“Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.” (Phil 1:27-28)

This verse served as the theme of our 2011 LHM Fundraising Celebration Banquet.  As people entered the beautiful Great Hall of Park Cities Baptist Church, the exotic flowers on the table stood tall and gave hint to the theme.

As people arrived you could sense the anticipation of all that was to come. The night opened with a greeting from Bob Stith, chairman of the Board, with introductions of LHM staff, board and thanks to those who had helped to make the evening a reality. The meal was served and the sound of friendly conversation swelled and filled the room like notes from a fine symphony.

Soon a band took the stage and began to perform “The Battle” by Chris August as video played on two large screens on each side of the stage.  The video beautifully and terribly portrayed the sentiments of most of the secular world regarding the work of LHM and other like-minded ministries who help people deal with their sexual and relational woundings.  The harsh words of criticism and disbelief were punctuated with black screens with white words proclaiming the truth of scripture and the exhortations of the Word to stand firm in the midst of those who would oppose the Gospel and the truth.

The riveting musical offering and video presentation was followed by Ben, a twenty-something male who has been living in the Hope House for the past year and a half and is now in a leadership position in the House.  A minister’s son and faithful Christian, he shared his story, his struggle with same gender attractions and the recent realization that the very things he had so longed for in a man was indeed to be found in a man, but not one of earthly origins.  What He needed most was not a mere mortal, but a Savior, and that Savior was Jesus Christ. He was indeed able to meet the needs of his heart and He had.  Ben shared that he knew Christ must be his all and in his time at the Hope House, living and working with other men and purposefully processing his feelings, fears and life, he was able to embrace the reality of Christ’s sufficiency.

Ben’s moving testimony was followed by another short video with several short testimonies of men, women, and young adults who have found hope and help while participating in LHM.  They boasted not about the ministry per se, but the Christ they found at the ministry and the ways they have come to know Christ more intimately and surrendered to Him more fully.

Robert, a mature man who has been involved in the ministry for many years and now serves as a men’s small group leader, traced his life from birth to present. He began each section of his talk with the words, “His name was…” and the words that followed told of individuals who had impacted his life for good and for evil. As the story unfolded before listening ears, Robert revealed the dark secret he had so skillfully hid behind marriage and church participation.  Married for over 30 years, abused as a child, wounded as a young adult by taunting and teasing, he had spent some 25 years in secret, anonymous encounters with men at a lake.

“I don’t remember what his name was, but it was preceded by ‘Officer’ and he arrested me.”  His arrest caused his life to spiral to an all-time low.  In desperation he ran to the only unchanging reality of his life.  He continued,

“His name was Jesus, and He has made all the difference in my life.”

The beauty of His redemption in Robert’s life was amazing and powerful.

Robert’s testimony was following by another video of LHM participants, folks who had found each other at LHM are now married and others who are still journeying through their life and walk with the Lord.  One particular family shared how, in the deepest, darkest place in their life, LHM stood with them in reaching out to their son.  Though involved in LHM for several years on and off, Garrett left the Hope House one day and was missing for three months while deeply involved in drugs and the gay scene.  Through tears, his mother shared how LHM loved Garrett, loved her family, and stood with her through those dark days.  Garrett shared that he is now home, walking again with the Lord, and finding joy and peace in obedience to Christ and His ways.

Hope took the stage with charisma. This beautiful, powerful, and self-assured woman shared how for years, she had been a gay-rights organizer and activist in Seattle, WA.  She was out, proud and vigilant in her pursuit of gay marriage and equal rights for the GLBTQ community.  But in the midst of her protest and writing gender mapping curriculum, she found Christ and ended up at LHM.  Her journey with Jesus has been marked by deep healing from early childhood horrors and years of believing lies. Once she rejected her femininity, but now realizes that she is a women, a beautiful creation of a loving and caring God, and she is walking in that new identity. Her story was riveting and epic, but paled in comparison to the magnitude of the Gospel’s impact upon her life. She was a new creation in every way.

