back Burner

By shellyhuey | Uncategorized , Victory Update

A good chef knows that if anything requires a slow simmer, it is PUT ASIDE on the back burner of the stove. If a pan is placed on the back burner, it is CONSTANTLY WATCHED and always WITHIN REACH. Anything that sits there has little urgency, and really isn’t that much of a priority compared to other things that are cooking. The heat on the back burner is regulated by the chef, so it doesn’t boil over or burn.

Typically sauces are made on the back burner. The chef has the “IT CAN WAIT” attitude with his sauce. It is never IGNORED. The chef has the timing of cooking sauces down to a science. While simmering the flavors and seasonings are added at specific times, and his sauce is stirred occasionally, developing the SMOOTH CONSISTENCY it needs.

Amazingly, the sauce will be done when everything else is ready. The chef will proudly give a taste to anyone who asks and any chef will tell you that it’s the sauce that makes an incredibly PERFECT dish.

You might be in a season where you have been put on the back burner of life.
You might be in a season where you have been PUT ASIDE.
You might be in a season where you have been IGNORED.

Sometimes all you feel is this slow simmering frustration. You feel like a low priority. You are sick and tired of slowly WAITING for life to move on.

Know that Chef Jesus is CONSTANTLY WATCHING you in that season of simmer.
Know that Chef Jesus knows how long you need to be on that back burner.
Know that Chef Jesus will always have you WITHIN HIS REACH. Heb 13:5
Know that Chef Jesus will regulate the heat on you in just the right amount…because He is a good Chef.

While you’re sitting there in that pan, ask for more flavor. Ask for flavors like hope, joy and peace. They will be added at just the right time. While you’re on simmer, ask to be stirred by that sifter of the Holy Spirit. He will develop in you the SMOOTH CONSISTENCY you need.

You are on that back burner for a purpose.

Not so that you get frustrated.
Not so that you get so boiled over that you get angry.
Not so that you burn with unanswered questions.
But so that you will become PERFECT.

Thank God that back burner seasons doesn’t last forever, and when it ends you will see that everything else is ready at the same time. Chef Jesus is so proud of you. Because of your back burner time, others will taste and see that the Lord is good.

Our compliments to the Chef.

Orchestrated Glory

By shellyhuey | Uncategorized , Victory Update

In January 2007, at a Washington DC Metro Station, a man with a violin played Bach for 45 minutes. During that time about 2,000 people walked past. Most of them were on their way to work. The musician played CONTINUOUSLY. Only 6 adults STOPPED and LISTENED for a short time. The kids, without exception, wanted to stop and listen. As their parents rushed by and DRAGGED them on, they turned their heads EAGERLY towards him. About 20 people dropped money into his violin case. He collected a total of $32.

When he stopped playing it was silent.
No one noticed. No one applauded.
No recognition.

The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate masterpieces ever written. He played UNBELIEVABLE MUSIC…on a violin worth 3.5 million dollars! Two days before, Joshua Bell SOLD OUT a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100. The Washington Post organized this as a social experiment about peoples TASTE, PERCEPTION and PRIORITIES.

True story. Pretty horrific results.

God moves CONTINUOUSLY in our lives every day.
He doesn’t stop working in the Metro Stations of our lives.

While we are working.
While we rush through life.
While we are preoccupied with getting places.

He relentlessly orchestrates things for our good…we just don’t see it sometimes.

Admit that your TASTE for things of the Lord is tainted.
Admit that your PERCEPTION of who God is has been blinded.
Admit that your PRIORITIES are yours, not His.
Admit that you have not STOPPED and LISTENED to Him.

Like those kids, even if you feel like you’re being DRAGGED away, turn your head EAGERLY towards Him.

Allow The work of His hands to serenade your preoccupied soul.
Allow His Majesty to play out loud even in the middle of your silence.
Allow His Glory to penetrate your rushed day.

Because…

You are designed as an INTRICATE MASTERPIECE. Your worth is well over 3.5 million to Jesus and He wants to take a hold of you and play UNBELIEVABLE MUSIC to the lost world. Jesus wants you to be a SOLD OUT performance for Him.

True story. Glorifying results.

PRAY FOR: We are rallying together Pastors that attended the South Bay Day of Repentance for a Pastors Breakfast this Friday. Pray for divine guidance, inspiration and vision. Pray more Pastors will desire to join us.

PRAY FOR: Craig made his public announcement yesterday. Pray that the word spreads rapidly to the right people and we receive the support needed to win in 2012.

PRAY FOR: The people that attended the South Bay Day of Repentance to continue to be filled with the fresh wind, fresh fire of the Holy Spirit…for that “new spark” that was ignited to continue to catch fire in the hearts of more believers.

Glow Stick

By shellyhuey | Uncategorized , Victory Update

If you go to a concert or amusement park at night, you might see a vendor selling glow sticks, bracelets and necklaces. The vendor is surrounded by glowing things and glows himself. He’s really hard to miss. Those bright neon glow necklaces are FUN to have around.

We buy boxes of them when we have parties. The kids love them. When you open the box its dark inside and all you see are plastic tubes and no glow. At first, you think you got ripped off because none of those glow sticks look like the picture on the box. Instead they look like DULL, BORING, and LIFELESS empty plastic tubes.

