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AChuckAllen

The Burden of Blight

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The Burden of Blight by A-ChuckAllen

When humans exist in an elongated period of sorrow, loss, tragedy, or poverty, they can fall into a state known as human blight. It’s that place where hope seems to have been gone forever and hurt seems to have taken up residence in the human heart.

Human Blight is what I experienced on the Abacos Islands last week. I arrived into Nassau Thursday and immediately hopped in the back of a Piper Cub and flown into Marsh Harbor. Marsh Harbor is truly a disaster zone, but it was nothing compared to what I saw on Man-O-War Cay or Hopetown. These are just two of the complete disasters in the Abacos Islands.

What I saw would crush any person’s heart. What was an oasis of beauty and what was once quaint little beach towns, untouched by the rapid westernization and chain hotels and restaurants, is quite literally destroyed. Nothing is left that is green. Every leaf and every tree – gone. Every colorful hamlet – gone. Most every boat sunken, capsized, tossed into parts, or picked up and carried miles inland. While flying about 300 feet over the islands on the way back to Nassau, I spotted boats that had been picked up by winds or by storm surge and placed entirely miles inland in the middle of a chicken farm.

The natural disaster left in the wake of Dorian is overwhelming. The task to clean up and rebuild seems impossible. There is more debris than the islands can burn or bury. Every home is either destroyed or already covered in mold. Every resource is down. No running water, very little electricity, and then comes what I believe to be the worst disaster of all. The catastrophe of human blight.

People are destroyed under the enormous loss and chaos created by the sustained 185 miles per hour winds and island swamping water surge. What didn’t blow away, has been washed away. To add insult to injury, there is very little mass coordination regarding the relief efforts, and of course, there are the sin-filled and evil people that are seeking to profit from these folks’ misery and lack of resources. I wouldn’t consider myself an angry or violent man, but some folks need to have their hind parts beaten because of their insensitivity and wicked ways. And just to put the rotten cherry on top of the spoiled whipped cream, these tiny ports are under stress to manage duty on the incoming relief supplies in container ships. Small ports used to handling wholesale goods to mom and pop shops are trying their best to adjust to the new demands…and not terribly well, quite yet.

I honestly could talk for hours about the problems, and the pictures do no justice to the damage as you can see in most pictures the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean just beyond them. So what are we regular, American folk to do? Here are what I believe to be the best avenues to help, considering that it might take three years to restore these gorgeous islands.

The burden I feel for these folks is more than I can carry and more than our church can carry alone. I’ve been so blessed to have become a part of a vast network of organizations and people that can help.

  1. PRAY! Pray for these poor folks. And yes, I mean sick as in economically, spiritually, and emotionally. The only way that these gracious people recover is by the hand of God and the sweat of God’s People!
  1. Start with rebuilding and restoring the churches. Most of the small churches on the islands were completely demolished. Start with the easiest to restore and get them rebuilt, dried in, mold-free, and operating. You cannot imagine the importance of the local churches and their pastors on the islands. The church is the center of hope, food, restoration, recreation, and health. These churches aren’t worried about how big they grow, but how they love their people – Great concept, right? One church, like the church I pastor, could rebuild and sweep debris away from the local church and set up extraordinary temporary structures in one week! Sugar Hill Church will start with one and restore as many as possible! Please, join us!
  2. Restore the homes of the local pastors. Many of these folks have had to relocate to shelters. If this were the American church, I’d say, restore them last, but the people of Abaco see their pastors differently. These leaders are more than pastors. They are the connection of God to a tiny part of the world, filled with the similar strife that we Americans deal with, minus the affluence. Sugar Hill Church will start with the pastor’s home of our first church and continue to restore as many as possible. Will you and your church consider helping us?
  3. Restore dignity and hope into the lives of the Bahamian people, Bahamian-Haitian people, and Haitian migrants, both legal and illegal. Yep! You heard that right. The Bahamas has a much smaller immigration challenge, but a challenge for sure. They also have a race problem. All three of the people groups I mentioned have great need, and none of them are immune from to blight of hopelessness. As a supporter of the Prime Minister and the government of the Bahamas, I want to support and aid their rebuilding agenda…but not at the loss of human dignity and human rights of the Haitian people. Sugar Hill Church will help rebuild homes and start providing help for any people. We aren’t that big, but human dignity requires very little money. It does require a great deal of empathy and compassion. Will you and your church consider helping us?