Ricky, the executive director, shared from Phil. 1:27-29 answering three simple questions:

Who is Living Hope Ministries?  – “A group of individuals who are seeking to live a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ.”

What does Living Hope really do? – “We stand firm in one spirit for the Gospel. We walk side by side with people towards Christ. We proclaim the truth that is the Gospel.”

Where is Living Hope going in the future? – “Wherever He leads!”  Though all our plans are tentative, LHM has immediate plans to open a satellite of LHM in College Station, TX in 2012.  There is also hope to start a satellite in Waco, TX and New York, New York.

At the end of Ricky’s brief challenge, an amazing group of LHM participants took the stage for the singing of “The Stand” by Hillsong. As the choir sang and the band played the chorus swelled with the words

“I’ll stand, with arms high and heart abandoned.
In awe, of the one who gave it all.
I’ll stand, my soul Lord to you surrendered,
all I have is yours.”

…the audience spontaneously rose to their feet, arms lifted heaven-ward, and voices belting out praise to the Father!

A final challenge was made for people to stand with Living Hope Ministries in sharing the truth of Gospel with those who are struggling with their sexual identities.

Dr. Dennis Wiles, pastor of First Baptist Church, Arlington, closed the evening with a powerful word of praise for LHM and a challenge to continue forward in the pursuit of Jesus.

When the final prayer was prayed, hundreds of people saw the power of the Gospel impacting the lives of individuals, calling them out of despair and bondage and into freedom and life.

As people exited the venue one attendees comment summed up what many were saying, “You guys made much of Jesus!”  And that is exactly what LHM intended to do.  We want to see Jesus lifted up and exalted for when He is, men and women are drawn to Him and healing happens.

Many thanks to all those who prayed, helped, and gave to make the evening our best banquet in LHM history. To Him be the glory, great things He has done!

 

I was recently in Galveston for the second time, sharing with a wonderful Hispanic congregation there called New Life Fellowship.  I stayed at a different hotel this time; this one was a block off the beach. After the pastor dropped me off from spending the early afternoon with he and his staff, I had a few hours of free time before the evening service and decided I had to go to the beach. I was somewhat disappointed to find that, at this particular part of the seacoast in Galveston, it wasn’t actually a beach.  It was a mere seawall, but water all the same. It was a bit windy and the waves were coming in pretty strong, pounding upon the rocks below in steady rhythm.

Off the wall a few hundred feet were a few guys surf fishing out in the water.  Just beyond the men there were also several brown pelicans in the water fishing and seemingly more successful than their human counterparts.  There were also several pelicans that were flying overhead. I haven’t seen a pelican since my days in Louisiana, more than sixteen years ago. I always loved watching pelicans. I’ve always thought they’re some of the most curiously built creatures. Honestly, they almost look like mistakes: oversized bills and heads, web feet, oddly shaped bodies – they just don’t look right.  Their symmetry is off. They just look like a mistake. But when they fish or when they fly, they are true things of beauty. Their wing spans can be 6’5” but you’d never know it at first glance.  They fold those mighty wings up in the most compact sort of way.  Their big heads and beaks get tucked in just the right place so they become the aerodynamic flying machines that gracefully cut through the air like fighter jets.  They are simply AMAZING!

I marveled at God’s design.  How brilliant was He to come up with such a perfect cacophony of shapes, sizes and forms to make this bird a fishing and flying machine?  Observing pelicans on land I would never guess that these creatures would ever be master fishers, or glide on thermal currents sixty feet above the ocean and dive bomb their pray at speeds up to 50 miles per hour.  But they do it!  Why? Because God designed them for that purpose. Granted, pelicans are not going to win the “pretty bird” award like an eagle or a hawk or the blue jay in my yard, but they can do things that none of those others can do because they are living out the Father’s intention for their creation.

Sitting on the seawall I thought about how often I have compared myself to others and been discouraged.  Why didn’t I look like the cover of men’s health or some idealized sense of self I had imagined in my mind?  But as I marveled at the beauty of the pelicans I was reminded that I too was created with intentionality and by design – God’s design.  He has created me a man for a reason and with a purpose. When I live into the design and intention of my Creator I, like the pelicans, am lifted to new heights and experience new truth that is only seen from the loftiness of fulfilling His intention and not that of my own.

