Friday, January 16, 2009

Hi, my name is Rachel Hauck and I. . .

. . . am a rule bender.

Yes, I bend rules. Not major ones now. I'm a stickler for integrity and honesty, but yeah, I bend a few rules. Mostly personal ones.

But I've bent universal rules like, "no drinks in the sanctuary but water." I mean, my Diet Coke isn't going to hurt anything, is it?

Yes, I plan on getting up for exercise. . . bend, bend.

I did put down for two hours of prayer today. . . bend, bend.

But the truth is, bending rules can go too far. And, if someone were to confront me, "what are doing in here with a soda?" I'd back out of the room with an apology.

Most of us are rule benders in some way. Though I know a few of you who are not. You're my friends and I love you. You remind us all rules have a purpose.

How does this apply to our faith? We start bending God's rules. Is homosexuality a sin? Is God's Word really true? "I mean, do I have to do all it says?"

We've started to let people bend the spiritual rules. There's a church movement doing this. They're questioning if it matters Jesus was born of the virgin, Mary, of the line of David. They ask, "Why does it matter?"

It matter's a lot. If he's not born of a virgin in the line of David, then He's not God. Prophesy is not fulfill and we are without hope.

We have to confront the rule benders. Not in a harsh or judgmental way, but in love and truth. "You many struggle with homosexuality, but God calls it sin. We are to turn from sin, hate what He hates. Let me help you walk through this toward truth."

To say your sin is okay is to call God a liar.

For some, sin isn't call out sin anymore. They're trying to fold lies into the gospel. The good news is God is able to redeem His name and reputation. I just don't want it to be because of me, my action, my sin. I don't want to sully His name.

The "church" does need to reach out to the poor and hurting. I agree we've let doctrine hinder our methodology. We're so comfortable in our churches, with our preaching and fellowshipping among ourselves. (It's the way of most sects of society.)

Getting outside the church walls is messy. It's not always successful. It's hard work. But we can't lower the bar to make it easy for ourselves. Sin is sin and we have to call it. Otherwise, how will the world know to repent and change. We leave them in worse bondage by not speaking out the truth.

My name is Rachel Hauck, a recovering rule bender.

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posted by Rachel Hauck @ 1:32 PM   2 comments

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Bearing His Fragrance

I'm at my mom's in Tennessee for Thanksgiving. My older brother is here, my youngest brother lives here with his family. Of course, I brought hubby with my.

Oh, and my 94 year old Grandma lives here, too.

This evening, my sister-in-law and I ran errands. Target, Krogers, a mom and pop pizza joint. About an hour after we brought the pizza's home, I had to move my mom's car for my sister-in-law.

Sliding behind the wheel, I was hit with the fragrance of pizza. Just a few minutes in the car, the pizza aroma still permeated the car.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."

Like the pizza, the fragrance of Jesus on us lingers long after we've come and gone. A few minutes in the car left over an hours worth of pizza aroma.

What would thirty minutes, or an hour, in the Lord's presence leave on us? Then, wherever we go, His fragrance lingers.

If another person had gotten in the car, they would've wanted pizza. So, what would happen to someone walking into our presence after we've been with Jesus.

Maybe they would crave Him? Or their hunger for spiritual truth would be awakened.

Hang out with Jesus then look at what happens to those around you.


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posted by Rachel Hauck @ 7:42 PM   4 comments

Friday, September 05, 2008

Matthew 22

Jesus tells a story in Matthew 22 about a King who threw a wedding feast for His son. On the exact day, He sent out His servants to gather the invited guests.

But they were busy, on their way home from work, eager to stop by the pub for a pint, or kick back at home with the remote.

Disappointed, the Kings said, "Bump 'em," and sent His servants to invite strangers passing on the highway, those who would be honored to sit at the King's table. The servants brought both upstanding citizens as well as the undesirables. Both good and evil.

Among the merriment, the King strolled, observing the guests at His son's party. Suddenly, he saw a man in unfit attire. He wasn't dressed in wedding clothes.

"And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."

This guest came to the feast in his own clothes, in other words, his own righteousness. He'd not taken on the garments of his host, his "groom." He wanted to wear his own deeds, works, and self-righteousness.

We cannot come to Jesus in our own religiousness and righteousness. Our entrance to the wedding feast (Rev 19:9) is not based on what we do or what we think, or how we define faith, or right thinking, but how HE defines it.

We live in a culture where "what you believe is what you believe" is a popular, accepted concept. But is what you believe what He believes? It's His wedding feast. He has the final say.

Recently some friends were discussing abortion. One said, "upstanding, moral people are pro-choice, for abortion."

Moral according to whom, to what? From where do they derive their morals? Are you living according to your own righteousness or His?