I know this may feel cold, as this short agenda seems focused on rebuilding things, but friends, this is about restoring hope, health, and order found in the love of Christ Jesus and the power of the Divine God of all Creation working through His people and His church. We do not have much time to wait and get structured. I’m building a website that can update people on how they can travel to help, pray to help and give to help. I’ll also pass along ongoing work with a few heroic organizations that have been on the ground from day one. One such group, led by a superhero, Austin Holmes, has already restored the structure and dried in six churches. And every one of those churches held worship gathering s last week (more to come). As soon as the site is live, I’ll connect you guys.

More to Come – Go in Peace,

A-Chuck

4forFRIDAY with A-ChuckAllen

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This week’s 4forFRIDAY October 4, 2019

I love to share good reads, learnings, listens and reviews with friends and followers. So, thanks for joining me on my 4forFRIDAY BLOG. Each week, the 4forFRIDAY offers recommended Reads, Listens, Learnings and Reviews, simply for your enjoyment. Thanks Again! If you don’t already subscribe to my Weekday Meditation Podcast, I encourage you to check it out HERE. If you missed the articles that I posted earlier this month regarding my trip to the Southern Border, you can find it HERE.

A Really Good Read: The Road Back to You

This is a solid read. It will give you insights into why you think the way you do, why other people annoy you, naturally, and how to best interact with others in every facet of your life. I’ve been an enneagram fan for years, but recently reread this great book. Enjoy! I liked this so much that I’ve now read it twice and listened to it once. Our staff is reading through this together this month as well.

This Was a Great Reminder: Central City Tavern is Really Good

I met my friend Carlos there earlier this week and we shared the Game-day Nachos as an appetizer. Then I enjoyed the Chicken and Chorizo Quesadillas. Carlos enjoyed the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. I know a lot of folks from church ate there after last week’s Celebrate Sugar Hill Service. You’ll like it!

I Loved this Book from Taylor Morton; Kingdom Leader

In Taylor’s second book, you will be challenged and sharpened. Every believer should read up and let the Lord use Taylor’s book to give you an on-point view of leadership that matters!

This Isn’t Your Average Netflix Special: The Brain of Bill Gates

I just started watching it on a recommendation from my good friend Bobby McGraw (YourStoryMatters.com) and he was right on. This is a most fascinating look at one of my lifetime’s brightest thinkers and doers. Enjoy!

My New Journal, Power Routines 3 is now available on Amazon.
Instigating the habits of Gratitude, Scripture Reading, Journaling and Guided Prayer is a powerful way to CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR LIFE! Pick up your copies of POWER ROUTINES II at Sugar Hill Church! And coming soon to Amazon!

A Quote from Max Lucado

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one that says it, our prayers do make a difference..”

The Weekday Podcast and the Weekday Meditation

The Podcast is a 5 minute/day, 5 day/week Cup of Encouragement, straight from the Scriptures. The Meditation is about 6 minutes/day, 5/day/week and is designed to give you a combined and guided prayer/meditation experience.

Both of these resources are available on the Sugar Hill Church APP or WeekdayPodcast.com & WeekdayMeditation.com

Go in Peace, 
AChuck

The Sermon Not Preached Sunday.

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The Sermon Not Preached Sunday 9/29 by AChuckAllen

It was a perfectly beautiful Sunday, if it were the middle of July. Ninety degrees and a heat index adding another 10 degrees made for a challenging morning for an outside Worship Gathering. That’s why this sermon wasn’t taught. So, here you go…The sermon not preached on Sunday!

Can you imagine what it’s like to be blind? I mean, what if you couldn’t see anything? What if you couldn’t even imagine what the world’s most beautiful beach looked like? Or what if you had never seen a sunset as the purple turns to orange and the orange fades to pink on a beautiful summer evening? What if you felt like you offered nothing to society? That you were considered a problem rather than a person?