But when you read the instructions, you recognize that the chemical inside the glow stick needs to be ACTIVATED. That glow stick need to be taken out of the box. It needs to be grabbed with a strong hand and BENT. Once bent, you can see the chemical activate and the color IMMEDIATELY BECOMES ALIVE. The darker the night the better the glow. Anyone that has them really stands out from the crowd.

Before we became a Christian, we were like those glow sticks tucked away in a box. Lifeless. Empty. We are separated from the strong hand that could activate us to an abundant life. That was then but now we have been found. We’ve been taken out of that box and grabbed with the STRONG HAND of our Almighty God.

And we were BENT. Bent on our knees. Flat on our face. Recognizing our sin. Crying out for forgiveness. IMMEDIATELY the Holy Spirit ACTIVATED in us. He filled us…completely!

We BECAME ALIVE.

Why do we feel so DULL when we carry the glow of Jesus’ love in us?
Why do we feel so RIPPED OFF when we don’t have the glow of His victory over us?
Why do we feel so BORED when we have the light of the world in our hearts?

You were designed to glow. But not just in the daylight…when things seem to be going well. You were designed to glow in the dark…to glow in dark places.

You might be in a dark place now. Depression. Loneliness. Heartbreak. Loss.
You may feel like you have been shoved away in a dark box.
You are in that place for a reason.

Jesus didn’t stick you in that dark place by a mistake.
The light of Christ dwells within you.

He wants you to glow.
He wants you to be FUN to have around.
He wants you to be really hard to miss.

Allow Jesus strong hand to gently take yours.
He will walk with you through that dark place.
He will reactivate you.

All you gotta do is bend.
On your knees. Tell Him your pain. Cry out your frustrations.
Ask Him to remind you who He is.

Let his glow necklaces of grace drape over your darkness.
And He will lift you up.
And light you up. James 4:10

Classic Cars

By shellyhuey | Uncategorized , Victory Update

Driving down Pacific Coast Highway is quite an EXCITING experience. Just looking at some of the cars driving by is a SPECIAL treat. So many times I notice classic cars, IMMACULATELY kept up, and most of which you would never see in other places. Southern California is the ideal climate to maintain and ENJOY classic cars and there are PLENTY of car shows to attend here. Hard core, classic car guys purpose to keep the miles low on their treasured vehicles. Typically those cars are SAFELY STORED, garaged and covered up. Those classics seldom get driven, but when they do…man, do they GET THE LOOKS. People always STOP and GAWK at their beauty. People are AMAZED at what they see.

Classic Christianity

Do we see that here? Does The Church here demonstrate what the Church did in the book of Acts?

Southern California is the ideal climate. The lost world is at our fingertips and everywhere I look I notice people who claim to be Christians. Practically every major street I drive on, I notice PLENTY of churches. There are PLENTY of churches to attend here.

Why do we just attend church like it’s a car show?
Why do we carefully keep up our “IMMACULATE appearance” when we are at church?
Why do we store our treasure Jesus Christ in the safe garage of our hearts?
Why do we cover up the classic gifts of the Holy Spirit? 1 Corin 1:7

When was the last time someone STOPPED and GAWKED at your life?
When was the last time you got out of your SAFE STORAGE area and drove some miles for Jesus?
When was the last time you allowed the Holy Spirit use YOU to demonstrate HIS gifts? AND people were AMAZED?

He wants to drive YOU around this area and show YOU off!
He wants to demonstrate HIS greatness through YOU!
He wants others to SEE Jesus on YOUR face.

You are a SPECIAL treat to Him.
You are a vehicle that encases His beauty.
You are ENJOYED by Him. You have His favor.

So get out of storage. Take that cover of comfort off. The world is desperate. Romans 3:23
The world is here. It needs Jesus. Romans 5:8
Through your mouth, they will hear. Romans 10:14,15
Don’t be ashamed of the gospel. Romans 1:16
Let your life will be an EXCITING experience. And man, God will GET THE LOOKS.

PRAY FOR: The fresh wind and fresh fire that descended down on the people who attended the South Bay Day of Repentance on Tuesday night to remain BLAZING in their hearts. Praise Jesus, we had over 15 churches represented with over 45 pastors and leaders and between 175-200 attending. A good chunk of those who attended were young people. What took place was indescribable. Humbling. God was definitely glorified. People cried out for repentance. Most were on their knees and their faces, while others were standing and weeping. Individual, local, state and national repentance poured from our lips. People truly HUNGRY for cleansing. We had Korean, Spanish and English prayer and praise with multiple ethnicities represented. There was unity in that place. Wow. It was a powerful demonstration of what God wants to continue here.

PRAY FOR: PRAISE for what God is DOING here. Like Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, said that night…“it only was a small group that met together to pray in the book of ACTS and ultimately that power changed the world! Imagine what God can do through YOU to change California and this Nation for Jesus Christ”

THANK YOU: for your DILIGENT and PERSEVERANT prayer… I’m convinced that the POWER that was demonstrated there on that night, through all of us, was because of DEDICATED warriors like YOU. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. God sees and hears your prayers. You will be rewarded.