Thoughts from Ryan Rush
When Faith Comes Home
Happy New Year - Share the Good News!
Have you heard all of the buzz about Britt Hume's comments on Fox News this past week? He had the audacity to claim that Tiger Woods' greatest need was Jesus Christ. Watch TV clip of Britt Hume on Fox News Sunday challenging Tiger Woods to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. I talked about it on my radio show today, and find it fascinating that the world has been so averse to his comments. The fact of the matter is that believers in Christ need to find more freedom in naturally sharing their faith with the world. It seems like people are either brash and unloving or simply remain silent. Brit Hume, I think, did a great job in sharing with humility that Tiger had a deeper need than sports - a need that only Jesus can fill.
Perhaps more than at any time in history, God's people need to be willing to share in love the hope that we have in Jesus. Let's purpose to be a part of those who will share naturally and freely what God has done!
By the way, you can thank Britt Hume throught the Fox News contacts:
FOX News Channel, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10036.
The Fox News number - let them know you're grateful that Brit can share his opinion - 1-888-369-4762
Or e-mail:yourcomments@foxnews.com
Perhaps more than at any time in history, God's people need to be willing to share in love the hope that we have in Jesus. Let's purpose to be a part of those who will share naturally and freely what God has done!
By the way, you can thank Britt Hume throught the Fox News contacts:
FOX News Channel, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10036.
The Fox News number - let them know you're grateful that Brit can share his opinion - 1-888-369-4762
Or e-mail:
What About YOUR Walls?
We just wrapped up a six-week emphasis at Bannockburn that was simply entitled, "Walls." I defined these walls as barriers of unbelief that keep us form living the life God
intended. And to say that it was a great few weeks would be a drastic understatement - God did extraordinary things in the lives of many!
Walls are not created by our circumstances, but by how we view those circumstances.
<< MORE >>A Bit Confused about the Obama Speech Firestorm
It has been very interesting to me to watch people react to Obama's announcement that he'll be giving a speech to school children across the country next Tuesday. My first reaction was, "Don't all presidents address school children?" The answer is that it's happened before, but not since George HW Bush in 1991 has a president encouraged all schools to listen in.
The comments from concerned citizenry seem to surround the fear that President Obama will be indoctrinating our children with his policies through the speech. And while there seem to be very few policies (any?) coming out of this presidency that I can agree with thus far, I have to say that I am not bothered by a presidential address to school children for the following reasons:
1. He is the President! Not saying the outcry is wrong, because it's a reflection of a deeper problem - the public trust has been eroded when it comes to our leaders. But while this may be true, it is essential that our children learn to respect the office of the Presidency, and to pray for that leader, regardless of who is in office.
2. Titus 3 makes it clear that believers in Christ should "be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men." Folks, keeping our kids out of school to boycott a speech from the president doesn't seem to line up with that command.
3. We're missing a huge element of this story: the speech will also be broadcast live on C-SPan for all the world to see, and parents should be watching too. Why not watch it together, or watch it apart (parents at home and kids at school), and TALK about the speech afterward - opening up a dialog that will help our children understand how to respect our leaders, but to DISCERN what is contrary to the Scriptures in his presentation?
4. Some have argued that, while all of the above may be true, I am not accounting for the millions of school children who do not have parents at home who will talk through the speech. For these children, there will only be indoctrination. My response is simply this: do you honestly think the President's speech is the only time school children are indoctrinated? We have school issues in this country, but I'm not sure that the President's speech is chief among them.
5. Some day, we'll have a Commander in Chief in the White House who stands for those things that many of us stand for. I am personally praying that God would raise up another President who is African American and fills this role, so that any implications of racial bias can be removed fromt he equation (and in fairness, beyond the issues, there are certainly those in our country who would have never supported Obama regardless of his views - but we'll never know in this White House). Where are you Alan Keyes??? We may be setting a dangerous precedent. When that day comes, can you imagine the outcry from those who oppose our values when he/she chooses to address our schoolchildren?
6. More than anything, I think this controversy is a reflection of just how tense the entire country is at present. There are many who are hurting financially. Many who are disillusioned by governmental decisions coming out of Washington on both sides of the aisle. But our job as Believers is not to react to circumstances, but to respond based on the wisdom we have received from God's Word.
My children are not in public school. But if they were, they would be instructed by me to watch the President's speech, and to respect the office according to our biblical mandate. I would watch it too, and take notes. That evening at dinner, we'd have a spirited conversation about what we saw as biblically off base in the talk, and then we would pray for our leaders in government.