What if, like the character in our story today, you had to panhandle, you begged for your sustenance and survival? Having to sit there every day in the hot sun and call out to people walking down the street, people you can’t even see, who might be mocking you even as they drop something in your cup.

So it was with a man by the name of Bartimaeus. Every day on the side of the road, sweaty and grimy with the nasty dust kicked up in his face, and the stinking animals…well, let’s not go there today..

Let’s try to walk alongside Jesus as we see Him through the eyes of Witnesses. In Mark’s account today from the New Testament writer of Mark 10:46-52.

Mark 10:46-52

[46] Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. [47] When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” [48] “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” [49] When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” [50] Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. [51] “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” [52] And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

I wonder, as he awakened that morning, if Bartimaeus thought there to be anything unusual about this day? I doubt it. It likely dawned like any other day; he was likely awakened by the early-morning noise of the city of Jericho.

Bartimaeus clutched his ever-present coat around himself and struggled to his feet. His crude living quarters provided him shelter and little else. With matted hair and unshaven face, this blind beggar began to make his way into town.

Most of those who did see him diverted their attention away from him quickly. It is difficult for the sighted to fathom the handicap of blindness; it is difficult for us to fathom what grinding poverty must be like. He lived a life of surviving on charity, on people’s leftovers. He experienced little joy in life, little success, little peace. His daily goal was survival.

And so he sat. Passover was coming, and the crowds in the streets would be larger—maybe this would be a more profitable day than most!

Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered around Jesus. Jericho was only about 15 miles away from Jerusalem, and the main road ran right through town. Jesus was on His way to the Passover; and so, people gathered around and listened to his teaching on the trip.

If Vice-President Pence were walking through Sugar Hill, a lot of folks would come out! So the streets would be lined with people. And maybe, just maybe, this would be a red-letter day for a beggar like Bartimaeus!

Anticipation was heavy in the air as the crowd began to enter the city of Jericho. The mood was festive; people were hopeful that they were in the beginning stages of ushering in God’s long-awaited Messiah, the political deliverer who’d get them out of this bondage to the Romans.

They say that when a person loses one of their senses, others compensate to the degree that they are able. His sense of hearing then being keenly developed, Bartimaeus could tell that something had caused a huge crowd.

He had to find out what all the commotion was all about, and so he cried out, asking if anyone could tell him the reason for the ruckus, and he was told: Jesus of Nazareth was coming that way!

He had heard stories about the rabbi, the miracle worker.

“How could a man do these things unless God is with him?” Many times he had thought, “If only I were in the presence of this Jesus, he could heal me too!”

He had no eyesight, but perhaps he had remarkable insight. Helen Keller said, “Better to be blind and to see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing.”

This was Bartimaeus’ moment of truth; it was act now, or forever be consigned to blindness; forever wonder what might have been; forever live with regret and pain. There come such moments of decision in this life for all of us. Moments which, looked back upon, are make-or-break moments.

He swam in the sea, drank of the deep Embraced the mystery of all he could be. This was his time!

For Bartimaeus, the opportunity was now-or-never. He didn’t allow the negativity of the crowds deter him. He didn’t worry about his handicap; he didn’t lament what he couldn’t do, rather he just did what he could. He didn’t hesitate; he began calling out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Did you catch the response of resistance from the crowd; they tried to shut him up. Why spoil the Passover celebration? “We’re on our way to the Holy City; we have no time for a blind beggar!” “Don’t bother the Master, you old beggar man!” “He’s got more important things to do than to fool with you!”

Oh the irony here!

This is the church crowd, on their way to a religious festival! These are people who are listening to Jesus’ talk about the kingdom of God! They are in the right place, listening to the right thing and they completely miss the point!

Sunday morning doesn’t matter a whole lot if what we do when we leave this place doesn’t reflect the truth that we have met with Jesus, the Son of the Living God!

