Overcoming Adversity

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Once a world champion wrestler, now a champion for Christ. Once the Russian nightmare. Now the devil's worst nightmare in your tagteam partner cheetah: it's time. Welcome back to it time to man up and cool off.

The Russian nightmare.

Wait a minute. The devil's worst nightmare, and in studio would be today a friend that we go way way way back. Bruce Burchfield, Bruce. Welcome to it's time to man up like indicate it's a privilege to be with you the day you I was just trying to remember Bruce just taught how far our relationship goes back and it seems to me, and you might bring some clarity to this.

It seems to me that I'm thinking around 1995 when you return from from the mission field with why Wham right you will with what I went for number of years. That's correct. We with you for the mission for eight years and we returned the day before Thanksgiving and 95 so it's definitely when we met. Okay wow I still got a pretty good memory at my age is so 1995.

You and I have that we we we man and we met at church is just it just really kinda connected right from the start that I feel like absolutely. You know we had kids similar age and we connected right off the bat and started doing stuff together. Yeah I am he that kinda like like my and actually I was you I was relatively you sent you, 1995 and 95 so I was very young in my walk with the Lord's was October 93 that I given my life to the Lord. So is barely over two years that I was I was as as my friend Lex Luther says I was a baby Christian. When I met you yet.

Well, we hit the ground running the ground running. Know we went to the Browns were revived in the summer of 97 packed your van and headed down about 16 other people. A couple soon for a week else, like well I it was, in fact I had that I made a note of that, those here early years, the outpouring and in in the mid-90s down there in Pensacola. For those who might not be familiar with Apple backup for second to the why Wham. So how many years did you serve in world that you share with why when we served eight years and it was all over Asia and the Pacific, but the last three years were in India where up in the Kashmir India. Our last stent if you will write on the line to control between the Indian Pakistan disputed area, but but it was was a great time we had three kids.

Then Ruth felt the protection of the Lord and a couple one of the families ended up staying long term is still there in the area today and I've seen literally, church planting movement grow in northern India, because of their faithfulness. The last 25 years how that's that's amazing. I know we were actually before we went on air where talk with Stu Epperson about a film or something that that you are part of that was converted and in and you are able to help distribute that the Jesus film they had translated their 300 languages was Kashmiri, and so we got the VHS is back then for those old-timers what that is correct.

CR yet so we got the first ones hot off the press and we are able to distribute those and so the Kashmiri people were able to view the Jesus film in their local dialect and so there's three 4 million of them so was awesome time to be there and to witness for the Lord. We get wow, that's incredible and I know that you mention it you. You felt the call to come back. Back home, back to the US we connected and we do have some relatability as well. I you mentioned chip children. It with with a similar age is in and I know they they many of them became good friends over the years with each other and smack downs in the inertia that a first assembly and Colby got kicked I come until next picked out of the nursery. I just tackle Kobe on on the show we call it's time to man up yet but I just don't lab this year. Such a credible story you just remind me of that like it like this is like for real she was that they were in the nursery and and I don't. I did not teach Colby to buy people on the back and she got literally kicked out of the nursery for biting suspended suspended for months for providing your youngest child Ray Jennings shedding this you still have the scar.

It is now. He that he hears log is good because you broke the skin, that I know this is that we got a problem like what's the probably cured her daughter like wants to bite everybody in my she did get that for me, so maybe she did. But anyway, she eventually got rid realistic she was eventually welcomed back into the newsletter.

I did take months, but the boy there so there's a memory there in the story there right so I got four children and you got for him, but for a while there were going neck and neck and grandkids stupid. You kinda blown by me recently. That's right, our 12th one is due within the week so wow you Jessica is due 12th one is is is on its way and I got 1/9 one on that.

All right, now my little behind five I got a feeling when it's all said and God. We may have about an equal amount of grandchildren in. In addition to the children as well. SL well, that's amazing that your wife Lisa and she's very involved and engaged in in the course ministry with you over the years as well. Absolutely. We've done everything together in ministry to life and with the family and so she's just been awesome and were going on. I guess 34 years. This annex August 30 four years old. Congratulations on that. That's it.