To be honest, from what I read in the Word, I cannot see me asking Jesus, "So, you're cool with me being for abortion, right? I mean, pregnancy may come at a time when it's just not right for some women."

I imagine He'd not say a word, but turn and show me His whipped, torn and deeply wounded back.

"Ah, yeah, right. Maybe not."

Or, for the one who thinks adultery or sex out of marriage is fine and dandy, or homosexuality. Or adheres to white lies, or subtle cheating.

Look, I know mistakes are made. I've made them. Still do. I know people struggle. But if we are in Christ, we are not alone. We have a GREAT High Priest who prays for us!

We do not give Him and His Cross enough power and faith. He can take our worst situations and some how make them right. Or give us grace to endure.

We cannot show up at the wedding feast in our own works and righteousness. So why do we continually try? We have to put on His garments of faith, salvation and peace. He's given them to us by the Cross.

If you ever doubt His love or availability to you, close your eyes and gaze at the Cross. Don't let lies and doubt win.

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posted by Rachel Hauck @ 12:28 PM   1 comments

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

See you soon, Kristy


Friend and author Kristy Dykes graduated to the next life yesterday. Her husband blogs about it here.

Kristy was a shining spot to so many of us writers. A cheerleader, an exhorter. You can see from Milton's writings she was a loving, kind, spunky wife and mother.

Mostly she loved Jesus and reflected His light with a passion. Cancer took Kristy in this life, but has no power where she is now.

In juxtaposition, I occasionally follow a blog by another woman struggling with cancer. This woman does not know Jesus. In the course of her journey, her husband left her, she's sick, broke and alone. Bitter.

Watching two people struggle and die in cyberspace was a unique experience, but watching one who loves Jesus compared to one who doesn't, was sad. I feel for the latter. "Jesus, reveal yourself."

We will all miss Kristy. "Friend, see you very soon. We'll start a writing group that will last for eternity!"

Thank you Milton and family for being such a great example of Christian charity and exposing the inner heart of Kristy.

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posted by Rachel Hauck @ 9:35 PM   3 comments

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Romans 5

I love, love, love singing the Word. Get a three or four chord progression going and God's Word opens up and speaks to the human heart.

I've been super-duper busy lately and while it is NO excuse, my prayer and Word time has been scattered.

So, I sat at the keyboard this afternoon and opened to Romans 5.

I love this... starting in verse 3:

"Exalt in tribulation and trials. It brings about perseverance. Perseverance helps us develop proven character and out of that we have hope.

Hope does NOT disappoint. Look, God poured out His love within our hearts through the Holy Spirit whom He gave to us."

Isn't that amazing? God purposefully poured out His love in us, then gave us His Spirit to keep us in love.

One of the problems in American today, the Church chief among them, is we don't want to endure. We want the quick fix. We want life easy and simple, someone to fix everything for us. We don't own up to our own weaknesses and faults.

Listen, if the first thing out of your mouth when times are hard is, "Well, my mother..." Or, "My Dad..." Or, "My boss..." Substitute what you will... husband, kids, agent, editor, neighbor, pastor...

Stop pointing the finger, look inside, confess your sins and endure. Develop proven character. We need a whole lot more character in this world. We are so busy blaming and spinning the truth. Let it start within me, within my hearts.

I want proven character. I want hope. I want the love of God dwelling in me richly.

Here's the best part of this Roman passage. Verse 8.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

I've written four books in first person present. I am. I go. I want. I say. The reason I did this was for the immediacy. It has a "now" feel.

"God demonstrates" has the same immediacy, now feel. God demonstrating His love for us is not past tense. It's every day. Current. Happening even now.

As I was singing this verse, taking a direction of Jesus dying on the Cross, singing how He faced the grave, defeated all of Hell, took the keys of death, I stopped.

Whoa. Heavy reavy.

God is life, right? Holds all of life in His hands. Adam, in the Garden, surrender his authority over death to his enemy, Satan.

Jesus came as a man, faced His enemy for all of human kinds, think David and Goliath, defeated Satan and took the authority over Death from him. Now Jesus, a Man, holds the keys. A man of love, an intercessor, who also happens to be God.

Look, I know we all know this at some level. But it hit me deeper today. Jesus. A man. Fixed what Adam screwed up. Only a human could take the keys of death away from him. So God said, "I'll do it for them by becoming one of them."

Amazing!!! There is NO other religion in the world with this kind of Hero. None. No one compares to Jesus. None. Investigate for yourself. Compare. You'll see.

Well, off  to check on my cake.

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posted by Rachel Hauck @ 4:33 PM   3 comments

Sunday, December 30, 2007

End of the Year

It's Sunday after. The late December day is warm, sunny and breezy under a blue sky. The year is ending. Feels like another day in a standard week, but the calendar turns.