There were people who were with Jesus, listening and taking it all in, in the right place, if you will, but when it came to helping out a blind man, they told him to shut up. They failed to seize a golden opportunity that smacked them right in the face. Does that represent what the church does sometimes? They were so interested in listening and so woefully short when it came to obeying. They told the blind man that Jesus wouldn’t have time for him.

But that’s where they were wrong, dead wrong. Jesus was far more concerned with the hurting and the needy than His schedule or His fame.

Bartimaeus just cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, hey, have mercy on me!” When the cry reached Jesus’ ears, it froze Him in His tracks. That phrase, “Son of David”, had significant overtones; this is the first time we read that anyone had publicly referred to Jesus as such. He heard a plaintive cry and a prophetic salute at the same time! Jesus knew who was crying out for Him and why.

And so Jesus, on His way to becoming the Savior of the world, stops to become the servant of a blind beggar!

The fickle crowd had been saying, “Shut up!” Now, their refrain changes, as they say, effectively, “Cheer up!”

There was a real reason to cheer up, to take courage, for Someone was here Who could make a real difference! Now the crowd said, “Get up!” The Master was calling, and when Jesus calls, we better not stay where we are. Up to his feet he leapt, and following as best he could the sound of the voice, he made his way to Jesus. Tossing aside his old coat he made his way to Jesus. Bartimaeus responds to the call of Jesus.

“What do you want?” Jesus asked. In Bartimaeus He saw true faith. God responds to faith! And He asks Bartimaeus, “what do you want?” He asked Bartimaeus to articulate the words of faith, words that acknowledge why the blind man had called for Jesus in the first place: “Teacher, I want to see!” And Jesus granted His request!

Think of it: total darkness to 20/20 vision in a millisecond! And just think – the very first thing that blind man saw was the face of Jesus! He once was blind, but now he sees!

But the story doesn’t end here. Bartimaeus “began following Jesus on the road.” He never went back and grabbed the old coat. When Jesus changes us, we don’t need the old things anymore! Just imagine the things that Bartimaeus would see just a few short days later, as this gentle Healer was scourged and mocked and then crucified.

The faith that caused Bartimaeus to call out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” was a faith that sustained this man, having been delivered by the mercy for which he cried, through the most trying of times, a faith that was bolstered by the event of the resurrection!

And there, lying on the ground by the Jericho roadside, is an old coat, no longer wanted or needed by a man whose life has been radically transformed by Jesus, now a memorial of the fact that, when Jesus changes a life, we don’t need the old stuff anymore!

Are you ready to lay down your old coat and let Jesus, the same Jesus that stopped for Bartimaeus stop here in Sugar Hill and offer you healing, forgiving mercies?

Peace by Yours, ACHUCK

The Christian and Impeachment

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The Christian and Impeachment by A-Chuck Allen

I realize that the hate mail might flow from both sides of the aisle after reading today’s article, but here goes. Let me start by saying, I am in no possible way endorsing any candidate by writing this article.

This effort to impeach the President seems like another multi-million-dollar burn rate hunt that seems, from all apparent speculation to be poor partisan leadership that’s running wild at best and fool-filled hatred at worst. That’s not a good rock or a hard place to be.

I’ve been vocal on this BLOG to point out what I see as presidential errors and foolishness, but let’s face it…the country elected him, and he is our Commander in Chief. I’ve also praised him for opening more doors for the faith community to serve in areas previously off-limits to churches and faith-based non-profits. As best that I can tell, President Trump may have opened more faith based doors than any president in our history.

But dang it, he makes it so hard to love him and at times, even like him. I do indeed praise him for the efforts that have allowed me (first hand) to play a small role in the Southern Border Crisis and lending resources and aid to The Bahamas. For that I am grateful. For the judges that have been appointed, I’m grateful for that.

Now, after the Mueller Report seemed to be much laborious reading about nothing, we are opening official impeachment hearings. Yep, with tongue entirely in cheek, that’ll surely help the country!

I detest President Trump’s horrific description of women, caught on tape with Billy Bush. I daily want someone to close his Twitter account. I do not like or admire his language, especially when my Lord’s name is taken in vain. But are we really to believe that dragging the country through more hate-filled, hate-speech, petty bickering is going to lift our country to it’s highest decorum in decency and kindness? Not a chance.

