Isn’t that the way we are with things, specifically sin?  We hate it so we limit ourselves to just a little.  Right?  Is that really hating it?  I don’t think so.  I think we hate the ultimate results of it: guilt, regret, and distance from God.  But we don’t hate the sin or else we would not go anywhere near.

Romans 12:9 challenges us to “Hate what is evil, cling to what is good.”  Too often it is the sin that we cling to.  We justify that we just have a couple.  We try to convince ourselves that we have limited ourselves to just a little.  And we sound just as ridiculous to God as that man sounded to me that day.

Proverbs 8:13 tells us that “to fear the Lord is to hate evil”    and Psalm 97:10 challenges us: ”Let those who love the Lord hate evil.”

If you honestly open up your life, are there things you would say with your mouth that you hate, but your actions prove otherwise as you cling to them and justify it away?

I pray that you and I would love and fear the Lord so much that we would develop a deep seated hatred for the things that are not pleasing to Him.  That we would truly hate what is evil so that we could truly cling to what is good.

Rusty

His very name in the Hebrew means “pain, or intense sorrw.” His mother named him that because she bore him in pain. We don’t know what kind of pain. It could have been financial difficulty, his father may have died in battle before he was born, he may have been a child of rape. We do not know, but we know that his entire life at the very mention of his name he would forever be reminded of the sorrow that surrounded his birth.

What a rough start. Many people when they get a bad rap will just decide to just go with it and go off the deep end. You’ve heard it before. “If they think I’m nothing but trouble, I will show them trouble.” “If everyone thinks I’m a slut, I might as well act like one.” “If that’s what everyone thinks of me, I’ll just show them…” But not Jabez. He decided to rise above the name and label that had been on him since birth. And the memorial to him found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 says “he was more honorable than his brothers.”

And he got there by turning to God. You can overcome your label too. You don’t have to live up to the reputation, the nickname, the family dysfunction, the shame, the guilt. You can rise above your circumstances. Just call out to God and He will give you a new name!

After hearing this, on my drive home I was sharing that statistic on the phone with one of my best friends in the entire world, Brent Kellogg (there ya go BK, you finally got a mention in my blog) and it hit me that one of the biggest issues with this is that so many children will grow up in a home with no father. The immediate immorality of the mother and “father” having sex outside of marriage is there and is obviously not pleasing to God. But the long term is what alarms me even more.

Where will these children learn submission to authority as they see it modeled by their mother to their father? Where will they learn spiritual leadership and God’s design for the man to be spiritual head of his household? Where will they learn about a father’s love? Where will they learn the things that CAN ONLY be taught by a father?

I admire those women who persevere and work hard to teach their children everything they can. I know many children who have been dragged to church by their mothers and the mother is doing the best they can, but it is just not possible for them to be all that a father should be and do all that a father does.

I know in my experience counseling and dealing with teenagers, many boys who are “trouble makers,” as we get to the root of things are boys who have an absent father or do not have a good relationship with their father. Many teen girls who have identity issues and try to compensate for their poor self image by dressing provocatively or becoming sexually active, have absent fathers.

Here is what I have found as I did a little research about the fatherless. Violent criminals are overwhelmingly males who grew up without fathers, including 72% of adolescent murderers and 70% of long-term prison inmates.

Children in father-absent homes are also more likely to be suspended from school, or to drop out; be treated for an emotional or behavioral problem; commit suicide as adolescents; and be victims of child abuse or neglect. In this economic difficulty, I would be interested in seeing how the economy is effected by fatherless homes. As I said, the implications of this are far-reaching.

In 1960, less than 8 million children were living in families where the father was absent. In 2002 it was 24 million. Where are the fathers?