In today's world that's a milestone in itself.

So absolutely when they were big on building family.

If you remember you know what we did with the right of passage with the young ladies and the young men about back in our right up. Well, yeah, and course you have some great history there. Your your your dad. I mean it. I remember again in those early years of my journey with the Lord early morning Bible study that that he would conduct and and if I'm not mistaken, originally at the insurance company and brother have Burchfield ensuring correct that we meet there once a week. I think Cafferty printer at 6 AM 630 and forget what it was just yes we did one time we had five or six going throughout the week. You know in the morning, noon time just discipling businessmen and come one come all in.

So we see your dad really can set set the tone for your family and you went so we mention why when we mentioned the Pensacola outpouring and in the mid-90s certainly the Bible studies and so you, your family has made its mark on on on Concorde North Carolina and that that community something you introduce me to in in in 2005. So we are fast forward from the mid-90s and outpouring as we continue to build our friendship together and you invited me to a conference out in Kansas City in 2000. That's correct. We had started going out to the one thing conference that was associated with the international House of prayer in Kansas City and in 2005. They had been going six years, 24, seven light and day prayer and worship, and so they had a conference for young people, and of course, adults, families, but from 28 December to 1 January every year. So we started going and you will a first ones to go with us and then we started taking bunches of people and I want to tell you what that that for me was a it was a game changer for me. You know, I am reminded of the Scriptures tell us what you know just growing going from glory to glory, and just growing in having that heart that hunger that thirst to grow in our in our walks in and although that was kinda centered around or focused on really kind of teens and 20-year-olds. What was amazing from the very first we went to 2005, where there was, I would say approximately 10,000 that's correct people there eventually.

As we went back and took our children and and as you said others in family members and friends. We saw grow to. I think at its largest want to say about 25,000 teens and 20 somethings. At least it got close to about 35 from their meeting in Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City got Mikan and Diane Bickel and they really became. Mike really became like a mentor for me.

Interestingly, I only met him for the first time I got to spend three or four days with him and MorningStar ministries in Fort Mill this past New Year's Eve conference down there and and really got to share my heart with him how his life and his vision for this movement impacted my life in many of his books that he wrote in and in all the cop I ended up attending.

I think since 2005, about 12 different comp yeses can on and off and show it was really I just saw a real blessing for me to be able to face-to-face to share that with him and his wife and and fast forward all these years.

Bruce 1999 they launch that 21 years now. I want my listeners to really wrap your head around this, consider or think about prayer, worship, I mean I'm talking a new worship said every two hours transitioning in 24 hours a day seven days a week nonstop for 21 years now is correct and the vision is were not stop until Jesus returns right correct it on and in addition to the worship in a no go. IHOP Casey.org IHOP Casey.org. If you're not familiar with with this prayer movement. It has impacted the nations now right absolutely that had a conference for the Chinese just a two years ago and I had thousand Chinese house church leaders only come out in September, October, adjust for special conference from them, so it has impacted the nations. Every nation of the world and it is now November the the hard numbers but I think when when Mike and Diane first had this vision and it was like they had this vision just lost his in the 80s. They had it up on their church walls like 24, prayer, worship, and people like that. Like I don't know yet, but God gave it to us right that's right they had the banner up there for 16 years. Okay. And that's a so I want that to be an encouragement to somebody out there who's listening. Maybe God is giving you a vision for something or or put put a ministry on your heart or or or or something that that don't get impatient. Don't get impatient 16 years, God gave the Mike and Diane is vision that came to fruition. Launched in 1999, 21 years later. It's making its impact that I think there were like not even just a heavy public, one hand how many 24 hour prayer rooms. There were in 1999. Absolutely, there actually were only probably to the United States of America. Now there's a mean just hundreds and even thousands around the world and thanks to you, you know, we started arson Concorde is not 24 seven.

But we start a house of prayer in Concorde and two and November 15 at 2007 and you are an integral part of that you know on your weekends and stuff beat you spent many nights in the house of prayer, yet keep in the candlelit so to say I did.