You might have read this far and want to firebomb my car, but give it another paragraph before bailing out.

Let the man serve his four years and if you don’t like him as the POTUS, elect somebody else! Stop finding every possible way to derail and sabotage our country by attempting to undermine his administration. There are good people serving in so many offices that spend more time dodging hateful barbs thrown their way than doing their job.

You might be saying, “great Chuck, but as a Follower of Jesus, what should I do?”

  1. Don’t get sucked into the partisan, binary hate-speech and innuendo.
  2. Stop joining the arguments on either side. Start offering to serve in one of the many ways that you could help and make a difference instead of loading up with pundit popularism about the latest “he-said-she-said-they -said” gossip and half-truth. At best, don’t speak at all unless you are better educated than the casual viewer of CNN, MSNBC, FOX News or any other pundit rants.
  3. Stop assuming that someone – anyone on the “other side of the aisle” is wrong in every way. There are great people in both camps and we do them a disservice to lump them all into the same basket.
  4. Please stop the mindless arguments on social media that seem to be more hateful as the days go by.
  5. If you think someone offers a better future economically, in the appointments of faith-friendly judges, and in allowing the faith community go to work beside governmental friends, then defeat Mr. Trump in November 2020.
  6. Please stop expecting the pulpit to become a politically supportive cowbell, calling in all of the chips to make a point about politics and not Jesus. I’ll stick to my guns. If we were to elect God’s person to lead this proud land, it most likely woudn’t be anybody in the running! But if we were to put Jesus in the right priority in our life, the rest is a forgone conclusion.
  7. PRAY without ceasing. Pray for wisdom from on high for the Trump family. Pray for his cabinet. Pray for wisdom on the other side of the aisle and pray for ways that you can impact your community without the argumentative process of offensive, angry pundit talk.
  8. Serve people in need and watch how the Lord will elevate your voice and your potential to make a difference in the lives of real people with real problems. Jesus was Waterford crystal clear on this: “If you want to be great, you must become a servant.”

I’m no longer able to watch the political trash on any network, but I do pray every single day for Mr. Trump, his family, his pastor, Paula White and for the Democratic leaders, especially those running for the highest office in our land. All of Washington needs our prayers and according to God, “The effective prayer of righteous people avail much.” So pray!

Support whoever you wish, but do so because you have a deep conviction in what is right and just and holy. You might have to look really deeply into your soul. If you seek the Lord in all of your ways, He will use you in the effort to serve people in need and vote with conviction…regardless of who you vote for.

As Chuck Colson (a man who knows a few things about impeachment) said,  “Politics is nothing but an expression of culture. It is not enough to win elections, for political power alone cannot change how people live or change their values. It is essential to change hearts and minds as well. And that starts, not in Washington, but with our neighbors.”

Go in Peace,
AChuck

4forFRIDAY with A-Chuck Allen

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This week’s 4forFRIDAY September 27, 2019

I love to share good reads, learnings, listens and reviews with friends and followers. So, thanks for joining me on my 4forFRIDAY BLOG. Each week, the 4forFRIDAY offers recommended Reads, Listens, Learnings and Reviews, simply for your enjoyment. Thanks Again! If you don’t already subscribe to my Weekday Meditation Podcast, I encourage you to check it out HERE. If you missed the articles that I posted earlier this month regarding my trip to the Southern Border, you can find it HERE.

A Really Fun Movie: Downton Abbey

Totally burned my man card and admitted that I loved the show and enjoyed the movie even more. It’s got a few new wrinkles but its quick-witted and fun. If you didn’t see any of the television series, it might be challenging to keep up.

Leadership Blindspots: How Successful Leaders Identify and Overcome the Weaknesses That Matter

Leadership Blindspots is a comprehensive guide that helps individuals surface and act on unrecognized weaknesses that can impair their effectiveness, damage their organizations and derail their careers. Written by an author with years of experience working closely with leaders as a management consultant, the book provides a useful model for understanding how blindspots operate and the risks they pose.  At the same time, Leadership Blindspots offers a clear roadmap to becoming a better leader by offering pragmatic advice on how to manage blindspots more effectively.  

