by James Hunt | Jun 12, 2014
Since the early days of my walk with Jesus, I have written down passages of Scripture that are meaningful – verses on which to meditate throughout the day or even for a period of time. I often will use these Scriptures to inform and guide my prayers.
Some passages seem to rise to the surface of my awareness more often than others. One in particular is as follows:
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” (Psalm 37:4–5, ESV)
I have always loved these kinds of power-passages. What encouragement and wisdom, giving me insight into the heart of the Almighty.
Later in this same passage, the psalmist writes the following:
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” (Psalm 37:23–24, ESV)
Essentially, the above Scripture teaches that when God delights in a person, He will sustain that person – even though they stumble.
I have stumbled, and God has demonstrated His delight in me. He has been upholding me through the deepest hours of my journey of adoption.
When I tell someone that my wife and I have adopted four kids from OKDHS we usually get looks of admiration and words of affirmation. The reaction is not so defined, as I go on to share with them that one of our children has been living with my in-laws for the last 9 months out of state.
There is the beautiful idea of adoption – that ethereal concept of grace that floats in our minds like a picture of a light’s first glow filtering through the trees at daybreak or the tranquility of sunset on a summer day at the beach. But there is also the more gritty reality of the scorching hot pavement of daily experience sometimes associated with adopting kids from hurt places.
One thing I know is this. God delights in me. He continues to uphold my family, despite the stumbling, bumbling attempts to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and home.
My wife has gone to Florida to pick up our child. We are reunifying. God has given us space and grace to grow and heal. God has blessed our children with advancements in healing and perspective. I am committed to continue believing in the grace and goodness of my Father. In faith, I am trusting that the next chapter in our journey of adoption will begin to be more characterized by beauty than it has in days gone by. Will you pray with us to this end?
by James Hunt | Jun 5, 2014
There is an unfinished cabin in my distant memory – a dream begun in my pre-pubescent years but left undone.
It was a summer day in the small town of Readfield, Maine. The humid warmth of the New England country air mixed with the inviting scent of the pine forest behind my grandmother’s house was too much for my cousins, my older brother and me to resist. Adventure lay ahead of us just across the trickling creek and under the canopy of the soaring trees. Running through the shaded pinewoods was not only a delight to smell; it was also a cushioned run over the thick carpet of pine needles covering the forest floor. “I could live here forever!” I thought.
Imagination began to take tangible form as we decided to build a small log cabin. Short on tools but high on interest, we began a search for small trees to chop down and drag to the site. With axe in hand and a determined spirit, the effort began. But, alas, a short summer day is just not enough time to satisfy the desires and demands of a summer dream.
Many summers have come and gone since then. Wrinkles encroach upon my once youthful face even as hair follicles prove to be fair-weather friends on the top of my head. But I remember. The dream hasn’t died, though the logs that were laid so many years ago have no doubt since disappeared from the forest floor.
There is a sense of unrealized dreams that perhaps lay deep within us all. Some are unfinished dreams of a distant memory. Others are hopes for a better time somewhere on the road before us. I don’t know if I’ll ever get my pine-forest-nestled cabin in this lifetime; however, perhaps someday, in that eternal day of global renewal, perhaps there will still be a Maine forest. If so, maybe I’ll have time to build my cabin then. Meanwhile, if you see me with my feet propped up and a dreamy look in my eyes I might be remembering.
by James Hunt | May 21, 2014
Okay, I’ll admit it. I am a dog lover. This was not always the case. When I was in my early-to-mid 20s I used to smirk condescendingly at pet owners as they would describe their affection for their animal.
Call me heartless, but I thought it was silly to attach so much emotion and affection to a pet. People used to talk about the personality quirks of their animals, and I’d respond, or at least think, “Animals don’t have personalities – they’re not persons!”
And then I met Rio Grande. He didn’t have that name when I met him in that smelly pet store in south Florida. He was one of two remaining siblings left for purchase out of the puppy litter. I examined both puppies and watched as one would try to friskily play with the other. I figured a dog with that kind of spunk was just what I wanted.
Cute cannot even begin to describe this little bundle of wet-nosed energy! As Rio grew, he began to leap on and off furniture, run around the house full speed darting here and there as if the only thing in life that was important was having fun. The dog was hilarious! I never thought I’d get so attached to a little Chihuahua.
This coming June marks his 16th birthday. He’s not so spunky anymore. In recent years, his running has almost ground to a halt. One of his paws has flattened out. His eyes are glazed over gray, and he pees … when HE wants to.
I look at him, and I know his days of glory are gone; but alas, he’s still my little Rio Grande. Someday in the not-so-distant future, his end will inevitably arrive. I am not looking forward to that day. I have become a pet lover. I have become what I once mocked. I am okay with that.
Well-meaning folks try to bring comfort with sentimental affirmations that dogs go to heaven. Shoot, a movie is entitled, “All Dogs Go to Heaven.” I am not sure there is any theological foundation for such assertions. But I do wonder.
I wonder since my heavenly Father likes to give His kids good gifts, and, since I know my love for animals pales in comparison to His love for His creation, and, because I know that someday He will wipe all tears from our eyes and make all things new … I just wonder. I wonder if someday, in that eternal day, my Dad might have a little yapping, bouncing surprise waiting on me. I’m good if it doesn’t happen. I’m just saying, I wouldn’t mind it if my non-theological wondering became reality.
by James Hunt | May 9, 2014
For our purpose of the subject under consideration the term “church” means “a local church” according to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 definition and the expanded guidelines offered by the International Mission Board of the SBC.[1] Any exceptions to this use of “church” will be clearly noted.