In fact, given all of the buzz, we will record the speech on Tuesday and watch it as a family. I want my daughters to be informed enough to talk with their peers intelligently about what is happening around them. And I want to see God change the hearts of our national leaders, as the Scripture says He is able to do. What if President Obama's speech was really going to be about encouraging kids to work as hard as they can in school, so that they could make the country a better place? Of course, with all the firestorm and everyone watching, it certainly will be now. But it might have been that all along. It might have been an opportunity to tell our children, "You see, even when we didn't vote for a president, and we disagree on many points, he is still our president, and we must pray for him." It could have been an important teaching moment for Christian families, as they hearkened back to the days of the early church, in which the Roman government was far more oppressive than ours, and they were praying for their leaders. Eventually, God changed the heart of a Roman leader, and things got much better.
As a pastor, it's not my job to go along with the banter that is the most popular. It's my job to cut through the fog and look at Eternal Truth. And this week, that Truth makes me sense an overreaction on the part of many people I love and respect. Besides - PResident Obama will not be indoctrinating my children, because my influence is far greater than his by design. If parents fear that a 30 minute address is going to shape their children more than they will themselves, we have a bigger problem.
The comments from concerned citizenry seem to surround the fear that President Obama will be indoctrinating our children with his policies through the speech. And while there seem to be very few policies (any?) coming out of this presidency that I can agree with thus far, I have to say that I am not bothered by a presidential address to school children for the following reasons:
1. He is the President! Not saying the outcry is wrong, because it's a reflection of a deeper problem - the public trust has been eroded when it comes to our leaders. But while this may be true, it is essential that our children learn to respect the office of the Presidency, and to pray for that leader, regardless of who is in office.
2. Titus 3 makes it clear that believers in Christ should "be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men." Folks, keeping our kids out of school to boycott a speech from the president doesn't seem to line up with that command.
3. We're missing a huge element of this story: the speech will also be broadcast live on C-SPan for all the world to see, and parents should be watching too. Why not watch it together, or watch it apart (parents at home and kids at school), and TALK about the speech afterward - opening up a dialog that will help our children understand how to respect our leaders, but to DISCERN what is contrary to the Scriptures in his presentation?
4. Some have argued that, while all of the above may be true, I am not accounting for the millions of school children who do not have parents at home who will talk through the speech. For these children, there will only be indoctrination. My response is simply this: do you honestly think the President's speech is the only time school children are indoctrinated? We have school issues in this country, but I'm not sure that the President's speech is chief among them.
5. Some day, we'll have a Commander in Chief in the White House who stands for those things that many of us stand for. I am personally praying that God would raise up another President who is African American and fills this role, so that any implications of racial bias can be removed fromt he equation (and in fairness, beyond the issues, there are certainly those in our country who would have never supported Obama regardless of his views - but we'll never know in this White House). Where are you Alan Keyes??? We may be setting a dangerous precedent. When that day comes, can you imagine the outcry from those who oppose our values when he/she chooses to address our schoolchildren?
6. More than anything, I think this controversy is a reflection of just how tense the entire country is at present. There are many who are hurting financially. Many who are disillusioned by governmental decisions coming out of Washington on both sides of the aisle. But our job as Believers is not to react to circumstances, but to respond based on the wisdom we have received from God's Word.
My children are not in public school. But if they were, they would be instructed by me to watch the President's speech, and to respect the office according to our biblical mandate. I would watch it too, and take notes. That evening at dinner, we'd have a spirited conversation about what we saw as biblically off base in the talk, and then we would pray for our leaders in government.
In fact, given all of the buzz, we will record the speech on Tuesday and watch it as a family. I want my daughters to be informed enough to talk with their peers intelligently about what is happening around them. And I want to see God change the hearts of our national leaders, as the Scripture says He is able to do. What if President Obama's speech was really going to be about encouraging kids to work as hard as they can in school, so that they could make the country a better place? Of course, with all the firestorm and everyone watching, it certainly will be now. But it might have been that all along. It might have been an opportunity to tell our children, "You see, even when we didn't vote for a president, and we disagree on many points, he is still our president, and we must pray for him." It could have been an important teaching moment for Christian families, as they hearkened back to the days of the early church, in which the Roman government was far more oppressive than ours, and they were praying for their leaders. Eventually, God changed the heart of a Roman leader, and things got much better.
As a pastor, it's not my job to go along with the banter that is the most popular. It's my job to cut through the fog and look at Eternal Truth. And this week, that Truth makes me sense an overreaction on the part of many people I love and respect. Besides - PResident Obama will not be indoctrinating my children, because my influence is far greater than his by design. If parents fear that a 30 minute address is going to shape their children more than they will themselves, we have a bigger problem.
A Book on Breakthroughs... But Different!