I yeah you you a converted up again up above the Birchfield insurance is you converted that whole top section turned it into I IHOP but IHOP Concorde and and were gracious enough to give me a key, you are right. I don't even know you don't even know but I don't even know how many hours I spent there in that prayer room, just soaking in the presence of Jesus. 24 worshiping pipe through the technology or sometimes yes you live such a life sentence yeah live sets and and and portable prayer right right you were still going today my mess and you know Joshua Birchfield helps to direct that lead that and so this next generation is coming up in the skies are really helping to carry the torch of lesson in there if you handed them that the baton in there and they're running with that's on drag race. I think I'll say this real quick.

I think the longest stretch I had there. Without when I got back I remember going there just felt led of the Lord go there after church service on Sundays days. I know that would've been about like one in the afternoon and Sunday it had II laughter remember leaving sometime on Tuesday. I remember leaving the house of prayer and the things the Lord just how we minister to me down and through a time to talk about this in the second to overcoming adversity as it was through a time where I was going through some real adversity in relationships in my family and forget there I want to just touch on this to you because you not only are you a man of God in a godly husband, God the father, but you runts a very large dimension want you not know or you run some successful businesses. Your brother Brian as I mentioned Birchfield insurance but you guys have this family run business in Concorde call the SportsCenter. I like to say this is the premier fitness center in the area tell my listeners backdrop on how many years you had that will my father and a couple partner started in 1982.

Open the doors and 82, and so we been going for 38 strong years and so we bought out the other partners and Viking I remember that's right, Sammy Johnson, Chapel Hill and then went to Minnesota so it but we been we been there.

We took it over in 2006, and so we been run. And ever since doing extreme makeover and is intended to build, build, and it is state-of-the-art in its full amenities right mean all absolutely yummy. We got six racquetball courts non-tennis courts, three swimming pools, spas had seen a basketball CrossFit group fitness spending nursery mean, you name it was. So we we get this got infrared medical song so little bit everything and probably perhaps maybe I'll say the best part. Not that all that's not good.

The presence of God is in that place we had. We dedicated it to the Lord in prayer and we continue to do that every day that we put scriptural stakes in the four corners of our 11 acres, and one in the middle and we had just continued my general manager Randy Green strong Christian.

A lot of our core staff are we use this not just a place for us of work in business. It's a place of ministry. It's a place of life and so I encourage and challenge my staff. Share your faith, share a testimony encourage the people one another is that this is the place where we are to live out our faith got to live out our faith in the marketplace to be that salt to be that light, and not just saw the light, but an active voice voice of truth, the voice of love, a voice of hope and encouragement, and Lord knows we need it in this day and age, more than ever. Absolutely kind of reminds me of candidate. The vision God gave Lex and I for man camp which I know you're familiar with the first Thessalonians, being whole in spirit, soul and body.

So here's a fitness center. Here is a facility where you can go and certainly train your muscles in exercise and workout it learned about diets in nutrition and in all those sorts of things. But on top of that, engage in, or be a part of working those spiritual muscles and mental muscles as well know absolutely we have numerous prayer meetings in actual Bible studies interfacility people, and icemaker we doing on this later this morning and I just saw the guys this morning Thursday morning to have one that my dad supportive so you that's awesome. Well, let's let on that and on that note, let's let's shift gears talk a little bit more about it. We talked about. We said we can talk about overcoming adversity and and course over the years I had mentioned I was going through a challenging time for you and I both had some challenging times and in our lives and specifically for you. You physically you had some challenges in we had a few challenges have the numbers what we have we have in all these years and all these years later, right here. We are still supporting one another still encouraging one another, just you. What I would consider just a true brother in the Lord. This youth band and I've been a be there for your brother on and I've been going through 12 years of the struggle with chronic pain eight back surgery so I was in the best shape of my life is that 41 is underway well but relatively speaking, and I eat well and I can walk, but I can't. Do not do much other exercise, but but I am overcoming the chronic pain that can just you know where you down 24 seven, 24, some prayer but 24 seven chronic pain and by the grace of God on the uphill climb.

Good water. What are some like so some of our listeners out of a bitter struggle. Something physically or in the course you know then that can affect immensely and can affect us spiritually right of me knows it's all interconnected.