What should be the proper approach of a local church to the greater culture surrounding it? Should a church seek to be a transformative agent in the culture or more narrowly focus on transforming individuals? Is the local church to seek after political, societal, and cultural transformation as triumphal champions, or, should the church recognize that God has ordained church as well as the state and each should remain within their own sphere? Should a church seek to make disciples, build up the local church, and pray for the return of Christ as the sum total of its required duties?
In the Gospels, Jesus gave commands to the local church through His teaching to the disciples. He gave commands to the inner circle of apostles who then interpreted them and applied them in the local churches they planted and in which they served. When seeking to discover what the actual commands are that were given by Jesus to the Apostles, for the purpose of being filtered into local church settings, we must limit our inquiry to Scripture alone. Traditions, as good as they may be, are not the ground of our understanding or authority. Scripture is.
Reading through the Gospels we see many teachings of Jesus. Some of these teachings have direct implications to a local church setting – such as the passage on restoring one who is in sin (e.g., Matthew 18:15-20). James, no doubt remembering Jesus’ instruction on this point, encourages believers to confess sins to each other, pray for each other, and seek to actively restore errant believers (James 5:16 & 19-20).
On the eve of his crucifixion Jesus gave commands to His disciples – commands that had lifelong ministry implications. He washed the feet of His disciples and gave them a lesson on servant-leadership (John 13:1-17). He went on to give them “a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35, HCSB).
In the two examples immediately above we are able to see traces of impact in the writings and teachings of the apostles to churches (1 Pet. 5:1-4, servant-leadership, and, Eph. 5:1-2, love one another).
Jesus also instituted the Lord’s Supper as a memorial meal and a meal of anticipation – once again, this teaching found its way into the instruction of one of the apostles, though born out of due time, to a local church (1 Cor. 11:17-26).
The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) is no doubt the command that Southern Baptists most typically think of when they think of Christ’s commands to the church. We may reduce the Great Commission to one actual command: Make disciples. The following expansions demonstrate how we are to do so: 1. Baptize them. 2. Teach them. The first has to do with missions and evangelism and the second has to do with on-going growth in sanctification (spiritually maturing in Christlikeness). Thankfully, Jesus has promised to be with us as we obey.
Paul writes to the Ephesians (4:11) and tells them that Christ has given to the Church gifted men whose duty it is to advance the Gospel as well as to serve in local churches (“apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-teachers). According to verse 12, the purpose of these gifted men is two-fold: 1. “To equip the saints for the work of ministry.” 2. “For building up the body of Christ.”
I believe we see hints of the Great Commission in Eph. 4:11-12. The apostles and prophets were the initial evangelist-missionaries. They were also the initial prophet-proclaimers of God’s revelation (direct revelation and explanation thereof) in local church settings. These two offices aided in fulfilling the Great Commission by establishing new churches and teaching new disciples what the Lord commanded. Both activities were “building up” activities: Building up numerically as more and more disciples were made, and, building up spiritually as believers were taught true doctrine.
The evangelists and pastor-teachers are the gifted men that remain for the church today. Though Christ has completed the foundation-laying period of the church through the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20), churches continue to engage in the some of the same activities as the apostles and prophets. Namely, the Gospel still is preached to the lost (evangelists) and saints are still being matured (pastor, or shepherd-teachers). The church (universal) is still being built up numerically as well as spiritually. Of course, as verse 12 indicates, the building up of a church is not the exclusive responsibility of its leaders (evangelists and pastor-teachers); rather, it is the joint-partnership between spiritual leaders in a church and members in a church. Members are equipped to serve and to build up. A church grows in size and in health as each part does its work.
If a local church is to take its marching orders in light of the commands of Jesus to the apostles and according to how the apostles interpreted those commands applying them to local church settings, then there must be an intentional commitment to design a church’s inner activities as well as its external interactions with the surrounding culture according to a biblical framework.
by James Hunt | Apr 24, 2014
You are invited to participate in a community event happening this coming Saturday in Tulsa as well as in Oklahoma City. The “Walk A Mile in My Shoes” foster care awareness and response event is scheduled for this Saturday, April 26, starting at 9 a.m. Tulsa’s event will meet at the Laura Dester Shelter, and OKC Metro area’s event will meet at the Bricktown Ballpark. In Bricktown, free parking will be provided in the lot across the street directly east of the ballpark. Just let them know you are participating in the Walk A Mile event.
Imagine being surprised at your front door by a police officer and an OKDHS case worker who inform you that you have just a few minutes to fill up a garbage bag with whatever personal belongings you can stuff therein and then leave your home … with these strangers … to an undisclosed location to be cared for … by more strangers. Welcome to the world of foster care. With over 11,000 in the custody of the state of Oklahoma’s foster system this is a tragic story repeated way too often.
What can you do to help? Maybe you aren’t at a place in life where you feel the freedom to foster or adopt; that’s fine. There’s a bunch of other ways to make a difference.
Come to one of the locations mentioned above and learn ways to serve these children of our own state – children who are living lives of pain and sorrow. Many vendors from our community, organizations dedicated to serving children and families at risk, will be on hand with displays and information about their organizations. Who knows, you may discover a way to get involved that fits who you are and where you are in life. Consider bring NEW shoes or NEW suitcases to donate for kid’s in state’s care. You may donate them at either of the Walk A Mile locations.
Registration is free but is required. For more information or to register go to: http://walkamilefostercareevent.com/.