This Mother’s Day, I am praying for fathers. I am praying for men to rise up and be men. I am praying for sexual urges to be brought under the power of the Holy Spirit and holiness so that guys will stop hitting and quitting it and step up to the plate to honor God by honoring women as God’s creation, not objects to be used and disposed of. I am praying that men will begin to take responsibility for their actions BEFORE they act in a way that will cause so much long-term damage to society and to the individuals involved. I pray that men will quit grieving the heart of God by presenting a poor image of what a Father’s love looks like and leaving many with confusion and misunderstandings of who God is as Father.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

But the verses that jumped off the page for me today were Genesis 1:2-4. “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.”

As I meditated on this passage I saw a picture of our world today (in a spiritual sense) formless and empty and darkness covering it and the hearts and lives of those in it. As I spent the last 2 days with some brothers talking about the darkness that enslaves even many who are called by God, it has resonated in my heart that much of the reason there is no form, direction, solid shape to our world around us is because of the emptiness of those called to give shape and direction and form to the world. Darkness is covering the surface of the deep. There is a covering over the deep heart issues that we are unwilling to shed light on. Brennan Manning says “what is denied cannot be healed.” Darkness is covering those who Jesus called to be the light of the world. But the city on a hill is being hidden. Denial and justification and rationalization has kept the deep in the dark and has left many empty and without form when all the while, the Spirit of God is hovering over the waters, waiting to release and send His cleansing, healing rain down.

I am praying today for God to shed light on the earth once again. I am praying that He will “shine a light on every corner of your life until the pride and lust and lies are in the open” (Thank you Ross King) And that He will once again separate the light from the darkness and that WE – YOU AND I – will see this time that the light is good. And we will walk in the light as He is in the light.

Today Matters, so Matter Today

But whatever the origin, just a Chrsitians have done with other pagan and secular ideas and celebrations for centuries, I propose we reclaim this day and the time for the Lord.

In Acts 4 Peter and John are on trial for healing a crippled man for which they give Jesus the credit. They are forbidden to speak of Jesus again to which they respond in Acts 4:20 “we cannot stop speaking about that which we have seen and heard.”

So I propose 4:20 and 4/20 as International boldy share your faith time/day. If you have experienced the life-changing, healing, cleansing power of Jesus, do not stop speaking of what you have seen and heard. Share it boldly today!

We were just hanging out a little bit ago after I spoke at an FCA meeting at his church and we were watching a video on youtube. Well… I have this little habit (if you know me you will laugh as you read this) where when I get excited or nervous or really focused and intent, I clap my hands together and then rub them together really fast. Fast enough to start a fire sometimes.

Well, as we were watching this incredible video, at the same time both of us threw our hands together and started rubbing them together and he laughed and said “Man, you’ve got me doing that now.”

It is amazing how we can pass on our habits to others so quickly. As you spend time with someone you begin using the same little sayings and doing the same little things they do as habits. It happens without notice. Even sometimes it happens as you chuckle at their habit and even mock them for it and then before you know it, you are doing it too.

I pray that is not the only impression I leave on this friend. I pray there are some other habits I have that he will pick up. Habits that will build the Kingdom and bring Him closer to Christ.

What kind of habits do people pick up from you? Are you able to say with confidence, as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 4 “Imitate me” or in 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul says “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.”? In other words “Make my habits your habits as I make Christ’s habits my habits.”

May you develop some holy habits and rub off on those around you.

There has been a movement, somewhat jokingly I think, to rename April 1 “Atheist Day” because of these verses. In my mind it is foolish to say there is not a God. To me, there is too much proof that He is.

But in studying these verses recently, I found out that the two words “there is” do not exist in the original Hebrew text. The verse could actually be translated, possibly more accurately, “The fool has said in his heart “No God.”

So it is not that the fool does not believe in God’s existence, but rather that knowing He exists, says “no” to Him. It is a little harder to point fingers at the “fool” when you see it this way. This one hits home for all of us I think. How many times has God challenged you or called you to do something that went against your comfort or your personality and you have said “No God.”? How many times has God called you to help someone in need and you have said “No God.”? How many times has God convicted you of a habit and called for your repentance and you have said “No God.”? How many times has God told you to give something away (money, time, or posessions) and you have said “No God.”? How about forgiveness? God has said forgive and yet we say “No God, they hurt me too bad. They don’t deserve forgivneness.” God has said to us to obey our spiritual leaders and authorities (Pastors). And yet when those leaders call us to an act of obedience and challenge us greatly, we have said “No God, I don’t agree with that. I don’t want to to that.”

