by James Hunt | Sep 9, 2015
Recently we took our kids to a rodeo. It was a pretty predictable event overall, bucking horses, roped calves, barrel racing, clowns joking, and bulls – big, bad, snot-flinging bulls. We’ve been to many rodeos over the years, and I thought I’d seen it all. This time, however, there was a first experience for us. The announcer invited all those who were 18 and older to consider participating in “The Ring of Fear.” I had no idea what that was, and I certainly wasn’t going to jump into the ring! But I figured I’d stay around to see what it was.
As the time drew near for the Ring of Fear, my wife told me that they were planning to release a bull into the ring. I was convinced that due to insurance purposes (and common sense) there was no way they’d actually do that. The announcer said to the two young ladies who’d signed up to participate that the last one left in the ring would win the $100 prize. Still, I thought it just had to be a joke on the crowd – that some clown would come out of the bull chute. I mean, who would intentionally put themselves in harms way? But I was most definitely wrong!
The sound went off and the bull chute opened. About 1,800 pounds of ticked-off bull came charging out of the chute, went straight for one of the young ladies and slammed her backwards onto the ground. The reason for her wearing the protective vest became painfully clear. Thankfully she got up and walked away. I walked away too – shaking my head incredulously at such foolishness (that I enjoyed immensely!).
I recently was in a conversation with someone about foster care and adoption. The person politely listened for a bit and then said reflectively, “I would think that you are opening yourself up to a lot of pain and heartbreak.” To which I responded, “Yes, of course you are. But since when is our goal in life to avoid all pain and heartbreak?”
Jesus said, “Deny yourself. Take up your cross daily and follow me.” It sounds like Jesus expects us to intentionally choose a path of cross-centered, Gospel promoting, mercy-laden living with a view to impact the marginalized in Jesus’ name. “Follow me!” Jesus said. And then He went to the cross. Why should we take a detour when the shadow of the cross looms across the sunlight of our ease and relaxation?
Jesus also said on more than one occasion, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy; not sacrifice.’” Perhaps the cost of mercy is the blood of the benefactor? It certainly was for Jesus. Maybe it includes the shedding of our own pursuit of the self-life and embracing pain and heartbreak.
There are many ways to impact the marginalized in Jesus’ name. But when you choose the path of caring for those who are powerless you open yourself up to the pain and heartache associated with the brokenness of their lives. It should come as no surprise that when we step into the mire of messed-up people’s lives that some of the hardship they have experienced splashes onto us, disturbing our peace.
Adoption and fostering is a path of choosing which type of heartache and pain you’ll experience for Jesus and His eternal Kingdom. Jesus stepped into our pain and calls us to honor Him by stepping into the pain of others. In doing so God’s Kingdom advances in the lives of people one hurt heart at a time. Let’s embrace pain and heartbreak together for the glory of God.
The temporal prize ($100) given to that young lady brave enough to face the wrath of the bull is probably already spent. The eternal prize of the souls of the suffering made whole in Jesus is of ultimate value.
by James Hunt | Aug 13, 2015
In Luke 17:11-19 the story of 10 lepers coming to Jesus for healing results in a lesson in gratitude. All ten of the lepers appeal to Jesus for a display of his mercy to heal them. Ever careful to follow the Law of God Jesus commands them to go show themselves to the priests for affirmation of their cleansing. As they journey in obedience they realize their healing has taken place. Nine of them continue on; but one turns back.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. (Luke 17:15-16a)
I’ve never had leprosy nor has anyone in my family. Nevertheless, we have felt the pressure of tremendous stress time and again over the years of our adoption journey. One such occurrence was nearly a year ago when we reached crisis mode with our eldest daughter. We were scrambling, searching for a place where she could receive care outside of our home. As much as our hearts were grieved it was more than evident she needed help. So did we.
Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children has been around for more than 100 years serving children at risk as well as families in our state. I have always respected this ministry from a distance. That is until our time of crisis came. I have learned to respect them at a personal level. OBHC Home for Girls in Madill took in our eldest daughter and lovingly cared for her in Jesus’ name for nearly a year. It was not always easy for them. Sometimes it was downright excruciatingly difficult given the behavior patterns of our little one. We certainly understand the deep waters they walked with our daughter.