Right you can't really separate those out spirit, soul and body. You can't write are all kinda connected so water waters what something you've done or what what's helped you in the face of this adversity what's helped you beat being overcome definitely staying connected daily and even moment by moment with the Lord and being grateful, being thankful for the things that I do have you not got five fingers and 10 fingers 10 toes.

I can walk guys up at here's you know is so great family and wife is so in, but really connected to the Lord in a serious way in reading the Bible every day and sitting down with the Lord and not as a religious deal, but Jesus is your grace doesn't come through for me today. I'm sunk in no and so he has this been faithful but you have to stay in that conversation. If you are with him. And so, in his word and just talking to him and corporate fellowship and worship.

We had numerous events that we would go to throughout the year, conferences and things but stay plugged into the wider body of Christ we cannot do it alone. I mean right you are a big, always have been a big encouragement to me and as an overcome and quite frankly, you know. And so it it doesn't matter what life throws at us the grace of God is there, if will accept it if will receive it in walk in it. If you will overcome any situation. April I miss like any relationship) is that where maybe talk about a relationship with Jesus to put in perspective for the listener mean if you have a dear married you have a relationship with your spouse you have children you have a relationship with you children dropped in the marketplace.

You have a relationship with your coworkers, so if you just bring it down to that level.

Six. What what makes those relationships prosper well communication night spending time in those relation, and so why would a relationship be any different with Jesus right so this correctly and we tend to over spiritualize things it can to get too religious if you will just encourage everybody.

Whatever you do if you worship and if you're praying is whatever you don't pretend like put a chair in front of you and just act like Jesus is in that chair or your heavenly father is in that chair the Holy Spirit and relate to them like they are because they are in a real person and they are there with you if you're a believer you know you have the Holy Spirit, and so but relating to them as that ever present near God, who care season cares and here's makes all the difference in the world, we learned a lot of that at IHOP with the 24 seven well and it's your testimony of of of being an overcome running.

You mentioned eight surgeries 12 years of battling chronic pain and think my friend Lex Luther who could probably relate. I posted something recently a strength doesn't come from from what you can do it comes from overcoming the things you thought you couldn't do was all many scriptures to come to my right. I can do all things through Christ Jesus concerning his strength is made perfect in our weakness right just as any scriptures that come to mind that can help us be in overcome her and we just got a minute or two left here but many years. Your story process.

I appreciate you coming into the studio today and I got it. I say this with sincerity but but I just I do. I love you and your family and so grateful that the Lord crossed our path back in 1995 and here we are all these years later. We love the cholos man. We have stayed connected with you and your family and insist he has been blessed. Well that the feeling is mutual and if people want to find out more LeSabre in the conflict Annapolis area or maybe the Charlotte area anywhere where can people find more information about the sports SportsCenter NBC.com is a website and were located right behind the Carolina mall movie theaters in the Carolina mall and so were the only thing really behind that uncomfortable drive so okay awesome name for our listeners out there. I hope today you've been encouraged by Bruce's story, overcoming in the face of adversity. Listeners not one of us if you got that personal relationship with Jesus.

Or if you don't today be a great day to surrender your heart your life to Jesus just become a follower of Christ and then you two have the power the Holy Spirit. That's right Jesus live and indwelling in you to be in overcome her that no matter what adversity you might face.

No matter how discouraged you might get with Jesus for us, who can be against us.) That's right Christ in us the hope of glory and the hope of glory. God bless you. Next time I time some man out men. I would like to challenge each of you to consider spending five days with Lex Lugar and I am pursuing the heart of ladies listening will send your men with men of God, godly husbands and godly you give them your blessing and am signed up today at band camp.full pastors you would like to bring Holland for Christ ministries and man up conference to your community. Go to cholos.org and email me member this, it's time to man up.

If you feel you're receiving value from this show. It's time to man up and you like to support the show along with cola for Christ ministries go to cool off.org cholos.org and make a donation of any amount. Note you want. My latest book and you receive a personalized copy of Nikita, a tale of the ring redemption