The Holman Old Testament Commentary says of this “fool”: “To be sure, he is not an intellectual atheist, denying the existence of God, but a practical atheist, living as if there were no God.”

This April Fools Day, make a change. Decide to no longer be a fool. Let this be the day you say “Yes, God.” “Yes to whatever, whenever, however, whoever, wherever, no matter what it costs me because You are God.”

“The tragedy of life and of the world is not that men do not know God; the tragedy is that, knowing Him, they still insist on going their own way.” – William Barclay

Saturday night I went to Lakewood Church – everyone knows Joel Osteen. Incredible worship led by Israel Houghton. Energetic, caring atmosphere. Challenge brought by Arthur Blessit, the man who has carried a cross over 78,000 miles walking all over the world. Powerful teaching by Victoria Osteen. Uplifting message, as usual, from Psalm 23:6 by Joel. Refreshing.

Sunday morning at 8 a.m. I went to St. John’s United Methodist Church Downtown. This in an inner-city church with a primarily African American congregation. It is actually the church where Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child grew up. WOW! I love R&B and hip hop and rap so the music/worship time was right up my alley. The place was hoppin! The message by one of the staff pastor’s was a powerful message out of Isaiah 42-43. What a great vision to reach the downtrodden and forgotten flowed from this place. Pastor Rudy Rasmus has a passion for people.

Then I went across to Ecclesia, a church in the trendy area of town for an 11AM service. Ecclesia is in an area of town where there has, for as long as I have known been a large homosexual population and a lot of prostitution and other immoral activity. This Church is a “postmodern” church with more of a liturgical feel without the robes – recited prayers, communion each service, icons decorating the interior. Chris Seay, the pastor, has written several books dealing with the Emergent Church movement. Very into social justice. There was a guest speaker who had a great message about prayer. Very young, “hip” congregation.

Sunday night at 6:30 I went to Houston’s First Baptist Church. HFBC is a much more traditional church even though they did have a live band who were young and “hip” looking. The overall feel was still traditional. Pastor Gregg Matte preached a great message from 1 Thessalonians about spiritual authority. I was talking with some of the staff after the service and they told me that every service that day (3) they had people join the church. They are connecting with people.

All four of these experiences could be sliced and diced and in each one there were some extremely positive things and some negative things. Each church has strengths and weaknesses. Each church has things I agree theologically with and things I disagree theologically with. Each church has philosophies I love and philosophies I am not crazy about.

I heard the Word of God in each setting. I experienced the presence of God and the love of God in each place. I learned from each experience and feel that I walked away from each place better than when I walked in. I was changed in each place. All a part of God’s bringing me toward completion. And the diversity in culture and methods was a beautiful thing.

Thank You God for this opportunity to worship in places that are reaching a variety of people for Your Kingdom. And thank your for my home church where I belong and am called. The place where weekly I can plug in and connect with your children and reach out to our city and the world. Your bride is beautiful!

]]> http://rustygunn.net/?feed=rss2&p=225 1 http://rustygunn.net/?p=222 http://rustygunn.net/?p=222#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:29:33 +0000 rusty http://rustygunn.net/?p=222 A friend of mine was challenged by a wise friend to do an exercise in gratitude. Our staff just did this. It is really life-changing. Remember “You can’t hurt a greateful man” (read my post called ‘hurt’). Try this: Take a notebook and choose a day this week. Beginning in the morning when you wake up, write down everything you are thankful for throughout the day, Keep the notebook with you and everytime you are thankful for something, write it down. Keep going until you go to bed that night. It is powerful. It transforms the mind. It transforms you. Ephesians 5:20 tells us we are to be “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Give it a try. Then comment on here how it changes you. I would love to hear from you all on this one. Today matters, so matter today!