Monthly Archives: October 2013

My son Cory loves to go to the gym to workout.  Just LOOKING at Cory you can see that his workout disciplines have paid off.   People always BEG him for advice on how they can improve on their anemic workouts.  They can see the results of his work DISPLAYED on him.

One of his necessary habits after going to the gym is drinking a protein shake.  The other day he decided to take the shaker bottle filled with liquid protein into his bedroom.  Absent-mindedly he picked the bottle up to shake it one last time before leaving.  He forgot that the top was not screwed down completely.

The protein shake SPEWED out literally everywhere.  Dark chocolate drips soaked into the light colored carpet in his bedroom.  Streams of watered down protein streaked down the mirrored CLOSETS.  The comforter on his bed was blanketed with splashes of dark chocolate puddles.  When I came home, he CONFESSED about the accident.  He didn’t say WHEN he planned to clean it up.

So I decided to surprise him.  I would tackle the MESS.  It was something I had no problem doing.  I had the perfect remedy. I went to the garage and hunted down the Scrub Vacuum.  That machine is amazing.  So powerful and efficient. An easy, fast and simple fix…

After multiple attempts and about 20 minutes of troubleshooting, the machine didn’t work.  Beyond frustrated, I was fine with the idea of helping Cory, but only if it was easy, fast and simple.  But this now became a PROJECT.  Ultimately, I was down on my knees scrubbing the carpet by hand with a brush.  Disgusted by the pitiful outcome, I just wanted to give up.  My HOPE was extinguished.  I knew right then, that this was just a temporary fix.  And not a permanent solution.

Forgive us God, for We as the Church have very few lost people BEG us how to improve their anemic lives.  Because they are LOOKING at how we ACT.

Forgive us God that We as the Church spew opinions out of our mouths absent- mindedly to a lost culture and effectively create a MESS, because we have allowed the truth to become unscrewed from Gods Word and become watered down.

Forgive us God that We as the Church are not willing to truly and openly confess about our continued ineptitude in affecting social justice or citywide transformation.  Our planned “cleanup operations” are typically an easy, fast and simple temporary fix.

Maybe you have caused some “accidents” to happen in your life.  And things got pretty shaken up.  It seems like literally everything is a mess.  And you really don’t want to say WHEN you plan to work on cleaning it up.

Maybe you feel like helping people is okay as long as it’s a fast, easy fix.  But you soon discover that they have become a PROJECT.  And you just want to give up on them because you are disgusted by the pitiful outcome.

Maybe you are so overwhelmed with feeling like all you do is clean up after everyone else’s mess.  And all your troubleshooting doesn’t work.  You are beyond frustrated.

Jesus is the perfect remedy.  He died for you.  And rose again.
His dark red blood stained the sin soaked carpet of your life.  And made it clean.
Streams of his tears streaked down his cheeks, so the closed CLOSET to your heart would open and reflect the mirrors of His love.
His nail pierced hands and outstretched arms took off your blankets of depression and scooped up your dark puddles of despair.  And embraced you in His comforter.

The Holy Spirit Scrub Vacuum is available to you.
He is better than an amazing machine.  Supernaturally powerful and efficient.
Ready to tackle any stain of sin.  At any time.
It’s something He has no problem doing.

His scrubbing power removes the toughest stains.
He just needs to be asked to do the work.
Come home.  Confess.  1 John 1:9
Today is the WHEN.  2 Corinthians 6:2
His cleanup operation IS easy, fast and simple.
And Permanently Forgotten.  Forever.
He will suck up the muck of frustration.
He will absorb the feelings of failure.
And HE will reignite the HOPE in you once again.

You will see the results of His work DISPLAYED on You.
And people will beg you to know who He is.
And You will get to deliver the permanent solution…
Jesus.

PRAISE:  Craig continues to be asked to appear on Fox Business News, on a regular basis.  His topics typically focus on CA new legislation/policy and how it adversely affects the small business owner.  Pray for continued favor and more doors to open.

PRAISE:  Shelly teaches a women’s bible study on Skid Row on Wednesdays.  Pray for continued salvation, empowerment and mobilization of these precious women to reach out with the love of Jesus to their own community.

Shelly Huey
Victory Update
www.VictoryUpdates.com
Twitter: @shellynotw