I have been working for the past six months on a book called Faith Breakthroughs: Living on the Other Side of the Wall. This was supposed to be a book about a formula for overcoming walls. A book twenty years in the making.
And then I hit my own wall three years ago, and the formulas went out ...<< MORE >>
Pray at Home '09 - a Summer of Intentionality
We embarked on a new adventure at Bannockburn. This summer's emphasis is "Pray at Home '09" - a challenge to every household in the church to pray for nine minutes each week for nine people, and to continue through 9/9/09. Last week was our first one at the Rush house, and it was fantastic. Depending on your background, you either think that nine minutes is a joke or that nine minutes is an insurmountable mountain to climb. Keep in mind that we're not asking for nine minutes total - we're asking for nine minutes in a row some time that ...<< MORE >>
God Hasn't Lost
I'm watching President Elect Obama give his victory speech, and am reminded of two important passages:
Proverbs 21:1 - The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
and
1 TImothy 2:1-2 - I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
My first impression tonight was, "What will happen to the unborn children whose lives are at risk, with a president that has unabashedly supported ...<< MORE >>
Proverbs 21:1 - The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
and
1 TImothy 2:1-2 - I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
My first impression tonight was, "What will happen to the unborn children whose lives are at risk, with a president that has unabashedly supported ...<< MORE >>
Up and Down Weekend
This past weekend was a lesson in patience for the Rush family. We spent Friday and Saturday in the hospital with Lily, dealing with the same mysterious illness that she's had four times since last year on her birthday.
We finally saw a speciallist who is determined to find the source. Tests included a biopsy on one of her mysterious spots, lots of blood work, and other, grosser stuff. I am praying that God would make whatever it is abundantly clear to the doctors... soon. I'm getting really tired of mysteries.
Then Sunday came along, and I got to enjoy God's goodness in a new way. Running on very little sleep, I began a series on money, and had the opportunity to preach a message I was really excited about. The congregation at Bannockburn is so incredible that they responded regardless of any lack of energy they might have detected. For that matter, any lack of energy on my part was more than made up for in the worship - wow! What a song service! And the choir continues to blow me away. It's a great time to be at Bannockburn, and it's an awesome privilege to serve alongside the people I worship and serve with.
Great days are ahead... and Lord, please show us what LIly needs to get well!
We finally saw a speciallist who is determined to find the source. Tests included a biopsy on one of her mysterious spots, lots of blood work, and other, grosser stuff. I am praying that God would make whatever it is abundantly clear to the doctors... soon. I'm getting really tired of mysteries.
Then Sunday came along, and I got to enjoy God's goodness in a new way. Running on very little sleep, I began a series on money, and had the opportunity to preach a message I was really excited about. The congregation at Bannockburn is so incredible that they responded regardless of any lack of energy they might have detected. For that matter, any lack of energy on my part was more than made up for in the worship - wow! What a song service! And the choir continues to blow me away. It's a great time to be at Bannockburn, and it's an awesome privilege to serve alongside the people I worship and serve with.
Great days are ahead... and Lord, please show us what LIly needs to get well!
Kudos to Eileen Flynn
A few days ago, I had the privilege of having dinner with Rick Warren - the "purpose driven" pastor of Saddleback Church. So when I received an email a couple days later form Eileen Flynn, religion writer for the Austin American Statesman, related to Warren's upcoming presidential interviews, I let her know about the meeting with Warren.
The conversation actually turned into a clarification of what conservative Christians believe, and I think we were both surprised at what the other said. What I learned was that many Christians (including myself) have allowed ourselves to be pigeon-holed into caring about only a few key issues, that we are enamored with only one political party, and that we have placed all our how in the political process. I was relieved to have the opportunity to share more of what I believed, and determined to allow others in our culture to see a broader picture of the followers of Christ with which I am associated.
What Eileen Flynn learned was written in an article that appeared in that Saturday's paper - http://www.statesman.com/search/content/life/stories/faith/08/23/0823flynn.html
I think Ms. Flynn was more than fair, and I hope that this article will be the start of a better depiction of what conservatives believe. That's my responsibility - not the media's.
My Visit to Thomas Road (and a Glimpse at Kingdom Greatness)
Last Monday in a time of morning prayer, I felt like the Lord was nudging me to go to the Innovate Church Conference in Lynchburg, VA. I don't want to sound overly spiritual, but it was less than a week away, and it was taking place at Thomas Road Baptist - where I served on staff for several years. I generally try to stay away from there during conferences, because many of the people I most enjoy seeing and spending time with are totally tied up in work related to the conference.