Pelicans can dream about gathering seed like a blue jay, but that wouldn’t serve them well when they are plunged beneath the ocean’s surface to catch a fish.  They are designed for their function and so am I.

Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Indeed, on the seawall that windy day I knew the Creator had a purpose for me, for you, for each of us, no matter how we might appear to the world.

by Ricky Chelette, Executive Director

 

“Ricky, can you come to my office.”

Those words would bring chills to my spine. I was a new Christian. It was my first church. And I really didn’t know what I was doing as the new youth minister. Let’s face it; the church was really brave to even hire me. I had virtually no experience in youth ministry other than the three years I had served as a volunteer at my home church. Furthermore, since I didn’t come to know the Lord until I was 18, I had not even participated in a youth group. I didn’t know what was “regular and customary” for youth ministry. The pastor took a risk when he hired me, a senior at a Christian college, and for that I was most grateful.

But whenever he would utter those words… well they would just make me cringe. I so desperately wanted to please him, to do a great job, to be applauded for what efforts I put forth, but that was not the case.

As I entered his office he would proceed with abominable predictability.  Kind pleasantries and obligatory questions: How are you doing? How do you think the ministry is doing?  How’s your family? And then the killer:  “There’s something I need to talk with you about…” and proceed to tell me how I need to do this or that better than I was presently doing it. Or how disappointed he was with what I was doing.  To be totally honest, there were times that his admonitions were needed and appreciated, but more often than not, it had to do with numbers and taste, with style rather than content. I would leave his office devastated and defeated, feeling as though I was an utter failure as a youth minister, an utter disappointment to him, and incompetent as a person and a Christian.

In my own brokenness, I would project his disdain for me for the disapproval I often perceived from my own dad. It wasn’t right to do that, but it was there all the same. My pastor didn’t ask to be my dad, but to me, every man in authority was and I desperately wanted their approval.

It was years before I realized I had an incredible fear of man, a problem that is very real for many and especially those who were not able to receive the affirmation and blessing of their fathers.

The first of the Ten Commandments is clear when it states, “You shall have no other God’s before me (Ex 20:2).” The fear of man allows the opinions of others to shape and define you. It allows their words to give you an identity and meaning. It sets up people as gods rather than allowing God to be God in our lives.  It is sin.

I wish that I could say I have conquered this sin in my life, but then I would be sinning by lying.  I have gotten better at it because I have come to know that God is the only one who can truly define me. He is the Creator and we are His creation. Others, nor myself, have the right to give meaning and identity to me.   Does the painting give direction to the painter? Does the pot give instruction to the potter? No.  But with our fallen and broken hearts it is easy to seek the approval of men over the truth of our Father.

I have learned that men make poor idols and even worse gods. They are frail, broken, wounded, flawed, imperfect, undependable, and sinful. They are just like me.  What I need is not an idol, but a living God who is strong, whole, perfect, dependable and sinless and that is exactly what I have in my heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I have a God who has communicated to me through His perfect Word the truth that not only gives me identity and purpose for living, but direction in how to live a life for the applause and pleasure of heaven and not men.

I have a different pastor today, a much healthier one, with whom I have enjoyed a wonderful relationship of mutual respect and shared ministry. I no longer fear the words, “Ricky, can you come to my office.” I know that whatever happens in that office doesn’t define me, give me meaning, or set the course for my life, mental wellbeing or emotional stability.  My pastor, or any other man, is not my god.  I have a heavenly father who has declared that I “am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well (Ps 139:14).”

by Ricky Chelette

Investing.  It is what every American is supposed to do. If you are young, the pundits say do it early and you will be rich. Wait until you are old and you will discover you’ll have to contribute three times as much money to make up for lost time.

Christians are supposed to invest as well, but our investments are not so quickly measured on spread sheets and financial statements. Our investment is in the work of the Kingdom of God and is most visibly demonstrated through the investment we make in people.

