Chuck E Tate's Blog

Chances are, you’ve gone head-to-head with a giant at some point in your life. If so, you know firsthand what defeat feels like. A giant can be anything from a financial crisis to cancer to the big jerk in seventh grade who won’t leave you alone. It can be whatever stands between you and your family, you and your dreams, or you and your hope. A giant can even be that voice in your head that whispers, “You can’t” or “You won’t” or “You never will.”

In 1 Samuel 17, we meet a giant bully named Goliath, who has taunted the nation of Israel for 40 consecutive days, just begging for someone to come fight him. The constant jeering has all but paralyzed King Saul and his army.

I love that the most unlikely contender was the very one to step onto the battlefield and finally accept the giant’s challenge. David wasn’t only the least likely person in Israel to fight Goliath; he was also the least likely person in his own family—the youngest of eight boys.

Here’s a sad reality: No matter how young or old you are, you haven’t seen your last giant. Your enemy, the devil, is doing everything he can to place giants between you and your dreams; between you and your God-given vision; between you and your miracle; between you and your victory; between you and your second chance; and, ultimately, between you and your destiny.

It’s important to point out that David heard the very same words that every soldier in Saul’s army had heard. The difference was that David decided to do something about it.

What are you going to do about the bully who stands between you and your victory? What are you going to do about the giant standing between you and your dream? What are you going to do about the obstacle that is keeping you from becoming the person who God created you to be? Are you prepared to cut through the resistance? Are you ready to fight? I’m talking about trusting God and stepping onto the battlefield—even when no one else believes you can win—and fighting, if need be, until you are the last one standing. David was that somebody with Goliath. You can be that somebody too.

God will help you fight battles that you could never win on your own.

WHAT GIANT DO YOU NEED TO CONFRONT?

~Chuck

If you like this short blog post, you can subscribe to my 7 Day Reading Plan on YouVersion Bible App.

If you really want more of this, you can check out my book 41 Will Come on Amazon.

I want to invite you to come hang with me on TikTok as I post a daily video devotional called “Scripture of the Day.” Let’s connect!

Numerous passages in the Bible connect the number 40 to periods of trial, testing, or hardship. During this reading plan we’re going to zero in on a number that gets a lot less attention—the number that comes after 40. We’re going to see how the number 41 represents a beacon of hope for postponed dreams and promised lands. Amid the troubles of everyday life, it’s almost as if 41 is shouting, “I got next!”

After Noah built the ark, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Day 41 came, and the rain stopped. After Moses committed murder, he hid in the desert for 40 years. Year 41 came, and God gave Moses a second chance—commissioning him to rescue Israel from slavery in Egypt. After the Exodus, the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Year 41 came, and a new generation entered the Promised Land. For 40 days, Goliath bullied Israel, just begging for someone to come fight him. Day 41 came, and David stepped up and slew the giant. For 40 days, Jonah delivered a message of doom and gloom to the city of Nineveh—that God was going to destroy them because of their wickedness. Day 41 came, and God changed his mind and instead extended mercy because the Ninevites had repented. After being baptized, Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days and was tempted by the devil. Day 41 came, the devil fled, angels showed up, and Jesus launched his monumental ministry. During the 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples on several occasions—proving to them that he was alive and breathing new life into them as he explained the Kingdom of God and commissioned them to build it. On day 41, after promising to send the Holy Spirit in his place, he ascended into heaven, leaving the disciples to carry out his plan for launching the church—a church that, by the way, is still prevailing against the gates of hell.

Whether you’re stuck in the storms of life; in serious need of a second chance; stranded in the wilderness of unexpected circumstances or unfulfilled expectations; facing what seems to be an unbeatable giant; or bearing up against unspeakable temptation, the pattern is clear. The number 41 represents the dawn of a new day—the hope and promise that if you don’t quit, the rain will stop, the giant will fall, and you will enter your “promised land.”

Identify your 41.

What are you believing God for? Email me your prayer request and I will pray for you.

—Chuck

If you like this short blog post, you can subscribe to my 7 Day Reading Plan on YouVersion Bible App.

If you really want more of this, you can check out my book 41 Will Come on Amazon.

I want to invite you to come hang with me on TikTok as I post a daily video devotional called “Scripture of the Day.” Let’s connect!

