October Newsletter

Finding My Place

Yesterday was probably the most successful day I’ve had at the University yet. I talked with many students, preached to listening crowds, and even had a student interview me for a project he was working on. It was quite encouraging and was a big step in the direction that I need to go. The more I talk with these students, the more they realize I’m not just some crazy guy hollering on a street corner. They see that I carry the love of God, a logical faith, and a life-changing Savior. The students I talk to hear how Jesus turned my life upside down, they hear about a God who loves them, and the hear the importance of repentance and faith. There’s no doubt that many of these students hear a gospel that they haven’t heard before. They may have heard of religion. They may have heard of Jesus. But the true Biblical gospel has not been told to the lot of them. I’m so thankful that I can be a part in bringing this good news to a generation that hasn’t known it as they should!

Fighting the Fight of Faith

Have you ever wondered why Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith? I know more about it now than I ever have. Timothy was on the front lines of Christian ministry. He was told to ‘do the work of an evangelist.’ There are many fights that must be fought and won in order to ‘do the work of an evangelist.’

You must fight and win the battle against fear. Fear can be a crippling thing. Even though I have stood up and preached many times to many crowds in different places, I still face significant fear from time to time. A few times I have gone out to preach but instead came home again with my tail between my legs! I haven’t won all those battles! But other times I stand up trembling, open my mouth, and boldly preaching the good news. Most of the time the fear leaves after I speak the first few sentences–when it realizes it’s not gonna stop me! You may not be called to preach, but you’ll deal with similar fears when ministering to people one-on-one. The same principle applies. When you show fear that he will not win, he runs for the hills.

You also must fight and win the battle against doubt. I’ve found in ministry that it’s not so much about doubting God. I don’t doubt God. Instead, I fight doubts of self. The 10 spies that brought an evil report from the Promised Land were spoken of as having ‘an evil heart of unbelief’ because they said, “We are not able to enter the promised land. We are not able to overcome these giants.” Yet Joshua and Caleb were rewarded for their faith because they said, “WE ARE WELL ABLE! Let us go up at once!” Why were they able? It was because God was with them–just as He is with us. Don’t ever say, “I could never do evangelism.” That’s an evil heart of unbelief! Instead say, “I am well able, let us go out at once!” I have to kick myself in the rear from time to time and say to myself, “Hal, you are well able to do this! Go out there and fight the good fight of faith! God is with you!”

You also must fight the fight of the flesh. We live in a world of comfort. Yet comfort is the enemy of progress. Our minds and bodies tell us to eat, drink, and relax…God’s got this. This is straight from the pit of hell. God has told us to labor in prayer, study the word, and go into all the world. Our American culture doesn’t like that, but that’s the command of God. We must constantly ‘deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus.’ Besides, the comforts of this world bring only sorrow and pain. But the blessings of discipline are not heralded loud enough.

The Chaffee Family

I’m am constantly overwhelmed with gratefulness to God for my family. I am truly filled with joy just at the sight of my children, and my wife is still the love of my life. I am truly a blessed man. The Lord has opened the door for my wife to be able to stay home and she has been homeschooling the kids for a few months now. I must say, I love it. She likes it, too, even with the days when the kids drive her up the wall!

Pray for us!

Continue to pray for us. I want to see God do so much more on the University campus. I’m praying about the idea of starting/being involved in a campus group. I have no idea what that might look like, but I’m staying open to the Holy Spirit. Continue to pray that God would use my voice to bring conviction and hope to students at UD. Pray that God would open their hearts to the gospel.

God Bless YOU!

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