A few weeks ago, I was again privileged to attend the Exodus International Conference with 33 others from LHM.  We were the largest single ministry group in attendance, but that wasn’t what made me proud.  What did make me proud was the investment that LHM had in giving their faith away at Exodus:  LHM was present or leading in every small group for youth.  Three of the seven testimonies given in the plenary sessions were from people who had been through LHM.   D’Ann, our women’s ministry director and one of only a few fulltime women’s directors in the country, help lead the Women’s Oasis.  Julie, part of our LHM leadership team, and Sam, my ministry assistant, were both asked to lead in the planning and running of the youth track (Student Refuge) at Exodus.  Holly and Brent, who have been involved in LHM for years, were leading the married adult track at Exodus. Our folks were constantly reaching out to others at the conference who did not have weekly support as the LHM folks do. Our people were declaring God’s Truth that they had received with others who had not yet discovered how the Gospel can truly set them free.

One night Sam, obviously excited about something, stopped me and said, “I just have to tell you something.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Well last night as I was walking up the hill from the bonfire with the youth from Student Refuge, I got to the top of the hill and turned around and looked back over the group.   I realized that most of the groups were being led by one of our small group leaders and the couple that weren’t, had LHM members in them.  Everywhere I looked I saw LHM folks leading and I thought, ‘this is Ricky’s legacy.  All those years you have invested in us and there it was!’”

I have to admit I got a lump in my throat as he made that statement.  I don’t do what I do so someone will notice or say thanks. I do it because I love the Gospel, our Lord, and people. I love the way Christ can change our hearts and lives and make us into more than we even imagined we could be.  What Sam saw wasn’t “Ricky’s legacy” it was the Gospel’s legacy.  It was the work of Christ on the Cross. It was the power of the blood of our Savior washing over the people of God. I simply have been blessed to be one of many messengers who have shared God’s truth with the men and women of LHM.

Many of you who are reading this article have made investments in those very young people and in the lives of all the people and families of LHM. You have given your money to allow us to do what we do. You have prayed and fasted for the Gospel to move deeply in people’s heart. You have shared the truth of God’s transforming power with those who are seeking change through Christ.

Lasting legacies are never built by men, but by the Spirit of the Living God who indwells His people to do the miraculous in the mundane; to proclaim the truth in the midst of the trivial.  What a mighty God we serve! Eternal investments are never measured in dollars and cents, but in lives transformed for the Kingdom.

I am more convinced than ever that LHM is moving in the right direction at this time in history.  Our ministry is more necessary in our culture today than ever before. Our goal is not to transform people’s sexual orientation – that surely will happen when people’s sinful inclinations are transformed by the power of the Gospel – but to teach and proclaim God’s truth as we journey with those seeking sexual and relational wholeness through a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ!  LHM is about investing in the hearts and the lives of people with the Gospel and allowing Christ to do what only He can do. We don’t change people’s hearts. If we do the changing, those changes never last.  But when the Gospel touches the lives of God’s people, the change is deep, long-lasting, and life-altering.

Transformation is proof of the Christ’s work in humanity’s heart. It is inevitable. It is unavoidable.  I’m weary of those who are telling the world that to change something in our hearts’ is impossible. If God can raise Jesus from the dead, nothing is too hard for Him.  If God can take a vagabond group of eleven sinners and change the history of the world, I am more than certain God can continue to change the hearts and lives of the folks He brings to LHM and allow them to walk in the freedom and truth found only in Him.

The days ahead are going to continue to bring change.  God, however, will not change.  The holiness of God will not change. The truth will not change. The call of men and women to take up their cross and follow Jesus; to come and die, will not change. I’m excited that God has called us to His unchanging truth in a constantly changing world with a charge to bring change through the Spirit to the hearts and lives of men and women.

Thank you for investing in LHM. The investments you make are changing the lives of individuals, families, cities and our world!  YOU are contributing to the legacy of the Gospel in our world. YOU are allowing us to touch the world!  Thank you for your investment. Thank you for trusting in us. Thank you for pointing people to the amazing work of the Gospel through the ministry of Living Hope!