Power Routines Volumes 1, 2 and 3

All three Power Routines Books are available on Amazon and help the reader discover PEACE, POWER & DIRECTION in just 15 minutes a day through the habits of Gratitude, Scripture Reading, Journaling and Prayer.

A Television Show We are Enjoying: Yellowstone

It’s a bit like a modern DAllas starring Kevin Costner. In the Wild West in modern day it’s still wild. I think you might binge watch on Netflix or Prime Video.

My New Journal, Power Routines 3 is now available on Amazon.
Instigating the habits of Gratitude, Scripture Reading, Journaling and Guided Prayer is a powerful way to CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR LIFE! Pick up your copies of POWER ROUTINES II at Sugar Hill Church! And coming soon to Amazon!

A Quote from Roy T. Bennett

“Consistency is the true foundation of trust. Either keep your promises or do not make them.”

The Weekday Podcast and the Weekday Meditation

The Podcast is a 5 minute/day, 5 day/week Cup of Encouragement, straight from the Scriptures. The Meditation is about 7 minutes/day, 5/day/week and is designed to give you a combined and guided prayer/meditation experience.

Both of these resources are available on the Sugar Hill Church APP or WeekdayPodcast.com & WeekdayMeditation.com

Go in Peace, 
AChuck

DORIAN and the BAHAMAS

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Dorian and the Bahamas by A-Chuck Allen

Where to start? Oh my stars! Hurricane Dorian came to the Bahamas and camped out on the little island of Freeport. On the east side of this tropical island, the best word to describe what I saw was DEVASTATION! There isn’t much that either wind or water hasn’t ruined on this place where sunshine and cruise ships connect affluent travelers to the clear aqua waters of the Caribbean.

It was hot and breezy when we arrived, and it didn’t take long to see that Dorian had left a calling card of trees snapped off like twigs and buildings destroyed by either the fierce winds or the water.

There isn’t enough fresh water here yet. The municipal water system is slowly catching up, but it’s nowhere near potable. Thank God for Convoy of Hope and Paula White Ministries. These folks have done a massive work already and eighteen-wheelers, filled with fresh water from Convoy of Hope are on their way. Paula White’s Chief of Staff, Todd Lamphere is a pretty amazing guy. He is like the hub that keeps the resources and the ministry work on track. Jensen Franklin’s ministry has jumped in and is providing huge support for the people here. One of my favorite groups, (of all time) is Operation Barbecue Relief. These guys, lead by a former Green Beret, with a prosthetic leg, is all in. Last year, Operation Barbecue Relief provided more than 1.2 million HOT meals following disasters and humanitarian crises. I’ve gotten to know these guys, through our work on the Southern Border and they are the real deal. They have committed more than 24,000 meals, each day. They are starting today with 5,000 meals and ramping up to 24,000 by Tuesday September 17.

I’ve seen people in triage units (thank you Samaritan’s Purse). I’ve seen people whose homes were literally washed away while they clung to trees, as the winds whipped and the water rose. But what I’ve really seen is the resilience of these fine people. It is fascinating. They aren’t looking for someone to come give them out of this mess. They want people to know that, with a little help, they can rebuild the Bahamas into an even better land.

Yes, I’ve seen some good people, doing some good work. Yes, I am proud of Sugar Hill Church for their sacrificial work. I am honored to be a small part of a process that is in full force, doing good work. But I am really, truly, encouraged at the faith community that has stepped in without regard to denominations and orthodoxy, and simply done good work for the Kingdom of God. My faith in our people and the people of the Bahamas is that we can indeed do more and do better, together. Between the sacrificial giving of God’s people, the willingness to go and serve people that could never repay you and the graciousness of a people that have just literally had their lives turned out to sea, my faith in our Creator is greater than ever.

His desire for His children to serve side by side,with no concern about who gets the credit, is being played out with the many faith focused partners here in the Bahamas.

Please join us. The needs are great and the people are more than worth it!

Go In Peace,
A-Chuck

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