I make no resolutions except to be purposeful in knowing Jesus more, and learning to love. If He increases in me, I decrease and the world becomes a better place.

A man I know died and went to heaven. He encountered the King of Kings who asked, "On earth, did you learn to love?"

What an amazing question. He loved. We are to be like Him. Love is a choice. Simple and straightforward. Choose love. It's patient, kind, forgiving, bears offense and keeps no record of wrong. It uplifts and upholds. Love believes and hopes.

Have you forgiven an offense? Then you've loved.

God is love. (1 John 4) Not God is like love, He IS love, the very definition. How can we do or be less? The rock group Foreigner sang, "I wanna know what love is."

Seek Him.

Love does not mean we allow ourselves to be bullied or walked on. Love is not an ethereal concept that evades our grasp. Love is not unsanctified mercy. We show mercy when we should speak truth and call it love. No.

But always, grace, grace.

While my resolve is simple, yet difficult, I have goals. To write with grace and beauty. Frankly, the only way I know is to sit at His feet.

Be faithful to prayer and fasting.

I want to be found in His presence, to stand in His council. My good friend Susie pointed out this verse, Psalm 25:14.

The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him,
And He will make them know His covenant.
My eyes are continually toward the LORD

Goodbye 2007. You brought me good times and bad. Disappointment that stirred both anger and jealousy in my soul. But, in this I gained hope, grace, faith, the abililty to be abandoned.

I am a blank slate. Jesus, paint on my heart whatever You will. If this life is an intership for eternity, then so goes my reward.

Grace, grace.

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posted by Rachel Hauck @ 4:04 PM   1 comments

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Personal Stock

We have personal stock. Like a company. Like the Stock Market. The Dow-Jones, the SNP. Stock is our value as we see ourselves and as others see us.

In a sense, privately verse publicly held stock.

How we view ourselves is paramount to how we will survive this world. Our personal stock must be strong, solid and built on a foundation of values and character.

I've always known this, but recently a live example from college football brought it into light.

Troy Smith, star quaterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, undefeated against Michigan, lost the most critical game of his college career.

The BCS National Championship in Glendale Arizona.

Come NFL draft time, Smith's "stock" was down, the report claimed. He'd be drafted, but when, what round? To whom?

Last month we found out. Fifth round, a hundred and seventy-fourth.

A hundred and seventy-fourth.

The top quarterback in NCAA football, Heisman winner goes a hundred and seventy-fourth because he lost one game.

One very critical game.

His whole character and ability to play, command a team fell to scrutiny. Forget all the games he'd won under huge pressure, including 2006 season closer against Michigan.

His team lost when they were expected to win and Troy Smith paid the price. Not Antonio Pittman, or Anthony Gonzales.

In my teens and twenties, I worked for Publix Supermarkets. The best grocery shopping experience you'll ever have. In those days, Publix was a privately held company. Earnings and profits were shared with the employee.

It was the best gig any blue collar worker could have. Two weeks pay as a Christmas bonus. Paid vacation. Medical. Retirement. Profit sharing. Stock options.

They believed in themselves.

I wonder how Troy Smith endured the loss of a National Championship? How did he feel when all the talking-heads declared, "Smith's stock down after defeat."

Since he didn't off himself, my guess is Troy Smith took a look at his personal stock, believed in his abilities, and said yes to the Ravens when they drafted him a hundred and seventy-fourth in the fifth round. I bet he went to training camp determined to show them they made a great pick.

We have to value ourselves, and those who invest time and energy in us. Don't let "public" opinion knock you off course.

Paul writes to the Ephesians, "I pray you be rooted and grounded in love. The love that surpasses knowledge."

Being rooted and grounded means trivial winds don't uproot you. It means you are confident in His love.

Public stock fluxuates if someone on Wall Street sneezes wrong. It's almost the same with people. You can be a perfectly fine person, have a bad moment, and leave a room of people with the wrong impression.

Are you who they think you are? No. But you have to be confident enough not to let it effect you.

One year in college, I hung out with the wrong guy. Just by association, an entire fraternity formed a very wrong opinion of me. Not to say I didn't contribute a little to the opinion-forming, but I was no where near what they thought.

How sickening to have a whole frat think... well, never mind.

But, I knew they were wrong about me. I modified my behavior, stayed away from the man in question, and within a school year, my entire rep had changed with those men.

My personal stock allowed my public stock to change.

Where are you? Someone doing or saying something about you that's hurting? Then let your light shine. Let your inner character and pesonal stock hold you together until "they" see the real you.

Or, maybe like me, you have to make a half-time adjustment.

At the end of the day, all you have is your belief in yourself, and the confidence that you are indeed His favorite One.

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posted by Rachel Hauck @ 10:53 AM   2 comments

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