Now I know why I needed to be there. This gathering of just over 1000 pastors saw the Spirit of God move in a very unique way that's hard to blog about. Still, I wanted to share some observations about what's happening at Thomas Road right now - something historic.
- The greatest blessing of the three days was watching my friend Jonathan lead. Jonathan is now the Senior Pastor of TR, after being called upon the loss of his dad. I can't imagine the difficulty of being thrust into that position during a time of mourning the loss of your father, but Jonathan actually welcomed the weakness of the moment. He made a miraculous, Spirit-filled decision to lead from a point of total desperation and allow God's power instead to be manifested and evident in and through him. It's not phony or cliché. Jonathan is just leading his flock by being authentic about his own inadequacies.
Make no mistake - Jonathan's one of the smartest and most talented leaders I've ever known. It's not about what he can't do - it's about intentionally getting out of the way so that God could do something so much greater than his abilities.
Now, just over a year later, Thomas Road has baptized over 1500 new converts, and welcomed over 2300 new members. That's a tribute to Jonathan - not because he's so great, but because he let God be so great.
There were many other high points of the week - hearing Rick Warren, Chuck Colsen, and Jim Cymbala speak (check out innovatechurch.us) ... having dinner with Jonathan and Rick Warren... spending time with Ron and Carol Godwin - two of my favorite people in the whole world. But the memory I'll never forget is witnessing the transformation to greatness of Jonathan Falwell - not greatness as the world defines it, but that of the Kingdom. He has decreased, and God has increased in the spirit of John 3:30. I don't think that church or ministry will ever be the same.
Heavenly Father, I praise you for what you're doing at TRBC and Liberty. Bless that ministry that impacts so many. I am exceedingly grateful for the days I had the privilege of serving in that place, and for the preparation it provided for the wonderful place I get to serve today.
Now I know why I needed to be there. This gathering of just over 1000 pastors saw the Spirit of God move in a very unique way that's hard to blog about. Still, I wanted to share some observations about what's happening at Thomas Road right now - something historic.
- The greatest blessing of the three days was watching my friend Jonathan lead. Jonathan is now the Senior Pastor of TR, after being called upon the loss of his dad. I can't imagine the difficulty of being thrust into that position during a time of mourning the loss of your father, but Jonathan actually welcomed the weakness of the moment. He made a miraculous, Spirit-filled decision to lead from a point of total desperation and allow God's power instead to be manifested and evident in and through him. It's not phony or cliché. Jonathan is just leading his flock by being authentic about his own inadequacies.
Make no mistake - Jonathan's one of the smartest and most talented leaders I've ever known. It's not about what he can't do - it's about intentionally getting out of the way so that God could do something so much greater than his abilities.
Now, just over a year later, Thomas Road has baptized over 1500 new converts, and welcomed over 2300 new members. That's a tribute to Jonathan - not because he's so great, but because he let God be so great.
There were many other high points of the week - hearing Rick Warren, Chuck Colsen, and Jim Cymbala speak (check out innovatechurch.us) ... having dinner with Jonathan and Rick Warren... spending time with Ron and Carol Godwin - two of my favorite people in the whole world. But the memory I'll never forget is witnessing the transformation to greatness of Jonathan Falwell - not greatness as the world defines it, but that of the Kingdom. He has decreased, and God has increased in the spirit of John 3:30. I don't think that church or ministry will ever be the same.
Heavenly Father, I praise you for what you're doing at TRBC and Liberty. Bless that ministry that impacts so many. I am exceedingly grateful for the days I had the privilege of serving in that place, and for the preparation it provided for the wonderful place I get to serve today.
Hearing Exam
Lily had a sedated ABR (hearing exam) this morning at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. We just got back to the hotel, and will see two different sets of doctors tomorrow, but we received some good news already. The doctor who conducted the exam said that she has good hearing in both ears! She did say, however, that she shows signs of hearing loss with lower level sounds in one ear. She believes this is due to fluid, as did the audiologist in Austin. This extensive exam gives us greater hope that it is nothing else, and she says that the fluid can manifest itself in ways that can be very difficult to detect by a visual doctors exam.
In addition to the appointments tomorrow, we have an exam with an ear specialist next week to verify and talk about solutions, which could be antibiotic treatment or tubes. Either way, that part sounds very solvable.
Thanks for your continued prayers as we talk to folks about the speech delay, but we may be closer to a solution. It's been a good day!
In addition to the appointments tomorrow, we have an exam with an ear specialist next week to verify and talk about solutions, which could be antibiotic treatment or tubes. Either way, that part sounds very solvable.
Thanks for your continued prayers as we talk to folks about the speech delay, but we may be closer to a solution. It's been a good day!