For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. -1 Corinthians 2:2 (NLT)




Let me remind you today—as you continue to fast and pray for our nation—that the Kingdom of Christ is not an earthly kingdom. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:23, So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. We have to look at everything through the lens of Scripture. Jesus never urged His disciples to ‘fight for the right political figures to end up in Rome.’ He was only focused on His Kingdom. Here is what He said in John 18:36 (NLT) as He stood before Pilate (after being arrested). Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”  Jesus made it clear to His disciples that they would be persecuted and that the world would hate them (because of their faith in Him). Pray? Yes! Fight in the flesh? No. 

What we witnessed yesterday was tragic. Horrific. Demonic. And it’s irrelevant who was ‘behind’ it. It was evil, period. I agree with Beth Moore: “I don’t know the Jesus some have paraded and waved around in the middle of this treachery today. They may be acting in the name of some other Jesus but that’s not Jesus of the Gospels.”

Jesus told Peter to put away his sword, not to take action (by fighting). Jesus didn’t ask His disciples to defend Him when He was betrayed and led away. He did, however, ask them to ‘watch and pray’ with Him. We have to remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood. The only way to fight is on our knees.



“Maybe we will jettison our habit of looking for politicians to preserve remnants of Christian culture, and refocus on making disciples that lead godly lives, raise godly families, and radiate gospel culture everywhere they place their feet.” -Pastor Erik Reed




How we respond matters.

How we react matters.

What we post on social media matters.

I will end by sharing the words of Pastor David Cassidy. “The task of the Church is not to make America Great Again but to make Jesus known everywhere. Make Christianity Christian again.” 

People are watching.

More importantly, God is watching.

Pray.
 



Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. -2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)




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Have you ever done something stupid, so stupid that every time you stop to think about it, you cringe or end up shaking your head and chuckling to yourself? I have done this too many times to count, but here are just a few examples:

When I was 19 or 20 I was driving my new car and hit a parked truck. #crashWhen I was in 6th grade I hit a sweet jump on my bike (even though I had a wobbly wheel) and the front tire came off in mid-air. #crashWhen I was a kid I tried to “bunny-hop” (jump without a ramp) a ditch but ended up racing as fast as I could straight into the ditch. #crashWhen I was a teenager I fell down a flight of stairs with my hands in my pockets. #crash

Notice that all of my examples involved crashing. If we’re not careful, dumb decisions can do more than bruise our ego—they can cause our very life to come crashing down. In other words, some of our most difficult seasons of setback and embarrassment can be traced back to intentional disobedience. King Solomon calls this foolishness. Theologian John Wayne calls it being stupid.
 

“Life is hard; it’s harder when you’re stupid.”
-John Wayne

I’m convinced that life would be much easier if we would simply do the right thing all the time. Don’t be stupid. Obedience matters. Don’t believe me? Ask Jonah.
 

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. -Ephesians 5:17 (ESV)

The above scripture in the CEV (Contemporary English Version) is more like the JWV (John Wayne Version). It says, “Don’t be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do.”

What have we learned so far? Bunny-hopping your bike into a ditch is painful. Uh, yes. But no, that’s not really what I’m really talking about. It’s foolish to do the opposite of what God wants you to do.
 

5 Ways To Fix Foolish

1. Eliminate Foolish Friendships

1 Corinthians 15:33 (CEV) says, Bad friends will destroy you. You can be the right person with the right dream, but spend time with the wrong friends, and your dream can become a nightmare.

Proverbs 13:20 (MSG) says, ”Hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.”

2. Eliminate Foolish Talk

Proverbs 18:6-7 says, “The words of fools start fights. Fools are undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words.”  

Ephesians 4:29 (NLT) says, Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

3. Eliminate Foolish Ideas

King David’s foolish idea and intentional disobedience led to a major spiritual crash that resulted in a season of sorrow and grief. The good news is that he learned from his mistake. Psalm 101:4 (NLT) says, I will reject perverse (wicked) ideas and stay away from every evil.

Romans 1:21 (NLT) says, Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

Notice that the result of their foolish ideas was foolish actions!

4. Eliminate Foolish Actions

Proverbs 27:12 (CEV) says, Be cautious and hide when you see danger—don’t be stupid and walk right into trouble.