I am amazed how God has raised up and sustained this vibrant, needed ministry in our state. They focus on caring for and making disciples of children who are at risk. I think Jesus smiles when He observes how they help the children come to Him.
Now that the time has arrived for our daughter to leave the girl’s home my wife and I have nothing but gratitude in our hearts to the Lord Jesus for his grace through OBHC. We thank God for the loving and committed house parents and staff who have served and loved our daughter so well – pointing her to Jesus. We so appreciate their partnership in caring for this child that is so dear to our hearts.
I wholeheartedly recommend support of this great ministry! I know that my wife and I are committed, lifelong fans.
Returning to give thanks to Jesus (and OBHC), James Hunt.
by James Hunt | Jul 29, 2015
It’s been said that he who frames the question wins the argument. In similar fashion, perhaps he who creates the headline frames the conversation?
There is a growing movement of fellow believers promoting the idea of, “Take back America for Christ.” Are they trying to say that somehow Christ lost America? Has Jesus been actively working hard to win a culture war in the United States only to find Himself on the losing side of the issues? Was Jesus driving down the road of time and in a distracted moment lost His grip on the steering wheel of our nation? Is Jesus now calling His saints to lead the charge with the banner of the cross with the Constantinian motto, in hoc signo vinces (in this sign conquer)?
I applaud the desire to influence society with godly ethics, morals, and values. After all, who loves Jesus and His Word and is not grieved by the sin so flagrantly being celebrated in our courts and culture? But I have to wonder if Christians are better off when we have the majority rule in our nation. We desire to see God’s truth promoted in the public square. After all, Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34). But does this mean that we need to try to recreate a majority nation of Christendom in America? Is “Win Back America for Christ” the new “Moral Majority”? Are we heading toward the establishment of a re-made religious right movement? Is that what this is? If so, I surely hope it has better lasting success than past iterations!
It is much more comfortable to live in a land where Christians and Christian principles are at least respected. It’s challenging to experience minority status as followers of Jesus. Evangelical Christians (and others claiming the moniker Christian) are now treated with suspicion or outright rejection. But so was Jesus. Is that so surprising?
Perhaps one unintended consequence of the national casting off of restraint and God’s Law is that, as other commentators have opined, the true church will be purified. Maybe the grace of God in Jesus will shine more brilliantly against the flaming darkness of despair – the inevitable end of sin, though at first delightful? Perhaps the sharper contrast between the path of right and wrong will open a door of light for sinners seeking escape?
It is my contention that as we move back toward the moral and religious climate experienced by our fellow travelers in Jesus of the first century we might be increasingly in a position to see the gospel spread rapidly. We who are American Christians need to reframe the headline to read: “Bear Witness to Jesus.” Maybe we need to start with Jesus and continue on with a commitment to winsomely share His good news despite the ire of those in majority culture. It’s not a culture war but a heart war we’re fighting.
Let’s not miss the fact that this nation has always been filled with sinners on their way to a Christless eternity. We have had a veneer of Christianity in our land, and, when it shined brightly we felt as if we were respected and heard. Perhaps we should accept the Spirit’s invitation to go outside the camp where Jesus is and worship and serve Him there. Maybe we’ll discover millions of other Christians already persecuted and waiting to welcome us.
Victory is not for the boldest, brightest, and brashest (or the most politically influential). Victory in Jesus is won person by person as the Holy Spirit draws sinners to repentance.
While we seek rightly to bring justice to our nation and morality back to the public square let us not forget that even if our country becomes more moral that doesn’t mean Christianity is winning! It just means that people who are morally cleaned up and ethically correct are going to split hell wide open as they enter into eternity without Jesus. Let’s keep the gospel the main thing even as we seek to influence the culture.
How I long to see truth on the rise in our nation! I desire to see abortion outlawed and homosexuality and greed denounced. However, whether these things are repudiated nationally or not, Jesus has not lost America and He doesn’t need our help winning it back. But we do need to seek for the souls of men and women, boys and girls and win them to Jesus.
by James Hunt | Jul 21, 2015
In the Leviticus 10:1-3 we see the strange story of the death of Aaron’s sons.