Don’t rebel.
Don’t disobey.
Don’t sin intentionally.

5. Eliminate Foolish Habits

Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT) says, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Check this out. If you take the first letter from each of our 5 foolish things we need to fix (friends, talk, ideas, actions, habits) and rearrange them, you will get the word FAITH! 

Want to eliminate self-destructive crashes in 2021? Replace foolish friendships, talk, ideas, actions, and habits with faith-filled friendship, talk, ideas, actions, and habits.

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In Bible, 40 days/years represents waiting/trial41 day/years represents breakthrough/new beginning!

Hello old friend! It’s been awhile since I submitted a new blog post (10 months to be exact). My family has walked through an emotional and difficult season over the last 18 months due to my wife’s diagnosis of a debilitating chronic pain disease, among other things. After Annette’s recent (successful) surgery, she has rounded a corner. We can see light at the end of the tunnel…and it’s not a train (smile). #41WillCome

While I am working on my official proposal for the follow up book to 41 Will Come, I promise to write a new blog post in the near future. Until then, enjoy this fun and hope-filled post from our dear friend (and office manager of the church I lead) Catherine.

Guest Post

Our minds are bombarded with around 30,000 thoughts each day…and one unhealthy thought that can paralyze you and ultimately derail you from your destiny is regret.

regret [ri-gret]: 1. a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc. 2. a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc.

Let be perfectly clear about something. It’s not wrong to feel regret. It’s wrong to allow regret to keep you from living the life God wants you to live.

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What if Moses would have allowed the regret of committing murder to stop him from answering the call of God (via burning bush) to lead about 2 million people out of bondage?

What if Jonah would have allowed to the regret of rebelling against God to stop him from persuading a city to repent and ultimately resulting in having God’s grace and mercy replace His wrath.

What if David refused to fulfill his role as King of Israel because of his regret over adultery, murder, and being exposed on Jerry Springer by Nathan the Prophet?

What if Peter would have succumbed to regret after denying Jesus?

What if Paul never penned almost half of the New Testament because of overwhelming regret over persecuting Jesus and His Church?

What if you… [fill in the blank]

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What “if only” regret is weighing you down right now? As Mark Batterson says in his book If — God can turn your “if only” regrets into a “what if” possibilities! Use the Word of God to replace regret with HOPE!

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)

Dream Big. Pray Big. Live Big.

Let me leave you with 3 truth bombs to blow regret out of your mind!

God is for you!When others write you off—God writes you in!God’s mercies are NEW every morning…so today is a new opportunity for God to move in your life!

Remember, God doesn’t need to consult with your past when mapping out your future.

So go ahead and say “buh-bye” to regret and begin living your very best life, a hope-filled life God created you to live.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Watch the entire sermon (based on this blog) below.

How can I pray for you? Comment below! #PrayerMatters

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Have you ever Google’d the phrase ‘voices in my head’? Be careful! Lol.

I’m still reflecting on an EPIC resurrection weekend! There were so many memorable moments and highlights that included the following: 

One of the best worship sets

Today is Good Friday. 

Resurrection Sunday is around the corner. 

Between now and Monday our phones and computer devices will be blasted with Easter-related social media posts, pictures, memes, quotes, and videos. In fact, I will do my share of clicking LIKE, sharing, and posting.

Take a look at the following check-lists and determine which apply to you.

Easter Preparation Check-List for Individuals/Families

my outfitkids outfitrestaurant reservationsgrocery store runfamily egg huntEaster baskets for the kiddoschoose which Easter production to attendchoose which service to attendfamily photo opclean the house (for family coming over)insert everything else here ____________________

Easter Preparation Check-List for Pastors/Church Leaders 

prayerproductionsrehearsalspracticesmeetingsrun-throughsstrategiesinvitessocial media adsmarketing campaignsprint materialsfollow-up proceduresservice ordersbulletinscommunion elementssanctuary set-upstage designextra parking spotsgroomed grounds insert everything else here ____________________

In the midst of a gazillion Easter preparations and posts, don’t forget two very important things this weekend:

1. Celebrate Jesus



2. Enjoy The Journey



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If you live in central Illinois, we would love to have you join us at RockChurch this weekend!

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