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. (Vs.1-2)
Honestly, it seems a bit harsh that the two men would die simply for using the wrong fire in the worship of God at the tabernacle. Yet God in His holiness didn’t think it a light thing that these two sons disregarded His clear command, and that publicly.
Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace. (Vs.3)
In therein is the reason God deemed it appropriate to kill these two offenders:
- They had not set apart the holiness of God in their minds – they treated Him with casual contempt. If God said do things this way, they thought it was okay to do things another way. They didn’t consider the Word of God to be of importance – They treated the Lord as “one of the boys” – His Word as an option for consideration but not absolute obedience.
- They misrepresented God to the people. As priests of the Most High, what Nadab and Abihu did put on display the glory of God or diminished the clarity of its brilliance. In short, they were to glorify God with public obedience to his specific commands. Yet, they didn’t. And because they did not glorify God in this way publicly, God removed them from the planet.
The Lord wants us to treat Him with the utmost reverence and respect – keeping in mind His holy character and desire to be glorified before others.
As I consider my own experience, I realize that it is only the mercy and grace of God that I have not been struck down for my offenses. Time and again I have not sanctified the Lord as holy or glorified Him publicly. I can understand the experience of misrepresenting God to others. When I don’t sanctify the Lord in my heart, consider His holiness, and seek to demonstrate His great glory publicly through Christ-honoring actions, speech, attitudes, and values, then I haven’t represented God appropriately.
Thankfully, there is One who is our Great High Priest who sanctified the Lord God in His heart and walked in holiness. Jesus represented God in perfection and died in our place, experiencing the same wrath as did Nadab and Abihu. We need to abide in Jesus and set apart Christ as Lord in our private lives as well as our public witness. And, as we do, we should thank the Lord for His grace.
by James Hunt | Jun 17, 2015
Have you ever read the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel? It’s an experience you won’t soon forget if you do!
Right out of the gate in chapter 1 there is one of the most fantastic depictions of the throne room of God you will read anywhere in scripture. Whirling wheels and flashes of lightening and beasts that have the face of a man and the face of animals – heightened images of Heaven’s glory and the angelic hosts attending to the throne of God. Ezekiel’s response is one of immediate humility as he falls to his face before the glory of God.
In chapter 2, God begins to describe to Ezekiel the challenging prophetic ministry to which he is called. God tells Ezekiel that he is going to a hard headed and stubborn nation of rebels who do not know the LORD. There is no doubt Ezekiel knows the LORD. After all, he has been in the presence of the glory of God and sensed the weight of His majesty.
The people of Israel, however, have not been in the presence of the LORD and have forgotten God. They have learned to value other things and other “competing” deities. The people of Israel needed a reminder that the One who created them and called them into relationship with Himself still lives, still is in charge, and is still the One they are to worship.
The problem was that the people of God had not been listening to the warnings of the prophets. So, God was going to speak to them in a way that would cause them to know that He is the LORD.
The way that God was going to speak to His people, according to Ezekiel, was through horrific judgments that are sickening even to read about (Things like fathers eating sons and sons eating fathers due to the starvation of those who are in the city – cut off from the rest of the world – their food supply chain gone because of the siege of the enemy seeking their demise). In chapters 5-6, God declares at least five times something like the following, “And they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Hardheaded people of God! Why wouldn’t these rebel people listen? Why did they insist on idol worship and self-centered living? Why did they turn away from God forgetting that He is the LORD?
And then I think of myself. How often I need to be reminded that all this talk about God is not just theory. It’s not just theology rising up from the surface of the pages of the Word of God. God actually is the LORD! He really is in charge! I really can know Him through Jesus and trust Him. I really can be in fellowship with Him as I learn to abide in the greatest expression of God given to mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ.
What was the problem in Ezekiel’s day? The people of God had forgotten the value of knowing the LORD. The lure of life, other voices in the pagan culture, and their own sinful hearts had led them away from fellowship the Almighty. They had forgotten God. They needed to be reminded of His glory and majesty. I often need this same reminder.
With this in mind, I appreciate the words of the New Testament apostle Paul, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8).